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2 July 2026
Jamaican National Indicted for Assaulting a Federal Deportation OfficerRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Jamaican National was indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of assault on a federal officer in Branson, Mo.
Demaro Ray Foster, 28, was contacted by immigration officers as he had overstayed his visas to remain in the United States. Immigration Officers identified themselves as law enforcement to Mr. Foster and advised that he was to come with them.
Mr. Foster is accused of pinning the arm of one of the federal agents by raising the window of his car, trapping the officer’s arm in the process. Mr. Foster proceeded to try to leave the area, potentially dragging the immigration officer along the outside of his car. The immigration officer was able to free himself from the vehicle but not before sustaining injuries.
The federal officer was engaged in his duties as a deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations at the time of the assault.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Monett, Missouri Police Department.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Iowa Man Waives $17.7M Discharge After USTP Investigation into Sham LoansRead the Press Release
Jeffrey Garth Ewing, of Iowa, agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge of more than $17.7 million in debts after an investigation by the Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP). The USTP’s investigation found that Ewing had transferred nearly $400,000 to companies he controlled to shield the funds from his creditors.
On June 15, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Iowa approved Ewing’s voluntary waiver. As a result, Ewing remains liable for his debts and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.
“Debtors who seek to defraud their creditors also attack the integrity of the bankruptcy system. The USTP remains vigilant to keep the system strong and fair,” said Acting U.S. Trustee Mary Jensen of Region 12, which includes the Southern District of Iowa.
Ewing developed housing communities for older adults throughout the Midwest. In March 2024, Ewing and his wife filed chapter 11 reorganization cases on behalf of themselves as well as several of their businesses, but the bankruptcy cases were dismissed a month later for failure to file required bankruptcy documents.
In January 2025, Ewing and his wife filed a chapter 7 liquidation case. Ewing claimed that the couple had loaned nearly $400,000 to three of their businesses after the chapter 11 dismissals but before the chapter 7 filing. However, an investigation by the USTP’s Des Moines, Iowa, office found evidence that Ewing had transferred the funds to hide them from his creditors between the bankruptcy filings. The loans had no documentation except in one instance that relied on a promissory note that Ewing admitted to backdating. Ewing also asserted that the couple’s adult children owned two of the companies but the USTP’s investigation found that Ewing maintained control of the businesses’ finances.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 82 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Illegal alien sentenced for role in decades-long identity theft schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 63-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Ana Silvia Garcia pleaded guilty April 14.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Garcia to serve 27 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard testimony from the victim describing the emotional toll of the crime. In handing down the sentence, Judge Eskridge noted Garcia’s use of the victim’s identity was an ongoing crime that was intentionally done and therefore was not aberrant behavior despite her lack of prior criminal history. Garcia was further ordered to pay $278,385 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
Beginning in 1992, Garcia used a Social Security number belonging to a U.S. citizen. Using that identity, she submitted immigration petitions on behalf of family members and obtained disability and Medicare benefits.
As a result of the scheme, Garcia unlawfully received more than $278,000 in benefits from 2013 through February 2026. She was not entitled to those funds.
Garcia later admitted her true identity following her arrest in February.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The SSA - Office of Inspector General and Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation with the assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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.
Illegal Alien Romanian Brothers Plead Guilty to Multistate SNAP Benefit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Romanian brothers illegally in the United States appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits affecting victims across multiple states, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to combat fraud through the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, both Romanian citizens residing unlawfully in various places throughout the United States, each pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
“These individuals came to the United States illegally and preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—those receiving SNAP benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “They stole benefits from those who actually need them and then resold products bought with those benefits for their own profit. We will use the full force of the federal government to hold accountable those who exploit taxpayer funded programs and victimize citizens on government assistance.”
According to court records, between July 2024 and August 2025, the defendants were members of an identity theft ring that defrauded the SNAP programs in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states of more than $760,000. The defendants and their co-conspirators used skimming devices at ATMs, fuel pumps, and other locations, to steal the data from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards used to distribute SNAP benefits. The stolen information was then loaded onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and other access devices which the defendants then used at large membership warehouse clubs to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of bulk items including coffee, candy, energy drinks, and baby formula. For example, the defendants used counterfeit cards loaded with stolen information from SNAP EBT cards issued in Massachusetts and New Jersey to purchase over $15,600 in coffee, candy and other items from a warehouse club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and over $19,000 from another warehouse club in Pineville, North Carolina. The defendants then transported, resold, or intended to resell the items purchased with counterfeit cards. According to court records, the defendants’ scheme victimized more than 10 individuals, causing some substantial hardship.
Court documents show that Catalin Dumitru and Marian Ovidiu Dumitru were also found to be in possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized bank cards with magnetic strips cloned with stolen SNAP EBT account information, as well as blank cards with magnetic strips.
The defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud. They each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and their state and local partners for their work on the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Illegal Alien Romanian Brothers Plead Guilty to Multistate SNAP Benefit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Two Romanian brothers illegally in the United States appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits affecting victims across multiple states, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to combat fraud through the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, both Romanian citizens residing unlawfully in various places throughout the United States, each pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
“The Fraud Division will not tolerate anyone who steals from public benefits programs designed to support Americans in need,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “If you attempt to defraud these programs, we will come after you with the full force of federal law. We are committed to safeguarding America’s tax dollars and the programs they are meant to support.”
“These individuals came to the United States illegally and preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—those receiving SNAP benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “They stole benefits from those who actually need them and then resold products bought with those benefits for their own profit. We will use the full force of the federal government to hold accountable those who exploit taxpayer funded programs and victimize citizens on government assistance.”
According to court records, between July 2024 and August 2025, the defendants were members of an identity theft ring that defrauded the SNAP programs in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states of more than $760,000. The defendants and their co-conspirators used skimming devices at ATMs, fuel pumps, and other locations, to steal the data from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards used to distribute SNAP benefits. The stolen information was then loaded onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and other access devices which the defendants then used at large membership warehouse clubs to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of bulk items including coffee, candy, energy drinks, and baby formula. For example, the defendants used counterfeit cards loaded with stolen information from SNAP EBT cards issued in Massachusetts and New Jersey to purchase over $15,600 in coffee, candy and other items from a warehouse club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and over $19,000 from another warehouse club in Pineville, North Carolina. The defendants then transported, resold, or intended to resell the items purchased with counterfeit cards. According to court records, the defendants’ scheme victimized more than 10 individuals, causing some substantial hardship.
Court documents show that Catalin Dumitru and Marian Ovidiu Dumitru were also found to be in possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized bank cards with magnetic strips cloned with stolen SNAP EBT account information, as well as blank cards with magnetic strips.
The defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud. They each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and their state and local partners for their work on the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Illegal Alien Child Rapist Sentenced for Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Juarez Sanchez-Montiel, 41, an illegal alien born in Mexico, to 7 months in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release. On March 16, 2026, Sanchez pleaded guilty to immigration fraud.
“This despicable rapist will no longer prey on our vulnerable and innocent young children.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “The taxpayers of Eastern North Carolina should have comfort knowing that we will stomp out spiders like this who cheat and manipulate the system. He better stay out.”
On December 11, 2023, in Montgomery County, North Carolina Superior Court, a grand jury returned two indictments against Sanchez, charging him with first-degree statutory rape, statutory rape of a child 15 years of age or younger, and sex by a substitute parent or custodian. He committed those crimes against the first victim on May 1, 2016, and the second victim on September 11, 2023. On August 19, 2024, a jury convicted Sanchez of statutory rape of a child 15 years of age or younger, statutory sex offense with child 15 years of age or younger, and two counts of sex act by substitute parent or custodian. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 18 and 26 years and ordered to register as a sex offender. Both victims were children under the age of 13, and his sexual abuse crimes resulted in the birth of two children.
Sanchez confessed to knowingly making materially false statements under penalty of perjury on his application to obtain a U-Visa when he submitted it to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) in November of 2021. In response to the questions “Have you EVER committed a crime or offense for which you have not been arrested?” and “Have you EVER ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in any of the following:…[e]ngaging in any kind of sexual conduct or relations with any person who was being forced or threatened?” he answered “No.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced the defendant. ICE ERO investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven - an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain immigration benefits. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Sanchez will be transferred to ICE custody for removal from the US.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-114-FL.
Hopkins County woman guilty of federal charges related to an unlicensed breeding facility in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Hopkins County woman has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges following an animal welfare investigation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Kristine Michelle Hicks, 51, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Love on July 1, 2026.
According to information presented in court, Hicks was the sole owner and operator of an unlicensed dog breeding business called Giant German Shepherds in Hopkins County, Texas. Toward the end of the operation in December 2025, Hicks had as many as 131 German shepherds on her property.
Hicks advertised her services online through a website and Facebook account she controlled. When she received inquiries about dogs that she had advertised for sale, she made representations and promises about the dogs, including that they were healthy, trained for specific services, that they had certain specified parentage, and that they were registered with the AKC. These representations were false. Instead of selling purebred, properly AKC registered, healthy animals, Hicks sometimes sold dogs that were a mix of breeds, were randomly sourced from other litters, and had diseases or were in an unhealthy state. Soil from Hicks’ property was contaminated with coccidia, an intestinal parasite. Hicks also created and fabricated false AKC documentation, and greatly inflated the sales prices for the dogs, often by thousands of dollars above the dogs’ real market value.
“The depraved indifference to animal suffering we witnessed in this case was shocking,” said United States Attorney Jay R. Combs. “My office will continue to advocate for the victims who were defrauded by the defendant as well as the animals who suffered, and often died, in cruel conditions. The concerned citizens who brought this to light are to be commended along with the amazing animal rescue organizations who worked so hard to assist in caring for the animals, most especially Big Dog Ranch Rescue.”
“This fraudulent, unlicensed dog breeder subjected dogs to grotesque cruelty, keeping a kill pit at her facility,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk. “I am proud of the USDA OIG agents who rescued 143 dogs and brought swift justice to this unconscionable crime. Criminals should know that USDA OIG will continue working aggressively with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate crimes endangering animal welfare and protect public safety. I thank the FBI, APHIS Animal Care, SPCA of Texas, Tulsa SPCA, and Big Dog Ranch Rescue for their assistance in conducting the investigation and housing the rescued animals.”
Hicks faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the FBI, with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Morris.
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegal Reentry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DARWIN MORADEL VELASQUEZ (“VELASQUEZ”), age 40, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on July 2, 2026, for illegal reentry of previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, VELASQUEZ, an illegal alien, was found in St. Tammany Parish on December 31, 2025, by agents of the United States Customs and Border Patrol. VELASQUEZ had previously been removed to Honduras by the United States Department of Homeland Security on October 11, 2016.
United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced VELASQUEZ to time served and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. He also ordered VELASQUEZ transferred into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for removal back to Honduras.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters, of the General Crimes Unit, handled the prosecution.
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Homeland Security Task Force Led by U.S. Border Patrol Targeting Unit Sends San Antonio Woman to Federal Prison for 40 YearsRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Homeland Security Task Force case resulted in a San Antonio woman being sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison for her role in an illegal alien hostage taking conspiracy disrupted by the U.S. Border Patrol Targeting Unit, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, on Aug. 4, 2024, Jailene Marisol Reyes, 28, made a phone call to a man, telling him that his fiancé was being held at Reyes’s house and that if he did not pay a $6,000 ransom, the fiancé would be sold to other people. San Marcos Police Department officers traced the phone number from the man’s phone to Reyes as part of their investigation and requested assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. After a meet-up was arranged between the man and Reyes, TX DPS troopers conducted a traffic stop on Reyes, arresting her and rescuing the hostage. A stolen handgun was also located inside Reyes’s vehicle.
Further investigation revealed that Reyes allegedly worked for Spencer Garnett Demps aka “Chucky” and assisted in the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States. Reyes also stated that the hostage had been transported to her from Eagle Pass and that, while Reyes expected to be paid, she wouldn’t receive payment until the hostage was released to her family.
Reyes was named in a five-count indictment on May 28, 2025, charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens for profit, conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and hostage taking. She was arrested on June 6, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 5, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. During the sentencing hearing the victim in the hostage taking event testified that she was told by the organization that she would be sold or sex trafficked, if her fiancé did not pay the ransom. Ultimately, the fiancé did show up to a predetermined location to pay the $5,000 ransom, but a co-defendant robbed him at gun point and the organization continued to hold the victim until she was rescued.
Co-defendant Jonathan Andre West was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on May 14, 2025. Mario Barrientos Jr. pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, and Nicholas Sagini Nyaosi both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. They both remain in custody awaiting sentencing. Spencer Garnett Demps was arrested on Dec. 6, 2024, and remains in custody pending further court proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution 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 comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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Harvey Man Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MOHAMMED HAMED (“HAMED”), age 34, was indicted for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court records, HAMED was arrested on June 10, 2026, pursuant to a previously issued criminal complaint. An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that from or about January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023, HAMED purchased electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), more commonly known as vapes, from SAFA Goods LLC (SAFA) in Florida and had the products shipped to Louisiana. When SAFA was no longer licensed, SAFA stopped directly shipping to Hamed. From on or about April 17, 2024 to December 9, 2024, HAMED wired approximately $1,606,117 to SAFA Goods in Florida. Shipping patterns changed to use middlemen’s addresses, some of whom also received wired funds. While the shipments appeared to stop on paper, HAMED continued to wire money to SAFA Goods. ATF discovered that HAMED’s information would often be embedded in the ordering information for another wholesaler outside of the state of Louisiana. HAMED also sold to a large amount of retail stores in and out of the Eastern District of Louisiana. ATF located multiple invoices which reflected products that HAMED is not legally licensed to sell. HAMED then collected checks and deposited them into a bank account. HAMED used this same bank account to wire large sums of money to wholesalers, such as SAFA Goods and AGX2 LLC. This scheme was devised to defraud the state of Louisiana by not registering for a tobacco license but still distributing products to various retail locations in and out of the state. This fact was confirmed by matching checks received from the retailers to invoices found at the retailers. ATF estimates the loss to the State at approximately $880,000.
If convicted, HAMED faces a maximum of twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Hammond Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Jonas Derrico Smith, 54 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Smith was sentenced to 66 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
“A drug dealer and robber will go to prison for five and a half years for possessing a firearm. The Defendant sold Xanax twice in October 2023 from his residence in Hammond, Indiana. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and recovered a loaded revolver, a semi-automatic pistol and multiple rounds of ammunition. Smith has prior felony convictions for armed robbery, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and twice for distributing cocaine; all of which prohibit him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Our community is safer due to the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula as part of Operation Take Back America,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Hacienda Employee Pleads Guilty to Bribery Conspiracy Involving Loss of $5 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, Luis A. Jiménez-Guzmán, a Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Departamento de Hacienda or “PRDT”) employee was charged and pleaded guilty to a bribery conspiracy involving the loss of approximately $5,000,000 in Puerto Rico tax revenue, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
According to the plea agreement in the case, Luis A. Jiménez-Guzmán, knowingly and willfully conspired to commit federal program bribery and wire fraud, as well as accepted bribe payments in exchange for his corrupt acts. From February 2019 through March 2023, Jiménez-Guzmán was an employee and agent of the PRDT with duties that included physically and electronically accessing and reviewing tax returns and documents related to invoicing and collection of owed taxes. The defendant had privileged access to the PRDT’s online platforms, the Puerto Rico Integrated Tax Administration System (PRITAS) and the Internal Revenue Unified System (GenTax/SURI) and was experienced and able to access, monitor, and modify taxpayer information, including creating taxpayer credits, modifying income tax, employee retention tax and sales tax information.
As part of the bribery conspiracy, Jiménez-Guzmán corruptly accepted cash payments and other benefits, in exchange for submitting false information to the PRDT. The false information was submitted to the PRDT for the elimination of taxes owed, evasion of taxes, and theft of funds. For example, on August 16, 2021, Jiménez-Guzmán received a $10,000 bribe payment from Person H to erase and reduce a tax debt of one of Person H’s customers.
The illicit payments were solicited and accepted by Jiménez-Guzmán, who illegally eliminated the PRDT tax liabilities and obtained illegal tax refunds for several individual and business taxpayers, with a total approximate loss to the PRDT of $5,000,000.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to aggressively pursue corrupt individuals in the government who take advantage of the system to benefit a few in exchange for bribes,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “This prosecution serves as a warning to other public employees involved in these types of schemes that they will be investigated and prosecuted, and that such violations will not be tolerated.”
“The FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of Puerto Rico’s public institutions,” said Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Today’s proceedings reflect our continued efforts to investigate and expose schemes that compromise the fair administration of government programs and erode public trust. We will continue working closely with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure that those who abuse their positions for personal gain are held accountable.”
Defendant Jiménez-Guzmán made his initial court appearance at the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico where he waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a one-count Information before United States District Judge Silvia L. Carreño-Coll. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars, and supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy from the District of Puerto Rico’s Financial Fraud & Public Corruption Section is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an ongoing effort to combat public corruption and fraud committed by Puerto Rico Department of Treasury employees. In addition to the above matter, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico announced the indictment of twenty-six individuals and corporations in a similar bribery and wire fraud scheme in October 2025.
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Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Guatemalan National was indicted by Grand Jury on June 30, 2026, for illegal re-entry into the United States after being previously deported.
Julien Cristobal-Perez, 62, was indicted for an offense that occurred on May 25, 2026, in Barry County, Mo., related to his illegal re-entry after being previously deported from the United States. Under federal statute, illegally re-entering into the United States after being previously deported is in direct violation of existing federal immigration law and is subject to a sentence of up to two years imprisonment. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Monett, Missouri, Police Department.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Grand Jury Witness Who Refused to Testify in Violation of Court Order Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who refused to testify in grand jury was sentenced on July 1, 2026, to 37 months in federal prison.
Bryon David Manning, age 21, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 22, 2025, guilty plea to contempt of court.
Manning, who was previously convicted of burglary in the second degree and was serving his sentence in state custody, was summoned to federal grand jury in April and May 2025. Manning was ordered by the District Court Judge to testify in grand jury but refused to do so. Manning was first held in civil contempt for approximately four months and subsequently indicted for criminal contempt.
Manning was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Manning was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Manning is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-00093.
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Garryowen man sentenced to 21 months for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Garryowen man who was found with 34 grams of meth after crashing his car was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Ricky Crawford Birdinground, 47, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Birdinground was traveling along Highway 212 near Crow Agency when he crashed his vehicle into the guardrail. Law enforcement saw the disabled vehicle and watched as Birdinground tried to climb out the passenger side of the car.
After receiving conflicting information from Birdinground, officers determined that he had been driving and that he owned the vehicle. Law enforcement searched the car and found two baggies with 34 grams of methamphetamine, and in Birdinground’s pocket they found a glass pipe. Birdinground admitted to using meth everyday. Additionally, officers found messages on his phone about purchasing and dealing meth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The BIA conducted the investigation.
Gainesville Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Trai Williams, 28, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of carfentanil (an analogue of fentanyl) and other controlled substances. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Carfentanil is an emerging drug threat in our communities that can be fatal in doses as small as 2 milligrams. Thanks to the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners in this case, nearly 80,000 lethal doses of this dangerous drug were kept off our streets. Through Operation Take Back America, the Department of Justice is devoting its full might toward eradicating the scourge of drug trafficking from our communities, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to deliver the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve.”
Court documents reflect that on October 2, 2025, the defendant fled from police through multiple counties reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph. During the pursuit, cocaine and other controlled substances were thrown from the vehicle. After the defendant’s vehicle was immobilized and the defendant was apprehended, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s apartment in Gainesville. Inside the apartment were numerous controlled substances, including over 156 grams of carfentanil and other substances containing heroin, fentanyl, promethazine, codeine, cocaine, and over $55,000 in U.S. currency.
According to an Officer Safety Alert published by the Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is a synthetic opioid originally developed to tranquilize large animals, such as elephants. The DEA estimates that it is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
Williams faces a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, and up to a maximum of life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Alachua County Drug Task Force with assistance from the sheriff’s offices in Alachua, Hamilton, and Columbia counties. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Franklin Soccer Coach Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Camilo Campos-Hurtado, 66, of Franklin, Tennessee, was sentenced today to a total term of 360 months (30 years) in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for sexually exploiting children, receiving child sexual abuse material, and possessing fraudulent immigration and identification documents, announced Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office requested a sentence of 50 years, citing the extraordinary seriousness of Campos-Hurtado’s offenses, the prolonged nature of his conduct and the need to protect the public from further crimes. The sentencing judge ordered a sentence of 30 years in prison.
Campos-Hurtado pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025, to four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receiving child sexual abuse material, one count of using or possessing fraudulent immigration documents, and one count of possessing an identification document or authentication feature that was stolen or produced without lawful authority.
"Camilo Campos-Hurtado preyed on children, rendered his victims incapable of resisting, recorded his horrific crimes, and concealed his true identity through fraudulent immigration and identification documents while remaining unlawfully in the United States," said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek. "Today's sentence delivers justice for his victims and ensures that this dangerous predator will spend decades in federal prison. The Department of Justice has no higher priority than protecting children from sexual exploitation. Those who abuse children, produce or collect child sexual abuse material, or exploit our immigration system to facilitate their crimes will be identified, prosecuted, and held fully accountable. I commend Homeland Security Investigations, the Franklin Police Department, and the vigilant citizen whose actions brought these crimes to light.”
The investigation began in June 2023 after a member of the public discovered explicit videos on a cell phone Campos-Hurtado left behind at a Franklin business and immediately alerted the Franklin Police Department. That report launched an investigation that ultimately uncovered years of child sexual exploitation.
Law enforcement officers executed multiple search warrants, including at Campos-Hurtado's residence and vehicle, recovering electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material, along with numerous counterfeit immigration and identification documents.
Investigators determined that Campos-Hurtado incapacitated child victims with drugs or alcohol before sexually abusing them and recording the assaults. Although the offenses underlying his convictions occurred between 2017 and 2021, forensic analysis of his electronic devices established that he had been producing child sexual abuse material since at least January 13, 2013.
Campos-Hurtado is unlawfully present in the United States. Following completion of his federal sentence and any remaining state sentence, he is expected to be removed to Mexico through immigration proceedings.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Franklin Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Kathryn D. Risinger prosecuted the case.
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Four Tampa Men Sentenced for Two Armed Robberies of Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced four Tampa men for the armed robberies of two Tampa convenience stores. E’barous Harris (age 27) was sentenced to 14 years and 7 months in prison, Ronald Brown (age 25) to 15 years in prison, Jermaine Dawes (age 33) to 14 years and 10 months in prison, and Tra-Vontae Watson (age 32) to 20 years and 5 months in prison. Each previously pleaded guilty. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents and proceedings, in July 2024, the above-named individuals conspired together to rob the convenience stores. Harris, Watson, and Brown went inside the stores, while Dawes acted as the lookout and getaway driver. Watson and Brown carried firearms, which they utilized to steal cash from both locations. Law enforcement ultimately located the robbers at a motel in Tampa. Surveillance footage from the hotel showed the four men getting in and out of the vehicle used in the robberies, and the larger firearm, a rifle, could be seen being loaded into the vehicle as well. Search warrants for multiple hotel rooms associated with the individuals were executed and a rifle consistent with the one seen on video and used in the robberies was located.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Fort Hall Drug Dealer Sentenced to 80 months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Mariah Dawn Russell, 30, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Bart Davis announced today.
According to court records, between April and August 2024, Russell sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to another person on four occasions at locations in Bannock, Bingham, and Bonneville Counties. In early October 2024, police arrested Russell after she met with another individual to purchase 1,000 fentanyl pills, which she intended to distribute. In total, between April and October 2024, law enforcement purchased or seized approximately three grams of methamphetamine and more than 760 grams of fentanyl.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Russell to serve five years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Russell pleaded guilty to the charge on December 16, 2024. Her co-defendant, Walker Cates was sentenced on May 21, 2025, to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the BADGES Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Fort Hall Police Department. The BADGES Task Force is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pocatello Police Department, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Police, and the Chubbuck Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
These cases were investigated through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force. The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking in Bannock County and throughout the region.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 275 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 197 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 12,998 months (approximately 1,083.17 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 51.99 months (4.33 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses under this program, serve on average approximately 75.63 months (6.30 years) in federal prison.
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Former Louisiana Detention Officer Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a DetaineeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On June 26, 2026, David Courvelle, 56, a former Contract Detention Officer at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after his December 29, 2025, plea to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Ward.
“This three-year sentence reflects the seriousness of Mr. Courvelle’s conduct, which involved both a sexual relationship with a detainee and using other detainees to coordinate and cover up his crime,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Those entrusted with authority over detained persons must be held to the highest standards, and violations of that trust will be prosecuted.”
According to court documents, Courvelle served as a Contract Detention Officer between January and July 2025, during which time he engaged in prohibited sexual contact with a female detainee at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center. Evidence shows Courvelle developed a relationship with the detainee and provided her with gifts, family photos, and other items. He also arranged for other detainees to act as lookouts during their sexual encounters to avoid detection. In a statement to investigators conducted pursuant to the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the victim explained that she felt pressured to perform sexual acts on Courvelle while they were together.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and Thomas A. Johnson with assistance from Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for this matter is 6:25-CR-00354.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs
USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Western District of Louisiana
Twitter @USAO_WDLAFormer Florida Resident Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Appraisal FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Armando Martinez (51, Plano, TX) has been sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant, III, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to 20 years in federal prison for bank fraud. Martinez previously pleaded guilty. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents filed with the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Martinez, who had his Florida Appraiser’s license revoked, orchestrated and executed a bank fraud scheme directed at multiple financial institutions by taking over the identity and license number of a legitimate licensed appraiser. Martinez then purportedly conducted onsite appraisals for dozens of properties in Florida. In reality, Martinez paid others to go to the properties and take pictures for appraisals he completed. He then sent the appraisals to the victim lenders, using his computer after having fled the United States to the Dominican Republic. Based on the false and fraudulent appraisals, the financial institutions were fraudulently induced to approve and fund mortgage loans and pay Martinez appraisal fees. As a result of Martinez’s appraisal fraud, more than $65 million in mortgages are impaired or defective. These mortgages were either guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration or purchased and guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and the United States Department of Housing and Development – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Former Charleston County Magistrate Pleads Guilty to Possessing, Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — James Benjamin Gosnell, Jr., 69, of Charleston, has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).*
In summer 2025, agents with Homeland Security Investigations received a CyberTip from PayPal that showed payments made from PayPal accounts belonging to James Benjamin Gosnell, Jr. to a known CSAM vendor. Based upon that information, agents obtained a federal search warrant for Gosnell’s residence, which they executed on Sept. 16, 2025.
During the execution of the search warrant, Gosnell confessed to possessing CSAM, and gave agents a flash drive that he admitted contained hundreds of CSAM videos. Agents seized more than a dozen additional electronic devices and flash drives. Forensic analysis confirmed that Gosnell possessed thousands of CSAM files.
Further investigation revealed that in December 2023, Gosnell began communicating with a man in Florida named John Thorpe via text message and encrypted apps. Gosnell and Thorpe discussed their shared sexual preference for minors, primarily the violent sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. In the summer of 2024, Gosnell traveled to Thorpe’s home in Florida, where Gosnell distributed and shared a flash drive containing CSAM. Gosnell left the thumb drive of CSAM with Thorpe, who later sent it back to Gosnell in Charleston via FedEx.
“Gosnell, a public official and judicial officer, was a man entrusted with carrying out justice in the Charleston community yet was doing exactly the opposite,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Thank you to our partners at HSI for their tireless pursuit of accountability in this case. And thank you to our community who came forward with tips and information to assist in protecting our children.”
“The evil actions uncovered in this case represent the worst form of criminal behavior—targeting the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Carolinas. “Homeland Security Investigations will relentlessly pursue those who engage in the exploitation of children, no matter their status or profession. Our commitment is unwavering: we will use every resource at our disposal to protect children, bring offenders to justice, and ensure they face the full consequences of their crimes.”
Gosnell faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and up to a lifetime of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. He will be required to register as a sex offender for life. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Gosnell after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Orville and Emily Limehouse are prosecuting the case.###
* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
Former Albuquerque Dentist Ordered to Pay $320,000 for Violating Controlled Substances and False Claims ActsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney's Office announced today that a federal court has entered a $320,000.00 judgment against a former Albuquerque dentist to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by unlawfully issuing prescriptions after his professional licenses were revoked or expired.
William C. Gardner, DDS, was licensed to practice dentistry in New Mexico and held a state-controlled substances registration. Between July 17, 2020, and February 1, 2021, he allegedly continued to write prescriptions for patients despite the fact that his state dental license had been officially revoked and his state-controlled substances registration had expired. Because a valid state license is a mandatory prerequisite for federal prescribing authority, Dr. Gardner ceased to legally qualify as a practitioner under federal law.
The government's investigation revealed that Dr. Gardner allegedly used his unique DEA registration number and his office’s electronic medical records system to issue 94 unauthorized prescriptions, the vast majority of which were for Schedule II narcotics with a high potential for abuse. He reportedly misled federal authorities during a DEA site visit on January 29, 2021, claiming his licensing was "fine" even though he had unsuccessfully petitioned a federal court for an emergency temporary restraining order to block the state's revocation just three weeks prior.
Following an evaluation of the evidence, the court found Dr. Gardner responsible for 80 of the unlawful prescriptions and ordered him to pay a civil penalty of $4,000.00 per violation under the Controlled Substances Act, resulting in the $320,000.00 total judgment.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Mark Putnam, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s investigation and litigation were led by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Cunniff and Auditors Julie Chappell and Phillip Stella.
219 - Mem Op and Order (1).pdfFlorida Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Travelling Internationally to Sexually Exploit MinorsRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of victims as young as eight years old.
According to court documents, Vincent Anthony Principe, 55, of Arcadia, travelled to the Philippines over the course of several years and sexually abused four minors, including one as young as eight. He sexually abused children and documented the abuse on video. He then published the videos on a website devoted to child exploitation. He also possessed over 100 images of child sexual abuse material, including those depicting the exploitation of pre-pubescent children.
“The defendant’s vile acts not only caused serious harm through his sexual abuse of multiple minors, but he also inflicted added layers to that harm by memorializing the abuse and distributing it to other offenders,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No child predator will find safe haven in the United States. The Department is committed to holding U.S. citizens accountable for harming children whether committed in the United States or internationally.”
“The vile actions of this child predator who exploited children while traveling internationally is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who prey on children.”
“The Secret Service is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society from exploitation and abuse,” said the Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Forrest of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes and underscores our dedication to working with U.S. and international partners to ensure offenders are brought to justice, no matter where their crimes occur.”
Principe pleaded guilty to the charges on April 30.
The USSS conducted the investigation with support from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Queensland Police Service, and Europol.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yolande Viacava for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
Federal jury convicts Petersburg man for sex trafficking childrenRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Petersburg man today on charges of sex trafficking children; transporting a minor for prostitution; production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM); distribution of CSAM; sex trafficking by fraud or coercion; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Marcus Keon Ruffin, 36, recruited women and girls, including minors, to work as commercial sex workers. Ruffin contacted his sex trafficking victims online or through other victims, offering them weekly income and, at times, an upfront payment, though evidence showed that he paid negligible amounts compared to what he promised victims. Ruffin paid for transportation, including by train or Lyft, for multiple minor victims to travel to the Richmond area to work in prostitution. Ruffin demanded that the victims provide him with nude or sexually explicit images and videos that he then distributed online to advertise them as sex workers.
During a traffic stop on November 30, 2024, Chesterfield police arrested Ruffin on a state firearms charge. During the arrest, officers located a handgun in Ruffin’s jacket. As a previously convicted felon, Ruffin cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Ruffin faces up to life in prison when sentenced on Dec. 16. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Richmond Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Boston Field Office, Amtrak Police Department, Virginia State Police, Harrisonburg Police Department, Henrico Police Division, Roanoke Police Department, Chesterfield Police Department, and Ewing (New Jersey) Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Theisen and Brian R. Hood are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-62.
Federal jury convicts Livingston County man of multiple counts of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Patrick J. Steinmetz, 40, of Springwater, NY, was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 60 years.
In March 2024, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the report of a sexual assault between Steinmetz and a 16-year-old girl (Minor Victim 1-MV1), who is known to him. MV1 reported that Steinmetz sexually assaulted her multiple times over the course of approximately nine months. MV1 stated that she was sexually assaulted by Steinmetz every week, starting in the summer of 2023 when she was 15 years old.
During the course of the nine months that she was sexually assaulted, Steinmetz gave MV1 a cell phone to hide from her mother. According to MV1, Steinmetz used the cell phone to take photos and video recordings of MV1’s naked body as well as while he was sexually assaulting her. A forensic review of the cell phone recovered video of Steinmetz sexually assaulting MV1.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katelyn M. Hartford and Franz M. Wright. The verdict is the result of an investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen B. Davis II.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., who presided over the trial of the case.
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Federal and local law enforcement disrupt methamphetamine ring tied to MexicoRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 300 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine as part of a drug trafficking network.
According to court documents, Ernest Lucas, 53, of Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
In 2022, Chaz Hicks, 27, of Kansas City, Kansas, sold methamphetamine to undercover officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department multiple times, often with a firearm in his lap. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began tracking Hicks’ movements and observed frequent visits to Ernest Lucas’ house on Ruby Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. Law enforcement noticed a travel pattern where the people stopping by Lucas’ house also went to a house on Mersington Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.
ATF executed a search warrant at Lucas’ house and located 12 firearms, ammunition, over $11,000 in cash, and approximately 274 grams of methamphetamine. That same day, investigators searched the Mersington Avenue house and found approximately 102 pounds of methamphetamine, eight firearms, electronic scales and other drug paraphernalia.
Evidence downloaded from Lucas’ cellphone showed drug related conversations between him and Spencer Allen, 48, of Mound City and Jason Smith, 50, of Topeka.
“The Department of Justice is committed to eradicating transnational criminal organizations and their influence on American soil.” Said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “What may look like local gang and drug activity is often supplied by sources outside the country. The federal government is uniquely suited to stop networks like the one at issue in this case and disrupt international supply lines into our neighborhoods with the help from state and local partners. Additionally, the proceeds of this illegal activity can be forfeited to the U.S. Government under federal law as was the cash found in this case. This type of crime doesn’t pay and will ultimately land you in prison.”
"What began as a case on violence tied to the Southdale Blood Gang grew into a large-scale methamphetamine distribution investigation that wreaked havoc on Kansas City, Kansas," said Bernard "Butch" Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. "Ernest Lucas was a prolific distributor supplied by sources in Mexico, moving hundreds of pounds of meth and dozens of firearms through this community, fueling violence and multiple overdose deaths. Lucas is a violent offender with a lengthy criminal history who chose to profit from addiction and bloodshed. The people of Kansas City should sleep well knowing this criminal will be behind bars for decades to come, and anyone considering the same path should be prepared to meet the same fate."
Hicks, Allen, Smith, and another codefendant, Abraham Gallegos, 46, of Olathe, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Hicks was sentenced to 200 months in prison. The other codefendants are awaiting sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case with assistance from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD).
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Federal Way, Washington, woman pleads guilty to fraud scheme where she stole from members of the Korean communityRead the Press Release
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
Federal Recidivist from Perry Pleads Guilty to New Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Nicholas Michael Freeman, 48, of Perry, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of cocaine, crack cocaine, and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This repeat offender clearly did not learn his lesson from his prior stint in federal prison, so my office will send him back behind bars to ensure he can’t continue to peddle deadly drugs on our streets. We will continue to aggressively prosecute any and all drug dealers operating in the Northern District of Florida to deliver on the promise of Operation Take Back America that our citizens deserve to live in safe, drug-free communities.”
Court documents reflect that a Perry Police Department officer speaking with a group of individuals around a burn barrel observed the defendant manipulating a plastic jeweler’s baggie commonly used for street sales of narcotics, containing what the officer believed to be a pill. The officer handcuffed the defendant, removed the baggie from his pocket and determined that the suspected pill was actually a piece of crack cocaine. The defendant was arrested and officers searched the fanny pack he had been wearing, finding 57 small baggies containing methamphetamine, 99 small baggies containing crack and powder cocaine, and 25 small baggies and 9 large sandwich style bags containing synthetic cannabinoids.
The defendant faces at least 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment for his current charges. This represents an enhanced sentence because the defendant was previously convicted in 2013 of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base and sentenced to 84 months in federal prison.
The case involved an investigation by the Perry Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2026, at 2:00 pm, in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Elk Grove Man Arrested for Making Threats to Use Fireworks to Damage Generators Supplying Federal Buildings in Sacramento on the Fourth of JulyRead the Press Release
Criminal Complaint:
mcdaniel_criminal_complaint.pdfSACRAMENTO, Calif. — On July 1, 2026, federal authorities arrested Trevon McDaniel, aka “The_wild_wolfspider,” 19, of Elk Grove, for making threats concerning an attempt to damage or destroy buildings or property by means of fire or explosives, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, McDaniel came to the attention of law enforcement because of an investigation into a plot to carry out attacks against federal property and officials, including an attack at a June 14, 2026, Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the South Lawn of the White House and additional coordinated attacks.
McDaniel communicated directly with one of the principal conspirators in the UFC plot, Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez. After Alvarez’s arrest in Nebraska, investigators reviewed data from Alvarez’s cellphone, which contained TikTok messages between Alvarez and the account “the_wild_wolfspider” from April 17 to June 7, 2026. The FBI later identified the account as McDaniel’s.
McDaniel posted a video on TikTok in which he was dressed in a superhero mask and costume. In this video, he made statements about using fireworks against generators supplying federal buildings in Sacramento.
A search of McDaniel’s residence led to the seizure of a costume matching those seen in his TikTok videos, his cellphone, two mini‑batons, and a baton holster.
McDaniel made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremy D. Peterson. McDaniel was ordered detained.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong and Kimberly Sokolich are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, McDaniel faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Eight Illegal Alien Tren de Aragua Members from Venezuela Charged with Kidnappings that Resulted in Death, Racketeering Involving Murder, and Other Violent Offenses in Texas and Illinois Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationsRead the Press Release
Note: A copy of the indictment in the Northern District of Texas can be found here. A copy of the complaint and affidavit in the Northern District of Illinois can be found here.
The Department of Justice announced charges filed in the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas against eight alleged members of designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) for murders, kidnappings, and firearms offenses. All eight defendants charged in these Homeland Security Task Force operations are illegal aliens believed to be from Venezuela who illegally enter the United States between December 2021 and April 2024. One defendant charged in Northern Texas is now in custody in Colombia for unrelated charges.
“Eight TdA members illegally entered the United States between 2021 and 2024 and are alleged to have committed horrific crimes, including murdering a father in front of his teenage daughter,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This should never have happened in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. In the 18 months since President Trump stopped this madness, designating Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, we have charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with egregious violent crimes – murders, sex trafficking, kidnapping – along with weapons and drug trafficking, robbery, and widespread financial crimes. This work requires an all government, all law enforcement approach, which is precisely what has happened under the leadership of President Trump.”
TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities.
As alleged in court documents, in the United States, TdA is organized into subsets or cells based on geographic area of operation. Each regional cell typically has one or more leaders who are responsible for, among other things, managing the criminal enterprise’s activities in the territory, collecting money from other members and associates to finance gang activities and crimes, directing day-to-day management of the region, and planning and ordering acts of violence against rival gang members, associates, and other victims. The leaders of these subsets or cells report to, receive directives from, and distribute criminally-derived assets and proceeds to TdA leaders throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 300 members and associates of TdA across 28 districts.
“President Trump‘s historic leadership designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has given this FBI and our law-enforcement partners the tools we need to wipe out their operations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Now, every single day across this country, we are decimating their presence in America - dismantling and disrupting over 2,700 violent gangs, a 365% increase, with a 500% increase in Tren de Aragua arrests since 2024. Today, thanks to tremendous work from FBI Chicago, FBI Dallas, and our partners as part of the FBI’s nationwide violent crime initiative Summer Heat 2.0, eight more alleged TdA members who entered the United States under the previous administration have been indicted or arrested and will face justice for their crimes.”
“The complaint against these three TdA members should leave no doubt that the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their members and associates accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of TdA, which very deservedly has been designated by President Trump and his Administration as a terrorist organization. Our shared goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle TdA and not allow it to gain a foothold in the United States or Chicagoland. This Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, many families in the Chicago area will celebrate with loved ones because the whole of federal government in Chicago is taking violent crime seriously and in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. The result is that the scourge of violence that has gripped Chicago for too long is beginning to see relief.”
“On this 250th anniversary of the birth of our great nation, I am reminded of how lucky we are to enjoy the many freedoms that our country provides. Which is why, as U.S. Attorney, I am laser focused on ensuring that North Texans can enjoy freedom and safety in all our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “This indictment of TdA gang members is a significant step to ensure that this dangerous transnational gang does not oppress, intimidate or harm our fellow North Texans. Let this serve as a warning to all TdA members: you will not gain a stronghold in the Northern District of Texas.”
“Violent transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua pose a significant and ongoing threat to the safety of our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “This indictment is a testament to the dedication of our agents and the strength of our partnership through the Homeland Security Task Force. By working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement, HSI continues to disrupt violent criminal organizations and protect communities across the United States.”
Case summaries are below:
Northern District of Illinois
On June 29, three alleged members of the transnational criminal organization, TdA, were charged in the Northern District of Illinois with participating in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder a man in Chicago.
The criminal complaint charges Josue Pacheco Torres, 26, Julian Pachano, 19, and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, also known as “Goofy,” 20, with kidnapping conspiracy and committing a kidnapping that resulted in death. The three defendants are believed to be Venezuelan nationals. Pachano was arrested late last night, while Torres was arrested early yesterday morning. Monasterio Briceno was already in law enforcement custody.
According to the complaint, the defendants conspired to kidnap a man who was walking near Meyering Park on the South Side of Chicago on May 18. The victim was forced into a car and initially driven to a Chicago apartment. The defendants and other co-conspirators later transported the victim — while his wrists were bound together behind his back — to an abandoned building in Chicago, the complaint states.
The following night, the victim’s mother contacted Chicago Police to request a wellness check at the abandoned building. The mother told police that she had been directed to the building by an individual with whom the mother had been communicating on the online messaging application WhatsApp. According to the complaint, Chicago Police entered the building and found the victim deceased inside the bathroom of an abandoned unit. The victim, who was discovered facedown with his wrists bound behind his back, had been shot multiple times and had also suffered blunt force injuries to his head, arms, neck, hands, and torso, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the conspiracy to kidnap and murder the victim was carried out in connection with the defendants’ involvement in TdA. Since 2024, law enforcement in Chicago has been investigating acts of violence, including murders and shootings, involving suspected members of TdA and its splinter faction, Anti-Tren.
Additionally, at the time of the murder, Pacheco Torres was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet as a condition of his pretrial release in a criminal prosecution pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
The charges and arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of HSI Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Office provided valuable assistance in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju, Simar Khera, and Michael Spitulnik for the Northern District of Illinois and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jun Xiang, Katelan Doyle, and Andrew K. Chan are prosecuting this case.
Photo of TdA defendants and a coconspirator kidnapping victim in Chicago, from the criminal complaint.Northern District of Texas
On June 30, a grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned charges against five alleged members of TdA. All five defendants are citizens and nationals of Venezuela.
The defendants Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, also known as “Murry” and “Munra,” 36; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, also known as “El Ingeniero” and “El Negro,” 39, were indicted on racketeering charges involving murder, kidnapping, and other violent offenses.
Each defendant is charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring and agreeing with one another, and with others, to conduct and participate directly and indirectly in the conduct of the affairs of the TdA enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, which consisted of multiple acts involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, and bank fraud. Each defendant is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering for allegedly kidnapping three individuals on or about August 24, 2024, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in TdA. Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly aiding and abetting each other in committing the murder of one of the individuals who was kidnapped on or about August 24, 2024. Additionally, Zambrano Bolivar is charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI Dallas Field Office, and Chief of Police Kevin McCoy of the Farmers Branch, Texas Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate and Caroline Poore for the Northern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jacob Operskalski, Kelly McGann, Stefani Hepford, and Josie Thomas are prosecuting this case.
If convicted, the defendants in both the Northern District of Illinois and the Northern District of Texas face up to life in prison. Pacheco Torres, Monasteria Briceno, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano also face the possibility of the death penalty.
These cases are 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 U.S. 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. HSTFs Chicago and Dallas comprise of agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), HIDTA, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas.
These cases are also part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
A complaint and indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eight Illegal Alien Tren De Aragua Members from Venezuela Charged with Kidnappings That Resulted in Death, Racketeering Involving Murder, and Other Violent Offenses in Texas and Illinois Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced charges filed in the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas against eight alleged members of designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) for murders, kidnappings, and firearms offenses. All eight defendants charged in these Homeland Security Task Force operations are illegal aliens believed to be from Venezuela who illegally enter the United States between December 2021 and April 2024. One defendant charged in Northern Texas is now in custody in Colombia for unrelated charges.
“Eight TdA members illegally entered the United States between 2021 and 2024 and are alleged to have committed horrific crimes, including murdering a father in front of his teenage daughter,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This should never have happened in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. In the 18 months since President Trump stopped this madness, designating Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, we have charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with egregious violent crimes – murders, sex trafficking, kidnapping – along with weapons and drug trafficking, robbery, and widespread financial crimes. This work requires an all government, all law enforcement approach, which is precisely what has happened under the leadership of President Trump.”
TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities.
As alleged in court documents, in the United States, TdA is organized into subsets or cells based on geographic area of operation. Each regional cell typically has one or more leaders who are responsible for, among other things, managing the criminal enterprise’s activities in the territory, collecting money from other members and associates to finance gang activities and crimes, directing day-to-day management of the region, and planning and ordering acts of violence against rival gang members, associates, and other victims. The leaders of these subsets or cells report to, receive directives from, and distribute criminally-derived assets and proceeds to TdA leaders throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 300 members and associates of TdA across 28 districts.
“President Trump‘s historic leadership designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has given this FBI and our law-enforcement partners the tools we need to wipe out their operations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Now, every single day across this country, we are decimating their presence in America - dismantling and disrupting over 2,700 violent gangs, a 365% increase, with a 500% increase in Tren de Aragua arrests since 2024. Today, thanks to tremendous work from FBI Chicago, FBI Dallas, and our partners as part of the FBI’s nationwide violent crime initiative Summer Heat 2.0, eight more alleged TdA members who entered the United States under the previous administration have been indicted or arrested and will face justice for their crimes.”
“The complaint against these three TdA members should leave no doubt that the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their members and associates accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of TdA, which very deservedly has been designated by President Trump and his Administration as a terrorist organization. Our shared goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle TdA and not allow it to gain a foothold in the United States or Chicagoland. This Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, many families in the Chicago area will celebrate with loved ones because the whole of federal government in Chicago is taking violent crime seriously and in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. The result is that the scourge of violence that has gripped Chicago for too long is beginning to see relief.”
“On this 250th anniversary of the birth of our great nation, I am reminded of how lucky we are to enjoy the many freedoms that our country provides. Which is why, as U.S. Attorney, I am laser focused on ensuring that North Texans can enjoy freedom and safety in all our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “This indictment of TdA gang members is a significant step to ensure that this dangerous transnational gang does not oppress, intimidate or harm our fellow North Texans. Let this serve as a warning to all TdA members: you will not gain a stronghold in the Northern District of Texas.”
“Violent transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua pose a significant and ongoing threat to the safety of our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “This indictment is a testament to the dedication of our agents and the strength of our partnership through the Homeland Security Task Force. By working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement, HSI continues to disrupt violent criminal organizations and protect communities across the United States.”
Case summaries are below:
Northern District of Illinois
On June 29, 2026, three alleged members of the transnational criminal organization, TdA, were charged in the Northern District of Illinois with participating in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder a man in Chicago.
The criminal complaint charges Josue Pacheco Torres, 26, Julian Pachano, 19, and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, also known as “Goofy,” 20, with kidnapping conspiracy and committing a kidnapping that resulted in death. The three defendants are believed to be Venezuelan nationals. Pachano was arrested late last night, while Torres was arrested early yesterday morning. Monasterio Briceno was already in law enforcement custody.
According to the complaint, the defendants conspired to kidnap a man who was walking near Meyering Park on the South Side of Chicago on May 18. The victim was forced into a car and initially driven to a Chicago apartment. The defendants and other co-conspirators later transported the victim — while his wrists were bound together behind his back — to an abandoned building in Chicago, the complaint states.
The following night, the victim’s mother contacted Chicago Police to request a wellness check at the abandoned building. The mother told police that she had been directed to the building by an individual with whom the mother had been communicating on the online messaging application WhatsApp. According to the complaint, Chicago Police entered the building and found the victim deceased inside the bathroom of an abandoned unit. The victim, who was discovered facedown with his wrists bound behind his back, had been shot multiple times and had also suffered blunt force injuries to his head, arms, neck, hands, and torso, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the conspiracy to kidnap and murder the victim was carried out in connection with the defendants’ involvement in TdA. Since 2024, law enforcement in Chicago has been investigating acts of violence, including murders and shootings, involving suspected members of TdA and its splinter faction, Anti-Tren.
Additionally, at the time of the murder, Pacheco Torres was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet as a condition of his pretrial release in a criminal prosecution pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
The charges and arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of HSI Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Office provided valuable assistance in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju, Simar Khera, and Michael Spitulnik for the Northern District of Illinois and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jun Xiang, Katelan Doyle, and Andrew K. Chan are prosecuting this case.
Northern District of Texas
On June 30, 2026, a grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned charges against five alleged members of TdA. All five defendants are citizens and nationals of Venezuela.
The defendants Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, also known as “Murry” and “Munra,” 36; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, also known as “El Ingeniero” and “El Negro,” 39, were indicted on racketeering charges involving murder, kidnapping, and other violent offenses.
Each defendant is charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring and agreeing with one another, and with others, to conduct and participate directly and indirectly in the conduct of the affairs of the TdA enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, which consisted of multiple acts involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, and bank fraud. Each defendant is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering for allegedly kidnapping three individuals on or about August 24, 2024, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in TdA. Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly aiding and abetting each other in committing the murder of one of the individuals who was kidnapped on or about August 24, 2024. Additionally, Zambrano Bolivar is charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI Dallas Field Office, and Chief of Police Kevin McCoy of the Farmers Branch, Texas Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate and Caroline Poore for the Northern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jacob Operskalski, Kelly McGann, Stefani Hepford, and Josie Thomas are prosecuting this case.
If convicted, the defendants in both the Northern District of Illinois and the Northern District of Texas face up to life in prison. Pacheco Torres, Monasteria Briceno, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano also face the possibility of the death penalty.
These cases are 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 U.S. 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. HSTFs Chicago and Dallas comprise of agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), HIDTA, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas.
These cases are also part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
A complaint and indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
torres_et_al_complaint.pdfDuplin County Career Meth Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced David Kyle Rivenbark, 42, to 10 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine. On March 16, 2026, Rivenbark pleaded guilty to conspiring to selling meth.
“Instead of seeking lawful, productive ways to earn a living, this criminal chose what he thought was easy money,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “But peddling poison into our communities is an easy way to spend a decade behind bars. If you choose to deal drugs in the Eastern District of North Carolina, rest assured a prison cell awaits with your name on it. Drugs kill. Prison awaits. Do right.”
Duplin County Sheriff’s Deputies began investigating Rivenbark in April 2025 following information a tip that he was selling meth in Wallace. The Sheriff’s Office, partnering with the DEA and ATF, used surveillance and multiple controlled purchases of meth in April and May 2025. Law enforcement determined that Rivenbark sold over 2 pounds of methamphetamine over the course of a year.
Rivenbark had a checkered history of criminal conduct with State criminal convictions for Possession with Intent to Sell drugs in 2018 and selling Meth in 2019. Rivenbark’s prior criminal history made him a career offender in federal court, which led to a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. ATF, DEA, and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-00109-FL-KS.
Dual Lebanese-Syrian national sentenced to prison for his role in a narco-terrorism conspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A dual Lebanese-Syrian national was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for narco-terrorism conspiracy and 20 years in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, to be served concurrently.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Antoine Kassis, 59, is a Lebanon-based drug trafficker who used his high-level access to the Syrian government under the Assad regime to traffic cocaine and weapons. Kassis laundered the proceeds of his drug trafficking through the organization of a Colombian co-conspirator. Even after the fall of the Assad regime, Kassis had access to weapons previously provided to the Assad regime by foreign governments, including Russia and Iran.
Since April 2024, Kassis and co-conspirators, who were based in Colombia and Mexico, agreed to supply military-grade weapons diverted from the Assad regime in Syria to the National Liberation Army (ELN), in exchange for hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. The ELN is a terrorist group based in Colombia dedicated to the violent overthrow of the democratically elected Government of Colombia. The U.S. Secretary of State designated the ELN as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization.
Kassis stated that he was a cousin of former Syrian President Beshar Al-Assad, and that he was working directly with General Maher Al-Assad, the brother of the former Syrian President, and other top military officials in Syria on the deal. Kassis reportedly paid the government $10,000 per kilogram of cocaine imported through the Port of Latakia. Other evidence at trial supported that the Assad regime raised revenue through charging a checkpoint tax on illicit substances passing through its territory, as well as through the manufacture and distribution of Captagon, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Kassis traveled from Lebanon to Kenya to meet a weapons inspector from the ELN, then signed a contract to import a shipping container full of fruit from Colombia to the Port of Latakia, Syria, intending that the container would contain 500 kilograms of cocaine. Kassis intended to oversee the distribution of the cocaine in the Middle East while his co-conspirators would launder the proceeds on his behalf. Evidence at trial demonstrated that his co-conspirators moved nearly $100,000,000 in less than 18 months, and did so for organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Hamas, and others.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case with assistance from Bogota Country Office; Cartagena Resident Office; Accra Country Office; Rabat Country Office; Nairobi Country Office; Amman Country Office; Istanbul Country Office; Panama City Country Office; Mexico City Country Office; and Madrid Country Office.
The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with Kenyan authorities to secure the arrest and May 2025 extradition from Kenya of Kassis. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Colombia’s Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission and Ghana Police Service, Morocco’s General Directorate for National Security, and Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations also provided significant assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Kristin S. Starr prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-51.
Deportation ordered for illegal aliens after federal court sentencing proceedingsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants illegally inside the United States were sentenced in federal district court for the Southern District of Georgia.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker, and announced by Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:
- Olicer Elio Morales-Roblero, 34, of Guatemala, was sentenced to seven months in prison followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Morales-Roblero was identified as an illegal alien while in Effingham County, Georgia, in May 2026. Upon completion of his prison term, Morales-Roblero will be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.
- Ernesto Campistrano-Hernandez, 37, of Mexico, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation and transferred to ICE custody. Campistrano-Hernandez was identified as an illegal alien during a February 2026 traffic stop by Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.
- Cruz Marroquin-Najera, 29, of Guatemala, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation and transferred to ICE custody. Marroquin-Najera was identified as an illegal alien in March 2026 during a traffic stop in Chatham County.
Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation is a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal.
“Illegal aliens that have no respect for the rule of law will be continue to be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We are committed to working alongside our local law enforcement partners to identify, capture, and remove illegal aliens who repeatedly disregard our nation’s laws.”
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner, Jennifer J. Kirkland, Matthew A. Breedon, and Makeia R. Jonese.
Defendant Who Was Extradited from Guatemala Pleads Guilty for Involvement in 2022 Mass Casualty Alien Smuggling EventRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty today for his involvement in a 2022 mass casualty alien smuggling event in San Antonio, Texas, that resulted in 53 deaths and 11 aliens injured.
“Miranda-Orozco was an important organizer in a complex alien smuggling organization that prioritized profits and endangered people,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case highlights that immigration offenses and alien smuggling have far-reaching impacts. Here, 53 people lost their lives. Targeting those involved in these dangerous crimes and aggressively prosecuting them remains one of the highest priorities of the Department. The Criminal Division and our partners will continue to ensure border security, the orderly administration of our immigration laws, and the protection provided by those laws.”
“Sixty-four people suffered through sweltering Texas heat in the back of a smuggling trailer, leaving less than a dozen survivors clinging to life, all because smugglers like Miranda-Orozco decided profits were worth more than human lives,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This guilty plea is another step toward justice for every one of those 64 and their families, and it sends a clear message that no matter where you attempt to hide, this office, the greater Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners across the government, will find you and hold you accountable.”
“Together, we have ensured that Orozco will face justice for the unimaginable pain and suffering he inflicted on so many people in the name of greed,” said Executive Associate Director John Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Our efforts will undoubtedly prevent further loss of life at the hands of this criminal and will help ensure vulnerable individuals are protected from the dangers of human smuggling.”
According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco conspired with other human smugglers to facilitate the travel of multiple aliens from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States. Miranda-Orozco organized and facilitated the smuggling of multiple aliens for illegal entry into the United States who ended up dying or injured in the back of a tractor trailer that was found in San Antonio on June 27, 2022. The tractor trailer was loaded with 64 aliens and investigators later determined that it had traveled approximately 156 miles from Laredo, Texas, to San Antonio in 90-degree Fahrenheit heat without functioning air conditioning in the trailer. First responders pronounced 48 aliens dead at the scene and five aliens later died at the hospital, totaling 53 deceased. Among the deceased were six juveniles and at least one pregnant woman. Two of Miranda-Orozco’s clients, both illegal aliens from Guatemala, died in the tractor trailer mass casualty incident. According to court documents, Miranda-Orozco admitted that he arranged for the aliens’ transportation and accommodations throughout Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States.
Photo depicting size of trailer. Image of claw marks inside trailer.In August 2024, Miranda-Orozco was arrested in Guatemala pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. His arrest was part of a large-scale takedown during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala. He was extradited from Guatemala in March 2025.
Miranda-Orozco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States resulting in death; aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in death; and aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI San Antonio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala’s invaluable team members, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the San Antonio Police Department; the San Antonio Fire Department; and the Palestine Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Miranda-Orozco and, along with the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), provided crucial assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney/JTFA prosecutor Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
The Justice Department thanks its Guatemalan law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Miranda-Orozco, and the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office and Anti-Human Smuggling Unit for making the extradition possible.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Acting Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
DOJ and FTC Issue Fiscal Year 2025 Hart-Scott-Rodino Annual ReportRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission released their 48th Annual Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Report. This report summarizes the agencies’ merger enforcement efforts and provides fiscal year 2025 data on the Premerger Notification Program, which alerts the agencies to transactions that may substantially lessen competition in violation of federal law.
Enacted by Congress in 1976, the HSR Act gives the DOJ and the FTC the opportunity to investigate and challenge mergers that are likely to harm consumers before injury occurs. The report explains that in fiscal year 2025, companies notified the agencies of 2,006 transactions under the HSR Act, of which approximately 31.8% were valued at more than $1 billion.
The DOJ and the FTC took 18 merger enforcement actions to maintain competition in critically important markets, including healthcare, technology, energy, defense, consumer goods and services, labor and manufacturing.
The DOJ brought ten of these actions: two in which the DOJ initiated litigation, two were resolved by the DOJ filing settlement papers simultaneously with the complaints in U.S. district courts, two that the parties abandoned before litigation commenced as a result of antitrust concerns raised during the DOJ’s investigation, and four that were restructured after the DOJ raised concerns about the threat they posed to competition.
DACA Illegal Alien Who Previously Molested a Toddler Sentenced for Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Jeffry Jose De Pena, 39, an illegal alien born in the Dominican Republic, to 7 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. On March 11, 2026, De Pena pleaded guilty to immigration fraud.
“We will not let child molester spiders take advantage of our society’s most precious treasures, our children.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This DACA illegal alien will no longer cheat to prey on the citizens of Eastern North Carolina. He better stay out.”
On February 20, 2023, in Wake County, North Carolina Superior Court, a grand jury returned three indictments against De Pena which collectively charged him with having committed five counts of indecent liberties with a child and seven counts of first-degree sex offense with a child by an adult from January 1, 2007, through January 1, 2012. On March 21, 2024, a jury convicted De Pena for the crimes of indecent liberty with a child and first-degree sex offense with a child by an adult. The victim was a 3-year-old toddler. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 25 and 35 years and ordered to register as a sex offender.
De Pena confessed to knowingly making a materially false statement under penalty of perjury when he submitted his Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) in December of 2021. He responded “NO” to the question: “Have you EVER engaged in, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in any of the following:…[a]ny kind of sexual contact or relations with any person who was being forced or threatened? CIS approved the application on January 5, 2022. Immigration officials did not know about his crimes prior to approving his application.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced the defendant. ICE ERO investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven - an ongoing initiative purpose-built to target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain immigration benefits. Upon completion of his prison sentence De Pena will be transferred to ICE custody for removal from the U.S.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00288-FL.
Crownpoint Couple Face Federal Charges After Child Killed in Alleged Drunk-Driving CrashRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint couple is facing federal charges after allegedly driving intoxicated with three children, causing a crash that killed one child and injured two others.
According to court records, on February 24, 2026, Urias Koll Pablo, 22, and Jamie Jaye Cook, 21, both enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, drove through Crownpoint, New Mexico, with three children after consuming alcohol throughout the day. The two allegedly purchased liquor, continued drinking while traveling, alternated as drivers, and ultimately crashed a borrowed pickup truck while none of the children were restrained. As a result of the crash, one child died from blunt head trauma, a second suffered critical injuries, and the third was also injured.
Investigators found multiple empty alcohol containers at the scene. At the hospital, Cook’s blood alcohol level was 0.20. Pablo’s was 0.25. Both defendants were previously arrested in connection with a 2025 DUI-related incident. Cook was charged with child endangerment, while Pablo was charged with DUI and child endangerment.
Pablo and Cook are federally charged with child abuse resulting in death, child abuse resulting in great bodily harm and child abuse. They will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, they face no less than 12 and up to 18 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allysa Gambarella is prosecuting the case.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chinese National Indicted for Running Sex Trafficking Operation in BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly running a sex trafficking operation out of several residential brothels located in Allston and Brighton, Mass.
Zengzeng Liu, a/k/a “Bella,” 40, of Flushing, N.Y., was indicted on one count of knowingly persuading an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and three counts of use of facilities of interstate or foreign commerce in aid of racketeering enterprises. The defendant was arrested yesterday in the Eastern District of New York and will appear in federal court in Boston on July 8, 2026 at 11 a.m.
According to the charging documents, beginning no later than August 2025, Liu, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, allegedly managed an international sex trafficking operation that recruited women – primarily foreign nationals from Japan, Vietnam, China and the Philippines – to travel to the Greater Boston area to engage in commercial sex acts for buyers at residential brothels in Allston and Brighton. Liu allegedly determined when and where the women would perform commercial sex acts, coordinated appointments with sex buyers, collected a commission from the proceeds and used foreign national middlemen to recruit women for the operation. It is further alleged that Liu used fraud, deceit and altered or forged documents to obtain and maintain apartments used as residential brothels.
As alleged, Liu advertised women on commercial sex advertising websites and directed prospective sex buyers to contact a phone number allegedly controlled by Liu. During undercover communications, Liu allegedly negotiated prices for commercial sex acts, directed buyers to the brothel locations and, in later communications, required prospective buyers to undergo a vetting process by providing identifying information, including photographs of work identification, before appointments would be arranged.
According to court documents, victims consistently described receiving instructions through the WeChat messaging application from a “female boss” they knew as “Bella,” whom they identified as the organizer of their appointments but had never met in person. Victims allegedly traveled through locations including New York, China, Canada and the Philippines before arriving in Boston to work for the operation. Victims further stated that they collected payments from sex buyers but expected only a portion of the proceeds, with the remaining funds allegedly collected by couriers and ultimately forwarded to Liu.
The court documents describe that during searches of the Allston brothel location, law enforcement encountered women from Japan who had recently arrived in Boston and reported performing commercial sex acts for several days. It is further alleged that nearly $35,000 in cash was recovered from an Allston location, along with condoms, lubrication, surveillance cameras and cellular telephones. Surveillance footage from the Allston location also allegedly captured dozens of suspected sex buyers entering and leaving the apartment over multiple weekends, with the location allegedly generating tens of thousands of dollars in revenue during those periods.
According to court documents, during a search of the Brighton brothel location, law enforcement encountered women from Japan and Vietnam who reported that they had been engaging in commercial sex acts for several days after arriving at the apartment and were not permitted to leave the location. One victim allegedly displayed bruising on her knees, legs and feet and reported sustaining those injuries while performing commercial sex acts for sex buyers. Law enforcement allegedly recovered nearly $70,000 in cash from the Brighton location.
The charging documents further allege that financial records and other evidence revealed Liu used a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition benefits card to purchase groceries while she was operating the commercial sex business.
In total, approximately $105,000 in cash was seized during the investigation. Based on surveillance, financial records and other evidence, it is estimated that Liu’s sex trafficking operation allegedly generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds over the last 11 months.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
The charge of knowingly persuading an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of use of facilities of interstate or foreign commerce in aid of racketeering enterprises each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI New York and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl and Brian A. Fogerty of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the court documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Capital Region Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Klugo, age 46, of East Greenbush, New York, was sentenced July 1, 2026 to 180 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for distributing and possessing child pornography.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Klugo admitted that in June 2024, he used an end-to-end encrypted messaging application to distribute an image of child pornography. In addition, in or about June 2024, he possessed approximately 6 videos and 100 images of child pornography on his cellular phone. Klugo also admitted that in or about July 2024, he possessed approximately 2 videos of child pornography in an online storage account.
In addition to the imprisonment and supervised release terms, United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Klugo to pay a total of $55,356 in restitution to victims. Klugo also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “Thanks to the incredible work of the FBI, New York State Police, Colonie Police Department, and the Rotterdam Police Department, this defendant has been brought to justice. Working together through Project Safe Childhood, federal, state, and local law enforcement are empowered to go after those who seek to harm our children and bring justice to victims across the Northern District.”
“This sentence represents the FBI’s unwavering commitment to working with the outstanding partners on our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force to investigate and hold accountable any individual who exploits our children. Together, we will continue to leverage every resource necessary to ensure every victim is delivered the justice they deserve.” Said Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI – Albany.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney A.J. Vickey prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Harassment in Connection with Ransom DemandRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Derrick Callella, 42, of Hawthorne, California, pleaded guilty today to two counts of Harassment Using a Telecommunication Device. Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2026, before United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker.
In his plea, Callella admitted that he called and sent text messages to a missing person’s family on Feb. 4, 2026, which asked about a bitcoin transfer. Callella acknowledged that he knew an earlier ransom demand had been made. Callella also admitted that his actions were meant to harass the family by seeking information about the investigation into the missing person’s disappearance.
A conviction for Harassment Using a Telecommunication Device carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, and one year of supervised release.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office is conducting the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-00940-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-116_Callella# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Boston Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for cocaine trafficking charges, following a series of arrests targeting gangs in the Brockton and Randolph areas. The charges stemmed from the search of a luxury apartment in Dorchester, where over a kilogram of cocaine and two loaded guns were recovered.
Adonis Graham, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2026, Graham pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. His co-defendant, Giovany Fouyolle, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced in June 2026 to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.
Fouyolle and Graham were arrested on Dec. 17, 2025, after search warrants were executed at numerous residences and stash houses associated with the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang and their Randolph-based affiliates. One of the places searched was a unit at the Imprint Apartments in Dorchester, which Fouyolle used as a stash location. Approximately 1,170 grams of cocaine, along with two loaded guns and $2,000 cash in bare kitchen cabinets, were located in the apartment.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Boston Field Division; the Abington, Acushnet, Ashland, Boston, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Chelsea, East Bridgewater, Medford, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Stoughton, Taunton and West Bridgewater Police Departments; Plymouth and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments; Massachusetts Department of Correction; and the Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cutshall and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Arcadia Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Travelling to Sexually Exploit MinorsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL — Vincent Anthony Principe (55, Arcadia) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kyle C. Dudek to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime supervised release, for the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of victims as young as eight years old. Principe must also register as a sex offender. Principe pleaded guilty on April 30, 2026.
According to court documents, Principe traveled to the Philippines over the course of several years and sexually abused four minors, including one as young as eight. He sexually abused children and documented the abuse on video. He then published the videos on a website devoted to child exploitation. He also possessed over a hundred images of child sexual abuse material, including those depicting the exploitation of pre-pubescent children.
“The vile actions of this child predator who exploited children while traveling internationally is reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who prey on children.”
“The defendant’s vile acts not only caused serious harm through his sexual abuse of multiple minors, but he also inflicted added layers to that harm by memorializing the abuse and distributing it to other offenders,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No child predator will find safe haven in the United States. The Department is committed to holding U.S. citizens accountable for harming children whether committed in the United States or internationally.”
“The Secret Service is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society from exploitation and abuse,” said the Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Forrest of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crimes and underscores our dedication to working with U.S. and international partners to ensure offenders are brought to justice, no matter where their crimes occur.”
The USSS conducted the investigation with support from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Queensland Police Service, and Europol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yolande Viacava and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
Alien from Slovakia Charged with Illegally Voting in a Federal Election and Making False Statements while Applying for U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A resident alien in New Jersey was arrested and charged with illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Marian Charitun, 62, of Middlesex County, was charged by criminal complaint with voting by an alien in a federal election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611; and procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a). He had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In order to register to vote and vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen. Charitun was not a citizen of the United States when he registered to vote in New Jersey. On his voter registration form, however, Charitun falsely certified and attested that he was a United States citizen. After his application to register was approved, Charitun, still without United States citizenship, voted in the November 8, 2022 midterm election that was held in part for the purpose of electing a Member of the United States House of Representatives.
Then, after illegally voting in a federal election, Charitun applied to become a United States citizen by submitting an application for naturalization (an “N-400”). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct. However, Charitun falsely claimed in his N-400 to have never registered to vote or to have voted in any federal elections.
If convicted, the count of voting by an alien in a federal election carries a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison. The count of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the investigation.
This case was brought under the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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charitun.complaint.pdfA Second Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 96 Months for Fentanyl Analogue Distribution and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man and one of the leaders of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues was sentenced yesterday to 96 months and 19 days in prison, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General A. Duva announced.
“This sentence drives home a simple message: leaders of drug‑trafficking networks will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. For years, Action directed an operation that pumped deadly fentanyl analogues into neighborhoods across New Jersey, putting our citizens at risk. This result reflects the weight of that threat and this Office’s continued resolve to dismantle criminal enterprises that profit from endangering the public.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“Placing another defendant behind bars in this case reflects Homeland Security Investigations’ focus on stopping the flow of fentanyl and other harmful illicit drugs into our neighborhoods,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “Working alongside our federal, state, and local partners, HSI Newark not only dismantled a significant trafficking organization, but also disrupted the illicit financial networks that sustained it, including the money laundering scheme at its core. We will continue to pursue the criminal organizations responsible for America’s drug crisis, targeting both their distribution pipelines and their financial infrastructure, and ensuring every participant is held accountable.”
Defendant Michael Action, 51, of Bloomfield, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence yesterday in Newark federal court. The other leader of the organization, Thomas Padovano, and co-conspirator William Panzera, were previously sentenced to 234 months and 144 months in prison, respectively. Six other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From approximately January 2014 through September 2020, Action, Padovano and other members of the drug trafficking organization agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, methylone, and ketamine. Action received packages and shipping barrels laden with drugs, which arrived through commercial package delivery services and air freight from China. Action distributed some of the drugs in bulk, and delivered some to Padovano for storage in a dilapidated trailer in Newark, where Padovano and one or more co-conspirators pressed the fentanyl analogues into counterfeit pharmaceutical pills and distributed them. Action additionally engaged in financial transactions that involved expenditure of the drug proceeds.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Action to 5 years of supervised release on count one and 3 years supervised release on count two, to run concurrently. Additionally, the court ordered a $5 million forfeiture money judgment against Action.
U.S. Attorney Frazer and Assistant Attorney General A. Duva made the announcement. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) – Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation. He also thanked HSI in Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Senior National Security Counsel Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture (MNF) Section. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of MNF supported the investigation.
This prosecution 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 Newark comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS and local law enforcement officers with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
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Defense counsel: Ernesto Cerimele, Esq.
1 July 2026
Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Selling and Smuggling Firearms to Saudi ArabiaRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 61-year-old man pleaded guilty in federal court for selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.
Mark Buschman, of Viroqua, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States before U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr., who accepted his plea.
According to the indictment, from about February 2019 to December 2024, Buschman ran an illegal export operation that shipped U.S acquired firearms out of the country. After obtaining the firearms and their related parts in the U.S., he advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. Buschman’s advertising generated sales leads from buyers in Saudi Arabia and he eventually sold and shipped the items to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $305,614.
Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before Bushman shipped the items. He then hid the firearms and firearm parts inside household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping hedge trimmers before he packaged the items for shipment. Buschman did not declare that the shipments contained firearms or their parts when sending to freight forwarders located in Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon and elsewhere.
Buschman is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9, 2026. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. As part of his guilty plea, Buschman agreed to forfeit $180,000 in criminal proceeds. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cleveland Office (of the Pittsburgh Division), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Elements of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also assisted HSI. The Vernon County Sheriff's Office and the La Crosse County Sheriff's Office assisted with the execution of the arrest and search warrants.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd, Jerome J. Teresinski, and Henry DeBaggis for the Northern District of Ohio. Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan of the Western District of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney’s Office, assisted during the investigation of this case.
Twice Deported Guatemalan National Living in Hartford Admits Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONY GALEANO LOPEZ-GARCIA, also known as Yoni Lopez Garcia, 27, a citizen of Guatemala last residing in Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2017, Lopez-Garcia was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona. He was deported to Guatemala in December 2017 and warned that he could not return to the U.S. for a period of five years. Lopez-Garcia subsequently reentered the U.S. in January 2018. He was convicted in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas of illegally entering the U.S. In February 2018, he was deported to Guatemala and warned that he could not return to the U.S. for a period of 20 years. Lopez-Garcia subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S.
On November 27, 2025, Hartford Police arrested Lopez-Garcia under the name Yoni Lopez Garcia and charged him with assault first degree, conspiracy to commit assault first degree, assault third degree, carrying a dangerous weapon, threatening second degree by physical threat, and other offenses. He was released on bond in his state case.
On April 27, 2026, the U.S. District Court in Hartford issued a criminal complaint charging Lopez-Garcia with unlawful reentry. He was located and arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations on April 28, 2026, in Hartford, and has been detained since his arrest.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Lopez-Garcia faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.
This matter has been investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Texas Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking, Obstruction, and Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRIAN KEITH HICKS (“HICKS”), age 27, was charged in an unsealed four-count Indictment, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Count 1 charges HICKS with Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), (a)(2), and (b)(1). Counts 2 and 3 charge HICKS with being a Felon in Possession of Firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(8), and 2. Count 4 charges HICKS with Obstructing the Enforcement of Sex Trafficking Laws, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(d).
According to the indictment, between May 2025 and the present, HICKS trafficked an adult female from Texas and California, to engage in commercial sex acts in Louisiana and elsewhere. On or about February 16, 2026, and April 15, 2026, HICKS knowingly possessed multiple firearms, even though he was previously convicted of attempted sex trafficking of a child, and of compelling prostitution of a victim under 18. In addition, between April 22, 2026, and the present, HICKS obstructed the investigation of the sex trafficking charge in Count 1.
For Count 1, HICKS faces a minimum of ten (10) years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by a term of supervised release of five (5) years to life and a requirement to register as a sex offender. For Counts 2 and 3, HICKS faces a maximum penalty of fifteen (15) years of imprisonment, followed by three (3) years of supervised release. For Count 4, HICKS faces a maximum penalty of twenty-five (25) years of imprisonment, and five (5) years of supervised release. Each count also carries a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney and Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force Leader Maria M. Carboni of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Tennessee Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Transporting a Minor Across State Lines Multiple Times to Engage in Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, MS – Terry DeWayne Macon, 29, of Grand Junction, Tennessee was sentenced today to 360 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Debra M. Brown for transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sex. He had been found guilty by a federal jury in December 2025.
Additionally, his jail sentence will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. He will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Macon met a Mississippi teen online in July of 2024. Over the next month, Macon drove from Tennessee to Mississippi on three occasions where he picked up the minor and returned with her to Tennessee. Macon later admitted that he had engaged in sex acts with the minor. At the time of the transport and sex acts, Macon was 27 years old, and the victim was 14 years old.
Members of Mississippi’s FBI Child Abduction Response Team, including a Jackson RA (NV Division) CARD member and Task Force Officers, worked with Corinth Police Department and other local investigative agencies from Tennessee, located the victim with Macon at a residence in Grand Junction, Tennessee, and were able to safely return her home.
Macon was found guilty at trial on all counts of transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity. Macon was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time of the offenses. At a revocation proceeding held following the verdict, Judge Brown sentenced Macon to 24 months for the violations of release, which will run concurrent to the 30-year sentence imposed in the sex offense case.
United States Attorney Scott Leary stated, “Those who would abuse children are among the most abhorrent of criminals. To the degree that such sociopaths can receive a message, know that if you live in Mississippi our law enforcement officers will work tirelessly to hunt you down and put you in jail, which is exactly what happened in this case. Law enforcement did an amazing job in saving this child. We have true heroes working for the people of Mississippi.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff stated, "There is no place in our communities for those who prey on children. Macon's depraved actions robbed a minor of their innocence. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice every individual who seeks to exploit or abuse children. We will continue pursuing these offenders and holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
Corinth Police Department Chief Landon Tucker said, “We are proud to support our federal partners and do our part to help bring this case to a successful conclusion. Thank you to the FBI, the TFO’s and the prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oxford for their time and hard work on this case.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Addison and Parker King.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.