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24 June 2026
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Firearm Offenses and Unlawful Entry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts man who unlawfully entered the United States and was found in possession of a loaded firearm following a Providence traffic stop, has been sentenced to federal prison.
Everton Luis Teixeira Da Silva, 23, of Framingham, Massachusetts, was sentenced on June 18, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 12 months and one day in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States. The court also imposed a sentence of time served for unlawfully entering into the United States. Da Silva was not ordered to serve a term of supervised release due to pending deportation proceedings following completion of his prison sentence.
Da Silva pleaded guilty in February 2026 to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien unlawfully present in the United States and unlawful entry into the United States.
According to court documents, on August 17, 2025, during a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Da Silva was a passenger conducted by the Providence Police Department, Da Silva fled from officers on foot. During the pursuit, he discarded a firearm and approximately $900 in cash. Following his apprehension, police immediately recovered the firearm and identified it as a green 9mm pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition and bearing an obliterated serial number. Further inquiry by investigators into Da Silva’s background following his arrest determined that he entered the United States unlawfully.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and the Providence Police Department.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Massachusetts Company Sentenced for Violating OSHA Rule Leading to Worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
BOSTON – John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc., a corporation doing business in East Freetown, Mass., was sentenced in federal court in Boston for willfully violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety standards in a 2023 incident that led to a worker’s death.
John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete, Inc., was sentenced on May 6, 2026 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson to 18 months’ probation. On June 22, 2026, John Oliveira & Sons was ordered to pay $115,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, the company utilized a large soil screener for purposes of processing and screening soil and similar substances. The soil screener was approximately 46 feet long and 13 feet high, and weighed approximately 35,880 lbs. The tail conveyor of the soil screener – which weighed approximately 1,500 pounds – could be placed in a vertical closed position or could be opened to an approximate 45° angle. At various occasions in 2022 or 2023, the tail conveyor of the soil screener closed unexpectedly, and the soil screener had suffered a ruptured hydraulic pressure line.
On Sept. 6, 2023, a company employee was working alongside a co-owner on the tail conveyer of the soil screener, which was in the open position. At the time, there was no equipment in place to prevent the tail conveyer from closing. According to the charging documents, as the employee was seeking to remove a bolt, the tail conveyor closed unexpectedly. The employee held onto the upper frame of the soil screener as the tail conveyer closed into the vertical position, crushing the employee’s head. The employee suffered massive head trauma and was pronounced dead soon thereafter.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Jeff Erskine, Regional Administrator of the Department of Labor OSHA Boston Region; and Maia Fisher, Regional Solicitor for Department of Labor Boston Region made the announcement. Assistance in the investigation was also provided by the OSHA Criminal Investigations Team, Boston Region. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Marshall, Missouri Man Sentenced to 265 Months on Drug and Firearms Charges Linked to Search Warrant Shooting that Injured Two DeputiesRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Marshall, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for drug and gun charges arising out of a May 2025 search warrant, during which two Pettis County deputies were injured.
James Joseph Elsea, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 145 months’ imprisonment on two counts relating to his possession of methamphetamine and firearms, and an additional consecutive sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment for possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The total sentence of 265 months will be followed by a term of supervised release.
Elsea previously pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2026, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, discharging and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing firearms after a prior felony conviction. In a plea agreement filed with the court, Elsea admitted that while Pettis County Sheriff’s Office deputies were executing a no-knock search warrant at his home on May 2, 2025, Elsea fired shots from inside the residence, hitting and injuring two deputies. Approximately nine minutes after the shots were fired, Elsea made a 911 call reporting that he believed he had shot someone. Later, after the officers arrested Elsea and made entry into his residence, they found evidence that Elsea had discarded methamphetamine down the toilet, leaving loose methamphetamine on the bathroom floor, around and underneath the toilet, on the toilet seat, and in the toilet bowl. Firearms were also found within the home. Elsea has prior felony convictions and is not permitted to possess a gun.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Pettis County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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.
Manderson Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.
Gene Kaline, 33, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Kaline was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in January 2026. He pleaded guilty on March 9, 2026.
In the Fall of 2025, Kaline led local police officers on several dangerous, high-speed chases while eluding them in a stolen vehicle. On one date, he was speeding into oncoming traffic in the course of which he nearly ran over a deputy sheriff attempting to deploy traffic spikes to disable the car Kaline was driving. Kaline was not caught. Days later, Kaline again led officers on a dangerous, high-speed chase without, initially, being caught. Later the same day, he was again involved in a pursuit during which he collided with a police car. Fortunately, no one was injured by the defendant’s flagrant actions and the defendant was apprehended. In the stolen car Kaline was driving, officers found a stolen 9mm handgun. Kaline has a 2019 felony conviction for Violation of a Protection Order.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Box Elder Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Kaline was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Manager of U.S. Freight Forwarding Company Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Circumventing Export ControlsRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, also known as “Natasha Mazulina,” a resident of Federal Way, Washington, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for crafting a scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws related to Russia. Mazulina was the Western Regional Manager of Delex Air Cargo LLC, a freight forwarding company based in Jamaica, New York, which operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Mazulina was arrested in December 2024 and, in October 2025, pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act. As part of her sentence, Mazulina was ordered to forfeit $77,000 in criminal proceeds.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Field Office; and James Guanci, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office, announced the sentence.
“The Russian oil and gas industry is the lifeblood that fuels the Russian war machine,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This defendant put her own profits above the national security of the United States by conspiring to illegally export industrial oil and gas equipment to Russia. Our Office will continue to use all our law enforcement tools to investigate and prosecute those who evade export control laws.”
Mr. Nocella extended his appreciation to the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, and the OEE’s Boston Field Office for their assistance in this case.
“Natalya Mazulina bolstered Russia’s military capabilities and jeopardized our country’s security by violating U.S. export regulations. The FBI maintains its unwavering commitment to quash threat actors who exploit American companies to support adversarial agendas of hostile nations,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“This case shows that BIS will work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue all those who violate our export control laws,” stated Special Agent in Charge Guanci.
As described in court filings, from at least December 2022 through December 2024, Mazulina conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled items, including industrial oil and gas equipment, from the United States to Russia, through intermediary countries. At one point, in June 2023, Mazulina told colleagues that her clients were paying through bank accounts in third party countries because “[m]ost of [her] clients [were] currently sanctioned with USA.” Mazulina attempted to conceal the unlawful scheme by submitting and causing the submission of false export documents to the U.S. government, which omitted the information that the goods were destined for Russia.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Skurnik is in charge of the prosecution. Significant assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The Defendant:
NATALYA IVANOVNA MAZULINA (also known as “Natasha Mazulina”)
Age: 43
Federal Way, WashingtonE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-493 (EK)
Kyle Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault on a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 15, 2026.
Robert Wayne Old Horse, 58, was sentenced to serve two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Old Horse was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 6, 2026.
On April 5, 2025, at Pine Ridge, Old Horse was arrested by tribal law enforcement. While inside the correctional facility, he became combative with the corrections officers and refused to enter his cell. At one point, Old Horse laid on the ground and while a female corrections officer was attempting to get him up, Old Horse kicked her in the abdomen with his foot. The officer was eight months pregnant at the time.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Petersen and Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Old Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Klamath Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing Explosive DevicesRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Klamath Falls, Oregon, man pleaded guilty on Monday for illegally distributing explosive devices, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Jason Edward Lowery, 52, pleaded guilty to distribution of explosives by a non-licensee.
According to court documents, in June 2025, Lowery sold multiple illegal M-type explosive devices at his residence and at his place of business in Klamath Falls. Pursuant to a search warrant at Lowery’s residence, business, and vehicle, investigators seized over 200 homemade explosive devices and materials for constructing more explosives. Police seized a destructive device that had a large amount of explosive powder and nails strapped to it. At Lowery’s residence, police also seized firearms and methamphetamine. Lowery’s phone revealed texts showing he was selling devices to multiple individuals.
On July 17, 2025, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Lowery with distribution of explosives by a non-licensee and manufacture of explosives by a non-licensee.
Lowery faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on October 8, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Lowery has agreed to forfeit any criminally-derived proceeds and property used to facilitate his crimes identified by the government prior to sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Oregon State Police are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith R. Harper is prosecuting the case.
Kevin Epstein Designated as Interim U.S. Trustee for Louisiana and MississippiRead the Press Release
Kevin Epstein has been designated by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as the U.S. Trustee for Louisiana and Mississippi (Region 5) on an interim basis effective June 29. Epstein replaces David Asbach, who is retiring after 35 years of distinguished service to the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).
Under 28 U.S.C. § 585, the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by designating an incumbent U.S. Trustee to serve in a second region. Since 2021, Epstein has been the U.S. Trustee for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas (Region 7), and he will remain in that position while also overseeing Region 5. From July 2023 to November 2024, Epstein was the Interim U.S. Trustee for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas (Region 6).
The Executive Office for U.S. Trustees made the announcement.
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.
Jury Finds D.C. Man Guilty of Murder After Argument over a BBQ GrillRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Irv Duff, 35, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty yesterday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, on charges of shooting and killing 26-year-old Darnell Gibson, in Southwest D.C., on August 1, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Duff was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On June 23, 2026, Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for September 11, 2026.
“This was a brazen and senseless act of violence that stole a young man’s life and endangered others,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This tragedy is especially troubling because it began with something as trivial as an argument over a grill. Our community deserves far better, and my office remains committed to pursuing accountability and ensuring that those who choose violence are held fully responsible under the law.”
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of August 1, 2023, Duff and his girlfriend got into a verbal dispute in the stairwell of the girlfriend’s walk-up apartment. During the argument, the defendant threw a grill sitting in the hallway that belonged to the victim, Darnell Gibson. The victim came out of his apartment and started arguing with Duff about him knocking over the grill. As the defendant’s girlfriend retreated into her apartment, the defendant and the victim continued to argue. Duff challenged the victim to come outside to fight, which the victim agreed to do. As the victim got ready to go outside, Duff retreated to his vehicle parked in the street and called his girlfriend to warn her there was about to be a shootout. The victim then walked outside, followed closely by the victim’s girlfriend, who stood behind him near the entrance of the building. The victim and Duff remained separated by at least 60 feet while they hurled insults at one another. Moments later, Duff took out a pistol and unleashed 22 rounds of automatic gunfire toward the victim and his girlfriend. The victim’s girlfriend dropped to the ground and narrowly avoided being hit by the hail of bullets. The victim tried to run away, but he was cut down by three shots to his upper torso, all from behind, killing him instantly. Duff then fled the scene in his vehicle.
Duff was arrested on December 8, 2023, and has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hall and Wes Faulkner.
2023 CF1 009215
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced De’Corlion Keshaun Robinson, 24, of Bessemer, Alabama, to 120 months in prison, the statutory maximum for the offense. In November 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun.
“This maximum sentence reflects the devastating consequences of the defendant’s actions,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners whose dedication to justice made this prosecution possible. Together, we will continue to target those who use illegal firearms and machinegun conversion devices to threaten the safety of our communities.”
“Machine gun conversion devices are illegal and extremely dangerous,” said ATF SACJamey Vanvliet. “The ATF will continue to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt individuals who, knowingly and willingly, use them to carry out violent and devasting crimes within the communities that we serve. Today’s sentence underscores the collective efforts to address this public safety threat.”
According to the plea agreement, on August 13, 2025, an officer with the Birmingham Police Department was dispatched to Lakeshore Ridge apartments on a report of a person shot. Upon arrival, the officer found Robinson standing in the parking lot. The officer asked Robinson if he had shot someone. Robinson admitted to shooting the victim, who was found deceased inside of an apartment. The officer asked Robinson for the location of the firearm. Robinson told the officer that he threw it into the woods. A short time later, the officer recovered a Glock 10mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” on the grounds of the apartment complex. During an interview with law enforcement, Robinson admitted that he had purchased the pistol with the machinegun conversion device already attached and that he knew the effect of it.
ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sex Acts with TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a Jefferson County, Missouri man who engaged in sex acts with a 13-year-old and requested and obtained nude photos of her to 20 years in prison.
Anthony A. Moore, now 49, engaged in sex acts with the victim in 2023 and 2024, beginning when she was 13 and he was 46. The victim’s father reported to law enforcement that he went through her cell phone and discovered communications between Moore and his daughter, including Moore’s requests for nude photos of her. Investigators found images of her on Moore’s phone after his arrest.
Moore pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in March to one count of receipt of child pornography.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jamaican National Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Operating Sweepstakes ScamRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JIMMY SMITH, 31, a citizen of Jamaica residing in Hinesville, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment for operating a sweepstakes scam.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in a sweepstakes scam, scam participants contact victims by telephone and falsely inform them that they have won large sums of money. Victims are told that they need to pay fees or taxes to claim their winnings and they are instructed to send money through the mail to various addresses controlled by scam participants, or to various bank accounts through wires.
Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize. Smith recruited others to use their bank accounts to deposit money that had been mailed by scam victims. Smith’s co-conspirators then withdrew cash and gave it to Smith, or sent Smith money using bank transfer applications.
For example, in July 2022, a Connecticut victim was contacted by telephone and told that she had won a $2.5 million sweepstakes prize and needed to pay taxes to claim her winnings. In August 2022, the victim mailed a $75,000 check paid to the order of Keshelski & K Transport to an address in Brooklyn, New York. The account was deposited into an account in the name of Keshelski&K Transports LLC, which was controlled by Keshelski Bates, a co-conspirator of Smith.
Smith also participated in a separate scheme that defrauded an Arkansas resident who believed he was paying for farm equipment.
Victims lost more than $2.6 million through these schemes.
Smith was arrested on March 17, 2025. On November 18, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
Smith, who is released on bond and is on electronic monitoring, must report to prison on August 24.
Bates pleaded guilty to the same charge and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of Army CID, the Hinesville (Ga.) Police Department, and the Orlando (Fla.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather M. Cherry.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Litchfield for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
Illinois Man Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An Illinois man on Wednesday admitted engaging in a conspiracy to steal checks from the mail and deposit them into fraudulently-opened bank accounts.
Isaiah W. Douglas, 24, of Champaign, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail matter. He admitted conspiring with others to deposit checks that had been stolen from the mail by opening unauthorized bank accounts in the names of the businesses that were listed as payees on the checks. Douglas admitted that he and his co-conspirators intended to cause a loss of at least $581,123, based on the value of stolen checks deposited into unauthorized business accounts and the stolen checks recovered by police.
Luis A. Franco-Gonzalez, 26, of Rantoul, Ill., and Isaiah B. Handford, 28, pleaded guilty on May 20 to one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.
Douglas’ plea agreement says that he and others stole checks, or caused them to be stolen, from collection boxes in and around St. Louis. Douglas then offered money to Handford and Franco-Gonzalez to fraudulently open bank accounts and supplied them with false business documents to do so. On June 12, 2023, Handford entered a St. Louis bank and applied to open a business bank account in the name of one of the victim businesses by falsely claiming that he was an owner and registered agent of the business. Suspicious bank officials refused to open an account. That same day, Franco-Gonzalez was successful in opening an account at a different bank in Chesterfield and depositing a $312,677 check.
The following day, Handford and Franco-Gonzalez tried to open an account at a bank in Creve Coeur. Franco-Gonzalez entered the bank while Handford waited in the parking lot in the getaway vehicle, a tan Mercedes sedan. The bank refused to open an account for Franco-Gonzalez and he fled the bank on foot. Police spotted the Mercedes nearby and arrested Handford. Officers went to a nearby Drury Hotel, saw Franco-Gonzalez in a white Ford Explorer in the parking lot and arrested him. The Explorer contained a handgun and fraudulent paperwork in the name of one of the victims. Officers encountered Douglas at the hotel, carrying a backpack and a duffel bag that contained more fraudulent paperwork, a handgun and 53 loose checks, money orders, and envelopes that had been stolen from collection boxes. In hotel rooms used by the conspirators, police found more stolen mail and an additional stolen check.
All three are scheduled to be sentenced on September 2.
The Creve Coeur Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Illegal alien sentenced for production of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Mexican national illegally residing in the United States was sentenced to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material. He was also required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on several occasions in February and March 2025, Samuel Flores de Dios, 36, brought the victim, who was under 13 years old, to a bedroom he rented in an apartment in Fredericksburg on several occasions. On at least four occasions, Flores de Dios sexually abused the victim and recorded the abuse on cellphones positioned around his bedroom. One of the cellphones belonging to Flores de Dios also contained videos of a second adult male abusing the victim.
Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., investigated this case with assistance from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted 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.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
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-158.
Illegal Aliens Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking Child OrphanRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two illegal aliens from Venezuela were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to a combined 32 years in prison for sex trafficking of a 16-year-old starting in Colombia and extending to Richmond, Kentucky and San Antonio, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Giannys Alexandra Ramirez-Fernandez, 21, and Nelson Adrian Perez-Martinez, 23, conspired, knowing that a 16-year-old undocumented Venezuelan orphan, would be caused to engage in a commercial sex act.
Ramirez-Fernandez, who was 17 years old at the time, began a relationship with the minor victim when the minor was 13 years old and living with her adopted parents in Colombia. The two crossed illegally into the United States in December 2022. Perez-Martinez, a friend of Ramirez-Fernandez from Venezuela, crossed illegally into the U.S. in December 2023 and joined them. Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez traveled with the minor victim from Kentucky to San Antonio for the minor victim to engage in prostitution. Once in San Antonio, an advertisement was posted on personals for commercial sex with the minor victim. All three – Ramirez-Fernandez, Perez-Martinez, and the minor victim – shared in the proceeds from the commercial sex.
An investigation revealed that, in 2024, Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez accompanied the minor to approximately six different motels in San Antonio from July 19 to July 30. The three shared a room at each location, paid for in cash by proceeds from the child’s commercial sex acts.
Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez were arrested on July 30, 2024, as part of an ongoing investigation into domestic sex trafficking. An undercover San Antonio Police officer with the Human Exploitation Unit responded to an advertisement posted on a website for escort services. Posing as a customer, the officer contacted the phone number on the advertisement and was instructed to meet at the Studio 6 motel on Pasteur Court in San Antonio. Once the undercover was in the motel room with the minor, the victim agreed to sexual services for a fee, and the officer signaled for the arrest team. Simultaneously, Perez-Martinez and Ramirez-Fernandez were arrested, as they were identified as spotters for the operation.
On Sept. 17, 2025, Ramirez-Fernandez pleaded guilty to three counts: aiding and abetting sex trafficking of children, conspiracy to sex traffic children, and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. On Oct. 1, 2025, federal prosecutors filed a five-count superseding indictment charging Perez-Martinez with aiding and abetting sex trafficking children; aiding and abetting benefitting from sex trafficking children; conspiracy to sex traffic children; aiding and abetting coercion and enticement; and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. A jury found Perez-Martinez guilty on all counts on Feb. 23, 2026. Prior to that, in October, an initial trial for Perez-Martinez resulted in a hung jury.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentenced Perez-Martinez to 240 months in federal prison and lifetime supervised release. On Tuesday, Judge Biery sentenced Ramirez-Fernandez to 150 months in federal prison.
“We will not abide illegal aliens who come to this country, take advantage of our many freedoms, and then enrich themselves to the detriment of others,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “The illegal alien defendants in this case sought to enrich themselves to the detriment of a child by forcing that child to engage in sex with adult men, and now they’re getting paid exactly what they’re owed: decades in prison.”
“Human trafficking has no place in the world,” said acting Special Agent in Charge, John A. Pasciucco, HSI San Antonio. “The suffering and abuse endured by the minor victims at the hands of this organization is unconscionable, and these sentences reflect the severity of those crimes. Our agents, analysts, and specialists work tirelessly—both globally and domestically—to pursue traffickers and, most importantly, to rescue victims across the country and around the world,”
Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia McNab and Sade Bogart prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien from India Pleads Guilty to Visa Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Indian national unlawfully residing in Worcester, Mass., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to conduct staged armed robberies of convenience stores for the purpose of allowing store clerks to falsely claim they were crime victims on immigration applications.
Mitul Patel, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2026. The defendant, along with 10 others allegedly involved in the scheme, was previously charged by criminal complaint in March 2026.
According to the charging documents, beginning in March 2023, Rambhai Patel and his co-conspirators set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience/liquor stores and fast-food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to falsely claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U non-immigration status (U Visa). A U Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
During the staged robberies, the “robber” would allegedly threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video. The clerks and/or owners would then allegedly wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime.” The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Rambhai Patel to participate in the scheme. In turn, Rambhai Patel allegedly paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery.
The organizer Rambhai Patel, the “robber,” and the getaway driver Balwinder Singh were previously charged and later convicted in May 2025. Mitul Patel, charged today, paid Rambhai Patel so that he could participate as a “victim” in a staged armed robbery of a store in Worcester, Mass. in October 2023.
The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, the defendant is subject to deportation. 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 and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of New York, the Western District of Washington, the Northern District of Ohio, the Eastern District of Missouri and the Eastern District of Kentucky; FBI’s New York, Seattle, Louisville, Cleveland and St. Louis Field Offices; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; Massachusetts State Police; Worcester County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston, Dedham, Hingham, Malden, Marshfield, Randolph, Somerville, Weymouth, Worcester, Upper Darby, (Pa.), West Pittston (Pa.), Louisville, (Ky.) and Bean Station (Tenn.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Illegal Alien with Multiple Deportations and Violent Felony Convictions Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed from the country on three prior occasions.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on April 29, 2024, Miguel Antonio Murillo-Ramos was found in the United States after he was previously deported to Mexico on January 17, 2015, April 10, 2019, and November 1, 2023.
Murillo-Ramos has two prior convictions for illegally reentering the United States after being deported from 2017 and 2020. Both convictions were from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. Murillo-Ramos also has felony convictions for Robbery, and Assault with a Deadly Weapon from the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada.
Murillo-Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving his prison sentence, he will be deported to Mexico for a fourth time.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Alejandro Almeida made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking in Sacramento AreaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Felix Ortiz-Plata, 45, a Mexican national illegally residing in Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 16 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in 2022 Ortiz-Plata was at the center of a substantial drug trafficking operation and operated a clandestine stash house with multiple firearms and was responsible for 377 pounds of methamphetamine and 11 ounces of cocaine. Ortiz-Plata has a history of large-scale drug trafficking and was on court-ordered supervision for a state court conviction at the age of 33 when he became involved in this extensive drug trafficking conspiracy.
On Aug. 18, 2025, Ortiz-Plata pleaded guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Samuel Flores de Dios, 36, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after he placed a camera in his bedroom and recorded himself sexually abusing a victim who was under 13-years old. He was also required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on several occasions between February 2025 and March 2025, Flores de Dios brought the minor victim to his residence in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he sexually abused her. On at least four different occasions, Flores de Dios recorded the sexual acts using cellular telephones positioned around his bedroom. One of the cellular telephones belonging to Flores de Dios also contained videos of a second adult male abusing the victim.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Weindorf of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by HSI with substantial assistance from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Angelica Carrasco of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
Horry County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Guns and DrugsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Quentin Raymar Price, 32, of Longs, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl and possession of firearms by a felon.
In late 2024 and early 2025, the Horry County Police Department (HCPD) conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Price during a drug trafficking investigation. In total, Price sold 60 grams of fentanyl to the HCPD.
On March 24, 2025, members of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force went to an apartment on Polo Rd. in Columbia to arrest Price on warrants related to the HCPD investigation. While arresting Price, officers observed marijuana in the apartment and obtained a search warrant. During the search warrant, officers recovered two firearms, 53 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of crack cocaine, $7,250 in cash and personal items belonging to Price.
Price has a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. During the investigation, the FBI determined Price was an active gang member.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Price to 80 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Price was also required to forfeit $7,250.00 in cash and over $90,000.00 worth of jewelry.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Horry County Police Department, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall prosecuted the case.###
Homeland Security Task Force Case Sends Sibling Co-Conspirators to Federal Prison for Roles in Transnational Criminal OrganizationRead the Press Release
As the result of a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation, a brother and sister were both sentenced this week to life in prison and 33 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a large-scale alien smuggling organization (ASO) directly linked to the Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
“The individuals sentenced today for coordinating these crimes are a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of human trafficking across the southern border,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under this Administration and this Department of Justice, such heinous criminal conduct and collaboration with deadly Mexican cartels will not be tolerated.”
“The reach of Mexican drug cartels does not stop at the border,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This violent, cartel-backed Alien Smuggling Organization operated for years in this country, endangering the lives and livelihood of so many. This case shows why our goal of eliminating Mexican drug cartels and their affiliates is worthy, necessary, and in the best interest of the American people. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with our HSTF partners, the Western District of Texas will continue to aggressively lead the way.”
“HSI Eagle Pass’s unwavering commitment to justice has resulted in the lengthy imprisonment of two ruthless human smugglers whose actions led to hostage taking and the tragic loss of life,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This sentencing sends a powerful message: HSI will never tolerate those who exploit and endanger innocent lives for profit. The success of this HSTF investigation highlights the vital importance of collaboration. Our agents, working closely with dedicated law enforcement partners, dismantled Guzman’s criminal enterprise and ensured they face the full weight of justice. By combining our resources and expertise through the HSTF, we safeguard our communities and bring the most dangerous offenders to justice.”
According to court documents, Edgar Daniel Guzman, 32, of Albertville, Alabama, was a leader/organizer of a Transnational Criminal Organization that operated in Mexico and across the southern United States — including Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas — since at least 2021. Between 2021 and 2026, the ASO committed numerous acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, home invasion, and armed kidnapping. In his role, Guzman coordinated several failed alien smuggling attempts on behalf of the ASO and maintained CashApp accounts that revealed direct ties to co-conspirators and financial transactions connecting to corresponding smuggling events. Guzman pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking. He was sentenced on June 22 to life in prison.
Guzman’s sister, Jesika Guzman-Garcia, 35, an illegal alien from Guanajuato, Mexico, was one of many co-conspirators in the ASO. She was tied to a smuggling event that resulted in the deaths of the smuggling load driver and two illegal aliens. As in her brother’s case, an investigation revealed that a CashApp account belonging to Guzman-Garcia was linked to several failed human smuggling events within the Western District of Texas. Using the app, Guzman-Garcia made 459 payments to individuals from July 25, 2018, to April 1, 2023, totaling $84,046. Guzman-Garcia pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. She was sentenced on June 23 to 405 months in federal prison.
Flipped vehicle from failed smuggling attempt that resulted in the deaths of three people.Chief U.S. District Court Judge Alia Moses for the Western District of Texas sentenced Guzman and Guzman-Garcia and presides over the case. More related sentencings are scheduled in the coming months.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner for the Western District of Texas 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.
Helena man sentenced to 15 years for selling meth while armed with a handgunRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Helena man who was selling methamphetamine and using a handgun for protection was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Kyle Andrew Bailey, 43, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Bailey was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl while carrying a small handgun for personal protection.
Bailey was riding in a car that was pulled over by law enforcement on July 11, 2025, and refused to give his name. Deputies ultimately identified him and learned he had three warrants for his arrest; Bailey ran from the car and was quickly caught. Upon his arrest, deputies discovered Bailey was carrying a .22 caliber handgun, two bags containing 50 fentanyl pills, and a bag of meth. Bailey told deputies he had more meth in the car. Deputies found three bags of meth, 17 zip lock bags, a digital scale, four syringes, and five cell phones. In all, Bailey had 98 grams of meth and 6.7 grams of fentanyl.
Bailey told law enforcement he had stolen a pound of meth in Billings and was selling it to survive while living out of his car. He bought the handgun with a couple grams of meth and said he felt safer with it because “no one’s going to mess with you if you have a gun,” describing it as his security blanket.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force including the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Helena Police Department, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and the DEA conducted the investigation.
Great Falls man sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking over 50 pounds of methRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who had 30 pounds of meth hidden in his home and was pulled over with another 25 pounds of meth in his car was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Cody Allen Davidson, 39, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Davidson and his partner, Diane Walters, had been trafficking methamphetamine and that searches of Davidson’s home and car turned up bundles of meth, cash, and firearms.
The case began in May 2025 when a source notified the DEA that Davidson had recently received a resupply of methamphetamine that was stored at his Great Falls residence. Using that information, law enforcement obtained a warrant and searched Davidson’s home. He was there when officers arrived and agreed to show them “everything,” opening up a gun safe that held roughly 30 pounds of meth, four guns and $21,479 in cash. Davidson told authorities the cash was from selling about 7 pounds of meth and that he’d been trafficking it for the last six to eight months.
Two months later, on July 10, 2025, Davidson’s car was spotted traveling north of Las Vegas. Law enforcement suspected he was on a drug resupply run and put out an alert for the vehicle. The next day, law enforcement in Idaho Falls, Idaho, spotted the car and pulled it over – Walters was driving and Davidson was the passenger. Hidden in the car, officers found roughly 25 pounds of meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case. The DEA and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.
Fresno, California Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Fresno, California, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026.
Alonso Molina-Corona, 43, was sentenced to four years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Molina-Corona was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 9, 2026.
The charges stem from a vehicle stop made by a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper of a vehicle driven by Molina-Corona on I-90 in August 2025. Inside the defendant’s vehicle, officers discovered over 92 kilos (approximately 200 lbs.) of methamphetamine. The defendant was found to have been transporting the drugs from the west coast for distribution in the Midwest as part of a conspiracy of which he was part. Ultimately, law enforcement authorities deemed Molina-Corona a courier of the drugs.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Molina-Corona was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Four Individuals Sentenced to Prison for Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
Two individuals were sentenced yesterday for their participation in a scheme to trade securities based on material nonpublic information about the $3.2 billion merger of two companies, which resulted in illicit profits of over $600,000. Two other individuals were previously sentenced in connection with this scheme on May 4. Specifically, Rouzbeh Ross Haghighat was sentenced to 40 months in prison, Kirstyn Pearl was sentenced to six months in prison, Seyedfarbod “Fabio” Sabzevari was sentenced to 14 months in prison, and James Roberge was sentenced to two months in prison.
“Rouzbeh Ross Haghighat abused his position as a board member of a publicly traded company to exploit his insider knowledge of an upcoming acquisition. He encouraged his friends and family to buy company shares so that they could reap hundreds of thousands of dollars off of that inside information to the detriment of investors,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Insider trading undermines fairness in the economy and American investors. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue illegal activity that affects U.S. markets.”
“This case makes one thing clear: if you think you can game the system using insider information, think again,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Ross Haghighat and his associates thought they were above the law and colored outside the lines for financial gain, but yesterday’s sentencing proves no one is above the law. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not hesitate to pursue and bring to justice anyone who tries to corrupt the integrity of our financial markets.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Haghighat, 62, of Massachusetts; Pearl, 36, of Puerto Rico; Sabzevari, 31, of California; and Roberge, 71, of Massachusetts, illegally bought the securities of a biopharmaceutical company in Seattle, Washington (Company-1), where Haghighat served on the board of directors. In May 2023, while in his position as a board director, Haghighat got important inside information about another pharmaceutical company’s (Company-2) proposed acquisition of Company-1, including sensitive deal terms. Haghighat then purchased securities and tipped off others about the deal — including Pearl, Sabzevari, and Roberge — so that they would purchase securities of Company-1, which they did.
In May 2023, Company-2 made a confidential proposal to acquire Company-1 at a price per share above the then-current market value. The two companies then negotiated an agreement for the acquisition, which was announced in June 2023, causing the share price of Company-1 to spike. Collectively, the defendants profited more than $600,000 from their purchases of Company-1 securities based on their insider information.
In December 2025, Haghighat was convicted of one count of securities fraud, 16 counts of insider trading, and two counts of conspiracy. Pearl was convicted of one count of securities fraud, one count of insider trading, and one count of conspiracy.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant Chief Laura Connelly.
Four Charged in Nebraska as Part of National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced criminal charges against four defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges include billing health care benefit programs for services not rendered and overcharging for medication, fraud involving mental health care, and fraudulent claims in relation to durable medical equipment.
The charges announced Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Woods are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Tuesday’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.
Tuesday’s coordinated enforcement action involved a whole-of-government approach, including:
- Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
- 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
- Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
- 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.
The following individuals were charged in the District of Nebraska:
- Angie Albert, 50, and Brent Conaway, 51, both of Hinton, Oklahoma, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to bill health care benefit programs for services not rendered and to overcharge for medication. As alleged in the indictment, Albert and Conaway submitted and caused to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid false claims for treatment with Spravato, a ketamine nasal spray. The false claims totaled approximately $4,451,498.44 and resulted in overpayments totaling approximately $976,978.82. Assets seized and subject to forfeiture to date include a motorcycle, two vehicles, and an RV. Additionally, the defendants’ residence is subject to forfeiture. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Packard and Kelli Ceraolo of the District of Nebraska.
- Phyllis M. Rooney, 67, of Kapolei, Hawaii, was charged by information with false statements in connection with health care services related to mental health counseling services that she did not provide. The defendant caused a loss to Nebraska Medicaid of $92,582.43. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald J. Kleine of the District of Nebraska.
- Cassi Wigington, 49, of Omaha, Nebraska, was charged by information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Nebraska Medicaid and other insurers for durable medical equipment, specifically, custom-made breast protheses. Wigington billed for products that patients never received, causing the submission of fraudulent claims to Nebraska Medicaid and other insurers in the amount of $445,455.37. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Lynch of the District of Nebraska.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced Tuesday.
Descriptions of each case involved in Tuesday’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The District of Nebraska, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division and the following law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the Takedown: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); FBI; and Nebraska Attorney General.
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.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Defiance Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing TeenagerRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Earlier this month, Ernest Larry Tabaha, 65, of Fort Defiance, AZ, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 87 months in prison, followed by 180 months of supervised release. Tabaha previously pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a teenager on the Navajo Nation.
In 2024, Tabaha provided alcohol to a teenaged girl until she became highly intoxicated and passed out. Tabaha then engaged in a sexual act with the victim while she was unconscious. Tabaha is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Flagstaff office and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-8028-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-106_Tabaha# # #
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.Former soldier sentenced to 18 years in prison for coercing minors to produce child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A former U.S. Army soldier stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a child.
According to court documents, Isaac James Guinsler, 25, used Snapchat and Apple accounts to share child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and communicate with minor victims. On Guinsler’s electronic devices, investigators identified 297 CSAM images and three CSAM videos as well as voluminous sexually explicit messages exchanged with individuals who self-identified to Guinsler as minors. Investigators identified and interviewed two minor victims, aged 13 and 16. Guinsler coerced the victims to engage in sexual activity, exchanged sexually explicit images with them, and obtained CSAM from them.
Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Washington Field Office, investigated this case with assistance from the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted 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. 4:26-cr-7.
Former San Diego State University Police Sergeant Sentenced to Almost 4 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former sergeant with the San Diego State University Police Department was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for possessing more than 600 images that contained sexually explicit videos and images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Paul Aurelio McClain, 47, of Menifee, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who also ordered McClain to be placed on supervised release for 20 years following his release from federal prison, and ordered him to pay a total of $22,100 in special assessments, including a $17,000 special assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
McClain pleaded guilty on March 18 to one count of possession of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since March 2025.
According to his plea agreement, in July and August of 2024, law enforcement conducting an undercover operation on a peer-to-peer network determined that an Internet Protocol (IP) address linked to McClain’s home in Riverside County had been used to possess a sexually explicit video of a girl who appeared to be approximately 6 to 8 years of age.
In March 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at McClain’s home and seized multiple digital devices, including a hard drive that contained videos of girls who appeared to be approximately 8 to 10 years old.
Law enforcement found other CSAM files during this investigation, totaling more than 600 images.
McClain admitted in his plea agreement that he knowingly possessed CSAM that he downloaded from the internet onto his digital devices, that he knew the depictions involved the use of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that the CSAM depicted real children who were less than 18 years old.
He further admitted to knowingly possessing CSAM that he downloaded from the internet depicted prepubescent minors and minors who had not yet reached the age of 12 years old.
“Possession and trade of child pornography is abhorrent in and of itself, but it is especially disturbing and unacceptable considering [McClain’s] role in the community as a member of law enforcement and a university police department,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter with assistance from the West Covina Police Department, the San Bernardino Police Department, the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team, and the San Diego State University Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cory L. Burleson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Sonah Lee of the Major Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Former NYC Mayoral Chief-Of-Staff and Three Others Charged in Bribery Scheme Related to NYC Migrant Shelter ContractRead the Press Release
A 13-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Anthony J. Carone, Frank V. Carone, Crystal Chen, and Yan Po Zhu, also known as “Andy Zhu,” for their roles in a bribery scheme that capitalized on funding meant to address New York City’s migrant crisis. The charges include fraud, bribery, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and tax fraud. All four defendants were arrested today and will be arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry.
Michael Considine, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service‑Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York); and Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants exploited the unprecedented migrant crisis in New York City for their own personal gain,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Considine. “The defendants engaged in a bribery scheme to secure a migrant shelter contract worth millions of dollars from a city agency funded in part by billions of federal dollars. Frank Carone and his brother Anthony Carone are also charged with evading taxes on the proceeds of that scheme. This case demonstrates the Office’s commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars, and holding accountable those who misuse public funds for private gain.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle: “The alleged conspiracy resulted in a massive betrayal of the American taxpayers’ trust by steering millions of dollars in funding for asylum housing in exchange for illegal bribe payments, which were then funneled to cover personal expenses. Frank Carone allegedly influenced and steered business to his brother and associates in exchange for cash. May today’s indictment emphasize the FBI’s determination to root out corrupt officials, and their co-conspirators, who use government funding for personal enrichment.”
“Today’s charges show how these defendants chose greed over integrity, exploiting a humanitarian crisis and siphoning taxpayer funds intended to support vulnerable migrant families. IRS Criminal Investigation worked alongside our law enforcement partners to unravel the financial maneuvers used to conceal bribe payments and evade taxes. Our mission in this case was simple—follow the money, expose corruption, and protect taxpayer funds,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
“The conduct charged in this indictment is the epitome of corrupt self-dealing. The former chief of staff in the prior mayoral administration allegedly used his connections and the influence afforded to him by his public office to push through a multimillion dollar, publicly funded contract to personally enrich himself. By allegedly engaging in this criminal scheme, as charged, all four defendants used the plight of migrants for their own profit, resulting in the inefficient use and approval of a shelter location that could house fewer people than more appropriate locations and required the City to expend additional resources to make up the difference. That two of the defendants are attorneys who allegedly violated their ethical duty to act with honesty and integrity underscores the seriousness of these charged offenses. DOI thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Offices of the FBI and the IRS for their steadfast partnership on this joint investigation, which highlights the need to protect the integrity of City processes and public funds, particularly during a crisis,” stated DOI Commissioner Shihata.
As alleged in court filings, beginning in approximately 2022, Anthony Carone and Frank Carone—who are brothers and attorneys both admitted to practice in the State of New York—Crystal Chen, and Yan Po Zhu, devised and executed a scheme to exploit the City’s migrant crisis for their personal profit.
In 2022, New York City experienced an unprecedented influx of migrant asylum seekers. New York City was a “right to shelter” city, meaning the City was legally required to provide shelter to all homeless individuals who sought it. Because the volume of migrant asylum seekers who needed housing outpaced the City’s existing shelter system, the City instituted a process for contracting with local hotels to house migrant asylum seekers (the Emergency Shelter Contracts). Through the Emergency Shelter Contracts, the City agreed to rent entire hotels for one year or more and utilize the hotels as emergency shelters to house migrant asylum seekers.
To identify and evaluate sites for potential Emergency Shelter Contracts, employees from the City’s Department of Social Services (DSS) solicited and reviewed proposals from local hotels. Following its own due diligence, DSS recommended to City Hall that the City enter into Emergency Shelter Contracts with certain local hotels. To fund the Emergency Shelter Contracts and other asylum services, the City received over approximately $1.8 billion of federal grant money in 2022.
As the City’s migrant crisis reached its peak in 2022, Frank Carone accepted a series of bribe payments from Zhu and Chen to steer a multi-million-dollar shelter contract to the Microtel, a hotel in Long Island City, Queens, which allowed the Microtel to operate as an emergency migrant shelter. Zhu, a wealthy businessman, owned the Microtel, and Chen was Zhu’s business manager.
Repeatedly throughout 2022, DSS rejected the Microtel as a suitable location to be run as a migrant shelter. Frank Carone, however, used his official position as Chief of Staff to intercede on the Microtel’s behalf in exchange for $120,000 of bribe payments from Zhu and Chen. Despite DSS’s prior independent assessment that the Microtel was not a suitable location for a temporary shelter, the Microtel was ultimately awarded an Emergency Shelter Contract due to Frank Carone’s directive to DSS to consider the Microtel for such a contract. The Microtel ultimately received an Emergency Shelter Contract worth $6,825,000, which inured to the financial benefit of Zhu and Chen.
To conceal the criminal nature of the bribe payments, Zhu and Chen directed the bribe payments to a bank account controlled by Anthony Carone in the name of his law firm (the Law Firm Account). The bribe payments were commingled with legal fees from other clients that Frank Carone referred to Anthony Carone while Frank Carone served as Chief of Staff. Anthony Carone then steered the majority of the funds paid into the Law Firm Account to Frank Carone, including by paying Frank Carone’s personal credit card bills while Frank Carone served as Chief of Staff. Anthony Carone also used the funds paid into the Law Firm Account to write checks payable to Frank Carone. In addition, Anthony Carone, Zhu, and Chen executed a sham retainer agreement to make the bribe payments to Frank Carone appear to be legitimate legal fees paid to Anthony Carone’s law firm. Notably, Anthony Carone did not inform his law firm partners that Zhu had allegedly retained Anthony Carone or the law firm, nor did Anthony Carone inform his law firm partners that he was facilitating cash payments from the Law Firm Account to Frank Carone including while Frank Carone was Chief of Staff.
The sham retainer agreement called for Zhu and Chen to make bribe payments totaling $120,000. After those payments were made, Chen emailed Anthony Carone and requested to terminate the sham retainer agreement. Despite the fact that the payments outlined in the sham retainer agreement had been made, Anthony Carone responded seeking additional payments. After no further payments were made, Frank Carone communicated with Zhu and expressed that he was “not happy” and would “not discuss[] [any future deals] until past is worked out.” In response, Zhu stated that he had “asked my partners to pay you for a year.”
Neither Frank Carone nor Anthony Carone reported their income from the criminal scheme to the IRS in their initial 2022 tax filings. Nor did Frank Carone report this outside income to the NYC Conflicts of Interest Board as required. In 2025, however, after learning there was a federal investigation into his finances, Anthony Carone amended his 2022 personal and law firm tax filings to declare as income the client fees he received in the Law Firm Account.
Similarly, in July 2024, after Frank Carone and Anthony Carone became aware of the federal investigation, they obstructed justice by fabricating evidence to create the false impression that the payments from the Law Firm Account to Frank Carone’s personal credit card were personal loans instead of a conduit to conceal bribe payments. Specifically, Frank Carone and Anthony Carone created and executed a document purporting to be a promissory note, which they backdated to January 2022, and subsequently provided to federal investigators.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, the defendants each face up to 20 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section and the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Sara K. Winik, Adam R. Toporovsky, and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Johnson Peow and Daniel Arakawa.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people.
The Defendants:
ANTHONY J. CARONE
Age: 54
New York, NY and East Hampton, New YorkFRANK V. CARONE
Age: 56
New York, NY and Boca Raton, FloridaCRYSTAL CHEN
Age: 39
East Williston, New YorkYAN PO ZHU (also known as “Andy Zhu”)
Age: 51
Glen Head, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-177 (KAM)
26-cr-177_indictment.pdf 2026.06.24_carone_et_al._govt_bond_letter_26-cr-177.pdfFormer CEO of Special Purpose Acquisition Company Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that VADIM KOMISSAROV, the former Chief Executive Officer of Trident Acquisitions Corp. (“TDAC”), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”), was sentenced to three years in prison for committing securities fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud TDAC investors and investors in TDAC’s successor company, Lottery.com Inc., by publicly reporting false and misleading revenue and business information. KOMISSAROV pled guilty to one count of securities fraud on February 3, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Vadim Komissarov, the former CEO of Trident Acquisitions Corp., is going to prison for defrauding his shareholders,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold executives of public companies accountable when they commit fraud and lie about it.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
From November 2020 through May 2022, KOMISSAROV engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in TDAC and investors in TDAC’s successor company, Lottery.com (the “Revenue Scheme”). In short, KOMISSAROV and his confederates created the false appearance of revenue-generating business activity for AutoLotto, in advance of a vote by TDAC shareholders on a proposed merger between TDAC and AutoLotto, and later for Lottery.com through a series of sham transactions, including a fraudulent $9 million roundtrip transaction that KOMISSAROV engineered using the alias “Vlad.”
KOMISSAROV later schemed to obstruct the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)’s investigation. For example, during a call with two Lottery.com executives, KOMISSAROV said he wanted to “sync” his “clock[]” with them and align on a false and misleading narrative that concealed his involvement in some of the sham transactions that were part of the Revenue Scheme. KOMISSAROV warned the Lottery.com executives, “guys, you do understand, you say that I was involved with this transaction . . . . if Trident and me specifically knew about it, then I am in deep, deep, deep, deep water . . . . So, if you come out and say that I was involved, then I am in deep shit.” KOMISSAROV also gave false and misleading sworn testimony to the SEC about his prior communications with the Lottery.com executives and his involvement in the $9 million fraudulent roundtrip transaction that was part of the Revenue Scheme.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, KOMISSAROV, 54, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $607,028.70, representing the proceeds of KOMISSAROV’s sale of Lottery.com stock before the market was made aware of the fraudulent scheme.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin V. Rodriguez and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution.
Former BOP Contractor Charged with Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Smuggling ContrabandRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region Office of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (“DOJ OIG”), Ryan T. Geach, announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging TERRI LYNN OUTER, a former contractor with the Bureau of Prisons working at a federal prison in Orange County, New York, with bribery, providing or possessing contraband in prison, and conspiracy to provide or possess contraband in prison. OUTER was arrested today and will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik.
“As alleged, Terri Lynn Outer accepted bribes from federal inmates, their family members, and their associates in exchange for smuggling contraband, including drugs, into a federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The DOJ refuses to tolerate such corruption in our prisons. It makes our prisons more dangerous and makes rehabilitation more difficult.”
“Outer’s alleged attempt to accept bribes and smuggle contraband jeopardized the safety and security of the institution,” said DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Ryan T. Geach. “The DOJ OIG is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to bring to justice any Bureau of Prisons employee or contractor who abuses their authority and attempts to smuggle illegal contraband into federal prisons.”
As alleged in the Complaint:(1)
From January 2024 through August 2025, OUTER was employed as a contractor at FCI Otisville, working as a dental assistant. During her time there, OUTER solicited and received payments in return for smuggling contraband and prohibited objects into the prison. OUTER received more than $163,000 from inmates’ family members and associates, and engaged in extensive communications with inmates, former inmates, and their family members and associates, including discussions with an inmate about having the contents of a package weighing over six pounds smuggled into FCI Otisville.
On or about August 1, 2025, prison staff searched a specific supply room used by the Health Services Department at FCI Otisville, to which OUTER had access. During that search, prison staff found contraband that included approximately 3.2 pounds of marijuana and 6.7 pounds of loose-leaf tobacco, pictured below:
Marijuana discovered at FCI Otisville
Tobacco discovered at FCI Otisville
* * *
OUTER, 50, of Montague, New Jersey, is charged with one count of bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of providing or possessing contraband in prison, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to provide or possess contraband in prison, which also carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of OUTER will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of DOJ OIG; the United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Domicile; the FCI Otisville Special Investigative Services; and the New Jersey State Police.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carmi Schickler and Timothy Deal are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and OUTER is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Army soldier pleads guilty to child exploitation crimes committed in Alaska and TexasRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A former Army soldier pleaded guilty today to child exploitation crimes he committed while living in Alaska and Texas, including attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting minors known to him and trafficking of CSAM.
According to court documents, beginning in March 2021, Seth Herrera, 36, previously of El Paso, Texas, started using The Onion Router (TOR) and multiple encrypted and/or privacy-enhancing applications to access, possess, receive and transport CSAM on his cell phones. Herrera would use his phones to browse the dark web, searching for CSAM and use encrypted messaging applications like Telegram and Potato Chat to seek out, access and receive CSAM. He created his own publicly accessible group on one of the platforms where he stored his preferred CSAM files. In six weeks, he uploaded over 100 files to this group.
Across various applications, Herrera participated in hundreds of groups and channels dedicated to CSAM. At the time, the defendant belonged to over 400 Telegram groups and over 1,400 Telegram channels alone. Some groups focused on CSAM involving bestiality, incest and infants/toddlers. Law enforcement seized Herrera’s devices in May 2024 and discovered tens of thousands of CSAM videos and images, depicting sadistic and masochistic content of boys and girls ranging in age from infant through pubescent.
Starting in December 2022, Herrera also used various AI chatbots on Telegram and other websites to create morphed CSAM. In some instances, Herrera would take non-explicit images of children, some known to him personally, and use AI to undress and morph bodies, and make it appear as if they were engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
While fueling his desire for online CSAM, beginning in March 2021, Herrera started taking surreptitious photos and recordings of minors known to him in El Paso, Texas. In December 2022, Herrera captured screenshots of minors via security cameras around his home. In one instance, Herrera used AI chatbots to enhance and improve the quality of an explicit screenshot. In total, Herrera secretly produced at least 28 photos and two videos of one minor from security cameras.
Herrera moved to Alaska in August 2023 and transported all his CSAM files across state lines because they were stored in password protected photo vaults on his phones.
On Aug. 23, 2024, Herrera was arrested at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, where he served as a Specialist, after a federal grand jury indicted him on transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography. On May 14, 2025, a grand jury in the Western District of Texas indicted Herrera on production and receipt of child pornography related to his conduct in El Paso. Herrera entered his plea under a global plea agreement after the Western District of Texas transferred their case to the District of Alaska on June 15, 2026.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29 and faces between 15 and 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons of the Western District of Texas, Acting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller and Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (Army CID) Western Field Office made the announcement.
HSI Seattle and the Army CID investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case. CEOS Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg and Western District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory J. Rasmussen prosecuted the case in Texas.
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.
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Former Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Crimes Committed in Alaska and TexasRead the Press Release
A former Army soldier pleaded guilty today to child exploitation crimes he committed while living in Alaska and Texas, including attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting minors known to him, and trafficking of CSAM.
HerreraAccording to court documents, beginning in March 2021, Seth Herrera, 36, previously of El Paso, Texas, started using The Onion Router (TOR) and multiple encrypted and/or privacy-enhancing applications to access, possess, receive, and transport CSAM on his cell phones. Herrera used these phones to browse the dark web and used encrypted messaging applications to seek out, access and receive CSAM. He created his own publicly accessible group on one of the platforms where he stored his preferred CSAM files. In six weeks, he uploaded over 100 files to this group.
Across various applications, Herrera participated in hundreds of groups and channels dedicated to CSAM. At the time, the defendant belonged to over 400 Telegram groups and over 1,400 Telegram channels alone. Some groups focused on CSAM involving bestiality, incest, and infants/toddlers. Law enforcement seized Herrera’s devices in May 2024 and discovered tens of thousands of CSAM videos and images, depicting sadistic and masochistic content of boys and girls ranging in age from infant through pubescent.
Starting in December 2022, Herrera also used various AI chatbots on Telegram and other websites to create morphed CSAM. In some instances, Herrera would take non-explicit images of children, some known to him personally, and use AI to undress and morph bodies, and make it appear as if they were engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
While fueling his desire for online CSAM, beginning in March 2021, Herrera started taking surreptitious photos and recordings of minors known to him in El Paso, Texas. In December 2022, Herrera captured screenshots of minors via security cameras around his home. In one instance, Herrera used AI chatbots to enhance and improve the quality of an explicit screenshot. In total, Herrera secretly produced at least 28 photos and two videos of one minor from security cameras.
Herrera moved to Alaska in August 2023 and transported all his CSAM files across state lines because they were stored in password-protected photo vaults on his phones.
On Aug. 23, 2024, Herrera was arrested at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, where he served as a Specialist, after a federal grand jury indicted him on transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography. On May 14, 2025, a grand jury in the Western District of Texas indicted Herrera on production and receipt of child pornography related to his conduct in El Paso. Herrera entered his plea under a global plea agreement after the Western District of Texas transferred their case to the District of Alaska on June 15, 2026.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29 and faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty 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.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas, Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (ARMY CID) Western Field Office made the announcement.
HSI and Army CID investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case. CEOS Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory J. Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas prosecuted the case in Texas.
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.
Felon Unlawfully in the Country Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Dealing Methamphetamine While in Possession of Loaded Handgun and ShotgunRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Javier Velasquez Antunes was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in federal prison for dealing methamphetamine while illegally possessing a loaded handgun and shotgun. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria handed down the sentence.
Antunes, 50, a national of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 12, 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026, to Distribution and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) and Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
According to the plea agreement, Antunes admitted that on July 10, 2025, he and two others dealt methamphetamine in the Mission District of San Francisco. Officers from the San Francisco Police Department (“SFPD”) observed Antunes sell approximately one gram of methamphetamine from a car parked on Mission Street, before apprehending Antunes, two accomplices, and the buyer. All told, the four men had at least twelve grams net weight of methamphetamine between them. SFPD then searched the car in which Antunes was sitting and found a loaded nine-millimeter handgun directly at the base of his seat as well as a loaded twelve-gauge shotgun bearing his DNA in a violin case in the back seat.
Police also recovered various rifle and shotgun ammunition from the car. Antunes had previously been convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance While Armed and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in state court.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) Special Agent in Charge John Wester made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered that he forfeit money, a cellular phone, and the firearms and ammunition. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli J. Cohen prosecuted the case with the assistance of Soana Katoa. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA, with the assistance of the ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.
Felon Indicted in Multimillion Dollar Healthcare Kickback and False Documents ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, United States Attorney Ellis Boyle announced criminal charges against Murad “Mike” Ayyad, 45, of Roswell, Georgia, in connection with a health care fraud conspiracy that involved the payment of millions of dollars in kickbacks and the creation and use of dozens of fraudulent contracts and invoices. Ayyad is alleged to have caused the submission of fraudulent claims for laboratory testing to Medicare, the Health Resources Services Administration (“HRSA”), TRICARE, and other payers through several labs and other entities that he owned and controlled. The federal charges are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“Our office is committed to rooting out fraud perpetrated on federal health care benefit programs, particularly when the fraud involves payment of illegal kickbacks, which corrupt medical judgment and require taxpayers to pay for medically unnecessary services,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
The indictment alleges Ayyad solicited and received kickback payments from clinical laboratories, including two laboratories in which he had a de facto ownership interest, in exchange for generating referrals. To conceal the kickback payments, Ayyad caused the creation of dozens of sham invoices and contracts, at least one of which was provided to federal law enforcement officials as part of a kickback investigation into one of the laboratories Ayyad controlled. Ayyad also offered and paid kickbacks to independent contractor sales reps for generating referrals to the laboratories. Ayyad and the independent contractor sales rep targeted providers and their employees with marketing and solicitation efforts that included in-person meetings, meals, cash payments, and in-kind payments.
“Safeguarding the integrity of federal health care programs is central to our mission, and the results of this year’s National Health Care Fraud Takedown reflect the strength of our collective commitment. The cases announced today demonstrate not only the scale, but the seriousness of the misconduct uncovered, ranging from patient harming schemes to multibillion dollar fraud operations,” said Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General T. March Bell. “HHS-OIG will continue to pursue those who engage in such conduct and hold them accountable. I am grateful for the tireless work of our special agents and for the partnership we share with our federal, state, and local law enforcement colleagues as we work together to protect patients and preserve public funds.”
“This indictment underscores the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) ongoing commitment to safeguarding TRICARE, the Department of War’s primary health care program, and ensuring that medical providers and related businesses adhere to federal law,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Allison Russo of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Fraudulent arrangements that compromise medical judgment or misuse federally funded healthcare programs undermine trust and accountability. DCIS will continue to pursue individuals and entities that engage in such conduct.”
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.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Department Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, investigated the case with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
More information about the Healthcare Fraud Takedown can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
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. 5:26-cr-00102-M-KS.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Federal Prosecutors Dismantle Four Major Drug Trafficking Organizations Flooding South Dakota with Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
“Behind every ounce of methamphetamine and every fentanyl pill in these cases is a South Dakota family that has suffered and felt the damage. That is who this work is for. We have proven that no link in the chain is beyond our reach—not the local dealer, not the out-of-state supplier, and not the cartel hiding in the shadows behind them. Working with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners, we will keep following that chain, defendant by defendant and case by case, until our communities are no longer a market these traffickers believe they can exploit.”
— U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced the results of four landmark federal prosecutions in the past year that have systematically dismantled major drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) connected to the Mexican cartels responsible for flooding South Dakota communities with methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other deadly narcotics. Through coordinated, long-term investigations involving federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota has secured federal convictions against 54 members of these four organizations, with eight cases still pending and one case dismissed due to the defendant’s death, and has obtained substantial federal prison sentences—including multiple sentences exceeding 20 and 30 years—against their leaders, lieutenants, suppliers, and sub-distributors in the past year alone.
Conservatively estimated, these four DTOs together trafficked more than 1,000 pounds—over half a ton—of methamphetamine and multiple kilograms of fentanyl pills and powder into South Dakota over the course of recent years. The defendants ranged from out-of-state suppliers connected to Mexican cartels to local distributors operating from short-term rental properties, hotels, and private residences across Sioux Falls, Rapid City, the Pine Ridge Reservation, and surrounding communities.
As the capstone of those efforts, U.S. Attorney Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Las Vegas, Nevada, man convicted by a federal jury of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, as well as an additional three of his subordinates for similar drug-related crimes.
On June 24, 2026, Quantiae Harris, 49, was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He was found guilty by a federal jury following a four-day trial on March 27, 2026. Harris was the leader of a California and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to the Sioux Falls area. More than anyone else, Harris was responsible for the introduction and distribution of fentanyl powder — the most potent, deadly and destructive form of that illicit substance — into the Sioux Falls illegal drug market. At his sentencing, Judge Schreier noted that the drug quantity involved in the prosecution of the Quantiae Harris drug trafficking organization was one of the highest she had seen in more than 25 years on the federal bench.
"The actions of Quantiae Harris and his associates made detrimental and lasting impacts on communities across South Dakota. Fentanyl and methamphetamine carry potentially lethal consequences, and some families may never recover from the poisons Harris knowingly brought into the state and sold. Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to drug traffickers looking to make their mark in our state. DEA, alongside state, local, tribal and fellow federal partners will work non-stop to bring individuals peddling these illicit drugs to justice.”
— Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie
Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division“This is an amazing win for the people of South Dakota. The damage Harris and his associates have done to communities by introducing fentanyl powder to Sioux Falls is immeasurable. IRS-CI special agents are committed to working alongside our federal law enforcement partners to trace the money trails that lead to the disruption of dangerous drug trafficking organizations such as this.”
— Special Agent in Charge William Steenson
IRS-Criminal InvestigationThree additional sentences for members of the Quantiae Harris DTO were also announced by U.S. Attorney Parsons today:
On June 15, 2026, Faily Chavez, 31, from California City, California, was sentenced by Judge Schreier to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October 2024. She pleaded guilty on March 24, 2026.
On June 22, 2026, Kyle Schryvers, 33, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange to 16 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on March 17, 2026.
Also on June 22, 2026, Nicole Kritz, 48, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was sentenced by Chief Judge Lange to five years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty on March 16, 2026.
Chavez, Schryvers, and Kritz were all members of the Quantiae Harris DTO.
These sentences are the latest results from the systematic takedown of four major drug trafficking operations in South Dakota over the past year:
- Quantiae Harris DTO
- Juan Sertuche DTO
Matthew Shade DTO - Darrel Devorce DTO
By the Numbers
Combined results across just these four discrete prosecutions:- Total defendants charged or convicted federally: 63 charged, 54 convictions to date
- Methamphetamine trafficked (combined estimates): More than 1,000 pounds
- Fentanyl pills trafficked (combined estimates): Tens of thousands
- Fentanyl powder: Multiple kilograms
- Money laundering proceeds traced: Several million dollars
- Federal prison sentences to date: More than 660 years
Federal jury trials: Three to date (Quantiae Harris, Juan Sertuche, and Gregory Henderson convicted at trial)
Importantly, the prosecutions of the four drug trafficking organizations detailed in this report represent only a portion of the drug trafficking convictions and sentences secured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota over the past year.QUANTIAE HARRIS DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION
26-Defendant California- and Nevada-Based Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Conspiracy
Overview of the Organization
From late 2023 through September 2024, a California- and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization led by Quantiae Harris, age 49, of Las Vegas, Nevada, transported large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to South Dakota for distribution in the Sioux Falls area. The organization is the first known to have introduced powder fentanyl to the Sioux Falls drug market—a development of grave public health and public safety concern given fentanyl’s extreme lethality even in microscopic amounts.
The organization initially shipped drugs through the U.S. Mail to addresses in Sioux Falls, where members would collect packages and distribute the contents to local sub-distributors. Operations were originally conducted out of local hotels, but eventually transitioned to short-term rental properties, including Airbnbs. Once the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began intercepting their packages, the organization shifted methods, using rental vehicles equipped with hidden compartments to drive narcotics from California to Sioux Falls.
Customers contacted members for brief meetups at public locations to purchase drugs, with payments made in cash or through electronic payment platforms such as Cash App. Bulk cash proceeds were transported back to California in rental vehicles, while large amounts of currency were also deposited in local banks into accounts belonging to Quantiae Harris. The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation linked Harris to over $1.2 million in money laundering transactions related to the organization.
Scope of Trafficking (Conservative Estimates)
- More than 100 pounds of methamphetamine
- Tens of thousands of fentanyl pills (estimated 50,000)
- Approximately 2 kilograms of fentanyl powder
- More than $1.2 million in money laundering transactions linked to the DTO leader
Indictments and Prosecutions
Four rounds of federal indictments charged a total of 26 defendants in connection with the Harris organization. Convictions for 22 of the 26 defendants have been secured so far. Harris, the DTO leader, was convicted following a four-day federal jury trial in Sioux Falls, returning a guilty verdict on every count on March 27, 2026. Currently, four remaining defendants are scheduled for trials. Regarding those four defendants, as with any pending criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation, and they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Federal Defendants
DefendantRoleStatusSentenceQuantiae Harris
Las Vegas, NV
Leader of the DTOConvicted at trial on 3/27/26; sentenced on 6/24/26400 months (33 years)Stephonn Walton
Las Vegas, NV
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—Dejuan Croom
Los Angeles, CA
Third in command; managerial rolePleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/6/26280 months (over 23 years)Alonzo Green
California City, CA
Fourth in commandPleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/5/26240 months (20 years)Faily Chavez
California City, CA
California-based source of supplyPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/15/26292 months (over 24 years)Hailey Schneiderman
Sioux Falls, SD
Major local sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/4/25192 months (16 years)Amanda Acosta
Prairie Village, KS
Major sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/29/25240 months (20 years)Alysia Peneaux
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/13/26120 months (10 years)Rodney Rohrbach Jr.
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty on 4/6/26Sentencing on 6/29/26Rodney Rohrbach Sr.
Chamberlain, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/26/2670 months (over 5 years)Isaiah Croom
Los Angeles, CA
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 3/16/2630 months (over 2 years)Brett Berglund
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/17/25135 months (over 11 years)Brandy Christman
Aberdeen, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/29/256 monthsHeather Downey
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/25/25120 months (10 years)Alexis Mertens
Slayton, MN
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/22/2592 months (over 7 years)Ashley Mortimer
Lennox, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/16/2692 months (over 7 years)Kenneth Johnson
Los Angeles, CA
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/24/25159 months (over 13 years)Jeffrey Skannal
Las Vegas, NV
DistributorPleaded guilty on 6/11/26Sentencing on 8/31/26Jordon Harris
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/17/2587 months (over 7 years)Morgan Mentele
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/20/2630 monthsKyle Heinemann
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/8/26120 months (10 years)Kyle Schryvers
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/22/26192 months (16 years)Nicole Kritz
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/22/2670 months (over 5 years)Jordan Reese
Sioux Falls, SD
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—Allen Shropshire
Sioux Falls, SD
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—Joshua Weisser
Sioux Falls, SD
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—“This was a major bust of a significant figure in the lurid underworld of illegal drugs. The Trump Administration has designated fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality in extremely small amounts. In its pure powder form, it truly is a chemical weapon. If a member of your family used fentanyl in Sioux Falls over the past few years, this defendant is one of the primary drug dealers likely to have brought it here.”
— U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Harris jury verdict)
Investigating Agencies
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF); Sioux Falls Police Department; South Dakota Highway Patrol; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Each of these cases has been prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen handled the investigatory stage of some of the prosecutions.
- JUAN SERTUCHE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION
Two-Decade Cartel-Sourced Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Pipeline into Western South Dakota Shut Down
Overview of the Organization
Juan Sertuche, age 43, of Denver, Colorado, led a drug distribution conspiracy spanning more than two decades from approximately 2002 through September 2023. Sertuche was sourced by a Mexican cartel and brought between 30 and 50 pounds of methamphetamine into South Dakota every other week, providing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to multiple sub-distributors for further distribution in the Rapid City area and the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Investigators linked Sertuche to a traffic stop that uncovered 19 pounds of methamphetamine intended for distribution in western South Dakota. He was arrested in September 2023 after another traffic stop in Jackson County, where officers found approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills. Even after his arrest, Sertuche continued coordinating drug deals from custody and directed others to collect firearms to trade for drugs. Law enforcement recovered several weapons, including two fully automatic machine guns, before they could be exchanged.
Scope of Trafficking
- Hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine over the duration of the conspiracy
- Tens of thousands of fentanyl pills
- Source of supply traced to Mexican cartel
- Continued drug coordination and firearms trafficking after arrest
Indictments and Prosecutions
The investigation produced parallel federal and state prosecutions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the top tier of the organization, resulting in 10 convictions and federal prison sentences, while additional DTO members were prosecuted in state court.
Federal Defendants
DefendantRoleStatusSentenceJuan Sertuche
Denver, CO
Leader of the DTO; cartel-sourced supplierConvicted at trial on 1/8/26; sentenced on 5/22/26540 months (45 years)Veronica Ortega
Box Elder, SD
Main local distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 7/11/25292 months (over 24 years)Shauntel Shangreaux
Pine Ridge, SD
Key lieutenantPleaded guilty; sentenced on 4/6/26230 months (over 19 years)Paige Sierra
Rapid City, SD
Distributor; transportation assistancePleaded guilty; sentenced on 7/11/25140 months (over 11 years)Jackie Corean
Black Hawk, SD
Distribution hub host, sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 9/2/25135 months (over 11 years)Jenna Lee Holzer
Box Elder, SD
Major sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 10/28/25360 months (30 years)Darin Wherley
Black Hawk, SD
Major sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/1/24320 months (over 26 years)Monique Merrival
Greeley, CO
Major sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 10/11/24224 months (over 18 years)Shelina Martinez
Denver, CO
Sub-distributor, courierPleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/8/25 60 months (5 years)Daniel Sandoval
Denver, CO
Sub-distributor, courierIndictment dismissed when defendant died—“We may never know the true depths of the devastation, suffering, and loss inflicted on our communities by the methamphetamine, fentanyl, and automatic weapons trafficked and sold by this defendant. But we will do our best to hold this profiteer of misery fully accountable and ensure he receives a federal prison sentence that will put him out of that business for a long time.”
— U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Sertuche conviction at trial)
Investigating Agencies
South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI); Pennington County Sheriff’s Office; Rapid City Police Department; South Dakota Highway Patrol; Wyoming State Highway Patrol; North Metro Denver Drug Task Force; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS); and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
These cases were prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges.
- MATTHEW SHADE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION
Arizona-Sourced Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Operation Trafficking 200 Pounds into Sioux Falls Area Dismantled
Overview of the Organization
Matthew Shade, age 34, of Tea, South Dakota, served as the local leader of a drug trafficking organization that obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl from sources in Mexico who then arranged for the drugs to cross the border and be delivered to co-conspirators in Arizona for distribution throughout the Sioux Falls area. The organization received drugs both through the U.S. Mail and through cross-country car deliveries by a supplier traveling from Arizona to South Dakota.
In December 2024, investigators seized a package containing over four pounds of methamphetamine. Postal Inspectors, working with the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, also seized two parcels sent from Sioux Falls to Arizona that contained over $26,000 in cash, as well as a separate package bound for Sioux Falls containing 144 grams of fentanyl powder. After identifying that Shade’s supplier was traveling by car to South Dakota, investigators arranged for the South Dakota Highway Patrol to conduct a traffic stop during which a trooper located approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine and over 2,000 fentanyl pills concealed in the vehicle. At Shade’s residence in Tea, investigators found 80 grams of methamphetamine, 22 fentanyl pills, and other narcotics.
Scope of Trafficking
- Approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine trafficked to the Sioux Falls area
- Significant quantities of fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder
- Multiple seizures of bulk cash being routed back to Arizona suppliers
Indictments and Prosecutions
To date, 13 defendants have been indicted in connection with the Shade organization, including Matthew Shade himself, nine South Dakota members operating beneath him, and two Arizona-based defendants representing the supply chain. Nine defendants have been convicted, with two of those defendants still awaiting sentencing; four additional defendants have pending trial dates. Regarding those four defendants, as with any pending criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation, and they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Federal Defendants
DefendantRoleStatusSentenceMatthew Shade
Tea, SD
Local leader of the DTOPleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/4/26260 months (over 21 years)Sean David Blanchfill
Tea, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 3/2/26202 months (over 16 years)Damian Roy Webster
Glendale, AZ
Distributor, coordinator of shipments from ArizonaPleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/18/25168 months (14 years)Alex Geoffrey Lang
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 12/1/25160 months (over 13 years)Carey Adam Ludens
Crooks, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/18/26160 months (over 13 years)Robert Duane Kent, Jr.
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/18/2692 months (over 7 years)Michael Lee Terveen
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 10/27/2560 months (5 years)Kourtney Leigh Lang
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty on 3/2/26Sentencing on 7/6/26Lorenzo Portillo
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty on 5/5/26Sentencing on 8/24/26John Stanford Roth
Phoenix, AZ
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—Julia Diane Pewo
Sioux Falls, SD
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—Cory Wayne Nohava
Sioux Falls, SD
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—Ryan Richard Tulio
Tea, SD
Alleged co-conspiratorPleaded not guilty; pending trial—“This was another skillfully managed takedown of a serial drug dealer and his operation by the dedicated officers on the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, with a strong assist from the Criminal Investigations Unit of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. In all likelihood, the fentanyl and methamphetamine seized from this criminal’s operation would have killed some people who are alive right now in Sioux Falls. This investigation, prosecution, and substantial federal prison sentence has given them another chance at life. I will never stop being grateful for that.”
— U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Shade sentencing)
Investigating Agencies
Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF); Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office; South Dakota Highway Patrol; U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges, Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce.
- DARREL DEVORCE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION
Five-Year California-to-South Dakota Methamphetamine Pipeline Dismantled
Overview of the Organization
Darrel Devorce, age 57, of San Jacinto, California, ran a large methamphetamine trafficking organization for approximately five years, sourcing methamphetamine from California to co-conspirators in Sioux Falls beginning around 2018 and continuing into 2023. Devorce arranged for methamphetamine from California to be delivered to co-conspirators in South Dakota using various couriers and directed others to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds using Cash App, Western Union, and Zelle. The money transfers were designed to conceal both the source of the proceeds and Devorce’s involvement in the conspiracy.
Scope of Trafficking
- Approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine trafficked into South Dakota
- Over $700,000 laundered through the organization
- Five-year operational period (approximately 2018–2023)
Indictments and Prosecutions
The Devorce investigation has resulted in convictions and sentences of 14 defendants in federal court.
Federal Defendants
DefendantRoleStatusSentenceDarrel Devorce
San Jacinto, CA
Leader of the DTOPleaded guilty; sentenced on 11/3/25400 months (33 years)Maurice Logan
Corona, CA
Distributor and transporterPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/9/25132 months (11 years)Katrina Marie Green
Sioux Falls, SD
Main local distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 12/18/23128 months (over 10 years)Janet Denise Mallet
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on11/27/23120 months (10 years)Frank Cortez Baker
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/2/25132 months (11 years)Tara Dionne Clayton
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 2/12/24132 months (11 years)Amber Louise Justus
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 7/29/24168 months (14 years)Gregory Henderson
Sioux Falls, SD
Money laundererConvicted at trial on 12/4/25; sentenced on 3/16/2660 months (5 years)Billy Dickinson
Sioux Falls, SD
Sub-distributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 5/15/2334 months (over 2 years)Gregory Lamar Bell
Sioux Falls, SD
Unlawful drug user in possession of firearmPleaded guilty; sentenced on 8/19/2457 months (over 4 years)Kurtis Duke
Sioux Falls, SD
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/12/2358 months (over 5 years)Julia Precious Ballansaw
Decatur, GA
DistributorPleaded guilty; sentenced on 6/3/2470 months (over five years)Destiny Canty
Riverside, CA
Money laundererPleaded guilty; sentenced on 2/9/2634 months (over 2 years)Nicole Dorrough
San Jacinto, CA
Money laundererPleaded guilty; sentenced on 1/26/2634 months (over two years)“Devorce is a longtime meth dealer responsible for shipping that poison into South Dakota since at least 2018. He will now be separated from the rest of society for most of the rest of his life.”
— U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons (following Devorce sentencing)
Investigating Agencies
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF); South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
These cases were prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb.
Why This Matters
These four organizations represent fundamentally different models of drug trafficking: a long-running, cartel-sourced pipeline from Mexico through Colorado (Sertuche); a multi-year California-to-South Dakota methamphetamine operation (Devorce); a sophisticated, multi-method California- and Nevada-based operation that introduced powder fentanyl to Sioux Falls (Harris); and an Arizona-sourced operation moving narcotics into the Sioux Falls suburbs (Shade). Together they illustrate how out-of-state suppliers, usually with cartel ties, continue to target South Dakota communities, and how federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners are responding.
Fentanyl in particular poses a grave and growing threat. The Harris organization was the first known to introduce powder fentanyl to the Sioux Falls market, a substance lethal in microscopic amounts. The dismantling of these organizations and the substantial federal prison sentences obtained have meaningfully disrupted the flow of these drugs into South Dakota and saved lives.
These results, however, mark the beginning of a sustained effort, not the end of it. Additional defendants in these four prosecutions remain pending trial or pending sentencing. New investigations and new indictments are ongoing, and the work done in taking down these four drug trafficking organizations reflects only a portion of the total felony drug convictions secured by this office over the past year. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota intends to continue its aggressive use of federal prosecution against any drug trafficking organization that targets South Dakota communities, and to do so until the supply networks reaching into this State have been dismantled.
A Coordinated, Multi-Agency Effort
These prosecutions were the product of sophisticated, long-term investigations conducted by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, many of which collaborate through long-standing drug task forces operating throughout South Dakota. The cases reflect the strength of the multi-agency model in which federal and state investigators, prosecutors, postal inspectors, financial crimes specialists, state troopers, tribal law enforcement, and local police and sheriff’s offices each contributed to building cases capable of holding the highest-level traffickers accountable.
Task Forces and Agencies Involved Across the Four Prosecutions
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
- Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs-Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA-DDE)
- South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)
- South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP)
- Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF)
- Sioux Falls Police Department
- Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office
- Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET)
- Pennington County Sheriff’s Office
- Rapid City Police Department
- Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS)
- North Metro Denver Drug Task Force
- Wyoming State Highway Patrol
Part of a National Strategy: South Dakota and the Nationwide Effort to Eradicate Cartels and Drug Trafficking
These four DTO takedowns are not isolated victories. They are part of the most comprehensive, whole-of-government campaign to dismantle drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations in modern American history. Beginning on his first day back in office, President Trump set in motion a sweeping series of executive actions, designations, task force structures, and policy directives intended to do what no prior administration has attempted at this scale: achieve the total elimination of the cartels and the eradication of illegal drug trafficking on American soil. To accomplish this directive, the United States government is utilizing every tool at its disposal: law enforcement, addiction treatment and counseling, border security, trade, the banking system, international diplomacy, and, where authorized, military action.
South Dakota’s prosecutions of the Harris, Devorce, Sertuche, and Shade organizations are an integral part of that national strategy. Each of these cases reaches back, ultimately, to out-of-state and often cartel-connected sources of supply. Each illustrates how the national framework set in Washington translates into convictions, prison sentences, and lives saved in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, the communities of the Pine Ridge Reservation, and across all of South Dakota.
We Are Only Getting Started
New indictments are being returned by federal grand juries on a routine basis. New investigations, including investigations targeting the out-of-state and cartel-connected suppliers above the local distribution networks already dismantled, are underway. Every prosecution that produces a cooperator opens a door to the next organization.
At the national level, the trajectory is the same. The Homeland Security Task Force model, the FTO designation regime, and the consolidated Operation Take Back America framework are all permanent fixtures of federal law enforcement. The Administration has made clear, repeatedly and at the highest level, that the goal is not the disruption of cartels and trafficking organizations, but their total elimination. That work will continue, in South Dakota and across the country, until that goal is achieved.
To the traffickers, distributors, money launderers, and out-of-state suppliers still operating in or targeting South Dakota: the message from this U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal, state, local, and tribal partners is direct. The cases described in this report are not the end of the work. They are the beginning. Anyone who continues to bring methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, or other deadly drugs into South Dakota communities should expect the same fate as the defendants identified above: federal indictment, federal conviction, and a substantial federal prison sentence.
About Operation Take Back America
Many of these prosecutions are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Fairfax felon found with firearm now returning to prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man was sentenced today to a year and five months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2025, Basim Dauwd Jami, aka David Jackson, 64, possessed a handgun when law enforcement approached him to serve an outstanding warrant for an alleged probation violation. Jami attempted to flee on foot, but officers arrested him in a nearby parking garage.
In 1986, Jami broke into a home and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old victim. In 2005, he was convicted for driving under the influence. In 2007, Jami was found in possession of a concealed weapon, which officers discovered when they stopped Jami during a rape investigation. As a convicted felon, Jami cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the City of Fairfax Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Clement prosecuted the case.
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. 1:26-cr-17.
Erie Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release on his conviction of possessing child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Dana Lindstrom, 44, formerly of Erie, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the Court, in August 2019, Lindstrom possessed videos depicting a minor female engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These videos were located by investigators on Lindstrom’s phone.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Erie Police Department and the Erie County Detectives Bureau for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lindstrom.
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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Engineering Manager Charged with $1.4 Million Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Wilmington man with securities fraud and insider trading.
According to the indictment, Casey Muggleston, 44, served as an engineering manager with a publicly traded energy company that operates nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, and solar generation facilities. From in or around May 2024 until in or around September 2024, Muggleston learned of material nonpublic information about the company’s efforts to restart a nuclear reactor. The energy company owned the nuclear reactor, which had previously ceased operations in 2019. The indictment alleges that through his employment, Muggleston received progress updates and confidential internal communications about the energy company’s efforts to restart the reactor.
Muggleston used this confidential information to purchase hundreds of call options in the energy company through his own brokerage account. Call options provide the buyer with the right, but not the obligation, to purchase shares of the underlying security at a specified price (the “strike price”) on or before the option’s expiration date. Muggleston purchased these call options despite his employer’s policies prohibiting insider trading and the purchase and sale of the company’s call options. On September 20, 2024, the energy company publicly announced the restart of the nuclear reactor and that it had entered into a power purchase agreement with a large technology company to purchase all of the energy produced by the reactor. That same day, Muggleston sold 550 call option contracts he held in the energy company for a total of approximately $1,480,380.67.
Muggleston is charged with one count of securities fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1348, and four counts of insider trading, in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) & 78ff and 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5. If convicted, Muggleston faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison for the securities fraud count and 20 years in prison for each of the four insider trading counts. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office’s Wilmington and Dover Resident Agencies investigated the case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission provided valuable assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey J. Hauser and Bryan C. Williamson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-105-UNA.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Eight North Carolina Tax Return Preparers Plead Guilty in Almost $25M Pandemic-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Robeson County woman who was the owner of a North Carolina tax return preparation business pleaded guilty to conspiring to prepare false returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits, and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Mitchell, 48, faces a maximum term of eight years in prison, and a $500,000 fine when sentenced later this year. She will also be ordered to pay a Forfeiture Money Judgment of $13,890,697.00. Seven other tax return preparers have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the same fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nejlai Mitchell owned and operated a tax return preparation business out of Lumberton, North Carolina, and Hope Mills, North Carolina. From approximately April 2022 through May 2023, Mitchell and seven employees filed false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits. As a result of the conspiracy, the IRS paid out approximately $13,890,697 in fraudulent tax refund claims.
Seven other co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to preparing federal tax returns for clients that included materially false items. Tiffany Moody and Shaneen Ray pleaded guilty in December 2025; Eyoubo McBurney and Katrena Stanback pleaded guilty in September 2025; Jeannie Negron and Sylvia Swindell pleaded guilty in August 2025, and Whitnee Leach pleaded guilty in May 2026.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. IRS-CI is investigating 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. 7:26-CR-38-M.
Eight North Carolina Return Preparers Plead Guilty in Almost $25M Pandemic-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a North Carolina tax return preparation business pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to prepare false returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits. Seven other return preparers have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the same scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nejlai Mitchell owned and operated a tax return preparation business out of Lumberton, North Carolina, and Hope Mills, North Carolina. From approximately April 2022 through May 2023, Mitchell and seven employees filed false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the paid sick and family leave credit, a credit passed by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. As a result of the conspiracy, the IRS paid out approximately $13,890,697 in fraudulent tax refund claims.
“Instead of honoring their legal and ethical duties as tax preparers, this group allegedly engineered a calculated scheme to enrich themselves by submitting false returns,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Stealing taxpayer funded relief in a national emergency is both reprehensible and deeply harmful to the public, and we will not hesitate to hold accountable those who exploit a crisis for personal gain. The Fraud Division remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting the integrity of federal relief programs and pursuing tax fraud wherever it occurs.”
Mitchell admitted to the conspiracy shortly after Whitnee Leach pleaded guilty, on May 19, 2026, to participating in the same conspiracy. Both Mitchell and Leach also pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
Six other co-conspirators pleaded guilty to preparing federal tax returns for clients that included materially false items. Tiffany Moody and Shaneen Ray pleaded guilty on December 9, 2025; Eyoubo McBurney and Katrena Stanback pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025; and Jeannie Negron and Sylvia Swindell pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025.
Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Leach is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Mitchell and Leach face a maximum penalty of five years for conspiracy and three years for preparing and filing false tax returns. The remaining six defendants each face a maximum penalty of three years in prison for preparing and filing false tax returns for clients. Their sentencing hearings are set for July 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle of the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Caroline Pearson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes of the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Dubuque Felon Who Possessed Multiple Guns Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed multiple firearms as a felon in the summer of 2024 was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison.
Bailey Michael Valentine, age 26, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 27, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that in May 2024, law enforcement officers pulled over a car in which Valentine was the passenger. Officers found Valentine’s backpack in the car. It contained methamphetamine. Later that day, officers searched his house and found a stolen and loaded gun. Valentine continued to possess a firearm on multiple occasions after that. In July 2024, officers pulled over another car that Valentine was driving. Inside the car, officers found a loaded gun that belonged to Valentine, as well as ammunition that he had stolen earlier in the day. Valentine has an extensive criminal history, including two drug‑related felony convictions from 2021.
Valentine was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Valentine was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Valentine 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 Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1031.
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Dominican National Arrested on Charges of Identity Theft and Federal Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston-New York Field Division of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (“SSA OIG”), Amy Connelly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Pete Gizas, and Special Agent in Charge of the Diplomatic Security Service (“DSS”) New York Field Office, Brian Wood, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging VERONICA YARASET MOLINA with theft of government funds, healthcare fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft. YARASET MOLINA was arrested this morning and presented earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
“For nearly two decades, Veronica Yaraset Molina allegedly stole the identity of an American citizen and used it to loot federal benefit programs of nearly $800,000 in taxpayer funds,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This Office will pursue those who defraud federal benefit programs.”
“Veronica Yaraset Molina allegedly used a stolen identity to orchestrate a nearly 20-year fraud scheme to siphon off hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits meant for vulnerable Americans,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas. “This kind of calculated fraud is not a victimless crime; it drains taxpayer resources, corrupts vital safety net programs, and inflicts lasting damage on innocent victims who are denied the assistance they need when disaster strikes. HSI New York, as a leading member of the Homeland Security Task Force New York, is fully committed to relentlessly pursuing fraudsters who exploit our systems and our communities, and we will continue to work side-by-side with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to identify, dismantle, and bring to justice anyone who engages in this kind of predatory conduct.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service mandate extends beyond protecting State Department people, property and information—it includes safeguarding the integrity of U.S. travel documents,” said DSS New York Field Office Special Agent in Charge Brian Wood. “Molina's alleged use of a fraudulently obtained U.S. passport to repeatedly enter this country is exactly the kind of threat DSS is uniquely positioned to investigate, and we are proud to have worked alongside our law enforcement partners to bring this case to light.”
“The defendant, a Dominican national, is accused of using a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain approximately $120,000 in Social Security disability benefits, unlawfully enriching herself at the expense of American taxpayers,” said SSA OIG Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly. “We remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard the integrity of Social Security programs and will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit vulnerable systems through fraud, identity theft, and other criminal conduct.”
As alleged in the Complaint:
YARASET MOLINA, a Dominican national who has been unlawfully present in the United States since at least approximately 2000, and who assumed the stolen identity of a United States citizen (“Victim-1”), engaged in a nearly 20-year scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $800,000 in federal benefits, including Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits, Medicare benefits, and unemployment benefits, to which she was not entitled.
As alleged, YARASET MOLINA repeatedly used Victim-1’s identity to apply for and receive the foregoing benefits across multiple federal programs. YARASET MOLINA also used Victim-1’s identity to apply for and receive a United States passport, which she used to return to the United States from the Dominican Republic on several occasions. Due at least in part to YARASET MOLINA’s identity theft scheme, Victim-1 was unable to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) benefits in the wake of Hurricane Maria in or about 2017.
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YARASET MOLINA, 51, of the Dominican Republic, is charged with four counts of theft of government funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; passport fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1543, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, to run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the SSA-OIG, HSI, DSS, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General for their assistance in this case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Pavlis is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
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As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on June 23, 2026, to 188 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to public court documents, in August 2025, Andrew Gordon Meyer, 26, was found by the Des Moines Police slumped over in his vehicle while it was still running. Inside Meyer’s car, officers found cash, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and other drug paraphernalia, consistent with drug trafficking. The investigation revealed that Meyer sold fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Des Moines Metro area and possessed firearms. Meyer was sentenced under the United States Sentencing Guidelines as a Career Offender and has an extensive criminal history that includes weapons-offenses and multiple drug-related convictions.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Meyer will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mallory Weiser.
Cresco Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A man who unlawfully possessed a stolen gun was sentenced on June 23, 2026, to eight years in federal prison.
Dalton Lee Hagen, age 28, from Cresco, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 6, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that in January 2025, law enforcement officers were investigating a burglary. Officers learned that Hagen was involved and searched his home. In the basement of Hagen’s home, officers found a gun. Prior to January 2025, Hagen had broken into a car outside a local Cresco business and stole the gun. Hagen is prohibited from possessing firearms because of multiple prior felony convictions.
Hagen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hagen was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Hagen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Cresco Police Department, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Howard County Sherriff’s Office, and the Iowa State Patrol. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-02053.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas and Sentencings in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Prosecutions (June 15 through June 18, 2026)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following prosecutorial results for the week of June 15 through June 18, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas:
- On June 16, 2026, Eli Couvertier Pollock pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun in Criminal Case 24-182. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 5, 2026. AUSAs Joseph Russell and Laura Díaz-González are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 18, 2026, Lino Calcaño-Rodríguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 23, 2026. AUSAs Joseph Russell and Laura Díaz-González are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 18, 2026, Jan C. Dalmau-Román pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 23, 2026. AUSAs Joseph Russell and Laura Díaz-González are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 18, 2026, Carlos Mercado-Molina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ). Defendant was arrested on December 11, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 23, 2026. AUSAs Joseph Russell and Laura Díaz-González are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 18, 2026, Rodney Alexis Maldonado-Marquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Criminal Case 25-365. Defendant was arrested on September 11, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 16, 2026. Special AUSA Javier Rivera and AUSA Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 18, 2026, Efraín Ramírez-Cortés pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Criminal Case 25-365. Defendant was arrested on September 11, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for September 16, 2026. SAUSA Javier Rivera and AUSA Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
Sentencings:
- On June 15, 2026, Carlos Obed La Llave Otero was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 60 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 20, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 15, 2026, Merchisede Rivera Rivera was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 60 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 20, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 15, 2026, Isaías Molina Valle was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón to 144 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 24, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 15, 2026, Jomael Aponte Rivera was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colon to 144 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 6, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 15, 2026, Luis Joel Couret Clas was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colon to 12 months of imprisonment to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed in case number 24-059 (MAJ) to followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 15, 2026, Carlos Rodríguez Núñez was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colon to 27 months and fifteen days of imprisonment, to be served concurrently and consecutively to state court sentences, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 9, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-184 (ADC) and pleaded guilty on February 6, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On June 16, 2026, Isaías Caleb De Jesús was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Maria Antongiorgi Jordan to 84 months of imprisonment to be followed by 8 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on December 11, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ) and pleaded guilty on March 17, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
These prosecutions 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 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 San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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Clear Lake Shores man convicted of multiple offenses involving child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 45-year-old man has been found guilty of possession of child pornography and access with intent to view it, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than one hour before convicting Michael Harkless following a two-day trial.
The investigation revealed Harkless had been accessing child pornography since 2009.
Authorities executed a search warrant and seized several electronic devices. Forensic examination revealed approximately 14 videos and nearly 2,000 images containing child sexual abuse material. The videos depicted young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Law enforcement found both laptop computers containing child sexual abuse material in his bedroom closet along with his passport and other items.
The jury heard that Harkless accessed CSAM images on one of the computers before deleting them.
The defense attempted to convince the jury the computers did not belong to Harkless. However, they observed emails, credit card records, letters, chat history and tax records belonging to him on the device.
The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown presided over the trial and afterwards stated he will issue a sentencing date in the near future. Harkless faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine on each of the two counts of conviction.
Previously released on bond, Judge Brown ordered him into custody following the verdict where he will remain pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, police departments in Galveston, Clear Lake Shores and Pearland as well as Jones Creek Marshals Office and Houston Metro Internet Crimes against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Michael Day are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Choctaw County Resident Pleads Guilty to Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrea Dawn Cooper, age 34, of Sawyer, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on November 2, 2020, Cooper assaulted the victim, resulting in serious bodily injury.
The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sawyer Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Cooper was released on bond with conditions pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Chinese citizen arrested, charged with money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy involving gold coins/bullionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Didi Zou, 39, a citizen of China, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 15, 2026, the Victim, a resident of Tonawanda, NY, received a Microsoft alert on their computer screen stating, “Microsoft Security” and to call (650) 479-XXXX. The Victim called and spoke to a purported “Microsoft security representative” named “Logan,” who informed them that someone was attempting to access the Victim’s account and attempting an approximate $22,000.00 transaction, which never went through. Logan provided Victim 1 with a “case number” and then transferred them to “Chirstopher Martin” from the “Cyber Fraud Division” of their bank. The Victim spoke with “Martin,” who stated he was also the liaison between the Internal Revenue Service and the bank. Martin advised the Victim to set up a bank account with the IRS on their personal banking website and move their funds to the IRS Bank because of the “hackers” in their computer.
At Martin’s instruction, the Victim downloaded a software that enables remote access to a computer for an external user via a user-provided password, which allowed Martin to essentially take over the Victim’s keyboard. Martin guided the Victim through an online banking process, likely gaining access to the Victim’s banking details and passwords. The Victim obeyed all instructions, fearing hackers would obtain their assets, which included profits from the sale of their parents’ house, inherited savings, and multiple CDs. The Victim subsequently, again at Martin’s instruction, gave $20,000 to an IRS “Agent” at a coffee shop near their residence and obtained gold coins/bullion to protect their funds in the “IRS Banking” account. The Victim made five purchases of gold coins/bullion and each time an “IRS agent” would travel from Flushing, NY to pick up the gold package. The fifth purchase occurred on June 18, 2026. After the Victim, working with investigators, gave the gold coins/bullion to the “IRS Agent,” defendant Zou was taken into custody.
Zou made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and is being held pending a detention hearing.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Colleen M. McCarthy. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis II, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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