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18 June 2026
New Bedford Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man, with multiple prior criminal convictions, pleaded guilty on June 16, 2026 in federal court in Boston to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Calvin Rosa, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns who scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2026. Rosa was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.
On March 12, 2025, during a search of a residence, a Smith & Wesson, SD40 VE, .40 caliber pistol and ammunition were recovered and believed to be Rosa’s. Rosa is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to 2022, 2021 and 2020 convictions of crimes punishable by more than one year in prison.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and John J. Reynolds III of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect 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.
Naugatuck Man Sentenced to 42 Months for Role in Waterbury-Area Drug RingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that WILLIE REDD, 45, of Naugatuck, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 42 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release, for his role in a Waterbury-area drug trafficking organization.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization was headed by Angel Quiros and operated in the area of William Street, and the other was headed by Daniel Diaz-Rivera and operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. The organizations shared sources of supply, worked together to further their operations, and sold narcotics all hours of the day and night.
Redd distributed cocaine and crack as part of the Quiros organization.
Redd, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and 14 associates were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. Redd, Quiros, Diaz-Rivera, and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.
On April 15, 2024, Redd pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He has been detained since February 26, 2026, when his bond was revoked.
Quiros and Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty to related charges. On August 19, 2025, Quiros was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment, and on June 23, 2025, Diaz-Rivera was sentenced to 210 months of imprisonment.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Multiple defendants sentenced after pleading guilty in southern Georgia drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Three additional defendants in a southern Georgia drug trafficking operation have been sentenced to prison in federal court.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa G. Wood and were announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:
- Dequatte Tucker, 34, an inmate at Wheeler Correctional Facility, was sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Roger Jenkins, 28, of Alma, Georgia, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Corey Hill, 36, of Ambrose, Georgia, was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
There is no parole in the federal system.
These three defendants were co-conspirators in a large-scale drug trafficking operation spanning several southern Georgia communities. As described in court documents and testimony, the defendants participated in a conspiracy to import and distribute large amounts of illegal drugs in the Douglas, Georgia community and surrounding counties. Much of the conspiracy was directed from inside Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones. The investigation resulted in the seizure of 21 illegally possessed firearms and more than $17,000.
“The sentences imposed hold these conspirators accountable for their roles in a drug trafficking operation that endangered our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Let this message be clear: Those who traffic narcotics in our communities will be identified, prosecuted and brought to justice.”
There were 33 additional defendants who were convicted after pleading guilty to various drug- and gun-related charges, with 17 of them sentenced to terms of up to 126 months in prison. Two defendants were convicted at trial, one defendant passed away before adjudication, and another was acquitted at trial.
“This drug trafficking organization has been responsible for wreaking havoc in South Georgia, and its takedown is a positive step forward in the never-ending quest to keep our communities safe,” said Brian Ozden, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Resident Agencies. “We will not waver in our mission to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle trafficking organizations anywhere in Georgia.”
The FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeast Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Douglas Police Department, the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waycross Police Department, the Marion County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville (Florida) County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation of these cases. These cases were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Kyle Davis and Bradley R. Thompson.
Missoula man pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Missoula man who had collected and stored over 23,000 images and 600 videos of child sex abuse materials (CSAM) admitted to charges Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Jamie T. Felde, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. Felde faces five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, five years to a lifetime of supervised release, a $35,000 special assessment, an additional $5,000 special assessment, and another $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2026. Felde remained in custody pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Felde had sought out and collected CSAM in the form of images and videos of young children, storing them on various electronics in his Missoula apartment.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received several tips between 2021 and 2023 regarding an individual who was uploading CSAM to Microsoft’s Bing Image. The center forwarded those tips onto law enforcement officers, who obtained subpoenas and search warrants and learned Felde was the individual uploading the material.
On May 23, 2024, officers served a search warrant at Felde’s Missoula apartment and found “a tranche of electronics,” including several phones, USB drives, hard drives, and computer towers. A forensic analysis of the devices showed Felde had collected 23,716 images and 643 videos of CSAM.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney is prosecuting the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the Missoula Police Department conducted the investigation.
Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Leonel Mata Luna pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Luna to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. At the hearing, Luna admitted he violated the terms of his supervised release stemming from a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. The court imposed a concurrent 30-month sentence for the supervised release violation.
During the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Luna served as a leader in a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking more than 100 kilos of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy. Luna admitted he was a member of the drug trafficking organization while residing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. His role was to oversee the receipt and packaging of cocaine in Mexico and coordinate its transportation to the U.S. border. The drugs were then smuggled by vehicle into the United States on a monthly basis.
The cocaine was initially transported to Houston where it was further distributed throughout the United States.
In December 2015, law enforcement agents seized 176 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of meth and $3.5 million in drug proceeds after executing search warrants at three stash houses controlled by the organization in Houston.
Luna was a fugitive for seven years until his arrest in Monterrey, Mexico, in Sept. 2022as part of a joint Mexican and American law enforcement operation. He was subsequently removed from Mexico and transported to Houston for prosecution.
To date, 15 defendants have been convicted in relation to the conspiracy.
Luna will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This Operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the case.
Mexican Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for reentering the United States after three prior removals.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Miguel Alfonzo Tapia-Gonzalez, 39, to time served. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2026.
According to court records, on March 8, 2026, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent conducted a field inspection of two individuals he encountered in a commercial parking lot in Augusta. One of the men, later identified as Tapia-Gonzalez, acknowledged that he was a Mexican citizen and was in the country unlawfully. The agent transported Tapia-Gonzalez to the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Rangeley where it was discovered that he had been removed from the U.S. in 2015, 2018 and 2019.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
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.
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Merrillville Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of 100 Grams or More of HeroinRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – On June 18, 2026, Lamario Delgado-Gonzalez, 31 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Lamario Delgado-Gonzalez was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
“The Defendant participated in the sale of over 10,000 pills containing a total of over 100 grams of heroin to undercover law enforcement agents on February 14, 2025, in Merrillville, Indiana. Between December 2024 and April 2025 in Merrillville, Delgado-Gonzalez also participated in the sale of additional pills containing a variety of controlled substances including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a fentanyl precursor to undercover law enforcement agents. As part of Operation Take Back America, this dealer of poison is going to prison due to the hard work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Enforcement Group with assistance from the DEA North Central Laboratory, and AUSA Dean Lanter. Our district and nation are safer because of their efforts,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA Enforcement Group with assistance from the DEA North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean Lanter.
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.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to trafficking stolen firearms was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Ky’von Love Bernard Payne admitted that on March 25, 2024, he and co-defendant Semaj’e Ridgeway possessed 35 stolen firearms – including a semiautomatic rifle, semiautomatic pistols, and a long rifle – inside Ridgeway’s residence in North Las Vegas. Many of the stolen firearms had price tags and descriptions attached to them from a licensed firearms dealer located in Southern California. Payne further admitted that, on that same day, co-defendants Jahova Bell and Lanell Bellows exchanged a 5.56x45mm semiautomatic rifle and cash for two of the stolen pistols.
Payne pleaded guilty to one count of possession of stolen firearms and one count of trafficking in firearms.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge John Wester for the San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
ATF investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.
If you have information about gun violence or any illegal activities that involve firearms, you are urged to contact ATF by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477).
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Madison Man Federally Charged for Armed Meth Trafficking and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Frederick Allen Smith, Jr., 54, of Madison, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Smith, Jr. appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, at 8:30 am before United States District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
If convicted, Smith, Jr. faces a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine count; a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment consecutive to other sentences on the possession of a firearm in furtherance count; and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Emma Schwan is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
M/V Dali Chief Engineer Enters into Deferred Prosecution Agreement in Key Bridge Crash Related CaseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, the United States and Motor Vessel Dali Chief Engineer, Karthikeyan Deenadayalan, entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement in which he admitted to conduct that constitutes a criminal violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act. This case is related to the indictment unsealed last month that charged three defendants in connection with the vessel crash that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The agreement defers prosecution of the charge in a criminal information recently filed against the chief engineer provided he abides by the agreement’s conditions. Deenadayalan, an Indian national, served as the chief engineer aboard the Dali when it crashed into the Key Bridge. He also previously served as the chief engineer on the Dali’s sister vessels, the Motor Vessel Maersk Saltoro and the Motor Vessel Cezanne.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the deferred prosecution agreement with Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson, Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD); Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; Acting Director Zinnia James, Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS); and Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall, Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID).
As part of the agreement, Deenadayalan admitted to facts that constitute a criminal violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act for failing to report a hazardous condition to the U.S. Coast Guard. According to the statement of facts, Deenadayalan admitted he was aware that the Dali, Maersk Saltoro, and Cezanne used an unsafe fuel supply pump. Deenadayalan acknowledged that the unsafe pump, known as a flushing pump, lacked redundancy, which compromised the vessels’ safe navigation and ability to recover from the loss of power. He admitted that he knew that the inability to recover from a loss of power could adversely affect the safety of the vessel itself, as well as any bridge, structure, or shore area.
The statement of facts also detailed the chief engineer’s conversations and correspondence with Synergy personnel, including Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, who was separately charged in a criminal indictment, about the use of the unsafe flushing pump on the vessels. Deenadayalan further admitted that Nair directed him to send a “convincing” email to the charterer of the Dali so that the charterer would not ask additional questions about fuel consumption on the Dali to prevent revealing the use of the flushing pump.
The charges contained in an information are allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, CGIS, and EPA-CID for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps, Bijon A. Mostoufi, and Kimberly S. Phillips, along with ENRD Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé, who are prosecuting this matter and the related criminal case against Synergy Maritime Pvt Ltd., Synergy Marine Pvt Ltd., and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Lexington Man Sentenced for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Gregory Curtis, 48, was sentenced on Thursday to 240 months by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In December 2024, law enforcement investigated the drug trafficking activities of Curtis from a residence in Lexington. Law enforcement executed a search warrant for Curtis’ residence and found 49.91 grams, 27.226 grams, and 27.505 grams of fluorofentanyl and fentanyl.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field; and; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Leader of drug trafficking organization linked to Mexican cartels sentenced in Homeland Security Task Force caseRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Cleveland has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy involving large quantities of cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Elmer Vargas-Serrato pleaded guilty Oct. 28, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Vargas-Serrato to serve 201 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
Vargas-Serrato was the head of a drug trafficking organization responsible for moving cocaine from cartels in Mexico to Houston and Dallas. The cocaine was then distributed to other U.S. cities in the states of Illinois, New York, Georgia and North Carolina. The organization also transported firearms to Mexico to arm the cartels.
Vargas-Serrato was responsible for sourcing cocaine from the Mexican cartels and directing the organization’s U.S. operations. He was tied to approximately 41 kilograms of cocaine seized across three states.
A search warrant of a residence tied to Vargas-Serrato resulted in the discovery and seizure of cocaine, a stolen firearm and multiple drug ledgers discussing the movement of narcotics and firearms. Authorities also located titles to numerous vehicles used during the transportation of narcotics.
Vargas-Serrato has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster, Liesel Roscher and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
This investigation and prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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 South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Kansas City Man Sentenced for Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today to two years in prison for escaping from federal custody.
Carlos Rosas, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Brian C. Wimes to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, following Rosas’s guilty plea to escaping from custody in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 751(a).
In January 2024, Rosas was serving a term of supervised release stemming from a conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On Jan. 24, 2024, Rosas attended a hearing before a federal district court judge regarding violations of the terms of his supervised release. At the end of the hearing, the judge remanded Rosas into the custody of the United States Marshals Service and allowed Rosas to self-report—with his attorney—to the Marshals’ office in the federal courthouse. Rather than report to the Marshals’ office as directed, Rosas fled from the courthouse.
Deputy Marshals searched for Rosas for almost two months. In March 2024, they located Rosas at the home of his girlfriend in Kansas. More than two hours after deputies arrived at the residence, Rosas eventually surrendered and was returned to custody.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Bradley and David Wagner and by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Moeder. It was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Justice Department Sues State of New York for Requiring Catholic Nursing Facilities to House Men with WomenRead the Press Release
The Justice Department notified the U.S. District Court that it intends to intervene in a lawsuit filed by an order of Catholic nuns — the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne — against the State of New York, challenging a State law that requires housing biological men with women in the Sisters’ residential hospice care program. The United States’ supports the Sisters of Hawthorne’s argument that the New York law violates the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection of religious groups.
“States should take notice that they cannot require Americans to abandon their religious beliefs in the name of woke gender ideology,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “For more than a century, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne have provided free palliative care to indigent cancer patients in their last days. New York’s law would force these religious women to choose between their faith and their license if they wish to continue serving the dying.”
The United States’ Complaint-in-Intervention alleges that New York Public Health Law § 2803-c-2 violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause by requiring religious facilities to meet requirements that violate religious beliefs, while excusing non-religious facilities from those same requirements. New York’s law requires long-term care facilities to assign rooms to transgender residents based on “gender identity” rather than biological sex, and facility staff to use names and pronouns reflecting gender identity rather than biological sex. New York’s law permits facilities to refuse opposite-sex room assignments based on secular clinical judgments — that the assignment would cause psychological harm to a roommate — but offers no equivalent accommodation based on a religious judgment that the assignment would cause spiritual harm. The Acting Attorney General certified this case pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 2000h-2, which authorizes the United States to intervene in equal protection cases of general public importance.
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne operate Rosary Hill Home, a skilled nursing facility that provides free palliative care to indigent cancer patients in their last days, and welcome every patient. Catholic teaching holds that biological sex is God-given and cannot be morally changed, and that identifying a person by another sex is religiously prohibited lying. Consistent with that teaching, Rosary Hill houses patients in single-sex rooms based on patients’ biological sex, refers to patients by pronouns reflecting their biological sex, and performs “very personal acts of care such as painting women’s fingernails, combing their hair, changing them into fresh nightgowns, and arranging flowers in their rooms.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section is handling this matter. The Section enforces federal civil rights laws that protect disabled individuals, including those who receive palliative care in long-term care facilities. For more information about the Civil Rights Division and its work, please visit www.justice.gov/crt.
Members of the public who believe they have experienced religious discrimination may file a complaint at civilrights.justice.gov.
Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Philadelphia Mask Ban and Identification Requirements for Federal Officers and VehiclesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle Parker, District Attorney Lawrence Krasner, and City Solicitor Renee Garcia, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers by criminally prohibiting federal officers from wearing masks, requiring individual identifiers, and prohibiting the use of unmarked vehicles in the city. Phila. Bill No. 260060 (“Prohibition on Law Enforcement Secreting Their Identity”).
Not only is the law an illegal attempt to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the law threatens the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedent wave of harassment, doxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations.
The Bill explicitly states that “It is the intent of this Council to define the structure of the scope of duty, as well as substantive obligations of . . . federal law enforcement operating within the jurisdiction of the City of Philadelphia.” This led to the Mayor and City Solicitor openly questioning the Bill’s “significant legal problems, primarily concerning the City's authority to regulate the conduct of federal officers when carrying out their duties under federal law.” Indeed, the City Solicitor observed that the Bill “would send an inaccurate signal to the public that the [City] can legally and practically enforce the Bill.” Nevertheless, the Bill is set to take effect next month, absent the relief sought today by the United States.
“Today we regrettably had to sue the birthplace of this great Nation,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “But we will not sit by while Philadelphia flagrantly violates our Constitution, seeking to criminally punish our Nation’s law enforcement heroes merely for doing their job.”
“It is disappointing to see the city where our Constitution was born so egregiously violate its separation of powers by criminalizing the work that Federal officers do to keep Philadelphians safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Philadelphia may not regulate Federal operations and its unconstitutional attempt to do so must be stopped.”
Acting Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, and California.
Justice Department Charges 11 Illegal Aliens Among 15 in $1.4M Benefit Fraud Crackdown in MassachusettsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today fifteen individuals, 11 illegal aliens and four U.S. citizens, have been charged and arrested for benefit fraud in Massachusetts. The defendants are charged with more than $1.4 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit fraud, MassHealth benefit fraud and disability and unemployment benefit fraud, just to name a few.
“These cases highlight a broader, deeply troubling pattern: the exploitation of America’s safety-net by illegal aliens,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Fraud by illegal aliens carries real and substantial costs to American taxpayers and places enormous strain on our public benefits systems. The Fraud Division remains laser-focused on rooting out fraud — whether committed by illegal aliens or anyone else — and recovering money wrongfully taken from the American people.”
“These criminal illegal aliens conspired to defraud Massachusetts taxpayers of more than $1.4 million in public benefits, depriving American citizens of benefits that they needed,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “After these 12 criminal illegal aliens face justice, they will be swiftly removed from our country so they can never defraud American taxpayers again. Under President Trump, DHS is putting the American people first again.”
The following individuals have been charged over the past week. Several defendants’ names are currently unknown at this time, as they have been living under stolen identities:
- Heriberto Rodriguez of Framingham, Mass., is charged with passport fraud, SNAP fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection with $546,463 in total benefit fraud loss ($175,182 in MassHealth fraud; $146,944 in Social Security fraud; $185,194 in HUD fraud; and $39,000 in SNAP fraud);
- Mirian Chalas, 33, a U.S. citizen living in Salem N.H., is charged with making false statements in connection with $266,000 in MassHealth fraud; $25,000 in Social Security Disability fraud; and $12,000 in SNAP fraud;
- Santo Escolastico Cuello, 56, a Dominican national unlawfully living in Worcester, Mass., is charged with aggravated identity theft and making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with $162,180 in MassHealth fraud;
- John Doe, age unknown, suspected to be in the United States illegally, is charged with false representation of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft and making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with MassHealth fraud totaling $75,000 and aggravated identity theft;
- John Doe, age unknown, suspected to be in the United States illegally living in Quincy, Mass., is charged with illegal acquisition or use of SNAP benefits, theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft in connection with SNAP benefit fraud totaling $11,000;
- Mario Baez Romero, 45, a Dominican national unlawfully living in Somerville, Mass., is charged with aggravated identity theft and passport fraud in connection with $26,942 in SNAP fraud and $48,785 in MassHealth Baez Romero was allegedly encountered during an interdiction of a recreational vessel near Key Biscayne in Miami, Fla. in May 2026;
- Richard Odelis Vallegas Nunez, 35, a Dominican national unlawfully living in Allston, Mass., is charged with aggravated identity theft and unlawful production of an identification document in connection with $48,865 in MassHealth fraud;
- Miguel Diaz Matos, 54, a Dominican national living in Lynn, Mass., is charged with illegal acquisition or use of SNAP benefits, theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft in connection with $13,431 in SNAP fraud and $50,494 in MassHealth fraud;
- John Doe, age unknown, suspected to be in the United States illegally, is charged with making false statements related to a health care program in connection with $32,717 in MassHealth fraud;
- John Doe, age unknown, suspected to be in the United States illegally, living in Lynn, Mass., is charged with aggravated identity theft and making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with $38,776 in MassHealth fraud;
- Mitul Patel, 40, an Indian national unlawfully living in Worcester, Mass., is charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, in which co-conspirators staged a false armed robbery of a convenience store to allow “victims” such as Patel, to seek U Visas as victims of violent crimes;
- Santo Tejada Sanchez, 48, a Dominican national unlawfully living in Haverhill, Mass., is charged with aggravated identity theft, theft of government funds and SNAP benefit fraud totaling $4,054;
- Jennifer Ferran, 48, a U.S. Citizen living in Haverhill, Mass., is charged with theft of government property, Social Security fraud and furnishing false information to Social Security in connection with over $29,000 in Social Security fraud;
- Owen Landry, a/k/a “Oski,” 24, a U.S. citizen living in Haverhill, Mass., is charged with theft of government property, Social Security fraud and furnishing false information to Social Security in connection with over $29,000 in Social Security fraud; and
- Yahaira Diaz Gomez, 45, a Dominican national living in Mattapan, Mass., is charged with making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with $48,694 MassHealth fraud.
“Today’s announcement is just the beginning of what will be a sustained and ongoing effort to arrest and charged individuals for benefit fraud in Massachusetts. The defendants charged today, stole from a number of programs, including SNAP and MassHealth – which are designed to assist U.S. citizens in need of food and health care. They allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars each in benefits for which they are not entitled,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. “There isn’t any place else in the world where you can go and be handed free food, free housing, free healthcare and free monthly checks, while being in the country illegally. However, it appears that you can come to Massachusetts and steal as many benefits as you want without fear and without any accountability. This is all ending on my watch. Beginning today, we will be announcing benefit fraud charges on a rolling basis.”
“Stealing someone’s identity to rip off unemployment benefits isn’t just breaking the law — it's stealing from every American who plays by the rules,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “We will continue working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, and our federal and state partners to hunt down these criminals and ensure they pay the price for stealing from hardworking Americans.”
“During this short surge operation, we have uncovered over $1 million of fraud — but we’re just getting started. In response to rampant fraud in Massachusetts, and with the support of our task force partners and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, we’re redoubling our efforts to root out fraud and bring these criminals to justice,” said Jeffrey Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI is making real progress identifying government benefits fraudsters, dismantling identity document dealers, and arresting those who steal from taxpayer-funded programs.”
“Medicaid enrollment fraud undermines the integrity of our health care system and inflicts real harm on the victims whose personal information is exploited and whose medical records are compromised,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Every fraudulent dollar paid out through these schemes is a dollar taken from those who are truly entitled to these benefits —and we will not allow that theft to go unanswered.”
The charge of SNAP fraud of over $5,000 provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of SNAP fraud of over $100 provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of passport fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of unlawful production of an identification document provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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. The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of Social Security fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of making false statements to federal officials provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements relating to a health care program provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of furnishing false information to Social Security provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald for the National Fraud Enforcement Division; Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor; Jeffrey Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Northeast Region; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Jury Finds Former South Lake Tahoe Man Guilty of Multiple Cryptocurrency and Investment Fraud Schemes That Defrauded Investors of Nearly $1 MillionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After an eight-day trial, a federal jury today returned a guilty verdict against Daniel Chartraw, 53, formerly of South Lake Tahoe and Lodi, finding him responsible for a wide-ranging series of fraudulent schemes involving cryptocurrency companies, sham business ventures, and false investment guarantees that caused substantial financial losses to numerous victims across the country, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
“This verdict sends a clear message: individuals who exploit the trust of others and steal through deception will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “The defendant lied to investors and caused serious financial and emotional harm. Our office will continue to pursue those who use emerging technologies, including cryptocurrency, as vehicles for fraud.”
According to evidence presented at trial, between March 2021 and February 2022, Chartraw and an associate controlled multiple companies, including Crypto‑Pal LLC and TDA Global LLC. Chartraw and individuals acting on his behalf represented that Crypto‑Pal was a web‑based cryptocurrency trading company that guaranteed high returns with no risk. At various points, Chartraw also claimed that TDA Global was engaged in supplying jet fuel to airlines or operated its own cryptocurrency trading platform.
Chartraw communicated with potential and existing investors through phone calls, text messages, email, and virtual meetings using platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Although he was directing operations, Chartraw frequently used aliases such as “Leonard” or “Leon,” telling associates that he needed to conceal his identity because of a prior fraud conviction. Despite this, many investors ultimately learned that Chartraw—not “Leonard”—was controlling the businesses and their accounts.
Even though Chartraw was not a signatory on the Crypto‑Pal business bank account, he repeatedly accessed it to withdraw cash, make purchases, and transfer investor funds to accounts he personally controlled.
Chartraw also cultivated trust through personal and professional relationships, using fabricated account statements, false assurances of growth, and repeated misrepresentations to persuade victims to invest additional funds. When investors attempted to recover their money or questioned delays, he provided excuses, deflected responsibility, or stopped communicating altogether.
In several cases, individuals were referred to him through friends or family and were convinced to transfer cryptocurrency or cash, based on promises that their money would be actively traded. None of these funds were ever invested as represented. Across all schemes, investors received neither returns nor the return of their principal. The total loss to investors was nearly $1 million.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Delaney and J. Douglas Harman are prosecuting the case.
Chartraw is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Sept. 28, 2026. Chartraw faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
June Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the June Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Joel Alvarado Davila. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Alvarado Davila, 52, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed twice in 2013 and on three separate occasions in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-240
Miguel Guadalupe Aquino Paez; Jose Alfredo Razon Rodriguez. Drug Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Aquino Paez, 25, and Razon Rodriguez, 20, both Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiring with each other and others to distribute fentanyl and maintaining a residence for drug distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-227
Reynaldo Balboa Longoria. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Balboa Longoria, 52, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in April 2008. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-238
Erick Omar Cedano Navarro. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Cedano Navarro, 26, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-224
Cody Joe Cobler. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling in Indian Country. Cobler, 43, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with strangling his intimate dating partner. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Dewhurst is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-225
Levi Edward Dalton. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Dalton, 25, of Sapulpa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-242
Benton Staffaun Turner Dorsey. Cyberstalking. Dorsey, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with using electronic devices to cause substantial emotional distress to two victims. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Steve Briden are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-241
Devin Kelly Hartzell. Escape from Federal Custody. Hartzell, 31, a transient, is charged with escaping federal custody and knowingly departing the Turley Residential Center without permission. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-235
Fernando Jorge Garcia. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Jorge Garcia, 56, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2010 and 2014. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-239
David Martinez Moralez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez Moralez, 48, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2007 and 2012. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-237
Nobeli Valentin Montes Zuniga. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Montes Zuniga, 27, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2020. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-236
Zachary Christian Speegle. Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country; Cyberstalking. Speegle, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly receiving and possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. He is additionally charged with using a computer to harass and intimidate a minor child. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-243
Gary Wayne Stancle, Jr.; Grace Oliva. Felon in Possession of Firearms; Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Stancle, 40, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing firearms knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. Stancle and Oliva, 26, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring with each other to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and intentionally possessing cocaine for distribution. Oliva is charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug distribution. Stancle is additionally charged with possessing methamphetamine for distribution and possessing a firearm while drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-228
Diosdado Zadiu Ramirez. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Zadiu Ramirez, 22, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-226
Adrien Jesse Zorrilla. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Zorrilla, 25, a transient, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from August 2025 through June 2026. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-223
Joplin Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court for his illegal possession of a firearm.
Quincy E. Richards, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Megan Blair Benton to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Richards was charged as part of Operation Spring Cleaning, that was coordinated by the United States Attorney’s Office and law enforcement across Southwest Missouri.
On Sept. 9, 2025, Richards was contacted by law enforcement during the execution of a prior arrest warrant. During that contact, Richards consented to a search of his vehicle. During the search, officers found a black backpack in the trunk of his vehicle that contained a tan and black Palmetto State Armory 9mm semiautomatic firearm. In addition to the firearm, law enforcement also discovered two oversized magazines that could hold 40 and 25 rounds of ammunition.
Under federal statutes, Richards is subject to sentences of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum fine of $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Carthage Missouri Police Department.
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.
Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Officers Conducting Immigration OperationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jennifer Susan Cruz (41, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to assaulting officers conducting an immigration operation. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on January 13, 2026, federal immigration officers, assisted by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), were conducting an operation in Jacksonville to locate and administratively arrest aliens who were illegally present in the United States. Cruz was driving by and recording on her cellphone as an FHP trooper was pulling over a vehicle for a traffic infraction. Cruz parked near the site of the traffic stop and yelled at the trooper as she continued to record. Immigration officers subsequently determined that the two occupants of the vehicle they had pulled over were illegally present in the United States.
Another trooper approached Cruz and spoke with her about using her cellphone while driving. During this interaction, Cruz was argumentative and recorded the encounter on her cellphone. The trooper told Cruz that he had no issue with her recording and that his concern was solely her unsafe and unlawful use of a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle. Cruz made unsolicited and inflammatory statements, asking whether the trooper supported the “Nazis,” which she clarified as referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and asking him not to shoot her in the face. The trooper advised Cruz that ICE officers were present in an official capacity and that he was not there to discuss personal or political beliefs, but solely to address her traffic violation.
The trooper asked Cruz for her driver license and she stated that she did not have it but that she had a photograph of it on her cellphone. Cruz showed the trooper the photo of her license and the trooper told Cruz to remain in her vehicle while he conducted further investigation. A records check revealed that Cruz’s license was suspended as of June 17, 2025. Because Cruz’s license was suspended, the trooper requested a tow truck to impound Cruz’s vehicle, as she was not legally authorized to operate it.
While the trooper was waiting for the tow truck, Cruz drove away. Multiple troopers immediately activated their emergency lights and sirens and maneuvered their patrol vehicles to box in Cruz’s vehicle. After the vehicle was stopped, the trooper advised Cruz that the traffic stop had not been concluded and that her vehicle was going to be towed because her license was suspended. The trooper told Cruz to exit the vehicle and surrender the keys so that the vehicle could be released to the towing company.
Cruz exited the vehicle but immediately became verbally hostile and repeatedly refused to surrender the keys despite multiple directives to do so. In response to the trooper’s directives, Cruz said that she was “ready to go” and, when asked, stated that she meant that she was ready to fight. When a trooper attempted to retrieve the keys from Cruz, Cruz struck the trooper in the face with a closed fist. Multiple officers then converged on Cruz to arrest her for the assault. Cruz resisted arrest, including by attempting to strike and kick the officers. As Cruz continued to struggle, officers carried her to an FHP patrol vehicle. While doing so, she attempted to kick the trooper whom she had punched.
As officers were attempting to place Cruz inside the vehicle, she kicked at an ICE officer, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent, and the trooper who had conducted the traffic stop. She struck the CBP agent and the ICE officer, whose left hand was injured. During the attempt to place Cruz in the patrol vehicle, the trooper deployed his taser, which did not subdue her. Officers eventually secured Cruz in the patrol vehicle, but she continued kicking at the vehicle’s windows, roof, and in-car camera.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Imperial Resident Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Possession of MachinegunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Imperial, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three years of incarceration, to be followed by two years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Ja’Shon Spencer, 22, on June 17, 2026.
According to information presented to the Court, on June 16, 2025, Spencer possessed a Glock semiautomatic pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), or “Glock switch,” during a drug transaction with undercover members of law enforcement. A MCD is a device that converts a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. Under federal law, both the MCD as well as the firearm with which the MCD is equipped are considered to be machineguns and are illegal.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Spencer.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Illegal alien sentenced after tossing kilos of meth out car window during pursuitRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old repeat felon from Mexico who unlawfully resided in Rio Grande City has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute three kilograms of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Victor Manuel Gaytan pleaded guilty April 2.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Gaytan to serve 235 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Gaytan is already a three-time felon with prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance and alien smuggling and has served sentences in both state and federal prison. In handing down the sentence, Judge Rodriguez noted the significant amount of narcotics involved in the crime and Gaytan’s dangerousness to the community.
On Nov. 4, 2025, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Impala that Gaytan was driving. He slowed down, appearing to pull over, but then immediately accelerated which resulted in a vehicle pursuit.
Authorities observed a bag thrown from the passenger window and continued the pursuit until Gaytan eventually stopped and surrendered.
The bag was found to contain three kilograms of meth.
At the plea, Gaytan later admitted possession of the bag of meth and that he tried to get rid of it before being apprehended.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Palmview Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien returns to federal prison for unlawful reentry into US and violating supervised releaseRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for violating the terms of his supervised released after his removal from the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Marco Antonio Zuniga pleaded guilty March 26, 2026.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Zuniga to serve 27 months in federal prison for the illegal reentry. He also received an additional eight months for violating his term of supervised release following a conviction for meth trafficking. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
Zuniga was convicted of the drug offense, placed on supervised release following his release and removed from the United States. However, authorities encountered him again Aug. 18, 2025, in Houston with no authorization to be in the country.
According to the terms of his supervised release, he was not to commit any new offenses. He did so, however, by illegally reentering the United States.
Zuniga has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Alien from England Pleads Guilty to Entering the US Without Inspection and Lying to Federal InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A citizen of the United Kingdom pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to entering the United States without inspection and lying to federal investigators.
According to court records, Mohammed Sultan Saleh, 21, and three other men walked through the heavily wooded border between Quebec and Somerset County during the pre-dawn hours of April 3, 2026. Their point of entry was within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry that was manned by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (“OFO”). Upon exiting the woods, Saleh and his companions began walking down the Golden Road heading east.
Passersby in the area reported to an OFO agent seeing the four men walking east on the Golden Road. The OFO agent reported the sighting to the U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) station in Jackman. A USBP agent and an OFO agent responded to the area of the sighting, located the four men and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, Saleh and his three companions stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. The four were subsequently transported back to the Jackman Border Patrol station.
During subsequent questioning by FBI and USBP agents, Saleh maintained that he had not intentionally entered the United States. He falsely claimed that he and his friends were on a hike in Canada and had accidentally crossed into the U.S.
On the false statement charge, Saleh faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On the illegal entry charge, he faces up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Saleh will be sentenced following the preparation of a presentence investigation report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
USBP, OFO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Illegal Alien with Prior Felony Drug 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 Jennifer A. Dorsey to 24 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 March 12, 2025, Ruben Antonio Vizcarra-Lopez was found in the United States after he was previously deported to Mexico on September 8, 2020.
On March 12, 2025, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Vizcarra-Lopez for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession to Sell Controlled Substance, Obtain/Use Identification of another to Avoid/Delay Prosecution, and Assault with Deadly Weapon. Vizcarra-Lopez was previously convicted in 2019 for felony Trafficking in Controlled Substance, and in 2025 for felony Mid-Level Possession of Controlled Substance, both out of the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada.
Vizcarra-Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving his prison sentence, he will be deported to Mexico a second 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 Federal Prison After Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from Jamaica who was found unlawfully in the United States after having been previously removed following felony convictions in federal court was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Steven Jarret, also known as Steven Jones, age 55, from Montego Bay, Jamaica, received the prison term after a February 17, 2026, guilty plea to one count of being found after illegal reentry.
Information at sentencing showed that Jarret had been deported or removed from the United States in 1995, 2008, and 2013. His removal in 2008 came following convictions in 2003 for entering the United States on a false passport and drug trafficking in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. He was sentenced to five years in prison and then removed from the country after completing his prison term in 2008. His removal in 2013 came after he had returned to the United States and was convicted of money laundering in 2012 in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.
In December 2025, law enforcement officers in the Northern District of Iowa stopped Jarret as he was driving a commercial vehicle. He was arrested for a traffic violation. Immigrations officials found Jarret as he was being processed at the Howard County, Iowa, jail and arrested him.
At sentencing, the judge said that Jarret was a “dangerous drug dealer” when he was convicted in 2003 for trafficking more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana, and possessing a loaded gun, and in 2012 when he was convicted of laundering more than $140,000 in drug proceeds. The judge said the United States has an interest in keeping dangerous drug dealers out of the country.
Jarret was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Jarret was sentenced to 37 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.
Jarret 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 Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-2074.
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Illegal Alien Convicted for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Possessing Guns as Part of Drug Trafficking EnterpriseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, unlawfully residing in Lowell, Mass., was convicted by a federal jury in Boston on June 12, 2026 of conspiring to distribute narcotics, possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Juan Riquerbin Garcia Rivera, 44, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine; possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10, 2026. In June 2024, Garica was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-conspirator and nephew Christian Raphael Paredes, who previously pleaded guilty.
Garcia conspired with Paredes to distribute $5,000 worth of fentanyl to an undercover officer over three separate occasions. During a search of his home, over 19,000 fentanyl pills, two kilos of methamphetamine, cocaine and acetyl fentanyl were recovered. Located next to the drugs was pressing and mixing equipment. Evidence at trial showed that Garcia would have the drugs shipped to him in girls backpacks as a way to hide the drugs from detection.
Also recovered during the search were four handguns, two of which were loaded, and hundreds of bullets matching those guns. Three of the guns were found next to the drugs and pressing equipment, and the fourth gun was loaded in a dresser drawer under thousands of dollars in cash. Investigators also seized over $30,000 in cash from Garcia’s bedroom. Evidence at trial showed Garcia threatening to use those guns on a drug dealer over a dispute about drug quality.
Garcia, who was previously deported in 2007, was communicating with a Mexican drug supplier to obtain narcotics. On Garcia’s phone were dozens of pictures of drugs, a video of a drug delivery, and pictures of Garcia packaging and pressing the drugs.
In May 2026, Paredes pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sep. 8, 2026.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and cocaine provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and cocaine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, to be served consecutively to the other crimes, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John O. Wray, Charles Dell’Anno and Lauren Graber of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit and Annapurna Balakrishna of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.
Huntersville Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Transporting Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Huntersville man was sentenced seven years in prison yesterday for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jonathan Robert Davlin, 49, was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
According to court records, in 2022, law enforcement received information that an individual later identified as Davlin was uploading CSAM on a cloud-based server. During the investigation, law enforcement seized cell phones and other electronics that belonged to Davlin. A forensic analysis of those items revealed that Davlin possessed 797 videos and 861 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including significant quantities of videos depicting bestiality involving minors and infant/toddlers.
Davlin pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography on January 6, 2026. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the FBI and the Huntersville Police Department for the investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Cervantes with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Honduran National Charged with Illegal Drone Operation in Protected Airspace Before FIFA World Cup MatchRead the Press Release
A Honduran national was charged on June 15, 2026, by criminal complaint with piloting an unregistered drone in violation of federal law, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, 33, was charged via criminal complaint with Owning an Unregistered Aircraft that was Operated, Attempted to be Operated, or Allowed to be Operated by Another Person in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46306(b)(5)(A).He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton, who ordered that Flores Ordonez be detained pending further proceedings.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you operate a drone over restricted airspace - including over Dallas Stadium or Fan Fest - you can expect a federal indictment to come your way like this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The World Cup has been a blessing for North Texas and it’s imperative that we remain vigilant in protecting the fans and our great citizens of North Texas from potentially dangerous drones.”
“It is the drone operator’s responsibility to understand where Temporary Flight Restrictions exist,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Before you fly a drone, I strongly encourage you to check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider.”
According to the complaint, Flores Ordonez allegedly flew his unregistered drone, a DJI Mini 3 PRO, in the flight-restricted airspace around Dallas Stadium (also known as AT&T Stadium) while a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was in effect. To legally operate his drone within the flight-restricted airspace, Flores Ordonez must have had his drone registered with the Federal Aviation Administration and have been a Part 107-licensed pilot with a current certificate or have a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization, among other requirements. Interception of Flores Ordonez’s drone operation was part of the FBI’s drone counter-surveillance efforts for the FIFA World Cup match at Dallas Stadium that same afternoon.
So far, during the two FIFA World Cup games held in Arlington, over 20 drones have been seized. The Federal Bureau of Investigation would like to once again state that there is a “no-fly zone” around the Dallas Stadium for three hours prior to each match and three hours after each match. It is a federal crime to fly a drone into a “no-fly zone.”
If convicted of this offense, Flores Ordonez faces up to three years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Division, Federal Air Marshal, Customs and Border Patrol, Arlington Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Honduran Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ERIK ROBERTO MACHADO-MENCIA, a/k/a “Roberto Machado-Mencia,” (“MACHADO-MENCIA”), age 37, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on June 11, 2026, to re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Sentencing is set for July 30, 2026.
According to the charging document, MACHADO-MENCIA was found in the United States on May 15, 2025, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States after being previously deported on December 16, 2019.
On May 15, 2025, a federal Border Patrol Agent was working on a highway interdiction on Interstate 12 near Lacombe, Louisiana. At approximately 6:45 a.m., a silver Toyota sedan passed their location eastbound on I-12. I-12 is a common route used by human/drug smugglers traveling from Texas to farther east in the United States. When the sedan passed that location, the agents noticed it had a Texas temporary paper license plate. From previous experience, smugglers will use a temporary paper license plate in order to appear legitimate. The agents decided to catch up with the vehicle to get more information. Once the agents caught up to the vehicle, they ran a computerized records/stolen vehicle check on the Texas license plate that revealed it to be a fictitious plate. Based on the direction of the vehicle, that it was traveling through a common smuggling route, and that it had a fake license plate, as a consequence, the agents stopped the vehicle and conducted an immigration inspection on its occupants. The agent went to the sedan and asked the front passenger and the rear passenger for their names and date of birth. The rear passenger told the agent that his name was “Roberto Machado-Mencia” and his date of birth. Records checks with that information found an ERIK ROBERTO MACHADO-MENCIA with the same date of birth. Records showed MACHADO-MENCIA is a citizen of Honduras who had been previously removed from the United States.
MACHADO-MENCIA faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 for re-entry of a removed alien.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. David I. Courcelle praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Indictment Against Digital-Age Drug DealerRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Aleksei L. Sharp of Arvada, 35, was indicted on charges related to trafficking in cocaine, ketamine, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (commonly referred to as “MDMA” or “ecstasy”) and subsequent efforts to launder the resulting proceeds via cryptocurrency transactions.
The indictment, unsealed upon the defendant’s initial appearance in Court on June 17, 2026, alleges that the defendant used encrypted communications to directly sell illegal drugs to buyers, which he would then distribute through the United States Postal Service. To conceal various aspects of the proceeds the defendant allegedly set up virtual currency wallets, instructed buyers to transfer virtual currencies into those wallets, and then engaged in transactions on cryptocurrency exchanges to hide the money trail and convert the virtual currency into cash.
This operation 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. The Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshals Service (USMS), Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Scott is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 26-cr-00120-GPG
Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Investigation Results in Federal Charges Against 3 Men for Distribution of Cocaine in Yuba CountyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Julian Ayala, 26, of Oroville; Javier Alvarez, 52, of Olivehurst; and Henry Gomez, 49, of Yuba City, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on June 26, 2025, Ayala sold a confidential source 3 ounces of cocaine and agreed to sell an additional 3 ounces. Ayala contacted Alvarez for the supply and Alvarez instructed Gomez to deliver the cocaine. Ayala then sold the additional 3 ounces to the confidential source. The parties repeated this exact pattern during a second controlled purchase on Aug. 13, 2025. On Sept. 17, 2025, Alvarez again supplied Ayala with cocaine, which Ayala sold to the confidential source. Over the three controlled purchases, Ayala sold the confidential source more than 18 ounces of cocaine, all of which had been supplied by Alvarez.
On March 19, 2026, Ayala arranged another cocaine sale to the confidential source. Before the transaction, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Ayala’s vehicle. A K-9 search revealed more than 300 grams of cocaine inside.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin L. Lee and Nicole M. Vanek are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine for the conspiracy charge. For the other counts, the defendants face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. 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 Sacramento is composed of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Hazelwood Resident Sentenced to Four Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay $550,000 in Restitution for Role in Rental Car Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on June 17, 2026, to 48 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $550,000 in restitution on his conviction of violating federal identity theft laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Theodore Brown, 32, of the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around October 2022 to in and around February 2023, Brown and other conspirators used personal identification information and credit card numbers of individuals that the conspirators had purchased through the dark web to rent vehicles from a rental car company. An employee of the rental car company was also part of the conspiracy. The conspirators then rented the vehicles to others in the community, many of whom were involved in drug trafficking and other illegal conduct. The total loss to the rental car company was more than $800,000.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Secret Service and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Brown.
Harlem man sentenced to 3 years in prison for drunk driving deathRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Harlem man who rolled his car and killed a passenger while drunkenly fleeing from police was sentenced today to 34 months and 15 days in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Dezmond Joseph Dillon, 20, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of involuntary manslaughter.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that while driving drunk, Dillon led police on a chase that ended when he rolled his car, killing one of his passengers.
The incident began when Fort Belknap Tribal Police were notified on July 11, 2024, that a car was seen driving recklessly at over 100 mph in Harlem. Dillon was later identified as the driver. When officers responded to the call, Dillon took off, refusing to yield as police pursued him across town. Dillon pulled down a dirt road, struck a pole and then turned the car around. He returned back down the dirt road, lost control of the car, and rolled down an embankment.
When law enforcement arrived, they found Dillon and two of his passengers severely injured from the wreck. A third passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. One of the passengers was later interviewed about the wreck and she told investigators that Dillon was already drunk when he picked her up. When the police tried to pull the vehicle over, she remembered begging Dillon to stop and let her out. After the wreck, when the car had come to a stop, she was lying underneath the passenger who had been killed.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Tribal Police conducted the investigation.
Great Falls pair sentenced to prison for stealing neighbor’s checksRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man and woman who stole checks from their next-door neighbor and cashed them to themselves were sentenced to prison time today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Andrew Dwayne Johnson, 49, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for one count of wire fraud, and to two years for one count of aggravated identity theft with three years of supervised release.
Carrie Jeanine Johnson, 46, was sentenced to a year and three months in prison for one count of wire fraud, and to two years for one count of aggravated identity theft with three years of supervised release.
The two were also ordered to pay $17,636.40 in restitution. Their two prison sentences will run consecutively. The two pleaded guilty in January 2026 to the charges.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that siblings Andrew Johnson and Carrie Johnson stole checks from their neighbor, forged the neighbor’s signature, and cashed the checks for themselves.
Law enforcement in Great Falls had launched an investigation into reports of false checks being used from a Wells Fargo account and were eventually able to link them to Carrie Johnson. When law enforcement asked the account owner if she knew Carrie Johnson, the woman responded that she did – Johnson was her next-door neighbor.
On Aug. 31, 2023, the neighbor had been taken by ambulance from her house after a medical emergency and had not returned. She told investigators she had left her checkbook on the couch. When officers went to her residence, the checkbook was gone and the house was unlocked. Carrie Johnson later admitted to taking and using the neighbor’s checks without her permission. Similarly, Andrew Johnson cashed one of the neighbor’s checks to himself for $1,400. A search warrant served on Andrew Johnson’s room turned up evidence of the stolen checks.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
Galloping Goose Members Plead Guilty to Charges Related to July 2021 Lake of the Ozarks ShootingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Three members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club plead guilty in federal court to charges relating to the July 15, 2021 shooting at Lake of the Ozarks resulting in the death of one individual.
On May 13, 2026, Tonka Way Con Ponder, 55, pleaded guilty to two counts of a crime of violence in aid of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence in aid of racketeering, one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm.
On May 5, 2026, Keith Nolen, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of a crime of violence in aid of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence in aid of racketeering, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
On June 17, 2026, Tretch Lawrence, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of a crime of violence in aid of racketeering and one count of attempted extortion.
By pleading guilty, Ponder, Nolen and Lawrence admitted they were members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club and that the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club engaged in racketeering activities to include attempted robbery and extortion. The focus of the robbery and extortion were the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association. They also admitted to aiding and abetting an assault on members of the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Club in December 2021 at the Chuckwagon Café in Camdenton, Missouri. They admitted the assault included one individual being assaulted with a pistol.
Ponder and Nolen also admitted that on July 15, 2021, they conspired with other members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club to cause serious bodily injury to members of the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Club and the Mongols Motorcycle Club. This occurred at Casablanca Pub & Grille. Ponder admitted that during the incident at Casablanca, he caused serious bodily injury to another by shooting at another person.
Ponder also admitted to entering into a conspiracy with others to distribute methamphetamine during the fall of 2022. He also admitted to selling methamphetamine during the summer of 2023. Finally, Ponder admitted to possessing a silencer in June of 2024, which was found during a search of his residence by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Nolen admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The firearm was found on Nolen during an August 2023 traffic stop by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Lawrence also admitted to demanding money from the Iron Celtics Motorcycle Association. After the demand was refused, members of the Galloping Goose Motorcycle Club went to the residence of two Iron Celtics members and confronted them. Iron Celtics were told they could not operate and if they continued to operate, individual members would face repercussions.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron M. Maness, David Wagner, and Bradley Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Lake Ozark Police Department.
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.
Gainesville Man Indicted for Attempted Mass Shooting Targeting Jewish VictimsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has returned an indictment charging a Gainesville man with federal hate crime and firearm offenses for allegedly attempting a mass shooting targeting Jewish victims because of their race and religion.
According to court records, Forrest Kendall Pemberton, 27, of Gainesville, armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle equipped with a silencer and traveled to the office of a non-profit organization dedicated to lobbying the U.S. government in support of Israel. On December 23, 2024, he allegedly attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting the organization’s employees because they were Jewish.
Pemberton is charged with attempted hate crime, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a short-barreled rifle. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on the attempted hate crime count, a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the firearm count, and up to five years’ imprisonment on the possession count.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Jacksonville Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Jacksonville is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI Miami; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Miami Field Office; the Gainesville Police Department; and the Tallahassee Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie D. Waxman of the National Security Division for the Southern District of Florida and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Manpreet “Monica” Uppal-Gupta of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-60040.
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Former Voice of America Employee Sentenced for Making Threats Against Rep. Marjorie Taylor GreeneRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Seth Jason, 65, of Edgewater, Maryland, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 30 months in federal prison in connection with a 15-month campaign of intimidation in which he made anonymous death threats against former U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Seth Jason repeatedly threatened to assault and kill former Congresswoman Greene and he did so from inside Voice of America where he had a taxpayer-funded job. His menacing phone calls were part of an alarming increase in threats directed at Members of Congress and other government officials,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “No one should have to live their life in fear wondering if threats are about to be fulfilled. Today’s sentence sends a clear message. My office will not take these threats lightly.”
Jason pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2025, to one count of Interstate Communications with a Threat to Kidnap or Injure, and to one count of anonymous telecommunications harassment. In addition to the 30-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordered Jason to serve two years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Jason made eight calls between Oct. 11, 2023, and Jan. 21, 2025, to the congressional offices of Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was at the time a member of the House of Representatives. Jason made explicit threats involving shooting and murdering Greene, her staff, and her family, including using AK-47s and stockpiled ammunition.
On Oct. 11, 2023, Jason placed a call using a phone line at VOA headquarters to the congresswoman’s Dalton, Georgia, District Office. Jason left a voice message that said: “My friends would like to go to a Greene rally because we have our AK-47s and we alls want to take them out on her because that’s what we need. One between the th- th- the eyes.”
On Oct. 13, 2023, he left a voicemail saying “This is Kevin and my friends and I have followed her great advice about stocking up and stockpiling ammo. We have done that. And our next step is to come after Greene and her offices and her staff and exercise our Second Amendment rights and take them all out.”
The threats escalated over time, culminating with two threats coinciding with the Presidential Inauguration. Specifically, on Jan. 8, 2025, just 12 days before the Inauguration, Jason left a voicemail with Greene’s office stating that the Representative would not “see the inaugural,” and that she, her staff, and her family would be dead.
Then, on Jan. 21, 2025, Jason left another threatening voicemail with her congressional office, stating she and her staffers “were as good as dead,” and to “make your last will ready, because we are coming after you, and the only thing you’re going to hear is bang…I’m yearning to hear you cry for your last breath.”
The investigation revealed that Jason, then a Voice of America employee, placed each of the eight calls from inside of the VOA headquarters in the District.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in making the announcement was Chief Michael Sullivan of the United States Capitol Police.
This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and the Department of State Office of Inspector General. The matter was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the United States Capitol Police, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.
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Former Oak Ridge National Laboratory Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Acting as A Foreign Agent and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 17, 2026, Portia Anyamba, 59, currently of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of a plea agreement entered with the Court, Anyamba pleaded guilty to one count of acting as an agent of the Republic of South Africa in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 951, and one count of making false statements in her security clearance application in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 1001.
An investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Nashville Field Office and the United States Department of Energy Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence revealed that Anyamba, a former Brigadier General in the South African Air Force, was acting in the United States under the direction and control of the Republic of South Africa and provided materially false statements in connection with her efforts to obtain a security clearance. Anyamba was sentenced to serve six months’ imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release. As a component of her sentence, she was also ordered to pay a $9,500 fine.
According to plea documents filed with the Court, in 2023 and 2024, Anyamba worked as a Program Management Operational Specialist in the National Security Program Office at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (“ORNL”). ORNL is a unique facility located in the Eastern District of Tennessee that was established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project and is currently a United States Department of Energy facility dedicated to energy, innovation, and national security, among other things.
During the course of the investigation, FBI agents learned that Anyamba regularly communicated with an intelligence officer – identified in Court documents as “IO-1” – working for the Republic of South Africa’s State Security Agency (“SSA”), i.e., the South African Government’s civilian intelligence agency. IO-1 was known to the FBI as the SSA’s then-Deputy Chief of Station and former Acting Chief of Station at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C.
In February 2024, IO-1 communicated with Anyamba and arranged a meeting to occur in Knoxville, Tennessee. FBI agents surveilled the planned encounter and watched as Anyamba met with IO-1 and another individual known by the FBI to be affiliated with the Republic of South Africa. Although the group originally met at a restaurant in a Knoxville commercial district, they soon drove to a nearby hotel. After the meeting, Anyamba left the hotel and returned to her residence, where FBI agents watched her retrieve an item from her car and take it into her house.
Thereafter, Anyamba and IO-1 planned another encounter in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to the meeting, IO-1 instructed her: “Please remember to also bring the laptop with!” On November 7, 2024, in Knoxville’s Turkey Creek shoppoing district, FBI personnel intercepted Anyamba immediately prior to her planned meeting with IO-1 and retrieved a laptop computer from her custody.
While under the control of foreign agents, Anyamba was in the midst of her application process for a United States Government security clearance, which, if granted, would have provided her access to certain classified information. As part of that application process, she certified and submitted a form attesting to certain information. The form, known as an “SF-86” form, advises applicants that the provision of false information may result in criminal penalties.
Among other things, Anyamba certified that she had no continuing contact with a foreign national and that she had not had contact with representatives of a foreign government in the past seven years. Court documents state that, knowing her answers to be both material and false, Anyamba answered “no” to both questions. She also contacted individuals she listed as references and told them: “I have just gotten information that they have started with the interviews. They are sensitive about foreign connections. So please don’t mention anything about the embassy.”
“Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a uniquely important Department of Energy facility,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our Office and our law enforcement partners will remain diligent in ensuring that its employees – and all government personnel entrusted with access to sensitive information – are trustworthy, candid, and pose no risk to national security. We are committed to protecting the Laboratory and supporting the important work it does for our nation.”
“Anyamba knowingly acted as an agent of a foreign country which placed national security at risk,” said Terence G. Reilly, Special Agent in Charge, Nashville Field Office. “All across the country, each and every day, the FBI and our strategic partners will continue to work together to review intelligence and investigate threats to our national security in order to protect our citizens from foreign and domestic attacks.”
“This successful joint investigation highlights the benefits of the strong relationship between DOE Counterintelligence and the FBI Agent in the Lab program,” said Joshua D. Martineau, Deputy Director Counterintelligence, Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle J. Wilson and Casey T. Arrowood of the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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Former Bellevue social worker sentenced to prison for stealing benefits from a vulnerable victimRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 48-year-old former Bellevue, Washington woman was ordered into custody yesterday to serve five months in prison for stealing the Social Security benefits intended for a disabled minor – a member of the Snoqualmie Tribe, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Akeatha Diane Akintola pleaded guilty yesterday to theft of public funds for the $17,638 she stole from the tribal member. At the sentencing hearing, Magistrate Judge S. Kate Vaughan said she was struck by the fact that Akintola “targeted a vulnerable victim” – there is “no one more vulnerable” than the victim in this case. The crime was an “ethical breach beyond imagining,” Judge Vaughan said.
According to records filed in the case, Akintola became a social worker for the Snoqualmie Tribe in January 2023. In September 2023, Akintola applied by telephone to be the Social Security Representative Payee for a minor child with intellectual disabilities who was a ward of the Tribe. The child’s mother had died leaving survivor benefits to the child. The Tribe prohibits its social workers from becoming a representative payee for any child under its care. Nevertheless, Akintola used the child’s Social Security number and her own to apply to be the minor child’s representative payee and, once appointed as such, had the benefits intended for the child deposited into a bank account she controlled. Akintola spent the money that was deposited in the account for her own benefit, including a purchase at a North Bend retailer.
In July 2024, after Akintola had been collecting the benefits for at least five months, she went with her supervisor to the Social Security Administration to determine what had happened to the victim’s funds. When Social Security reported that Akintola was the representative payee, Akintola denied it to her supervisor. She resigned from her position with the Snoqualmie Tribe the next day.
Speaking to the impact of the theft, a Tribal representative told the court, “In our profession, a social worker is meant to be a safekeeper. A protector for children who have been stripped of their safety, family, and stability. Ms. Akintola did not just fail in that duty; she weaponized her position of power to systematically steal from a grieving, autistic child … her future independence…. This money was not a luxury. It was a lifeline…. The defendant did not just steal money; she manufactured a false relationship of safety with a traumatized child, exploiting that unearned trust for financial gain.”
The plea and sentencing hearing was originally scheduled for May 22, 2026, but Akintola failed to appear. Prosecutors learned she had left the U.S. on May 20, 2026, and traveled to Togo in West Africa using a passport issued in a different last name.
Akintola appeared for the plea and sentencing hearing yesterday, and Judge Vaughan ultimately ordered her into custody to begin serving the sentence immediately.
Akintola must pay $17,638 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. She is precluded from becoming a Social Security Representative Payee for anyone in the future.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and the Snoqualmie Tribal Police.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M Ly. Ms. Ly is an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute Social Security fraud in federal court.
Former Admissions Director for Emmanuel College Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Soliciting a College Applicant to Engage in Commercial Sex and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Assistant Admissions Director for Emmanuel College in Boston was sentenced for soliciting an underage college applicant to engage in commercial sex with him as well as cyberstalking an 18 year old.
Jacob Tyler Henriques, 27, of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In November 2025, Henriques pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and one count of cyberstalking. Henriques was arrested and charged in May 2025.
“When applying to colleges, the last thing on an applicant’s mind should be their safety. As the Assistant Admissions Director, Henriques’s focus should have been on the well-being of the applicants, not his own sick perversions,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The United States Attorney’s Office is dedicated to protecting the community from predators like Henriques, and we will continue to hold them accountable for their actions.”
“A college admissions director soliciting underage college applicants to engage in commercial sex with him is the stuff of parents’ nightmares — and an instant priority for the FBI,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Boston Division. “Jacob Tyler Henriques is a clear danger and has earned every minute behind bars to which he’s been sentenced. Our Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force works around the clock to identify, investigate, and lock up predators like him— and, sadly, there are many. We’d urge adults to remind the kids in their lives that not everyone is who they say they are online.”
Henriques victimized a staggering number of girls and young women online between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. At the same time, Henriques used his position as an Assistant Admissions Director to gain access to the personal information of various admitted or prospective students who he later contacted to solicit to engage in commercial sex with him. Specifically, Henriques met with multiple admitted or prospective students. After meeting or speaking with at least eight such students, Henriques used his access to their personal information and began contacting them, offering to “pay them for some fun,” offering to provide them with pornography, and, in some instances, sending them pornographic videos or images. Henriques began contacting one such victim after she formally committed to attend the college on April 25, 2025.
Henriques also attempted to traffic a 17-year-old prospective student after meeting her and reviewing her tour registration form which contained her date of birth. Henriques asked the victim what grade she was in and the victim told Henriques what local high school she attended. Within hours of finishing the tour, Henriques began texting the victim on her phone number provided on her admissions form. Henriques offered to pay the victim $400 for “some fun” and told her that he had pornographic videos and pictures for her. Henriques continued to contact the minor victim that night, refusing to tell her who he was or how he got her number. He told the victim that “porn” and “$” was ready for her. Henriques then sent the minor victim five pornographic videos depicting men and women engaged in sex acts and asked whether she wanted to participate in a “gangbang” and to have sex with him. Despite the victim rejecting Henriques’s offer multiple times, Henrique continued to text the victim telling her to let him know if she changed her mind and that he would buy her anything she wanted. Between April 25, 2025, and April 28, 2025, Henriques accessed the minor’s profile multiple times after business hours and from his personal cell phone. After the victim blocked his phone number, Henriques began soliciting the victim via email.
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Emmanuel College Campus Police and the Boston, Ware, Lunenburg, Agawam, Springfield, Ludlow and Easthampton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit prosecuted the case.
If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
Florida Man Sentenced to 36 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Justyn Arch, 40 years old, of Florida, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Arch was sentenced to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $520,897 in restitution.
“The Defendant bilked Indiana Medicaid out of money set aside to help members of our community with their medical bills and the Internal Revenue Service of over half a million dollars combined. As the vice president of a dental practice that had locations in Chesterton, Indiana, and Crown Point, Indiana, he violated that position of importance and trust over a period of over two and a half years by submitting claims to Indiana Medicaid by falsely billing for hundreds of dental surgeries that were never actually performed. To carry out this scheme, the Defendant used, without authorization, the personal identifiers of patients to support payment for the fraudulent claims. To conceal the illegal income from this scheme, he also committed tax evasion. Thanks to the combined efforts and partnership of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Northern Indiana Region 10 Office of the U.S. Trustee, the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office led by Gary S. Germann, and AUSA Philip C. Benson and AUSA Kevin F. Wolff, this fraudster has been sent to prison and ordered to pay back his ill-gotten gains,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indiana Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Porter County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Northern Indiana Region 10 Office of the U.S. Trustee. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip C. Benson and Kevin F. Wolff.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Florida Man Indicted for Attempted Mass Shooting Targeting Jewish VictimsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida has returned an indictment charging a Florida man with federal hate crime and firearm offenses for allegedly attempting a mass shooting targeting Jewish victims because of their race and religion.
According to court records, Forrest Kendall Pemberton, 27, of Gainesville, armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle equipped with a silencer and traveled to the office of a non-profit organization dedicated to lobbying the U.S. government in support of Israel. On Dec. 23, 2024, he allegedly attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting the organization’s employees because they were Jewish.
Pemberton is charged with attempted hate crime, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a short-barreled rifle. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison on the attempted hate crime count, a mandatory consecutive sentence of up to 30 years in prison on the firearm count, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the possession count.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Jacksonville is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI Miami; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Miami Field Office; the Gainesville Police Department; and the Tallahassee Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Abbie D. Waxman of the National Security Division for the Southern District of Florida and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Manpreet “Monica” Uppal-Gupta of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fentanyl Trafficker Who Hid Drugs in Home Where His Children Slept Is Sentenced to 66 Months After Undercover StingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Fredrick Crawford, 33, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 66 months in connection with trafficking nearly 10 ounces of fentanyl to an undercover officer in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Crawford sold fentanyl, one of the deadliest substances on earth. He did it a half-dozen times with an undercover officer and was negotiating a seventh deal for half a kilo more. All the while, he was stashing his poison in the same home where his young children slept,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Fentanyl kills. Dealers who flood our streets with it will face the full force of federal prosecution.”
Crawford, aka “Playboy,” pleaded guilty on Feb. 20, 2026, before Judge Amit P. Mehta to one count of unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 66-month prison sentence, Judge Mehta ordered Crawford to serve 48 months of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 78-month prison term.
According to court documents, beginning in April 2025, Crawford conducted sales of fentanyl inside a vehicle parked at a lot on the 2400 block of Market Street NE. Four of Crawford’s six transactions involved 40 grams or more of the narcotic. Between April and August 2025, Crawford sold a combined total of about 278 grams, worth about $15,000.
In September 2025, Crawford began negotiations with the undercover officer for a seventh transaction for a much larger quantity: a half kilogram of fentanyl for $17,500.
On Oct. 1, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Crawford's Upper Marlboro residence, which he had used as a stash location. Officers recovered more than $10,000 in cash, a large quantity of ammunition of various calibers, a drum magazine containing 40 rounds, and five types of drugs in distribution quantities that included fentanyl, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, and the narcotic cough syrup, Promethazine.
A substance that field-tested positive for fentanyl and cocaine was found in a dresser alongside drug packaging materials, a digital scale, a cutting agent used to prepare drugs for distribution, and additional Promethazine. About 21 grams of crack cocaine in loose rock form was recovered from a basement toilet, consistent with an attempt to destroy evidence. Crawford's two young children, both under 10, were in the basement at the time.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Paisner, with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Anthony Scarpelli.
Crawford as he made his sixth sale of fentanyl to an undercover officer on Aug.15, 2025.
Evidence photos of the six quantities of fentanyl purchased from Crawford during the controlled buys.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced to an Additional 10 Months in Prison for Indecent ExposureRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Raphel Samone Crosby, 34, an inmate in the United States Bureau of Prisons, was sentenced on June 9, 2026, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric J. Markovich to 10 months in prison for exposing himself to correctional officers. Crosby’s sentence will run consecutive to his current jail term, which was previously set to end in October 2029, and will now end in August 2030. Crosby previously pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent exposure.
The investigation showed that on multiple occasions Crosby exposed his genitalia to correctional officers employed at the Federal Correctional Complex – Tucson.
The United States Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-MJ-2855
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-097_Crosby# # #
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.Farmington Trio Charged with Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Three people in Farmington are accused of participating in a drug trafficking organization after investigators seized cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms, ammunition and thousands of dollars in suspected drug proceeds.
According to court records, on June 9, 2026, federal agents and members of the Region II Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at a Farmington residence occupied by Alex Scott Rowland, 18, Marco Antonio Villegas Avilez, 46, and Karyle Leanne Rowland, 65. During the search, agents recovered multiple firearms, including AK and AR style rifles, a short barreled rifle, handguns, a machine gun conversion device, approximately 430 grams of cocaine, suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, mushrooms, ammunition, and approximately $14,700 in cash.
A table displaying several boxed firearms, stacks of cash, and small clear evidence bags. A table displaying several boxed firearms, stacks of cash, and small clear evidence bags.Alex Rowland, Villegas Avilez and Karyle Rowland are charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, the defendants face five to 20 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Region II Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought forth through FBI’s Operation Steadfast Promise which is a comprehensive surge of resources to address a wide range of violent crime threats including gangs and criminal enterprises, violent crimes against children, and fugitive apprehension cases while working to improve public safety in Tribal communities.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearm as Domestic AbuserRead the Press Release
A man who unlawfully possessed a loaded and stolen gun in a car with a child pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Hombra Montrell Williams, age 30, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence.
Evidence at a prior hearing demonstrated that on April 14, 2025, officers stopped a car in Dubuque. Williams was in the front passenger seat, and a child was in the back seat. Officers searched the car and found a stolen and loaded gun on the floorboard near where Williams had been sitting. Williams’s DNA and fingerprint were on the gun. Williams has a 2021 conviction for domestic abuse assault causing injury. Officers searched Williams’s Snapchat account and found recent videos that Williams had posted of drugs, of Williams holding multiple guns, and of Williams firing a gun into the air.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Williams remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Williams faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dubuque Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 26-CR-1007. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Dow City Man Sentenced to Thirty-Five Years in Federal Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Bryce White, 42, from Dow City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, on June 18, 2026, to 35 years’ imprisonment. White pled guilty January 21, 2026, to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of receipt of child pornography.
Between August 2023 and August 2024, White coerced dozens of minor females into sending him depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. White used Snapchat to pose as a minor and solicited and received nude images and videos of minor females from across the United States and overseas. In September 2023 a Midland, Michigan, law enforcement agency began investigating White based on a complaint from a minor female’s parents. The parents discovered inappropriate messages on Snapchat between their daughter and White. Law enforcement traced the Snapchat account back to White in Dow City. Agents in Iowa obtained and executed search warrants for White’s electronics. Forensic examination revealed White had sent over 95,000 messages to over 1,400 unique users in over a dozen states. Evidence showed White received 14 videos, 180 images of child sexual abuse material, and over 20,000 images of child erotica. White had also communicated with at least one of the minors that “when she was legal” he would “come get her.” The images and videos involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children and toddlers.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced White to 420 months’ imprisonment along with a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. White remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Midland County Michigan Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4079. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
District of Arizona Charged 323 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct Last WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from June 6 through June 12, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 323 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 151 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 144 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 23 cases against 28 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Carlos Lorenzo-Oliveras. Carlos Lorenzo-Oliveras was charged by criminal complaint on June 9, 2026, with Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit, Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person. On June 8, 2026, Lorenzo-Oliveras drove through the primary inspection lane at the Border Patrol Immigration Checkpoint on State Route 86. Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) ordered Lorenzo-Oliveras to stop several times, but he did not comply. BPAs tried to use a tire deflation device, but Lorenzo-Oliveras sped away from the checkpoint, leading BPAs on a vehicle pursuit with their lights and sirens activated. Lorenzo-Oliveras briefly stopped and four individuals got out of his car and ran into the desert. Several BPAs pursued the fleeing individuals on foot while other agents followed Lorenzo-Oliveras until he eventually came to a stop and was taken into custody. Agents also apprehended the four subjects that had fled on foot and determined that they were citizens of Mexico or Guatemala, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-09251]
United States v. Steven Garcia. On June 11, Steven Garcia was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation and Harboring of an Illegal Alien. On June 9, 2026, BPAs responded to a report from a concerned citizen about several individuals who had been lying in the back of a parked Jeep for over two hours at a nearby motel, with outside temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When agents arrived at the scene, the Jeep was unoccupied. BPAs observed that the back seats were missing, and that in their place were multiple sleeping bags and blankets. Through additional investigation, agents learned that the Jeep belonged to Steven Garcia, who was staying in the motel. Inside Garcia’s motel room, agents found 13 people. BPAs confirmed that all 13 were citizens from Mexico, Vietnam, or Nicaragua, unlawfully present in the United States. Agents also learned that Garcia transported the aliens to the motel room and that he did not offer them food or water. [Case Number: 26-MJ-01477]
United States v. Jose Carlos Rodelo-Arvizu. On June 5, 2026, Jose Carlos Rodelo-Arvizu was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On June 4, 2026, a Coolidge Police Officer conducted a traffic stop on Rodelo-Arvizu. After speaking with Rodelo-Arvizu and his passenger, the officer suspected Rodelo-Arvizu was engaged in human smuggling. Border Patrol agents later determined that the passenger was a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3181]
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-098_June 12, 2026 Immigration Enforcement
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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.Dedham Man Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Submitting Multiple Fraudulent Bank Loan ApplicationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dedham, Mass. man was sentenced on June 11, 2026 in federal court in Boston for bank fraud and money laundering.
Wyoming Killingbarrows, 31, who was born with the name Patricio Junio Brito Pontes Barros, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 10 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Killingbarrows was also ordered to pay $329,002 in restitution. In July 2025, Killingbarrows pleaded guilty to four counts of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. Killingbarrows was charged in April 2025.
Between June 2, 2021 and July 17, 2021, Killingbarrows submitted 18 fraudulent bank loan applications. In the various loan applications, Killingbarrows used his birth name of Patricio Barros, misrepresented his income and submitted fraudulent paystubs from a company in support of his applications. Based on these misrepresentations, various banks issued loans to Killingbarrows totaling $329,002. Killingbarrows failed to pay back any of the loans and used the money for various personal expenses, including investments.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Mason Brayman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is 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.