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18 June 2026
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.
Dayton man pleads guilty to dealing drugs while on federal supervised releaseRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Marcus Gullatte, Sr., 38, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. He faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
Gullatte was on supervised release when he engaged in drug transactions. He has two prior federal drug trafficking convictions for which he was sentenced to 36 months and 60 months in prison respectively.
According to court documents, throughout the summer of 2024, Gullatte acquired bulk amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine from a source of supply in the Dayton area and then resold the drugs for cash.
Gullatte was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024.
Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Deputy Criminal Chief Tabacchi is representing the United States in this case.
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D.C. Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm Near U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Timothy Clark, 31, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 14 months in prison in connection with the illegal possession of a loaded handgun found in his vehicle when police stopped him near the U.S. Capitol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Clark, aka “Dontae Clark,” pleaded guilty on March 12, 2026, before Judge Beryl A. Howell to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 14-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 14-month prison term.
According to court documents, on May 10, 2024, U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) stopped Clark on the 100 block of Constitution Avenue NW after noticing an expired Maryland temporary registration tag on the Nissan Pathfinder he was driving. Clark failed to provide a valid driver’s license or vehicle registration, and a subsequent records check revealed he had no valid driving privileges.
USCP officers arrested Clark and during a search of the Pathfinder, discovered a loaded .22 caliber handgun inside a backpack in the rear cargo area. They found Clark’s ID card nearby.
Clark had two prior felony convictions at the time of his arrest: a 2015 conviction for possession with intent to distribute PCP and a 2022 Maryland conviction for illegal possession of a firearm. He also had an outstanding arrest warrant arising from a probation violation related to the Maryland conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Field Division. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam P. Barry and Jared English. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice provided substantial assistance.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 30 Months for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Spriggs, 38, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in connection with his role in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana and for his unlawful possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Spriggs pleaded guilty on March 3, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the 30-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Spriggs to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 50-month prison term.
According to court documents, beginning in October 2023 and continuing through May 2024, Spriggs and his co-conspirators made multiple trips between the Baltimore-Washington area and Los Angeles to obtain marijuana for distribution. On one such trip in February 2024, law enforcement intercepted Spriggs and two co-conspirators at BWI Airport upon their return. Agents found 54.5 pounds of marijuana packed in vacuum-sealed bags in Spriggs’s two suitcases.
Spriggs and his co-conspirators stored and sold their marijuana from an apartment in the 1900 block of C Street SE, which they referred to among themselves as the “Spot.” Between April and October 2024, agents observed daily hand-to-hand drug transactions outside the building. Text messages recovered by law enforcement showed Spriggs coordinating drug sales and, in one exchange, telling associates that he made far more money as “Spot Manager” than he ever expected to earn from a conventional job.
On Oct. 30, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Spriggs’s residence in the 500 block of 49th Street SE. Inside the apartment, agents recovered an AK-style rifle, a Springfield XD pistol, and a Kahr .45-caliber pistol, along with accompanying magazines and ammunition. Spriggs admitted to possessing the firearms.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division Office.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Isabelle Sun.
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Concord Man Indicted for Child Exploitation and Distribution of Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Concord Man Indicted for Child Exploitation and
Distribution of Child Sex Abuse Materials
CONCORD – A Concord man was indicted yesterday for child exploitation and distribution of child sex abuse materials (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Casey Murphy, 33, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of child exploitation and one count of distribution of child sex abuse materials. Murphy is currently detained in state custody on separate CSAM possession charges and will make an initial appearance in federal court on a later date.
According to the charging documents and public record, in March 2025, Murphy had a minor child send him CSAM. Murphy also distributed CSAM to others, including minors. Law enforcement arrested Murphy last December and found a significant amount of CSAM on his electronic devices.
The charge of child exploitation carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum person term of 30 years. The charge of CSAM distribution carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum person term of 20 years. 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.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Concord Police Department are leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Co-Leader of Violent Spree Targeting Pharmacies and Phone Stores Sentenced to 224 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – D’Marrell Mitchell, 36, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 224 months in federal prison for his role in a violent multi-state robbery spree that targeted pharmacies and cell phone stores in the District, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“D'Marrell Mitchell and his crew turned pharmacies and cellphone stores into hunting grounds, terrorizing workers and customers all to feed a criminal enterprise that treated other people's safety as an acceptable cost of doing business,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He didn't just participate in these robberies. Mitchell planned them, recruited others to carry them out, and pocketed the proceeds. That is the definition of a dangerous predator, and today's sentence reflects it.”
Mitchell, aka “Baby,” was found guilty on Oct. 28, 2025, following a six-week jury trial of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and of nine counts of Hobbs Act Robbery. In addition to the 224-month prison term, Judge Amy B. Jackson ordered Mitchell to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 327-month prison term.
Surveillance image captured Nov. 6, 2020, during the robbery of a T-Mobile store on D Street, Southeast Washington D.C.
According to court papers, between May 2020 and May 2021, Mitchell and his co-conspirators committed at least 19 robberies, targeting pharmacies for opioids and cellphone stores for devices that they then resold in the District. The conspiracy terrorized more than 40 victims and netted over $300,000 in stolen narcotics and cellphones.
Mitchell was not only one of the conspiracy’s principal organizers, but he also personally entered stores and assaulted employees during multiple robberies, including at a CVS in Neptune, N.J., a T-Mobile in College Park, Md., a pharmacy in Glen Echo, Md., and a CVS in Pasadena, Md.
Surveillance image captured during the May 9, 2020, robbery of a CVS in Neptune, New Jersey.
During the Glen Echo robbery on Nov. 12, 2020, Mitchell went behind the pharmacy counter, ordered an employee to his knees, struck him on the head, and grabbed another employee by the neck before filling a duffel bag with narcotics.
Surveillance image captured during the June 20, 2020, robbery of a CVS in Nottingham, Maryland.During the final robbery at a CVS in Pasadena, Mitchell forced an employee to open the pharmacy's narcotics safe and ultimately bound their hands with zip ties. Police arrived as the conspirators fled, and Mitchell was apprehended on the rooftop of a nearby restaurant.
Mitchell used a juvenile co-conspirator in multiple robberies and ostensibly exercised control over at least one other conspirator through cellphone communications. Photos recovered from Mitchell's cellphone showed firearms consistent with those used in several of the robberies.
On October 25, 2020, Mitchell sent a photo of two handguns, only twelve days before the D Street armed robbery.
Mitchell has an extensive prior criminal history, including convictions for assault with significant bodily injury and multiple theft offenses across D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.
Sentencing for co-defendant and co-leader of the conspiracy, Ashley Gause, is scheduled for August 20, 2026. Gause, 33, was found guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances from the pharmacy robberies, and eight counts of Hobbs Act Robbery.
Joining in the announcement of today's sentencing were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Henrico County Police Division, Laurel Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Neptune Township, N.J., Police Department, and Prince George’s County Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy with valuable assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Gold, Cameron Tepfer, and Sarah Martin.
Surveillance captured on June 9, 2020, during the robbery of a T-Mobile in College Park, Maryland.
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Citrus County Man Indicted for Attempting to Meet a 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual Activity and Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Brian James Verka (39, Beverly Hills) has been charged by indictment with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted production of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, he faces a minimum prison sentence of 10 years, up to life, on the attempted enticement offense, and a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, for the attempted production offense. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between May 27 and June 2, 2026, Verka communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The minor, however, was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent. During the conversation, Verka described his desire to engage in sexual activity with the minor. Verka also asked the minor to produce sexually explicit images of herself and send them to him.
Verka was arrested on June 2, 2026, when he traveled to a location in Marion County to meet the minor to engage in sexual activity. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal proceedings.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chinese nationals sentenced after pleading guilty in Georgia drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, Georgia: Six 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 Godbey Wood and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:
- Chen Hui Shu, 36, of Hunan, China, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Jin Peng Ma, 35, of Taishan City, Guangdong, China, was sentenced to 29 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Lecai Huang, 68, of Taishan City, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Wei Sheng Deng, 41, of Guangzhou, China, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Zhu Sheng Bing, 65, of Taishan City, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Zhi Yong Ma, 54, of Taishan City, was sentenced to 29 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
There is no parole in the federal system. Upon completion of their prison terms, each defendant will be delivered to a duly authorized Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer for deportation proceedings.
“This case highlights how the actions of steadfast law enforcement officers led to the discovery and dismantling of a massive drug distribution operation in southern Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Our exceptional partners in law enforcement have contributed greatly to their community by eliminating this large-scale, illegal marijuana growing factory.”
As described in court documents and testimony, after multiple reports of the smell of marijuana originating from a specific property in Pierce County, an investigation was launched in July 2023, which thereafter expanded to another property Brantley County.
During the course of the investigation, including extensive surveillance, a search of the properties revealed two large-scale indoor marijuana grows, complete with irrigation, grow lights, and multi-stage production facilities. In total, between the properties in Pierce and Brantley Counties, law enforcement seized approximately 15,000 marijuana plants. The proceeds of this operation were traced internationally. The properties located in Pierce and Brantley Counties were subsequently forfeited to the United States in March 2026.
“The successful takedown of this network sends a clear message that our law enforcement partners remain united and unwavering in the effort to identify, investigate, and dismantle organizations that threaten the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This operation highlights the power of collaboration at the federal, state, and local levels.”
The Drug Enforcement Agency, Brantley County Sheriff’s Office, and Pierce County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation of these cases, which were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes, Tara M. Lyons, J. Bishop Ravenel, and Darron J. Hubbard.
Chicago Man Found Guilty for Distributing Methamphetamine in Cedar RapidsRead the Press Release
A man who distributed ice methamphetamine on multiple occasions during the summer of 2025 was convicted by a jury today, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Jonathan Quinn Carter, age 37, from Chicago, Illinois, was convicted of eight counts of distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about five hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that during the summer of 2025, Carter frequently traveled between Chicago and Cedar Rapids. During these trips, Carter transported multiple pound quantities of ice methamphetamine back to the Cedar Rapids area. He then eventually distributed the drugs to customers. For example, in November 2024, law enforcement officers located four pounds of ice methamphetamine in a car headed back to Iowa that Carter was traveling in. In August 2025, Carter arrived in Iowa City after taking a bus back from Chicago. Law enforcement officers observed him get into a ride share and head towards Cedar Rapids. During a traffic stop of the ride share, officers located two pounds of methamphetamine in Carter’s backpack. Law enforcement officers also purchased half-pound quantities of ice methamphetamine from Carter on five different occasions and Carter assisted with arranging three other similar drug transactions.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Carter remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Carter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa C. Williams and Dillan Edwards and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department as well as the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Illinois State Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa City Police Department, and Coralville Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-0073.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Canadian Man Charged by Federal Complaint for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – On June 15, 2026, a Canadian man was arrested and charged by complaint, following an Investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with distribution of child pornography and attempted online enticement of a minor.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
The complaint alleges that on or about and between May 6, 2026, to June 15, 2026, Alexander Towns, 44, used an online messaging application to communicate with an undercover officer regarding his intention of engaging in sexual acts with a purported minor child. During their communications, Towns distributed child sexual abuse materials to the undercover officer and made sexually explicit statements regarding his intentions with the purported minor. On June 15, 2026, Towns traveled from Ottawa, Canada to Nashville, Tennessee, for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the purported minor. Towns was arrested by FBI agents upon arrival at Nashville International Airport.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “The FBI did tremendous work in investigating and apprehending Towns. We will aggressively prosecute anyone accused of traveling to sexually abuse a minor. This is one of the most disturbing crimes that crosses my desk.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson said, "To child predators who think you are anonymously preying upon vulnerable, innocent children through online applications, know that there's a good chance the FBI is on the other end. While this one perpetrator has been caught, the FBI will continue fighting every day to protect America's children from those who seek to exploit them."
If convicted as charged in the complaint, Towns faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Yannelli is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.”
A complaint merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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California Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property from Metairie BusinessRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – PATRICK GARLAND (“GARLAND”), 40, California resident, was sentenced on June 10, 2026, for conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and interstate transportation of stolen goods, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2314, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, GARLAND, and others, conspired to transport stolen cigarettes that had been stolen during the burglary of a warehouse facility on November 21, 2024. The group then traveled out of state before being apprehended in Fort Stockton, Texas the following day, while still in possession of the cigarettes. The group was further implicated in similar burglaries in North Carolina and Georgia in February of 2024.
United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced GARLAND to a total of 40 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Knightdale Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, Rockmart Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Fort Stockton Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Brothers Plead Guilty in $8 Million Armed Cryptocurrency Kidnapping CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that the Garcia brothers pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in a September 2025 armed robbery of a family in Grant, Minnesota and the theft of more than $8 million in digital assets.
This afternoon, before U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery, Isiah Angelo Garcia, 25, and Raymond Christian Garcia, 24, both of Waller, Texas, entered guilty pleas to one count each of Interference with Commerce by Robbery.
According to court documents, on the morning of September 19, 2025, the Garcia brothers, who had traveled from Texas to Minnesota for the purpose of executing the scheme, kidnapped Victim 1 and his family at gunpoint at their home. During the offense, the defendants demanded access to the victim’s cryptocurrency accounts, zip-tied Victim 1 and his family, and held the family at gunpoint for over 8 hours. Isiah Garcia, aided and abetted by his brother, abducted Victim 1 to the family’s cabin in northern Minnesota, where he forced Victim 1 to retrieve additional cryptocurrency storage devices and transfer the funds contained therein. The Garcia brothers ultimately forced Victim 1 to transfer more than $8 million in cryptocurrency funds in the course of the scheme. After the victim’s son called 911, the Garcias fled the area. Law enforcement responded to the family home, where they found numerous items left behind by the defendants. Law enforcement then used those items to identify the Garcias and locate them near Houston, Texas, where they were arrested.
In their guilty pleas, both defendants admitted to using firearms to threaten the victims and facilitate the robbery. They agreed to pay over $8 million in restitution and each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.
“Violent schemes carried out for financial gain undermine the safety and security of our communities. When individuals resort to intimidation and force, they can expect a swift and unified law enforcement response. The guilty pleas entered today reflect our commitment to holding the defendants accountable for the choices they made,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“No one should ever feel unsafe in their own home," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The kinds of violence and greed displayed by Raymond and Isiah Garcia will always be aggressively investigated by the FBI and our law enforcement partners. Thanks to the seamless partnership between the FBI, Washington County Sheriff's Office, and state and local law enforcement agencies from here to Texas, these defendants will now face sentencing in federal court. Home invasions, kidnapping, and robberies carry lasting impacts on victims and our communities. We hope this conviction will bring some measure of peace to the victims of this horrendous crime.”
“This crime struck close to home for many people in our area. It shook not only the victims involved, but it disrupted lives, created fear, and left residents wondering how something so violent could happen here. I’m proud of the work done by our investigators, deputies, law enforcement partners, and prosecutors who helped move this case forward. Today’s proceedings mark an important step toward accountability and justice for our community,” said Washington County Sheriff Dan Starry.
This matter is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline is prosecuting the case.
Note: A previous press release on this case can be found here.
Bridgeport Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GAYRAAN LANIER GAITER, 44, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to failing to register as a sex offender.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States and seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. In part, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2000, Gaiter was convicted in Dade County, Florida, of multiple counts related to the sexual abuse of a minor and was sentenced to 20 years of incarceration. Following his release from prison, Gaiter registered as a sex offender in Galveston County, Texas, in July 2021, and, without notifying Texas authorities, in January 2022 in Lee County, Florida. In December 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service in Connecticut was notified that Gaiter was being sought in both jurisdictions for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements, and that he was believed to be living in Connecticut. The investigation revealed that Gaiter was residing in Bridgeport and that he failed to register as a sex offender in Connecticut.
Gaiter was arrested on March 18, 2026, and has been detained since his arrest.
The charge of failure to register as a sex offender carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service’s District of Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force and Southern District of Texas Gulf Coast Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug-Related Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that FEDRICK GEORGE CHAPMAN, 37, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for a drug-related firearm offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2023 and August 2024, Chapman mailed at least eight packages containing controlled substances to addresses in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida. On August 20, 2024, a court-authorized search of a package that Chapman mailed contained approximately 10 grams of fentanyl.
On August 27, 2024, a search of Chapman’s Bridgeport residence and his vehicle revealed a loaded .380 caliber handgun, approximately 50 grams of fentanyl, 486 methamphetamine pills, approximately 30 grams of cocaine, approximately four kilograms of marijuana, and $76,262 in cash. Chapman was arrested on state charges on that date.
The case was adopted for federal prosecution and, on September 29, 2025, Chapman pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Chapman, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 12, 2026.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Shelton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.
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.
Boston Man Sentenced to One Year and a Day in Prison for Smuggling Drugs into Massachusetts PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, was sentenced on June 15, 2026 in federal court in Boston for drug conspiracy charges.
Dominique Carpenter-Grady, a/k/a “8 Zipp,” a/k/a “Eight,” “a/k/a “Eighty,” 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In February 2026, Carpenter-Grady pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute PCP, synthetic cannabinoids (K2).
Carpenter-Grady was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H-Block in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.
Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.
Carpenter-Grady was a long-time H-Block gang member and one of three members and associates of H Block charged with a conspiracy to smuggle illegal drugs into a Massachusetts prison. Carpenter-Grady facilitated intercepted calls coordinating the smuggling of drugs on saturated papers into the prison where alleged co-conspirators were incarcerated. Several sheets of paper containing PCP (Phenylcyclidine) and illegal K2 were seized over the course of the investigation. It is estimated that a single sheet of such paper would be worth as much as $80,000 inside the prison.
According to court documents, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has seen a significant increase in the smuggling of synthetic cannabinoids, a/k/a “K2,” and other dangerous substances into the prison system. A common method of introducing the drugs is by exploiting the Department of Correction’s inmate mail policies, which prohibit delivery to inmates of original copies of any materials contained in incoming mail except for legal mail, original copies of which are inspected and delivered via the U.S. postal system. Sheets of paper are saturated or sprayed with liquid narcotics, dried, printed with fake legal correspondence and then mailed to inmates in an envelope marked as legal mail, in an effort to deliver the drug-laced paper undetected.
Carpenter-Grady is the seventh defendant to be sentenced in the case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Mark Comorosky, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.
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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Border enforcement efforts result in 160 more cases filed in the Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 161 individuals have been charged in immigration and border-security related matters from June 12-17, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Of those, 33 people face illegal entry charges, while another 104 allegedly reentered the United States after prior removal. Many have prior felony convictions related to narcotics trafficking, immigration offenses, violent crimes and more. An additional 21 people allegedly engaged in human smuggling, while the remaining three cases involve other immigration crimes.
Among the newly filed complaints, Guatemalan national Rodolfo Belisario Mendez-Mencho was allegedly removed from the United States March 29. However, authorities discovered him again illegally in the country near Sullivan City, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for abuse/abandonment/cruelty.
Three others - Jose Robledo Cruz, Jose De Jesus Garcia-Andrade and Eduardo Lopez-Figueroa, all Mexican nationals - were also allegedly found in the McAllen area despite having been previously removed. According to the charges, they have various convictions of felony assault by strangulation, DWI (3 or more) and/or trafficking of a controlled substance.
All four men lacked legal authorization to be in the United States and face up to 20 years in federal prison upon conviction.
In addition to the new cases, two men were sentenced to federal prison for separate alien smuggling offenses that involved assaults on Border Patrol agents. Mexican national Adrian Isaac Pimentel-Garcia assaulted an agent while attempting to evade arrest after guiding illegal aliens through a residential area. Juan Carlos Lopez Jr. led agents on a vehicle pursuit before driving toward an agent and striking a patrol vehicle. Both received 36-month prison sentences.
In Houston, Marco Antonio Zuniga, an illegal alien from Mexico, received a 27-month federal prison sentence for unlawfully reentering the country. He had previously been convicted of meth trafficking and was serving a term of supervised release when authorities encountered him in Houston without authorization to be in the United States.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Billings man sentenced to 10 years for firing handgun after attempting to rob gas stationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who fired his handgun while pointing it at the sky after trying to rob a convenience store was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Thyssen River Grable, 21, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Grable attempted to rob several cases of BuzzBallz, a brand of alcohol, from a Billings convenience store. Grable then fired his handgun in an effort to dissuade his pursuers from chasing him.
Thyssen Grable and a companion walked into a Circle K convenience store on Grand Avenue in Billings on Jan. 20, 2025. After spending time walking around the aisles, they grabbed four cases of BuzzBallz and ran out the door. The store clerk tried to stop the pair, chasing them outside and telling them he was going to call the police. Grable retorted, “Do you wanna get shot?” and the clerk ducked back into the store.
Grable and his companion jumped into a van with two others and told the driver to go. At that moment a security guard pulled his car in front of the van, blocking its exit from the parking lot. The security guard got out and told the driver to shut off the van. Grable urged the driver to pull away, but the driver shut off the engine. Grable and his companion jumped out and ran off down the road. As he ran, Grable fired several shots from a Beretta 9mm handgun into the air to stop the security guard from chasing him.
Billings police officers arrived shortly after and searched the area, finding a number of spent 9mm shell casings. A call from a Montana State University Billings police officer alerted the BPD officers that he’d found Grable and his companion on Alderson Avenue and the two were arrested. Sometime later a neighbor called BPD to say they’d found a Beretta handgun in their yard.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Belleville Man Receives Maximum Sentence of 30 Years for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Victor Ramirez-Mora, 20, of Belleville, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), conduct which included producing CSAM images of multiple toddlers. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
On December 3, 2024, Ramirez-Mora was indicted by a federal grand jury in an Indictment charging him with 13 counts of production of CSAM. On February 4, 2026, Ramirez-Mora pleaded guilty to one count of production of CSAM. In addition to the 30-year sentence, which is the maximum allowed by law, Judge Miller also ordered Ramirez-Mora to serve 10 years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On May 29, 2024, a social media platform flagged a user for violating the terms of service because the user uploaded a video depicting CSAM. The social media platform reported the violation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and on August 26, 2024, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations received a Cybertip regarding a sexually explicit photograph of a minor child and an adult male. Through an investigation of the IP address and subscriber information, agents identified Ramirez-Mora as a suspect.
On September 26, 2024, officers went to Ramirez-Mora’s residence and observed him arriving at the residence with a small child. After Ramirez-Mora handed over the child to its mother, officers advised Ramirez-Mora of his Miranda rights and he waived them. Ramirez-Mora was advised that law enforcement was at his residence due to CSAM being uploaded on a social media platform. Ramirez-Mora admitted that he had seen CSAM on his social media account and that the sexual acts depicted involved minors who were under the age of 14.
Ramirez-Mora was also questioned about any inappropriate activity with a minor child that was in his care and he admitted that he recorded the minor child nude while he was on the bed but did not send the video to anyone. Ramirez-Mora stated he has four videos of the minor child depicted in a sexually explicit manner. Officers seized Ramirez-Mora’s phone and after obtaining a search warrant, observed multiple videos of Ramirez-Mora engaging in sexual contact with two toddler minors, both under the age of four.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Arkansas State Police and the Yell County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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. Parents are encouraged to always monitor your children’s online activity.
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Bangor Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, between July and October 2024, Scott Bagley, 61, conspired with others to fraudulently obtain money by entering banks, impersonating legitimate bank account holders, and using fictitious identification cards to gain access to their bank accounts and withdraw funds. Through fraud, Bagley was able to obtain approximately $85,100 from customer accounts. During the investigation, law enforcement seized a fictitious Maine driver’s license in the name of a law enforcement officer with Bagley’s image on it.
Bagley faces up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and up to five years of supervised release on the bank fraud charges. For aggravated identity theft, he faces a mandatory prison term of two years, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a $250,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Bangor Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles – Enforcement Services Division.
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