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15 June 2026
Area Scouting America Troop Leader Charged with Production of Child ObscenityRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, MO. – Jonathan Xavier Valdez, 36, of Blue Springs, Mo., was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Valdez had his initial appearance this afternoon.
The federal complaint charges Valdez with one count of Production of Child Obscenity involving multiple minors. According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Valdez, over the course of at least 10 months, manipulated clothed images of multiple minors to create nude graphic depictions of those children appearing to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Valdez has been a troop leader with Scouting America for over a year. Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the allegations after a witness came forward on June 12, 2026, and reported having observed obscene images of minors on Valdez’s smart TV screensaver. During a subsequent search of Valdez’s residence, FBI investigators located multiple manipulated still images and videos depicting at least five minors either nude or engaged in sexually explicit conduct on Valdez’s TV, cell phone, and other devices.
At this time, investigators have not determined any alleged offenses regarding hands-on abuse by Valdez. As always, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office encourage the public to report any knowledge of potential violations of federal law to 1-800-CALL-FBI or provide a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Alexandria Man Guilty of Calling in Bomb Threat to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International AirportRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – COREY JOHNSON, age 36, of Alexandria, Louisiana, pled guilty on June 9, 2026 to an indictment charging him with willfully conveying a bomb threat, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Following his guilty plea, JOHNSON was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to a one‑year term of probation.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2025, JOHNSON became involved in a dispute with airport personnel over parking fees while attempting to exit a parking lot at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The dispute escalated to the point that deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office had to respond and address the situation. After leaving the area visibly upset, JOHNSON twice called AVCOM, the airport’s operations center, claiming there was a bomb in the airport and threatening to harm the operator. Investigators with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation quickly connected these threatening calls to the earlier parking dispute, identified JOHNSON as the individual responsible, and subsequently arrested him. During the investigation, JOHNSON admitted to making the calls.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office for their efforts in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
210-Month Sentence for Drug Trafficker Following Successful Homeland Security Task Force ProsecutionRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Alejandro Palomino-Amador, a/k/a “Ichi”, 33, of Escondido, California was sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Dismantling this large-scale drug trafficking operation and sending its participants to federal prison for decades-long sentences vindicates the untold devastation they inflicted upon our communities by flooding our streets with deadly poison. I deeply appreciate the outstanding investigative work that went into these cases from our state and federal law enforcement partners, and reaffirm my office’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting anyone who peddles meth, fentanyl, and other deadly narcotics in the Northern District of Florida.”
Palomino was the last defendant sentenced in a drug conspiracy case that spanned several years and resulted in the conviction of 15 defendants. Palomino was a large-volume drug dealer in southern California and he was the supplier for co-defendant Phillip Martin, who distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl to co-conspirator Ohagee Curry in Pensacola, Florida. On August 17, 2022, law enforcement officers stopped Martin on I-15 in southern California immediately after surveilling a drug deal between Palomino and Martin. Officers recovered 77 pounds of methamphetamine from Martin’s vehicle. Later that day, law enforcement searched a storage unit belonging to Palomino and found another 80 pounds of methamphetamine and over 4,000 grams of fentanyl. Martin, who had a significant criminal history, received a 40-year sentence in 2024. Curry received a 10-year sentence in 2025. Palomino was arrested late last year crossing the border between Mexico and the United States.
“Getting this transnational drug trafficker off the streets will make our North Florida communities safer as well as communities around the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, Tampa Field Division. “This multi-year investigation was successful because of our agents and great law enforcement partners. I can’t thank them enough.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that drug traffickers who bring methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities will be held accountable,” said Sheriff Bob Johnson. “The volume of narcotics involved in this conspiracy had the potential to cause tremendous harm throughout Northwest Florida. I commend the outstanding work of our deputies and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose dedication and collaboration helped dismantle this trafficking network. Together, we remain committed to protecting our citizens and keeping these deadly drugs off our streets.”
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said: “We applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office for securing this important sentencing. Our strong partnership is delivering real results—removing dangerous criminals from our streets and making Escambia County safer for all families.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escondido (California) Police Department, and the Riverside County (California) Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Walter Narramore.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
13 June 2026
Romanian National Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper of the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Puiu Lacatus, 37, of Romania, was sentenced on Friday, June 12, 2026, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to time served—after having been detained for six months and one day—for illegally entering the United States after having been previously removed.
According to court documents, on December 11, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents received a tip regarding a group of illegal immigrants staying at a residence in Estate Contant. HSI agents responded to the residence in Contant to conduct surveillance and observed the defendant leave and walk towards Nisky Center. Federal agents announced themselves as “Immigration” and inquired into his nationality and whether he had status to be in the United States legally. The defendant stated that he was Romanian and did not have status to be in the United States. Agents performed further records checks that revealed that the defendant had previously been deported twice.
Agents confirmed with the Department of Homeland Security that there was no record found indicating that the defendant obtained consent from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to return to the United States, and that he was a citizen of Romania.
The case was investigated by HSI with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Kyle Payne of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
12 June 2026
Wausau Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Wausau man has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Madison to wire fraud and money laundering, according to Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Stanley Pophal, 64, Wausau, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today to defrauding investors out of $14.25 million and using investor funds to fund his lifestyle.
”Today’s plea hearing makes one thing unmistakably clear: those who prey on hardworking people through deceit and greed will face decisive consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Elgersma. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing financial criminals wherever they hide, and we will never hesitate to bring the full weight of the justice system against anyone who abuses the public’s trust. I applaud the investigators for their hard work and commitment to holding Pophal accountable for his crimes.”
“Stanley Pophal built a façade of wealth and success, then used that illusion to convince people to hand over their hard-earned money,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Instead of investing those funds as promised, he spent them financing a lifestyle he could not afford and kept the scheme alive by using new victims’ money to make payments to earlier investors. We will continue pursuing criminals who enrich themselves at the expense of honest people and hold them accountable for the damage they leave behind.”
“The FBI will always follow the money to root out investment fraud schemes. Stanley Pophal operated a multiyear scheme in which he made false promises to investors. His actions led to the victimization of people while Pophal pocketed their money. Pophal then spent victims’ money to fund his personal life and hobbies to include payment of his mortgage and purchasing hundreds of snowmobiles,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “In addition to Pophal’s guilty plea, he will be ordered to pay significant financial restitution. The FBI is committed to working with our partners to bring those who seek to enrich themselves by taking advantage of others to justice.”
According to court documents, between May 2019 and June 2025, Pophal, using the business name Bright with Silver, Inc. (formerly DBA Fromm Bros., Inc.), offered investment opportunities; including cryptocurrency, real estate flipping, artificial intelligence technology, gold, silver, and emeralds. Pophal convinced most investors to sign investment contracts, which he styled as promissory notes. The promissory notes guaranteed investors a rate of return of at least 20%. Pophal told investors that he was able to secure high rates of return because he had connections in the finance, commodities, and real estate sectors.
Pophal also repeatedly told investors that even if his investments on their behalf were not successful, their investment principal was never at risk because he had enough personal wealth to repay each investor's principal. He told investors that he had accumulated his wealth through past business and investment success. In fact, Pophal’s claims of past business success were exaggerated, and his claims of vast personal wealth were false. Pophal never had sufficient funds to personally guarantee each investor’s principal.
Pophal used the vast majority of money he received from investors to pay his personal and business expenses, fund personal travel, pay his mortgage, rent a private plane, and purchase snowmobiles, motorcycles, and vehicles.
To further the fraud scheme, Pophal made “ponzi” payments to early victims, falsely representing the payments to be investment returns or interest, when in truth the payments were comprised of funds from new investors.
Pophal will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley on September 2, 2026.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement agents seized more than 600 items Pophal purchased using investor funds. The items included hundreds of snowmobiles, which Pophal stored in a rented warehouse. Two photos from that warehouse are below. As part of his plea agreement with the government, Pophal agreed to forfeit these items. Public auction of these assets will occur at a later date.
The charges against Pophal are a result of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin.
Waterloo Teen Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing GunsRead the Press Release
A convicted felon from Waterloo who possessed a gun was sentenced June 11, 2026, to two years in federal prison.
Oliver Lee Buls, 19, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 16, 2026, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Buls was the passenger in a car that police officers stopped in May 2025. Officers searched the car after smelling the odor of marijuana. During the search, officers found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun underneath Buls’ seat. The gun was loaded with a high-capacity magazine. Officers also found a loaded Palmetto State Dagger 9mm handgun under the hood of the car. The Palmetto also contained a high-capacity magazine and had a machine gun conversion device, or “switch,” affixed to it. The “switch” allowed the gun to operate as a fully automatic firearm. Buls’ DNA was found on both guns. Buls was part of a social media group, which included juveniles, that posted videos of themselves playing with guns. Buls was on probation at the time he possessed the guns after being convicted of the felony offense of interference with official acts with a firearm. His probation for that conviction was revoked.
Buls was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Buls was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment fee. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2038.
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United States Seizes Domain Names Publishing Nude Digital Forgeries of Famous WomenRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security seized the domains CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com, which are domains that were being used to publish thousands of digitally forged images and videos depicting famous women as nude and sometimes engaged in sexual activity, without their consent. According to the probable cause affidavit supporting the seizure warrants, the digital forgeries were made to appear to be sexual images of famous women, including politicians, first ladies of multiple countries, royalty, journalists, television presenters, athletes, entertainers, and others. The website allowed people to browse by tags that included topics like “rape,” “forced,” and “degradation.”
“These domain seizures mark a significant victory in the fight against deepfake pornography,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The TAKE IT DOWN Act, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, gives us the tools we need to combat the abuse and exploitation of women and children through these fabricated images. The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce this law and deliver justice for victims.”
“These groundbreaking seizures are a massive win against deepfake pornography,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “The TAKE IT DOWN Act was a priority for First Lady Melania Trump to stop the abuse and exploitation of women and children. This is the first of many wins to stop these deepfake pornographic websites.”
“Taking down CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com halted the publication of non‑consensual, sexually explicit digital forgeries that harmed the women they depicted,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We were honored to be part of this coordinated international operation and to help halt this ongoing abuse. The Criminal Division stands ready to enforce the TAKE IT DOWN Act to uphold basic principles of consent and human dignity.”
“These seizures stopped a website that trafficked in humiliation, exploitation, and the violation of personal privacy on a massive scale,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “For the victims whose images were distributed without their consent, the harm is not virtual — it is deeply personal and often enduring. Through sophisticated cyber investigative work and close coordination with our domestic and international law enforcement partners, including authorities in France, this Office played a key role in disrupting the infrastructure that enabled this conduct. Those who use the internet to exploit others should not mistake online anonymity for immunity.”
By issuing a federal warrant to seize the domains, a federal judge found probable cause to believe that the domains were being used to commit federal criminal violations of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a statute enacted in May 2025. The TAKE IT DOWN Act makes it a federal crime to publish digital forgeries that appear to depict an identifiable adult in a sexually explicit manner without the depicted person’s consent, when what is depicted is not a matter of public concern, and the posting is meant to cause harm or actually harms the person.
The website was brought to the attention of U.S. law enforcement by Italy’s Polizia di Stato -Postal and Cybersecurity Police. The United States investigated and developed evidence that it was able to share with French authorities through use of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, Cybercrime Section (J3) and French gendarmerie (Section de recherches de Paris) then conducted their own parallel investigation, resulting in an arrest on June 10 in Nice, France on French criminal charges along with seizures of cryptocurrency.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Jersey Field Office is leading the investigation, with assistance provided by HSI Rome, the DHS Cybercrime Lab, and the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), the CCIPS Cybercrime Lab, and Office of International Affairs.
Deputy Chief for Computer Crime Michael “Mick” Stawasz and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao of the Criminal Division’s CCIPS and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey and Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit for the District of New Jersey are handling the litigation.
Significant assistance in this investigation was provided by the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section. The United States also thanks France and Italy for their coordination in this matter.
United States Seizes Domain Names Publishing Nude Digital Forgeries of Famous WomenRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Yesterday, the United States Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations seized the domains CFAKE.com and SOCFAKE.com, which are domains that were being used to publish hundreds of thousands of deepfake pornographic images and videos of women without their consent, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. The digital forgeries were made to appear to be sexual images of female celebrities, including heads of state, first ladies of multiple countries, royalty, legislators, government officials, journalists, television presenters, athletes, entertainers, and others. The website allowed people to browse by tags that included topics like “rape,” “forced,” “degradation,” and “slave.”
“These seizures stopped a website that trafficked in humiliation, exploitation, and the violation of personal privacy on a massive scale. For the victims whose images were distributed without their consent, the harm is not virtual—it is deeply personal and often enduring. Through sophisticated cyber investigative work and close coordination with our domestic and international law enforcement partners, including authorities in France, this Office played a key role in disrupting the infrastructure that enabled this conduct. Those who use the internet to exploit others should not mistake online anonymity for immunity.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
By issuing a federal warrant to seize the domains, a federal judge found probable cause to believe that the domains were being used to commit federal criminal violations of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which makes it a federal crime to publish digital forgeries that appear to depict someone in a sexually explicit manner without the depicted person’s consent. The First Lady of the United States championed the law. This is the first seizure of a domain for violating the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:
Italian officials brought the website to the attention of U.S. law enforcement. The United States investigated and developed evidence that it was able to share with French authorities through use of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office Cybercrime Division and French Gendarmerie Nationale then conducted their own parallel investigation, resulting in an arrest this morning in Nice, France on French criminal charges.
“These domain seizures mark a significant victory in the fight against deepfake pornography,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The TAKE IT DOWN Act, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, gives us the tools we need to combat the abuse and exploitation of women and children through these fabricated images. The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce this law and deliver justice for victims.”
“This groundbreaking seizure is a massive win against deepfake pornography,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “The TAKE IT DOWN Act was a priority for First Lady Melania Trump to stop the abuse and exploitation of women and children. This is the first of many wins to stop these deepfake pornographic websites.”
“Taking down CFAKE.com halted the publication of non‑consensual, sexually explicit digital forgeries that harmed the women they depicted,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We were honored to be part of this coordinated international operation and to help halt this ongoing abuse. The Criminal Division stands ready to enforce the TAKE IT DOWN Act to uphold basic principles of consent and human dignity.”
By issuing a federal warrant to seize the domains, a federal judge found probable cause to believe that the domains were being used to commit federal criminal violations of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a statute enacted in May 2025. The TAKE IT DOWN Act makes it a federal crime to publish digital forgeries that appear to depict an identifiable adult in a sexually explicit manner without the depicted person’s consent, when what is depicted is not a matter of public concern, and the posting is meant to cause harm or actually harms the person.
The website was brought to the attention of U.S. law enforcement by Italy’s Polizia di Stato -Postal and Cybersecurity Police. The United States investigated and developed evidence that it was able to share with French authorities through use of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, Cybercrime Section (J3) and French gendarmerie (Section de recherches de Paris) then conducted their own parallel investigation, resulting in an arrest on June 10, 2026in Nice, France on French criminal charges along with seizures of cryptocurrency.
U.S. Attorney Frazer would like to thank U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Jersey Field Office, which is leading the investigation, with assistance provided by the DHS Cybercrime Lab and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) Cybercrime Lab.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit for the District of New Jersey and Deputy Chief for Computer Crime Michael “Mick” Stawasz and Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao of the Criminal Division’s CCIPS are handling the litigation.
Significant assistance in this investigation was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section. The United States also thanks France for their coordination in this matter.
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cfake.seizurewarrant.pdfUkrainian National Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE — Following his extradition from Ireland, Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, a Ukrainian national, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected more than 1,000 computers and networks worldwide.
“Targeting transnational criminal organizations who victimize American citizens with these outrageous ransomware attacks are among the highest priorities of our office and the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. “These criminal enterprises are sophisticated, but our prosecutors are up to this challenge and are dedicated to rooting these thieves out and holding them accountable.”
“The defendant and his conspirators used the Conti ransomware to terrorize people and businesses in the United States and around the world, causing millions of dollars in damage,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ransomware continues to pose a threat to all business organizations, from critical infrastructure to small businesses. The Justice Department will continue to work with international partners to bring to justice anyone, anywhere who attacks the United States with ransomware.”
“Lytvynenko’s guilty plea is a significant step toward holding cyber criminals accountable for the damage they inflict on victims worldwide,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Lytvynenko profited from fear and coercion, conspiring to use Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. This case demonstrates that the FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue those responsible for cybercrimes, regardless of where they operate, and bring them to justice.”
“This guilty plea is a powerful reminder that cybercriminals — whether acting alone or as part of a larger group — cannot hide behind their keyboards or international borders,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Forrest of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division. “While this individual played a role in a group responsible for significant harm, this guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to tracking down every member of these criminal networks. The Secret Service will continue to work with our partners here and around the world to disrupt ransomware operations and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
According to court documents, Lytvynenko, of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. Court filings allege the conspirators hacked into victims’ computers and networks, encrypted data, and demanded a ransom to restore the victims’ access to their files and to avoid public disclosure of the stolen information. From 2020 until 2022, Conti was used to attack computers and networks in 47 states, 31 foreign countries, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, Conti ransomware attacks resulted in at least $150 million in ransom payments.
Lytvynenko admitted to joining the Conti conspiracy no later than approximately September 2021. He admitted to possessing data from eight U.S. and four overseas victims which had been stolen by Conti conspirators. Lytvynenko further admitted to joining a team run by a Conti conspirator during which time Lytvynenko was directed to work on coding a “loader,” which is typically a type of malware, or malicious software, that is used to load programs necessary to execute other malicious attacks.
Lytvynenko pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s San Diego, Nashville, and El Paso Field Offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips of the Middle District of Tennessee, and Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Irish Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, the Irish Office of the Attorney General and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau provided valuable assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Lytvynenko.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
This action is part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI's sustained enforcement response to that threat.
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Ukrainian National Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy in Connection with Conti RansomwareRead the Press Release
Following his extradition from Ireland, Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, a Ukrainian national, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a conspiracy to deploy Conti, a ransomware variant that infected more than 1,000 computers and networks worldwide.
“The defendant and his conspirators used the Conti ransomware to terrorize people and businesses in the United States and around the world, causing millions of dollars in damage,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ransomware continues to pose a threat to all business organizations, from critical infrastructure to small businesses. The Justice Department will continue to work with international partners to bring to justice anyone, anywhere who attacks the United States with ransomware.”
“Targeting transnational criminal organizations who victimize American citizens with these outrageous ransomware attacks are among the highest priorities of our office and the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. “These criminal enterprises are sophisticated, but our prosecutors are up to this challenge and are dedicated to rooting these thieves out and holding them accountable.”
“Lytvynenko’s guilty plea is a significant step toward holding cyber criminals accountable for the damage they inflict on victims worldwide,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Lytvynenko profited from fear and coercion, conspiring to use Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. This case demonstrates that the FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue those responsible for cybercrimes, regardless of where they operate, and bring them to justice.”
“This guilty plea is a powerful reminder that cybercriminals — whether acting alone or as part of a larger group — cannot hide behind their keyboards or international borders,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Forrest of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division. “While this individual played a role in a group responsible for significant harm, this guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to tracking down every member of these criminal networks. The Secret Service will continue to work with our partners here and around the world to disrupt ransomware operations and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
According to court documents, Lytvynenko, of Cork, Ireland, conspired with others to deploy Conti ransomware to extort victims and steal their data. Court filings allege the conspirators hacked into victims’ computers and networks, encrypted data, and demanded a ransom to restore the victims’ access to their files and to avoid public disclosure of the stolen information. From 2020 until 2022, Conti was used to attack computers and networks in 47 states, 31 foreign countries, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The FBI estimates that, as of January 2022, Conti ransomware attacks resulted in at least $150 million in ransom payments.
Lytvynenko admitted to joining the Conti conspiracy no later than approximately September 2021. He admitted to possessing data from eight U.S. and four overseas victims which had been stolen by Conti conspirators. Lytvynenko further admitted to joining a team run by a Conti conspirator during which time Lytvynenko was directed to work on coding a “loader,” which is typically a type of malware, or malicious software, that is used to load programs necessary to execute other malicious attacks.
Lytvynenko pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.
The FBI’s San Diego, Nashville, and El Paso Field Offices and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Phillips for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Irish Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, the Irish Office of the Attorney General and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau provided valuable assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Lytvynenko.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
This action is part of Operation Riptide, an ongoing FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI's sustained enforcement response to that threat.
USP Allenwood Inmate Charged with Possessing WeaponRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kareem Martin, 38, an inmate in USP Allenwood, was indicted on June 11, 2026, by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon in prison.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Martin with one count of possessing contraband in prison. Martin was allegedly in possession of an inmate-manufactured knife, six inches in length.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 75 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 75 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On June 6, Ana Sanchez, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry discovered 31 pounds of fentanyl and 21 pounds hidden in the seats and quarter panels of her car. She was previously convicted of the federal offense of importing drugs into the Southern District in 2018.
- On June 9, Carlos Nunez-Valdivia, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation . According to a complaint, Nunez-Valdivia applied for admission to the United States at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry by falsely claiming to be a lawful permanent resident. He has been previously deported at least three times.
- On June 9, Victor Manuel Garcia-Ramirez, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Garcia-Ramirez attempted to smuggle two undocumented Chinese nationals into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry inside a non-factory compartment built beneath the undercarriage of a Nissan Armada.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Issue Warning over Use of Drones During 2026 FIFA World CupRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and FBI Dallas are jointly promoting the importance of drone safety and flight restrictions.
The information below is intended to raise awareness among the public at large, help to ensure the safety of fans, and also serve as a deterrence.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed a Temporary Flight Restriction over multiple locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. These temporary flight restrictions temporarily restrict all aircraft – airplanes, helicopters, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, more commonly known as “drones”) – from flying over a specific geographic area.
On each match day, a temporary flight restriction will be in effect over AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. AT&T Stadium will be known as “Dallas Stadium” during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The flight restriction will span a 3-nautical-mile radius from AT&T Stadium, up to 3,000 feet, and will take effect 3 hours before the start of each match and will conclude 3 hours after the end of each match.
During the FIFA Fan Festival, taking place from June 11, 2026, through July 19, 2026, a temporary flight restriction will be in place over Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, for each day of the Fan Festival. The flight restriction will span a 1-nautical-mile radius from the Dos Equis Pavilion in Fair Park, up to 1,000 feet, and will be in effect 1 hour before the start of the festival each day and 1 hour after the festival concludes each day.
While these temporary flight restrictions are in place, the flying of any drone or other aircraft or UAS will be forbidden unless prior approval is obtained from the FAA. Violators will be subject to federal prosecution, imprisonment, fines, and/or forfeiture of their drone or UAS.
To avoid committing criminal federal violations, all drone pilots are reminded and warned of their responsibility to:
1. Register and label your drone and obtain a Part 107 pilot’s license from the FAA before operating your drone in any flight-restricted airspace; 2. Register and label your drone and obtain a Part 107 pilot’s license before operating your drone in any capacity other than as a FAA-designated recreational pilot (including when flying for commercial purposes or for footage that may be monetized); 3. Obtain a TRUST certificate from the FAA to be carried with you at all times that you are piloting your drone for recreational purposes only; and
4. Familiarize yourself with airspace classifications and restrictions (including temporary flight restrictions and Notices to Airmen or “NOTAMs”) before piloting your drone for any purpose to avoid flying in any flight-restricted airspace, or, if necessary, to seek permission and approval before flying in any flight-restricted airspace.
As part of ongoing drone enforcement, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas has prosecuted numerous individuals for illegally flying unmanned aircraft systems (drones) in restricted areas, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
The cases are as follows:
• David Flores, 3:25-CR-329-B, pled guilty to one felony count of Operation of an Unregistered Drone and was sentenced to time served (a period of about five months’ imprisonment);• David Fowler, 3:25-CR-231-L, pled guilty to one felony count of Operation of an Unregistered Drone, set for sentencing on June 23, 2026;
• Melvin Mitchell III, 4:26-CR-162-O, charged via indictment with one felony count of Operating as an Airman Without an Airman’s Certificate, case is currently pending;
• Ernesto Villanueva Gonzalez, 4:25-CR-149-BJ – pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and sentenced to time served (approximately two months’ imprisonment) and a monetary fine;
• Jason Carvell Banner, 4:24-CR-159-BJ, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace for flying a drone over the Texas Rangers Ballpark, sentenced to 25 months’ probation and a monetary fine;
• Scott Lorenzen, 3:24-CR-502-BK, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and sentenced to six months’ probation;
• Shawn Yang, 4:26-CR-42-BJ, pled guilty to one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace and ordered to pay a monetary fine;
• Vincent Paolella, 4:26-CR-148-BJ, charged via criminal information with one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace, case is currently pending; and
• Jasson Longoria, 4:26-CR-149-BJ, charged via criminal information with one count of Violation of National Defense Airspace, case is currently pending.
“We want the 2026 FIFA World Cup fans to have a world class time while they are in the DFW metroplex. When someone makes a decision to fly a drone over restricted airspace, they are wasting valuable law enforcement resources and jeopardizing the safety and overall experience of those who are there to watch the beautiful game. Please remember that you cannot fly a drone at or near the Dallas Stadium and FIFA Fan Festival, as they are no-fly zones,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “If you choose to ignore this warning, understand that we’ll be ready for you and you will be prosecuted.”
“It is the drone operator’s responsibility to understand where Temporary Flight Restrictions exist. Before you fly a drone, I strongly encourage you to check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “To ensure the safety of the World Cup events, we will use our full suite of capabilities to identify drone operators violating TFRs, seize their drones, and support their prosecution.
A complaint, an information, and an indictment are merely an allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
See a drone breaking the rules? Blow the whistle! Report it to 911, on-site law enforcement, or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Two Men Charged in Connection with 2025 Scheme to Rob and Murder Bronx VictimRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging LENYN TORIBIO and WELFY ESPINAL with interstate stalking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking resulting in death in connection with the April 13, 2025, murder of Jeremy Ortega in a residential neighborhood in the Bronx. ESPINAL was arrested this morning in New Jersey and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis, who ordered him detained. TORIBIO remains at large. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon.
“As alleged, Lenyn Toribio and Welfy Espinal intentionally surveilled and tracked Jeremy Ortega before he was fatally shot in front of his own home—over little more than a bag of diamond jewelry,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers deserve to live in neighborhoods free of gun violence. This Office will stop at nothing to hold accountable those who inflict violence on others.”
“As alleged, the stalking and killing of an innocent victim by Lenyn Toribio and Welfy Espinal is horrifying,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Along with our local partners, the FBI will relentlessly pursue depraved individuals who threaten the safety of our citizens.”
“These defendants orchestrated a scheme to place a GPS tracking device on their victim’s car and followed him for days, ultimately leading to his death,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Despite attempts to evade law enforcement by using a stolen license plate from a parked car, NYPD investigators worked tirelessly to identify, arrest, and bring those responsible to justice. I am thankful to our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their hard work in holding these criminals accountable.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and other public filings:
From at least March 2025 through April 13, 2025, TORIBIO and ESPINAL—and other co-conspirators—agreed to, and in fact did, engage in a scheme to surveil Ortega using a GPS tracking device with the intent to rob him, ultimately killing him.
On or about March 28, 2025, TORIBIO activated a GPS tracking device subscribed in his own name. A few days later, ESPINAL adhered that GPS tracker (the “Tracker”) to Ortega’s vehicle as it was parked outside of his residence in the Bronx. The next day, TORIBIO and ESPINAL went to a particular nightclub in upper Manhattan, where Ortega was also located, wearing various items of diamond jewelry.
Less than 10 days later, beginning on or about April 12, 2025, TORIBIO and ESPINAL surveilled Ortega as he traveled to a restaurant in midtown Manhattan, and then they traveled to his neighborhood to conduct surveillance of the area before the murder. TORIBIO and ESPINAL departed the area before returning to Ortega’s neighborhood, where they positioned themselves in anticipation of his arrival. Just over an hour later, Ortega parked in front of his residence and exited his car. Moments after he arrived home, he was chased, shot repeatedly, and robbed of a bag containing his diamond jewelry. In the hours after the murder, the Tracker was recovered from the underside of Ortega’s car.
At different points on the night of the murder, TORIBIO and ESPINAL used multiple vehicles, as well as a license plate stolen from an uninvolved vehicle parked near the George Washington Bridge, to attempt to avoid detection and apprehension by law enforcement.
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TORIBIO, 27, of New York, New York, and ESPINAL, 25, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of interstate stalking resulting in death and aiding and abetting the same, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, as well as one count of conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD, including law enforcement officers from the 45th Precinct and Bronx Homicide Squad, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI’s Violent Threat Initiative.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Wheelock is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
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As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Men Arrested on Federal Charges in Connection with Armed Robbery of Hinsdale Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
Two Men Arrested on Federal Charges in Connection with Armed Robbery of Hinsdale Convenience Store
CONCORD – Two men were arrested today, June 12, 2026, on federal charges stemming from the March 15, 2026 armed robbery of a convenience store in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announced today.
Richard Conner, 64, of Worcester, MA, and James Ferguson, 66, of Greenfield, MA, are each charged by criminal complaint with interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951.
According to the charging documents, on the night of March 15, 2026, at approximately 10:40 p.m., two masked men entered the T-Bird Mini Mart in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. One of the men allegedly brandished a firearm at store employees while the pair stole merchandise, including cigarettes, from the store. The men then allegedly fled the scene in a stolen U-Haul box truck, traveling south on Interstate 91 into Vermont. Investigators recovered stolen merchandise that fell from the vehicle along the getaway route. The U-Haul was discovered on fire and abandoned in Orange, Massachusetts. Some of the visual evidence of the allegations included in the complaint appears below.
Richard Conner and James Ferguson were arrested in Massachusetts without incident and will make their initial appearances in federal court at a future date.
The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Marin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles DeJoie, and paralegal specialist Hayley Orlando are prosecuting the case.
Two Life Prison Sentences for Major Athens Methamphetamine Dealer in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The man who distributed hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine from the Rapid Lube in Athens where he worked, covertly stashing boxes in the shop, was sentenced to life in prison today as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation into a cross-border drug ring moving thousands of kilograms of drugs from Mexico in boxes of jalapeños to a conversion lab in Monroe, Georgia.
James Len Ramey, 54, of Comer, Georgia, was sentenced to serve two life sentences in federal prison, one for each count to be served concurrently, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Oct. 14, 2025. His federal sentence will be served consecutively to his undischarged terms of imprisonment in Habersham County, Georgia, Superior Court Case No. 13CR165RS and Lumpkin County, Georgia, Superior Court Case No. 2013CR183JP. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III presided over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Mexican drug cartels rely on local collaborators to move deadly illegal substances into our country and distribute them, like James Ramey. Without these willing participants, these poisons would never cross the border or devastate lives here,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “The Homeland Security Task Force is focused on dismantling violent organizations, and with our law enforcement partners, we will keep bringing every member to justice to protect our communities.”
"This investigation is a prime example of the critical work being done to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations that operate with impunity, bringing dangerous narcotics into our communities,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Office. “The FBI’s role in this investigation, alongside our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners, has led to the disruption of a significant methamphetamine operation and the arrest of multiple individuals responsible for poisoning our communities.”
“Ramey pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine,” said HSI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank. “He used his job at Rapid Lube, obtained through a prison work-release program, as a cover for trafficking. After his arrest, nearly 14 kilograms of meth were found hidden at the shop. By targeting every level of these operations — from international suppliers to local distributors — the Homeland Security Task Force is making our neighborhoods safer and sending a clear message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated.”
“Methamphetamine destroys families, fuels violent crime and erodes the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “By taking down this network of a dozen traffickers, we’re not just removing drugs, we’re removing the source of addiction, exploitation and tragedy in our communities.”
“This investigation underscores the power of collaboration between federal, state, and local partners to dismantle large-scale drug trafficking operations that threaten our communities,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The sheer volume of methamphetamine seized in this case represents thousands of lives that could have been destroyed. The GBI remains committed to working alongside our partners to identify, investigate, and stop transnational criminal networks operating in Georgia.”
“The vast amount of methamphetamine being supplied is truly alarming and serves as a strong reminder that even in safe, close-knit communities like Walton County, we must stay vigilant,” said Walton County Sheriff Keith Brooks. “Collaboration at all governmental levels is essential for operational success, and we appreciate the strong partnerships.”
“This investigation is another great example of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together toward the shared goal of keeping our community safe. I’m proud of the collaboration and teamwork invested in this case, which led to the seizure of a significant amount of dangerous drugs. These substances have devastating effects on our community and far too often claim lives unnecessarily. Because of the continued dedication of these men and women, there are fewer narcotics and violent offenders on our streets, and our community is safer as a result,” said Athens Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI in Athens received information in January 2024 that Ramey was selling kilograms of methamphetamine from Rapid Lube in Athens, where he worked. The FBI investigation revealed that Ramey was supplied with drugs by individuals operating a methamphetamine conversion lab inside a residence on Mountain Creek Church Road in Monroe (Walton County), who were receiving the drugs from Mexico, stashed in boxes of jalapeños. The methamphetamine was imported into the United States in liquid form, converted at a clandestine conversion laboratory, and ultimately distributed by Ramey to a network of downstream dealers. For more information about this case, including Ramey’s co-defendants and the conversion lab, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/defendants-face-justice-distributing-3200-kilos-methamphetamine.
The methamphetamine conversion lab located on Mountain Creek Church Road in Monroe. Common indicators of a conversion lab include piles of garbage bags, blacked-out windows, and strong chemical odors coming from the property. On August 13, 2024, agents executed a search warrant and uncovered an active lab containing enough liquid methamphetamine to produce more than 300 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. The black garbage bags contained rotting jalapeños, discarded after unloading the trucks transporting the methamphetamine. Evidence from U.S. v. James Len Ramey, 3:24-cr-00024 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
Ramey received approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine every two weeks from his Mexico-based source of supply, whom Ramey met while serving a state prison sentence for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in Lumpkin County, Georgia, Superior Court. The investigation found that Ramey led a sophisticated drug trafficking network that relied upon Mexican suppliers, coded communications, couriers, stash locations, and conversion laboratories capable of producing hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine.
Ramey took advantage of his employment at the Rapid Lube, a position obtained through a state prison work-release program to facilitate his transition back into lawful society, as the base of operations for his large-scale drug trafficking organization. Ramey would secretly store the drugs in boxes at the shop while coordinating transactions and directing the activities of couriers and distributors.
The drug evidence was packaged in oil filter boxes of varying sizes. Within the oil filter boxes, methamphetamine was packaged in a gallon-size plastic bag. Evidence from United States v. James Len Ramey, 3:24-cr-00024 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
After Ramey’s July 3, 2024, arrest and over the next several months, Rapid Lube employees uncovered an additional 13,992.57 grams of methamphetamine he had hidden at the shop. Ramey is responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and repeatedly providing direct support to a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization by sending money across the border to pay for the narcotics he received.
This investigation and prosecution are part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threaten the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States. Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from the ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Two Hells Angels Sentenced for Racketeering Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
Two members of the violent outlaw motorcycle gang, the Hells Angels (HAMC), were sentenced this week for participating in a gang-related attempted murder. David Lee Woodall, 47, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Jason Lee Hathaway, 48, of Columbia City, Indiana, each previously pleaded guilty to Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) attempted murder against their principal rivals, the Pagan Motorcycle Club (PMC). On June 10 and June 12, the court sentenced Hathaway to 51 months in prison and Woodall to 57 months in prison, respectively.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, the HAMC is a transnational violent outlaw motorcycle group that uses violence, threats, and intimidation to carry out its perceived mission and enforce its rules. According to the indictment, the HAMC has several support clubs to include the Red Devil Motorcycle Club (RDMC) that act as feeder outlaw motorcycle clubs in order to recruit members into the HAMC. The HAMC members were under a standing order to attack, injury and kill members of the PMC.
On July 22, 2023, Hathaway rode on his motorcycle into a Dairy Queen in Cumberland County, North Carolina during daytime hours. Finding three PMC members there, Hathaway threatened them with a hammer. Hathaway attempted to strike one with the hammer but instead shattered the glass of the victims’ vehicle. After this attack, Hathaway called other HAMC members to the Dairy Queen as backup. Woodall was among those who answered the call. Once the HAMC assembled, they went out to the parking lot and confronted the same three PMC members, attacking them with hammers, brass knuckles and fists. The attack was suspended only when a PMC member shot at the HAMC members, killing one of them. This occurred while other citizens were patronizing the Dairy Queen. Several unrelated vehicles were damaged by the attack.
Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division A. Tysen Duva and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina W. Ellis Boyle made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Raleigh and Fayetteville, North Carolina Police Departments and Cumberland County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Deputy Chief Kelly Pearson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Peaden and Charity Wilson for the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Two Colombian Nationals in the United States Illegally Sentenced for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two Colombian nationals who were in the United States illegally have been sentenced for trafficking cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Johan Leandro Zapata-Valencia, 26, and Christian Yesid Lugo-Beltran, 26, each to 57 months in prison. Zapata-Valencia and Lugo-Beltran had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
“This case represents the best of local law enforcement. The officers saw something, followed up, and were ultimately able to get 21 kilograms of cocaine off our interstates,” said U.S. Attorney Phil Williams. “Illegal aliens have no place in this country, especially when trafficking major quantities of narcotics.”
“Twenty-one kilograms of cocaine is not just a number—it represents a significant threat to the safety and well-being of our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “This case demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to keep dangerous drugs and the violence they fuel off our streets. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who seek to profit from trafficking poison into our neighborhoods and hold them accountable.”
According to the plea agreements, on February 6, 2025, an officer with the Calera Police Department was on routine patrol when he noticed suspicious behavior by the defendants at a Chevron gas station in Calera, Alabama. After noticing the patrol car, the defendants left Chevron without pumping gas. The officer continued to watch Zapata-Valencia and Lugo-Beltran. They drove across the street to the Valero gas station to get gas. The officer radioed another Calera police officer who was sitting on Interstate 65. A short time later, that second officer conducted a traffic stop for an inoperable tag light. The officer asked for identification, but neither defendant had a driver’s license. The defendants were driving from Los Angeles, California, to Miami, Florida. The officer then asked Zapata-Valencia to exit the vehicle. During a probable cause search for the vehicle, officers discovered a suitcase in the trunk hidden beneath a blanket. Inside the suitcase were 21 individually wrapped bricks of cocaine.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Calera Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany T. Byrd prosecuted the case.
Tonawanda man going to prison on child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Shawn Demmick, 33, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison and 35 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
On March 21, 2025, Demmick possessed a cellular phone, which contained images and videos of child pornography. The images and videos included depictions of prepubescent minors less than 12-years-old minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Corey Flatau.
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Three defendants associated with human trafficking operation sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, Georgia: Three defendants have been sentenced on federal conspiracy charges after a transnational, multi-year investigation into a human smuggling and labor trafficking operation that illegally transported Mexican and Central American workers into brutal conditions on South Georgia farms.
Sentences were handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa G. Wood and announced by Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap. They include:
- Margarita Rojas Cardenas, a/k/a “Maggie Cardenas,” 48, of Reidsville, Georgia, was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $20,838.94 after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Nery Rene Carrillo-Najarro, 61, of Douglas, Georgia, was sentenced to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The court scheduled a restitution hearing on August 4, 2026, to assess victims’ losses and to determine the amount of restitution owed by the defendant.
- Brett Donavan Bussey, 44, of Douglas, was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,224.73 after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This case is an outstanding example of the extensive collaboration with our partner government agencies which led to these convictions,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The work carried out by these professionals has had a direct impact in protecting vulnerable people and preserving the American dream for those who pursue it.”
As described in court documents and proceedings, investigators from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the FBI began investigating the Patricio transnational criminal organization in November 2018. Court documents describe that in or before 2015, the conspirators and their associates “engaged in mail fraud, international forced labor trafficking, and money laundering, among other crimes,” fraudulently using the H-2A work visa program to transport foreign nationals from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras into the United States under the pretext of serving as agricultural workers.
The activities took place within the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Georgia; the Middle District of Florida; the Southern District of Texas; and Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and elsewhere. The conspirators required the workers to pay unlawful fees for transportation, food, and housing while illegally withholding their travel and identification documents and subjected the workers “to perform physically demanding work for little or no pay, housing them in crowded, unsanitary, and degrading living conditions, and by threatening them with deportation and violence.”
The conspirators are alleged to have reaped more than $200 million from the illegal scheme, laundering the funds through cash purchases of land, homes, vehicles, and businesses; through cash purchases of cashier’s checks; and by funneling millions of dollars through a casino.
The case was originally investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, now Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). HSTF is an interagency law enforcement network established to investigate and dismantle transnational criminal organizations, human smuggling networks, and foreign gangs in the United States. Operation Blooming Onion was also designated as a Priority Transnational Organized Crime Case.
“Federal labor programs are not a playground for criminals. Let these sentencings send a clear message: if you exploit workers, commit fraud, launder money, or abuse programs designed to help people, my office will find you and hold you accountable,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. "This scheme preyed on vulnerable individuals and corrupted a lawful worker program for illegal profit. Alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue rooting out fraud, protecting American workers, and ensuring bad actors face the full weight of justice.”
The sentencings of Cardenas, Bussey, and Carrillo-Najarro bring the case against the original 24 defendants to a close. Many of the defendants were sentenced to incarceration and ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the case, with the restitution total reaching more than $1.3 million.
Agencies investigating this case include Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and Wage and Hour Division; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the FBI; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Marshals Service, with assistance from the Georgia National Guard; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia State Patrol; the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office; the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office; the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office; the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office; and the Tift County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan E. Bondura and L. Alexander Hamner.
If you believe you have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Anti-Trafficking Hotline Advocates are available 24/7 to take reports of potential human trafficking. All reports are confidential, and you may remain anonymous. Interpreters are available. The information you provide will be reviewed by the National Hotline and forwarded to specialized law enforcement and/or service providers where appropriate.
Three Defendants Charged with Attempting to Rob Law Enforcement Agents During Undercover Operation in Chicago Suburb; Fourth Defendant Charged with Trafficking FirearmRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Two individuals have been charged in federal court with attempted robbery after they were shot on Tuesday while allegedly attempting to rob federal agents during an undercover investigation in a Chicago suburb. The alleged getaway driver from the attempted robbery was charged with forcibly assaulting a federal officer after allegedly driving a car into a law enforcement vehicle while attempting to flee. A fourth individual was charged with trafficking a firearm as part of this investigation.
With each one pointing a firearm at law enforcement, AMIR A. FAGAN and DEMOND EDWARDS attempted to rob two ATF officers during an undercover operation on Tuesday evening near a residence in Country Club Hills, Ill., according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. According to the complaint, the undercover officers and a confidential informant arrived at the residence to purchase firearms in an ongoing firearms trafficking investigation. While the officers and informant waited outside the residence, Fagan and Edwards allegedly arrived in a car with other individuals. Fagan, Edwards, and a third individual exited the car and allegedly pointed firearms at the officers and informant. A separate team of ATF agents quickly arrived at the scene and fired shots towards Fagan and Edwards, striking Fagan. The alleged getaway driver, CHASHONN TONEY, allegedly rammed the car into an ATF vehicle while attempting to flee.
Edwards ran from the scene on foot but was located by another officer about two blocks away. A physical altercation ensued, with Edwards allegedly striking the officer multiple times in the face and body. In response, the officer shot Edwards, wounding him, the complaint states.
The complaint charges Fagan, 19, of Harvey, Ill., and Edwards, 18, of Markham, Ill., with attempted robbery, while Toney, 18, of Robbins, Ill., is charged with forcibly assaulting a law enforcement officer. The alleged firearms trafficker—TEVIN CURLEE, 29, of Country Club Hills, Ill.—was charged as part of this investigation with unlawfully possessing and transferring a machine gun, according to a separate complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Curlee sold a handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device to undercover law enforcement officers on June 3, 2026, in Crestwood, Ill., the complaint against Curlee states. The defendants' initial appearances in federal court in Chicago are pending.
The complaints were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office. The government in the Fagan, Edwards, and Toney case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Fiedler, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Andres Almendarez represents the government in the Curlee case. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.
“Our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are constantly displaying heroism that makes us all proud,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Every day, these brave officers step into uncertainty with a resolve to protect others, often at great personal risk. Their courage allows our communities to thrive and be better, and exemplifies the highest ideals of public service. Attacks on these heroic men and women in law enforcement will not be tolerated, and our Office will pursue every available measure under the law to hold dangerous criminals accountable when they dare strike at law enforcement and our way of life. I am also proud of the Chicago Assistant U.S. Attorneys and supervisors who immediately jumped into a volatile and fast-moving situation to work with our law enforcement partners to bring immediate charges against these defendants.”
“The attempted armed robbery of our undercover agents highlights the risks law enforcement officers face every day while working to protect our communities and disrupt violent crime,” said ATF SAC Amon. “I want to recognize the professionalism, courage, and swift actions of the agents and officers involved in this incident, and we are grateful that all law enforcement personnel are safe. I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, FBI, and the many suburban police departments that immediately responded to assist and support the investigation.”
“The FBI possesses the specialized skills and vast resources needed to conduct investigations across a wide range of threats from counterintelligence to counterterrorism, cybercrime, public corruption, violent crime, and more," said FBI SAC DePodesta. "Our personnel work around-the-clock lending our talent, resources, and expertise to law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. The FBI remains committed to rooting out violent crime, especially when committed against law enforcement, and ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.”
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
curlee_complaint.pdf fagan_et_al_complaint.pdfTexas Man Sentenced for Pandemic Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Katy, Texas man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Currin Caridine, 39, to 41 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $476,420 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
According to court records, from June 2020 through September 2021, Caridine conspired with others to file false and fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Caridine filed four fraudulent PPP loan applications for himself and received over $80,000. Caridine claimed to be the sole proprietor of non-existent businesses in the entertainment and management consulting industries. Caridine filed false tax returns with his applications. Caridine, who lived in Illinois at the time, filed false EIDL and PPP applications for others, including residents of Maine and New Hampshire. Caridine worked with a co-conspirator and New Hampshire resident, Tyree Jones, to recruit others interested in receiving loans. Jones collected applicants’ personal information, which Caridine used to file fraudulent applications. Jones and Caridine received kickbacks from the loan proceeds they obtained for others. The fraudulent applications resulted in the issuance of approximately $475,000 in EIDL and PPP loans.
Tyree Jones was previously sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act made EIDL funding available to business owners negatively affected by the COVID19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds were funded by the SBA and disbursed by the U.S. Treasury. EIDLs could only be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID19 disaster not occurred.
Paycheck Protection Program: The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the SBA that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Tallahassee Felon Indicted for Multiple Counts of Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Nathan Taylor Porter, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Porter appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Change of plea is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at 11:00 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida.
Porter faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment on each count if convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
The case is being jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Suffolk County woman pleads guilty to her role in fraud schemeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jennifer Poliandro, 35, of Medford, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Between February 18 and February 26, 2026, Poliandro conspired with others to obtain personally identifiable information of multiple victims from the internet and use this information to create counterfeit military identification cards and United States passport cards. These fraudulent cards were then used to obtain and attempt to obtain money from various banks in the Western District of New York area. On February 18, 2026, Poliandro went to a Lake Shore Bank branch in Fredonia, NY, where she used a counterfeit military identification card in the name of an individual residing in Jamestown, NY, to obtain $7,800 from a home equity line of credit account associated with the individual. The total loss amount of the scheme, including actual loss and intended loss, is between $15,000 and $40,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Wood.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2026, before Judge Arcara.
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Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on the Closing of Its Investigation of the Merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros.Read the Press Release
The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“Division”) issued the following statement today in connection with the closing of the Division’s investigation into the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (“WBD” or “Warner Bros.”) by Paramount Skydance (“Paramount”), together (the “Parties”):
The Division has completed its analysis of the proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. and determined based on the evidence received in its investigation that the transaction is not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers, including with respect to: (1) streaming video on demand (“SVOD”); (2) linear television; and (3) studio development, production, or distribution of films for theatrical release. Over the course of a rigorous eight-month investigation led by the Division’s career staff, the Division received from the Parties over two million documents from over 80 custodians, substantial productions of data, as well as extensive documents, data, and advocacy from third parties across the media and entertainment ecosystem. State Attorney General offices (“States”) participated in the Division’s investigation by virtue of the Parties’ voluntary waivers of confidentiality, which allowed the Division and States to share information with each other and for the States to attend and participate in the Division’s depositions.
In December 2025, Netflix entered into an agreement to acquire WBD. Subsequently, Paramount submitted an all-cash tender offer. The Division reviewed both the Netflix proposed acquisition and Paramount’s competing offer. As a consequence of the competitive bidding process between Netflix and Paramount to acquire Warner Bros., the Division’s review of the competitive impacts of an acquisition of WBD began prior to Paramount reaching a definitive agreement with WBD. Throughout the investigation, the Division benefited from the comparative perspectives and contrasting visions presented in these competing proposals on the evolving media and entertainment landscape and the strategic value of WBD.
Warner Bros. has been a repeated acquisition target in the media and entertainment industry. It is thus familiar to the Division from prior investigations and enforcement actions, including AOL/TimeWarner (2001), AT&T/TimeWarner (2018), and WarnerBros./Discovery (2022). The legacy of these transactions illustrates the challenges that arise when the commercial rationale for a deal lacks clear alignment with competitive incentives of the acquiring firm or the competitive evolution of the marketplace. In technology-driven industries, the disruptors of the recent past may quickly become the entrenched monopolists of the present day. It is with this historical experience and present enforcement sensitivity to the contestability of dynamic markets that the Division conducted a thorough investigation of the proposed transaction to assess whether the proposed transaction presented any harm to competition. The extensive investigatory record reviewed by the Division suggests that the impact of the transaction will be to increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.
I. Streaming Video On Demand (“SVOD”)
First, the Division analyzed whether the proposed transaction was likely to harm competition in streaming video on demand (“SVOD”). Streaming has become one of the most prevalent forms of distribution of media content in the digital age. SVOD was pioneered by Netflix in its successful displacement of legacy home video distribution and successful disruption of traditional linear and broadcast offerings. The decline of Blockbuster Video reflects the healthy disruptive potential that drives the American economy as new and innovative solutions displace legacy offerings to meet evolving consumer preferences. Following Netflix’s pioneering role in the emergence of SVOD almost twenty years ago, large tech firms like Amazon, and later legacy media firms like Disney, entered and built SVOD platforms to compete for and meet shifting consumer preferences for scripted content and digital distribution. By comparison, the Parties are historically late entrants into SVOD with less customers subscribing to Paramount+ and Warner Bros.’ HBO Max and discovery+ offerings, compared to those of the three largest streamers today.
The evidence reviewed and carefully analyzed by the Division indicates that, post-merger, competition in SVOD is not likely to be harmed. To the contrary, the combined firm is likely to increase competition by offering consumers a more robust competitive alternative to the larger SVOD offerings. Based on extensive interviews with market participants and review of the parties’ own documents that were made in the ordinary course of business, the parties have a clear path to injecting additional competitive pressures across the media ecosystem to innovate and provide value to creators and consumers. Non-SVOD video alternatives such as YouTube, Tik-Tok, or other social media products do not appear to be competitive substitutes here under well-established antitrust legal precedents, although they compete broadly for consumer attention.
The Division also investigated whether alternative streaming video platforms and consumers might suffer if the combined company were to keep its new content and existing IP captive on its own streaming platforms, as opposed to licensing such content across the media distribution ecosystem, including to competing platforms. Such an outcome appears unlikely given the Parties’ historical practices of broadly licensing content. Even when studios such as Paramount license content on exclusive terms to another streamer, they typically maximize the value of that content by moving it from one streamer to another at the end of a license term to broaden the audience exposure across differentiated distribution channels. The Division identified no evidence to suggest that Paramount’s historical practice or incentive to do so would end following the transaction.
II. Linear Television
Second, the Division analyzed whether the proposed transaction would harm competition related to linear television. Consistent with the above-referenced consumer switching toward streaming, linear television has faced a steady decline as consumers move away from standard cable and satellite packages. The “cord cutting” phenomenon has substantially reduced revenue to both linear network owners and traditional linear distributors. This trend has accelerated in recent years as streaming services have become the primary means by which many people watch movies and television. Like broadcast television, a segment in which the transaction presents no competitive overlap, linear television has historically managed the competitive pressures from streaming alternatives by securing exclusive rights to live programming such as sports and news – segments in which streaming alternatives historically posed limited competitive significance. Today, however, streaming solutions (including non-SVOD offerings) compete aggressively for live programming such as premier sports rights, news, and political commentary (e.g., video podcasts), putting increasing competitive pressure on legacy linear and broadcast networks to secure live programming at higher costs. The evidence reviewed and carefully analyzed by the Division shows that the proposed acquisition is not likely to harm competition for linear television given the robust competitive landscape for live programming.
III. Studio Development, Production, and Distribution of Films for Theatrical Release
Third, the Division analyzed whether the transaction would harm competition for studio development, production, or distribution of films for theatrical release. Similar to the Division’s analysis of SVOD competition, the Division benefited in its assessment of competition for theatrical release on the comparative perspectives and strategic visions outlined in the competing proposals for Warner Bros. studio. Today, the Parties compete against traditional studios such as Disney, Sony, Universal, Lionsgate, and MGM (now owned by Amazon), as well as smaller independents such as A24, NEON, and Blumhouse. In recent years, Netflix and Apple have also entered and signaled a continued interest in theatrical release as a complementary business to SVOD.
The substantial body of evidence available to the Division indicates that the transaction is not likely to harm competition in studio development, production, or distribution of films for theatrical release. Instead, the evidence shows extensive competition within the industry, which has generated greater output and diversity of film offerings, and is likely to continue unabated. In fact, even since the transaction was announced, the evidence shows competition for theatrical production and distribution has increased. Smaller studios have turned to innovative content development and distribution strategies to challenge traditional assumptions regarding the conditions necessary for successful theatrical release. Indeed, this remains true looking even at narrow categories like “tentpole” or “blockbuster” theatrical production and distribution.
For example, non-legacy studios have been successful in developing, producing, and distributing films with significant budgets above $100 million, with additional large budget films soon to be offered in theaters by studios including Lionsgate (Hunger Games), Netflix (Narnia), A24 (Elden Ring), and others. Moreover, recent box office successes since the announcement of the transaction show that a studio’s legacy does not determine whether it can succeed at developing, producing, or distributing in the domestic box office today: including, for example, Amazon MGM (Project Hail Mary), A24 (Backrooms), Lionsgate (Michael), Blumhouse (Obsession). These disruptive industry developments suggest a potential inflection point in the evolving competitive landscape for theatrical production and distribution, supporting the Parties’ incentive to continue to generate and distribute content.1
The Division also analyzed multiple potential theories of harm articulated by complainants and evaluated each substantively on the merits to identify whether any would result in harm to consumers as opposed to harm to a competitor.2
One theory pointed to the purported effects of the Disney/Fox transaction as a comparable event study from which to infer that the proposed transaction risks a reduction in theatrical output. The fatal conceit of that analogy, however, is that the Disney/Fox transaction closed a year before the COVID pandemic began, which drove dramatic changes in studio output and audience content consumption patterns. In the years following the pandemic, Disney substantially increased its total spending on content production in the aggregate across its theatrical and streaming platforms. Moreover, as an entertainment and hospitality business focused historically on developing core franchise IP to monetize across a diversified business, the incentives of Disney with respect to total output of theatrical content do not clearly align with a pure-play media business like Paramount.
Another theory raised whether the merger would harm competition for labor as an input for the production and distribution of scripted content. While taking seriously the potential impact of the proposed transaction on the creative community and domestic labor groups, the substantial evidence does not suggest a likelihood of reduction in output. That is because the demand for creative workers and labor is correlated with the Parties’ incentives to maintain or expand output. Thus, the expressed labor concerns do not raise actionable antitrust concerns.
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The Division’s mandate is to investigate and, if necessary, litigate proposed mergers that harm competition or American consumers. This investigation included a review of reams of documentary evidence, hours of deposition testimony of senior-level executives, interviews with third-party witnesses, and staff-led meetings with the Parties themselves. These investigative efforts all led to the same conclusion: the film and television industry is highly dynamic, and the proposed transaction is not likely to harm competition or American consumers.
1 Consistent with controlling Supreme Court precedent, these facts raise serious questions regarding rigid reliance on historical market shares to sustain a legal presumption of harm regarding competition for theatrical release. See United States v. General Dynamics Corp., 415 U.S. 486, 508 (1974).
2 Brunswick Corp. v. Pueblo Bowl-O-Mat, Inc., 427 U.S. 477, 488 (1977) (citing Brown Show Co. v. United States, 370 U.S. 294, 320 (1962) (“the antitrust laws…were enacted for ‘the protection of competition, not competitors’”).
Springfield Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
Ricky Joe Braden, 38, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 130 months in federal prison without parole, followed by three years of supervised release. Braden pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2025.
Braden was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including tampering with a motor vehicle and forgery. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
On Aug. 8, 2022, officers with the Springfield, Missouri Police Department (SPD) responded to a 911 call at Braden’s residence. Witnesses, who were at the property with the landlord’s permission, reported that Braden retrieved a pistol from a vehicle and pointed the gun at them, demanding they leave the property. Braden then pointed it at his wife before shooting at the ground. While on scene, officers saw Braden exit his residence and travel through backyards in the neighborhood, carrying his child in front of him. Officers were able to eventually handcuff Braden, who was initially uncooperative and ignored multiple commands.
While conducting a search warrant at the residence, SPD investigators found a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol with an extended magazine, a loaded 9mm Glock pistol, a loaded, stolen Charter Arms .38 special revolver, and spent shell casings in Braden’s vehicle. Officers also found a Stag Arms, 5.56 caliber AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle and multiple 30-round magazines in a second truck, and various additional firearm magazines, ammunition, and other firearm accessories on the property. A third vehicle on the property, which appeared to belong to Braden’s wife, had bullet holes in the door and windshield. Braden’s hands tested positive for gunshot residue and officers located brass knuckles on his person.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Mo., 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.
South Carolina Man Charged with Hate Crime for Allegedly Defacing Multiple Buildings at Charlotte Jewish ComplexRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A South Carolina man is facing a hate crime charge for allegedly intentionally defacing multiple buildings within a Charlotte complex used by the Jewish community for religious worship, education, and community activities, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Dalton Ray Mullis, 24, of Indian Land, was arrested on Thursday on a criminal complaint and appeared in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler.
“Posting nazi and lynching symbols on the Jewish Community Center is pure hate and it’s disgusting,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “This is America, which was founded on the free exercise of religion and people ought to be free to worship without being threatened.”
“The individual arrested yesterday is alleged to have distributed threatening materials at community institutions in an attempt to create fear or intimidate individuals based on their religious beliefs. These acts undermine public safety and violate federal law. The right to gather, learn, and worship are fundamental in our country and the FBI will continue to work resolutely with our partners to ensure that all members of the public are free to do so without fear.” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis.
“This arrest reflects the strong partnership between the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our shared commitment that those who commit hate crimes in our jurisdiction are held accountable,” said CMPD Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson. “CMPD works tirelessly to keep our community safe, and that includes protecting every person’s right to worship without fear. Acts that target or threaten our houses of worship and cultural institutions have no place in Charlotte. We will not tolerate intimidation of any kind, and we will continue to stand with law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and security of our community.”
According to allegations contained in the affidavit filed with criminal complaint, in the evening of January 19, 2026, an individual later identified as Mullis traveled to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) located within the Foundation of Shalom Park (Shalom Park) complex in Charlotte. Shalom Park also includes the Charlotte Jewish Day School (CJDS), the Holocaust Memorial, and other facilities occupied by multiple organizations that operate Jewish religious, cultural, and educational programs. It is alleged that Mullis defaced multiple buildings on the property including CJDS, the Holocaust Memorial, and an employee building, by affixing threatening, antisemitic flyers. The flyers depicted a noose, a swastika, and a Totenkopf or “death’s head,” which is historically associated with the German Nazi party and SS. It is further alleged that surveillance cameras on the property captured Mullis spraying one of the entrances to the CJDS with what appears to be an adhesive spray and placing the antisemitic flyer onto the door.
Charging documents also allege that between January and April 2026, Mullis posted antisemitic messages and imagery on multiple social media sites through accounts he owned and operated, including the following post:
Antisemitic Social Media Message Allegedly Posted by Mullis
Mullis remains in federal custody. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The ultimate sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI Charlotte’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case and thanked the FBI in Columbia, the Lancaster County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dallas Kaplan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte and Trial Attorneys Taylor Payne and Thomas Cilla with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The charges against Mullis are allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.
Six Illegal Aliens Sentenced, Four Others Indicted for Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND and TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office has announced immigration enforcement actions for the month of May in the Northern District of Ohio. These are separate cases and are not related.
The following individuals have been sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge after each previously pleaded guilty to their roles in violating federal immigration laws. All defendants will remain detained after serving their sentences, pending deportation from the United States.
Jeyson Rodriguez-Lanza, 35, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being March 15, 2023. He was found in Norwalk, in Huron County, on Feb. 17.
Genry Sanchez-Espinoza, 29, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 9, 2018. He was found in Sandusky, in Erie County on Feb. 16.
Mario Gregorio-Arias, 49, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to four months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least four occasions with the most recent being April 17, 2018. He was found in Norwalk, in Huron County, on Feb. 17.
Candelaria del Rosario Lopez-Bautista, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. She was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Nov. 16, 2010. She was found in Perkins Township, in Erie County, on Feb. 20.
Cesar Mazariegos-Lopez, aka Cesar Masariegos-Lopez, aka Cesar M. Lopez, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Nov. 16, 2010. He was found in Perkins Township, in Erie County, on Feb. 20.
Yeixon Brito-Gonzalez, aka Yiexon Maikenedy Brito-Gonzalez, 21, a citizen of Venezuela, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to Possession of Fraudulent Documents. In January, he was found residing in Sandusky, in Erie County, and possessed counterfeit Legal Permanent Resident and Social Security cards.
Additionally, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Victor M. Diaz-Montes De Oca, 34, a citizen of Mexico, with Providing Contraband in Prison and Illegal Reentry. According to court documents and evidence presented before the judge, he was found in Lisbon, in Columbiana County, attempting to provide tobacco, six cellphones, and 30 vapes, to an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Elkton. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being April 20, 2014.
Federal grand juries also returned indictments for the following individuals:
Miguel Galindo De Jesus, 49, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with Illegal Reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the with the most recent being Dec. 11, 2012. He was found May 8 in Canton, in Stark County.
Miguel Angel Hernandez-Chavez, 33, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with Illegal Reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being June 11, 2024. He was found April 9 in Bryan, in Williams County.
Anibal Tejada-Estrella, 45, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was charged with Illegal Reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the with the most recent being June 20, 2023. He was found April 22 in Brooklyn Heights, in Cuyahoga County.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Simko, Ava Rotell Dustin, Jennifer King, Brett Hammond, Dexter Phillips, and Alissa M. Sterling for Northern District of Ohio.
These investigations were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 8, 2026.
Xavier Orrin Hinds, 44, was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hinds was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.
On October 8, 2024, law enforcement officers discovered Hinds in possession of firearms following an automobile accident on I-229 in Sioux Falls. Despite being aware he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, Hinds was carrying a pistol on his person and had another handgun inside his car.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.
Hinds was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy
CONCORD – Tabitha O’Brien, age 46, of Rochester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
According to court documents and statements, in early 2024, law enforcement began investigating a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) based in Massachusetts and operating in New Hampshire. This DTO trafficked multiple kilograms of fentanyl and methamphetamine. During the conspiracy, O’Brien bought drugs from the DTO, namely, fentanyl, which she then sold to her own customers around Rochester. O’Brien has been detained since her arrest in October 2024. Sentencing is set for September 22, 2026.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Department of Homeland Security led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office and New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Shannon and Yasir Sadat are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Robeson County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Zackary Helsel, 26, to 25 years in prison for recording his rape of a 12-year-old girl. On March 12, 2026, Helsel pleaded guilty to the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“Protecting our children is the highest priority for federal prosecutors in the EDNC. We will prosecute anyone engaging in this heinous conduct to the fullest extent of the law. We will stomp out evil behavior by depraved spiders like this whenever we find them.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
Helsel repeatedly sexually abused a 12-year-old girl between February and May 2025. Helsel recorded at least some of this horrendous sexual abuse on his cell phone and used the content to blackmail his victim. While executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered the video he made on his cell phone.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Karen Haughton prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-cr-00098.
Republic Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of firearms.
Franklin E. Brownlee, 41, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 60 months in federal prison without parole, followed by three years of supervised release. Brownlee pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2025.
According to court records, on March 27, 2025, deputies with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) responded to a domestic disturbance at Brownlee’s residence. During the incident, Brownlee discharged the firearm over the head of the victim. Upon learning that police were responding to his residence, Brownlee, who was under the influence of alcohol and methamphetamine, had gathered multiple firearms and was behaving erratically. Brownlee made multiple statements threatening to kill responding officers. Officers responded, utilizing drones to monitor the situation, and prevent Brownlee from driving away from the property.
During the incident, Brownlee stood outside of his shop building and appeared to hold a firearm. Deputies reported hearing a gunshot. The drone footage captured Brownlee attempting to shoot at the drones. After several hours, law enforcement was able to convince Brownlee to disarm and surrender. Investigators located a Glock 26 pistol, a Remington model 17 shotgun, and a SGT Stitched Armory AR15 in Brownlee’s truck. All three firearms were loaded and a tactical vest containing AR15 magazines was in Brownlee’s shop.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Greene County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.
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).
Previously convicted felon pleads guilty to running straw-purchasing firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A previously convicted felon pleaded guilty in federal court here to crimes related to a straw-purchasing firearms conspiracy involving more than 20 guns seized from criminals in other states.
Delonte Robertson, 33, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to conspiring to and making false statements during the acquisition of a firearm and to transferring firearms interstate.
According to court documents, between 2021 and 2023, Robertson devised a scheme to recruit women with no criminal records to purchase firearms and then provide the guns to Robertson. The defendant then provided the firearms to criminals in other states.
More than 20 firearms were recovered by law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C. and Maryland that were purchased in Ohio as part of Robertson’s conspiracy.
Making false statements during the acquisition of a firearm carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Conspiring to make false statements during the acquisition of a firearm and transferring firearms out-of-state are federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison. 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 Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea offered on June 11 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Geraghty is representing the United States in this case.
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Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Oluwakayode Ajayi, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone on June 11, 2026.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Ajayi engaged in a scheme to defraud banks by impersonating account holders and presenting forged checks which he negotiated for cash.
A date for sentencing will be scheduled by the Court. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court continued Ajayi’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and the Moon Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ajayi.
Philadelphia man sentenced to 11 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, during four controlled purchases from July 2025 through November 2025, Darrell Lameer Carter, 35, distributed approximately 1,504 grams of pure methamphetamine. On Dec. 3, 2025, investigators arrested Carter and searched his vehicle and two residences.
From Carter’s vehicle, investigators recovered three cellphones, a dropper vial of suspected Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), 26 pills containing methamphetamine, and a drug ledger which contained customer names and prices. From one of Carter’s residences, in which he resided with his young child and the child’s mother, investigators recovered approximately 2,770 grams of pure methamphetamine, 619 pills containing approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine, two scales, a semi-automatic handgun, a magazine loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition, $17,450.25, an additional cellphone, and a laptop computer.
USAO EDVAA review of Carter’s various devices revealed communications indicating that Carter purchased up to 20 pounds of methamphetamine per month for resale, as well as other controlled substances. Carter has a prior conviction for distribution of MDMA.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division investigated this case with assistance from the Arlington County Police Department, George Mason University Police Department, and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Hahn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-49.
Ohio Resident Charged with Wire Fraud and Embezzlement of More Than $460,000Read the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Conneaut, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of wire fraud and theft, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The five-count Indictment named Yelena Andrews, 48, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around May 2024 to in and around March 2025, Andrews, while employed as a paralegal with an Erie, Pennsylvania, law firm, did devise and intend to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud by means of false and fraudulent pretenses. The Indictment alleges that Andrew’s actions resulted in the embezzlement of approximately $462,376 to which she was not entitled.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Norfolk sailor sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually exploiting a minorRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Bailey Dwayne Burnett, 26, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, in January 2023, Burnett, who was an active-duty U.S. Navy sailor stationed in Norfolk, began communicating with fellow sailor Zhane Tavern Elamin. Burnett exchanged multiple image and video files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) with Elamin and discussed methods to engage minors.
On Aug. 20, 2025, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service seized Burnett’s cellphone. During a forensic examination, investigators identified 69 images of CSAM and numerous platforms and accounts, including two for file sharing service Mega NZ. Burnett’s Mega accounts contained 3,692 images and videos of CSAM, including the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
Investigators also identified communications between Burnett and a 14-year-old victim from Italy who moved to the United States. Using Facetime, imessage, and Discord, Burnett coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Bailey sent the victim sexually explicit photos and videos of himself and received sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim.
Burnett was separated from the Navy in December 2025 as a result of his conduct.
Elamin pled guilty on June 12, 2024, to the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. On Oct. 21, 2024, Elamin was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-110 (Burnett) and 24-cr-33 (Elamin).
Newport News felon sentenced to two years in prison for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
A Newport News man was sentenced today to two years in prison followed by nine months of electronically monitored home confinement for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on Feb. 8, 2023, Carl Henry Coleman III, 34, was driving recklessly in excess of 70 mph in a posted 45 mph zone and weaving in and out of traffic when Newport News Police (NNPD) observed him and performed a traffic stop. Because neither Coleman nor his passenger was licensed to drive, officers initiated the process to tow the vehicle and conducted an inventory search. In a backpack on the floorboard behind the driver seat was a loaded handgun, along with Coleman’s social security card and bank card.
Among other crimes, Coleman was prosecuted federally at age 21 for making false statements to law enforcement about the location of a discarded murder weapon that had been used in a gang-related double homicide. In 2016, he was convicted for threatening to kill and physically assault a victim. As a previously convicted felon, Coleman cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office investigated this case with assistance from NNPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-43.
New Mexico Man Facing Federal Hate Crime Charge Following Attacks at Local Synagogue and Jewish Community CenterRead the Press Release
An Albuquerque, New Mexico man is in custody on federal charges for allegedly damaging religious property during back-to-back attacks at two local Jewish facilities.
According to court documents, on June 2, Rex Crofton, 25, targeted two Jewish community facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during a series of motivated attacks. At approximately 4:31 PM, Crofton arrived at Congregation Albert in a silver sedan. He exited the vehicle and used a tool to shatter the synagogue’s glass entry doors. After “flipping off” the building and shouting an indecipherable statement, he fled the scene. Roughly eight minutes later, at 4:39 PM, Crofton arrived at the Jewish Community Center (JCC). Surveillance footage captured him running to the front doors and repeatedly striking them with a metal tool appearing to be a crowbar. When JCC security guards approached and pursued him, Crofton threw the tool into his passenger window. A security guard managed to pepper spray Crofton through the window before Crofton sped out of the busy parking lot. The incident forced the JCC to issue an emergency closure, disrupting camp pickup and alarming numerous witnesses.
Following the attacks, Crofton sent threatening text messages to a family friend, boasting, “... I just hit two synagogues in 5 minutes,” and stating he would love to kill any police officers who intervened. Law enforcement tracked Crofton to an Albuquerque residence, where he surrendered and was arrested on June 3, by the Albuquerque Police Department. A subsequent federal search warrant executed on his residence and vehicles uncovered the crowbar-like wrecking bar used in the attack, the clothing he wore, a revolver, high-capacity magazines, various other weapons including a machete and brass knuckles, and a torn Ukrainian flag defaced with a drawn swastika.
Crofton is charged with damage to religious property. If convicted of the current charge, the defendant faces up to three years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico, and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tavo Hall and Meg Melick for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Jersey Co-Conspirator Sentenced for Role in Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain Loans Guaranteed by the Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A New Jersey man received a federal-prison term, today, for his role in a multi-million-dollar bank fraud conspiracy. As part of the scheme, co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $35 million in Small Business Administration (SBA) loans from financial institutions to purchase hotels.
Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Rajendra G. Parikh, 65, of Monroe, New Jersey, to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Additionally, Judge Chasanow ordered Parikh to forfeit $6 million and pay restitution of $6,010,655.72. In 2025, Parikh and his co-conspirators Mehul Ramesh Khatiwala, aka “Mike Khatiwala,” 44, of Voorhees, New Jersey, and Jennifer H. Watkins, 50, of Marlton, New Jersey, pled guilty to the federal charges.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region. This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court documents, Parikh was an owner of KPG Hotel Mgmt. LLC (KPG) and Khatiwala was the owner and managing member of Delaware Hotel Group LLC (DHG), and an operator of GMK Consulting LLC (GMK) and KPG. These LLCs were hotel management and loan brokerage companies located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Additionally, Watkins served as a project coordinator for DHG and managing member of Forza Consulting LLC, a hotel consulting and loan brokerage company located in Marlton, New Jersey. An additional co-conspirator, Rebecca Marie Cohn, 39, aka Rebecca Marie Stanton, worked as a settlement and title processor for Residential Title & Escrow Company, a real estate title company located in Owings Mills, Maryland.
As part of the scheme, from August 2018 through February 2020, Parikh, Khatiwala, and Watkins conspired to obtain loan proceeds to buy and sell hotels in connection with a hotel-flipping scheme. “Flipping” is a real-estate investment strategy that involves purchasing property to hold for a short period before selling it to make a quick profit. During the SBA-loan application process, the co-conspirators made and caused others to make material misrepresentations and omissions to financial institutions regarding the sellers’ identity, familial relationships between parties, and the nature and amount of the equity injected by the borrowers. The co-conspirators sought loans through the SBA’s Section 7(a) Program, which guaranteed and insured approximately 75-85 percent of these loans, and required that the small business owner/borrower invest a certain amount of their own money into the business to qualify for the loan.In their guilty pleas, Parikh and Khatiwala admitted that they acted as managers or supervisors in connection with the scheme. Additionally, Parikh, Khatiwala, and Watkins admitted that they created shell companies using co-conspirators as straw owners of the entities. These straw owners had no actual ownership interest in the entities as Parikh and Khatiwala were the true owners. The straw owners signed purchase contracts, operating agreements, and related documents to buy hotel properties in the name of the shell companies.
Then co-conspirators, supervised in part by Parikh, created a second company to purchase the hotels from the shell companies at substantially higher prices. After the co-conspirators formed the companies to control both sides of the flip transaction, they solicited banks for small-business loans to finance the buying company’s purchase of the hotel from the straw companies. Then the co-conspirators helped the buying companies qualify for the loans by falsely representing investors’ equity injections to the banks, among other false statements, misrepresentations, and omissions. The financial institutions extending the loans relied on the false statements and misrepresentations.
Judge Chasanow previously sentenced Khatiwala to seven years in federal prison and Watkins to three years. Additionally, Cohn, who pled guilty to knowingly and willfully making false statements to financial institutions in connection with real-estate settlements, was credited with time served.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FHFA-OIG and FDIC-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Ari D. Evans, who are prosecuting the federal case, and recognized Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Zharde Todman.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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New Hampshire Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Manchester, New Hampshire, man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court records, on January 19, 2025, Steven Jones, 46, was traveling in a vehicle that was reportedly driving erratically in York County. A Maine State Police trooper responded and found Jones and his companions parked in a restaurant parking lot. During the encounter, Jones got out of the car and a firearm slipped out of his waistband. He then fled the scene but was ultimately apprehended. Police recovered cocaine, methamphetamine, seven long knives, five firearms (including the one Jones dropped), as well as masks, gloves, tactical gear, and more than $3,000 in U.S. currency. Police later learned that Jones was the leader of a significant drug trafficking organization based in Manchester who was on his way to recover a drug debt—using the weapons and tactical gear he had brought with him—from a Maine-based drug associate.
Jones faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison, a maximum fine of $10 million and a maximum supervised release term of life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Maine State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 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).
More Than 250 New Immigration Cases Added in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 254 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 5 through June 11, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crimes including crimes against children, thefts, and multiple prior removals. Across the district, 76 of the charges are for improper entry by an alien, 142 are for illegal re-entry, 20 cases are for alien smuggling, and 13 are for fraud and misuse of visas, permits and related documents.
Among the new cases, four individuals were arrested near Socorro and charged via a criminal complaint with alien smuggling after their alleged smuggling scheme was foiled by U.S. Border Patrol agents on June 7. The complaint alleges that agents located and apprehended eight illegal aliens who admitted they had crossed the Rio Grande River, used a ladder to climb over the international boundary fence, and entered the U.S. without inspection or authorization. During processing at the Ysleta Border Patrol Station, agents observed that one of the illegal aliens had received incoming calls and messages from multiple phone numbers associated with alien smuggling activity. Further investigation led to the location and arrests of Adrian Silvestre Ortiz, Sheyla Carrillo-Aguilar and Veronica Madrid, who were allegedly involved in the planned pickup and transportation of the illegal aliens. An alleged fourth conspirator, Irvin Alonso Guzman Luna, admitted he served as the foot guide for the illegal aliens after they crossed into the U.S., according to the criminal complaint.
U.S. citizen Ashley Villalobos is charged with alien smuggling for allegedly attempting to smuggle two Mexican children from Hidalgo that she picked up at a grocery store in Ciudad Juarez. A criminal complaint alleges that Villalobos stated she was going to be paid $1,500 per child and had smuggled illegal alien minors twice in May.
Raul Oliver Rede-Mendez, an illegal alien from Mexico with a lengthy record of felony convictions, was found at or near Texas State Highway Loop 375, about a half mile west of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry in El Paso. Rede-Mendez has also gone by the names Raul Fierro-Mendez, Juan Rede, and Raul Reyes. He’s been removed from the U.S. four times, the last being in May 2024, following an illegal re-entry conviction. He’s also been convicted of failure to stop at the scene of personal injury, theft by shoplifting, obstructing judiciary/congress/legislature, assault, and more.
Edwin Eberaldo Miranda-Hinojosa, an illegal alien from Bolivia, was arrested in El Paso for allegedly attempting to evade immigration laws by appearing under an assumed or fictitious name. According to a criminal complaint, Miranda-Hinojosa applied for admission into the United States at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry via the pedestrian primary, presenting a counterfeit Border Crossing Card. The complaint alleges that Miranda-Hinojosa initially claimed that the document was his but then stated that he obtained it from another individual and was going to pay $4,000 for it after he entered the U.S. Miranda-Hinojosa was removed from the U.S. in December 2025, following his second DWI conviction within five years. He has also been previously convicted multiple times of assault and battery of a family member.
Javier Granados-Leon, an illegal alien from Mexico with eight prior deportations, was found in the Hays County Jail on June 4. His criminal record includes three convictions for improper entry by an alien, four convictions for illegal re-entry, two DWIs, two failures to identify, two convictions for manufacturing/delivering controlled substances, and one conviction for assault causing bodily injury. Granados-Leon has also gone by the names Miguel Basilio Hernandez and Mondregon-Jaimes. He’s now charged again with one count of illegal re-entry.
On June 5, ICE Enforcement Removal Operations officers responded to assist Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers with a traffic stop on Interstate Highway 35 in New Braunfels. According to a criminal complaint, the driver of the pulled over vehicle was Alejandro Quezada-Mota, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was previously removed from the United States in December 2011. In April 2008, Quezada-Mota was convicted in Harris County of aggravated sexual assault of a child and was sentenced to seven years confinement. He now faces one count of illegal re-entry and, if he’s convicted, up to 20 years in federal prison.
In Del Rio, Santos Rutilio Barahona-Banegas, a convicted felon and illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Barahona-Rojas has been deported five times, the most recent being in March 2023. His criminal record includes prior convictions of cocaine possession, family violence and child cruelty, illegal re-entry, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Also in Del Rio, USBP agents arrested Fernando Omar Aguilar-Gonzalez aka Manuel Aguilar Pena. Aguilar-Gonzalez is an illegal alien from Mexico who has been deported from the U.S. four times, the last being in July 2019. He has been previously convicted of grand larceny, possession of a controlled substance, escape from confinement, and burglary of a habitation. He’s now charged with illegal re-entry.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, 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), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
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.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Couple Sentenced for Abducting and Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old They Groomed OnlineRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A married couple was sentenced today to lengthy prison terms for grooming a teenager online before picking her up in Virginia and repeatedly sexually abusing her as they drove back to their apartment in Missouri.
Justin Johiah Curtright, 41, was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison. His wife, Christin Marie Curtright, 33, was sentenced to 27 years. The Curtrights, of Springfield, Missouri, pled guilty in 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor and transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
“This Office is committed to seeking maximum accountability against predators who target our children online or through other means. This sentence should send a clear message to those who exploit our children: you will be identified by law enforcement and prosecuted to the full extent of the law by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci. “I wish to thank the Springfield, Missouri Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation for their outstanding work bringing these predators to justice.”
“The abduction and abuse of a young child is a crime beyond measure- feeding on fear, destroying innocence, and leaving scars that last a lifetime. This case exemplifies just how important it is for parents to stay alert. The internet can be a hunting ground, and awareness is your child’s first line of defense. Law enforcement will continue to hunt down and bring to justice those who continue to prey on our youth,” said Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
According to court documents, in 2024 Justin Curtright first contacted the minor victim on Discord, an online video chatting platform. Justin later introduced the victim to his wife, and from that point, the three talked extensively, both online and by phone. As encouraged by Justin, the victim’s family did not know about her contact with the Curtrights.
The Curtrights also engaged in sexually explicit acts on camera while video chatting with the victim and urged her to do the same. Justin would frequently pretend to be the victim’s father.
After weeks of planning, in the summer of 2024, the Curtrights met the victim near her home in Virginia. The victim got into the Curtrights’ van, and they drove her back to Missouri. While on the road, the Curtrights took turns sexually abusing the victim in the back of the van. Once they reached their apartment, they continued their sexual exploitation of the victim for several more days.
Days later, officers with the Springfield Police Department went to the Curtrights’ apartment, where they found the victim hiding in the back of a closet in the Curtrights’ bedroom. The victim had an ID card that Justin Curtright gave her, which falsely represented her as Justin’s daughter.
Springfield officers seized the Curtrights’ phones, which held video and images of the victim’s online sexual exploitation, as well as images of the victim being abused during the drive to Missouri.
Investigators later obtained extensive Discord chat logs, which revealed how the Curtrights doggedly groomed and manipulated the victim. The chat logs also showed that Justin was actively seeking and sexually exploiting other children online. Justin told his wife that he had a fantasy of sexually abusing a teenaged runaway.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Springfield Police Department, and various local law enforcement agencies investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Drew O. Inman and Lee S. Brett prosecuted the case for the United States.
The case was 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Middle Tennessee Man Indicted for Crypto Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee returned an 11-count indictment charging a middle Tennessee man with multiple crimes related to his running of a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme while a resident of Shelby County. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the indictment today.
As alleged in the indictment, Misam M. Abidi, 47, of Nolensville, Tennessee, executed a scheme to defraud millions of dollars from investors across the country through his cryptocurrency investment firm, Star Credit Holdings, between 2020 and 2024. Abidi made a variety of misrepresentations to his investors in order to convince them to invest in Star Credit Holdings. These misrepresentations included: 1) guaranteed high rates of return, (2) that Abidi had a significant reserve fund to make his investors whole if necessary, and (3) that Abidi had substantially more capital under his management than he actually did.
The indictment alleges that Abidi provided the Star Credit Holdings investors with fictitious statements, as well as returns that were purportedly from trading activity but were the investment principal of other investors. Moreover, Abidi helped his investors take out loans in their names to provide them with greater access to funds to invest with Star Credit Holdings. Abidi, with the knowledge of at least one investor, falsified an affidavit stating that the investor’s identity had been stolen to take out the loan. Abidi diverted over $1,900,000 of investor funds to himself and his family. Additionally, Abidi failed to report income from his Star Credit Holdings business on his income tax returns.
The indictment alleges 3 counts of wire fraud, 2 counts of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, 3 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, and 3 counts of money laundering. If convicted, Abidi faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each count of wire fraud, 5 years for each count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, 3 years for each count of preparing false tax returns, and 10 years for each count of money laundering. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Ponzi schemes, cryptocurrency scams, and financial fraud can be devastating to individual investors, harmful to financial institutions, and detrimental to the U.S. Treasury. We commend our federal agency partners for their outstanding investigation in this egregious case. Wherever fraud occurs in the Western District of Tennessee, this office will be prepared to hold offenders accountable."
“Schemes that rely on deception, fictitious investment statements, and the misuse of loan proceeds undermine the integrity of our financial system and erode the trust of honest taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents are committed to following the money, uncovering complex financial schemes, and bringing to justice those who abuse our tax and financial infrastructure for their own benefit.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant United States Attorney William Carey Bateman III, for the Western District of Tennessee, is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Master of Shadow Fleet Tanker Pleads Guilty in D.C. for Evading U.S. Coast Guard During Weeks-Long PursuitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, the former ship master of a shadow fleet tanker that historically transported Iran- and Venezuela-origin oil for the ultimate benefit of U.S. adversaries, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for refusing to obey orders from the U.S. Coast Guard during a multi-week pursuit from the Caribbean Sea through to the North Atlantic Ocean, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“This defendant put American sailors’ and Coast Guardsmen’s lives at risk while attempting to evade U.S. sanctions and move illicit oil,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro for the District of Columbia. “By refusing lawful orders from the U.S. Coast Guard and leading them on a chase across the Atlantic Ocean, he not only obstructed federal law enforcement, but forced our service members to carry out a dangerous boarding operation in heavy seas. Today’s guilty plea makes clear that those who endanger American service members and attempt to undermine our sanctions laws will be held fully accountable.”
Kalandadze, of the Republic of Georgia, pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to failing to heave to a Coast Guard cutter. Sentencing is set for August 7. Failing to obey an order to heave to carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, absent aggravating circumstances. Kalandadze will be deported at the completion of his prison term.
“Kalandadze’s guilty plea today should serve as a warning to ghost fleet owners and operators and all those who man or otherwise support these dangerous, decrepit vessels,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Department of Justice and our interagency partners will pursue the ghost fleet and its facilitators from the Caribbean Sea to the North Atlantic, to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Persian Gulf, and anywhere in between. You will not escape.”
“Kalandadze led the U.S. Coast Guard on a reckless weeks-long chase across the Atlantic, endangering servicemembers’ lives all to turn a profit on sanctioned oil for the benefit of U.S. adversaries,” said Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Despite early attempts to evade detection, Homeland Security Investigations and our task force partners used our expertise in countering illicit finance and dark fleet movements to identify, locate, and seize these sanctioned tankers. HSI’s success in this space comes from our unique transnational criminal investigative authorities, using every tool available to protect the homeland from bad actors working to literally fuel America’s enemies.”
“Kalandadze used a range of deceptive maritime tactics in an attempt to evade the U.S. Coast Guard and move millions of barrels of illicit oil tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and other sanctioned actors engaged in terrorism,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “Those who attempt to evade U.S. sanctions by ignoring U.S. Coast Guard orders will be investigated thoroughly. The FBI and our partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable anyone who uses the global maritime system to finance terrorism.”
According to the plea agreement, from September 2025 until late-December 2025, Kalandadze was the Master of the Motor Tanker Bella 1. During his time as Master, the Bella 1 transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia. During this time, Kalandadze employed common obfuscation techniques to hide the activities of the Bella 1, including sailing with an inactivated Automatic Identification System (AIS) and concealing the name of the Bella 1 while engaging in a ship-to-ship transfer of the Iran-origin oil to another vessel.
In December 2025, while under his charge, the Bella 1 was enroute to Venezuela when it was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro. The Bella 1 failed to comply with the Coast Guard’s order to heave to and fled across the Atlantic Ocean. The Munro pursued the Bella 1 throughout its flight and, on January 7 aided in the execution of a lawful seizure of the vessel.
During the flight and at the direction of a corporate representative of the Operator, Kalandadze took multiple steps to avoid the Coast Guard interdiction, including disobeying multiple orders by authorized federal law enforcement officers to heave to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Munro and destroying records and information onboard the Bella 1.
This case is being investigated by HSI and the FBI. Significant assistance on this matter was provided by the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and the Office of International Affairs. The Department extends its gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of War for their bravery, dedication, and assistance on this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher T. Tortorice and Jonathan Hornok for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean R. Heiden of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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Master of Ghost Fleet Tanker Pleads Guilty in D.C. for Evading U.S. Coast Guard During Weeks-Long PursuitRead the Press Release
Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, the former ship master of a ghost fleet tanker that historically transported Iran- and Venezuela-origin oil for the ultimate benefit of U.S. adversaries, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for refusing to obey orders from the U.S. Coast Guard during a multi-week pursuit from the Caribbean Sea through to the North Atlantic Ocean.
“Kalandadze’s guilty plea today should serve as a warning to ghost fleet owners and operators and all those who man or otherwise support these dangerous, decrepit vessels,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Department of Justice and our interagency partners will pursue the ghost fleet and its facilitators from the Caribbean Sea to the North Atlantic, to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Persian Gulf, and anywhere in between. You will not escape.”
“This defendant put American sailors’ and Coast Guardsmen’s lives at risk while attempting to evade U.S. sanctions and move illicit oil,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “By refusing lawful orders from the U.S. Coast Guard and leading them on a chase across the Atlantic Ocean, he not only obstructed federal law enforcement, but forced our service members to carry out a dangerous boarding operation in heavy seas. Today’s guilty plea makes clear that those who endanger American service members and attempt to undermine our sanctions laws will be held fully accountable.”
“Kalandadze led the U.S. Coast Guard on a reckless weeks-long chase across the Atlantic, endangering servicemembers’ lives all to turn a profit on sanctioned oil for the benefit of U.S. adversaries,” said Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director John Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Despite early attempts to evade detection, Homeland Security Investigations and our task force partners used our expertise in countering illicit finance and dark fleet movements to identify, locate, and seize these sanctioned tankers. HSI’s success in this space comes from our unique transnational criminal investigative authorities, using every tool available to protect the homeland from bad actors working to literally fuel America’s enemies.”
“Kalandadze used a range of deceptive maritime tactics in an attempt to evade the U.S. Coast Guard and move millions of barrels of illicit oil tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and other sanctioned actors engaged in terrorism,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “Those who attempt to evade U.S. sanctions by ignoring U.S. Coast Guard orders will be investigated thoroughly. The FBI and our partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable anyone who uses the global maritime system to finance terrorism.”
Kalandadze, of the Republic of Georgia, pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to failing to heave to a Coast Guard cutter. Sentencing is set for Aug. 7. Failing to obey an order to heave to carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, absent aggravating circumstances. Kalandadze will be deported at the completion of his prison term.
According to the plea agreement, from September 2025 until late-December 2025, Kalandadze was the Master of the Motor Tanker Bella 1. During his time as Master, the Bella 1 transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia. During this time, Kalandadze employed common obfuscation techniques to hide the activities of the Bella 1, including sailing with an inactivated Automatic Identification System (AIS) and concealing the name of the Bella 1 while engaging in a ship-to-ship transfer of the Iran-origin oil to another vessel.
In December 2025, while under his charge, the Bella 1 was enroute to Venezuela when it was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro. The Bella 1 failed to comply with the Coast Guard’s order to heave to and fled across the Atlantic Ocean. The Munro pursued the Bella 1 throughout its flight and, on Jan. 7 aided in the execution of a lawful seizure of the vessel.
During the flight and at the direction of a corporate representative of the Operator, Kalandadze took multiple steps to avoid the Coast Guard interdiction, including disobeying multiple orders by authorized federal law enforcement officers to heave to the U.S. Coast Guard Munro and destroying records and information onboard the Bella 1.
This case is being investigated by HSI and the FBI. Significant assistance on this matter was provided by the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and the Office of International Affairs. The Department extends its gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of War for their bravery, dedication, and assistance on this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher T. Tortorice and Jonathan Hornok for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean R. Heiden of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Maryland Man Sentenced in D.C. to 42 Months in Trafficking Counterfeit OxycodoneRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daijon West, 29, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 42 months in connection with a years-long conspiracy to distribute fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills in the Washington, D.C., area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
West pleaded guilty on Feb. 5, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered West to serve 4 years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 68-month prison sentence.
According to court papers, West distributed fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills in the Washington region during a period of several years. He obtained bulk quantities of the pills from a supplier in California, either by traveling to the West Coast himself or by arranging for the pills to be mailed to him. In one instance, in May 2022, law enforcement seized a package containing about 5,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills sent from California to West’s home in Maryland.
Between September 2022 and April 2025, West sold fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills to a law enforcement source on nine occasions. The quantities ranged from 100 to more than 1,000 pills per transaction. Testing confirmed the pills contained fentanyl, and in some transactions, they also detected fentanyl analogues, methamphetamine, xylazine, or other substances.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel.
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Maryland Felon Pleads Guilty to Carrying Loaded Glock Outside D.C. Gas StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyzell Myrick, 30, a previously convicted felon residing in Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in connection with his possession of a firearm when he was stopped by police at a Northwest D.C. gas station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Myrick pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Contreras scheduled sentencing for September 30.
According to court papers, in the early morning hours of Aug. 17, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol near the 900 block of Florida Avenue NW observed Myrick exit a gas station with a large rectangular bulge in his front waistband inconsistent with human anatomy.
As officers approached, Myrick turned away and moved toward the wall of the gas station. Officers stopped Myrick and conducted a pat-down, during which they recovered a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol loaded with a round in the chamber and 20 additional rounds in the magazine.
At the time of his arrest, Myrick had a prior federal conviction in the District of Maryland for interference with interstate commerce by robbery and for using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, for which he received a seven-year federal prison sentence.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss is prosecuting the case.
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Marshalltown Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced June 11, 2026, to more than eight years in federal prison.
Juan Eduardo Rivas Martinez, age 25, from Marshalltown, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 12, 2026, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that on June 11, 2024, Martinez distributed over 450 grams of ice methamphetamine to a confidential informant. After that transaction, law enforcement officers attempted to stop Martinez but he fled from the officers on a bicycle. Martinez crashed the bicycle he was riding and continued to flee on foot. Officers caught Martinez. Martinez had over $1,000 in his possession. As Martinez was fleeing, he threw a bag to the ground. Officers found and searched the bag and found over 440 grams of ice methamphetamine inside.
Martinez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Martinez was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Martinez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Kansas City is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, covering Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. HSTF Kansas City is composed of agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the State Investigative Agencies for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska, and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
This HSTF case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by HSTF Kansas City, with the assistance of the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2033-005.
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Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Injuring Law Enforcement Agent During Arrest AttemptRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for illegally possessing two firearms and injuring a law enforcement agent who was attempting to arrest him.
On the morning of Jan. 31, 2022, members of a DEA Enforcement Group, accompanied by Homeland Security Investigations agents and an officer from the Posen, Ill. Police Department, attempted to execute an arrest warrant for ANDREW VESELY outside of his residence in Posen, Ill. Vesely had two outstanding felony arrest warrants—one for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and the other for criminal trespass to a motor vehicle—and he was also suspected of stealing multiple Jeep Grand Cherokees, one of which was parked outside the residence.
When Vesely walked out of his home and approached a rear alley, four officers moved to apprehend him. Vesely jumped into the Jeep and managed to start the engine before a DEA agent reached into the open driver’s door and grabbed Vesely by the front of his coat to stop him from fleeing. Vesely put the Jeep into drive as he and the agent struggled for control of the car. As the Jeep began to move forward, Vesely’s backpack fell onto the ground in the alley. The agent lost his grip and was flung into several garbage cans as Vesely sped off.
Vesely drove out of Posen at a high rate of speed and into the neighboring town of Markham. Officers from the Markham Police Department, who had been alerted by a dispatcher, chased Vesely on a major throughfare at more than 100 miles per hour through several traffic signals. Vesely crashed the Jeep into an embankment and was captured while attempting to run off.
The backpack that had fallen in the alley contained a semiautomatic handgun and a spare magazine, both loaded with armor-piercing rounds. The backpack also contained a car-key programming device, 31 car-key fobs, and other tools suitable for stealing cars. Law enforcement later searched the room where Vesely resided in the home and discovered another loaded semiautomatic handgun, three loaded magazines, a bullet-proof vest, police scanner, 25 key fobs, and another car-key programming device.
Vesely, 25, of Posen, Ill., pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of forcibly resisting, impeding, and interfering with an Officer of the United States government and one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On June 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Vesely to four years and four months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of HSI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Posen, Ill. Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Hogan, Jr.
“Violence in general, and most certainly violence against law enforcement officers tear at the very fabric that holds our communities together,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Violence offends our way of life and undermines the safety and trust that we all depend on to achieve the pursuit of happiness. As I have repeatedly stated since becoming United States Attorney, criminal attacks on law enforcement constitute a direct assault on the rule of law as well as our justice system and will be met with swift, firm, and unequivocal legal consequences.”
“The sentencing in this case sends a clear message that violence against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated,” said DEA SAC Smith. “DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our communities from drug trafficking and violent crime. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their commitment to ensuring accountability in this case.”