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12 June 2026
Kentucky Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Kentucky Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine
CONCORD – A Kentucky man was sentenced today in federal court for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Riley Thibodeau, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 72 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Thibodeau previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His co-defendant Ronny Ramos was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, on December 9, 2024.
“This defendant was the demand driving this conspiracy, pound after pound of methamphetamine ordered into New Hampshire, paid for, and delivered,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “This sentence reflects the serious harm that kind of trafficking inflicts on our communities, and this office will continue pursuing the links in these deadly supply chains.”
“Methamphetamine continues to destroy lives and threaten the safety of our communities. This sentence holds a dangerous drug trafficker accountable for choosing profit over people and for helping fuel the flow of illicit drugs into our neighborhoods in New Hampshire,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “DEA and our law enforcement partners remain unwavering in our commitment to identifying, investigating, and dismantling the criminal networks responsible for distributing these harmful substances. Today’s sentence serves as a reminder that those who engage in drug trafficking will face serious consequences.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thibodeau conspired to distribute a total of approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Massachusetts to New Hampshire on several occasions. From March through October 2023, Ramos received five separate orders of methamphetamine from Thibodeau, via an intermediary. The payments from Thibodeau for the methamphetamine were made via the same intermediary. The amounts per order ranged from 10-12 pounds at a price of approximately $20,000 for each order. The methamphetamine was delivered to Thibodeau in New Hampshire for redistribution. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Ramos in Methuen, Massachusetts, and seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine destined for Thibodeau in New Hampshire.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case.
This effort 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.
Justice Department Files to Transfer 45,000 Acres from Arizona to Hopi TribeRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department and Department of the Interior announced the filing of a “friendly condemnation” to effect the transfer of more than 45,000 acres of land from the State of Arizona to the United States to be held in trust for the Hopi Tribe. Upon the Hopi Tribe depositing $8.4 million in the registry of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona as the estimate of just compensation, title to the land will pass from Arizona to the United States. Interior will then immediately place the lands into trust for the Hopi Tribe.
The filing is the second in a series of condemnation actions that will ultimately bring over 270,000 acres of land — including over 110,000 acres of condemned Arizona state trust lands — into united ownership for the benefit of the Hopi Tribe.
“Today’s filing is another example of the executive branch faithfully carrying out the laws that Congress enacted,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “As directed by the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996, the Department of Justice is condemning, with Arizona’s consent, over 45,000 acres of Arizona state trust lands using funds provided by the Hopi Tribe, and the Department of the Interior will transfer those lands into trust status for the Tribe. In carrying out this law, the United States is proud to assist the Hopi Tribe in the continued expansion of their trust lands and growth of their ranching operations.”
“This filing marks a significant milestone in fulfilling long-standing commitments to the Hopi Tribe and reflects the Trump administration’s focus on building strong, enduring tribal partnerships,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “By placing these lands into trust, we are strengthening the tribe’s ability to steward its resources, expand opportunities for economic development and exercise greater self-governance. The Department of the Interior is proud to work alongside the Department of Justice, the Hopi Tribe and our state partners to advance this historic effort and ensure these lands are secured for the benefit of the Hopi people for generations to come.”
“Today is a historic day and a day for celebration for the Hopi Tribe — the promises made to the Hopi Tribe by 1996 Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act are being fulfilled,” said Chairman Lamar B. Keevama of the Hopi Tribe. “To all those in the State of Arizona, at the Department of Interior, and at the Department of Justice who have had a hand in this effort, kwa’kwha — thank you. Special thanks to Governor Hobbs and State Land Commissioner Sahid for their leadership and dedication to this effort. The Hopi People are in the process of planting their corn. I pray that this land reacquisition is a newly planted seed that will provide abundant benefits for the Hopi Tribe. It is fitting that this historic moment coincides with such an important time."
“For decades, the State of Arizona has failed to complete the promise enshrined in the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996,” said Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. “I’m proud to do what five governors before me did not. When I became governor, I made a pledge to work with Tribal communities as partners in governance to create opportunity, security and freedom for every community throughout our state. This historic land transfer will help us do just that by following through on a longstanding promise. I will continue working hand-in-hand with tribal partners to ensure their sovereignty is respected and their communities have the economic opportunity they need to thrive.”
This condemnation is filed under the authority of the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996, which ratified a 1995 resolution to a long-running land dispute in northeastern Arizona between the Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Tribe, and the United States.
Attorneys from ENRD’s Land Acquisition Section are handling the matter.
Illegal alien, long-time resident of Renton, Washington sentenced to 7 years in prison for distributing pound quantities of methamphetamine and cocaineRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 41- year-old Renton, Washington resident, illegally present in the U.S. was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 84 months in prison for his role as a significant drug distributor to both Western Washington and Western Kentucky, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Manuel Garcia Hernandez, a Mexican national, was arrested in June 2024, following a wiretap investigation of a drug trafficking organization importing methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine into the Seattle area from Mexico and Colombia. When law enforcement searched his truck and residence, they found heroin as well as a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and 12 mobile phones. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “This was an extremely serious, very significant drug conspiracy with national and international reach, exposing multiple communities to harm.”
“This case highlights the problems with sanctuary policies. Those in favor of these policies see a man who lived in the community for 20 years, owned a construction business, and has a family. In reality, this defendant entered the United States illegally and willfully participated in the destruction of other families by spreading meth, heroin and cocaine in our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “He was previously convicted of crimes in Washington including a 2022 DUI, but sanctuary policies kept him from being turned over to federal immigration authorities. It is a disturbing reality that in Washington State it takes a federal felony conviction to finally get him removed from the U.S. following his term in prison.”
“This investigation dismantled a drug trafficking operation responsible for distributing dangerous narcotics across in Western Washington by tracking the source of supply all the way back to the jungles of Colombia,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Rob Saccone, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Working alongside our federal, state, local, and international partners, DEA remains committed to targeting the criminal organizations that peddle poison, drive addiction, and threaten public safety. This work is central to DEA’s commitment to a Fentanyl-Free America by reducing the availability of synthetic opioids, saving lives, and protecting our communities.”
According to records filed in the case, between 2020 and 2024, the Homeland Security Task Force began investigation of a drug trafficking organization bringing drugs into the U.S. from Mexico and Colombia. In all the investigation resulted in seizures of more than 32 kilograms of cocaine, 14 kilograms of methamphetamine, 83,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 3 kilograms of heroin, and 1 kilogram of fentanyl powder. Multiple firearms were seized including one at Garcia Hernandez’ home.
Garcia Hernandez became a focus of investigation during wiretaps conducted in late 2023 that showed he was cutting deals for pound quantities of meth and cocaine. During the same time that Garcia Hernandez was redistributing these drugs in the Western District of Washington, he also brokered a three-kilogram deal for controlled substances that were to be delivered in the Western District of Kentucky. He was arrested in June 2024, and in May 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In asking for an 87-month prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court that Garcia Hernandez had kept drug dealing even after he learned of arrests of coconspirators in Kentucky. “Garcia Hernandez engaged in a sustained course of conduct that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in Washington and the planned distribution of heroin in Kentucky… That Garcia Hernandez continued to engage in drug trafficking activity notwithstanding the fact of the Kentucky (arrests) demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the law. The recommended sentence sends a clear message that continued armed drug trafficking—after law enforcement intervention―will be met with the substantial sanction warranted by such conduct,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
This investigation 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 Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Seattle Police Department.
The Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia General) partnered with U.S. law enforcement on this investigation. The Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided critical assistance.
The cases from this investigation are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo in the Western District of Washington.
Illegal alien from Guatemala sentenced to five years in prison for trafficking cocaineRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Guatemalan national was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, from Aug. 27, 2025, to Sept. 17, 2025, law enforcement conducted three controlled transactions during which Mitre Vega Gonzalez, 47, sold cocaine. On Sept. 18, 2025, investigators searched Vega Gonzalez’s residence and recovered a handgun, a loaded magazine, $5,410, and at least 510 grams of cocaine.
USAO EDVAThe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated this case with assistance from Prince William County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Clement and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-43.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Mass. was sentenced on June 9, 2026 in federal court in Boston for trafficking thousands of fentanyl pills.
Waner Bernabel Presinal, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In Novembre 2025, Bernabel Presinal pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
On April 12, 2024, an undercover agent ordered 2,000 pressed fentanyl pills and a sample of methamphetamine from Anderson Ernesto Andujar Echavarria for $4,000. Bernabel Presinal delivered the fentanyl pills and methamphetamine to Andujar Echavarria at his home in Dorchester. Andujar Echavarria then delivered the fentanyl pills and sample of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. It was later confirmed that the bags Andujar Echavarria handed the undercover agent contained 222 grams of fentanyl and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine.
In September 2024, Bernabel Presinal was charged with Andujar Echavarria and two other co-conspirators. Thousands of fentanyl pills and hundreds of grams of fentanyl were seized from Andujar Echavarria at the time of his arrest. In December 2025, Andujar Echavarria pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2026.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Georgia Man Indicted for Distributing Methamphetamine in the Northern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Jimmy Randell Chason, 69, of Cairo, Georgia, has been indicted in federal court on three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Chason appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Charles A. Stampelos in Tallahassee, Florida. Change of plea is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at 11:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida.
If convicted, Chason faces 10 years’ to life imprisonment on each count.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
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.
Four men indicted for firearms-related chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Four men have been indicted by the June term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments. Those facing federal charges include:
- Averelle Baker, 27, of Savannah, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Miguel Antonio Davis, 32, of Augusta, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Jameze D. Moore, 34, of Savannah, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- Timetrius Neal, 28, of Thomson, Georgia, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases listed above have been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and local law enforcement agencies. These cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Makeia R. Jonese, Matthew Breedon, and Henry W. Syms Jr.
Former Kansas business executive and Latvian broker sentenced to prison for violating U.S. export laws by smuggling avionics equipment to RussiaRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A former executive of a Kansas-based avionics company was sentenced to 32 months in prison for circumventing United States export laws to sell advanced aviation technology to Russian end users.
According to court documents, Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, of Olathe, Kansas, the former vice president of KanRus Trading Company Inc., pleaded guilty to export control and money laundering violations.
After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. government tightened export controls concerning Russia. Robertson and two codefendants continued to purchase, sell, and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Robertson was arrested in March 2023 for smuggling U.S. avionics to Russia by lying about the exports’ value, end users, and end destinations.
Oleg Chistyakov, a/k/a Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, of the Republic of Latvia, acted as a broker for KanRus. He was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to his part in the conspiracy.
Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 63, of Lawrence, the former President and owner of KanRus, is awaiting sentencing. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering, and he consented to the forfeiture of over $450,000 worth of avionics equipment and accessories and a $50,000 personal forfeiture judgment.
“The U.S. changed trade restrictions with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine for a reason. These defendants put money over country and considered themselves more clever than Customs officials. They thought they could circumvent the restrictions without being detected, but they were wrong,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Smugglers can’t fly under the radar without federal investigators ultimately uncovering their criminal activities.”
“The sentencing marks another milestone in the government’s successful effort to hold those accountable who conspire to circumvent and bypass U.S. regulations. The individuals in this case conspired to illegally purchase, sell and export sophisticated aviation equipment to Russia. Robertson’s fraudulent actions were willful and substantial. The sentencing should provide assurance to the public: the FBI will investigate and arrest those who wish to violate our nation’s laws,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement investigated the case. The Latvian authorities assisted in the investigation while U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas as well as Adam Barry, a former trial attorney of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
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Former Intelligence Community Contractor Pleads Guilty to Accepting KickbacksRead the Press Release
A former Intelligence Community contractor pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit offenses against the United States by soliciting and accepting kickbacks.
The defendant, David Duggin, 55, of Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, was a former Senior Systems Engineer and on-site contractor at a U.S. government Intelligence Community agency.
“Mr. Duggin exploited his position as a government contractor in the intelligence community at the expense of taxpayers,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold those who seek profit through fraudulent schemes, accountable.”
“The defendant broke faith with the men and women of the United States Intelligence Community — who work tirelessly and often anonymously in defense of our nation — to enrich himself with hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The defendant now faces years in prison for corrupting a competitive procurement process backing our national security.”
“Mr. Duggin took advantage of his position to enrich himself and his co-conspirators. Our office will not tolerate this greedy, deceitful behavior that, if unchecked, can lead to an erosion of public trust and impact on our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not hesitate to hold accountable any individual who attempts to defraud our government.”
“Mr. Duggin betrayed the trust placed in him by exploiting his access to sensitive government systems to steer contracts for personal gain,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Allison Russo of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS). “This outcome reflects the strong partnership between DCIS, our federal investigative counterparts, and the Department of Justice, and underscores our shared commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Department of War and the broader Intelligence Community.”
“David Duggin repeatedly put himself before American taxpayers who trusted him to act on their behalf and for their benefit,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement and government partners to hold accountable those seeking to profit through fraud and deception.”
According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Duggin and his co-conspirators corruptly used his on-site access to sensitive information at an intelligence agency to enrich himself and others by illegally obtaining government contracts for millions of dollars of hardware and software procured by U.S. government customers. Duggin’s co-conspirators paid Duggin at least $510,000 in illegal kickbacks in exchange for him influencing the procurement process to favor his co-conspirators. The conspiracy thwarted the competitive bidding process for the U.S. from at least as early as June 2018 and continued through at least as late as April 2024.
The maximum penalty for conspiring to commit an offense against the United States by accepting illegal kickbacks is five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Moreover, the fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
The DCIS and the FBI Baltimore Field Office are investigating the case, among others. Trial Attorneys Elizabeth French, Anna Wang, and Ronald Fiorillo for the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Matthew Shea for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Former Intelligence Community Contractor Pleads Guilty to Accepting KickbacksRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A former intelligence community contractor pled guilty to conspiracy charges in federal court in connection with a kickbacks scheme.
David Duggin, 55, of Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, is charged with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States by soliciting and accepting kickbacks.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel Glad, Justice Department, Antitrust Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Allison Russo, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.
According to court documents, Duggin and his co-conspirators corruptly misused his on-site access to sensitive information at an intelligence agency. The former senior systems engineer and on-site contractor used his access to enrich himself and others by illegally obtaining government contracts for millions of dollars of hardware and software procured by U.S. government customers. Duggin’s co-conspirators paid him at least $510,000 in illegal kickbacks in exchange for him influencing the procurement process in favor of his co-conspirators. The conspiracy thwarted the competitive bidding process for the U.S. from at least June 2018, through at least April 2024.
“Mr. Duggin took advantage of his position to enrich himself and his co-conspirators. Our office will not tolerate this greedy, deceitful behavior that, if unchecked, can lead to an erosion of public trust and impact on our national security,” Hayes said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not hesitate to hold accountable any individual who attempts to defraud our government.”
“Mr. Duggin exploited his position as a government contractor in the intelligence community at the expense of taxpayers,” Woodward said. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold those who seek profit through fraudulent schemes, accountable.”
“The defendant broke faith with the men and women of the United States Intelligence Community — who work tirelessly and often anonymously in defense of our nation — to enrich himself with hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks,” Glad said. “The defendant now faces years in prison for corrupting a competitive procurement process backing our national security.”
“Mr. Duggin betrayed the trust placed in him by exploiting his access to sensitive government systems to steer contracts for personal gain,” Russo said. “This outcome reflects the strong partnership between DCIS, our federal investigative counterparts, and the Department of Justice, and underscores our shared commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Department of War and the broader Intelligence Community.”
“David Duggin repeatedly put himself before American taxpayers who trusted him to act on their behalf and for their benefit,” Paul said. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement and government partners to hold accountable those seeking to profit through fraud and deception.”
Duggin is facing five years in federal prison for conspiring to commit an offense against the United States by accepting illegal kickbacks. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DCIS and FBI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Matthew Shea, along with Trial Attorneys Elizabeth French, Anna Wang, and Ronald Fiorillo, Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section, who are prosecuting this federal case.
The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
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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Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget Sentenced to 84 Months for Public Corruption Offenses Involving Covid-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Jenifer O’Neal, former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 84 months’ imprisonment for her role in a public corruption scheme involving the misuse of federal COVID-19 relief funds.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, O’Neal was sentenced to three years of supervised release; a $50,000 fine; restitution in the amount of $34,345.39, jointly and severally with co-defendant Ray Martinez; forfeiture in the amount of $17,730; and $400 in special assessments. Judge Kearney ordered O’Neal to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on June 23, 2026. Pending her surrender, O’Neal will be placed on home detention.
On December 11, 2025, following a jury trial, O’Neal was convicted of two counts of Honest Services Wire Fraud, one count of Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy. The evidence at trial established that O’Neal used her position as Director of OMB to facilitate the approval and payment of a government invoice that had been intentionally inflated by $70,000. She accepted $17,730 derived from the inflated invoice to satisfy lease obligations associated with her coffee shop, Java Grande. The inflated invoice was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal program intended to assist the Virgin Islands in recovering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. O’Neal also accepted luxury gifts from government contractor David Whitaker, in exchange for the expedited payment of government contract invoices.
Co-defendant Ray Martinez, the former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department, was previously sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for his role in the scheme.
“Corruption cannot be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Adam Sleeper. “Government officials, especially those directly responsible for government finances, have a duty to safeguard the funds entrusted to them for the benefit of the people of the Virgin Islands. This sentence provides accountability and serves as a warning for those who would betray that duty.”
“Public corruption erodes confidence in government and weakens the community’s faith in the institutions meant to protect it,” said Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Imposing consequences on corrupt public officials, is vital to rebuilding public trust and is a testament to the FBI’s commitment safeguarding the integrity of public institutions.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Virgin Islands Office of Inspector General.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Cherrisse R. Amaro of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.Former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department and Former Management and Budget Director Sentenced for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Ray Martinez, the former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, the former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), were sentenced this week for their roles in a procurement fraud, bribery, and money laundering scheme. Martinez was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and O’Neal was sentenced to seven years in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Martinez accepted nearly $100,000 in bribe payments from a government contractor, David Whitaker, who gave Martinez cash and payment for luxury travel, personal expenses, private-school tuition, and restaurant equipment. In exchange for these payments, Martinez used his official authority to approve invoices submitted by Whitaker and also awarded Whitaker’s company a $1.4 million dollar contract funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. O’Neal, who served as the territory’s chief budget official, knowingly approved a $70,000 inflated invoice under that same contract and later accepted a $17,730 lease payment for her business, Java Grande, using federal funds from the inflated invoice.
The evidence also showed that, after learning of the federal investigation, Martinez attempted to obstruct justice by directing Whitaker to destroy evidence and by creating a fraudulent promissory note in an attempt to conceal the bribes.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper for the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Special Agent in Charge Carlos R. Goris of the FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Virgin Islands Office of Inspector General.
Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro for the District of the Virgin Islands prosecuted the case.
Former Chief Investment Officer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Deputy United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Sean S. Buckley, announced today that S. KENNETH LEECH II, the former Chief Investment Officer of Western Asset Management Company (“WAMCO”), pled guilty to obstructing justice by giving false and misleading testimony to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with an investigation into LEECH’s fraudulent scheme to favor certain clients at the expense of others. LEECH pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
“Leech willfully and intentionally gave false and misleading testimony to the SEC in an effort to obstruct an investigation into his fraudulent scheme to favor certain clients at the expense of others,” said Deputy U.S. Attorney Sean S. Buckley. “Investment managers, like Leech, are entrusted by the SEC and the public at large to comply with their duty to be honest to regulators and fair to their clients. Today’s plea reflects the commitment of this Office and its law enforcement partners to protecting everyday investors—in New York City and abroad—from investment advisers who violate their legal commitments and seek to deceive clients for their gain or the gain of others.”
As alleged in the Indictment, Superseding Information, and other public filings in this case:
Between 2021 and October 2023, LEECH committed fraud and abused the trust placed in him by clients of the investment-management firm WAMCO. LEECH engaged in a criminal scheme commonly known as cherry-picking to compensate for losses in his marquee investment strategy by assigning trades that performed well during their first day into client accounts associated with that investment strategy, and assigning trades that performed poorly over their first day into the accounts of other clients, who were not aware that LEECH was causing them losses to favor others. LEECH’s victims included institutional and retail investors who entrusted LEECH to manage their savings and pension plans. Over the course of his criminal scheme, LEECH allocated trades with net first-day gains of at least approximately $600 million to his favored strategy and clients, and allocated trades with net first-day losses of at least approximately $600 million to strategies and clients to whom he owed an equal fiduciary duty.
In an effort to obstruct the investigation of that fraudulent scheme, LEECH testified before the SEC that he knew where he planned to allocate trades at the time he placed them. The facts showed differently. LEECH owed a fiduciary duty to all of his clients. But between 2021 and October 2023, LEECH improperly engaged in a scheme to delay his trades in order to allocate them in a manner that benefitted some of his clients, to the detriment of others. LEECH’s scheme defrauded clients for whom he was serving a registered financial advisor.
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LEECH, 72, of Pasadena, California, pled guilty to one count of obstructing justice, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. LEECH is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21, 2026.
Mr. Buckley praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Buckley also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Burnett and Peter J. Davis and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Keenan are in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Residents Indicted for Multi-Year Scheme to Defraud International Electronics Manufacturer with U.S. Headquarters in New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man was arraigned on a conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and wire fraud charge for a scheme to defraud his former employer, an international electronics manufacturer with U.S. headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, by conspiring to funnel marketing business to a Florida company controlled by his co-defendant, Anthony William Rossi III, in exchange for approximately $6.7 million in kickbacks, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Brian Normann, 46, of Orlando, Florida, was arraigned on June 2, 2026 before Senior U.S. District Judge William J. Martini. Rossi, 75, of Mount Dora, Florida, was arraigned before Judge Martini on May 27, 2026. Normann and Rossi were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 12, 2026 in a one-count indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Between in or around approximately 2015 to in or around August 2020, Normann and Rossi conspired to enrich themselves by: (1) depriving the Victim Company of Normann’s honest services as an employee and fiduciary, including through Normann’s repeated referral of marketing and promotional work to GS Line, Inc., a marketing company that Rossi controlled, in exchange for kickbacks GS Line paid to Normann without the Victim Company’s knowledge or consent; and (2) fraudulently obtaining and using funds from the Victim Company by overbilling it for services GS Line provided, and by billing the Victim Company for services that neither GS Line nor Rossi actually provided.
In 2019 and 2020, GS Line paid Normann approximately $6.7 million in kickbacks, including kickbacks paid through Rossi, without the Victim Company’s knowledge or consent. Normann used the money to fund his lifestyle, including to purchase a luxury property for approximately $2 million, and to fund his personal brokerage accounts.
The conspiracy charge in the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to Normann’s and Rossi’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar, Co-Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Lynn A. Neils, Esq. (for Brian Normann).
Mary E. Carpenito, Esq. (for Anthony William Rossi III).
normannetal.indictment.pdfFelon Sent to Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to a year in federal prison.
Dana Lee Scott, Jr. age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 2, 2026, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence during the case showed police officers observed Scott with a gun while conducting surveillance on a home in Waterloo. Officers eventually searched the home and found the gun.
Scott was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Scott was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Scott is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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 case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2045.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Jury finds Memphis Men Guilty of Carjacking and Shooting ATM TechnicianRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Alvin Anthony, 31, and Royce Newsome, 33, for their roles in the carjacking and shooting of a 67-year-old ATM technician who had been refilling ATM machines with money at convenience stores in north Memphis. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdicts today.
Evidence presented in court established that on May 17, 2023, Anthony followed the victim to three convenience stores in north Memphis while the victim was working. While at the second store, Anthony made a phone call. By the time the victim arrived at the third store, Newsome and others showed up. Anthony and Newsome circled around the third store in their vehicles until the victim exited the store to walk to his car. Newsome and two unidentified assailants brutally beat and shot the victim before leaving in the victim’s vehicle.
Following a five-day jury trial presided over by United States District Judge Mark S. Norris, Anthony and Newsome were convicted of conspiracy to commit carjacking, aiding and abetting carjacking, and aiding and abetting the use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The defendants are facing a maximum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment on the conspiracy and carjacking counts. Newsome is facing an additional 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence to be served consecutively to the other counts.
Judge Norris will determine the sentences to impose on the defendants after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "These violent offenders were motivated by selfish greed and senselessly harmed an innocent victim. This jury verdict delivers justice for the victim and our community, and ensures that these dangerous offenders will be justly punished and removed from the streets of Memphis for a very long time.”
"The premeditated and horrendous acts of violence that these individuals committed demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life. The men and women of the ATF, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, remain committed to combatting violent crime and swiftly bringing these individuals to justice before they can commit other senseless acts of violence," said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Office.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Assistant United States Attorney Regina Brittenum and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Wright, of the United States Army Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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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.
Federal Judge Sentences Serial Illegal Alien After He Was Convicted of Serious Sexual, Kidnapping, and Gun Crimes in MichiganRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A federal judge today sentenced Wilmer Rodriguez, 39, a Honduran illegal alien, to 46 months in prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States following a state conviction for an aggravated-felony, announced Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo, Jr., U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector.
According to court records, United States Border Patrol Agents arrested Rodriguez in Grayling, Michigan just over a year after he had been deported following his state convictions for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, felony kidnapping, and a felony firearm offense. Rodriguez had previously been removed from the United States on four separate occasions. He was also previously charged federally and convicted of unlawful reentry after deportation in 2014.
“This case underscores the importance of maintaining secure borders. The government has repeatedly removed this violent criminal from our country. The last time we sent him back after he was convicted of Michigan’s most severe sexual crime, kidnapping and felony firearm. He still returned and broke our laws. We do not want criminal aliens breaking in and hurting Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“This case underscores the critical importance of strong, collaborative border enforcement and the consequences of repeat illegal entry,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo, Jr., U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector. “Our agents are committed to protecting Michigan communities from individuals who pose a threat to public safety.”
The United States Border Patrol Sault Sainte Marie Station investigated this case, with significant assistance from the Michigan State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Newman.
FCI Allenwood Inmate Charged with Possessing Weapon, Assaulting Other InmateRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edward Garlock, 59, an inmate in FCI Allenwood, Medium, was indicted on June 11, 2026, by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon in prison and assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Garlock with one count of possessing contraband in prison, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. Garlock was allegedly in possession of a lanyard with a lock attached, which he allegedly used to assault another inmate.
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 10 years of 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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FCI Allenwood Inmate Charged with Possessing Weapon, Assaulting Other InmateRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mark Villareal, 44, an inmate in FCI Allenwood, was indicted on June 11, 2026, by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon in prison and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Villareal with one count of possessing contraband in prison, and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Villareal was allegedly in possession of an inmate-manufactured knife which he allegedly used to assault another inmate.
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 10 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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Eagle Pass Stash House Operator Investigated by Homeland Security Task Force, Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Eagle Pass man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 225 months in prison for his leadership role as an illegal alien stash house operator, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Edgar Alejandro Elizondo aka “Flaco,” 20, was a stash house operator and leader/organizer for a large-scale illegal alien smuggling organization (ASO). A Homeland Security Task Force investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations revealed that Elizondo operated several stash houses in Eagle Pass that fed the organization’s transportation cell, to include tractor-trailer transporting events. In at least one event, Elizondo was personally involved in holding illegal aliens at gun point.
Additionally, Elizondo was involved in an aggravated hostage-taking event in Houston, whereby the members of the ASO engaged in a daytime shootout in an effort to recover illegal aliens that had been stolen from a stash house operated by Elizondo.
On April 23, 2025, Elizondo was named in an eight-count superseding indictment. He was arrested on July 25, 2025, and has remained in custody since. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy on Dec. 22, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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Drug Trafficking Operation Leader Will Spend Time in Federal Prison Ties to Sinaloa Drug CartelRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Juan Carlos Suarez-Lugo, the leader of a large-scale drug operation with ties to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Suarez-Lugo, age 55, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine in May 2025. Suarez-Lugo led a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operation out of an autobody shop in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Suarez-Lugo and other defendants imported drugs from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Postal Service, as well as from a source connected to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. The investigation included cooperation from several agencies across the United States, including Chicago and Northern California.
Of the 18 defendants, 13 have been convicted of their roles. Suarez-Lugo and nine others have been sentenced to a combined 28 and half years in prison. All other cases are still pending.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force was the lead investigative unit. Other investigative agencies that assisted include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Juan, and Philadelphia Field Offices; United States Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Service; Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisville and Chicago Divisions; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Martinsburg Police Department; Ranson Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; West Virginia Air National Guard; Mineral County Sheriff's Office; Grant County Sheriff's Office; Hampshire County Sheriff's Department; Keyser Police Department; Northwest Regional Drug Task Force, Virginia; Pennsylvania State Police; Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania; Winchester Police Department, Virginia; Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Virginia; Virginia State Police; Sunnyvale Police Department, California.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Crestview Drug Traffickers IndictedRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Arzalea Teshean McLaughlin, 37, Benjamin Eugene Mack, 54, and Roger Cornell Daniels, 37, all of Crestview, Florida, have been indicted in federal court on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and cocaine base, conspiracy to commit unlawful use of communications facility, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.
McLaughlin, Mack and Daniels appeared in federal court for their arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
If convicted as charged, McLaughlin and Mack face a minimum mandatory of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life in prison, and Daniels faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to a total of 74 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
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.
Coordinated Law Enforcement Actions Results in Arrests of Seven Men in Connection with Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loan ApplicationsRead the Press Release
As a result of coordinated law enforcement actions in three states, seven men have been arrested and indicted in connection with submitting fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, totaling $205,639 in fraudulent loan proceeds. The takedown was conducted by the FBI Field Offices in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Houston, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
“This case demonstrates the power of a true whole-of-government approach to deliver swift justice against fraudsters—and it should be replicated in every region across the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “I commend the outstanding work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, the FBI, the SBA-OIG, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for holding these individuals accountable.”
“Seven defendants are alleged to have exploited government-funded programs designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans to line their pockets,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Thanks to the outstanding investigative efforts by the FBI, SBA-OIG, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department these defendants will now each have their day in court to face federal criminal fraud charges.”
According to allegations contained in court documents, Elias Santino Acereto; Sheyland Barnett; James Freeman; Tyrone Tatrice Johnson; Marcus Dushun McMillian-Bonner; Yves Harrison Pierre; and Nathan Jeffry Scott, all of Las Vegas, each provided false information and fake documentation when applying for PPP loans and/or EIDL loans. As alleged, they each fraudulently obtained the loan funds to enrich themselves.
Acereto; Barnett; Johnson; Bonner; Pierre; and Scott, are each charged with one count of wire fraud; and Freeman is charged with two counts of wire fraud. On June 11, Barnett, Freemon, Johnson, and Scott, were arrested in Las Vegas; Acereto and Pierre were arrested in Phoenix, and Bonner was arrested in Richmond, Texas.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office; FBI Phoenix Division; FBI Houston Division; the SBA-OIG; and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated these cases. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Frayn is prosecuting these cases.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Coordinated Law Enforcement Actions Results in Arrests of Seven Men in Connection with Fraudulent COVID-19 Relief Loan ApplicationsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – As a result of coordinated law enforcement actions in three states, seven men have been arrested and indicted in connection with submitting fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, totaling $205,639 in fraudulent loan proceeds. The takedown was conducted by the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; FBI Phoenix Division; FBI Houston Division, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department.
“This case demonstrates the power of a true whole-of-government approach to deliver swift justice against fraudsters—and it should be replicated in every region across the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “I commend the outstanding work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, the FBI, the SBA-OIG, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for holding these individuals accountable.”
“Seven defendants are alleged to have exploited government-funded programs designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans to line their pockets,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Thanks to the outstanding investigative efforts by the FBI, SBA-OIG, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department these defendants will now each have their day in court to face federal criminal fraud charges.”
“Exploiting federal programs intended to support small businesses is unacceptable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “The defendants used the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to steal from taxpayers for personal gain and should be held fully accountable. The FBI and our partners remain committed to identifying and investigating those who seek to defraud federal programs designed to assist businesses in need of operational support.”
According to allegations contained in court documents, Elias Santino Acereto; Sheyland Juakeen Barnett; James Sean Freeman II; Yves Garry Harrison-Pierre; Tyrone Tatrice Johnson; Marcus Dushun McMillian-Bonner; and Nathan Jeffry Scott, all of Las Vegas, each provided false information and fake documentation when applying for PPP loans and/or EIDL loans. As alleged, they each fraudulently obtained the loan funds to enrich themselves.
Acereto; Barnett; Johnson; McMillian-Bonner; Harrison-Pierre; and Scott are each charged with one count of wire fraud; and Freeman is charged with two counts of wire fraud. On June 11, Barnett, Freeman, Johnson, and Scott were arrested in Las Vegas; Acereto and Harrison-Pierre were arrested in Phoenix, and McMillian-Bonner was arrested in Richmond, Texas.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office, SBA-OIG, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and North Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated these cases. The FBI Phoenix Division and FBI Houston Division provided valuable assistance with the arrests of the defendants. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Frayn is prosecuting these cases.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Convicted Felon Indicted for Firearm Charges Stemming from Domestic-Violence IncidentRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a convicted felon on firearm charges in connection with a domestic-violence incident.
Marquis Thomas, 34, of Baltimore, is charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. Thomas knowingly possessed a Hi-Point JHP .45 Auto Pistol loaded with nine rounds of ammunition. The firearm had an obliterated serial number. At the time of the offense, Thomas, a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the public filings, on October 30, 2025, BPD received a call about a domestic-assault involving a firearm. Upon law enforcement’s arrival at the residence, the victim opened the door and told officers that Thomas left the premises. The victim then led law enforcement into the living room and pointed to a handgun on the couch. Additionally, the victim reported that Thomas hit her in the face three times before pointing a gun at her, saying, “I should kill you right now.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office — in partnership with our federal, local, and state partners — works hard to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are not authorized to carry them. This helps prevent violence and saves lives,” Hayes said. “We support prioritizing our residents’ safety and well-being through our commitment to community trust, strategic enforcement, and violence prevention, especially for those experiencing intimate-partner violence.”
“We are committed to working with our state and local partners to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers,” Doerrer said. “Cases like these highlight the excellent work of our local police, local prosecutors, federal agents, and federal prosecutors.”
This indictment is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Safe Home. These programs bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Project Safe Home is an initiative under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) through the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to reduce domestic violence and prevent escalation to lethal violence by targeting offenders who use or possess handguns with a history of Domestic Violence.
In response, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is working closely with its federal, local, and state partners — along with Baltimore City community organizations — to reduce violent crime and enhance public safety. This partnership and coordination between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City of Baltimore ensures that federal resources are leveraged effectively to address intimidate-partner firearm violence.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their collaborative efforts in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Godwin who is prosecuting this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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Columbus man pleads guilty to defrauding COVID-19 relief programsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sonny Madumelu, 70, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to committing COVID-19 relief fraud.
Specifically, Madumelu pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering.
Madumelu admitted to submitting at least seven false applications for COVID-19 relief loans between June 2020 and September 2021. He filed for at least two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and at least five Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. In total, the defendant sought approximately $405,000 in government aid and received more than $250,000.
Court documents detail that Madumelu used the business names Uncle Sonny Traveling and Shipping, Uncle Sonny Traveling + Shipping LTD, Sonny Star Cleaners and Transworld Travel & Transportation to submit fraudulent applications. He claimed to be a shipping agent who brokered the shipment of shipping containers and that he had a cleaning business to clean offices. In reality, he did not operate such businesses and used fictitious financial figures in his applications.
Wire fraud and money laundering are punishable by up to 20 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, announced the guilty plea entered on June 11 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. The case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Billings woman sentenced to over 9 years in prison for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who trafficked drugs from Denver to Billings was sentenced today to 117 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Beth Marie Jones, 63, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Jones was travelling regularly to Denver to pick up fentanyl and methamphetamine, which she then sold in the Billings area.
The case against Jones began when law enforcement in Billings learned from a source in April 2024 that she was selling meth and fentanyl in the area. The source indicated Jones had travelled several times to Denver to pick up the drugs.
Law enforcement obtained a warrant to monitor Jones’s cell phone locations and learned she was in the Denver area. On May 3, 2024, as Jones travelled back to Montana, law enforcement pulled her over in Big Horn County and searched her car. Officers found 28.2 grams of meth, 205.9 grams of fentanyl, and 11.35 grams of fentanyl powder. On the front seat was a firearm, which Jones said was for protection.
Speaking to agents roadside, Jones said she went to Denver to pick up the drugs, later admitting in an interview that she had travelled there multiple times to get the illicit material. In a search of Jones’s phone, agents learned she was purchasing 3,000 fentanyl pills and a half-ounce of meth. Other messages on her phone indicated she was also selling fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA conducted the investigation.
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Billings man sentenced to prison for trafficking drugsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who trafficked drugs while working as a cab driver was sentenced today to 42 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Sammy Joe Nava, 51, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute, and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that while working as a driver for Yellow Cab, Nava and a partner were selling meth around Billings.
Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, law enforcement learned in June 2022 that Yellow Cab employees known as “Sam” and “Dave” were selling meth across town. Sam provided the meth and Dave was a middleman who helped with the buys, according to the informant. Agents later identified “Sam” as Sammy Joe Nava.
Between June 13 and June 29, 2022, law enforcement set up four different buys using the informant, who purchased increasing amounts of meth from the two men. The informant would contact Dave, later identified as David Lee Owen, who would drive the informant to Nava’s location. Owen would take the informant’s money, go inside and return with the meth.
The informant started by purchasing 27.8 grams of meth, then 28.5 grams, and then 111.9 grams. On the final buy, the informant set up a purchase for a pound of meth, roughly 445 grams. Agents moved in and arrested Owen at the Yellow Cab offices where he was found with the pound of meth. Nava was arrested afterward.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the DEA conducted the investigation.
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Billings man sentenced to over 11 years in prison after trying to buy 35 pounds of methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who tried to buy a suitcase full of meth at a Laurel truck stop was sentenced today to 135 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Derrick Chandler Lucero, 48, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Lucero attempted to purchase 35 pounds of meth from a courier with ties to a Mexican drug operation.
The case against Lucero started in Omaha, Nebraska, when Omaha police officers and agents with the DEA intercepted a suspected drug courier at a bus station on July 22, 2025. The courier told law enforcement he was travelling from California to Montana – later admitting he had 35 pounds of meth in his bags. He then offered to help law enforcement deliver the meth as part of a controlled buy to catch the courier’s connection. Agents travelled with the courier to Billings along with the 35 pounds of meth, which was later tested to verify its legitimacy. They then swapped out 34 of the 35 bundles with white ice melt that they wrapped the same way as the original packages.
Early on July 23, 2025, agents and the courier created a plan for delivery. Contacting his handlers in Mexico, the courier received instructions to contact the buyer by phone and determine a location to make the exchange. His handlers told him he was to collect $12,500. The buyer, later identified as Lucero, contacted the courier at 12:02 a.m. and told him they’d meet at the TA Truck Stop in Laurel. Asked for a description of his vehicle, Lucero responded, “I’m in a green and tan Ford Expedition.”
Law enforcement started surveillance on the TA Truck Stop, eventually spotting the Expedition. The courier approached the Expedition with the suitcase holding the meth and ice melt. He opened the rear passenger door and set the suitcase inside. Lucero threw a stack of $100 bills on the back seat for the courier, who took the money, closed the car door and gave Lucero a thumbs up, indicating to the arrest teams that the transaction was complete. The agents moved in and arrested Lucero.
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 Montana comprises agents and officers from numerous federal agencies and drug task forces throughout the state, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation as part of the HSTF.
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Bardstown Man and Woman Sentenced to over 30 years and 10 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Nelson County man and woman were sentenced to federal prison on June 10, 2026, after being convicted of multiple fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offenses following a five-day jury trial in September 2025.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, Neal Scott Stone, 50, was sentenced to 30 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Additionally, Stone was on federal supervised release at the time of the offenses. He was sentenced to an additional 3-year term of imprisonment for violating the terms of supervised release, 18 months of which was ordered to run consecutively with the 30-year sentence, for a total combined sentence of 31.5 years. Stone was also ordered to pay a $40,000 fine.
Keely Logsdon, 42, was sentenced to 10 years, followed by 6 years of supervised release.
Between August of 2022 and June of 2023, Stone and Logsdon, both of Bardstown, conspired with each other and others to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine. Additionally, Stone and Logsdon, aided and abetted by each other, distributed cocaine and/or fentanyl on eight separate occasions. During the conspiracy, Stone was an over-the-road truck driver, who obtained cocaine and fentanyl from the southwest border of the United States and Mexico and transported the substances back to the Bardstown area for distribution. The jury also found that Stone had previously been convicted of the following serious drug felonies, which resulted in enhanced penalties.
On May 27, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Stone was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
On April 20, 2015, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Stone was convicted of attempt to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute heroin, distribution of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Neal Stone has lived a life of crime, with a callous disregard for his community. Despite the opportunity to learn from three prior federal drug trafficking convictions, Stone directly transported significant quantities of fentanyl and cocaine from the Mexican border into Bardstown, Kentucky. There’s no telling how many lethal doses of deadly poison he ultimately brought into our Commonwealth. At 50 years old, this 31 1/2-year sentence in the federal penitentiary all but assures Stone will never harm Kentuckians again. I am proud of the investigative work by first class DEA Agents, and the prosecutorial effort of AUSA Frank Dahl, who are at the forefront of fighting the narcotics epidemic plaguing our state.”
“Drug traffickers like Stone and Logsdon have no regard for human life and should expect nothing less than to feel the full weight of our justice system for their crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Field Division. “I’m very proud of the work done by our special agents and all our law enforcement partners to ensure these individuals are put away for a very long time.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI and DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force, the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Kentucky State Police, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Dahl and Amy Sullivan prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.
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 Louisville comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
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Another 301 charged in efforts to secure the southern borderRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The Southern District of Texas has filed 296 cases in immigration and related matters from June 5-11, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The charges include 186 illegal aliens for unlawfully reentering the United States and another 65 for illegal entry. Many have previous convictions related to narcotics trafficking, immigration offenses, violent crimes and more. An additional 41 people allegedly engaged in human smuggling, while the remaining nine people face immigration-related charges.
Among the new allegations are several convicted illegal alien felons who attempted to illegally reenter the United States.
One of those was allegedly Pedro Martinez-Arias from Mexico. According to the charges, law enforcement discovered him near Linn, despite having been previously removed Oct. 19, 2024. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and had been ordered to serve 168 months in prison before his removal from the United States.
He and others charged with felony reentry after prior removal face up to 20 years in federal prison, upon conviction.
In addition to the new cases, two Guatemalan human smugglers admitted to their roles in the 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico. Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala and Alberto Marcario Chitic acknowledged they conspired with other smugglers to transport illegal aliens from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States. They recruited aliens, collected payment, arranged for travel and even provided scripted language to unaccompanied minors if U.S. immigration authorities apprehended them. On Dec. 9, 2021, they and others arranged for aliens to be loaded into a tractor trailer that ultimately crashed north of the Guatemala/Mexico border, resulting in the deaths of more than 50 and injuries of over 100 more.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
2 Lawful Permanent Residents Charged with Attempting to Smuggle Juvenile Through El Paso Port of EntryRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – Two Lawful Permanent Residents from Mexico made their initial appearances in a federal court in El Paso this week, facing criminal charges related to their alleged smuggling of illegal aliens, including a minor, from Mexico into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on June 7, Abraham Romo-Rivera, 39, and Amairani Munoz-Molinar, 29, approached the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in a vehicle and applied for admission into the United States. The vehicle had New Mexico plates, and Romo-Rivera was allegedly the driver of the vehicle. Romo-Rivera was accompanied by multiple passengers, including Munoz-Molinar. A criminal complaint alleges that Romo-Rivera and Munoz-Molinar presented the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) with their Lawful Permanent Resident Cards and Romo-Rivera additionally presented identification documents for two other passengers, declaring them to be his son and daughter. The documents allegedly bore the information of other individuals, and the CBPO noticed that the female passenger attempted to avoid showing her face.
The CBPO referred the vehicle to secondary inspection, where Romo-Rivera and Munoz-Molinar allegedly maintained that the two passengers were their son and daughter. The CBPO also recognized that the photo on the female’s supposed identification document did not match the female, leading her to allegedly disclose that she was not the person depicted on the I.D. and was a citizen of Mexico.
Further investigation revealed that Romo-Rivera was allegedly going to be paid $10,000 to smuggle illegal aliens into the U.S. During a pat-down search of Munoz-Molinar, a CBPO allegedly located a manila envelope containing the actual Mexican birth certificates and Mexican passports belonging to the two illegal aliens. The male passenger was determined to be a minor.
Romo-Rivera and Munoz-Molinar were arrested and charged with one count of bringing in and harboring aliens. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Van Pelt is 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.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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11 June 2026
Windsor Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Windsor man pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on September 1, 2024, a deputy with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office observed Shawn Merrill, 40, riding in a vehicle as a passenger. The deputy was aware that Merrill had a warrant for his arrest and was on state probation. After stopping the vehicle, the deputy searched it and located a pistol in the center console. Merrill admitted that his DNA and fingerprints would likely be on the firearm as he had previously handled it. Merrill is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of prior felony convictions, including a Maine robbery conviction.
Merrill faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Wilkes-Barre Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joseph Angelo Valderrama, age 38, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on March 22, 2026, Valderrama possessed an AR-15 style pistol and rounds of ammunition in Luzerne County knowing he had previously been convicted of a felony offense that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Warms Springs Man Sentenced to Prison for Sexually Abusing Two MinorsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for sexually abusing two minors at a sleepover, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford.
Desmond Ray Florez, 34, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 13, 2025, Florez sexually abused two minors while they were at a sleepover at Florez’s residence on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Investigators at the Warm Springs Police Department learned that Florez had also previously sexually abused one of the minor victims four years ago.
On July 1, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Florez with sexual abuse of a minor and sexual abusive contact. Florez pleaded guilty to both counts on February 19, 2026.
The FBI and Warms Springs Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin Heinz prosecuted the case.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Wanted Fugitive Out of Maryland Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A wanted fugitive out of Maryland, who led police on a high-speed car chase on Interstate 81 before crashing into the median, pled guilty yesterday to federal drug and gun charges.
Corey Frances Potter, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, in February 2026, Potter was a known fugitive traveling north on Interstate 81 from Roanoke, Virginia, towards Winchester, Virginia. When Potter entered Rockingham County, Virginia, law enforcement pulled behind the defendant’s vehicle and turned on their lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop.
Rather than pull over, Potter sped up to evade law enforcement, eventually hitting a tractor trailer’s front tire, spinning out, striking a pick-up truck, and rolling over into the median.
Law enforcement retrieved various items from the crash scene, including a backpack that belonged to Potter, which contained two firearms, various magazines, and significant amounts of ammunition. Law enforcement also found inside the vehicle approximately 13.7 ounces of cocaine, bags of white pills, another firearm, $14,755, and a fraudulent Drug Enforcement Administration.
Potter’s criminal history shows that he was convicted in 2015 of two felony charges in Pennsylvania, both involving fleeing from, or attempting to elude, law enforcement.
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 and the Virginia State Police investigated the case with assistance from the City of Roanoke Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff is prosecuting the case.
Wainwright man sentenced to 16 years for sexually exploiting minors to produce, receive child pornographyRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Wainwright man was sentenced today to over 16 years in prison for sexually exploiting multiple minor victims to produce and receive child pornography.
According to court documents, on Oct. 22, 2024, the North Slope Borough Police Department received a report from a 15-year-old minor victim about Robert Segevan, 32. The minor victim reported that Segevan requested sexually explicit pictures on Snapchat. Throughout the course of the investigation, four other minor victims came forward, ranging from 11 to 13 years old. The victims reported that anytime they attempted to block him, Segevan would create a new account and continue to ask for explicit pictures.
Law enforcement obtained search warrants for Segevan’s accounts. The warrants revealed that between August and October 2024, Segevan contacted multiple females suspected to be minors asking for sexually explicit images. Law enforcement seized multiple devices and found 62 images and 21 videos that depicted child sexual abuse with some victims as young as five years old.
On July 30, 2026, Segevan was arrested after being charged by criminal complaint and was formally indicted by a federal grand jury roughly one month later. On March 6, 2026, Segevan pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child: attempted production of child pornography, one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of receipt of child pornography.
At sentencing, the Court ordered Segevan to serve 15 years on supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the need to protect Segevan’s community from his predatory behavior.
“Mr. Segevan persistently targeted minors known to him, going as far as creating new digital accounts when the minors blocked him over and over again for his sick conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “I want to commend the courageous victims who came forward to disclose Segevan’s crimes and our law enforcement partners that ultimately stopped his perverse pattern of behavior. We must work together to protect Alaska’s children.”
“Segevan’s child exploitation crimes against multiple young victims were deliberate, predatory, and have no place in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI and our partners remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our most vulnerable, identify offenders, and secure justice for victims of these atrocious crimes.”
“The North Slope Borough Police Department is dedicated to protecting our communities and ensuring that those who target and exploit our youth are held fully accountable,” said Deputy Chief Phillip Brymer of the North Slope Borough Police Department. “This case highlights the vital importance of our local investigators working hand-in-hand with federal partners like the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We hope this sentencing brings a sense of justice and closure to the victims and their families.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and North Slope Borough Police Department are investigating the case, with assistance from Anchorage Police Department as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Vosacek and Ibad Jafri prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
UPDATE: This release has been updated to include a quote from the North Slope Borough Police Department.
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United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Honors Six First Responders for Their Exceptional Acts of BraveryRead the Press Release
DETROIT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan presented the Department of Justice’s Hometown Hero Award to six first responders whose extraordinary courage and bravery during two separate critical incidents saved lives and ensured public safety.
The Hometown Hero award commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It honors the enduring ideals of Liberty, Service, and Civic Responsibility. This award is dedicated in recognition of a steadfast commitment to these ideals and an embodiment of the spirit upon which our Nation was founded.
“These brave men answered the call without hesitation. They held the line for us against terrorists who attacked and burned a church and temple. And through their sacrificial acts, these American heroes saved countless lives. We thank God for each of them,” said United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
The honorees include Michigan Conservation Officer Luke Robare (not pictured) and Grand Blanc Township Police Officer Jason Carpentier, who were honored for their tremendous composure, courage, and bravery during a terror attack. These men were the first to respond to a September 28, 2025, call regarding an active shooter at the Jesus Christ House of Latter-Day Saints, where hundreds of worshipers were in attendance. Upon arrival at the scene, the officers heard a barrage of gunfire in the parking lot of the church where members of the congregation were fleeing from the assailant, who was armed with an AK-47. Both officers selflessly ran together toward the sounds of gunfire, engaged the assailant with their department-issued rifles, and immediately ended the threat. This devastating attack resulted in four innocent lives being taken and eight more injured due to gunfire. Without these officers’ brave, courageous actions, many more lives could have been lost, as there were hundreds of church members in attendance.
L-R Captain David Malloch, DNR Sgt. Keven Luther on behalf of Officer Luke Robare, U.S. Attorney Jerome G. Gorgon, Jr., Grand Blanc Twp Officer Jason Carpentier and Chief William RenyeAlso recognized were the Temple Israel Security Team who displayed tremendous composure, courage, and bravery during a terror attack. These men were working the day a Hezbollah-inspired attacker drove his vehicle into the synagogue in a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. The officers took immediate action to stop the attacker before he could kill any of the nearby children and teachers who were in the building at the time of the attack. They bravely stood between the attacker and the dozens of innocent men, women and children who were worshiping at the Temple that day. Their actions prevented what would have been a tremendous loss of life and are a testament to their bravery and professionalism.
For more information on Freedom 250 and the Hometown Hero award, go to https://freedom250.org
U.S. Attorney’s Office Launches Fraud Prevention Initiative for Older Americans to Combat Elder Fraud in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah is proud to announce her office’s efforts to combat elder fraud with the launch of the Fraud Prevention Initiative for Older Americans. As part of the initiative, U.S. Attorney Holyoak is visiting senior and community centers across the state of Utah to discuss elder fraud trends, tactics, and ways to avoid falling victim to these dangerous and sometimes sophisticated scams.
June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month and June 15, 2026, is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Since May 6, 2026, U.S. Attorney Holyoak has visited over a dozen senior centers in 12 counties. Joining the Justice Department’s efforts to stop scammers from defrauding older Americans, she shares an important reminder: the Justice Department and other government agencies will never call you out of the blue to demand money, request gift cards or cryptocurrency, or tell you to move your money to “keep it safe.”
“As technology evolves, imposter scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Their tactics are tricky and instill fear and urgency, but it is important that no matter how urgent the problem seems, stop, talk to someone you trust, and check in with the real business or agency – not whoever is on the phone,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Along with this administration, my office takes fraud seriously and we will prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law, but prevention is key.”
For more information on how scammers try to defraud the older American community visit ejcc.acl.gov/imposters.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts Hosts Freedom 250 Hometown Hero Ceremony and Veteran Charity DriveRead the Press Release
BOSTON – As part of Freedom 250 – the nationwide celebration commemorating America’s 250th birthday – the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts will host a Hometown Hero ceremony recognizing Marshfield native, Corporal Alfred Lopes, Jr., who was declared missing in action in the Korean War in February 1951.
The ceremony will be held on June 16, 2026, at 3 p.m., at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse, 2nd Floor Jury Assembly Room in Boston.
During the event, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley will present a Hometown Hero recognition award to the family of Corporal Alfred Lopes Jr., who served with the 15th Field Artillery Battalion, supporting infantry units of the 2nd Infantry Division near Hoengson, Korea. After fighting their way through enemy roadblocks under heavy and continuous attack from Chinese forces, the unit reached the town of Wonju, Korea. According to members of Lopes’s unit, Lopes was captured by enemy forces and seen uninjured in a POW camp. Witnesses also described Lopes as later becoming sick and dropping out of a march enroute to the Suan POW camp. While U.S. authorities have been granted access to various battlefield sites, cemeteries and POW camps, Corporal Lopes remains unaccounted for. He was presumed dead on Dec. 31, 1953.
Corporal Lopes is the recipient of the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal; Korean Service Medal; Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation; United Nations Service Medal; and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. Corporal Lopes is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. He was also memorialized on a monument at Marshfield Town Hall and the Korean War veterans chapter in Marshfield bears his name.
More than seven decades later, Corporal Lopes’s sacrifice continues to be honored through ongoing efforts to recover and identify missing American service members.
“Freedom 250 is an opportunity to celebrate 250 years of our nation’s history and reflect on the enduring ideals of freedom, courage and sacrifice that have shaped America and continue to unite us today. Corporal Alfred Lopes Jr. answered the call to serve his country during the Korean War and made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom. It is a privilege to honor his legacy and ensure that his service is never forgotten,” said U.S. Attorney Foley. “We are also proud to support the New England Center and Home for Veterans through our charity drive – recognizing the extraordinary contributions of veterans in our communities and reaffirming our commitment to those who have served our nation.”
As of 2024, approximately 7,400 American service members remain unaccounted for from the Korean War (1950 – 1953) with 5,300 believed to be in North Korea. In addition, over 36,000 American soldiers lost their lives. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Korean War Identification Project continue to recover, identify and repatriate remains from North Korea.
Freedom 250 is a national initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States and encouraging communities across the country to celebrate service, sacrifice and civic engagement at the local level. As part of the nationwide Freedom 250 initiative, United States Attorneys’ Offices nationwide are recognizing individuals who exemplify dedication to public service and commitment to their communities.
Additionally, in honor of Freedom 250, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts conducted a two-week charity drive benefiting the New England Center and Home for Veterans. The organization provides support and services to veterans facing or at risk of homelessness, including programs focused on housing, employment, recovery and independent living. Employees from the U.S. Attorney’s Office donated nonmonetary donations including clothing, bedding and toiletries.
The ceremony will be open to the public and media. Additional details regarding media availability and logistics will be announced at a later date.
Two Utah Men Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the IRS and the Small Business Administration of $5.5 MillionRead the Press Release
A Third Conspirator in Oregon Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy on May 13, 2026
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment on Tuesday charging two Provo, Utah, men with conspiring to steal over $5.5 million from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) through a fictitious payroll and bank fraud scheme. A third defendant previously pleaded guilty.
David Starling, 61, and Benjamin Young, 39, were charged with conspiring to defraud the United States. Young was also charged with twelve counts of wire fraud.
Adam Starling, 55, of Sherwood, Oregon, the brother of David Starling, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States.
According to court documents, the defendants owned or controlled eight companies. In 2020 and 2021, they falsely listed several family members as employees of their companies, including their spouses and children. For example, Young’s minor children were listed as employees of five of the companies owned or controlled by the defendants. The three created false tax documents on which they fraudulently reported to the IRS that they had paid more than $4 million in wages to these employees. They also submitted false tax documents to support claims for COVID-19 relief benefits offered through the IRS and the SBA in 2020 and 2021 to help businesses and employees affected by the pandemic. They fraudulently obtained $3 million in tax credits, and $200,000 in Payroll Protection Loans, which were also forgiven based on false statements.
Young purchased commercial space in a building located in Provo where his employer was located. The purchase price was $3.5 million. To fund the purchase, Young used proceeds from the COVID-benefit scheme, as well as other funds he allegedly embezzled from his employer.
According to the Indictment, after Young acquired the commercial property, he attempted to repay his employer the funds he had embezzled by fabricating documents with David Starling, making it appear that David Starling had loaned Young $2.5 million for the purchase of the commercial property. Relying on the fabricated documents, Young’s bank loan request was approved for $2.5 million and it was secured by the SBA. Once the loan was funded, Young squandered most of it on unsuccessful options trading, the purchase of a condominium for his relatives, and to fund the false payroll scheme.
On November 21, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon filed a civil forfeiture action, alleging that the commercial space and condominium purchased by Young were forfeitable assets due to the fraud. That action is pending.
David Starling and Young are expected to make their initial appearance in federal court on July 31, 2026. If convicted of conspiring to defraud the United States, David Starling and Young face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. If convicted of wire fraud, Young faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Adam Starling faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. He will be sentenced on August 26, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case is being investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the SBA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Cardani and Meredith Bateman are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Charged in Connection with Cryptocurrency Money Laundering Service That Allegedly Laundered over $389 Million in Unlawful TransactionsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, both residing in Batumi, Republic of Georgia, were arrested on Wednesday and charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of sting money laundering, arising from their alleged operation of “AudiA6,” a cryptocurrency money laundering service believed responsible for laundering more than $389 million in cryptocurrency.
A coordinated international takedown of AudiA6 and its infrastructure was conducted in conjunction with yesterday’s arrests. The takedown resulted from parallel investigations by the United States Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Europol, Eurojust, and other international law enforcement partners, including Australia, Canada, France, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
A joint action took place and involved the following:
- Three properties were searched;
- Servers and domains linked to the criminal infrastructure were targeted in the United States, Iceland, Germany, and France;
- Telegram accounts used by the network were blocked;
- Cryptocurrency assets were frozen and digital devices were seized;
- The clear web and dark web websites of the AudiA6 service and the Dark2Web cybercrime forum, one of the sites where AudiA6 advertises its services, were replaced with a law enforcement seizure banner.
Tkachuk, a Ukrainian national, and Ledenev, a Russian national, are currently in the custody of Georgian authorities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek the defendants’ extradition to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.The criminal complaint in this case alleges that Tkachuk and Ledenev are senior members of the AudiA6 organization, who manage the cryptocurrency money laundering service and the Dark2Web cybercrime forum. The complaint references a Dark2Web advertisement in which AudiA6 explicitly offers to conceal and disguise the source of any prospective customer’s cryptocurrency that would otherwise be traceable to criminal sources, for a fee of up to five percent of the amount of funds being laundered.
Through blockchain analysis, law enforcement has determined that approximately 10,333 Bitcoin (“BTC”), valued at approximately* $389,747,417 at the time of the transactions, was deposited to AudiA6 cryptocurrency wallets since the service was launched in 2021. Using blockchain analysis tools and financial records obtained during the investigation, law enforcement reviewed the sources of funds directly deposited to these AudiA6 wallets. Out of the approximately 10,333 bitcoin deposited, approximately 393.39 BTC (valued at around $19,234,331 at the time of the transactions) were received directly from known darknet markets, ransomware organizations, cybercrime services, and other illicit sources, while additional funds were deposited indirectly from illicit sources into AudiA6 wallets.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of incarceration.
This case is being investigated by the Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Section and offices in Frankfurt and Oklahoma City, as well as IRS-CI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin D. Traster and Sima Kazmir and Special Assistant United States Attorney Richard Lorenz.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio has provided significant assistance with this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) prosecutor based in The Hague also provided crucial support to this operation.
The Justice Department is providing cybercrime technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in other countries through the ICHIP program. Learn more about the Criminal Division’s ICHIP Program, jointly administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section through partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, here.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
*All quantities of bitcoin and dollar equivalents described here are approximate.
US_DIS_PAED_2_26mj1055_COMPLAINT__TKACHUK_LEDENEV_0.pdf
Tucson Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Shams Khan Rehman, 31, of Tucson, Arizona, pleaded guilty on June 8, 2026, to two counts of Production of Child Pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 3, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez.
According to the plea agreement, Rehman admitted that he used Snapchat to communicate with individuals whom he paid to exploit several minors under the age of 12. At Rehman’s direction, those individuals produced images and videos documenting the abuse and sent the files to him. The plea agreement further states that Rehman also redistributed some of the produced images and videos to other Snapchat users.
A conviction for Production of Child Pornography carries maximum penalties of 30 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, and lifetime supervised release.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson Office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Jennifer H. Berman, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-04780
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-096_Rehman
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Three Illegal Aliens from Guatemala Indicted for Crimes Related to Unaccompanied Alien Children, including Smuggling and Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - A federal grand jury returned indictments charging three illegal aliens from Guatemala for international smuggling of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) and defrauding the government, while another illegal alien was sentenced to prison for smuggling a UAC to the United States in 2023 and then fraudulently obtaining custody of the child who he then sexually abused.
The indictments charge Maritza Azucena Cahuec Coc, 38, and her brother Carlos Agustin Cahuec Coc, 33, aka Tuco, both illegal aliens from Guatemala, for their roles in an international alien smuggling conspiracy, spanning from approximately December 2020 to October 2023, that included submitting multiple fraudulent sponsorship applications to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of UACs. Gladys Marina Caal Chen, 20, an illegal alien from Guatemala, who, herself, was fraudulently sponsored as a UAC, is charged with making false statements to the government in connection with a UAC sponsorship application.
Juan Tiul Xi, 27, from Guatemala, pleaded guilty for helping smuggle a child into the United States and submitting a fraudulent sponsorship application, falsely representing that he was the child’s brother. After gaining custody, Xi sexually abused the child. For that, he was convicted of sexual battery of a child in state court and sentenced to eight years in prison. Additionally, Xi was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison to be served consecutive to the eight year state prison sentence.
“For too many years, under the prior administration, unaccompanied children were smuggled to the United States and then taken in by a mismanaged government program guided by reckless policy direction,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Instead of protecting children, these defendants and others allegedly took advantage of the program and used it to entice the illegal smuggling of unaccompanied children to the United States and, as the sentence of Tiul Xi shows, leave them vulnerable to sexual assault, trafficking, and other exploitation.”
“These defendants allegedly induced young children to make the treacherous journey from Guatemala to the United States, and then lied to government authorities to obtain custody, abusing the very program designed to protect vulnerable children,” said Assistant Attorney A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through Joint Task Force Alpha, the Criminal Division is focused on prosecuting alien smuggling and fraud in the UAC program. In this country, we will not stand for illegal aliens helping to smuggle children into the United States and then sexually assault them.”
“Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not tolerate criminal schemes that endanger children and undermine the lawful procedure established to protect them,” said Acting Director David Venturella of ICE. “Our agency, working alongside federal partners, remains resolute in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who violate the law. We are determined to continue the necessary work to root out this criminality.”
“We will not tolerate criminals that use deceptive and fraudulent practices to deliberately abuse our immigration programs for their financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “If your business plan is to smuggle others into our country for a profit — especially children — you will come face to face with a federal judge for violating our country’s laws. We owe a debt of gratitude to the federal investigators who brought this dark truth to light taking place right here in Northern Ohio. We will aggressively prosecute these alleged crimes and bring those responsible for such actions to justice.”
“HSI remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of our immigration system and protecting vulnerable children from smuggling and exploitation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office. “This case demonstrates the dedication and collaboration of our agents and partners in dismantling criminal networks that seek to exploit a legitimate government process for personal gain. We will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety of our communities and the security of our borders.”
“Martiza Azucena Cahuec Coc and her co-conspirators allegedly engaged in a complex and calculated pattern of illegal conduct by committing multiple crimes irrespective of the laws of the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua DelManzo of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “They blatantly disregarded the laws of this country at the expense of minor children. Making false and fraudulent claims while also purporting to be the children’s relatives lends to further victimization of the minor children for whom they claimed to be helping. These behaviors highlight an incomparable disrespect for the country, programs, and people that, if correctly followed, would have afforded the proper entry into the United States.”
“Exploiting vulnerable children and manipulating a system designed to protect them is abhorrent,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These defendants not only endangered minors by smuggling them into the country, but they also defrauded a federal program entrusted with their safety. HHS-OIG will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure those who abuse government processes for personal gain are held fully accountable.”
“The care and welfare of unaccompanied children is paramount to the Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR),” said Acting Director Angie Salazar of ORR. “We are committed to continuously reviewing UAC data, identifying suspicious trends, and collaborating with law enforcement whenever there are child safety concerns. We take any attempt to exploit or defraud our agency extremely seriously and will continue to work closely with our partners to protect the integrity of our mission and the safety of the children entrusted to our care.”
UACs who are apprehended by Department of Homeland Security immigration officials or another federal agency are transferred to ORR, which is responsible for the care and custody of UACs awaiting immigration proceedings. The process of releasing a UAC from ORR custody to a sponsor involves several steps, including, but not limited to, the identification of a sponsor, the submission of a sponsor application, and an assessment of sponsor suitability, which includes verification of the sponsor’s identity and relationship, if any, to the child.
According to court documents, between in or around December 2020 and October 2023, Maritza Cahuec Coc coordinated efforts with co-conspirators to smuggle aliens, including minors, into the United States. As part of this scheme, Maritza Cahuec Coc also submitted multiple UAC sponsorship applications to ORR using aliases’ birth certificates and Guatemalan consular ID cards, among other documents, and falsely claimed to be UACs’ close relative to deceptively convince ORR personnel that she was related to the UACs to obtain custody. Several of Cahuec Coc’s applications were successful. Paychecks addressed and made payable to others including at least one of the UACs sponsored by Maritza Cahuec Coc were deposited into Maritza Cahuec Coc’s and a co-conspirator’s bank accounts.
Also according to court documents, Caal Chen was encountered during a court-authorized search of Maritza Cahuec Coc’s residence on May 22. Caal Chen was previously sponsored as a UAC by one of Cahuec Coc’s co-conspirators who fraudulently used an alias. Caal Chen is alleged to have also lied to ORR in or around January 2024 in her own application to sponsor a UAC using an alias. At the time of her arrest, Caal Chen again lied to law enforcement by providing yet another alias, but later admitted her real name was Caal Chen. Carlos Agustin Cahuec Coc, the brother of Maritza Cahuec Coc, was subsequently arrested on May 28 while driving a vehicle registered to Maritza Cahuec Coc and at the time had with him a 16-year-old UAC passenger. Carlos Cahuec Coc communicated with Maritza Cahuec Coc, discussed human smugglers bringing a UAC to the United States illegally and how they would deceive ORR and fraudulently sponsor the UAC here in the U.S.
Maritza Cahuec Coc was arrested on May 22 and is charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, harboring aliens, and encouraging and inducing and conspiring to encourage and induce aliens to enter the United States illegally as well as making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Cahuec Coc faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to encourage and induce illegal entry, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, and mandatory consecutive penalties of two years in prison, respectively, for aggravated identity theft. Carlos Cahuec Coc is charged with encouraging and inducing for financial gain and conspiring to encourage and induce aliens to enter the United States illegally. Carlos Cahuec Coc faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to encourage and induce illegal entry. Caal Chen is charged with making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Juan Tiul Xi helped arrange for a 14-year-old female child and her family to find someone to lend them money and pay a “coyote” to smuggle the young girl to the United States. The smuggling arrangement saddled the UAC and her family with a substantial financial burden. Moreover, Tiul Xi took advantage of a government program designed to protect children who enter the U.S. unaccompanied. Specifically, he instructed the UAC to use the name and birth certificate of Tiul Xi’s minor sister to enter the United States so that he could falsely claim in his UAC sponsorship application that he was the UAC’s brother. Tiul Xi made these false representations in an application that he signed under the penalty of perjury. ORR relied on Tiul Xi’s misrepresentations, approved his application to sponsor the UAC, and released the UAC to Tiul Xi’s care in September 2023. After her release to Tiul Xi from ORR’s custody, Tiul Xi sexually assaulted the UAC, which resulted in his conviction on two counts of sexual battery in state court. Tiul Xi is serving two consecutive 4-year sentences in Ohio for the sexual assault of the child. Tiul-Xi pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for the purpose of financial gain; one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement; and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentence announced today will be served after he completes his state sentence.
HSI, FBI, and HHS-OIG Cleveland field offices are jointly investigating these cases with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking and HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and ORR, have provided valuable assistance. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Government of Guatemala provided significant assistance in this matter.
Acting Deputy Chief Christian Levesque and Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney/Senior Litigation Counsel Carol Skutnik, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward D. Brydle, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
The indictments and sentence announced today were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 458 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 408 U.S. convictions; and more than 357 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cahuec Coc indictment here.
Tiul Xi indictment here.
Tiul Xi sentencing memo here.
Caal Chen indictment here.
Three Illegal Aliens from Guatemala Indicted for Crimes Related to Unaccompanied Alien Children, including Smuggling and Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Yesterday in Cleveland, Ohio, indictments were returned charging three illegal aliens from Guatemala for international smuggling of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) and defrauding the government, while another illegal alien was sentenced to prison for smuggling a UAC to the United States in 2023 and then fraudulently obtaining custody of the child who he then sexually abused.
The indictments charge Maritza Azucena Cahuec Coc, 38, and her brother Carlos Agustin Cahuec Coc, 33, both illegal aliens from Guatemala, for their roles in an international alien smuggling conspiracy, spanning from approximately December 2020 to October 2023, that included submitting multiple fraudulent sponsorship applications to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of UACs. Gladys Marina Caal Chen, 20, an illegal alien from Guatemala, who, herself, was fraudulently sponsored as a UAC, is charged with making false statements to the government in connection with a UAC sponsorship application.
Juan Tiul Xi, 27, from Guatemala, pleaded guilty for helping smuggle a child into the United States and submitting a fraudulent sponsorship application, falsely representing that he was the child’s brother. After gaining custody, Xi sexually abused the child. For that, he was convicted of sexual battery of a child in state court and sentenced to eight years in prison. Additionally, Xi was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison to be served consecutive to the eight year state prison sentence.
“For too many years, under the prior administration, unaccompanied children were smuggled to the United States and then taken in by a mismanaged government program guided by reckless policy direction,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Instead of protecting children, these defendants and others allegedly took advantage of the program and used it to entice the illegal smuggling of unaccompanied children to the United States and, as the sentence of Tiul Xi shows, leave them vulnerable to sexual assault, trafficking, and other exploitation.”
“These defendants allegedly induced young children to make the treacherous journey from Guatemala to the United States, and then lied to government authorities to obtain custody, abusing the very program designed to protect vulnerable children,” said Assistant Attorney A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through Joint Task Force Alpha, the Criminal Division is focused on prosecuting alien smuggling and fraud in the UAC program. In this country, we will not stand for illegal aliens helping to smuggle children into the United States and then sexually assault them.”
“Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not tolerate criminal schemes that endanger children and undermine the lawful procedure established to protect them,” said Acting Director David Venturella of ICE. “Our agency, working alongside federal partners, remains resolute in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who violate the law. We are determined to continue the necessary work to root out this criminality.”
“We will not tolerate criminals that use deceptive and fraudulent practices to deliberately abuse our immigration programs for their financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “If your business plan is to smuggle others into our country for a profit — especially children — you will come face to face with a federal judge for violating our country’s laws. We owe a debt of gratitude to the federal investigators who brought this dark truth to light taking place right here in Northern Ohio. We will aggressively prosecute these alleged crimes and bring those responsible for such actions to justice.”
“HSI remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of our immigration system and protecting vulnerable children from smuggling and exploitation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office. “This case demonstrates the dedication and collaboration of our agents and partners in dismantling criminal networks that seek to exploit a legitimate government process for personal gain. We will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety of our communities and the security of our borders.”
“Martiza Azucena Cahuec Coc and her co-conspirators allegedly engaged in a complex and calculated pattern of illegal conduct by committing multiple crimes irrespective of the laws of the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua DelManzo of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. “They blatantly disregarded the laws of this country at the expense of minor children. Making false and fraudulent claims while also purporting to be the children’s relatives lends to further victimization of the minor children for whom they claimed to be helping. These behaviors highlight an incomparable disrespect for the country, programs, and people that, if correctly followed, would have afforded the proper entry into the United States.”
“Exploiting vulnerable children and manipulating a system designed to protect them is abhorrent,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These defendants not only endangered minors by smuggling them into the country, but they also defrauded a federal program entrusted with their safety. HHS-OIG will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure those who abuse government processes for personal gain are held fully accountable.”
“The care and welfare of unaccompanied children is paramount to the Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR),” said Acting Director Angie Salazar of ORR. “We are committed to continuously reviewing UAC data, identifying suspicious trends, and collaborating with law enforcement whenever there are child safety concerns. We take any attempt to exploit or defraud our agency extremely seriously and will continue to work closely with our partners to protect the integrity of our mission and the safety of the children entrusted to our care.”
UACs who are apprehended by Department of Homeland Security immigration officials or another federal agency are transferred to ORR, which is responsible for the care and custody of UACs awaiting immigration proceedings. The process of releasing a UAC from ORR custody to a sponsor involves several steps, including, but not limited to, the identification of a sponsor, the submission of a sponsor application, and an assessment of sponsor suitability, which includes verification of the sponsor’s identity and relationship, if any, to the child.
According to court documents, between in or around December 2020 and October 2023, Maritza Cahuec Coc coordinated efforts with co-conspirators to smuggle aliens, including minors, into the United States. As part of this scheme, Maritza Cahuec Coc also submitted multiple UAC sponsorship applications to ORR using aliases’ birth certificates and Guatemalan consular ID cards, among other documents, and falsely claimed to be UACs’ close relative to deceptively convince ORR personnel that she was related to the UACs to obtain custody. Several of Cahuec Coc’s applications were successful. Paychecks addressed and made payable to others including at least one of the UACs sponsored by Maritza Cahuec Coc were deposited into Maritza Cahuec Coc’s and a co-conspirator’s bank accounts.
Also according to court documents, Caal Chen was encountered during a court-authorized search of Maritza Cahuec Coc’s residence on May 22. Caal Chen was previously sponsored as a UAC by one of Cahuec Coc’s co-conspirators who fraudulently used an alias. Caal Chen is alleged to have also lied to ORR in or around January 2024 in her own application to sponsor a UAC using an alias. At the time of her arrest, Caal Chen again lied to law enforcement by providing yet another alias, but later admitted her real name was Caal Chen. Carlos Agustin Cahuec Coc, the brother of Maritza Cahuec Coc, was subsequently arrested on May 28 while driving a vehicle registered to Maritza Cahuec Coc and at the time had with him a 16-year-old UAC passenger. Carlos Cahuec Coc communicated with Maritza Cahuec Coc, discussed human smugglers bringing a UAC to the United States illegally and how they would deceive ORR and fraudulently sponsor the UAC here in the U.S.
Maritza Cahuec Coc was arrested on May 22 and is charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, harboring aliens, and encouraging and inducing and conspiring to encourage and induce aliens to enter the United States illegally as well as making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Cahuec Coc faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to encourage and induce illegal entry, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, and mandatory consecutive penalties of two years in prison, respectively, for aggravated identity theft. Carlos Cahuec Coc is charged with encouraging and inducing for financial gain and conspiring to encourage and induce aliens to enter the United States illegally. Carlos Cahuec Coc faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to encourage and induce illegal entry. Caal Chen is charged with making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Juan Tiul Xi helped arrange for a 14-year-old female child and her family to find someone to lend them money and pay a “coyote” to smuggle the young girl to the United States. The smuggling arrangement saddled the UAC and her family with a substantial financial burden. Moreover, Tiul Xi took advantage of a government program designed to protect children who enter the U.S. unaccompanied. Specifically, he instructed the UAC to use the name and birth certificate of Tiul Xi’s minor sister to enter the United States so that he could falsely claim in his UAC sponsorship application that he was the UAC’s brother. Tiul Xi made these false representations in an application that he signed under the penalty of perjury. ORR relied on Tiul Xi’s misrepresentations, approved his application to sponsor the UAC, and released the UAC to Tiul Xi’s care in September 2023. After her release to Tiul Xi from ORR’s custody, Tiul Xi sexually assaulted the UAC, which resulted in his conviction on two counts of sexual battery in state court. Tiul Xi is serving two consecutive 4-year sentences in Ohio for the sexual assault of the child. Tiul-Xi pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for the purpose of financial gain; one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement; and one count of aggravated identity theft. His sentence announced today will be served after he completes his state sentence.
HSI, FBI, and HHS-OIG Cleveland field offices are jointly investigating these cases with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking and HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and ORR, have provided valuable assistance. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Government of Guatemala provided significant assistance in this matter.
Acting Deputy Chief Christian Levesque and Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney/Senior Litigation Counsel Carol Skutnik, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward D. Brydle, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting these cases, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
The indictments and sentence announced today were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 458 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 408 U.S. convictions; and more than 357 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cahuec Coc indictment here.
Tiul Xi indictment here.
Tiul Xi sentencing memo here.
Caal Chen indictment here.
Texas Couple Sentenced for Running an Illegal Pyramid SchemeRead the Press Release
A Texas couple was sentenced on June 9, 2026, to 40 years each in prison for running a fraudulent chain-referral pyramid scheme, following their convictions by a jury on conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering charges in January 2026.
“At the peak of the pandemic, LaShonda and Marlon Moore launched an investment fraud scheme and cheated struggling Americans out of $30 million,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This fraud scheme exploited people out of their hard-earned money at a time when they needed it most. Opportunistic fraudsters like the Moores belong in prison.”
“The Moores’ get rich quick scheme has earned them a well-deserved stay in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “Playing games with other peoples’ money while promising unrealistic returns is stealing and will be prosecuted and punished.”
“The harm caused by greed-driven, deceptive investments promising returns too good to be true cannot be overstated,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “The mission of the USPIS continues, to aggressively investigate such schemes and hold fraudsters fully accountable.”
“Those who exploit uncertainty and hardship for personal profit undermine the safety and security of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christina Foley of the U.S. Secret Service Dallas Field Office. “The Moores took advantage of trust and hope during a time of national crisis, causing significant harm to thousands of victims. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: the Secret Service remains steadfast in our mission to investigate and disrupt these schemes, and those who prey on vulnerable communities for personal gain will be held fully accountable.”
“The Moores used a polished image and a reality TV appearance to build trust, but behind the scenes, they orchestrated a deceptive pyramid scheme built on fake ‘playing boards’ and false promises of 800% returns,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “This scheme deliberately targeted the African American community, exploiting cultural trust and community ties. These sentences make it clear: if you abuse trust and exploit communities, you will face justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, LaShonda Moore, 38, and Marlon Moore, 39, of Frisco, Texas, co-founded and ran “Blessings in No Time,” known as “BINT,” an illegal chain-referral pyramid scheme that targeted victims during the COVID‑19 pandemic from June 2020 to June 2021. BINT targeted and recruited victims with false and misleading promises through weekly live-stream video broadcasts to thousands of participants across the United States during the COVID-19 shutdown. Victims were falsely promised that they would earn 800% returns on each $1,400 investment and were guaranteed a refund if they were unsatisfied. The Moores falsely held out BINT as a way for people to help their own community by paying “blessings” of at least $1,400 to participants who had already joined. The Moores falsely promised that new participants’ “blessing” payments would be paid back eight-fold within a few weeks. BINT was falsely presented as an altruistic invitation-only community to help others during the economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The defendants structured BINT to operate on “playing boards” that had positions for participants on four levels: eight Fires, four Winds, two Earths, and one Water. Once eight new participants were recruited to fill all eight Fire positions on the playing board, each Fire was directed to “bless” or pay at least $1,400 to the participant in the Water position. A Water participant then received eight payments totaling more than $11,000. After a Water participant received his or her payment, other participants at lower levels would move up one level on the playing board and then be required to recruit new participants into the Fire positions to perpetuate the scheme. To profit from the investment scheme, the defendants placed themselves in positions on the playing boards so that they received many of the ultimate payments, and they otherwise diverted substantial money to themselves that was paid by the participants. The defendants’ pyramid scheme victimized more than 10,000 people across the country and inflicted more than $30 million in victim losses.
USPIS, USSS, and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Theodore Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin Jr. for the Eastern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Felon Caught with Gun in Stolen Minivan Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught with a gun in a stolen minivan after ramming a police cruiser to 12 years in prison.
On Aug. 1, 2023, detectives with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spotted a minivan at a gas station in the 1600 block of South Jefferson Avenue that had been stolen earlier that day. Rodney Patterson was alone in the passenger seat of the vehicle, which was running. Instead of turning off the vehicle, Patterson tried to drive away, striking a police cruiser. He then tried to flee on foot but was arrested. Police found a Ruger LC Charger handgun on the front passenger seat. Patterson is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Patterson, 49, pleaded guilty in February to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to Life + 15 Years in Prison for Killing Two Women, BabyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon to life plus 15 years in prison for shooting four teens, killing two and causing the death of one woman’s baby a month later.
Eddie Marcus Love, 39, fatally shot the two 18-year-old women and wounded the two pregnant 17-year-olds at 1:46 a.m. on May 7, 2023, near the 1900 block of Agnes Street in St. Louis.
Less than a month after being released on parole after being sentenced to 20 years in prison on robbery and armed criminal action charges, “Mr. Love essentially decides to go on a killing spree,” Judge Clark said. Love prefaced the spree by telling his nephew, Charles Webster, that he was in a “killing mood,” Judge Clark said.
That evening, Love arranged to meet up with the teens, who wanted to obtain marijuana and visit a bar. Webster was driving the car and Love was in the passenger seat. The four teens were in the back seat.
Webster and Love twice tried and failed to buy marijuana. When the victims expressed their frustration, Love told them to get out of the car. Love shoved one victim, who told him to stop because she was pregnant. Love then opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Love and Webster got in the car and drove off before Love told Webster to circle the block and return. He then shot one of the wounded victims twice more in the head. She was 10 weeks pregnant, but her child was not injured. The child of the other wounded victim, who was 30 weeks pregnant, was delivered by emergency C-section and died on June 11, 2023, as a result of gunshot wounds.
In court, Judge Clark cited Love’s lengthy criminal history, which began with assault at the age of nine. When behind bars, Love threatened to kill and rape correctional officers, their relatives and other inmates, including after he pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts: conspiracy to distribute marijuana, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of ammunition and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Webster, now 30, pleaded guilty in December to three counts: conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced in May to 25 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angie Danis and Don Boyce prosecuted the case.
Springfield, Missouri-Based Investment Professional Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Money Laundering and Embezzling Retirement FundsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his commission of a scheme of wire fraud and money laundering that involved fraudulent embezzlement of the retirement funds of his clients. This is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Bob Hunter, 72, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush, to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.According to the plea agreement, Hunter, working as an investment and retirement professional in the Springfield, Mo. area, promoted various retirement programs, including Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERP). Hunter would promote the use and administration of SERPs to area executives who could invest their money with an eye toward building an investment retirement account that would be available for an investor during their retirement years. Instead of utilizing the monies he received from his clients to invest in their individual retirement accounts, Hunter utilized those monies for his own personal expenses.
In total, $373,230.50 in intended retirement funds were embezzled by Hunter from his clients. Hunter’s clients only became aware of his fraud after realizing that he was misleading them with false investment reports that claimed they had money in their investment accounts that never truly existed, known as “lulling” letters or documents. These lulling letters and documents significantly delayed investors from reporting the fraud to law enforcement and even attempted to conceal the nature and scope of Hunter’s true embezzlement.
Under federal statutes, Hunter is subject to sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum fine of $250,000 for Count One, Wire Fraud, and up to 10 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum fine of $250,000 for Count Two, Money Laundering. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the IRS-CI and the FBI.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
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.
Springfield Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Springfield, Oregon, woman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison today for fraudulently obtaining unemployment insurance benefits.
Jamianne MacKenzie, 41, was sentenced to three months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay over $30,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, MacKenzie used personal information of a victim to fraudulently apply for over $27,500 in unemployment insurance, which she used for personal expenses. The victim was unable to receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) after the Oregon Department of Human Services was notified in March 2021 that a claim was filed under the victim’s social security number in December 2020. The victim was unable to receive over $2,500 in TANF benefits.
On Feb. 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging MacKenzie with theft of government property.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General COVID Fraud Unit investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney William Narus prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.