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11 June 2026
Four Defendants Plead Guilty to Federal Crimes Related to the Murder of Puerto Rico Police Sergeant Eliezer Ramos Vélez in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) ProsecutionRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the guilty pleas of the following four defendants charged in Criminal Case No. 24-453 (MAJ).
- Victor J. Pérez-Fernández, a/k/a “La Cone”, “Vitu”, “Vitikin”, “Enano”
- Luis N. Isaac-Sánchez, a/k/a “Chimbo”, “CDobleta”, “Dobleta”
- Olvin O’Neill Concepción-Tapia, a/k/a “Sinfo”
- Daniel J. López-Vega, a/k/a “Dany”
All four defendants, as reflected in the Plea Agreements, accepted responsibility for their role and participation in the drug trafficking conspiracy (Count One) in violation of Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a)(1), 846, and 860. The drug conspiracy charged that the defendants conspired with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute significant quantities of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs in the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project (PHP), Luis Llorens Torres PHP, Los Mirtos PHP, Lagos de Blasina PHP, La Esmeralda PHP, El Coral PHP, Jardines de Monte Hatillo PHP and other nearby areas. That offense carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Two defendants – Pérez-Fernández and Issac-Sánchez – also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (Count Seven), in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 924(c). That charge carries a mandatory sentence of five years’ imprisonment (and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment), to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
Two defendants – Concepción-Tapia and López-Vega – also pleaded guilty to the substantive firearms-related murder of Sgt. Ramos Vélez (Count Nine), in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 924(c)(2), which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
All four defendants admitted to their participation in the murder of Sgt. Ramos-Vélez and all plea agreements include a provision that the murder sentencing guidelines provision (U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Section 2A1.1), applies to their cases. The murder guidelines provision applies whether a defendant pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking conspiracy (Count One) or to the substantive firearms-related murder (Count Nine). Specifics with respect to each guilty plea are below:
- On June 10, 2026, Victor J. Pérez-Fernández pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to his participation in the charged drug trafficking conspiracy (Count One) and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (Count Seven). The Court set the defendant’s sentencing date for September 18, 2026.
- On June 11, 2026, Luis N. Isaac-Sánchez pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to his participation in the charged drug trafficking conspiracy (Count One) and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (Count Seven). The Court set the defendant’s sentencing date for September 22, 2026.
- On June 11, 2026, Olvin O’Neill Concepción-Tapia pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to his participation in the charged drug trafficking conspiracy (Count One) and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking resulting in the death of Sgt. Ramos-Velez (Count Nine). The Court set the defendant’s sentencing date for September 22, 2026.
- On June 11, 2026, Daniel J. López-Vega pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to his participation in the charged drug trafficking conspiracy (Count One) and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking resulting in the death of Sgt. Ramos-Velez (Count Nine). The Court set the defendant’s sentencing date for September 22, 2026.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; and AUSAs Laura Díaz-González, and Joseph Russell are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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Former assistant D-A pleads guilty to drug/gun chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Delenci Shannon-Brown, 30, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to being and unlawful user of controlled substance in possession of firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
The Erie County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI began investigating Shannon-Brown in early July 2024. On July 24, 2024, investigators conducted a controlled sale of K2/Spice involving Shannon-Brown. In the late afternoon, deputies conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle. Shannon-Brown was taken to the Sherriff’s office where he consented to a sobriety test, which determined he was under the influence of a controlled substance. Shannon-Brown was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs. During a search of his vehicle, investigators recovered a pistol, and a baggie containing K2/Spice. On July 26, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Shannon-Brown’s residence in Buffalo. During the search, they seized 11.8 pounds of marijuana, a loaded pistol, Court documents relevant to New York State Grand Jury minutes and a case file, an Assistant District Attorney training manual, and numerous business cards identifying Shannon-Brown as an Erie County Assistant District Attorney. Shannon-Brown admits that between March and July 26, 2024, he used either marijuana or K2/Spice frequently. In addition, during that time he possessed a pistol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Former Turkey Leg Hut owner admits role in arson-for-hire schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Houston businessman has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit arson of a commercial building, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Lyndell Leroy Price, 42, admitted he directed others to intentionally set fire to Bar 5015, a Houston business his former partner owned on Almeda Road in Houston. Shortly before the fire, court records show that the owner had declined Price’s offer to buy into the bar and refused to sell his interest in the Turkey Leg Hut, an establishment he co-owned with Price.
In the early morning hours of June 12, 2020, the conspirators bought gasoline and gas cans before going to an area near the business. Wearing face coverings and carrying gasoline-filled containers, they walked to Bar 5015, poured gasoline across the entrance ramp and deck, ignited it and fled.
The fire caused significant damage to the business and endangered nearby occupied homes, commercial properties and the electrical grid.
After the arson, a member of the conspiracy reported to Price that the mission was complete. The conspirators then received payment for their roles in the crime.
U.S. District Judge Lake accepted the plea and set sentencing for Sept. 25. At that time, Price faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Armani Williams and Miziah Shepherd, both 27 and of Houston, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and are also set for sentencing the same date.
Price, Williams and Shepherd have been and will remain in custody pending their sentencing hearings.
FBI – Houston; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Houston Fire Department Arson Bureau conducted the investigation with assistance of Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct 4. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian A. Edwards and Keri Fuller are prosecuting the case.
Former Fort Gordon soldier pleads guilty to second degree murderRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: The defendant charged in the December 2024 shooting death of a Fort Gordon soldier faces up to life in federal prison after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court.
Natravien R. Landry, 27, of Abbeville, Louisiana, a former soldier in the U.S. Army National Guard, pled guilty to Murder in the Second Degree and Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence in the death of U.S. Army Sgt. Andre S. Stewart Jr., said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
The plea agreement subjects Landry to a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This guilty plea acknowledges the defendant’s responsibility, representing a step towards justice,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We commend the dedication of the U.S. Army CID and prosecutors whose efforts ensured this case would conclude in a conviction.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Landry was an Army National Guard soldier assigned to the 1148th Transportation Company at Fort Gordon. He was working with his Guard unit at Fort Gordon early in the morning of Dec. 14, 2024, when he visited an apartment on the installation of a woman with whom Landry shares a child. After seeing a vehicle parked outside the apartment and suspecting another man was at the residence, Landry walked inside the apartment to a bedroom upstairs and found Stewart and two children. Landry, who was aware Stewart was unarmed, shot him once in chest. Stewart later was pronounced dead in the apartment.
After the shooting, Landry drove away from Fort Gordon and was arrested about three hours later south of Atlanta on Interstate 85 during a traffic stop by the Meriwether County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office. Deputies recovered a 9 mm Glock pistol that testing proved was used in the shooting.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule a sentencing hearing upon completion of a presentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
"This plea is a testament to the outstanding investigative efforts of our Army CID agents, as well as the dedication of the DOJ prosecution team, and is indicative of our commitment to ensure justice for victims of heinous crimes such as this,” said Ryan O’Connor, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Southeast Field Office. "Army CID will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to pursue those who would harm members of our communities, and to hold them fully accountable for their actions."
This case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr.
Former Director of a Brooklyn Daycare Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Murielle Misczak pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud her former employer, a Brooklyn daycare (the Daycare), of more than $2.75 million. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. When sentenced, Misczak faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment as well as restitution of $2,805,871.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant took advantage of her access to bank accounts for the Daycare to steal millions in tuition payments in order to line her own pockets and fund trips to World Wrestling Entertainment events among other personal expenses,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals like the defendant who abuse positions of trust and seek to enrich themselves at the expense of services for children.”
“Murielle Misczak’s selfish greed deprived a local daycare of nearly three million dollars in critical funding intended for services to support the development and care of our communities’ children. The FBI continues to pull back the curtain on fraudsters seeking to steal from innocent New Yorkers, regardless of their cover up attempts,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As set forth in court filings, Misczak was hired by the Daycare in 2013 as Program Coordinator and was later promoted to Director in 2020. Starting in January 2022 and continuing through October 2025, Misczak stole more than $2.75 million in tuition payments by directing them to be paid into accounts she controlled and then transferring those payments into her own accounts. Misczak hid her theft from the Daycare by deleting and altering information in the Daycare’s accounting systems. Misczak spent over $600,000 in stolen funds on travel and entertainment, including over $350,000 on tickets to professional wrestling events, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury goods and various personal expenses such as food delivery and ride sharing services.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon C. Jones and Sophia M. Suarez are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Melina Piatti-Chayan.
The Defendant:
MURIELLE MISCZAK
Age: 43
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-65 (NGG)
Florida Man Sentenced for Defrauding Local Doctor of Almost $500,000Read the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Miramar, Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in federal prison for perpetuating a lengthy scheme to defraud a Lynchburg doctor out of nearly a half million dollars.
Tommie Lee Nelson, 66, pled guilty in February 2026 to one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, beginning around April 2020, the victim, a Lynchburg doctor, sought to purchase a commercial building in Danville, Virginia, in partnership with an agricultural cooperative. Nelson represented himself to the victim as a “hard money” lender who could assist in purchasing the building.
Through Nelson’s fraudulent representations, he convinced the victim to wire him several payments from July 2020 and into 2021, ultimately totaling almost $500,000. Despite Nelson’s representations, these payments did not go toward the building purchase. Instead, Nelson spent the victim’s money at casinos and for his personal benefit.
By 2021, the purchase agreement had fallen through, and Nelson stopped responding to the victim’s calls.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman prosecuted the case for the United States.
Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Ben Gordon (35, St. Petersburg) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Badalamenti to 16 years and 6 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Gordon pleaded guilty on February 22, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on September 6, 2023, DEA task force officers conducted an operation utilizing a confidential source to purchase one pound of methamphetamine and approximately 27 grams of fentanyl from Gordon. On November 3, 2023, the officers conducted another operation utilizing the same confidential source to buy one pound of methamphetamine and approximately 56 grams of fentanyl from Gordon, and Gordon was later arrested.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brooke M. Padgett.
Federal and Local Officials Dismantle Oregon-Idaho Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BOISE – Four members of a drug trafficking organization that operated in both Idaho and Oregon have been sentenced to a combined thirty-seven and half years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, in 2024 law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing methamphetamine in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Members of the organization obtained methamphetamine from California and brought it back to Idaho and Oregon for further distribution. During the investigation and subsequent arrests, law enforcement seized over 17 pounds of methamphetamine. Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced each of the defendants to federal prison.
Juan Pulido, 44, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 188 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent of distributing it to others. At the time he committed the crime, Pulido had four prior drug trafficking convictions. During sentencing, Judge Brailsford described Pulido as a “large scale methamphetamine supplier.” Pulido was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Maleah Rochelle Benavidez, 31, of Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. During her involvement in the conspiracy, Benavidez was absconding supervision on two prior drug trafficking convictions.
Daniel Ryan Carrion, 38, of Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. During the investigation, Carrion led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, creating such a significant danger that officers had to end the pursuit. During the pursuit, Carrion threw a pound of methamphetamine in an open field that law enforcement officers seized.
Wesley John Roehl, 41, of Boise, was sentenced to 24 months, followed by three years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine.
“Out of state acquisition of illegal narcotics endangers our community,” said U.S. Attorney Bart Davis. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement to zealously prosecute those bringing drugs into Idaho.”
“This investigation reflects DEA’s commitment to disrupting drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety of our communities,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Through strong partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts, we will continue to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who profit from distributing dangerous drugs in Idaho and Oregon.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in coordination with the Nampa Police Department and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, which includes the Nampa Police Department, Boise Police Department, Ada County Sherriff’s Office, Meridian Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, Idaho State Police, and the Idaho Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole. Other agencies that assisted in the investigation included the United States Postal Inspector Service and the High Desert Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler prosecuted the case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and the High Desert Drug Task Force are both supported by the HIDTA program, which provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives to identify, disrupt, and dismantle local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach.
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Federal Jury Convicts Saluda County Man and Charlotte, NC Woman for $25M Wire Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Demani Jawara Bosket, 51, of Saluda, South Carolina and his niece, Tanya Lashawn Bosket, 53, of Charlotte, North Carolina have been convicted by a federal jury following seven days of trial. Both Boskets were found guilty of one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Demani Bosket was found guilty of six separate counts of wire fraud, and Tanya Bosket was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud.
Evidence introduced at trial showed that foreign entities conducted a campaign of business email compromises (BECs) targeting companies across the United States. In these BEC frauds, the foreign entities would gain access to a business user’s email account. The foreign entities would monitor email communications in search of upcoming large transactions. Once they identified a large transaction, the foreign entities would send false email messages to the companies and direct payments to bank accounts controlled by the fraudsters. Multiple victims testified during the trial that a variety of real estate transactions, vendor payments, loan disbursements, and even an inheritance transfer were compromised and diverted away from the intended recipient.
The scheme was dependent on US-based bank accounts to receive the fraudulently obtained funds. Evidence produced during the trial showed that Demani Bosket was a US-based recruiter and manager of the fraud ring. Demani Bosket instructed other individuals, including Tanya Bosket, to register sham businesses with state authorities and then open business accounts at multiple banks. Once a business was targeted in a BEC scheme, the funds would be deposited or transferred into bank accounts controlled by the fraud ring. Demani Bosket would then direct the others to quickly drain the funds from the account by cash withdrawal and cashier’s checks. The funds would be transferred and withdrawn through multiple accounts to stymie the banks and victims of the fraud from recovering the funds. Demani Bosket and other members of the fraud ring would retain a portion of the funds before sending the funds overseas. Between 2020 and 2024, the scheme bilked over $25 million from individuals and businesses in the United States. The United States Secret Service was able to recover approximately $2.5 million to return to victims.“This case involved a sophisticated transnational fraud ring that stole more than $25 million from victims across the country – targeting everything from real estate closings to inheritance transfers,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The jury saw through this scheme and rendered the right verdict. Our office will always prioritize protecting South Carolinians and all Americans from financial predators who exploit trust and technology for person gain.”
“This verdict underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting American businesses and individuals from complex, organized cyber enabled fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “The Boskets were part of a scheme that siphoned more than $25 million from victims across the country, exploiting trust, technology, and the financial system for personal gain. Thanks to the diligent work of IRS-CI special agents and our law enforcement partners, the perpetrators will be held accountable. We will continue to pursue those who engage in business email compromise schemes and ensure they face justice.”
The majority of those indicted in the conspiracy entered guilty pleas to wire fraud conspiracy for their roles in the fraud ring prior to the end of trial. Those defendants are Jahbir Rolando Fowle, 45, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Raymone Tyshay Scott Sr., 49, of Jacksonville, Florida; Michael Bevans-Silva, 39, of Savannah, Georgia; Carlise Roland, 33, of Auburn, Washington; Daniel Alexander Edwards, 52, of Jacksonville, Florida; Danny Heard, 42, of Jacksonville, Florida; and Jamian Butler, 36, of Jacksonville, Florida.
Demani Bosket faces a maximum penalty of 30 years, a fine of up to $50,000,000 and restitution. Tanya Bosket faces a maximum penalty of 20 years, a fine of up to $50,000,000 and restitution. U.S. District Judge Sherri Lydon presided over the trial and will sentence Demani and Tanya Bosket after receiving and reviewed a pre-sentence report from the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Agency for International Development – Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Columbia Field Office, and United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys T. DeWayne Pearson and A. Lothrop Morris prosecuted the case.Federal Grand Jury Indicts Five Sex Offenders for Registry ViolationsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee has indicted five sex offenders for violations of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the returns of the federal indictments today.
Through SORNA, the federal government established a comprehensive national system for the registration of sex offenders, which requires sex offenders to register where they live, work, and/or attend school. It is a felony offense for sex offenders to fail to register or to fail to update their registration.
The federal grand jury indicted the following defendants for SORNA registry violations in the Western District of Tennessee:
Porcha Lashay Adams, 30, who was convicted in Arkansas in 2024 of sexual assault in the first degree, was charged with failure to register from May 4, 2025 through February 9, 2026.
William Eugene Logan, 57, who was convicted in Tennessee in 1987 of sexual battery and in 2013 of sexual battery by an authority figure, was charged with failure to register since at least January 2026.
Ricky Lee Peals, 65, who was convicted in Arkansas in 1990 of rape, was charged with failure to register from October 18, 2021 through December 15, 2025.
Justin Thompson, 28, who was convicted in Mississippi in 2018 of sexual battery, was charged with failure to register from December 18, 2025 through May 9, 2026.
James Marshall Vandiver, 48, who was convicted in the Western District of Tennessee in 2008 of enticement of a minor, was charged with failure to register from August 27, 2024 through November 24, 2025.
This offense carries penalties of imprisonment for up to ten years, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release for five years to life. If a defendant is convicted of the offense, a federal judge will determine the sentence to impose 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, “Sex offender registration and notification programs are important to provide the general public and law enforcement with crucial location and conviction information to help communities stay safe and aware. This office will always aggressively prosecute violations of SORNA to hold non-compliant sex offenders accountable.”
U.S. Marshal Tyreece Miller, of the Western District of Tennessee, said, “The U.S. Marshals Service will always fulfill its mission to protect the public from sex offenders through coordinated enforcement of sex offender registration laws.”
These cases were investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Delery and Special Assistant United States Attorney J. Cruz Rodriguez, of the United States Army Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates
Fayette County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Eddie Daivon Morgan, also known as “Gutta,” 45, of Mount Hope, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 30, 2022, law enforcement officers had an active warrant for Morgan’s arrest on a malicious wounding charge when they observed him enter a vehicle in Fayette County. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and found Morgan laying in the back seat of the vehicle. Officers seized a loaded Glock model 42 .380-caliber pistol and a loaded SCCY 9mm pistol from Morgan’s person.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Morgan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on January 24, 2013.
Morgan has a criminal history that also includes felony convictions for second-degree manslaughter, attempted second-degree murder, malicious assault, wanton endangerment involving a firearm, and use or presentation of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Oak Hill Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum 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 copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-92.
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Drug User who Bought Guns for His Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who bought two firearms for his drug dealer was sentenced on June 10, 2026, to more than two years in federal prison.
Conner Scott Nye, age 27, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 12, 2026, guilty plea to one count of false statement during purchase of firearm.
Information from Nye’s plea and sentencing hearings showed that Nye bought two guns for his drug dealer in 2024. Nye lied about his drug use and falsely stated that he was buying the guns for himself. Instead, Nye was really buying the guns for his drug dealer. Nye was a user of and addicted to opiates, including heroin. His drug dealer subsequently sold one of the guns after having it equipped with a machinegun conversion device.
Nye was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Nye was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Nye 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 Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-0026.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 53 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Patrick Thomas, 39, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 53 months in connection with a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Thomas, aka Nick Cannon, pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and marijuana. In addition to the 53-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Thomas to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison term of 64 months.
According to court papers, beginning at least in October 2023 and continuing through May 2024, Thomas and his co-conspirators traveled multiple times between the Baltimore-Washington area and Los Angeles to obtain large amounts of marijuana for distribution. On one such trip in February 2024, agents intercepted Thomas and his associates at BWI Airport upon their return from Los Angeles and found 54.5 pounds of cannabis packed in vacuum-sealed bags inside a suitcase carried by one of Thomas’s co-conspirators.
Thomas and his co-conspirators sold the marijuana from an apartment in the 1900 block of C Street SE, jointly contributing to the rent. Agents observed daily hand-to-hand drug transactions outside the building.
On Oct. 30, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at the C Street SE apartment and at Thomas’s residence in Maryland. At the apartment, agents recovered about six pounds of marijuana, additional narcotics, and numerous small distribution-size packages of marijuana, along with firearms and fentanyl. At Thomas’s Maryland residence, agents found $7,036 in cash and three firearms with ammunition. A search of Thomas’s cell phone revealed a photograph of a large bag of suspected fentanyl pills, which Thomas acknowledged weighed about 20 grams.
Two of Thomas’ co-defendants have been adjudicated in the conspiracy on similar charges. Dnorris Goins, aka “Wizard,” was sentenced April 10 to five years in prison; Ricardo Anton Koonce, aka “Kingphew,” was sentenced June 3 to two years. A third co-defendant, Robert Spriggs, is scheduled for sentencing on June 18.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division Office and the FBI Washington Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar Mohanty and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Isabelle Sun.
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DeSoto County Drug Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Donald Carl Woods (42, Arcadia) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Woods pleaded guilty on January 27, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2025, deputies from the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office arrested Woods near his residence for an active out-of-state warrant. While taking Woods into custody, deputies seized a firearm and a quantity of methamphetamine that they found on his person. Aside from having an active warrant, Woods was also a mutli-time convicted felon who could not lawfully possess a firearm under federal law.
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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
Crownpoint Man Sentenced for Strangulation and Assaulting OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint man was sentence to 42 months in prison for strangling a woman and attacking a tribal police officer with a taser.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Jason K. Thompson, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, attempted to strangle Jane Doe. Law enforcement responded to the domestic violence call and attempted to take Thompson into custody. During a struggle with a Navajo Nation Police Department officer, Thompson grabbed the officer’s taser and deployed it against him with the intent to injure him. Thompson was then handcuffed and placed in the back of an NPD patrol unit. He later kicked out a window of the unit and escaped, but NPD officers recaptured him that night.
Thompson pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and assault with a deadly weapon. Upon his release from prison, Thompson will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
Coeur d’ Alene Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Shawn Allen Cline, 53, of Coeur d’Alene, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, Cline is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions. Most recently, in December 2024, Cline was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and placed on five years of supervised probation.
One year later, members of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Idaho Department of Correction Probation and Parole went to Cline’s home in Coeur d’Alene to conduct a probation compliance check. They found him in the garage holding a beer in one hand and a marijuana pipe in the other. Law enforcement searched the home and found a shotgun, a homemade shotgun, methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a homemade pipe bomb. Cline admitted to making the pipe bomb and said that he wanted to blow stuff up. Members of the Spokane Bomb Squad responded to the home, rendered the device safe, and confirmed that the device was a lethal pipe bomb.
Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered that Cline serve 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Cline will continue to be prohibited from possessing firearms following his conviction.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the collaborative work of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department; Idaho Department of Correction Probation and Parole; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. The U.S. Attorney also thanked the Spokane Bomb Squad for protecting the community by decommissioning Cline’s pipe bomb. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case.
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Chippewa Falls Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Michael A. Raskie Jr., 43, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Raskie Jr. pleaded guilty to this charge on March 20, 2026.
On January 14, 2025, law enforcement searched Raskie Jr.’s house and found multiple firearms, including seven privately manufactured firearms, and more than 200 rounds of ammunition. He also had silencers, high-capacity magazines, and parts to assemble firearms.
Raskie Jr. is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions; including a 2018 federal conviction for possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
At the sentencing, Judge Conley considered Raskie Jr.’s drug abuse history and prior federal sentence for firearms possession. Judge Conley expressed great concern over the aggravated nature of Raskie Jr.’s escalating behavior, particularly his decision to create an “arsenal” of firearms and high-capacity magazines.
The charge against Raskie Jr. was the result of an investigation conducted by the Lake Hallie Police Department, Chippewa County Sherriff’s Office, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Child Sexual Predator Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A child sexual predator living in Collinsville was sentenced today for recording children in the bathroom and for seeking out and possessing child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Thomas Joshua Keizer, 34, for two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography. Keizer was ordered to pay $11,000 in restitution and serve 300 months' imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Keizer will be required to register as a sex offender.
In November 2024, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Court documents show that Keizer used Discord, the social media application, to have sexually graphic messages with a minor child who was only 12 years old. The investigation revealed that Keizer sought out minor children to groom and have sexually explicit conversations with.
When agents executed a search warrant at his home, they recovered several electronic devices in the home. Agents reviewed the contents of the devices and found that Keizer possessed 568 images and 11 videos of children being sexually abused, including prepubescent children and toddlers being forced to have sexually explicit acts with adults.
Agents further discovered that Keizer had hidden a recording device in a bathroom to capture children using the restroom. Court records show that from July 2020 through August 2024, Keizer captured more than 1,835 images of two additional minor children under the age of 10 years old.
The child sexual abuse material found on Keizer’s devices was sent to the National Child Victim Identification System, managed by the NCMEC, for identification. They identified 13 children whose images were previously identified and reported to NCMEC for cataloging. They were notified and allowed to submit victim impact statements to the court. Restitution paid by Keizer will go directly to the victims who requested restitution.
Keizer will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Homeland Security Investigations and the Collinsville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
Cedar Rapid Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Leading Officers on a High-Speed PursuitRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who acquired and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 20 years in federal prison.
Tony Douglas Westmoreland, Sr., age 46, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 1, 2025, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that in 2023, Westmoreland began to receive significant quantities of methamphetamine. He then distributed the methamphetamine to his customers. On September 9, 2024, police officers tried to stop Westmoreland as he drove his motorcycle. Westmoreland fled and led officers on a high-speed pursuit where he drove approximately 100 miles per hour. He also failed to stop at stop signs, drove the wrong direction on roads, and drove his motorcycle through a schoolyard. Westmoreland eventually abandoned his motorcycle and continued to flee on foot. Officers found Westmoreland, his motorcycle, and his backpack that he had discarded. Officers recovered over 132 grams of ice methamphetamine inside Westmoreland’s backpack.
Westmoreland was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Westmoreland was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Westmoreland is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-19.
Canadian national sentenced and deported for illegally reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Canadian woman who illegally reentered the U.S. after she was deported in 2023 was sentenced today to time served following her April 2026 arrest and will be deported again, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Eva Fehr, 24, pleaded guilty in May 2026 to one count of illegal reentry after deportation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Fehr and a companion illegally drove across the border into Montana without possessing the necessary documentation.
At 6:33 a.m. April 19, 2026, a border sensor was tripped when a gray 2002 Chevy Avalanche crossed into Montana. A U.S. Border Patrol agent tracked down the truck and pulled it over north of Hinsdale about an hour later. The agent verified that the Avalanche had failed to cross the border into Montana at a proper Port of Entry.
Inside the truck were Fehr and a companion, and both admitted they were not U.S. citizens and had no immigration documents authorizing them to live, work, or travel in the United States. The two were taken into custody at the Malta Border Patrol Station, where Fehr acknowledged she was a Canadian citizen without the legal documentation needed to be in the U.S.
Fehr previously had been deported in October 2023 after a warrant was issued for overstaying her visa.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.
CEO among those guilty of falsifying wastewater test resultsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Three Texas residents have admitted they violated the Clean Water Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Derek McCoy, 52, was CEO of a laboratory that sampled and tested wastewater from local treatment facilities, while Deena Higginbotham, 56, served as director of Client Services. The two Spring residents and John Montgomery, 60, Llano, all admitted to falsifying or aiding and abetting the falsification of data required under federal and state law.
For roughly three years, all three aided or abetted in changing wastewater test results to falsely ensure that treatment facilities did not exceed pollutant limits in state-issued discharge permits. These falsified results, including exceedances of ammonia, E. coli and phosphorous levels, were then submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
“By submitting falsified data, these defendants undermined the integrity of a program specifically designed to safeguard human health,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. “Today's guilty pleas show that we and our partners at EPA – Criminal Investigation Division and Office of Inspector General, as well as TCEQ, are committed to rooting out and holding accountable those who not only violate the law but also endanger the safety and erode the trust of the public we serve.”
U.S. District Judge David Hittner accepted the pleas and set sentencing for Sept. 3. At that time, each faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
EPA - Criminal Investigation Division, EPA - Office of Inspector General and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - Environmental Crimes Unit conducted the investigation through the Texas Environmental Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Liesel Roscher and Special AUSA Nathan Stopper are prosecuting the case.
Bremerton, Washington, couple pleads guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theftRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A Bremerton, Washington woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for her role in a scheme to steal nearly $229,000 from banks and bank customers, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Emily Vranic, 34, and her co-defendant Heather Marquis, 37, were arrested on a federal complaint in April 2025. Vranic entered a plea of guilty this morning; Marquis pleaded guilty last month. U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright scheduled sentencing for September 3, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, between approximately April 2019 and November 2024, Vranic and Marquis stole identities in several different ways. Most often, they stole victims’ mail and used personal documents inside to activate credit cards, open new lines of credit, or gain wholesale access to online bank accounts. The pair would have documents related to their activities mailed to a third-party victim’s address, where they would intercept the mail again. Once they had fully taken over a stolen identity, statements and other records were mailed directly to their own Bremerton address.
Armed with their victims’ identities, the pair ran up credit card debt, made transfers from victim accounts to their own, and even used victim accounts to make their monthly mortgage payments. In one instance, the pair attempted to transfer $35,000 from a vulnerable victim’s account, after a successful transfer of almost $33,000 from the same account. When the transfer was rejected, they repeatedly called the bank posing as the account holder to try to get the fraud alert removed.
Though the total amounts stolen will be further proven at the time of sentencing, Vranic has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of at least $48,000. Marquis has agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $228,701.
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed in the case. Prosecutors have agreed to cap their recommendations for Marquis at four years in prison and for Vranic at 57 months in prison. Judge Cartwright is not bound by those recommendations and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case was investigated by the Bremerton Police Department, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.
Boelter Pleaded Guilty for His Role in the Stalking and Murder of Minnesota State LegislatorsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Vance Luther Boelter, of Green Isle, Minnesota, has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges related to the stalking, shooting, and murdering of Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as the stalking and shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, and attempted shooting of their daughter Hope Hoffman.
According to court documents in United States v. Vance Luther Boelter, No. 25‑cr-272 (JRT/DJF), on or about June 14, 2025, Boelter used GPS navigation systems, interstate wires, the Internet, and other interstate communication systems to plan and carry out a coordinated series of violent attacks targeting the Hortman and Hoffman families in Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minnesota. Court documents allege that Boelter acted with the intent to kill, injure, harass, and intimidate the victims, and that his conduct placed them in reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury. During these attacks, Melissa and Mark Hortman were shot and killed, and John and Yvette Hoffman suffered life‑threatening injuries.
Today, during a change‑of‑plea hearing in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim, Boelter admitted to the conduct described in the indictment and pleaded guilty to all counts, which include two stalkings, two murders through use of a firearm, and two federal firearm-shooting offenses. The plea agreement provides that Boelter is subject to the longest possible prison term allowable under law for his offenses.
This case is a result of a joint state and federal criminal investigation involving agencies across the entire state of Minnesota, including FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sherriff’s Office, Champlin Police Department, and New Hope Police Department, together with several other state and local partners.
“Political violence is a scourge in our nation,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “We now expect Vance Boelter will spend the rest of his natural life in prison without parole. To all of those who would commit political violence: this Justice Department will seek and obtain the longest prison terms for your offense.”
“Political violence is a nemesis of our democracy,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “On June 14, 2025, Vance Boelter thought he was above the law, above the Constitution, and that his personal views justified a violent crime spree unlike any other seen in Minnesota. For nearly 43 hours after his despicable crimes began, the FBI, BCA, and law enforcement partners from all over the state worked non-stop to track him down and end his campaign of political violence. I am extremely proud of the immediate, cooperative, and comprehensive response of law enforcement from all over Minnesota to quickly track down a ruthless killer. Our hearts are with the victims and their surviving families, the Hortmans, Hoffmans, and all of those other elected officials who were on Boelter's list.”
“Across the Twin Cities, families woke on June 14, 2025, to a fear they should never have had to imagine, that their public servants had been hunted and attacked in their own homes,” said ATF St. Paul Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joe Persails. “Melissa and Mark Hortman were killed, and John and Yvette Hoffman were left to recover from grievous injuries. The terror Vance Boelter set out to create reached far beyond the people he targeted and shook our entire Minnesota community. ATF joined the urgent, around-the-clock effort to locate Boelter and to develop the investigative leads that helped bring him into custody. Today's guilty plea cannot return what was taken from these families, but it makes clear that anyone who chooses to bring this kind of violence to our communities will answer for that choice.”
“The change in plea by Vance Boelter represents an important step toward accountability for the devastating acts that shook our community,” said Interim Chief Bill Peterson of the Minneapolis Police Department. “While this outcome again reflects the unwavering partnership among local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the many others who’ve worked tirelessly on this case, no legal proceeding could undo the pain suffered by the Horton and Hoffman families. This plea brings us closer to justice, but we remain committed to honoring the victims, protecting our community, and ensuring that accountability is achieved through the rule of law."
“Mr. Boelter carried out a heinous and unprecedented act of political violence against Minnesota’s political leaders. Violence targeting public officials is an affront to our democracy. We are grateful for all the agencies that worked in partnership to bring Mr. Boelter into custody and prepare a case that forced the guilty plea accepted in court today,” said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “To the Hortman and Hoffman families, Minnesota continues to mourn the loss and the suffering you have endured. We hope today’s guilty plea brings you some measure of solace.”
“A guilty plea brings a legal resolution, but our focus today remains on the memory of Melissa and Mark Hortman, and the ongoing recovery of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. No courtroom outcome can undo the devastation of that morning, but we hope this accountability offers a step toward closure. We continue to hold both families in our thoughts, offering our deepest respect and unwavering support as they heal.” Said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley.
“As City of Champlin Police Chief, I acknowledge the profound impact the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, along with the tragic loss of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, has had on their families and our entire community. These acts of violence have deeply shaken Champlin and our surrounding communities, reinforcing both our shared sense of vulnerability and our resolve to stand united in support of all those affected. Our thoughts remain with the Hoffman family as they recover, and we mourn alongside those grieving the devastating loss of Representative Hortman and her husband. Champlin and the broader community will continue to come together with strength and compassion, ensuring that such acts do not define us but instead strengthen our commitment to one another. Today’s guilty plea represents a significant step towards recovery for the affected families, and we are grateful for all the work that has been put into this case by the law enforcement community.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Matthew D. Forbes are prosecuting the case.
Billings man sentenced to 32 months on drug chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who shipped fentanyl pills to his partner as part of a drug trafficking scheme was sentenced today to 32 months of prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Robert Roy Vincent, 36, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Vincent shipped a box of fentanyl pills from a UPS store in California to his partner’s house in Billings.
In April 2024 law enforcement in Yellowstone County received a tip that Vincent was selling fentanyl in Billings; he was already wanted by police for a number of outstanding warrants. Officers obtained a search warrant for Vincent’s CashApp profile and learned he had received $4,800 from his partner between March and April 2024.
The CashApp data included a transaction from a UPS store in California on April 9, 2024. Investigators contacted the UPS store and learned Vincent had mailed a package to his partner’s home in Billings. Law enforcement intercepted the package and found it contained approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the DEA, and the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Billings man pleads guilty to selling fentanylRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was dealing fentanyl pills from his South Side home admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, David Douglas Davis, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
On the first count, Davis faces five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. On the second count, he faces five years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at future date; Davis remained released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that a search of Davis’s Billings home last fall turned up nearly 900 fentanyl pills and six firearms.
The investigation began when the Billings Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit received a credible tip in October 2025 that a man named David was selling fentanyl from an address on Hallowell Lane. Investigators ended up speaking with a “known fentanyl dealer” who told them Davis was her fentanyl supplier and that she had been purchasing fentanyl pills from Davis for the past six months.
On Oct. 29, 2025, officers served a search warrant on Davis’s Hallowell Lane home where they found 88.4 grams of fentanyl in the form of approximately 883 pills along with six firearms and $16,870 in cash. In his vehicle, they found another firearm and $2,520 in cash. Davis, who travels out of state to purchase the pills, told officers he began selling fentanyl in April 2025 “to make money.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Billings Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine, Possessing a Machinegun, and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An armed drug trafficker was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for distributing methamphetamine, possessing a machegun, and other offenses, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. William Chase Pate, 39, of Morganton, N.C., was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after he completes his 20-year prison term.
“This case is a classic example of how drug dealing and firearm violence go hand-in-hand,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson, “and we will use federal charges to take violent drug dealers off the street.”
According to filed court documents, from 2023 to 2024, Pate was involved in a conspiracy involving the distribution of methamphetamine in Burke and Catawba Counties. During the investigation, Pate sold methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement at least 12 times. On December 12, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pate’s residence, seizing over 472 grams of methamphetamine, a rifle, a handgun loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, two digital scales, clear plastic baggies with residue, and firearm accessories. Law enforcement interviewed Pate who said he would frequently travel to Georgia to purchase methamphetamine from his supplier, and that he would pick up between two and five kilograms of methamphetamine a time. Investigators also found two videos on Patel’s seized phone, depicting the defendant firing a firearm that had been converted to a machinegun with a conversion device commonly known as a “Glock switch.” Pate has a prior felony conviction for manslaughter, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On December 17, 2025, Pate pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, the Morganton Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Hickory Police Department, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Armed Career Criminal from Memphis Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Freddy Najil, who robbed three banks at gunpoint in the span of three months, will spend the next 211 months in federal prison for bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Court Chief Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On June 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Arkansas charged Najil, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee, in a two-count Indictment with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of bank robbery. On March 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Mississippi charged Najil in a six-count Indictment with two counts of bank robbery, two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 9, 2025, Najil consented to the transfer of his Mississippi case to the Eastern District of Arkansas for plea and sentencing. On November 3, 2025, Najil pleaded guilty to bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the 17-year and 7-month sentence, Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Najil to serve three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On February 9, 2024, officers with the Horn Lake (Mississippi) Police Department responded to a bank robbery at Renasant Bank. Witnesses advised and security footage confirmed the suspect, later identified as Najil, pointed a firearm at four different bank employees while demanding money. In total, Najil fled with approximately $2,724 from Renasant Bank.
On April 18, 2024, officers with the Southaven (Mississippi) Police Department responded to an armed robbery at the Securtrust Bank. The suspect, later identified as Najil, pointed a firearm at the bank teller, directed her “not to do anything stupid,” and fled with $12,251 from Securtrust Bank.
On May 3, 2024, officers with the West Memphis Police Department responded to an armed bank robbery at Evolve Bank. There, Najil pointed a firearm at employees, demanded money, and fled with $22,251. Hidden in the cash were GPS monitoring devices, which were used to locate and track Najil’s movements. West Memphis police officers and Arkansas State Police Troopers pursued the suspect in a black Infiniti GS3 into Memphis, where it crashed. Najil fled on foot, with money flying from his arms, until he was apprehended by authorities. Najil was located near loose bills and a .40 caliber pistol. At the scene, police recovered approximately $22,134 in U.S. currency.
During post-Miranda interviews, Najil admitted to officers that he robbed the banks in Horn Lake, Southaven, and West Memphis. He further admitted that he stole the vehicle he used to commit the bank robbery in West Memphis on May 3, 2024.
Najil’s multiple prior convictions for violent felonies and serious drug offenses classify him as an armed career criminal and therefore subject him to an enhanced sentence. His criminal history includes eight convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon, six convictions for second-degree kidnapping, a conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, a conviction for possession of marijuana with intent to sell or deliver, and a conviction for possession of cocaine.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Little Rock, Arkansas, and Jackson, Mississippi, Field Offices, with assistance from the Horn Lake Police Department, Southaven Police Department, Memphis Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and the West Memphis Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Eldridge for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee, Senior Litigation Counsel, for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Armed Career Criminal from Memphis Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Freddy Najil, who robbed three banks at gunpoint in the span of three months, will spend the next 211 months in federal prison for bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Court Chief Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On June 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Arkansas charged Najil, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee, in a two-count Indictment with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of bank robbery. On March 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Mississippi charged Najil in a six-count Indictment with two counts of bank robbery, two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 9, 2025, Najil consented to the transfer of his Mississippi case to the Eastern District of Arkansas for plea and sentencing. On November 3, 2025, Najil pleaded guilty to bank robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the 17-year and 7-month sentence, Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Najil to serve three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On February 9, 2024, officers with the Horn Lake (Mississippi) Police Department responded to a bank robbery at Renasant Bank. Witnesses advised and security footage confirmed the suspect, later identified as Najil, pointed a firearm at four different bank employees while demanding money. In total, Najil fled with approximately $2,724 from Renasant Bank.
On April 18, 2024, officers with the Southaven (Mississippi) Police Department responded to an armed robbery at the Securtrust Bank. The suspect, later identified as Najil, pointed a firearm at the bank teller, directed her “not to do anything stupid,” and fled with $12,251 from Securtrust Bank.
On May 3, 2024, officers with the West Memphis Police Department responded to an armed bank robbery at Evolve Bank. There, Najil pointed a firearm at employees, demanded money, and fled with $22,251. Hidden in the cash were GPS monitoring devices, which were used to locate and track Najil’s movements. West Memphis police officers and Arkansas State Police Troopers pursued the suspect in a black Infiniti GS3 into Memphis, where it crashed. Najil fled on foot, with money flying from his arms, until he was apprehended by authorities. Najil was located near loose bills and a .40 caliber pistol. At the scene, police recovered approximately $22,134 in U.S. currency.
During post-Miranda interviews, Najil admitted to officers that he robbed the banks in Horn Lake, Southaven, and West Memphis. He further admitted that he stole the vehicle he used to commit the bank robbery in West Memphis on May 3, 2024.
Najil’s multiple prior convictions for violent felonies and serious drug offenses classify him as an armed career criminal and therefore subject him to an enhanced sentence. His criminal history includes eight convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon, six convictions for second-degree kidnapping, a conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, a conviction for possession of marijuana with intent to sell or deliver, and a conviction for possession of cocaine.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Little Rock, Arkansas, and Jackson, Mississippi, Field Offices, with assistance from the Horn Lake Police Department, Southaven Police Department, Memphis Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and the West Memphis Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Eldridge for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee, Senior Litigation Counsel, for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Albion man and Jamestown woman charged in separate complaints with child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kimony Hamilton, 22, of Albion, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution and possession of child pornography. In addition, Kaitlyn Seekings, 28, of Jamestown, NY, was charged in a separate criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. The distribution and receipt of child pornography charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, in March 2025, the New York State Police (NYSP) received multiple reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Snapchat users identified as “kseekings25,” (defendant Seekings) “angel_smith354,” “jordan638p,” and “jordan2025_3,” (defendant Hamilton) had uploaded image files of suspected child pornography. In July 2025, the NYSP executed a search warrant at an Albion, NY, address, during which they spoke with an individual, later identified as Kemony Hamilton, who stated that he received child pornography from a friend he met online named “Kate Seekings.” Subsequent investigation recovered messages shared between the two during which they shared files containing child pornography as well as discussed meeting in Jamestown so that Hamilton could have sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old female that “Seekings” would provide access to.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins. The complaints are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto. Additional assistance was provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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A Vancouver, Washington, Woman was Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in the Death of Two BrothersRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Vancouver, Washington, woman was sentenced to federal prison last Tuesday for distributing fentanyl resulting in two overdose deaths, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford.
Alondra Stephanie Trujillo, 34, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $6,349.00 in restitution.
“This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the severe and destructive impact fentanyl has across our community,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “We are steadfast in our mission to pursue offenders who distribute this poison and endanger Oregonians.”
“This case highlights the dangers of fentanyl and the dangers of buying counterfeit drugs of any type,” said acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “You can lose your life, as these two brothers learned, when these street drugs are marketed as one thing and instead contain fentanyl. This lengthy sentence won’t bring back the brothers, but hopefully it will serve as a deterrent to anyone who thinks about engaging in this type of deadly deception.”
“The tragic fentanyl poisoning deaths of two brothers underscore the deadly reality of illicit fentanyl and the irreversible harm caused by those who distribute it,” said Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division Robert A. Saccone. “DEA remains relentless in its pursuit of drug traffickers who endanger our communities for profit. Through Fentanyl Free America, DEA is combining aggressive enforcement, strategic partnerships, intelligence-driven investigations, and public awareness efforts to eliminate the fentanyl threat.”
According to court documents, on July 12, 2020, two brothers in Woodburn, Oregon, were pronounced deceased from an accidental fentanyl overdose after their mother and first responders attempted life-saving measures to save them. Investigators learned that Trujillo sold counterfeit pills containing fentanyl the day prior to their overdose deaths.
On Oct. 17, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Trujillo with one count of distribution of fentanyl. Trujillo pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Woodburn Police Department investigated this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, Longview Police Department, Everett Police Department, and Portland Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams prosecuted the case.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
10 June 2026
Wolf Point man sentenced to 15 years in prison for parking lot murderRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A man from Wolf Point who shot and killed one man and wounded another last fall was sentenced today to 188 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Ethan Louis Murphy, 27, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of second degree murder and one count of using a firearm in a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Murphy, carrying a handgun, walked up to two men in a grocery store parking lot and shot them, killing one and injuring the other.
Law enforcement first responded at 8:41 p.m. Sept. 28, 2025, when a 911 call reported gunshots in the Wolf Point Albertsons parking lot on the Fort Peck Reservation. Wolf Point police officers arrived and found two men on the ground, one of them dead from a gunshot wound to the head and the other injured.
Officers with Fort Peck Tribal Criminal Investigations and the FBI investigated the scene and collected four 9mm Luger casings. Surveillance from the grocery store showed Murphy walking up to one of the victims with his gun drawn and shooting him a single time in the head when the victim pulled out a black machete. Murphy then shot the second victim. A bystander called out, “It was Ethan, it was Ethan.”
Murphy turned himself in two days later on Sept. 30, 2025. Law enforcement found him in the passenger seat of a car with the pistol and ammunition they later matched to the shooting.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and the Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation.
Westchester Man Charged with Robbery Spree That Targeted Convenience Stores in Mount Vernon and New RochelleRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JABARI CLARKE in connection with a series of gunpoint robberies in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle, New York. CLARKE was arrested today and presented in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik, who ordered him detained.
“As alleged, Jabari Clarke carried out a spree of gunpoint robberies of gas stations and convenience stores,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “If you use a gun to rob a store, you should expect federal charges and to be off the streets—that’s the message and the reality New Yorkers want and deserve.”
“Jabari Clarke allegedly committed gunpoint robberies threatening the safety of the general public and terrorizing innocent civilians,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI’s Westchester Safe Street’s Task Force continues to target gun violence plaguing our communities.”
As alleged in the Indictment:
Between May and June of 2025, CLARKE robbed four gas stations and convenience stores in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle. In each of these robberies, CLARKE or his accomplices brandished firearms and stole cash before fleeing. Through these gunpoint robberies, CLARKE stole thousands of dollars of cash.
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CLARKE, 22, of New Rochelle, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. CLARKE is also charged with four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each of which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison that must be served consecutively to any other prison terms imposed.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the FBI, the Mount Vernon Police Department, and the New Rochelle Police Department in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin L. Brooke and Ioannis D. Drivas are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two defendants sentenced to federal prison for theft of mail, bank fraud and identity theft in AugustaRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A federal judge has ordered two defendants to be confined in federal prison after conviction for mail theft, bank fraud and identity theft.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Joshua M. Holmes, 21, of Miami, was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Theft of Mail, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft.
Holmes’ codefendant, Coleshia Carter, 22, of East Point, Georgia, was also sentenced during court proceedings to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“The actions of these defendants not only impacted the business victims in and around Augusta, but also undermined the integrity of our financial systems,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Let this case serve as a reminder that crime does not pay, and that we will do whatever we can to serve justice and safeguard our communities.”
As described in court documents, from January 2023 to January 2024, the defendants took part in a mail theft scheme in which they would steal mail from Augusta area U.S. postal receptacles and washed checks found in the mail to create counterfeit checks which were then deposited into unauthorized accounts or used for large purchases.
“This sentencing is a statement that mail theft will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with fellow law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to collectively pursue criminals who victimize Postal customers.”
The FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cases, which were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia First Assistant U.S. Attorney David H. Estes.
“These sentences should make clear that those who illegally use Americans’ personal information to facilitate fraud will face serious consequences,” said Matthew Ploskunak, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in FBI Atlanta’s Augusta office. “The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice for the victims of complex fraud schemes.”
Two Former Utah Court Clerks Arrested and Facing Federal Charges after Allegedly Helping Illegal Aliens Evade ICE ArrestRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed, and two former Utah state court clerks have been arrested after they allegedly helped an illegal alien evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest. The clerks also allegedly obstructed immigration proceedings and the lawful enforcement of United States immigration laws by helping at least one of three other illegal aliens escape out a backdoor of the Logan City Municipal Justice Court so that ICE could not arrest or deport them.
Jennifer Joma, 27, and Lauren Kelsey Morrow, 26, both of Logan, Utah, were indicted June 3, 2026.
According to allegations in court documents, on April 9, 2026, Joma and Morrow were working at the Logan City Municipal Justice Court in Logan when an ICE Enforcement and Removal Officer (ICE-ERO) entered the justice court to arrest an illegal alien for immigration related charges. The ICE officer had an administrative warrant for the illegal alien who was at the justice court for a court hearing. The ICE officer left the secure area and eventually went outside and waited in his car for his target to leave the courthouse before trying to make the lawful arrest.
As alleged in court documents, after Joma and Morrow learned that ICE was there to arrest an illegal alien, they took steps to identify ICE’s target. These steps included misusing court databases to determine the alienage of everyone who was listed on the court docket. During their searches, they identified multiple non-U.S. citizens, and before those non-citizens would leave the courthouse, Joma and Morrow intercepted them. ICE’s intended target was among the unauthorized aliens whom Joma and Morrow helped slip out a backdoor of the courthouse. Joma and Morrow led the individuals down a secure area, several hallways, and eventually out of the courthouse without being seen by ICE.
After sneaking out the back door of the courthouse for the first time with an alien, Morrow and Joma were spotted on a surveillance camera waving and smiling at it, and Morrow used her middle finger in an obscene gesture at the camera. On the second trip, Joma drove off with three aliens in her car before returning alone to the courthouse for work.
Joma and Morrow are charged with conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens, and obstruction of proceedings before departments and agencies. Joma is also charged with transporting illegal aliens. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 11, 2026, at 10:15 a.m., in courtroom 8.4 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Assistant United States Attorney Todd Bouton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Attachments:
jenniferjoma_laurenmorrow.indictment.pdf jenniferjoma.positionregardingdetention.pdf laurenmorrow.positionregardingdetention.pdfTexas couple indicted for psychic fraud scheme allegedly stealing millions from vulnerable peopleRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Texas residents were arrested this week on an indictment from the Western District of Washington for their scheme to defraud emotionally vulnerable victims by posing as “psychics” who could “cleanse” the victims’ romantic bad luck, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Bridgette Doreen Evans, AKA Jolene Travis, 47, and her partner, Vinnie John Uwanawich, 44, of Frisco, Texas, will make their initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas today on charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and four counts of mail fraud.
“As alleged in the indictment, these perpetrators of ‘fortune teller fraud’ came into the lives of these victims at a time when their judgement was clouded by emotional loss and feelings of hopelessness,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Floyd. “Ms. Evans preyed upon their needs, convincing victims that she could ‘remove a curse’ and help them find love. In truth her scheme was simply to help herself to their wealth, leaving them further devastated.”
“This case is yet another demonstration of how fraudsters exploit vulnerable situations to gain their victims' trust, even creating fake identities in an attempt to evade accountability and further schemes that last years,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “The schemes may change, but the greed driving them does not. The FBI and our partners will follow the money to unravel these scams and ensure the conspirators responsible face the consequences of their actions.”
According to the indictment, Evans and Uwanawich stole at least $2.5 million from at least three victims between April 2021 and July 2024. Evans operated under the fake name Jolene Travis and advertised her “psychic services” on social media. Her posts were designed to attract people who were struggling with romantic or personal problems: people experiencing divorce, death of a loved one or feelings of isolation.
Evans allegedly told the victims she could perform readings and rituals to determine the cause of their misfortune. Ultimately, she told them their “curse” was tied to their money or finances. After asking for a detailed accounting of the victims’ financial holdings, she would tell the victim the only way to remove the curse was to liquidate the holdings and send the money in gold coins or cash so that she could “cleanse” the money. She represented to the victims that after she cleaned it, she would return it to them. While she returned some small amounts to clients to lull them into further trusting her, she never returned the vast majority of the $2.5 million.
Uwanawich, Evans’ husband, facilitated her fraud by managing bank accounts that received payments from victims, selling gold coins, transferring and spending fraud proceeds, and vouching for Evans with victims.
The indictment details how Evans used the fake identity because she had previously been convicted of psychic frauds in Florida and Texas. In fact, during part of the fraud scheme, Evans was incarcerated in Florida, so Evans’ co-conspirators took on the Jolene Travis alias to keep the fraud going.
Evans allegedly convinced a second victim to send $86,000 in electronic payments to Evans for her “cleansing work.” A third victim was defrauded of more than $258,000 when Evans convinced her to take out loans to buy a Corvette to be delivered to Evans and to give Evans access to her credit cards to pay off the victim’s “karmic debts.”
Evans also operated under the names Joy John and Joy Paige. The FBI continues to investigate the scheme and wants anyone who thinks they may be a victim to report the crime to www.ic3.gov.
Conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud crimes are all punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas is assisting with the initial appearance today.
evans_indictment.pdfTexas Man Indicted for $4 Million Investment ScamRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –On May 14, 2026, SHAWN R. WARE, SR., age 53, was indicted on six-counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, WARE obtained over $4 million from over twenty victims between 2019 and the present, by falsely promising to invest the victims’ funds in fictitious business ventures. WARE promised the victims that they would receive significant returns on their investments within a short period of time. WARE induced victims to send him money by telling victims that he would invest their funds in real estate, a website business, computer equipment, sound equipment for rappers, and a night club. The indictment further alleges that WARE spent the victims’ money on luxury items and personal travel. When victims requested that their money be returned, WARE concocted phony excuses for the unavailability of their funds, and asked victims to send him additional money to do such things as “close out” a deal, release funds from overseas, move funds from a foreign bank account, or pay taxes.
If convicted of Counts One through Six, WARE faces a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years in prison, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, per count. A mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count is also applicable.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Texas Couple Sentenced for Running an Illegal Pyramid SchemeRead the Press Release
A Texas couple was sentenced yesterday 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.
TD Bank Insider Sentenced to Prison for Accepting Bribes, Laundering Millions to ColombiaRead the Press Release
A former retail banker at TD Bank N.A., Leonardo Ayala, 26, of Homestead, Florida, was sentenced today to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for accepting bribes and facilitating the laundering of more than $5.5 million to Colombia.
According to court documents, Ayala accepted bribes and exploited his position as a retail banker at TD Bank to help launder narcotics proceeds to Colombia. From June to November 2023, Ayala opened fraudulent accounts, issued over 150 debit cards to shell companies, and unblocked debit cards that TD Bank had restricted due to suspicious activity. These bank accounts and debit cards were used to make more than 12,000 ATM withdrawals in Colombia, funneling approximately $5.5 million out of the United States. In exchange, Ayala received more than $6,000 in bribes from his co-conspirators.
Ayala pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and accepting bribes as a bank employee.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey; Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) New York Region made the announcement.
The IRS-CI Newark Field Office and the FDIC OIG New York Region investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Pesce for the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
TD Bank Insider Sentenced to Prison for Accepting Bribes, Laundering Millions to ColombiaRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former retail banker at TD Bank, N.A., Leonardo Ayala, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for accepting bribes and facilitating the laundering of more than $5.5 million to Colombia, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Ayala, 26, previously pleaded guilty before the Honorable Esther Salas to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and for receipt of bribes by a bank employee. Judge Salas imposed the sentence in Newark federal Court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Ayala accepted bribes and exploited his position as a retail banker at TD Bank to help launder narcotics proceeds to Colombia. From June to November 2023, Ayala opened fraudulent accounts, issued over 150 debit cards to shell companies, and unblocked debit cards that TD Bank had restricted due to suspicious activity. These bank accounts and debit cards were used to make more than 12,000 ATM withdrawals in Colombia, funneling approximately $5.5 million out of the United States. In exchange, Ayala received more than $6,000 in bribes from his co-conspirators.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey; Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) New York Region made the announcement. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Bank Integrity Unit of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Defense counsel: Stephen Natoli, Esq.
St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Causing Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Mario Felix, 36, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III on June 9, 2026, to the federal charge of causing the attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, On December 31, 2022, a package was randomly selected for inspection during inbound examination of USPS mail. The box was opened by federal officers who found a book inside containing several plastic bags containing a total of 800 blue pills. A Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory analysist tested and confirmed that the pills contained 88.67 grams of fentanyl. The defendant’s fingerprints were found on the plastic bag containing the book.
Text messages discovered during the investigation between the defendant and an individual revealed that the defendant asked for the individual’s mailing address and last name. When the individual asked what he was sending, the defendant sent a picture of the book containing the fentanyl pills, stating that there was something inside the book. He told the individual that he was going to give the individual $800 once the individual received the package.
The charge of causing the attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum term of five years and a maximum term of 40 years of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry.Sisters indicted for wide ranging wire fraud and identity theft scheme involving debit cards and gift cardsRead the Press Release
Seattle – One of two sisters who allegedly defrauded a national retailer and individuals by gift card and debit card fraud, appeared yesterday and pleaded not guilty to a 16-count indictment in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Hayley Brown Lundquist, 30, of Snohomish County was ordered detained pending trial currently scheduled for August 3, 2026. Brown Lundquist’s sister, Samantha Fleischacker Gillihan, 34, of Arlington, was arrested last month and pleaded not guilty to the indictment. She was released on her personal recognizance.
“As alleged in the indictment, these two defendants cut a wide swath of fraud in Snohomish County,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “We put a priority on assisting local law enforcement who are struggling to put a stop to persistent offenders who continue to commit crimes despite local arrests.”
“This investigation demonstrates the importance of thorough local investigations and the value of strong partnerships across all levels of government,” said Lynnwood Police Chief Coleman Langdon. “What began as a municipal investigation ultimately revealed criminal activity that extended beyond the scope and jurisdiction of a single agency. Through close coordination with federal authorities, investigators were able to leverage additional resources, expertise, and prosecutorial capabilities to pursue a more comprehensive response to the criminal conduct involved.”
“These subjects are charged with stealing tens of thousands of dollars by draining gift cards they had not purchased, as well as debit cards obtained by exploiting other people’s identities,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners like the Lynnwood Police Department take wire fraud and identity theft seriously and are committed to holding fraudsters accountable.”
According to the indictment, the two defendants used a sequencing scheme to load gift card numbers on their smart phones – numbers for gift cards they never purchased that may have been purchased by others. The women would use any balance on the gift cards to purchase merchandise and then return the merchandise for cash or other value. Some of the merchandise was sold to others. In all the pair defrauded the retailer of more than $80,000.
In addition to the gift card scheme, Brown Lundquist and her sister used stolen debit cards belonging to other people to purchase merchandise. At times they used fraudulently obtained debit cards along with fraudulently obtained gift cards to make purchases. At the time of her arrest, Brown Lundquist had identity information for numerous people in her possession.
Each woman is charged with multiple counts of wire fraud for their gift card and debit card scheme. Each is also charged with Aggravated Identity Theft for using a real person’s information in connection with the debit card purchases.
Finally, Brown Lundquist is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm because of her previous felony convictions in Snohomish County: In 2019 she was convicted of three counts of possession of stolen property; and in 2022 she was convicted of possession of a stolen vehicle and identity theft. Those convictions mean she cannot possess firearms, but law enforcement found two handguns in her bedroom, alongside fraudulently obtained merchandise, on August 5, 2024.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two-year sentence to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case. Being a felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Lynnwood Police Department with assistance from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein.
Sisseton Woman Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Fentanyl and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Sisseton, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession With Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on June 1, 2026.
Laycie Williams, age 29, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Possession With Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and four years in federal prison for Failure to Appear, with the sentences to be served consecutively for a total of 14 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Williams was also ordered to pay $3,968 in restitution and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance stemmed from an incident that occurred in February 2023, in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In the early morning hours of February 26, 2023, Williams and the victim were socializing at a residence in Aberdeen. Co-defendant Carlin Mellette arrived at the residence and provided Williams with three pills containing fentanyl. Williams shared the pills with the victim, who ingested only half of one pill, resulting in the fentanyl overdose death of the victim. Williams and Mellette were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. Williams pleaded guilty on October 21, 2024.
Following her guilty plea, Williams was released on bond pending sentencing. On May 19, 2025, Williams failed to appear for her scheduled sentencing hearing. Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025 for Failure to Appear. She pleaded guilty to that offense on November 3, 2025.
Mellette pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, and he was sentenced in May 2025 to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
“This is another tragic demonstration of the deadly and horrific nature of illicit fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “The heartbreaking reality is that many of its victims never intended to take it at all. The victim here took only half the intended dose in one of these illegal pills, manufactured to look like a prescription opioid, and that was the end of her life. One mistake, one counterfeit pill, one irreversible moment can bring death and destruction to any family, in any of our communities, at any time. I can promise you that this Administration and every level of law enforcement across South Dakota are doing everything possible to dismantle the drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations bringing these poisons into our country.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the FBI Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, the Gettysburg Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Williams was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sarcone Leads Revival of NDNY Health Care Fraud Task ForceRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York convened a meeting of the NDNY Health Care Fraud Task Force, bringing together representatives from federal and state agencies, regulatory partners, and private-sector stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in the fight against health care fraud.
The meeting marks the revitalization of a task force designed to support information sharing, investigative coordination, and strategic enforcement efforts across the Northern District of New York. The task force was established in 2004 and was suspended in 2020.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III was joined by Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice National Fraud Enforcement Division, Colin M. McDonald, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz.
“I commend the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York for its decisive leadership in revitalizing the NDNY Health Care Fraud Task Force,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice, National Fraud Enforcement Division. “By convening federal, state, regulatory, and private-sector partners, this Office is sending a clear message: health care fraud will not be tolerated in this country. Focused initiatives like this task force are vital to protecting vulnerable patients, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and preserving the integrity of our health care system. I look forward to working closely with this outstanding team in the fight against fraud.”
“The reconvening of this task force should put all fraudsters on notice,” said First Assistant United States Attorney John Sarcone. “Those who enrich themselves through stealing from the hardworking American taxpayers will be relentlessly investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable to the highest standard under the law. I thank Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald for joining our task force meeting and for his leadership in advancing the Trump Administration’s whole-of-government approach to these investigations. Together our partner agencies with the full support of the federal government, will use every available tool to identify fraud, dismantle criminal schemes, and recover taxpayer dollars. Health care fraud is not a victimless crime, every fraudulent claim submitted, every false bill paid, and every scheme designed to exploit our system steals from the taxpayers and exploits the integrity of programs that millions depend upon.”
Federal Bureau of Investigations Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli, stated: “The criminals committing health care fraud operate across jurisdictions, exploit technology, move money rapidly, and often rely on the assumption that government agencies will remain siloed in their response. Our responsibility is to prove them wrong. Americans expect government funds to be used as intended, and the strength of this task force is found in our collective ability to share intelligence and coordinate resources to ensure anyone who chooses to abuse our systems is swiftly investigated and brought to justice.”
“The mission of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in federal health care programs. Our agency is incredibly grateful to have such strong partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as well as private entities that contribute to safeguarding health care programs,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Fraud in our health care system is a billion-dollar problem that affects taxpayers, vulnerable populations, and citizens who rely on health care providers to prioritize care over greed. This task force is an exemplary effort of public and private partnership to protect the federal health programs that serve millions of beneficiaries.”The task force will focus on identifying emerging fraud trends, coordinating investigations among partner agencies, sharing intelligence, and pursuing both criminal and civil enforcement actions against individuals and organizations engaged in fraudulent conduct involving federal and state health care programs.
The inaugural meeting included representatives from the following entities:Federal agencies: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG); U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
New York State agencies: New York State Office of the Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG); New York State Office of the State Comptroller (OSC); New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS); New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE).
Program integrity contractor: Northeastern Unified Program Integrity Contractor (NE UPIC).
Private-sector partners: UnitedHealthcare; MVP Health Care; Excellus BlueCross BlueShield; Fidelis Care; Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan (CDPHP); MetLife.
FAUSA Sarcone said “I want to sincerely thank all our task force members—federal, state, and private—for their commitment to this mission. Working together, sharing intelligence, resources, and investigative tactics to detect fraud, we can hold offenders at all levels accountable, recover taxpayer dollars and root out fraud. I applaud their commitment to proactively pursuing these fraudsters.
The United States Attorney’s Office expects future announcements and press conferences in the coming months announcing investigations, prosecutions, and task force updates
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.
San Francisco Company Agrees to Pay over Three Million Dollars to Resolve Allegations That They Submitted False Claims for Healthcare PaymentsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco-based Circle Medical Care of California, Circle Medical Technologies, Inc., and their Chief Medical Officer and medical director Dr. Nicole Tsang, D.O., have agreed to pay a total of $3,325,000 to the United States and the State of California to settle allegations that they knowingly submitted claims for payments to federal healthcare programs and California commercial insurers for services by providers who did not actually provide or supervise those services, in violation of the federal False Claims Act and corresponding state statute.
Circle operates an online telehealth platform through which it offers mental health treatment and primary care medical services through contract providers, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants located throughout the country. Circle submits claims for payment to federally funded health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, and to California commercial insurers. The United States and California allege that Circle submitted claims for payment to these programs and insurers for services, and received reimbursement, between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2025, despite knowingly identifying the name and NPI (National Provider Identifier) number of rendering providers who did not actually provide or supervise the services rendered, and failed properly to supervise the nurse practitioners and physician assistants who rendered medical services to its patients during this period.
Under the settlement agreement, Circle will pay $475,000 to the United States and $2,850,000 to California.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), and Assistant Inspector General and Health Care Fraud Division Director Jennifer K. Dietz of the Defense Health Agency Office of Inspector General (DHA-OIG) made the announcement.
“The integrity of our federal health care system depends on the accuracy of the information submitted by providers,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “This resolution sends a clear message that we will seek to hold accountable anyone who compromises that integrity. Our priority is to protect both the patients who rely on these vital services and the tax dollars that fund them.”
“Submitting claims under another provider’s identity undermines the integrity of our federal health care programs and puts patients at risk,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Breeden. “This resolution reflects our commitment to holding entities accountable when they knowingly sidestep required Medicare safeguards and misrepresent who is actually delivering care.”
The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Jason Vellen. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States and State of California ex rel. Jason Vellen v. Circle Medical Care of California, Circle Medical Technologies, Inc., Dr. Nicole Tsang, D.O, and George Favvas, No. 3:24-cv-02024-TSH (N.D. Cal.). In connection with the settlement, Mr. Vellen will receive $80,750 from the United States and $997,500 from California.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Savith Iyengar handled this matter. The resolution resulted from a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, the California Department of Insurance, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
San Antonio Heroin Dealer Sentenced in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison for trafficking more than 2.5 kilograms of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the Homeland Security Task Force investigation.
According to court documents, from June 28, 2024, to Oct. 15, 2025, Jose Luis Hernandez aka “Chino,” 46, delivered heroin to a buyer three times. Hernandez first delivered 3.4 ounces of heroin as a “sample” to the buyer. Hernandez later delivered 16.4 ounces of heroin and 1.99 kilograms of heroin. Hernandez coordinated smuggling the heroin into the United States from Mexico.
Hernandez was charged in a four-count indictment on Oct. 15, 2025. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 27, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez presided over the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock 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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Saint Francis Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Saint Francis, South Dakota man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 2, 2026.
Ryan Leading Cloud, age 29, was sentenced to time served through June 12, 2026, equal to approximately seven and a half months in custody, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Leading Cloud was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on July 27, 2025, in Todd County, South Dakota, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Leading Cloud was arrested for disorderly conduct, and he was transported to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. Upon arrival at the Adult Correctional Facility, Leading Cloud spit at a corrections officer, hitting the officer that had transported Leading Cloud.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Leading Cloud was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sacramento Man Charged with Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment against Raymond Fetzer, 38, of Sacramento, charging him with receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. The indictment was unsealed today following Fetzer’s arrest.
According to court documents, between April 16, 2024, and March 2, 2026, Fetzer was in receipt of CSAM downloaded from the internet.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Sokolich is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Fetzer faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty by beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 1, 2026.
Alex Montileaux, 32, was sentenced to seven years and seven months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Montileaux was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.
On November 7, 2025, Montileaux was a passenger in a car stopped by the police. A drug dog detected the presence of illegal drugs in the car. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a loaded pistol along with two loaded magazines for the pistol. The pistol and magazines had previously been reported stolen, and Montileaux was involved in the theft of the pistol. Montileaux had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Possessing a firearm after such a conviction is a federal felony.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Summerset Police Department, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Montileaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Randolph, Vermont Woman Sentenced to 21 Months’ Imprisonment for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 9, 2026, Donna Robinson, age 44, of Randolph, Vermont was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 21 months of imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Robinson previously pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to court records, Robinson was arrested after law enforcement responded to a shooting that occurred at a residence in Barre, Vermont on April 24, 2025. Investigators determined that Robinson and her significant other had gone to the residence to confront another individual about a drug-related dispute. While there, Robinson’s significant other tried to hand a firearm to Robinson. The gun fired, fatally wounding Robinson’s significant other. Law enforcement subsequently located two firearms concealed under rocks outside the residence. Robinson, who had previously been convicted of felony drug offenses and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms, admitted to law enforcement that she had previously handled and shot both firearms and that she moved the firearms after the shooting.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Vermont State Police; and the Barre City Police Department for their investigative efforts in this case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Cate. Robinson was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
Orange County Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging He Defrauded Bank Out of Nearly $100 MillionRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with defrauding a bank out of nearly $100 million by manipulating title policies to make collateral that had been pledged to the bank look more valuable than it truly was.
Mahender Makhijani, 44, of Corona del Mar, is charged with bank fraud.
He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in the United States District Court in Santa Ana.
“When criminals are allowed to deceive lenders, the spillover effects can harm consumers and businesses,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Today’s arrest highlights our office’s continued determination to combat threats to our nation’s banking system.”
“Today’s arrest highlights the strength of IRS Criminal Investigation’s financial expertise. As alleged, Mr. Makhijani falsified title insurance records, concealed true lien positions, and used a network of shell companies to mislead a federally insured bank out of nearly $100 million,” said Darren Lian, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Our special agents followed the money through layered transfers and disguised accounts, uncovering a scheme designed to deceive at every turn. When individuals manipulate documents and abuse financial systems for personal gain, IRS CI will expose the truth and ensure they are held accountable.”
“Schemes like the one outlined in today’s complaint pose a significant risk to banks and the nation’s financial system,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). “FDIC-OIG will work tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to identify threats and protect the system, keeping it safe for both financial institutions and consumers.”
“The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) vigorously investigates, and pursues the prosecution of, those who defraud the Federal Home Loan Bank System and its members,” said James Shields, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Western Region. “We are committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable criminals who seek to enrich themselves by defrauding the banking system.”
“Today’s arrest demonstrates that those who allegedly engage in fraudulent activity that impacts the safety and soundness of financial institutions will be held accountable for their actions,” said Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Makhijani controls Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based company with a lending relationship with Bank #1. Under the terms of their agreement, Bank #1 advanced nearly $100 million to Cantor for Cantor to originate or buy loans secured by real estate. Cantor was supposed to then pledge the loans it secured, and their underlying collateral, to Bank #1, paying back the bank from the loans’ proceeds.
Their agreement’s terms required Cantor to only pledge to Bank #1 loans in which Cantor had secured the first lien in the underlying collateral, which would make Bank #1 first in line to foreclose on the underlying property should the loan’s borrower be in default. By contrast, a second or later lien is worth much less as collateral because Bank #1’s ability to foreclose on the property would be subordinated to other creditors.
As part of its due diligence to ensure Cantor had only pledged first lien-backed loans, Bank #1 required Cantor to submit title insurance policies that showed Cantor’s first lien position.
From September 2024 to April 2025, Makhijani falsified title insurance policies to make them falsely state that Cantor was in the first lien position with respect to certain real estate serving as collateral. In fact, other creditors were ahead of Cantor. To falsify the title policies, Makhijani or a subordinate edited them in Adobe and then edited or removed the metadata, such as by printing out the altered title policies before scanning them.
After falsifying the title policies, Makhijani caused his then-employee to submit the false title insurance policies to Bank #1. Makhijani also engaged in several teleconferences with Bank #1’s representatives and lied about the title issues that Bank #1 had identified. In December 2024, he caused a spreadsheet with false explanations for the title issues to be submitted to Bank #1.
In making its lending decisions to Cantor, Bank #1 relied on the false information Makhijani provided. Had it known the true value of the collateral that Cantor had pledged, Bank #1 would have considered Cantor to be in default and then demanded full and immediate repayment, which would have required Cantor to repay Bank #1 nearly $100 million.
In August 2025, Bank #1 filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in connection with the alleged fraud.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Makhijani would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
FDIC-OIG; IRS Criminal Investigation; the FBI; FHFA-OIG; and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are continuing to investigate this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Y. Fu and Gregory W. Staples of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tara B. Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the asset forfeiture portion of this case.