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10 June 2026
Okreek Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Okreek, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on June 2, 2026.
Sheldon Denoyer, age 36, was sentenced to five years and 10 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. Forfeiture of the unregistered firearm was also ordered.
Denoyer was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.
This conviction stems from an incident that occurred on June 13, 2023, in Mission, South Dakota, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Denoyer was observed standing on a street corner with a short-barreled rifle, firing it into the air. Denoyer then got into a vehicle and departed the area. A short time later he was observed exiting the vehicle, leaving the rifle behind, and fleeing from law enforcement. The rifle was recovered and found to have a barrel length of 11 ¾ inches. The rifle was not registered to Denoyer in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer record as required by 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. 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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Denoyer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man, Gregory Kimble, 37, was sentenced on Tuesday to 97 months by U.S. District Judge Chad Meredith for felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in the early hours of January 1, 2025, officers responded to a hotel in Covington and encountered a woman who told them that she had just discharged Kimble’s pistol in the hallway outside his hotel room before fleeing to the lobby. She also indicated that Kimble had discharged the pistol in the hotel room hours before. Officers did not find the pistol on January 1, 2025, but they did find a spent cartridge and two live rounds of ammunition in Kimble’s room. They also observed a bullet hole in the wall outside his room.
On January 2, 2025, Kimble engaged in a text message conversation from jail regarding the retrieval of his property from the hotel. During that conversation, Kimble asked the other person to let Kimble know when he goes to the hotel so that Kimble could provide him with “specific instructions on how to do something else very important.” Law enforcement thereafter returned to the hotel and located a pistol hidden on a ceiling tile in the hotel’s internal stairwell that matched the woman’s description of Kimble’s pistol, as well as the ammunition found in Kimble’s hotel room. Kimble admitted to possession of the firearm and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony. Kimble also admitted that he had hidden the firearm on the ceiling tile.
Kimble was previously convicted of trafficking in controlled substances in 2019.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Louisville Field Division; and Chief Justin Wietholter, Covington Police Department, announced the sentence.
he investigation was referred to ATF by the Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, who separately indicted Kimble for other, state-level felony crimes in connection with Kimble’s conduct on January 1, 2025. The investigation was conducted by the Covington Police Department and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Oahu Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Destroying Cellphone Evidence to Thwart Federal Firearms InvestigationRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Jordan Ishida, 27, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact by destroying two cellphones that were evidence in a federal firearms case.
According to information presented to the court, on November 5, 2023, Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officers were dispatched to a reported crime scene on Kapiolani Boulevard in Honolulu. Upon arrival, HPD officers encountered Chris Hong Tran and Ishida outside Tran’s vehicle. HPD officers recovered a magazine loaded with nine 9mm rounds of ammunition from Tran’s pocket, as well as a 9mm Sig Sauer pistol and a pepper ball gun from Tran’s vehicle. HPD officers also recovered an additional magazine loaded with six 9mm rounds of ammunition from the roadway near Tran’s vehicle. Further investigation revealed that Tran shot pepper balls at numerous individuals before brandishing the 9mm firearm at a bystander outside of a nightclub.
The FBI had been actively investigating Tran—a felon with two prior federal convictions for methamphetamine trafficking—for firearms offenses when he was arrested for the November 5, 2023 incident. The next day, Tran was charged federally for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Knowing that Tran had been charged and that the FBI was looking for the two cell phones Tran had on the night of his arrest, Ishida destroyed one of the phones on November 7 and discarded it in a sewer drain, and she gave the second phone to another individual with instructions to destroy it.
Ishida testified at an evidentiary hearing that was held in connection with her sentencing. The court found Ishida’s testimony to be untruthful and, as a result, applied an additional sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice.
Tran was previously sentenced on February 13, 2025 to 108 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for the underlying firearms offense.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Eucker prosecuted the case.
Nicaraguan National Extradited from Costa Rica to Face Passport Fraud and Counterfeit Currency ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Nicaraguan national has been extradited from Costa Rica to face charges in two indictments unsealed today alleging a scheme to furnish counterfeit United States passports and traffic in counterfeit United States currency.
According to court records, between January and June 2020, Armando Morales Obando, 63, residing in Costa Rica, allegedly conspired with others to manufacture and sell counterfeit U.S. passports to individuals in South Florida. Morales Obando allegedly negotiated the sale of five fraudulent U.S. passports, coordinated the collection of payments totaling $5,500, and arranged for the passports to be shipped from Nicaragua to Broward County. The counterfeit passports allegedly contained the identifying information of real individuals but bore photographs of other persons and were represented as valid documents for international travel.
Additionally, Morales Obando allegedly conspired with others to manufacture and distribute counterfeit U.S. currency. Morales Obando and his co-conspirators allegedly created $20,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency and exchanged it for $6,000 in genuine U.S. currency.
Morales Obando is charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S., two counts of passport fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. In a related case, Morales Obando is charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S. and uttering counterfeit currency. If convicted, Morales Obando faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the counterfeit currency count, up to 10 years in prison on each passport fraud count, up to five years in prison on each conspiracy counts, and a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence on each aggravated identity theft count.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Ryan McSeveney of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement. The Costa Rican government provided valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Morales Obando.
The DSS Miami Field Office and HSI Miami are investigating the case, with assistance from the DSS Overseas Criminal Investigations Unit at U.S. Embassy San José, and U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch is prosecuting both cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 24-cr-20431 and 24-cr-20552.
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New York Educational Technology Company Agrees to Settle Federal Grant Fraud Claims for $274,634Read the Press Release
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today a settlement agreement with New York Educational Technology Company, LangInnov Inc. (LangInnov). The settlement agreement addressed allegations that LangInnov violated the federal False Claims Act (FCA) by 1) performing research and development funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program outside of the United States, which was expressly prohibited 2) double-booking payroll to both the SBIR program and a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, and 3) not primarily employing its principal investigator as required under the program. LangInnov agreed to pay $50,000 and to forgo $224,634.25 remaining unpaid on an SBIR award to settle these allegations. The settlement was based on LangInnov’s ability to pay.
“SBIR awardees are required to conduct all research and development in the United States to ensure that funds are used to support small businesses and technological advancements in the U.S. and to protect national security interests,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “As alleged, LangInnov disregarded this requirement by improperly conducting federally funded work overseas. The settlement in this matter demonstrates our commitment to holding those who defraud government programs accountable for their actions.”
United States Attorney Nocella thanked the Office of the Inspector General for the National Science Foundation (NSF OIG) for its partnership in the investigation.
“When companies fail to follow the requirements of the SBIR program, it is not only a misuse of taxpayer dollars but also takes away funding from deserving U.S. businesses. NSF OIG remains committed to pursuing oversight of these programs to ensure taxpayer funds are invested in the United States to benefit U.S. businesses, the U.S. economy, and national security. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for supporting this important proactive effort,” stated Megan E. Wallace, NSF’s Acting Inspector General.
NSF participates in the SBIR program, a critically important and highly competitive program created to fund technological advancements within the United States. Funding for this program strengthens the competitive free enterprise system and the United States economy. To maximize that impact, SBIR regulations require all research and development to be conducted in the United States. Additionally, the primary employment of the principal investigator for an SBIR project must be with the small business for the duration of the award.
The PPP was intended to provide emergency financial assistance to American small businesses by providing forgivable loans for payroll and certain other expenses. SBIR awardees were permitted by NSF to apply for PPP loans but were not permitted to receive or request compensation for the same costs for both programs.
LangInnov applied for and was awarded Phase I and Phase II SBIR awards by NSF to research and develop an innovative application for bilingual students. LangInnov also obtained a PPP loan which was subsequently forgiven by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The United States Attorney’s Office commenced its investigation based on NSF OIG’s proactive initiative to protect national security interests by identifying SBIR recipients who improperly operate outside of the United States. As alleged, LangInnov improperly booked payroll to the Phase I SBIR award for its Chief Operating Officer for 100 hours of work performed in Paris, France. LangInnov also falsely stated in its PPP application that the United States was the principal place of residence for all employees and double-booked payroll to both the SBIR award and the PPP loan, including payroll for work in Paris. Additionally, LangInnov failed to primarily employ its principal investigator for the duration of the Phase I award. NSF suspended payments on the Phase II award when it learned of the conduct. At the time, $224,634.25 was the unpaid balance remaining on the award.
The claims asserted against LangInnov are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
The investigation is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonni J. Perlin.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Felony Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On June 5, 2026, defendant, PHALANDERS RASHAAD KING (“KING”), age 37, pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to Count One, Count Two, Count Three, Count Four, Count Five, and Count Six of the Superseding Bill of Information pending against him, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Count One charged the defendant with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, five (5) grams or more of methamphetamine, forty (40) grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D) and 846. Count Two charged the defendant with distribution of heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Count Three charged the defendant with distribution of forty (40) grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Count Four charged the defendant with possession with intent to distribute five (5) grams or more of methamphetamine, and quantities of heroin and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). Count Five charged the defendant with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count Six charged the defendant with maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 856(a)(1).
As to Count One, Three, and Four, KING faces a term of imprisonment of between 5 and 40 years, a fine of up to $5,000,000 and at least four years of supervised release. For Count Two, the maximum penalty is up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release. For Count Five, a violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), the maximum penalties are between 5 years and up to life imprisonment, which must run consecutively to any other sentence of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. For Count Six, the penalty is up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to three years of supervised release. KING also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 for each count to which he pled guilty. He is scheduled for sentencing on September 17, 2026.
According to court documents, on August 24, 2023, undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an operation to locate fentanyl distributors in the French Quarter. Through this effort, agents located KING’s co-defendants. Through 2023 and into 2024, undercover agents conducted ten purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine from KING’s co-defendants, and eventually from KING himself. Through surveillance operations and a court-authorized wire interception of KING’s phone, agents established that KING conspired with his co-defendants to distribute these drugs, utilizing an apartment and a storefront that KING maintained in the Central Business District of New Orleans. Agents executed a search warrant on those two locations in May 2024, that allowed the recovery of additional controlled substances, fourteen firearms, and over $10,000 in U.S. currency. In total, over the course of the investigation, agents recovered over 300 grams of fentanyl and over 300 grams of methamphetamine from members of the conspiracy.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Dawkins and Brittany L. Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Felony Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On June 5, 2026, defendant, GLENN TATE (“TATE”), age 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to Count Two, Count Four, Count Five, Count Six, Count Seven, Count Eight, Count Nine, Count Ten, Count Eleven, and Count Thirteen of the superseding indictment pending against him, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Counts Two, Four and Five charged the defendant with distribution of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Counts Six and Eight charged the defendant with distribution of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Counts Seven and Thirteen charged the defendant with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Counts Nine and Ten charged the defendant with distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(B). Count Eleven charged the defendant with distribution of heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(C).
As to each of Counts Two, Four, Five, and Eleven, TATE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. For each of Counts Six and Eight, the penalties are a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release. For each of Counts Nine and Ten, the penalties are a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five years of supervised release. For Counts Seven and Thirteen, the maximum penalties are up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Each charge carries a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. TATE is set for sentencing on September 10, 2026.
According to court documents, on August 24, 2023, undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an operation to locate fentanyl distributors in the French Quarter. Through this effort, agents located TATE’s co-defendant and eventually began controlled purchases directly from TATE. Through 2023 and into 2024, agents conducted eight purchases from TATE of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. In total, agents purchased over 200 grams of fentanyl and over 200 grams of methamphetamine from TATE. TATE also sold a firearm to the undercover agents, though he himself is prohibited from firearm possession because he is a previously convicted felon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Dawkins and Brittany L. Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
Nashua man sentenced to 7 years in prison for trafficking meth by trainRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Nashua man who helped traffic methamphetamine in Montana was sentenced today to 88 months, followed by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
J. Daniel Peters, 55, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Peters and a partner were smuggling meth from Michigan into the Wolf Point area by Amtrak train.
In July 2024, law enforcement learned that Peters was possibly involved with moving drugs by train into Montana. By February 2025, agents had received approval to track calls made from Peters’s phone. They discovered Peters was in contact with a number ultimately determined to belong to Peters’s partner, Deante Mathis.
The same phone number Peters and Mathis were using was also used as a contact number for Amtrak train reservations between Detroit, Michigan, and Glasgow, Montana. On March 20, 2025, law enforcement learned train tickets from Detroit to Glasgow had been purchased for the following day using the number.
Law enforcement staked out the Glasgow Amtrak station and saw Peters arrive by car and pick up Mathis, who had been on the train. Officers searched Peters’s vehicle and found roughly one pound of meth in Mathis’s luggage. Mathis admitted to law enforcement that he moved meth by train three times in the previous six months, providing it to Peters who sold it around the Wolf Point area and using the proceeds to buy more.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
Missouri Man Admits $284,000 Pandemic Rental Assistance FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Moberly, Missouri man on Wednesday admitted fraudulently obtaining $284,000 that was supposed to provide rental assistance to Missouri residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steven W. Hendren, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of wire fraud. He admitted submitting a series of fraudulent applications for rental assistance to the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) from March 2021 through June 2024. The MHDC administered the State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) program, which was designed to provide emergency assistance for rent, utility bills and other expenses during the pandemic.
Hendren submitted numerous fraudulent SAFHR applications, falsely listing himself as a landlord. He included fake lease agreements and financial statements. He submitted other applications in which he fraudulently inflated rent amounts and altered lease agreements and financial statements to back up his lies. The MHDC wired a total of $284,840 to Hendren’s account, much of which Hendren used for personal expenses, including the purchase of a 2020 GMC Yukon.
Hendren is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
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.
Missoula man pleads guilty to gun chargeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Missoula man who had previously been convicted of felony assault admitted to illegally possessing a firearm today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, Jason Duane Spadt, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Spadt faces 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2026. Spadt remained released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Spadt was found with a loaded handgun in his truck during a traffic stop in Great Falls.
Spadt was convicted in October 2022 in Missoula County of partner/family member assault and as part of his conviction he is registered as a violent offender and explicitly prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On March 5, 2025, Spadt was pulled over in Great Falls and when officers conducted a probation search of Spadt’s truck, they found a 9mm handgun loaded with a round in the chamber. Along with the gun, officers found 9mm hollow point ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.
Michigan Man Indicted for Threat to Bomb Fifth Third FieldRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 35-year-old man has been indicted for making a willful threat to damage a minor league baseball stadium by means of explosives.
On June 3, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Nikolas Samir Salemassi, aka Nikolas Ford, of Trenton, Michigan, with making Threatening Communications Involving Explosives.
According to allegations in court documents, Salemassi made a call to Fifth Third Field on Washington Street in Toledo and to 911 emergency on April 28. During the calls, he stated that it was “not a joke” and that there were several bombs placed around the stadium. Law enforcement conducted a sweep of the stadium but did not find any indication of explosives. During the investigation, agents learned that Salemassi was in Toledo to perform at an open mic night as a comedian at the time and that he was out on probation for a separate offense.
If convicted, Salemassi faces up to five years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency and Toledo Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican national living abroad extradited to US to face charges for producing child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 39-year-old citizen of Mexico who had been living in Dublin, Ireland, is set to appear in McAllen federal court for production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Abelardo Sanchez is set for an arraignment and detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 2 p.m.
Austrian authorities arrested Sanchez in December 2025. He was extradited June 5 and made his initial appearance June 8 in McAllen.
According to the indictment, returned Oct. 28, 2025, Sanchez had an online account that contained child sexual abuse material, some of which appeared to be self-produced and dated back to 2014. The investigation led to the identification of the minor victim who had resided in Texas at the time Sanchez produced the images, according to the charges.
Sanchez had allegedly been living in Dublin, Ireland, since 2024 before traveling to Austria where he was ultimately arrested on the charges.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in The Hague and Vienna conducted the investigation with assistance of HSI in McAllen and Dublin, Ireland, as well as international law enforcement partners. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Sanchez.
If convicted, Sanchez faces a minimum of 25 and up to 50 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Series of Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Providence- A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to charges stemming from a series of bank robberies.
Joseph Hickson, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to his role in the robberies of a TD Bank in Cranston, Rhode Island and a Washington Trust Bank in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Hickson is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Hickson robbed TD Bank on April 28, 2019 and Washington Trust Bank on May 28, 2019. During each robbery, Hickson passed bank tellers a note indicating that he had a gun and specified the currency denominations he wanted.
Collaborative investigative efforts by the Cranston Police Department, the East Providence Police Department, and the Franklin, Massachusetts Police Department developed Hickson as a suspect in the Rhode Island robberies, in addition to a robbery that occurred on May 16, 2019, at the Digital Federal Credit Union in Franklin, Massachusetts.
Hickson was arrested on May 29, 2019, at a casino in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Hickson admitted his involvement in the robberies and subsequent search warrants recovered evidence from Hickson’s car and residence linking him to the crimes. Hickson was thereafter charged with bank robbery by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and pleaded guilty, serving a prison term in Massachusetts before being brought back to Rhode Island to face his federal bank robbery charges in this district.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cranston Police Department, the East Providence Police Department, and the Franklin, MA Police Department.
Mannford Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mannford man was sentenced today for Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Thomas William Martin, 42, to 360 months' imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Martin will be required to register as a sex offender. Lastly, Martin was ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements during the sentencing, the Broken Arrow Police Department began investigating Martin in 2024 after receiving reports that he had inappropriate contact with minor children. After detectives executed a search warrant on Martin’s devices, they discovered 1,132 images of children, including infants, being raped and abused. Detectives discovered that Martin had taken sexually explicit images of children under his care.
The child sexual abuse material found on Martin’s devices was sent to the National Child Victim Identification System, managed by the NCMEC, for identification. They identified 97 children whose images were previously identified and reported to NCMEC for cataloging. Those victims live in the United States and various parts of the world. They were notified and allowed to submit victim impact statements to the court. Restitution paid by Martin will go directly to the victims who requested restitution.
Martin will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, the Broken Arrow Police Department, the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert 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.
Man Surrenders for Role in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Said Abdullahi Ereg surrendered peacefully to the FBI. He was indicted on June 24, 2024, for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
According to court documents, Ereg exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID-19 pandemic and was involved in obtaining, misappropriating, and laundering millions of dollars in program funds that were meant to feed children in need. He ran a grocery and deli in Minneapolis and was under the sponsorship of the nonprofit, Feeding Our Future. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Ereg after he was charged, but he was not arrested as he was living overseas and his exact whereabouts were unknown.
The Federal Child Nutrition Program operates throughout the United States and administers the programs at the national and regional levels by distributing federal funds to state governments, which provide oversight over the Federal Child Nutrition Program. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administered the program in the state. According to court documents, Ereg owned and operated Evergreen Grocery and Deli, a for-profit business that participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. From approximately April 2020 to April 2021, Ereg is alleged to have defrauded the program by submitting false reimbursement claims, for which he received more than $4.2 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. At times, Evergreen Grocery and Deli claimed to have served more than 3,000 meals, twice a day, seven days a week. Ereg’s wife, Najmo Ahmed, also worked at the business and received payroll payments directly from Feeding Our Future. Ahmed pleaded guilty on February 24, 2025, to one count of money laundering. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2026, by United States District Court Judge Nancy E. Brasel.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is 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.
On June 4, 2026, the FBI announced the launch of its Most Wanted Fraudsters List, publicly identifying Ereg as a fugitive from justice. The next day, Ereg communicated through counsel his desire to return to the United States. He surrendered to FBI agents at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport earlier this afternoon.
“Today’s apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List, highlights the collective commitment of the DOJ, FBI, IRS, and USPIS, along with our USAO to bring every alleged fraudster to justice. Ereg was one of eight fugitives added to the FBI’s newly announced fraud list just six days ago and is the first to be taken into custody to face charges for his alleged actions,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson.
“We are proud to have assisted the Department of Justice in today’s surrender of a suspect accused of betraying the public’s trust and committing crimes against our community’s most vulnerable,” said HSI Minneapolis/St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy. “This case sends a clear message: being outside the United States does not place you beyond the reach of HSI and our law enforcement partners. Our commitment is unwavering: those who exploit programs intended to support children and families will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice here in Minnesota.”
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Kline, Matthew Murphy, and Austin Bowyer are prosecuting the case.
Man Charged with Sending Antisemitic Threats to Kill Governor of Hawaii and His FamilyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Eric Lee Boltz, 51, residing in Montana, was charged by criminal complaint on June 3, 2026, with sending interstate communications containing threats and cyberstalking. Boltz was arrested and had his initial appearance in the District of Montana on June 10. Boltz was ordered detained pending transportation to the District of Hawaii.
According to court records, in December 2025, Boltz left a series of threatening and antisemitic voicemails with Hawaii Governor Josh Green’s office. Disguising his voice, Boltz threatened to kill the Governor and his family and sexually assault his daughter. When interviewed by law enforcement, Boltz said he left the voicemails to “shake [Governor Green] up.”
If convicted, Boltz faces up to 5 years in prison and fine of up to $250,000 per count, plus a term of supervised release.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Eucker is prosecuting the case.
Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Bao Xu, 33 years old, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Xu was sentenced to 121 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
“For more than a year, Xu distributed harmful drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine across the country. From his Los Angeles apartment, Xu marketed drugs on the Dark Web, sold them in exchange for virtual currency, and arranged their delivery via mail. This high-tech scheme distributed drugs to every state in the United States, including cities and towns throughout Indiana, averaging more than 260 drug deals and $55,000 in sales per month and ultimately leading to the seizure of more than $2,000,000 in virtual currency. Xu’s sentence makes clear that drug traffickers cannot hide on the Dark Web: They will be tracked down and brought to justice for sending poison to the heartland. This prosecution was brought through the combined efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the St. Joseph County Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, Indiana State Police, New York City Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and South Gate Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney and NDIN Appellate Division Chief Joseph P. Falvey,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is leading efforts to combat cyber and Dark Web-based criminal networks responsible for the surge of controlled substances throughout the United States. These illicit operations pose a significant threat to public health and safety, exploiting vulnerable individuals and fueling addiction within our communities. For more than a year, Xu managed a highly sophisticated, nationwide drug trafficking organization that operated on a mass scale, thus profiting from the suffering of others. Even Indiana was not immune to his illegal and immoral actions. The sentencing of Xu sends a clear message that this type of criminal activity is not welcomed here in our Hoosier state,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke.
“The FBI is committed to disrupting the flow of illegal drugs into our communities and holding accountable those responsible for distributing them,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “Today's sentence is the result of strong partnerships and a shared commitment to protecting the public from the dangers associated with drug trafficking.”
Xu’s co-defendant, Jianhua Zhao, is currently scheduled for sentencing on September 3, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the St. Joseph County Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, Indiana State Police, New York City Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and South Gate Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Appellate Division Chief Joseph P. Falvey.
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.
Legal Permanent Resident Indicted for Illegally Voting in 2024 ElectionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Ekam Monfum, 38, a legal permanent resident and non-citizen living in Rock Hill, for illegally voting as an alien.
The indictment alleges that Monfum came to the United States in December 2022 and obtained status as a legal permanent resident because he is married to a United States citizen. Despite not being a citizen, in August 2024, a registration to vote was submitted through the registration portal with the South Carolina Election Commission in Monfum’s name. The process requires the registrant to affirm that they are a United States citizen. Therefore, Monfum voted in the 2024 election.
Monfum faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Monfum will have an arraignment scheduled in the next few weeks.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potterfield is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kansas City Man Found Guilty of Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was found guilty by a federal jury today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Kassim Aquil, 46, of Kansas City, Mo., was found guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a two‑day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays. Following the presentation of evidence, the jury deliberated for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes before returning a guilty verdict.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on July 20, 2023, members of the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force, led by the United States Marshals Service, with support from Task Force Officers with the Kansas City Missouri, Police Department, executed an arrest warrant against Aquil in the 3300 block of Karnes Avenue in Kansas City. The arrest warrant was issued against Aquil for violations of the federal supervised release he was under from a prior conviction of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
When task force members approached, Aquil exited his car and ran eastbound through residential yards, eventually crossing six lanes of traffic on Southwest Trafficway before being detained in an adjacent field. Task force officers deployed tasers multiple times during the pursuit. While fleeing, Aquil removed a firearm from his waistband and threw it to the ground. Officers later recovered the firearm, a loaded Jimenez Arms 9mm pistol.
Aquil was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a federal conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition and a federal conviction for assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Aquil faces up to 15 years in federal prison without parole for the firearm offense and up to an additional two years’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release. The statutory maximum penalties are provided for informational purposes only. The court will determine the final sentence based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Kirkpatrick and David Barnes for the Western District of Missouri. The investigation was conducted by the United States Marshals Service, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Justice Department, FBI Disable 13 Websites Backed by Suspected Chinese Agents That Sought Sensitive U.S. Information from Security Clearance HoldersRead the Press Release
Thirteen internet domains used to target U.S. persons, including current and former security clearance holders with access to classified and sensitive U.S. government information, were seized today by federal authorities.
“These domain seizures offer a glimpse at how foreign actors can use promises of easy money to lure Americans into revealing sensitive or classified information that they are duty‑bound to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Anyone approached online with offers of easy income for vague ‘consulting’ work should treat those overtures with extreme caution and remain vigilant for warning signs of malicious targeting.”
“Today’s seizures send a clear message that any attempts to exploit Americans trusted with access to our nation’s most sensitive information will be exposed and dismantled,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “These sham consulting sites were crafted to deceive, but thanks to the persistent work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, this scheme, like so many others, has been stopped in its tracks. We will always protect the integrity of our workforce and safeguard the trusted information that underpins our national security.”
“The fake consulting company domains seized by the FBI illustrate the lengths the Chinese government’s intelligence services will go to as they try to use AI-generated content to trick, recruit, or coerce current and former U.S. security clearance holders into sharing sensitive information,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and our partners have observed China’s intelligence services resort to using AI, professional networking sites, and online payment platforms to target Americans, and we have taken actions to defend the homeland and our national security. The FBI is grateful for all of the assistance provided by our private sector and domestic and international partners.”
“For too long, the Chinese government has tried to exploit U.S. government employees behind the cover of fake companies and phony job postings,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Wierzbicki of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Counterintelligence and Cyber Division. “Today, we shut them down. These seizures will prevent these fraudulent sites from being used to target Americans with access to sensitive information. The FBI will continue to use every tool available to protect Americans and our national security from this threat.”
“The Chinese government continues to pursue U.S. innovation, research, and sensitive information through a variety of deceptive techniques, including fraudulent job postings and online recruitment efforts,” said Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. “By seizing these domains and exposing these tactics, we are working to protect national security, safeguard American ingenuity, and help the public recognize and defend against these threats. We urge anyone approached with suspicious job opportunities or recruitment efforts to remain vigilant, recognize the warning signs, and report suspicious activity to the FBI.”
According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizure warrants, beginning in November 2023, the conspirators created at least 13 fake consulting company websites. The websites and their associated job postings advertised generic “consulting” jobs and included statements indicating their purpose was to recruit current or former U.S. government and U.S. military employees to provide expertise to unspecified clients.The websites were typically linked or referenced within the entities’ job postings on hiring platforms. The methods and means used by the conspirators include (1) the use of aliases, fictitious personas, and the stolen identities of actual persons; (2) the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated photographs; (3) relatively large payments for research reports; (4) the use of Telegram and other encrypted applications; (5) pressure to provide “exclusive” or “insider” information; and (6) the transfer of money from places and accounts located overseas to places and accounts located in the United States.
According to court documents, the conspirators recruited applicants through job postings, on social media and other platforms including Upwork, Expertia AI, Hubstaff Talent, Wellfound, and Post Job Free. The postings related to topics of interest to the government of the People’s Republic of China.
The conspirators targeted current and former security clearance holders and other Americans who have access to classified and sensitive U.S. government information. The fake positions included “Senior Analyst” and “International Affairs Consultant” jobs. The recruiters pressured candidates to share confidential information and reports from “insider” sources in violation of their official duties. The scheme used contracts and confidentiality agreements to give their bogus consulting companies an air of legitimacy.
The conspirators have denied any involvement by any foreign government.
The affidavit alleges that the conspirators offered money to applicants and recruits in exchange for sensitive information, paid for reports using online payment accounts in the names of fictitious individuals, and used cryptocurrency to conceal the conspirators’ identities and the true source of the payments. These payments allowed for the flow of money from places outside the United States to places inside the United States in furtherance of the conspiracy.
According to the affidavit, the conspirators used the following domains in their conspiracy to commit bribery of current and former public officials, identity theft, and international money laundering: Centrik Global Consulting, centrikglobalconsulting.com (CENTRIK); Rightinfo Consulting, rightinfoconsult.com (RIGHTINFO); Finnacle-Vesper Consulting (FV), finnaclevesperconsulting.com; CYDF Consulting, cydfconsulting.com (CYDF); Pulse Wave Global, pulsewaveglobal.com (PWG); Catalyst Global Solutions, catalystglobalsolutions.com (CGS); Horizzen, thehorizzen.com (HORIZZEN); GeoIndopacific, geoindopacific.com (GEOINDOPACIFIC); Global Peace Foundation – Indonesia, gpf-ina.org (GPFI); SafeSec Group, safesec-group.com (SAFESEC); The TruthInfo, thetruthinfo.com (TRUTHINFO); Vandercons.com; and Gulf Peace Foundation, gulfpeace.org (GULF PEACE).
The domains seized today include centrikglobalconsulting.com; rightinfoconsult.com; finnaclevesperconsulting.com; cydfconsulting.com; pulsewaveglobal.com; catalystglobalsolutions.com; thehorizzen.com; geoindopacific.com; gpf-ina.org; safesec-group.com; thetruthinfo.com; Vandercons.com; and gulfpeace.org.
Following the seizures, the FBI placed takeover pages on the seized websites to warn site visitors that the sites were rendered inoperable in order to disrupt the intended illegal activity and money laundering tied to the domains.
Today’s seizure was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman for the District of Columbia, along with the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Norfolk Field Office, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the Department of Justice’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division and Paralegal Kate Abrey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
If you have information concerning the websites, please contact the FBI at 1-800-Call-FBI (225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Justice Department Finds University of California Davis Medical School Discriminates Based on Race in AdmissionsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it determined the University of California, Davis School of Medicine (Davis Med), discriminates based on race in its admissions process, violating the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA). The determination follows a six-month investigation by the Department into Davis Med’s admissions practices.
“Davis Med’s actions reflect both unabashed contempt for the rule of law and plain disregard for the potential public health consequences of putting race over merit, skill, and competence,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department will not allow schools to violate federal law without consequence.”
The Department’s investigation found that Davis Med adopted admissions practices with the express purpose of circumventing the Supreme Court’s decision in SFFA, which banned affirmative action in higher education admissions. Documents provided by Davis Med show that its leadership openly boasted about “skirting” the Supreme Court’s ruling by using certain class-based “socioeconomic variables” or “disadvantages” as proxies for race (e.g., family income, parental education, or being from an “underserved area”). To admit more so-called “underrepresented minorities,” Davis Med created the “Davis Scale,” which ranks an applicant based upon perceived “disadvantages” while strategically adjusting the impact of his or her GPA and MCAT scores. The result: in 2024, Davis Med became the third most racially diverse medical school in the country, behind only historically black universities.
The Department’s review of Davis Med’s admissions data from 2023 to 2025 revealed that 93% of white and certain Asian admittees had MCAT scores at or above the average black admittee. It also showed that black and Hispanic applicants were admitted at rates up to six times higher than whites and Asians, despite consistently having, on average, lower academic qualifications.
Davis Med is just one of several medical schools that continue to flout SFFA’s prohibition on race-conscious admissions. Last month, the Department determined that UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and Yale University School of Medicine discriminate based on race in admissions.
The Department will engage in settlement negotiations with any school we’ve determined violated the law to ensure its admissions practices are brought into compliance. If those efforts fail, the Department will sue the schools.
Medical schools receive substantial federal financial assistance and are subject to federal non-discrimination laws. The Department will continue to monitor and ensure their compliance with federal law.
Note: Read the Department’s findings here.
Justice Department Encourages Communities to Apply for Nearly $700M in Grants to Support Law Enforcement Around the CountryRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) has released nearly $700 million in grant Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) to support law enforcement.
The released NOFOs include the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) and several other grant programs that:
- Support the hiring and retention of sworn law enforcement officers,
- Keep school students safe,
- Promote the health and safety of our nation’s law enforcement personnel,
- Keep communities safe by providing active shooter training, and
- Provide critical technology resources through congressionally designated projects.
“The funding announced today reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting the men and women of law enforcement who keep our communities safe,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “By investing directly in law enforcement, we are empowering agencies across the country to respond more effectively to evolving threats. This is another key step in the Trump Administration’s mission to make America Safe Again — and one that will support our nationwide effort to reduce crime in every zip code.”
“These grants will deliver real, measurable impact in communities across the country,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “This Administration is committed to strengthening public safety and ensuring accountability to the taxpayer. The Department will make certain that every dollar invested goes directly toward reducing crime and upholding the rule of law. Supporting the heroic work of state, local, and tribal law enforcement is not only an honor, but an essential step forward in our shared mission to keep the American people safe.”
The COPS Hiring Program is intended to reduce crime and advance public safety by providing direct funding to state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies for the hiring of career law enforcement personnel in an effort to increase their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Up to $158 million will be available.
The STOP School Violence Prevention Program provides funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantees’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs. Up to $73 million will be available.
The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Program provides funding to improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement and their families through training and technical assistance, demonstration projects, and implementation of promising practices related to peer mentoring, access to mental health services and wellness programs. Up to $9 million will be available.
The Preparing for Active Shooter Situations Program provides funding for scenario-based training that prepares officers, deputies, and other first responders to safely and effectively handle active-shooter and other violent threats. This year’s program will train at least 20,000 first responders through scenario-based, multi-disciplinary training classes. Up to $10 million will be available.
The COPS Office Anti-Heroin Task Force Program advances public safety by providing funds directly to state law enforcement to locate and investigate illicit activities through statewide collaboration related to the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, or carfentanil or the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids. Up to $34 million will be available.
The COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program is designed to investigate illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine. Funding must be used to locate or investigate illicit activities such as precursor diversion, laboratories, or methamphetamine traffickers. Up to $13 million will be available.
The COPS Technology and Equipment Program provides congressionally designated and directed spending to develop and acquire effective law enforcement equipment, technologies and interoperable communications that assist in responding to and preventing crime. This is not a competitive NOFO and Congress has allocated $400 million for the COPS Technology and Equipment Program.
State and local governmental entities must comply with 8 U.S.C. § 1373, which provides that state and local government entities may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, receiving from, maintaining, or exchanging information regarding citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual with components of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or any other federal, state or local government entity. Priority consideration will be given to jurisdictions that cooperate with federal law enforcement to address illegal immigration and coordinate and participate with the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF).
The COPS Office is the component of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing and the Administration’s priority of Making America Safe Again by supporting the nation’s state, local, territorial and Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.
For more information on COPS Office NOFOs, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants.
Jury Convicts Arizona Man for Threatening to Kill President Trump and Former Vice President HarrisRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – An Arizona man was convicted by a federal jury on June 8, 2026, for threatening to kill former Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump.
Rene Ortiz, 56, of Casa Grande, Arizona, was found guilty of two felony violations for Making Threats Against Successors to the Presidency and one felony violation of Threats Against Former Presidents. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 1, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen M. McNamee.
On Nov. 5, 2024—Election Day—Ortiz delivered to the federal courthouse in Phoenix a written threat to “execute the newly elected [President of the United States] by firing an M-16A2 service rifle with a magazine of 6 rounds,” directed at both candidates.
After the election, on Nov. 25, 2024, Ortiz delivered a second threat to shoot “the incoming fraudulent elected [President of the United States] … at the inauguration on January 20th, 2025,” to the federal courthouse in Tucson. When interviewed by the U.S. Secret Service about the threats, Ortiz repeated his intent to make the threats; he was subsequently arrested on Jan. 17, 2025, ahead of the Presidential Inauguration.
“The message in this case is clear: The American people will not stand for threats of political violence against President Trump or any other elected official,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “A jury of Mr. Ortiz’s peers unanimously agreed that his threats were egregious violations of the law and rendered a just verdict. Once again, federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and agents from the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Secret Service proved their excellent skills and duty in protecting our elected officials.”
“The Secret Service takes every threat against our protectees with the utmost seriousness,” said Special Agent in Charge William R. Mack of the Phoenix Field Office. “Our agents, working closely with our law enforcement partners, acted swiftly and thoroughly to investigate these threats and ensure the safety of those we are sworn to protect. This conviction demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our protectees and to upholding the law, as well as the dedication and professionalism of our team and law enforcement partners.”
“Our incredible Nation continues to flourish through a living Constitution with the understanding that we must abide by the Rule of Law,” said U.S. Marshal Van Bayless. “This case is an excellent reminder that anyone who threatens or attempts to intimidate our elected or appointed officials will be investigated by law enforcement, will be prosecuted, and will be held accountable for their conduct.”
A conviction for Threats Against the President and Successors to the Presidency or Threats Against Former Presidents carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Chang and Abbie Broughton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-00153
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-095_Ortiz
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Jacksonville Chiropractor Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Healthcare Fraud and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Sean Rondeau, a 56-year-old chiropractor in Jacksonville, Illinois, was sentenced today to a year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding health insurance companies of more than a quarter million dollars. His convictions include healthcare fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and five counts of wire fraud.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Rondeau had submitted more than 2,000 separate fraudulent claims. The government noted that each of these fraudulent submissions were the result of an intentional choice by Rondeau and required his direct action. When Rondeau learned he was under investigation, he leveraged his relationships with his clients to convince them to sign false documents in an attempt to hide what he had done.
Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless noted that Rondeau committed these crimes after he had previously been caught committing fraud more than a decade ago. Judge Lawless found that Rondeau continued submitting false claims even after he knew he was being investigated for the current fraud. The judge ordered Rondeau to pay more than $268,000 in restitution.
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Rondeau in August 2024, and he pleaded guilty to all nine counts in December 2025.
The statutory penalties for healthcare fraud are up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. The statutory penalties for mail fraud and wire fraud are up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government in the prosecution.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Illegal alien living in Dallas sentenced to federal prison as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation for trafficking cocaine in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – An illegal alien has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation for trafficking cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Abrahan Solano-Zarate, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on June 10, 2026.
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2021, Solano-Zarate, a Mexican national who was illegally living in Dallas, was part of a cocaine distributing conspiracy responsible for trafficking a large amount of cocaine from Mexico into the Eastern District of Texas and beyond. Solano-Zarate admitted to being personally responsible for the distribution of at least five kilograms of cocaine.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CD; United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Houston man gets over 30 years for trafficking minors in two citiesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 23-year-old local man has been sentenced for sex trafficking and enticing a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A federal jury deliberated for less than two days before returning guilty verdicts on two counts of sex trafficking of minors as well as coercion and enticement of a minor against Cristian Morris following a three-day trial in March 2025.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now sentenced Morris to a total of 384 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that sex trafficking is a horrible crime, made worse when minors are involved and that the victims were sentenced to a life of terrible memories. Morris was further ordered to serve 180 months on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
From Jan. 1 - June 23, 2023, Morris recruited teenage girls, gave them drugs and posted sexually explicit ads offering them for commercial sex. He forced them to engage in sex acts with clients at hotels near the “blade” in Houston and Dallas.
The blade or “track” in Houston is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street. The blade in Dallas is on Harry Hines Boulevard. Both locations are known areas where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.
At the trial, the jury heard from three victims Morris trafficked over several months. They testified he instructed them on how to walk the blade, how much to charge and gave them condoms. The jury also learned that Morris transported them between Houston and Dallas to engage in sex acts.
Morris kept all the proceeds.
Law enforcement ultimately arrested him June 23, 2023, after he had posted commercial sex ads for the youngest victim, a 15-year-old runaway.
At the time of the trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury that the victims were just a group of runaways and school dropouts engaged in bad behavior. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
Morris will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case.
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Israel Ramos Portillo, a/k/a “Juan Carlos”, 39, a citizen of Honduras who resided in Coffee Springs, Alabama, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison after a jury previously found him guilty of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This criminal illegal alien sought to sexually exploit and victimize a child, and drove for hours across state lines to accomplish that heinous crime. Thanks to the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners and the outstanding trial prosecution by my office, this predator will instead find himself in federal prison for more than a decade. As this case demonstrates, it is imperative that we secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws to repel and expel criminal illegal aliens from our country to keep our communities – and our kids – safe.”
Trial testimony and evidence demonstrated that on April 12, 2025, state and federal law enforcement agencies conducted an online undercover operation aimed at identifying adults using the internet to sexually exploit children. During the operation, the defendant began interacting with law enforcement’s undercover profile on a dating website, through which the detective was posing as a 14-year-old child.
Through numerous text messages over a two-week period, the defendant engaged in sexually explicit conversations and expressed interest in having sex with the child, ultimately arranging to travel from his home in Alabama to Tallahassee to meet the child and go to a hotel to have sex. When the defendant arrived at the proposed meeting location, law enforcement arrested him and seized his cell phone as evidence. After searching the defendant’s cell phone, law enforcement confirmed that he was the person communicating with the undercover detective and that he traveled across state lines with intent to engage in sexual conduct with the fictitious 14-year-old child.
After serving his term of 121 months’ imprisonment, Portillo will have to serve 5 years of supervised release and register as a sexual offender. He will be held for deportation proceedings at the conclusion of his federal prison sentence.
“This criminal illegal alien is a predator who sought to exploit the vulnerability of a child online,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Child predators will find no safe haven as HSI, alongside our partners, will relentlessly pursue those who attempt to harm our youth. Protecting children from these heinous crimes is of highest importance, and threats to their safety will not be tolerated.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Homeland Security Task Force investigation leads to 17 convictions related to a methamphetamine trafficking organization in Angelina CountyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Homeland Security Task Force investigation in Angelina County has resulted in the convictions and sentencings of 17 individuals related to a methamphetamine trafficking organization in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose Pedro Guzman, Jr., 35, of Corrigan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on June 10, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in November 2022, a law enforcement investigation into drug trafficking, firearms crimes, and immigration violations in Angelina County resulted in the seizure of over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and fourteen firearms. Guzman is the 17th person sentenced to federal prison as a result of this investigation. Other defendants sentenced include:
Albert Lopez, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 292 months;
Hector Gomez, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 188 months;
Jodi Calvin Sparkman, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 151 months;
Christopher Dewayne Harvey, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 175 months;
Oscar Padilla, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 70 months;
Adaryl Douglas, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 135 months;
Leanna Jean Busby, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 120 months;
Gary Mills, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 121 months;
Amanda McBride, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 120 months;
Clifton Collin-Dakota Smith, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 63 months;
John Christopher Rios, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 140 months;
Lorene Michelle Baker, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 121 months;
Corey Mullan, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 162 months;
David Davis, Jr., conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 97 months;
Penny Ann King, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 121 months; and
Eduardo Barajas-Macias, illegal reentry by a previously deported alien, 7 months.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Houston comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Houston (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas; Angelina County Sheriff’s Office; Lufkin Police Department; Texas Department of Public Safety; and Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
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Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Investigation Results in Federal Charges of Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracies against Prolific Methamphetamine Trafficker Tied to United CartelsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment yesterday against Jaime “Jimmy” Sanchez Soriano, 45, of Mexico, a prolific drug trafficker who imported vast amounts of methamphetamine into the United States.
Before his capture on March 19 by Mexican authorities, Sanchez Soriano procured methamphetamine from Los Viagras Cartel, a notoriously violent drug trafficking organization affiliated with the United Cartels, which is among the world’s most significant methamphetamine producers, capable of manufacturing multiple tons every month. The United Cartels’ distribution network spans the United States, with hubs in Kansas City, Missouri, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, and extends to Europe, Australia, and other regions. On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated the United Cartels (also known as Cárteles Unidos), as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, as amended. In August 2025, the Criminal Division announced criminal charges against several top leaders of the United Cartels and Los Viagras Cartel.
Sanchez-Soriano is charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine for importation into the United States, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted he faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Roger Polack and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri provided significant assistance.
MNF’s 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 Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan National Pleas Guilty to Being an Illegal Immigrant in Possession of a Firearm and Illegally Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Guatemalan National illegally residing in the Branson, Taney County, Mo., area, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of Illegal Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Immigrant, and Illegal Entry into the United States.
Edilberto Gonzalez-Barrera, 40, pleaded guilty before District Judge Douglas Harpool to being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm, and illegally entering into the United States. Upon serving any period of imprisonment ordered by the Court at the time of sentencing, Gonzalez-Barrera will then be deported to his native country of Guatemala.
On March 29, 2026, officers with the Branson, Missouri Police Department responded to Cox Hospital in Branson, Mo., in response to a male who had come into the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound. Officers learned that Gonzalez-Barrera, an individual who illegally entered the United States, had possessed a firearm, and as he was cleaning the firearm, it accidentally discharged, shooting off the lower end of one of his fingers. Upon determining that Gonzalez-Barrera was illegally within the United States, local law enforcement contacted agents with the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE). Agents responded and determined that Gonzlez-Barrera was illegally in the United States, as he was a citizen of Guatemala, without permission to enter or remain within the United States.
Under federal statutes, Gonzalez-Barrera is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole for the offense of being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm, and six months imprisonment for illegally entering the United States. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Branson Missouri, Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Grand Jury Indicts Northern Nevada Man for Embezzling Nearly $8 Million in Funding from Broadband Infrastructure ProjectRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal grand jury today returned a 16-count indictment that charged the owner of Uprise, LLC, a former internet service provider located in Reno, Nevada, with felonies in connection with an alleged embezzlement from a federal grant project. Stephen A. Kromer (48) is charged with felony counts of embezzlement of government property, federal program theft, money laundering and presenting a false document, all in connection with his alleged embezzlement of more than $7.8 million from a federally funded high-speed internet construction project near Lovelock, Nevada.
“Today’s 16-count indictment against the defendant is serious; and should send a clear message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to ending corruption,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “The Public Corruption Strike Force within the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partner agencies to root out corruption, including theft of federal program grant funds.”
“Through multiple fraudulent schemes, the defendant clearly exploited trust to line his pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “The grants were intended to enhance broadband infrastructure in rural communities in Nevada. Instead, the defendant brazenly misappropriated these funds for personal gain.”
“We want to thank our partners at the Department of Justice and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for tackling fraud head on and being essential stakeholders in stopping waste, fraud, and abuse of federal funds,” said Nevada State Director Alida Ceballos for USDA Rural Development. “From Day 1, USDA and DOJ have worked hand-in-hand to bring bad actors to justice and ensure those who exploit taxpayer dollars are held accountable.”
According to court documents, Kromer owned Uprise in 2022 when it applied for a federal grant under the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) ReConnect Program, proposing to construct a $36-million internet project that would provide access to high-speed internet to users living or working in rural Lovelock, Nevada, about 100 miles northeast of Reno. As part of the funding for the project, Uprise agreed to contribute $9 million toward the cost of the project. In June 2023, the USDA awarded Uprise a $27 million ReConnect grant to fund the Lovelock Project and required Uprise to deposit its $9 million share of the funding into a separate financial account called the Pledged Deposit Account (PDA) that restricted withdrawals to payments for costs of the Lovelock Project as approved by the USDA.
According to the Indictment, Kromer embezzled about $7.8 million of funding from the Lovelock Project by withdrawing the funds from the PDA and depositing them into his personal bank account via 32 wire transfers he made from the account between May and November 2024. The Indictment alleges that with each transfer Kromer caused false accounting entries to be made in the books and records of Uprise to make it appear that the withdrawals were made to pay for the costs of the Lovelock Project when, in truth and fact, they were not. Kromer then submitted the false information to the USDA. The Indictment further alleges that Kromer disguised and concealed the proceeds of the embezzlement by moving the proceeds from his personal bank account into accounts he held at various cryptocurrency exchanges where he converted more than $6.2 million of the proceeds from U.S. dollars into cryptocurrency.
Kromer is charged with one count of theft of government property; four counts of federal program theft; five counts of money laundering; five counts of monetary transactions in criminally derived property; and one count of using a false document. An initial appearance has been scheduled for June 24, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah. If convicted, Kromer faces the maximum statutory penalty of 50 years’ imprisonment on the federal theft charges and more than 100 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering and false document charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, and Nevada State Director Alida Ceballos for USDA Rural Development made the announcement.
The FBI and USDA Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Myhre and Skyler Pearson are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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GoodFellas Gang Member Sentenced to over 15 Years for Using a Firearm During Attempted Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
A Georgia man was sentenced today to 186 months in prison and five years of supervised release for using a firearm during a drive-by shooting at an apartment complex, resulting in multiple victims, including a 6-year-old child.
According to court documents, De’Andre Jackson, also known as “Gen,” also known as “Glock,” also known as “Glizzy,” 23, of Clarkston, and other armed GoodFellas gang members drove in two vehicles to an apartment complex, where they intended to shoot the intended victim whom they believed was a “snitch” and not loyal to the gang. Jackson and others discharged multiple firearms and shot the intended victim, her 6-year-old-son, and another victim who was 14 years old. The intended target was shot 6 to 9 times, her son was shot 3 times, and the 14-year-old victim was shot in the ear. Approximately 50 shell casings were recovered from the scene. Each victim survived.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Renaud of the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to 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).
George Herman Ruth Sentenced to 11 Years for Mail Fraud Scheme and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, TN – On June 10, 2026, George Herman Ruth, 70, of Morristown, was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton Corker, United States District Judge, in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
Today’s sentence followed Ruth’s prior entry of a guilty plea to twenty-five separate counts of mail fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud class action administrators throughout the country. Following Ruth’s imprisonment, he will be on federal supervised release for three years.
According to filed court documents and statements made in court, Ruth was previously sentenced to prison for 56-months for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States Social Security Administrator, and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, in the Southern District of Indiana. Upon his release from imprisonment, in October of 2023, Ruth began serving a term of federal supervised release in the Eastern District of Tennessee that required him to submit truthful monthly reports to his supervising probation officer.
From at least January 2023 and continuing through at least July of 2025, Ruth engaged in a large-scale scheme to deceive class action administrators and to enrich himself through fraud. Ruth identified class action lawsuit settlements and submitted hundreds of fraudulent claim forms to different class action administrators in which he purported to be entitled to relief under the terms of the relevant class action lawsuit. Ruth predominately used the names of former Major League Baseball players to submit false claims. To facilitate his fraud, Ruth opened post office boxes throughout northeast Tennessee to receive mail from class action administrators and opened a bank account in the name a sham business called “El Mundo Marketing” to deposit fraudulent received payments from class action administrators. Ruth used proceeds from the fraud scheme to travel, to gamble, and to continue the scam. Ruth admitted that he attempted to obtain more than $250,000 through his fraud scheme.
Ruth repeatedly submitted false monthly supervision reports to his probation officer to facilitate his mail fraud scheme. For example, Ruth falsely reported on numerous monthly supervision reports that he did not have access to a post office box when, in truth, Ruth had thirteen separate post office boxes that he used to advance his mail fraud scheme. Additionally, Ruth falsely reported on monthly supervision reports that he did not travel out-of-state when, in fact, Ruth regularly traveled out-of-state without permission.
“George Herman Ruth’s conviction exemplifies the unwavering commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute individuals who commit fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “The eleven-year prison sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of Ruth’s actions and will hopefully deter others from running schemes to defraud in the Eastern District of Tennessee.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting consumers from fraud schemes for many years,” said Inspector in Rodney M. Hopkins of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Atlanta Division. “Anyone who engages in deceptive practices like this should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable, regardless of where they are.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Morristown Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell, Christian Lampe, Mac Heavener, and Wayne Taylor represented the United States.
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Gainesville Career Criminal Sentenced to 174 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Tyrese Da’jon Jones, 26, was sentenced to 14 and a half years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This violent career criminal has amply demonstrated that the only way we can stop him from committing further crimes and endangering our community is by keeping him locked behind bars. Thanks to the investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, and the aggressive prosecution by my office, that is exactly what we will do. The safety of our communities is not negotiable, and my office will continue to fight hard every day to remove dangerous criminals from our neighborhoods and deliver the crime-free streets our citizens deserve.”
Court records reflect that on July 2, 2025, the defendant held a co-worker at gunpoint inside her vehicle for several hours. When law enforcement arrived, the defendant fled on foot and pointed his firearm at officers before he was apprehended. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was a felon and could not legally possess a firearm based upon his multiple prior convictions for offenses involving drugs and guns.
“This sentencing is the result of outstanding work by our deputies and our federal law enforcement partners. On July 2, 2025, Tyrese Jones, a convicted felon who had no business possessing a firearm, held a female victim against her will at gunpoint and then pointed that firearm at responding deputies. The deputies involved were fortunate to escape without injury and were able to safely take him into custody before anyone was seriously hurt or killed,” said Sheriff Chad Scott. “This was an extremely dangerous situation created by an individual who demonstrated a complete disregard for the law and the safety of others. Thanks to this federal sentence, a violent offender will remain off our streets and will not be able to threaten our community in the near future. We remain committed to aggressively pursuing those who illegally possess firearms and use them to victimize others.”
The case involved an investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Former National Park Service Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Masters, 38, of Victor, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or around October 2025 to in or around February 2026, Masters was employed by the National Park Service when he stole approximately $150 from a donation box at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, part of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in Lansing, Fayette County. As part of his guilty plea, Masters admitted that he used his position to access and remove money from the donation box without permission or authority on several occasions, and covered surveillance cameras to avoid detection.
Masters is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. Masters also owes $150 in restitution.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Park Service.
United States Magistrate Judge Dwane L. Tinsley presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy L. McLaughlin and Erik S. Goes are prosecuting the case.
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. 2:26-cr-60.
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Former Kokomo Police Department Officer Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Minor, Lying to Investigators, and Destruction of RecordsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Following a five-day trial, a federal jury has found former Kokomo Police Department officer, Sinmi Asomuyidem 33, guilty of charges related to his on-duty sexual assault of a 14-year-old and related obstruction.
“Police officers are entrusted with extraordinary authority and responsibility to protect the public. The defendant’s reprehensible actions betrayed that trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This verdict sends a clear message: officials who abuse their power and violate the constitutional rights of children will be held accountable.”
“While this administration strongly supports the men and women of law enforcement who are steadfastly committed to making our communities safe, we will not tolerate those who abuse the powers entrusted to them,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas Wheeler II for the Southern District of Indiana. “The defendant used those powers to sexually abuse a 14-year-old girl and then lied and destroyed evidence to cover up his crimes. The jury saw through his lies and held him accountable for his crimes,”
“The defendant used his position of trust and the appearance of assistance to isolate and assault a child, then took steps to obstruct the investigation by destroying records and lying to law enforcement. These actions reflect a complete disregard for the law, the victim, and the public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue justice for victims and hold offenders fully accountable.”
In particular, jurors found Asomuyide guilty of willfully depriving the victim, who was then 14 years old, of her constitutional rights by sexually assaulting her. The jury found that the defendant’s conduct included kidnapping and abusive sexual contact of a child under the age of 16.
Jurors also found Asomuyide guilty of lying to the Indiana State Police in attempt to cover up the assault by denying having sexual contact with the victim and lying about the presence of other corroborating evidence. Jurors also found Asomuyide guilty of deleting a messaging application he had been using to communicate with the minor victim prior to the sexual assault in attempt to cover up the assault.
Asomuyide faces up to life in prison at sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Blackett and Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Tara Allison who prosecuted this case.
Former Hapeville Police Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tasing Handcuffed Detainee and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Shevoy Brown, a former officer with the Hapeville, Georgia Police Department, was sentenced to more than three years in prison for using unreasonable force by repeatedly tasing a handcuffed detainee and then writing a false report to cover up his crime.
“Brown willfully violated our Constitution by abusing his power to violently and unnecessarily assault a man in his custody. He then made matters worse by writing a false report in a failed effort to obstruct any investigation of the matter,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Brown’s misconduct was a violation of his oath and is an affront to our district’s many honorable law enforcement officers who serve with great integrity.”
“This sentence demonstrates that no one is above the law, including those entrusted to enforce it,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “When a law enforcement officer abuses their authority and violates an individual’s civil rights, the FBI will work to ensure they are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other evidence presented during Brown’s trial: On the evening of June 3, 2024, Hapeville Police Department officers arrested a man for trespassing at an apartment complex and transported him to police headquarters. The man was placed alone in a small holding cell and handcuffed to a stationary bench. Although the detainee posed no threat, Brown entered the cell twice and tased him at least six times, including in the genitals, without any legal justification. Brown stopped tasing the victim only after another officer intervened.
Brown’s repeated tasing caused injury that required medical attention. After the victim was transported from police headquarters by ambulance, Brown wrote a false use of force report in an attempt to justify and minimize his actions. In the report, Brown stated that he tased the victim twice to gain compliance after the victim supposedly kicked the door and window to the holding cell. But the victim had stopped hitting the window before Brown entered the cell and had never kicked anything. Moreover, Brown omitted that he handcuffed the victim to a bench and then tased the victim four additional times.
Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg sentenced Shevoy Brown, 31, of Hampton, Georgia, to three years and one month in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Brown was convicted on February 26, 2026, following a jury trial.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Circus Official Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Stealing $123,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a former St. Louis circus official to 22 months in prison and ordered him to repay $130,905.
George S. Pace, 63, was on the board of directors of the nonprofit circus beginning in 2020 and later became board president. From December 2022 through at least September 2023, he stole from the circus in multiple ways. He used a credit card that he’d obtained without the knowledge or approval of the circus to pay thousands of dollars of personal expenses, including payments to nail salons, restaurants, and for skin care treatments. He used a second card for more unapproved expenses, including horseback riding related expenses and for restaurant meals. When another circus official reviewed the second card’s expenses, Pace lied and claimed the card had been stolen. Pace presented the official with forged account statements falsely showing that he had resolved the charges.
Pace also diverted checks drawn on the circus’ bank account to himself instead of using them to pay down a line of credit. Pace’s diversion of the line of credit payments caused thousands of dollars in interest to be accrued by the circus.
Finally, Pace deposited thousands of dollars of donor checks made out to the circus into his personal account. In the plea agreement, Pace admitted defrauding the circus out of over $123,015. He also will be responsible for repaying fees and interest to two banks totaling $7,889.
Pace also fraudulently applied for two U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans totaling $29,400. The SBA denied the loans.
In court Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll said defrauding a nonprofit was “one of the most offensive types of frauds,” and represented years of deliberate acts by Pace.
Pace, of Ladue, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts of wire fraud.
“The shame should only be borne by George Pace and no one else. He stole from a locally owned non-profit circus that has been creating fun memories for families and children for decades,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Like a typical embezzler, Pace was a wolf in sheep’s clothing and exploited the trust that was given him.”
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.
Former Anson, Texas City Manager Convicted of Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
An Abilene federal jury convicted the former Anson, Texas City Manager of attempted enticement of a minor, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Following a one-day trial, the jury convicted Ervin Joe Campbell, 64, on Monday, June 8, 2026, of one count of attempted enticement of a minor.
“This defendant elected to go to trial, which is his constitutional right. But we were ready, and the jury convicted him of attempted enticement of a minor after only 30 minutes of deliberation. The unfortunate and sad reality is that predators lurk in every facet of life, including those in positions of trust, like this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Under my watch, we will prioritize rooting out predators no matter where they lurk.”
“Protecting children from sexual predators is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “This conviction demonstrates the commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who seek to exploit minors and to ensure they are held accountable.”
According to evidence presented at trial, several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies worked together to conduct an undercover chat operation in Abilene, Texas, targeting the solicitation of prostitution and child predators. During the operation, a sergeant with the Texas Attorney General’s Office posed as minors, aged fifteen and sixteen, via an undercover online account. The advertisement posted on Facebook Marketplace was listed as “Massage and Fun.”
The jury also heard evidence that Campbell responded to the advertisement and agreed to meet the two minors for sex even after the undercover agent informed him that she and her friend were 15 and 16 years old, respectively. Geolocation data from Campbell’s cell phone, and cell phone call detail records confirmed that Campbell left his home in Anson after the conversation on Facebook and drove approximately 30 minutes to a hotel in Abilene, Texas where he had agreed to meet the minors. He arrived with two condoms and more than $500 in cash and he had agreed to give the girls $500 in exchange for sex. Agents further discovered that Campbell had saved a contact in his cell phone for the person he believed to be a 15-year-old minor and the contact’s name was listed as “15.”
Campbell is set for sentencing on September 17, 2026, before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. Campbell faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. He also faces a $250,000 fine.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and the Abilene Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitney James and Allyson Monte prosecuted the case.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Chicago man that distributed fentanyl was sentenced on June 8, 2026, to 13 years in federal prison.
Deorey Hayes‑Davis, age 31, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a January 16, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that, between April 2023 and May 2023, Hayes‑Davis distributed several hundred fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder to customers in Waterloo, Iowa. On the evening of May 27 or the morning of May 28, 2023, a woman ingested fentanyl that she had obtained from Hayes‑Davis. She died from a fentanyl‑related overdose. Around the time of the overdose, Hayes‑Davis provided two locked duffel bags—one that contained approximately seven firearms and another that contained drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine—to a customer. The customer later opened the duffel bags and distributed a portion of the drugs before the rest was recovered by law enforcement officers.
Hayes‑Davis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hayes‑Davis was sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a four‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hayes‑Davis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Kansas City is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, covering Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. HSTF Kansas City is composed of agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the State Investigative Agencies for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska, and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
This HSTF case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by HSTF Kansas City, with the assistance of the Tri‑County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25‑CR‑02019‑CJW.
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Federal judge convicts sex offender on child sexual exploitation chargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal judge found a previously convicted sex offender guilty today on charges of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of CSAM, and possession of CSAM.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Brian James Backues, 46, sent sexually explicit chats to entice an 11-year-old girl to produce a video of sexually explicit conduct and to commit sexual acts between February and March of 2025. Backues was previously convicted of child sex crimes in the City of Norfolk in 2020.
Backues faces a mandatory minimum of 35 years and up to life in prison when sentenced on Oct. 16. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Heck and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikolas Nelson are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-136.
Four Former Law Enforcement Officers Charged with Civil Rights Violations for Inmate AssaultsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a seventeen-count indictment charging four former East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office (EBRSO) employees, assigned to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison (EBRPP), for civil rights violations announced United States Attorney Kurt Wall. The indictment charges two former deputies and two former corporals with crimes relating to the abuse of rights under color of law, conspiracy, making a false report, and witness tampering:
- Aaron Johnson, age 29, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, was charged with three counts of abuse of rights under color of law for assaulting unresisting and handcuffed inmates in isolated areas of the prison not covered by surveillance, including an incident where Johnson allegedly struck a pretrial detainee in the head with a metal folding chair.
- Kenyaki Domino, age 29, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged with two counts of abuse of rights under color of law for assaulting unresisting and handcuffed inmates in isolated areas of the prison not covered by surveillance, including an incident where Domino allegedly slammed an inmate’s head into a doorframe during an escort.
- Darius Powell, age 24, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Lionel James, age 30, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were charged with two counts and one count, respectively, for abuse of rights under color of law for their conduct.
All four men were also charged with conspiring to cover up the assaults of EBRPP prisoners as well as falsifying reports about the incidents. Johnson and Powell also face counts of witness tampering.
According to the indictment, the defendants used areas within EBRPP that did not have security cameras, such as the sally port area and interview rooms, to assault inmates and a detainee by attacking them while they were isolated and unresisting. All four attacks resulted in bodily injury, and three involved the use of dangerous weapons. The defendants conspired with one another to cover up the attacks by creating false cover stories that omitted the use of force. The conspiracies also involved text discussions between the defendants regarding EBRSO investigators and the falsification of reports. The indictment also describes a social media post created by Powell that contained pictures and statements about one of the assaults.
While employed at EBRPP, Johnson served as a field training officer responsible for providing deputies with on-the-job training, and Domino and James were responsible for supervising deputies.
In a related case, Christian Morris, age 29 of Zachary, Louisiana, a former corporal with EBRSO, pleaded guilty on June 2, 2026, to one count of abuse of rights under color of law for failing to intervene despite having the means and opportunity to do so while an inmate was being assaulted.
The defendants face up to ten years imprisonment on the abuse of rights and conspiracy counts and up to twenty years imprisonment on the false report and witness tampering offenses.
“An overwhelming majority of law enforcement personnel are extremely professional and proficient in their duties,” said U.S. Attorney Wall. “However, when someone in a position of trust has violated that responsibility, it is our job to make certain that they are held accountable. Thanks to East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux and his office for their complete cooperation in this matter and additional thanks to our partners at the FBI for a very thorough investigation.”
“The FBI appreciates the cooperation of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office in this investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI works closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office in cases like this, and we take these types of allegations against law enforcement officers very seriously.”
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Johnson and Assistant United States Attorney April Leon lead the prosecutions.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
FBI El Paso, FBI San Antonio Sweep Crime Off Texas Streets Through Operation Spring CleaningRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO — Following the recent Justice Department announcement that revealed the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced the local contributions from the two FBI divisions in the Western District of Texas.
Operation Spring Cleaning is a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI to combat gang-related threats and enhance public safety. The operation coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and targeted the illegal flow of firearms and narcotics in our communities. The operation began on March 1 and ended May 31.
In the nationwide total, Operation Spring Cleaning led to over 1,100 arrests, over 600 charges filed, and almost 600 search warrants conducted. The operation also resulted in the seizure of nearly 1,000 illegal firearms—dozens of which were equipped with machinegun conversion devices (MCDs)—and more than 2,700 pounds of illegal narcotics.
“I applaud our FBI partners across the El Paso and San Antonio divisions, who have led this initiative with the assistance of state and local law enforcement to crack down on the violent crime that infiltrates our communities, ” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. “It’s operations like this that reinforce the freedom and liberty we have as Americans.”
“During Operation Spring Cleaning, FBI El Paso and our Midland Resident Agency worked alongside our state, local, and federal partners to surge more resources to address threats posed by local gangs towards our neighborhoods,” said Jarod Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI El Paso Field Office. “Our gang personnel shared intelligence and participated in operations to dismantle the gang’s ability to inflict violent crime on our community. The FBI's priority is to defend our communities by leveraging our resources to help our partners.”
“Through Operation Spring Cleaning, the FBI San Antonio Safe Streets Task Force, including the San Antonio Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, took coordinated, sustained action against violent criminal enterprises and the networks that enabled their illicit activities,” said Daniel Faith, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “During one day of this operation, law enforcement seized 24 firearms from a criminal enterprise known to operate in high-traffic commercial areas throughout San Antonio. These efforts demonstrated our joint commitment to dismantling violent criminal organizations and preventing acts of violence in the communities we serve.”
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Eighth Defendant Charged as Part of Federal Investigation into Violent Home Invasion in Winnetka, Ill.Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — An eighth defendant has been charged in federal court with robbery and kidnapping offenses for allegedly participating in a violent home invasion in Winnetka, Ill. The defendant, ANDREW FRANKLIN, 19, of Chicago, was arrested on June 3, 2026, and has been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond.
Andrew Franklin and seven co-defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping in connection with the alleged home invasion, which occurred on the afternoon of March 8, 2026, according to a second superseding indictment that was ordered unsealed in federal court after Andrew Franklin’s arrest. The seven co-defendants were previously arrested and have also been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond. For one of those defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed a U.S. Magistrate judge’s order of release on bond to a U.S. District judge, who ordered the defendant to remain detained without bond.
According to the charges, DASHUN BROWN, 24, of Chicago, posed as a food delivery driver to cause an individual in the residence to open the front door. Armed with loaded firearms, Andrew Franklin, Brown, TYRESE FENTON-WATSON, 23, of Chicago, DAVID FRANKLIN, 24, of Chicago, and JALEN CHAMBERS, 24, of Bourbonnais, Ill., forcibly entered the residence. Brown, Fenton-Watson, David Franklin, Chambers, and Andrew Franklin kept an individual in the residence captive for approximately an hour and used firearms to physically restrain the victim, the charges alleged. The perpetrators also restrained a child who arrived home while the violent home invasion was in progress, the charges alleged. The captors allegedly demanded access to a safe, computer, and online accounts holding cryptocurrency.
The conspirators fled the residence after about an hour in the home, later meeting up with ISAIAH DUKES, 28, of Los Angeles, Calif., KHIELL DUKES, 30, of Elgin, Ill., ANTHONY RAMSEY, 22, of Chicago, and additional co-conspirators who were waiting nearby and had been communicating with the captors while they were inside the residence, the charges alleged.
Andrew Franklin’s arrest and the unsealing of the second superseding indictment were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Brian O’Connell, Chief of the Winnetka Police Department. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Chicago Police Department, Northbrook, Ill. Police Department, Glencoe, Ill. Police Department, and Orland Park, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin, Jessica Ecker, and Jessica Maveus.
Kidnapping conspiracy is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while robbery conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
brown_et_al_2nd_superseding_indictment.pdfEagle Pass Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Eagle Pass man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2025, Eagle Pass Police Department (EPPD) responded to an incident involving a recording device found in a store dressing room. EPPD identified Reginaldo Gonzalez Jr., 21, as the perpetrator. Gonzalez admitted to placing the recording device in the dressing room to record women while they were undressed. Additionally, Gonzalez admitted that he had child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his cell phone.
EPPD contacted Homeland Security Investigations agents the following day. HSI conducted a records check on the National Center for Missing Children (NCMEC) and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) database for the phone number belonging to Gonzalez. Results revealed that there were three CyberTipline reports associated with the phone number.
Over the course of the investigation, HSI agents learned that Gonzalez was employed as a pharmacy tech at the store where the recording device was found, and that after his shift on April 17, he went to the fitting room, found a hole in the ceiling, and recorded people changing in the fitting room. He further explained that he recorded additional family members secretly in the bathroom using his cell phone, specifically, a prepubescent minor family member. One video found on Gonzalez’s phone, depicting the nude minor victim, is 24 minutes and 37 seconds long and was saved in a file on Dec. 26, 2024.
During the investigation, HSI discovered numerous photos and videos of child pornography saved on the Defendant’s device, including an image that depicted a class roster with student ID’s along with several screenshots of school emails. There was a folder labeled “girls” that contained 31 folders with a total of 197 items, which were categorized and identified to belong to several high school students. The login information for 144 Snapchat accounts belonging to several students was saved into the device. Defendant also admitted to having hacked accounts belonging to the students to access their personal photographs and then attempted to anonymously extort them to create CSAM.
Gonzalez was arrested on April 19, 2025, and has remained in federal custody since. On May 14, 2025, he was indicted on one count of production of child pornography, to which he pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2025. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the case.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from EPPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Dulce Man Charged After Allegedly Threatening Children with FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man is facing federal child abuse charges after allegedly confronting an adult and two minors outside a residence with a pistol and attempting to force his way into the home while the victims barricaded the door with their bodies.
According to court documents from May 8, 2026, Andrew Fredrick Gunhammer, 26, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, approached an adult and two minors outside a residence in Dulce, New Mexico, pulled a pistol from his backpack, and began to load it with a magazine. The adult and minors ran into the residence and used their bodies to block the door when Gunhammer attempted to force entry. A fourth person inside the house told Gunhammer to leave because they were calling the police. Gunhammer fled to another residence on the same street.
Officers from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department arrived at a separate residence that Gunhammer fled to and took him into custody. Inside the residence, officers located the backpack in a bedroom and the pistol with one chambered round under a mattress. Inside the backpack, officers located several rounds of different ammunition and drug paraphernalia.
Gunhammer is charged with child abuse and will remain in federal custody pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Gunhammer faces three years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dubuque Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who distributed over 119 pounds of methamphetamine in approximately two months was sentenced on June 8, 2026, to 25 years in federal prison.
David Allen Parker, age 54, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 12, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing showed that, between May 2024 and July 2024, Parker obtained and distributed over 119 pounds of methamphetamine. Parker had four prior convictions for drug trafficking, including a prior federal conviction in 2003.
Parker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Parker was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Parker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑01038‑CJW.
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Drug Lab Found in Berkeley County Home Lands Man in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Methamphetamine sold from a Berkeley County man’s home leads investigators to a drug laboratory and sends the occupant to prison, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Joseph Paul Boyer, 34, of Gerrardstown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 168 months in prison. Boyer was selling large quantities of methamphetamine from his home. Investigators executed a search warrant on his residence and seized approximately 85 grams of methamphetamine, several marijuana plants, syringes, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia. During another search, officers discovered an active clandestine drug laboratory in Boyer’s garage and seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, ketamine, and cocaine base.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. The Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney's Office assisted.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Doctor and Staff Charged with Falsifying Data in Clinical Drug TrialsRead the Press Release
In an indictment unsealed today, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charged a medical doctor and two staff members of a medical research center for their roles in an alleged scheme to falsify data in clinical trials of prospective new drug treatments. A third staff member was also charged in a criminal information.
According to the indictment, Dr. Jaynier Moya, 49, of Southwest Ranches, Florida, Luis Montano, 55, of Hialeah, Florida, and Yuniarka Garcia, 41, of Plantation, Florida, were charged for allegedly engaging in misconduct in clinical trials conducted at Pines Care Research Center LLC (Pines Care), in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Alexandra Olivera, 38, of Hialeah, Florida, was separately charged in a criminal information with participating in the alleged scheme. As alleged in court documents, Moya co-owned Pines Care and served as principal investigator for the research studies. Montano, Garcia, and Olivera were clinical research coordinators.
Beginning no later than 2019, the defendants allegedly fabricated testing data and falsified other records while conducting clinical trials sponsored by a pharmaceutical development company. The trials were designed to test prospective new drugs to evaluate their safety and efficacy for potential approval by the FDA. As alleged in the charging documents, the defendants falsified records to make it appear that human subjects had taken the study medications and undergone testing to evaluate the study medications’ effects as called for in trial protocols, when, in fact, they had not. The defendants allegedly used identification documents from people — who did not actually participate in trials — to create false records purporting to show those individuals participated and generated test results. The indictment also alleges that the scheme caused the falsified test data to be submitted into the clinical trial database systems used for evaluating prospective new drugs.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Moya, Montano, and Garcia are each also charged with three counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Moya, Montano, and Garcia also face a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count upon conviction of substantive wire fraud.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Juan Berrios of FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Crawford and Brianna Gardner of the Criminal Division’s Health and Safety Unit are prosecuting the case.
The Health and Safety Unit within the Department’s Criminal Division works with law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute violations of federal laws designed to protect public health and safety. The unit focuses on corporations and individuals who make and sell dangerous drugs, food, and other consumer products that could cause significant harm to Americans. For more information, see www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-safety-unit.
An indictment or criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Department of Justice indicts eight conspirators who threatened University of Michigan officials, businesses, and the Jewish FederationRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Eight individuals associated with the University of Michigan were indicted for their alleged roles in conspiracies to threaten University of Michigan leaders, law enforcement, and businesses, including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, announced U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office joined Gorgon in the announcement.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Zainab Aliasgar Hakim (Canton, Michigan) (age 23), Amatullah Aliasgar Hakim (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 21), Paige Elizabeth Feyock (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 26), Ahmet Kerem Korkaya (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (age 28), Jonathan Hongru Zou (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 22), Alexander Matthew Sepulveda (Chicago, Illinois) (age 23), Mariam Muhammed Odeh (Dearborn, Michigan) (age 24), and Colin Hunter Weger (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (age 24).
“In America, we rule by law not by fear. These alleged threats and attempts to terrorize government officials, businesses, and the Jewish Federation are anti-American. We will counter intimidation with justice,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“No one has the right to threaten, intimidate, and coerce public officials, law enforcement officers, community institutions, or their families. In the dead of night, masked and hooded defendants allegedly threw noxious chemicals through the windows of families’ homes and taped demand letters to their front doors. At every step they attempted to cover their tracks and delete evidence of their crimes. Those who engage in coordinated campaigns of threats and intimidation should expect to be held fully accountable under federal law,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This multi-state operation led to the arrests of numerous defendants across Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin for alleged criminal activity committed within our state. I am grateful for the exceptional work of the dedicated FBI Detroit team, alongside our partners from FBI Chicago, FBI Milwaukee, University of Michigan Department of Public Safety, Ann Arbor PD, Huntington Woods PD, City of Plymouth PD, Bloomfield Twp PD, Canton PD, Chicago PD (Illinois), Milwaukee PD, Southfield PD, Novi PD, Romulus PD, West Bloomfield PD, Michigan State Police, Ypsilanti PD, Eastern Michigan University PD, and the Michigan Intelligence Operations Center, whose collaboration made this operation possible."
After the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, the defendants and unindicted conspirators enacted a series of coordinated “actions” threatening University of Michigan leaders, law enforcement, and businesses. Seemingly prompted by their perception of the University of Michigan’s and other victims’ purported financial support of Israel, the conspirators insisted publicly that they “must escalate, mobilize, and organize to demand divestment by any means necessary.”
According to the indictment, on October 20, 2023, the defendants publicly posted a list of demands on social media directed at University of Michigan leadership. Among the demands, they required the University to make a “full and complete divestment” from Israel and any businesses supporting Israel. Unsatisfied by the University’s response, the defendants “prepared to take action” against the leadership by what they called “autonomous actions,” which included forcibly entering and occupying University of Michigan buildings, defacing buildings, and blocking and disrupting events on campus. They also posted threats on the internet that included photos of their “autonomous actions.”
Below are two examples of the alleged threats posted to social media after “autonomous actions” targeting the homes of a University of Michigan elected official and the University of Michigan Provost.
The defendants also allegedly held meetings to identify targets of their “autonomous actions.” They used the internet to research personal addresses, photographs, political and social connections, business ownership, and other personal details of the targets. They also discussed methods by which to harm the targets and their families, including poison, bombs, and psychological torture. For example, on May 21, 2024, Feyock and then-medical student Korkaya agreed to “kill,” “torment,” and “terrorize” their targets and families. Referring to one victim, Korkaya stated his “entire family” was on his “hit list” Feyock added that they should “get” the “kids” of two victims. Korkaya, referring to another victim, stated, “I’m gonna be the dirtiest f------- doctor ever / I’m gonna be [victim’s] doctor / poison her a-- slowly.” Feyock agreed, “We need people following [victim] / get into that house then burn it down.”
As part of the conspiracy, the defendants are alleged to have traveled at night to the targeted homes and businesses. They damaged and defaced homes and businesses with spray-painted messages, threats, and symbols, including inverted triangles, which Hamas has used in its military videos to mark targets for death; red handprints, which Hamas has used to symbolize the Ramallah Lynching of 2000 and the murder of two Israeli military reservists during the Second Intifada; and phrases such as “INTIFADA” and “DIVEST NOW.” The defendants also left demand notes containing additional threats, caulked doors shut, bike-locked entryways, broke windows, and threw glass jars filled with butyric acid and dye into the homes. The defendants took photographs of the destruction and posted the photos online with “official statements” and additional warnings and threats, such as “you cannot hide” and “we only come back stronger.”
Below are photos of the alleged threats spray-painted on the Jewish Federation Building on the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, as well as two other businesses.
The indictment also charges Zainab Aliasgar Hakim and Paige Elizabeth Feyock with witness intimidation. In July and August 2024, Hakim and Feyock devised a plan to confront the victim, a University of Michigan student whom they believed may have been cooperating with federal authorities. They planned to convince the victim not to provide information about the defendants’ criminal activities. Hakim warned that the victim was “going to send us to federal prison.” Feyock explained, “we have to do something about [victim] / [victim] is actually a liability / the fact that [victim] is naming you to [unindicted conspirator] is a major issue.” Feyock told other conspirators that the victim “has to be neutralized” and that she and Hakim were going to “strip search” the victim “to see if he is wearing a wire / not taking no chances with him.” Hakim and Feyock confronted the victim on August 6, 2024, and afterward, Feyock told another conspirator that the victim “knows not to talk about [the autonomous actions].”
Alexander Matthew Sepulveda is also charged in the indictment with destruction of property to prevent seizure. According to the indictment, Sepulveda and Jonathan Hongru Zou were involved in an “autonomous action” at the home of the University of Michigan’s Provost. Sepulveda and Zou threw two glass jars filled with a blue substance and food compost through a window of the Provost’s home. They also spray painted the home with inverted red triangles and phrases including “Divest” and “Free Palestine.” In April 2025, law enforcement attempted to execute a search warrant at Sepulveda’s home. An unindicted conspirator warned multiple conspirators about the warrant via encrypted group chats. In response, Sepulveda is alleged to have cleared the contents of his phone and laptop.
Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties: Conspiracy to Transmit a Threat: up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000; Conspiracy to Tamper with a Witness: up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000; and Destruction of Property to Prevent Seizure: up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by FBI Detroit with assistance from the following agencies:
University of Michigan Department of Public Safety, Ann Arbor PD, Huntington Woods PD, City of Plymouth PD, Bloomfield Twp PD, Canton PD, Chicago PD (Illinois), Southfield PD, Novi PD, Romulus PD, West Bloomfield PD, Michigan State Police, Ypsilanti PD, Eastern Michigan University PD, Michigan Intelligence Operations Center, and the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen, Maggie Smith, Matthew Roth, and Robert Kuhn.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.