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1 June 2026
Osceola Man Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Levelle Joseph Harris (40, Kissimmee) has been sentenced by Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II to 21 months in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of his sentence, Harris is required to forfeit $640,911.85 to the United States, which represents the total amount of proceeds obtained by Harris from his scheme. Harris pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Harris committed COVID relief fraud in 2020 by fraudulently obtaining $1,283,029.81 in COVID relief funds. He used some of the funds to purchase a residential property. Harris was prosecuted for that conduct and ultimately convicted of 14 counts of wire fraud. When the United States sought the forfeiture of the residential property Harris had purchased with the stolen COVID relief funds, Harris sold the property and gave the proceeds to the United States. The sale, however, was unlawful. Investigators determined that between February 2022 and January 2023, Harris had devised a separate scheme to avoid paying his criminal forfeiture in the COVID relief fraud case. As part of that scheme, Harris obtained a mortgage through false representations and then used the proceeds to purchase the residential property and pay his criminal forfeiture. Through Harris’s mortgage fraud scheme, he fraudulently obtained a total of $640,911.85.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Orleans Parish Man Indicted for Federal Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today, a federal grand jury indicted DUSTIN BADEAUX, (“BADEAUX”), age 41, of New Orleans, for bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on May 9, 2026, BADEAUX robbed a bank located in the 4000 block of Canal Street of approximately $1800 in U.S. currency.
BADEAUX faces a maximum twenty (20) year term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge, and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Orange County Man Who Co-Founded Environmentally Friendly Finance Company Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Massive FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man who co-founded and served as board member of the financial technology and sustainability services company formerly known as Aspiration Partners Inc., was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for a years-long scheme in which he defrauded investors and lenders, causing more than $248 million in losses.
Joseph Neal Sanberg, 46, of Orange, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who scheduled a restitution hearing for July 20.
Sanberg pleaded guilty in October 2025 to two counts of wire fraud.
“This serial fraudster used his Cinderella-like background, impressive educational credentials, and virtue signaling skills to swindle investors and lenders out of hundreds of millions of dollars,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “This criminal case serves as a warning: Anyone can get duped by a con man.”
“Joseph Sanberg preyed on investors and lenders who believed in his vision of environmentally conscious fintech,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of delivering on Aspiration’s promises, he orchestrated a multi-year scheme involving fake clients, sham payments, and deceptive loan collateral that caused at least $248 million in losses to numerous victims. This sentence holds him accountable and serves as a clear warning to others who abuse trust for personal gain and obtain loans from the financial industry based on lies and misrepresentations.”
“As evidenced by this case, Mr. Sanberg selfishly put businesses and clients at risk who expected him to provide a valuable service to protect their interests” said Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to allocate expert resources to investigate and prosecute all those who take advantage of a position of trust to defraud American businesses.”
“Today’s sentencing reflects our commitment to the public,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “The reward for lying, stealing, and falsifying records, is jail time.”
Sanberg devised a scheme that began in 2020 and continued into 2025 to use his significant share of Aspiration stock to defraud various lenders and investors. Between 2020 and 2021, Sanberg and Ibrahim AlHusseini, who were both members of Aspiration’s board of directors, fraudulently obtained $145 million in loans from two lenders by pledging shares of Sanberg’s Aspiration stock. To secure the loans, Sanberg and AlHusseini falsified AlHusseini’s bank and brokerage statements to fraudulently inflate AlHusseini’s assets by tens of millions of dollars.
Beginning in 2021, Sanberg concealed from investors that he was the source of millions of dollars of purported revenue paid to Aspiration through, or purportedly on behalf of, sham customers. Court documents indicate that Sanberg personally recruited companies and individuals to enter agreements with Aspiration in which they committed to pay tens of thousands of dollars per month for tree planting services. The money for these customers’ payments was supplied by Sanberg himself. Sanberg concealed that these payments came from him rather than from the customers.
Aspiration booked revenue from these sham customers between March 2021 and November 2022, at the same time Sanberg concealed that he was the source of the payments. As a result, Aspiration’s financial statements falsely and fraudulently reflected much higher revenue than the company in fact received. Nonetheless, Sanberg continued to solicit investors to invest in Aspiration securities into 2025.
According to the documents, Sanberg also defrauded other lenders and investors using fraudulent materials describing Aspiration’s financial condition, including a fabricated letter from Aspiration’s audit committee that falsely stated Aspiration had $250 million in available cash and equivalents at a time that Aspiration only had less than $1 million in available cash. Sanberg used these fraudulent financial materials to obtain millions of dollars in additional loans and investments in Aspiration securities.
Sanberg’s victims sustained at least $248 million in losses.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Theodore Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.
Ohio Resident Pleads Guilty to Car Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Souleymane Kah, 36, of Westerville, Ohio, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to conspiracy and other charges arising from a scheme to steal and sell more than 20 rental cars.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in September of last year.
As detailed in court filings and statements, from about December 2020 to December 2021, Kah and others conspired to rent vehicles from car rental companies throughout central and eastern United States by fraudulent means, transport the vehicles in interstate commerce, and sell the stolen vehicles to various purchasers, who then exported the vehicles overseas.
Kah and others would rent the cars by obtaining and using genuine driver’s licenses belonging to third parties, who were not aware their licenses were being used for the scheme, or by causing fake driver’s licenses to be created and used.
The defendant and co-conspirators frequently transported, and caused to be transported, the stolen vehicles across state lines to facilitate their sale. They received payment for the stolen vehicles by various means, including cash, electronic payments via money transfer apps, and in the form of a luxury vehicle.
Kah is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22 and faces a maximum possible term of 25 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne Bisio and Kara Traster.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Catra Nelson, also known as “Trey,” 50, of Zanesville, Ohio, was sentenced on Thursday, May 28, 2026, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2020 to in or around March 2021, Nelson conspired with co-defendant Steven Reger and others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area. On March 23, 2021, Nelson aided and abetted in the sale of approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg. The Court found Nelson was responsible for over 40 pounds of methamphetamine distributed by him to others.
Nelson has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for trafficking large volumes of cocaine, cocaine base, marijuana, and methamphetamine. A federal grand jury indicted Nelson on the current offenses in October 2022 and he evaded capture on the resulting arrest warrant until May 16, 2024.
“Despite multiple prior convictions, this criminal flooded our streets with more than 40 pounds of this poison and has been a large-scale drug trafficker for over two decades,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “We pursued an appropriately strong penalty in this case, and we will continue to do so to protect our communities from these dangerous drugs.”
Reger, 49, of Morgantown, was sentenced on August 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe, Joshua Hanks, and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted 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. 2:22-cr-196.
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Nurse Practitioner in Jacksonville Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Kenyatta Dacres (45, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to unlawful distribution of controlled substances. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Dacres was an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), commonly known as a nurse practitioner, licensed in Florida. Dacres prescribed an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration controlled substances on three separate occasions. Specifically, Dacres prescribed Lortab pills containing hydrocodone, in increasing dosages, despite the agent indicating that he was not in any pain. Dacres also prescribed Adderall pills containing amphetamine despite him denying any history or diagnoses that would support that and despite the agent’s indication that he’s recently been arrested for possession of methamphetamine. A medical doctor reviewed the materials related to the investigation and determined that Dacres’s prescriptions for Lortab and Adderall were issued without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
Northampton County Man Pleads Guilty to Producing, Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Efrain Baez-Feliciano, 38, of Northampton, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 22 counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The defendant was charged by indictment in October of last year, arising from his manufacturing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) depicting a young girl in his care, on multiple occasions over a period of about nine years, and his possession of CSAM.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24 and faces a maximum possible term of 680 years’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. In addition, he faces mandatory financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) and Megan’s Law.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Northampton Borough Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Kulik.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969.
Navajo Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Stabbing DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – A member of the Navajo Nation who was convicted of killing a man near Steamboat, Arizona, was sentenced on May 21, 2026, in federal court.
Thurman Yazzie, 26, of Keams Canyon, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 240 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Yazzie previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.
On March 26, 2023, Yazzie attacked the victim with a knife, stabbing him multiple times, causing his death. Yazzie then placed the victim’s body on the back of an ATV and took it into the woods where he set fire to the victim’s body. The crime occurred on the Navajo Nation.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Gallup Office, the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Anthony W. Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-CR-08057
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-089_Yazzie
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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.
Naturalized Citizen from the Congo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involvement in Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who came to the United States in 2008 was sentenced to six months in prison today for his involvement in a conspiracy to defraud the government. Joseph Onolenga Okamba, age 40, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, received the prison term after a November 13, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Two other members of the conspiracy have already been sentenced. Joseph Longanga Okoko was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and Medard Lotahe Elonge was sentenced to twelve months and one day imprisonment.
In a plea agreement, Okamba admitted that an object of the conspiracy was to fraudulently obtain visas for citizens of the Congo, including family members and friends who were not otherwise eligible for citizenship.
As part of the conspiracy, Okamba was involved in multiple visa petitions where the petitioner, who had previously won the diversity visa lottery, was fraudulently asking to bring an alleged spouse to the United States. As part of the federal investigation, one of the petitioners was summoned to grand jury. Okamba, along with co-defendant Medard Lotahe Elonge, provided the individual a marriage certificate of a fraudulent marriage to submit to the grand jury as proof of the legitimacy of the purported marriage. Additionally, Okamba successfully petitioned for an individual to come to the United States claiming the individual was his birth mom, knowing they were not biologically related. When questioned by law enforcement officers about his relationship to the woman, Okamba lied about her name and birthdate. During an interview with law enforcement officers in 2023, Okamba admitted to assisting hundreds of Congolese people with immigration paperwork.
Okamba was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Okamba was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment and fined $4,000. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Okamba was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on June 22, 2026. Bienvenu Saido Binyangi, who was charged in the same indictment and has also pled guilty, has yet to be sentenced.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Cole and Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Waterloo Police Department, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
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.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2052.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Willie Davis McCall III, also known as “Primo” and “Ill Will,” 42, of Warren, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2025, McCall sold approximately 55.53 grams of a substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant while in a parked vehicle in Charleston. As part of his guilty plea, McCall admitted that he conducted the transaction, that he was previously convicted of a serious drug offense, distribution of methamphetamine, in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, on July 26, 2017, and that he was sentenced to more than one year in prison for that prior conviction.
McCall further admitted that he distributed or possessed with the intent to distribute between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl from in or about April 2025 through in or about June 2025. The distributions included the sale of approximately 55.40 grams of fentanyl on April 3, 2025, and of approximately 55.57 grams of fentanyl on June 11, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Charleston.
On June 17, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Charleston residence where McCall was living and seized from his bedroom closet approximately 322.16 grams of fentanyl found in six bags and $5,557. McCall admitted that he planned to distribute the seized fentanyl in and around the Southern District of West Virginia, and that the seized cash was drug proceeds.
McCall is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least eight years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $8 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-192.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Business Robberies by Discharging a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Laquarius King, 28, of Memphis, to 360 months in federal prison for multiple business robberies by discharging a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, between July 2, 2023 and October 2, 2024, 0n five separate occasions, King robbed the Exxon gas station located on Appling Road and the Berryhill Market located on Berryhill Road in Memphis, Tennessee. On two occasions, he fired a round in the air next to the clerk when the clerk hesitated to open the cash drawer. The incident was recorded on store surveillance video, and King was wearing the same shirt in several robberies.
On October 2, 2024, an off-duty Memphis police officer saw the robbery taking place from the parking lot and called 911 while following the suspect vehicle. Active units joined in the pursuit before King was taken into custody.
In February 2026, King pled guilty to five counts of robbery of a business and two counts of discharging a firearm during the robberies. On May 29, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced King to 360 months of federal imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "King’s violent crime spree is over. His lifestyle of lawlessness and selfish greed terrorized multiple victims – and has rightly earned him a long sentence in a federal prison that will remove him from the community and protect Memphians."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Memphis Police Department’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force’s (SSTF) efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexually Exploiting Several MinorsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland man is headed to federal prison for more than two decades for committing child sex abuse crimes.
U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Isaiah Poole, 25, of Suitland, to 25 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for one count of producing child sexual abuse material. The charge is in connection with a sextortion scheme in which Poole met and sextorted young girls through social media platforms.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to court documents, Poole used Snapchat and other social media accounts to manipulate and coerce at least six girls — ranging from ages 9-14 — to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. Poole, who pretended he was a teenage girl, manipulated the minor victims into producing and sending him sexually explicit images, often under the ruse of playing truth or dare. He also directed the minors to expose their genital areas and engage in sexual conduct.
After some victims informed Poole that they no longer wished to send him sexually explicit images, he threatened to send the images to their families and friends if they did not continue to produce content. Additionally, Poole distributed the sexually explicit images he received from two minors.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, along with the Maryland State Police and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Treiger and Brooke Oki who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Minors to Produce CSAMRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man pled guilty in federal court to child sex abuse crimes.
Mark Travis Brigham, 36, of Mount Airy, is charged with sexually exploiting a child and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; and J. Charles Smith III, State’s Attorney for Frederick County.
According to his guilty plea, between September 2023 and August 2024, Brigham persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced three minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct. He used his cellphone to produce multiple sexually explicit images and videos of the victims. Brigham exploited the victims for the purpose of producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct.
On August 6, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Brigham’s Mount Airy residence. During the search, law enforcement seized a tablet, digital camera with a SD card, and two cellphones, along with 35 firearms, ammunition, and a magazine. Investigators then examined the devices and uncovered the CSAM files.
Brigham faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor. Additionally, Brigham faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse; explain how to report online enticement and victimization; and offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters. Learn more about Know2Protect at www.dhs.gov/know2protect.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and State’s Attorney’s Office for Frederick County, for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandria A. Bell and Paul E. Budlow who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Marion County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Jimmy Deon Lofton (46, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, on July 1, 2025, the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) executed a search warrant on Lofton’s residence where agents located numerous controlled substances including approximately 173 grams of fentanyl, 31 grams of methamphetamine, 260 grams of MDMA, and over 1,000 grams of cocaine. Some of the substances were buried in an ammunition can in the backyard. Agents also obtained a search warrant for a home security DVR system Lofton had installed at the home. The DVR system revealed numerous videos of Lofton packaging and dealing controlled substances at the residence.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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.
Man arrested for threatening a Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s detectiveRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Layton Love, 46, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with interstate communication of a threat, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to the complaint, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office contacted the FBI regarding threatening text messages sent on May 18, 2026, to the cellular telephone number of a detective (Victim) with the Sheriff’s Office.
The text message stated: You and your family are going to die soon! I will personally do the job if necessary. Death to the weaponized government means death to the weaponized government literally, (Victim) you are living on borrowed time. The home you own on (REDACTED)… is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of my choosing. Prepare to die, (Victim), and everyone you hold dear. Your terrorist regime will burn.
Subsequent investigation identified Love as the user of the telephone number the threatening text messages were sent from. On May 21, 2026, a New York State arrest warrant was issued, charging Love with Making a Terroristic Threat, and Aggravated Harassment. Love was located and arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police at his parents’ residence in Eldred, PA.
Love made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was held pending a detention hearing on June 8, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Man Sentenced for Kidnapping Victim at Gunpoint and Seeking Ransom for Drug DebtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A North Dakota man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in a kidnapping for ransom resulting in the beating of the victim, holding him at gunpoint, and transporting him across states lines to Minnesota to collect an unpaid drug debt.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of March 5, 2024, Kyle Kahalehili Maez-Schaack, 33, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, at the orders of the co-defendant and an unindicted co-conspirator, kidnapped the victim. The co-defendant sent Maez-Schaack a screen shot of the victim’s social media profile and his address and ordered Maez-Schaack to pick up the victim to collect a drug debt. The victim owed the co-defendant $6,000 for 500 grams of methamphetamine. Maez-Schaack and others took the victim at gunpoint from Fargo, North Dakota, to Moorhead, Minnesota. There, the victim was held for ransom and ordered to call his friends and family to ask for money. Despite several calls to family and friends, the victim was unable to raise the funds to pay the ransom. At one point, the victim was left unattended in the Moorhead residence and was able to escape. Maez-Schaack and others kept the victim’s vehicle after the kidnapping.
According to statements made in court, Maez-Schaack was a drug distributor for the co-defendant and was often used as the muscle for the drug trafficking organization that primarily distributed methamphetamine in the Red River Valley and Devils Lake area of North Dakota.
“The drug business is a scourge that often leads to kidnappings and demands for ransoms related to drug debts,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This collateral violence threatens the safety of communities. The lengthy sentence captures the seriousness of the drug related conduct in this case and speaks to the collateral ills of the drug trade that ruins the lives of so many Americans.”
“Too often drug trafficking is perpetuated by violent crime, as shown by Maez-Schaack,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase for the District of North Dakota. “Our office, working alongside our federal and state partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those committing violent acts and trafficking illegal drugs in our community.”
“Maez-Schaack is a brazen, violent offender who made our communities less safe, and today he receives the consequences for his actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “ATF remains committed to identifying and targeting the most violent offenders, and we will continue to do that work every single day. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration on this case, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their successful prosecution.”
“Stopping violent offenders like Kyle Maez-Schaack is one of the FBI's top priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “This defendant, a previously convicted felon, kidnapped a victim at gunpoint, demanded ransom of the victim’s friends and family, and trafficked methamphetamine into our community. Now, he will rightly spend the next 30 years of his life in federal prison. The entire Red River Valley and Devil’s Lake communities are safer for that fact. The FBI will not stop in our mission to make our communities safe by bringing violent criminals like Maez-Schaack and his accomplices to justice.”
Maez-Schaack pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to kidnapping, drug trafficking conspiracy, brandishing a firearm during the kidnapping, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The FBI and ATF investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Pegah Vakili of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Rodenbiker and Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced for Kidnapping Victim at Gunpoint and Seeking Ransom for Drug DebtRead the Press Release
A North Dakota man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in a kidnapping for ransom resulting in the beating of the victim, holding him at gunpoint, and transporting him across states lines to Minnesota to collect an unpaid drug debt.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of March 5, 2024, Kyle Kahalehili Maez-Schaack, 33, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, at the orders of the co-defendant and an unindicted co-conspirator, kidnapped the victim. The co-defendant sent Maez-Schaack a screen shot of the victim’s social media profile and his address and ordered Maez-Schaack to pick up the victim to collect a drug debt. The victim owed the co-defendant $6,000 for 500 grams of methamphetamine. Maez-Schaack and others took the victim at gunpoint from Fargo, North Dakota, to Moorhead, Minnesota. There, the victim was held for ransom and ordered to call his friends and family to ask for money. Despite several calls to family and friends, the victim was unable to raise the funds to pay the ransom. At one point, the victim was left unattended in the Moorhead residence and was able to escape. Maez-Schaack and others kept the victim’s vehicle after the kidnapping.
According to statements made in court, Maez-Schaack was a drug distributor for the co-defendant and was often used as the muscle for the drug trafficking organization that primarily distributed methamphetamine in the Red River Valley and Devils Lake area of North Dakota.
“The drug business is a scourge that often leads to kidnappings and demands for ransoms related to drug debts,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This collateral violence threatens the safety of communities. The lengthy sentence captures the seriousness of the drug related conduct in this case and speaks to the collateral ills of the drug trade that ruins the lives of so many Americans.”
“Too often drug trafficking is perpetuated by violent crime, as shown by Maez-Schaack,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase for the District of North Dakota. “Our office, working alongside our federal and state partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those committing violent acts and trafficking illegal drugs in our community.”
“Maez-Schaack is a brazen, violent offender who made our communities less safe, and today he receives the consequences for his actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “ATF remains committed to identifying and targeting the most violent offenders, and we will continue to do that work every single day. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration on this case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their successful prosecution.”
“Stopping violent offenders like Kyle Maez-Schaack is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “This defendant, a previously convicted felon, kidnapped a victim at gunpoint, demanded ransom of the victim’s friends and family, and trafficked methamphetamine into our community. Now, he will rightly spend the next 30 years of his life in federal prison. The entire Red River Valley and Devil’s Lake communities are safer for that fact. The FBI will not stop in our mission to make our communities safe by bringing violent criminals like Maez-Schaack and his accomplices to justice.”
Maez-Schaack pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to kidnapping, drug trafficking conspiracy, brandishing a firearm during the kidnapping, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The FBI and ATF investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Pegah Vakili of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Rodenbiker and Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota prosecuted the case.
Man Federally Charged for Armed Carjacking in Downtown LubbockRead the Press Release
A man has been charged in connection with an armed carjacking that occurred next to the federal and county courthouses in downtown Lubbock, Texas last Friday morning, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Isaiah Joshua Lee Houston, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was federally charged for his role in a May 29, 2026, carjacking that ended with Houston being shot. Houston was charged by federal complaint less than eight hours after the attack. Houston will make his initial appearance on the charges today, June 1, 2026, and remains in federal custody pending further proceedings. If convicted, Houston faces a statutory maximum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison.
“Less than two weeks ago, I stood next to representatives from several law enforcement agencies and announced Operation Hub City Shield,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould. “I made clear that the incredible relationship between our federal, state, and local partners is what makes Lubbock the gold standard for law enforcement cooperation. When violent criminals seek to target innocent members of the public, together we will swiftly find them, charge them, and use the full weight of federal and state laws to hold them accountable. Mr. Houston should have been listening.”
“The swift response of law enforcement and security personnel helped bring this dangerous situation to a safe conclusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of the ATF Dallas Field Division. “Any violent crime involving the threatened use of force in a public setting poses a serious risk to the community. ATF will continue working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and ensure accountability for those who endanger public safety.”
“Combatting violent crime remains a priority for the FBI. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to address public safety threats and hold dangerous offenders accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to the complaint, last Friday morning Houston approached a box truck as it stopped at a red light at the intersection of Buddy Holly Avenue and Broadway Street in downtown Lubbock. Houston attempted to open the driver’s door, but the driver was able to push Houston away from the vehicle.
Houston then ran toward a nearby black SUV that was parked westbound on Broadway Street, next to the Lubbock County Courthouse and just to the north of the George H. Mahon Federal Building. As he ran toward the SUV, Houston pulled a knife from his pocket, opened the driver’s side door, and forcibly removed an adult female from the driver’s seat. At the time of the carjacking, the female was sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle and holding a newborn baby.
Houston entered the SUV but was quickly confronted by a nearby security guard along with an off-duty officer with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD). Houston fled from the vehicle and ran around the west side of the Lubbock County Courthouse.
Surveillance video from outside the federal building showed Houston approaching the SUV and removing the female from the vehicle before being confronted by law enforcement, some of which is depicted below:
Houston continued running around the county courthouse and then fled southbound on Buddy Holly Avenue toward Broadway Street. A witness provided agents with a cellphone video of Houston then attempting to climb into the back of a moving pickup truck while being pursued by law enforcement, which is depicted below:
The security guard observed that Houston was still holding the same knife he saw earlier. The security guard then fired shots at Houston, hitting him once in the leg. Houston was then taken into custody, and the knife was recovered along Houston’s running path.
Multiple federal and state agencies responded to the incident and secured the scene. Within just a few hours, federal and state agents had interviewed witnesses, recovered videos of the incident, and presented a United States Magistrate Judge with proposed criminal charges, which were quickly approved.
This investigation was a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Louisville Man and Nicholasville Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Online Enticement of MinorsRead the Press Release
Jefferson County, KY –A Jefferson County man and a Nicholasville woman were sentenced on May 28, 2026, for attempted online enticement of minors.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Charles O’Loan, 40, and Amber Warner, 36, were sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for one count of attempted online enticement of minors. The Court ordered O’Loan and Warner to pay $6,000 in restitution to the two victims.
On or between January 11, 2024, and May 30, 2025, O’Loan and Warner communicated with each other to coordinate a plan to sexually assault Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2. O’Loan and Warner exchanged messages via their cell phones, to discuss their plans to engage in illegal sexual acts with the minor victims. O’Loan and Warner used grooming tactics as well as exchanged sexually suggestive videos with each other that depicted the minor victims.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “These defendants coordinated to sexually assault two minor victims. Their conduct is disgusting. Louisville is better for 15 years while they reside in federal prison.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Yannelli 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Lexington County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brittany Nicole Miles, 37, of Lexington, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department utilized a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and a firearm from Miles. Miles agreed to sell approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine and a firearm to the informant.
Miles directed the informant to meet her at her public storage unit in West Columbia. The informant arrived and Miles and her co-defendant arrived a short time later. Upon arriving, Miles provided the informant with 2 ounces of methamphetamine and a gun.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Miles to 60 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Miles will begin to serve her federal sentence after she is released from serving a state sentence in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.###
Leader of the Manchester Chapter of the Trinitarios Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Manchester Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders and two other attempted murders.
Luis Jeffrey Santana, a/k/a “Sopita,” 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2026. Luis Jeffrey Santana was arrested and charged in February 2025.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
Luis Jeffrey Santana admitted to his participation in an August 2021 shooting outside of a store in Salem, Mass. During this incident, Luis Jeffrey Santana and other Trinitarios members confronted two victims they believed to be rival gang members and engaged in a verbal altercation with them in the store. The Trinitarios and victims separated, exited the store and proceeded in different directions. The Trinitarios members, however, called for reinforcements who arrived shortly thereafter. The victims proceeded to their vehicle and as they turned out of the parking lot, a black sedan containing multiple Trinitarios pulled up and a shooter began firing multiple rounds at the victims. At the same time, a second vehicle pulled out and blocked traffic while the shooting took place.
Luis Jeffrey Santana was one of the leaders who convened a gang meeting in Dec. 1, 2024. During the recorded meeting, the Trinitarios discussed the reorganization and restructuring of the Trinitarios chapters, including the need for members to pay dues and contribute to the gang’s operations. During one portion of the recording, the leaders discussed the need to have money on hand to help members who commit shootings and to fund a war against rival gang members. They also discussed the potential violence that will be visited upon members who betray the gang.
During today’s court proceedings, Luis Jeffrey Santana admitted to his membership in the gang. Photographs and videos recovered in the investigation showed Luis Jeffrey Santana wearing Trinitarios beaded necklaces, making Trinitarios gang signs with his hands and associating with other members and leaders.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, dubbed Operation Paper Machetes, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to ten years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to fourteen years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty. In May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty. Luis Jeffrey Santana is the eleventh Defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Threatening to Murder Federal Officials and State EmployeesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who was convicted by a jury for threatening to assault and murder public officials over a seven-month period was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The government recommended 71 months in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from November 30, 2023, through July 7, 2024, Spencer Christjencody Gear threatened public officials using vulgar and violent language in a series of phone calls and sent an email threatening to assault and murder eight federal officials, including judges, as well as three state employees. The threats were intended to intimidate and interfere with the officials as they carried out their duties and to retaliate against them for actions taken in their official roles in Washington, D.C., New York, and Montana.
“Today's sentencing should send a clear message that the FBI stands firm in its commitment to protecting our public officials and ensuring that individuals who seek to harm others will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “Threats of violence are never merely words; they constitute serious federal crimes, and the FBI takes every threat with utmost seriousness. The act of spreading fear and intimidation has no place in our community.”
“The United States Marshals quickly responds to threats against the judiciary and public officials,” said U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield for the U.S. Marshals Service. “This investigation is a result of solid partnerships with our fellow agencies that resulted in a conviction and justice being done.”
“Threats against public officials should never be tolerated,” said Chief Michael G. Sullivan for the U.S. Capitol Police. “I am proud of the men and women of our law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice for their exceptional work on this case. Their diligence and commitment to justice helped ensure that the individual responsible was held accountable.”
In February 2026, after a six-day trial, a jury found Gear guilty of nine counts of threatening a federal official and 11 counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure.
Executive Assistant United States Attorney Summer Johnson for the District of Nevada, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto, U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield, and Chief Michael G. Sullivan made the announcement.
The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Capitol Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob Operskalski and Daniel Schiess prosecuted the case.
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Laboratory Executives, Marketers, and Physician to Pay over $2M to Settle Allegations of Illegal Kickbacks to DoctorsRead the Press Release
Former laboratory CEO Susan Hertzberg, of New York, and former laboratory sales executive Matthew Theiler, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, have agreed to pay $1.2 million to resolve False Claims Act litigation with the United States alleging illegal payments to doctors for laboratory referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
One doctor — Frederick Brown, of Missouri City, Texas — and six marketers — Thomas Gray Hardaway, of San Antonio, Texas; William Todd Hickman, of Anna, Texas; and Ginny Jacobs, Scott Jacobs, S&G Staffing LLC, and Jacobs Marketing Inc., all of Magnolia, Texas — have agreed to pay an additional $859,055 to settle the United States’ laboratory kickback allegations against them in the case.
With these settlements, the Department of Justice has secured over $61 million in civil False Claims Act settlements since 2019 for kickbacks to healthcare providers disguised as managed service organization (MSO) investment distributions, including recoveries from over 50 physicians.
“The Department of Justice is committed to rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse in federally funded healthcare programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickback schemes can waste taxpayer dollars, erode healthcare providers’ medical judgment, and result in patients being subjected to unnecessary medical treatments.”
“Nearly every working American took time recently to pay their federal taxes. As we did so, we all hoped that our money was being used wisely, and we trusted that systems were in place to prevent the types of fraud and kickback schemes that this case uncovered,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “In the Eastern District of Texas, we mean to deliver on the promise of the President, the Vice President, and Acting Attorney General to aggressively combat the fraudulent use of tax dollars. The settlements today, along with the criminal convictions in the related case, show that we are delivering on that promise.”
“Today’s settlement demonstrates that violations of the Anti‑Kickback Statute, such as alleged here, can undermine clinical judgment and erode trust in the health care system,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “HHS‑OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to make sure that anyone who uses kickbacks to compromise the integrity of medical decision‑making and generate unnecessary services is held accountable.”
“By disrupting fraud and misconduct of this nature, we help to ensure TRICARE, the uniformed services’ primary health care program, is better positioned to deliver critical care to the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. “This result demonstrates the commitment of DCIS and our investigative partners to aggressively pursue those who seek to betray the American taxpayer and undermine our military’s healthcare system.”
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs. It seeks to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.
Susan Hertzberg — the former CEO of Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation (Boston Heart), a laboratory in Framingham, Massachusetts — agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that she caused false claims for laboratory testing to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from 2015 to 2017. Likewise, Theiler, Boston Heart’s former VP of Sales, also agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that he caused false claims for laboratory testing to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from 2015 to 2017. Hertzberg and Theiler allegedly agreed to a kickback scheme in which marketers, including Boston Heart’s own employees, offered and paid doctors kickbacks disguised as MSO distributions to induce the doctors’ referrals to Texas hospitals for laboratory testing performed by Boston Heart, including medically unnecessary testing. Hertzberg and Theiler allegedly knew that marketers using MSOs were recruiting doctors to order testing performed by Boston Heart for a hospital in Texas and were given a “strong recommendation” to “reel this in” and “stand down on all hospitals,” particularly in Texas. Nevertheless, Hertzberg allegedly approved, and Theiler allegedly implemented, an expansion of the Texas hospital arrangement to another hospital to continue working with many of the same marketers.
In addition, the settlements announced today resolve the United States’ allegations in the lawsuit that Dr. Brown solicited and received kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute from laboratory marketers’ purported MSOs in return for laboratory testing referrals. Dr. Brown agreed to pay $309,055 to resolve allegations that from November 2015 to November 2017, he received thousands of dollars in payments from two purported MSOs, Ascend MSO of TX LLC and Indus MG LLC, in return for ordering laboratory tests from Little River Healthcare, a critical access hospital in Rockdale, Texas, and True Health Diagnostics LLC, a clinical laboratory in Frisco, Texas.
Lastly, the following marketers and their associated entities agreed to pay a total of $550,000 to resolve the United States’ allegations in the civil litigation that they paid kickbacks disguised as MSO payments to doctors to induce the doctors’ laboratory testing referrals: Former MSO owner William Todd Hickman; Thomas Gray Hardaway, a former Boston Heart sales representative and co-owner of Texas marketing company LGRB Management Services LLC; and Ginny Jacobs and Scott Jacobs, co-owners of Texas marketing companies S&G Staffing LLC and Jacobs Marketing Inc. Hickman’s civil settlement amount was based on his ability to pay. The civil settlement amounts that Hertzberg, Theiler, Dr. Brown, Hickman, and Hardaway agreed to pay were in addition to amounts they were ordered to pay in a criminal proceeding captioned United States v. Susan Hertzberg, et al., No. 6:22-cr-3-JDK (E.D. Tex.).
The settlements announced today were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DCIS. They were handled by attorneys Christopher Terranova and Gavin Thole in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Betty Young in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of civil liability.
Note: View the Hertzberg Settlement here, Theiler Settlement here, Brown Settlement here, Hardaway Settlement here, Hickman Settlement here, and Jacobs Settlement here.
Kershaw County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Van Lydell Starling, 48, of Kershaw, has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 20, 2023, investigators with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a home on Green Hill Road in Lugoff, which was the known residence of Starling.
During the search, investigators found multiple guns, a box of sandwich bags with a razor blade, several digital scales with white residue on them, a clear container containing crack cocaine residue, a black notebook that appeared to be a drug ledger, Starling’s identification card, and crack cocaine located under the mattress in Starling’s bedroom. Based upon the amounts of drugs, the multiple digital scales, the sandwich bags, and the drug ledger, the police determined that the crack cocaine was intended to be distributed.
Starling faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Starling after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.###
Justice Department Secures Ruling to Allow Montana Vegetation Management Project to ProceedRead the Press Release
Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana upheld the Forest Service’s Mud Creek Project in the Bitterroot National Forest in southwest Montana. Continuing over the course of several years, the project will reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire affecting nearby communities through prescribed burns and other noncommercial fuel reduction treatments and by providing up to 13,700 acres of commercial timber harvest. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Ravalli County, Montana, joined the federal government in the case to defend the project.
In upholding the project, the district court ruled that it complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), National Forest Management Act (NFMA), and Endangered Species Act (ESA). The court found 1) that the Forest Service has adequately considered the project’s potential effects on carbon stocks in the forest; 2) that the NFMA claim was procedurally barred and even if it were not, that it would not prevent the project from going forward because no forest stands from old growth status will be removed; and 3) that the project has sufficient mitigation measures to offset impacts to species listed under the ESA. The decision is subject to appeal in the Ninth Circuit.
“Responsible forest management prevents wildfires, saves lives, produces timber we need to increase the supply of housing, and makes homes more affordable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Environment and Natural Resources Division is successfully combating efforts to weaponize procedural statutes against the responsible use of America’s vast natural resources. The District Court rightly held that the Forest Service’s assessment of environmental effects for a forest can apply to a particular project within that forest.”
In March 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order to expand American timber production. One of the purposes of the executive order is to save American lives and communities through forest management and wildfire risk reduction projects.
Senior Trial Attorney Shaun Pettigrew of ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled the case, with support from the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Role in International Sweepstakes Scam That Stole More Than $9 Million from Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the guilty plea of JORDAN TROUGHT for his role as a high-ranking member of an international fraud ring that stole more than $9 million from more than 200 elderly victims in the United States via sweepstakes scams. TROUGHT pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy. TROUGHT was arrested on August 28, 2025, in Jamaica and extradited to the United States.
“Jordan Trought admitted today that he helped lead an international fraud ring that stole millions of dollars from elderly victims across the United States through lies about sweepstakes winnings,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Trought and his co-conspirators allegedly exploited trust, age, and hope for profit, including by taking control of victims’ bank accounts and routing stolen money to Jamaica. Today’s plea reflects this Office’s commitment to protecting vulnerable victims, pursuing fraudsters across borders, and holding accountable those who steal from Americans.”
According to the Superseding Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
From at least 2015 through at least 2025, TROUGHT and others engaged in a fraud scheme perpetrated against elderly victims (the “Elder Fraud Scheme”), through which TROUGHT and his co-conspirators defrauded more than 200 elderly victims of more than $9 million. Victims of the Elder Fraud Scheme typically received an unsolicited phone call or text from an individual using a common name—e.g., “David Miller”—claiming they had won a life-changing amount of money and a luxury car from a well-known marketing and sweepstakes company, but needed to pay taxes or fees to addresses and accounts specified by the caller before receiving the prize. The caller then remained in contact with the victims and, after the victims made their initial payments as directed, informed the victims that additional payments were required to receive their purported winnings. In particular, victims were instructed to send money by mailing checks, money orders, and cash, as well as by wire, Zelle, and Venmo transfer, to addresses and accounts identified by the caller. TROUGHT and his co-conspirators also gained control of some victims’ bank accounts, which they used to transfer money out of and through those accounts. Victims’ funds were ultimately transferred to associates of TROUGHT and his co-conspirators, as well as to an automobile business operated by TROUGHT in Jamaica.
TROUGHT operated the Elder Fraud Scheme from Jamaica, alongside co-conspirators based in both Jamaica and the United States. TROUGHT joined the fraud ring in or around March 2021 and became one of its leaders. TROUGHT is being held responsible for more than $6 million stolen from more than 100 victims from March 2021 through TROUGHT’s arrest in August 2025.
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TROUGHT, 30, a citizen of Jamaica, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. TROUGHT also agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture, each in the amount of $6,166,227.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. TROUGHT will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Jamaican authorities, including the Jamaican Constabulary Force, for their assistance in securing TROUGHT’s arrest and extradition.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander, Margaret Vasu, and Ioannis Drivas are in charge of the prosecution.
In Celebration of Freedom 250, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon Contributes to Local Food PantriesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— As part of America’s 250th birthday celebration, Freedom 250, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country are honoring America by spearheading gift-in-kind charity drives to benefit their local communities. In the District of Oregon, U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced a charity drive in Portland, Eugene, and Medford, Oregon, where its three offices are located. Collectively, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon donated over 2,000 items to local food pantries.
“I am incredibly proud of our staff for coming together to support families in our local communities through this food drive,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “Their generosity and commitment to service reflect the very best of public service, and I am grateful for the meaningful impact these donations will have on local food pantries and the individuals and families they serve.”
The Portland office delivered over 600 pounds of food to Neighborhood House. For more than 40 years, Neighborhood House has been providing nutritious, free food to the community of Portland and provides service to over 850 households per month.
The Eugene office delivered almost 500 pounds of food to Food for Lane County, equating to approximately 395 meals. Food for Lane County partners with 150 partner agencies, including 34 pantries and more than 100 supplemental food programs throughout Lane County to feed children, families, and seniors in Lane County who are experiencing food insecurity.
The Medford office delivered over 300 pounds to ACCESS, a community action agency, which, among other things, provides food to over 30 emergency food pantries throughout Jackson County to low-income families and individuals.
Freedom 250 is celebrated in every city, every town, every stretch of American road. You can find a celebration near you at the above hyperlink.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to SNAP and Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national, unlawfully residing in Boston, has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraud and Social Security offenses.
Victor Suazo Reynoso, 69, pleaded guilty on May 27, 2026 to illegal acquisition of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits and false representation of a Social Security number. Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 2, 2026. Reynoso was charged and arrested in March 2026.
Reynoso used the name, birthdate and Social Security number of a United States citizen to apply for and receive a Massachusetts driver’s license and more than $18,000 in SNAP benefits. SNAP is a federal program administered by the states that provides funds for low-income individuals and families to purchase food.
The charge of illegal acquisition of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250000, as well as restitution. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Illegal Alien Indicted for COVID-Relief Fraud and Federal Assistance Benefit FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lowell has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly using a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain pandemic relief funds and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, previously known as food stamps.
Arvaro Montero Diaz, 40, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of theft of government money and one count of SNAP fraud. Montero Diaz was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 9, 2026. He was subsequently released on pretrial conditions following a detention hearing on March 12, 2026. Montero Diaz will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Montero Diaz – a citizen of the Dominican Republic who has been unlawfully residing in the United States since approximately 2007 – used the identity of a U.S. citizen to apply for and receive approximately $30,000 in unemployment benefits made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. It is further alleged that Montero Diaz also used this identity to apply for and receive approximately $14,000 in SNAP benefits.
The charges of wire fraud and SNAP fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges for aggravated identity theft provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, one of supervised released and a fine of up to $250,00. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potapchuk of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Illegal Alien Charged with False Use of a PassportRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Marlborough, Mass., has been charged with allegedly using a fake passport to open and access business bank accounts.
Jose De Freitas Junior, 30, was charged with one count of false use of a passport. He is currently in ICE custody and is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, De Freitas, under a false name, presented a fraudulent Brazilian passport to a bank teller at a bank in Andover, Mass., to access a business account at that bank. The fraudulent passport included a photograph of De Freitas, the false name and a passport number that belonged to a different Brazilian citizen. De Freitas also allegedly presented the fraudulent passport to local law enforcement upon their arrival at the bank. De Freitas was immediately taken into custody.
It is further alleged that a subsequent biometric check of De Freitas’ fingerprints taken at booking confirmed that he was a citizen of Brazil who has not been lawfully admitted to the United States. Further investigation allegedly revealed that De Freitas had opened multiple business accounts using several different fraudulent Brazilian passports as identification. The accounts were listed as auto sales-related businesses and were used to accept numerous large wire transfers, some of which were later recalled for fraud by the sending bank.
The charge of false use of a passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Honduran National Guilty of Illegal Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – UBALDO YASIR AMAYA-COLINDRES (“AMAYA-COLINDRES”), age 27, a citizen of Honduras, pled guilty on May 28, 2026, to reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. His sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on June 25, 2026.
According to the bill of information, AMAYA-COLINDRES reentered the United States sometime prior to March 1, 2026, after having been previously removed on or about June 13, 2024.
AMAYA-COLINDRES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Honduran Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OSCAR PAZ-MEJIA (“PAZ-MEJIA”), age 33, a native of Honduras, was indicted for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on May 26, 2026, PAZ-MEJIA was found to have allegedly reentered the United States, after being previously deported on or about May 24, 2023. For this offense, PAZ-MEJIA faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Honduran Illegal Alien Indicted for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ERLIN JOVANY GAMEZ MALDONADO ("GAMEZ-MALDONADO") , age 29, a native of Honduras, was indicted on May 28, 2026, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on or about May 4, 2026, GAMEZ-MALDONADO, an individual unlawfully present in the United States, was found to have possessed an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15 rifle, multi-caliber firearm.
If convicted, GAMEZ-MALDONADO faces a maximum penalty of 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Hometown Hero Award PresentationRead the Press Release
EDNC proudly honored its Hometown Hero during a special celebration ceremony, recognizing his outstanding achievements, dedication, and the positive impact made in our community. Thank you for representing our hometown with excellence.
Homeland Security Task Force: Naugatuck Man Found with 21 Kilos of Cocaine Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LESTER ARRINGTON, 34, of Naugatuck, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a cocaine trafficking charge.
According to court documents and statements made in court, as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation, on February 23, 2026, Connecticut State Police troopers stopped a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek, in which Arrington was a passenger, in Trumbull. A K9 sniff of the vehicle alerted for the presence of narcotics, and a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed approximately 21 kilograms of cocaine hidden in two compartments (“traps”) that were installed under each front seat. Arrington was arrested on state charges at that time.
Arrington pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. He is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 31.
The driver of the Subaru Crosstrek, Reginald Rogers, pleaded guilty to the same charge last week. Arrington and Rogers have agreed to the forfeiture of the vehicle.
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 toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. The Bridgeport, Danbury, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments assisted this investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justyn P. Stokely and Lauren C. Clark.
Fugitive Who Stole Dead Man’s Identity for Four Decades Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A fugitive who lived for more than 40 years under the stolen identity of a deceased Arkansas man pleaded guilty to federal identity theft, passport fraud, and firearms offenses.
According to court documents, Stephen Craig Campbell, 73, assumed the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, who died in 1975 at the age of 22, just months after graduating from the University of Arkansas with an engineering degree in the early 1980s. Campbell first applied for a U.S. passport in Coffman’s name in 1984 and renewed it multiple times, always submitting his own photograph and current address. In 1995, he obtained a replacement Social Security card in Coffman’s name. Around 2003, he purchased property in Weed, New Mexico, under Coffman’s identity and continued renewing the fraudulent passport in 2005 and 2015.
On September 4, 2019, Campbell knowingly presented a fraudulent U.S. passport bearing the name “Walter Coffman” to a New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division employee in Cloudcroft. He used the passport to renew a New Mexico driver’s license in Coffman’s name, knowing it was not legitimate. He continued to possess the fraudulent passport until it was seized on February 19, 2025.
Campbell also admitted that he knowingly possessed a Social Security card not lawfully issued to him with the intent to defraud the United States. In 1992, he contacted the Social Security Administration in an attempt to remove Coffman’s death record. On October 15, 1995, he fraudulently applied for and received a replacement Social Security card in Coffman’s name. Using this identity, he applied for and received Social Security Title II Retirement Insurance Benefits beginning in 2015, ultimately receiving approximately $140,000 in fraudulent government benefits.
On February 19, 2025, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Weed, New Mexico, Campbell was in possession of a loaded rifle. He eventually set the weapon down after repeated commands from law enforcement. A search of the property recovered a total of 57 firearms and a large quantity of ammunition. Campbell acknowledged he was a fugitive from justice at the time and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
Campbell has an outstanding 1983 warrant from Wyoming for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Attempted First-Degree Murder. In 1982, he allegedly planted an explosive device at the home of his estranged wife’s boyfriend. The device detonated when his wife opened it, causing her to lose a finger and suffer additional injuries, while also starting a fire that damaged the residence and a neighboring unit.
Campbell was arrested on February 19, 2025, after a standoff in which he was observed armed and partially concealed. He had been on the U.S. Marshals Most Wanted List for over 40 years.
Campbell pleaded guilty to misuse of a passport, possession of false papers to defraud U.S., aggravated identity theft, and being a fugitive from justice in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He faces 12 years in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the SSA OIG Emma Boston made the announcement today.
This case was co-investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. It was originally initiated by the Diplomatic Security’s El Paso Resident Office and the National Passport Center’s Fraud Prevention Unit. Enforcement assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, as well as the Otero County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clara Nevarez Cobos.
Four Charged with Trafficking More Than $45 Million Worth of Cocaine through Sophisticated Cross-Border Tunnel; Discovery Made in Monthslong Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – A Homeland Security Task Force federal drug investigation of a supposed retail store in Otay Mesa has resulted in the discovery of a sophisticated cross-border tunnel and charges against four people for conspiring to distribute more than a ton of cocaine estimated to be worth $45 million.
The subterranean passageway, stretching from Tijuana, Mexico to the purported retail store near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry known as “Buy 4 Less,” is estimated to be about 1,933 feet long, 55 feet deep and 4.5-feet in height, with reinforced walls, rail and ventilation systems and electricity.
The defendants include Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez of San Diego; Brandon Escalante Sandoval of Mexico; Jose Jimenez of San Diego; and Antonio Cortez of Mexico. Hernandez Lopez is charged with Conspiracy to Use a Cross-Border Tunnel and Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances; all are charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
According to a federal complaint, investigators from Homeland Security Investigations Tunnel Task Force maintained regular surveillance on the Buy 4 Less warehouse from December 2025 to May 2026 due to suspicious activity there.
In December 2025, a new group of around seven or eight “employees” were seen regularly, in and around Buy 4 Less. These individuals included defendant Hernandez, whom agents observed at Buy 4 Less beginning in at least January 2026. During the surveillance, the activity around the Buy 4 Less location did not appear to be consistent with a normal retail location. For example, investigators observed minimal foot traffic from customers coming in and out of the Buy 4 Less store.
Hernandez and the other supposed “employees” that regularly frequented the store engaged in unusual activity such as transporting large numbers of suitcases out of the store and into vehicles or walking the suitcases across the border into Mexico. Based on how Hernandez and the others handled the suitcases, they appeared to be empty so law enforcement did not intervene.
According to the complaint, on May 29, 2026, while conducting surveillance on Buy 4 Less, agents observed a male loading three large, heavy items into a white van which departed Buy 4 Less and ultimately parked on the street near a mechanic shop located at 923½ Coolidge Ave. A male on a bicycle, later identified as defendant Brandon Escalante, was seen conducting counter surveillance in the area by riding his bicycle while looking around and into parked cars.
Escalante later approached the van, removed the vehicle key that had been concealed in the gas cap area, got into the van and reversed it into 923½ Coolidge Avenue. Agents observed that the van was backed up to another white van with the rear doors from both vans open. A white stake bed truck then entered 923½ Coolidge Avenue. Agents watched people remove three deep freezers from the first van and place them onto the bed of the truck, then load the deep freezers with packages.
After the packages were loaded into the deep freezers, the truck exited 923½ Coolidge Avenue and parked a short distance away. Escalante was seen exiting the truck, grabbing his bicycle from the truck bed, placing the keys underneath the truck on the passenger side, and departing the area. Agents then observed another male, later identified as Defendant Jimenez, grab the vehicle keys and drive away in the truck. San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies subsequently conducted a traffic stop of the truck, with lights flashing, and a K9 police dog alerted to the presence of controlled substances.
Shortly after the traffic stop of the truck, agents watching Buy 4 Less observed two unidentified males take heavy boxes out of Buy 4 Less and load them into a second truck. Hernandez entered the second truck and drove away. San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop of that second truck a short distance away from the Buy 4 Less, and a K9 police dog alerted to the presence of controlled substances.
San Diego Sheriff's deputies also stopped the second van, driven by a male later identified as Antonio Cortez, at 923½ Coolidge Avenue. Sheriff’s deputies again received a positive K9 alert for the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle.
According to the complaint, following the traffic stops, federal agents discovered the following during inspections of the second van and two trucks:
• 173 total packages in the truck stopped near 923½ Coolidge Avenue, with a total approximate weight of 286.20 kgs (630.96 lbs.);
• 423 total packages in the truck stopped near Buy 4 Less, with a total approximate weight of 469.40 kgs (1034.84 lbs.); and
• 255 total packages in the van stopped near 923½ Coolidge Avenue, with a total approximate weight of 274 kgs (604.06 lbs.).
The packages contained a substance, a sample of which field tested positive for cocaine, with a total approximate weight of 1,029.60 kgs (2,269.87 pounds)—or well over 1 ton.
Following seizure of the suspected cocaine on May 29, 2026, a U.S. Magistrate Judge signed warrants authorizing searches at Buy 4 Less and 923½ Coolidge Avenue. At Buy 4 Less, agents found the exit point of the subterranean tunnel, concealed under the floor of a storage room within the store. The tunnel, which was accessed using a sophisticated hydraulic lift, is approximately 55 feet deep and extends approximately 1,064 feet from its exit point at Buy 4 Less to the U.S./Mexico International Border, where agents estimate it continues for another approximately 800 feet to its entry point. The tunnel is equipped with electricity and ventilation and, at some points, is up to 4.5 feet tall.
“For these defendants, it wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel. It was lights and sirens,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
“This investigation and seizure represent a significant blow to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The discovery and dismantlement of this sophisticated cross-border tunnel, along with the seizure of more than a ton of cocaine, underscore the commitment and collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations and our Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) partners” said Kevin Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI Special Agents and task force members worked tirelessly to disrupt the flow of dangerous narcotics into our communities, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect the public and keep our communities safe.”
“Criminal organizations continue to look for ways to exploit our border, but they underestimate the determination of the men and women protecting it,” said U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre. “This tunnel’s discovery is a testament to our strong partnerships and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement on both sides of the border.”
“Law enforcement collaboration is the backbone of dismantling sophisticated transnational drug cartels, as these organizations rely on vast illicit supply chains spanning multiple jurisdictions,” said San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez. “Joint operations disrupt trafficking networks, choke illicit financial flows, and prevent transnational cartels from exploiting jurisdictional gaps. The Sheriff's Office is grateful for the partnerships, hard work, and dedication of everyone involved in this investigation and we will continue to support our federal partners in cases that keep our communities safe.”
“The San Diego Imperial Valley HIDTA proudly supports federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to target transnational criminal organizations who place a priority on proceeds from drug trafficking over human lives,” said David King, Executive Director of San Diego Imperial Valley HIDTA. “The drugs recovered from this sophisticated cross border tunnel will thankfully never make it into communities throughout California and the United States thereby saving countless lives from the scourges of drug addiction and overdose deaths.”
There have been 99 subterranean passages discovered in the Southern District of California since 1993. Of those, 28 were considered sophisticated. The last operational tunnel discovered in the Southern District of California was in 2022.
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon by U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Deshong and Jordan Arakawa.
Video of the tunnel:
https://youtube.com/shorts/PkMfeXh6C6Y
https://youtube.com/shorts/6D0kSckaSE0
DEFENDANTS Case Number 26mj03219
Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez Age: 29 San Diego, California
Jose Jimenez Age: 32 San Diego, California
Antonio Cortez Age: 18 Mexico
Brandon Escalante Sandoval Age: 26 Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Constructing, Financing, or Using Unauthorized Tunnels—Title 18, U.S.C., Section 555
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
*Hernandez Lopez
Importation of a Controlled Substance—Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841 and 846
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
*Hernandez Lopez
Distribution of a Controlled Substance—Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841 and 846
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
*All defendants
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Border Patrol
San Diego County Sheriff’s Office
Drug Enforcement Administration
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Federal Bureau of Investigation
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program
California Department of Justice
*Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
Founder of Citron Research Found Guilty of Scheming to Manipulate Stock Market via Media CampaignsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A stock analyst and frequent guest on business television news channels was found guilty by a jury today for using his public platform to illicitly profit by manipulating stock market activity and trading opposite to the position he presented to the public.
Andrew Left, 55, formerly of Beverly Hills but who now resides in Boca Raton, Florida, was found guilty of one count of securities fraud scheme and 12 counts of securities fraud.
“Left used his TV appearances to disguise his intentions, manipulate the stock market, and pad his pockets,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “A fair and transparent securities market is a foundation of our nation’s financial system. We will continue to bring to justice individuals who abuse the public trust placed in financial advisors.”
“Frauds such as the one perpetrated by Left can erode investor confidence which impacts our capital markets” said Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “While this conviction cannot make up for the significant and emotional harm he inflicted upon his unwitting investors, it does send a message to those who may be looking to profit from similar schemes – think twice because the FBI has a proven track record of rooting out fraudsters who illegally tilt the playing field against honest investors and undermine confidence in our markets.”
According to evidence presented at a 15-day trial, Left was a securities analyst, trader, and frequent guest commentator on business cable news channels such as CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg Television. He also published under the name “Citron Research,” an online moniker he created as for his platform to publish investment recommendations. Citron’s online presence included a website and a social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Using Citron’s online platform, Left commented on publicly traded companies and asserted that the market incorrectly valued the companies’ stock, advocating that the current price was too high or too low.
Left’s recommendations often included an explicit or implicit representation about Citron’s trading position and a “target price,” which he represented as his own view of the security’s true future value.
Left used his social media following and public platform to earn at least $21 million in quick profits by fraudulently manipulating the stock market from at least March 2018 to October 2023.
Knowing that Citron’s reputation with investors had the power to move markets, Left selected a publicly traded company about which he intended to publish commentary with the intention of manipulating its share price. Left prepared commentary about the company for dissemination through Citron.
Sometimes, the commentary represented Left’s own work. Other times, Left disseminated as his own the commentary of third parties. The commentary routinely included sensationalized headlines and inflammatory language to maximize the immediate impact their publication would have on the stock market.
In the lead up to publication of Citron’s commentary, Left established long or short positions in a company in his trading accounts, so he profited by taking advantage of the intended short-term movement in the company’s share price caused by his commentary. To exploit his advanced knowledge of the timing and subject of the forthcoming commentary on the company, Left often built his positions using inexpensive, short-dated options contracts that expired the same day that he published his commentary.
Left also submitted limit orders to close his positions as soon as the company’s shares reached a certain price – often at prices vastly different from the target prices Citron’s commentary touted. Though Left represented to the public that his recommendations were to be trusted, behind the scenes, Left took opposite trading positions to reap quick profits off the stocks he either promoted or pilloried through Citron.
To maintain the illusion of Citron’s independence and the credibility of its commentary, Left concealed Citron’s financial relationships with hedge funds. According to the indictment, for example, Left lied to law enforcement that Citron “never” exchanged compensation with a hedge fund or coordinated trading with a hedge fund in advance of the issuance of its commentary.
For example, in November 2018, Left wrote a portfolio manager about Nvidia Corp., a publicly traded technology company based in Santa Clara, California. In the message, Left wrote, “Do you want to make some fast money[.] Put together a thesis why nvda is oversold . . . We can destroy it . . . Just read the analyst notes from this past quarter and assemble the best of the ideas.”
Later that morning, Left took financial positions in Nvidia, including short-dated call options that expired three days later. Short-dated options can offer quick profits if a stock suddenly moves in the narrow timeframe before expiration.
Left then promoted Nvidia as a favorable investment on Citron’s Twitter account, stating, “Citron buys $NVDA. This is the first time in 2 years stock offers an appealing risk-reward to investors . . . We see $165 before we see $120.” At the time, Nvidia’s stock was trading at approximately $143.64. The tweet was reported on by major media outlets.
Despite his representation that he expected Nvidia’s share price to rise to $165, less than two hours after announcing “Citron buys $NVDA,” Left sold all his pre-tweet positions Nvidia was trading within a range of approximately $150 – $151, for a profit of at least than $960,000. Nvidia closed at a high of $154 on the day of Left’s tweet and fell to $144 the next day.
Left also furthered his scheme by misrepresenting his trading positions during public appearances on news programs. After denouncing one company as a “fraud” on CNBC’s “Fast Money,” for example, Left falsely claimed to have covered only a “small size” of his position in the company’s stock when, earlier that same day, he had already closed out most of his position following the publication of commentary through Citron.
The jury acquitted Left of four counts of securities fraud for trades for four specific companies.
United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips scheduled an August 31 sentencing hearing, at which time Left would face a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison for the securities fraud scheme count, up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of securities fraud.
The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter, with substantial assistance from FINRA’s Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew M. Roach of the Major Frauds Section and Benedetto L. Balding of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and Acting Assistant Chief Matthew Reilly of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.
The Justice Department's Criminal Division's Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System (VNS) to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at (888) 549-3945 or by emailing victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.
Former Willingboro Township Mayor Sentenced to Prison for Mortgage Fraud in Connection with Fraudulent Short SaleRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Nathaniel Anderson, a town councilman and the former Mayor of Willingboro in Burlington County, New Jersey, was sentenced to prison for committing mortgage fraud in connection with a fraudulent short sale of real estate, and his business associate Chrisone Anderson was sentenced to eight months’ home confinement for her role in the scheme, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Nathaniel Anderson, 59, and Chrisone Anderson, 58, were previously convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of making a false statement on a mortgage application. On June 1, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kirsch sentenced Nathaniel Anderson to 12 months and one day in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Chrisone Anderson was sentenced to eight months’ home confinement to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Both Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone Anderson were ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the total amount of $221,862.71.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
From March 2015 through June 2017, Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone Anderson conspired and agreed to orchestrate a fraudulent short sale of a property in Willingboro from Nathaniel Anderson to Chrisone Anderson.
As part of the conspiracy to defraud a government-sponsored enterprise to discharge a mortgage obligation on Nathaniel Anderson’s property in Willingboro and to induce a mortgage lending business to issue a new mortgage on the property, Chrisone Anderson executed – and Nathaniel D. Anderson aided and abetted the execution of – mortgage documents containing materially false representations. These included that the short sale was an arm’s length transaction, that Chrisone Anderson did not have a prior business relationship with Nathaniel Anderson, that Nathaniel Anderson would not continue to occupy the property as his residence following the short sale, and that Chrisone Anderson would occupy the property as her primary residence.
As a result of the fraudulent short sale, the government-sponsored enterprise discharged Nathaniel Anderson’s mortgage obligation, causing a total loss of over $200,000, and the victim lender issued a new mortgage on the property.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; and special agents of the Northeast Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana and Adalgiza Nunez (Nathaniel Anderson)
Troy Archie (Chrisone Anderson)
Former Utah School Bus Driver Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Starting School Bus FireRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Michael Austin Ford, 60, of West Valley City, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment for setting a school bus on fire in 2023.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, came after Ford pleaded guilty on March 26, 2026, to arson of a vehicle belonging to an organization receiving federal funds. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Ford was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $21,690.42 in restitution.
According to court documents and admissions made at Ford’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, he intentionally set a Granite School District school bus on fire with a cigarette lighter on April 7, 2023. Ford was captured on video igniting the bus and continued to drive the bus with smoke billowing past his face. In other court documents, prosecutors stated that Ford attempted to tamper with the bus’s video surveillance system in the days preceding the April 2023 arson. On a separate occasion in February 2022, Ford was also accused of setting a Granite School District school bus on fire that had 42 children inside and did so while driving in traffic, but the charge was dismissed as part of his plea agreement.
“Protecting our most vulnerable population is a top priority of this administration and my office,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. "I want to thank our law enforcement partners and my office who worked tirelessly on this case to bring it to a close and hold Mr. Ford accountable for his intentional disregard for safety and the law.”
"ATF’s top priority is protecting our communities from violent crimes, including acts of arson," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Chris Ashbridge. "We commend our partners at the Utah State Fire Marshal’s Office for their incredible work on this investigation, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Utah, which collectively ensured justice was served today."
The case was investigated jointly by the Utah State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Michael J. Thorpe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuted the case.
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice Charges Related to Unlawful Beating of InmateRead the Press Release
Jermaine Sturgis, 41, a former lieutenant at Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) in Westover, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland to 33 months in prison and one year of supervised release for his role in a conspiracy to obstruct an investigation into the assault of an inmate.
Sturgis, of Laurel, Delaware, conspired with other correctional officers to cover up evidence that a fellow ECI officer unlawfully assaulted an inmate. A jury convicted Sturgis in December 2025 for conspiring to obstruct justice and destroy records and for making false statements to a federal officer.
“When a correctional officer tampers with evidence or obstructs an investigation into fellow officers, it undercuts the public’s trust in the criminal justice system, thwarts lawful efforts to protect the civil rights of inmates, and threatens the safety of both inmates and other officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable correctional officers who violate the laws they are sworn to uphold.”
“This defendant obstructed a lawful investigation by helping conceal the truth about a violent assault. Our system depends on public officials carrying out their duties honestly and lawfully. Unfortunately, Mr. Sturgis failed to comply with this mandate so now he must pay the price,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Our Office remains committed to prosecuting any individual who engages in such an abuse of trust. No one is above the law.”
“Jermaine Sturgis not only lied about the assault on an inmate but directed a conspiracy to cover up that assault by deleting evidence. Sturgis focused on shielding himself from the consequences of his crimes at the expense of the inmate he swore to protect,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI will vigorously investigate and hold accountable law enforcement officers who exploit their authority and violate the public’s trust.”
According to trial testimony, on July 12, 2021, after one of Sturgis’s junior officers used excessive force against an inmate, Sturgis and other officers conspired to delete a video recording that showed the inmate’s injuries and other evidence that the officer’s use of force against the inmate had been unlawful. During the three-year investigation, Sturgis also made false statements to the state and federal investigators.
Judge Maddox previously sentenced four former ECI correctional officers who had pleaded guilty for their involvement. Samuel Warren was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for assaulting the inmate and obstruction of justice; Neil Daubach was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for witness tampering and obstruction of justice; David Quillen was sentenced to two years of probation with six months home detention for conspiracy and obstruction of justice; and Daric Evans was sentenced to two years of probation with three months home detention for conspiracy.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case. The Baltimore Division of the FBI, with assistance from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, conducted the investigation.
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced for Role in Covering up Inmate AssaultRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A former Maryland correctional officer learned his fate in federal court, today, stemming from an incident in which his colleague assaulted an inmate.
U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Jermaine Sturgis, 41, of Laurel, Delaware, to 33 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiring to obstruct justice and making false statements to a federal officer. In December 2025, after a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted Sturgis for his role in covering up evidence that a fellow ECI officer unlawfully assaulted an inmate. Sturgis previously served as a lieutenant correctional officer at the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI), located in Westover, Maryland.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, Justice Department, Civil Rights Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.
“This defendant obstructed a lawful investigation by helping conceal the truth about a violent assault. Our system depends on public officials carrying out their duties honestly and lawfully. Unfortunately, Mr. Sturgis failed to comply with this mandate so now he must pay the price,” Hayes said. “Our Office remains committed to prosecuting any individual who engages in such an abuse of trust. No one is above the law.”
“When a correctional officer tampers with evidence or obstructs an investigation into fellow officers, it undercuts the public’s trust in the criminal justice system, thwarts lawful efforts to protect the civil rights of inmates, and threatens the safety of both inmates and other officers,” Dhillon said. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable correctional officers who violate the laws they are sworn to uphold.”
“Jermaine Sturgis not only lied about the assault on an inmate but directed a conspiracy to cover up that assault by deleting evidence. Sturgis focused on shielding himself from the consequences of his crimes at the expense of the inmate he swore to protect,” Paul said. “The FBI will vigorously investigate and hold accountable law enforcement officers who exploit their authority and violate the public’s trust.”
According to the trial testimony, on July 12, 2021, after one of Sturgis’s junior officers used excessive force against an inmate, Sturgis and multiple officers conspired to delete a video recording that showed the inmate’s injuries. The video also contained other evidence of the officer’s use of force against the inmate. During the investigation, Sturgis also made false statements to state and federal investigators.
Judge Maddox previously sentenced four former ECI correctional officers who pled guilty for their involvement in the coverup. Samuel Warren, 40, of Westover, Maryland, received 15 months in federal prison for assaulting the inmate and obstruction of justice; Neil Daubach, 47, of Salisbury, Maryland, received 12 months and 1 day for witness tampering and obstruction of justice; David Quillen, 40, of Ocean View, Delaware, received two years of probation with six months home detention for conspiracy and obstruction of justice; and Daric Evans, 34, of Crisfield, Maryland, received two years of probation with three months home detention for conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for its assistance. U.S. Attorney Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Criminal Section, who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Former Bank Employee Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Embezzling More Than $800,000Read the Press Release
OAKLAND – Tamim Haidar was sentenced today to one and a half years in federal prison for embezzlement and money laundering. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin handed down the sentence.
Haidar, 34, of Union City, California pleaded guilty on November 7, 2025, to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 656 – Embezzlement by a Bank Officer or Employee and two counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 1957 – Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Property Derived from Specified Unlawful Activity.
According to the plea agreement, Haidar admitted to abusing his position as an assistant branch manager of a Wells Fargo branch bank to embezzle more than $800,000 from the bank. Haidar admitted that he would steal money that was supposed to be deposited into ATM machines, and that he made false database entries to hide his theft. Haidar admitted that he transferred the money he stole to his personal bank accounts, and used the stolen funds to make up losses he incurred engaging in foreign currency trading.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge David Lowe made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinez Olguin also sentenced Haidar to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered Haidar to pay more than $800,000 in restitution. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on August 31, 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan M. Mateer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office.
Florida Resident Sentenced to 5 Years for Obtaining Fraudulent COVID Loans, Scams Targeting Investors, and Stealing Government PropertyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - Thomas Aaron Signorelli was sentenced today to more than 5 years in federal prison for crimes including bank fraud, wire fraud, obstructing justice, and conspiring to launder the proceeds of fraud. U.S. District Judge James Donato handed down the sentence.
Signorelli, 48, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was charged by Information on September 19, 2024, and on November 25, 2024, he pleaded guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of government property, obstruction of justice, and money laundering conspiracy. According to the plea agreement, Signorelli admitted that he caused the submission of applications for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and a loan under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) that contained false statements regarding the number of employees and annual revenue for a company that Signorelli controlled. These loans totaled $61,725 and were not repaid.
In addition, Signorelli admitted that he engaged in two other fraud schemes, both schemes involving false statements made to prospective investors to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars from defrauded investors. When law enforcement agents sought to execute a search warrant authorizing a search of Signorelli’s mobile phone, Signorelli deleted WhatsApp messages with a co-conspirator that he knew were evidence of a crime, as admitted by Signorelli.
Signorelli also admitted that he offered to launder money that he believed was the proceeds of drug trafficking, and that an individual he now understands was an undercover law enforcement agent provided funds to Signorelli for laundering. Signorelli admitted that he received $150,000 of what he believed was drug proceeds, and that instead of laundering these funds, he stole this money.
The losses caused by Signorelli’s criminal conduct totaled more than $1.9 million.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge David Lowe made the announcement.
In addition to the 63-month prison term, Judge Donato also sentenced the defendant to a 3-year period of supervised release. The defendant is currently in custody and will begin serving the sentence immediately. Judge Donato will set a further hearing regarding restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick O’Brien is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lynette Dixon and Mimi Lam. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI.
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.
Filipino National Charged with Unlawfully Voting as an AlienRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Remedios Alasaas, 66, of Kahului, Maui, was charged today, June 1, 2026, by Information, with unlawfully voting as an alien.
Alasaas came to the United States in or around 2014 on an immigrant visa and registered to vote soon thereafter. According to court records, Alasaas was a non-citizen when she cast votes in two Federal elections: first, in a general election on or about November 8, 2022, and then in a primary election on or about August 10, 2024. On both occasions, Alasaas understood that she was not a citizen at the time that she cast her ballot.
If convicted, Alasaas faces up to one year in prison for each charge, plus a term of supervised release. Alasaas also faces a fine of up to $100,000.
“The right of the people to vote in Federal elections belongs solely to American citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “When non-citizens defraud the democratic process by voting, they undermine the integrity and credibility of our elections. This Office will vigorously investigate and prosecute all instances of voter fraud.”
“The right to vote in Federal elections is a cornerstone of our democracy, and secured for U.S. citizens,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The FBI will continue its work to ensure the integrity of our elections and hold accountable anyone who undermines the fairness of our democracy by engaging in voter fraud.”
The charges in the Information 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 the court based on statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates is prosecuting the case.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearm Discovered After Being Stopped for Smoking Marijuana in PublicRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daveion Antonio Ervin, 28, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded Springfield Armory pistol discovered after he was stopped by police for smoking marijuana on a public street, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Ervin pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Judge Nichols scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2026.
According to court documents, on Feb. 18, 2026, about 8:55 p.m., U.S. Park Police officers were patrolling in the area of Dix Street at 63rd Street NE. Officers were driving west when they spotted Ervin holding a hand-rolled cigarette and exhaling a large cloud of white smoke. Moments later, the officers made a U-turn toward Ervin.
The officers exited their cruiser, approached Ervin, and detected the strong odor of marijuana. Ervin attempted to flee the scene when officers ordered Ervin to stop. Ervin discarded the hand-rolled cigarette and continued running. After a brief foot pursuit, Ervin tripped and fell. Officers caught up with Ervin and told him to remain on the ground. When the officers asked Ervin why he ran, Ervin told the officers that he was in possession of a firearm and did not have a license to carry.
Officers recovered a Springfield Armory XDS-9 9mm pistol from Ervin’s front waistband. It was loaded with one round in the chamber and five rounds in the magazine. Officers also recovered the remainder of Ervin’s marijuana cigarette along his flight path.
The firearm in the defendant’s waist prior to its recovery
Image of the 9mm firearm, ammunition, and partially smoked suspected marijuana cigarette that the defendant had possessed.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Park Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to Prison for Receiving a BribeRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Karen Torres (50, St. Cloud) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber to one year and one day in federal prison for receiving a bribe as a public official. As part of her sentence, Torres is required to forfeit $43,550 to the United States, which represents the proceeds of her criminal offense. She pleaded guilty on February 4, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Torres was a public official employed by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer. She worked at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County. Between May 2022 and March 3, 2025, Torres introduced contraband (marijuana, cigarettes, and K2) into FCC Coleman in exchange for $43,550 in bribes from inmates.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Fayette County Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Daemien Thompson, 40, of Oak Hill, was sentenced on Thursday, May 28, 2026, to 12 years and 11 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thompson admitted to conspiring with other individuals to obtain methamphetamine and distribute it within the Southern District of West Virginia from on or about November 27, 2022, until on or about December 6, 2023. More than 3.5 pounds of 100 percent pure methamphetamine was distributed as part of the conspiracy.
On November 27, 2022, Thompson and a co-conspirator sold 446 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,600. Thompson admitted to the transaction and further admitted that his co-conspirators sold methamphetamine to the same confidential informant on other occasions, usually in quantities of 1 pound or more, at various locations, including an Oak Hill trailer park. As part of his guilty plea, Thompson admitted to the drug trafficking organization being involved in controlled buys of high-purity methamphetamine on December 5, 2022, December 14, 2022, and February 2, 2023, with a total amount of approximately 2.59 pounds of actual methamphetamine distributed during the transactions.
Thompson is among four individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy. All four pleaded guilty. Phillip Gray, 42, of Oak Hill, was sentenced on October 15, 2025, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Leondus Whittenburg, 44, of Beckley, was sentenced on August 19, 2025, to seven years and 11 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. John Gray, 40, of Oak Hill and Phillip Gray’s brother, was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
Thompson has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for third-degree sexual assault, delivery of a controlled substance, and unlawful assault.
“This successful prosecution disrupted a ruinous drug trafficking conspiracy and secured convictions and prison terms for all four defendants indicted,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “The sentence imposed on this defendant underscores our commitment to rid our streets of those who endanger them through the trafficking of dangerous drugs.”
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Brian D. Parsons and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted 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. 5:24-cr-31.
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Dulce Man Pleads Guilty to Assault by a Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man pleaded guilty to federal charges of assault by a habitual offender for strangling and suffocating a woman after previously being convicted at least twice in tribal court for assault offenses.
According to court documents, on April 3, 2025, Tyler Vigil, 32, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe by strangling and suffocating her. Vigil has at least two prior convictions in Indian tribal court for assault.
Vigil pleaded guilty to assault by a habitual offender and faces up to five years in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case.
Dorchester Man Arrested and Charged for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester man has been arrested and charged for allegedly receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Javier Alberto Baez Infante, 31, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of receipt of child pornography. Infante was arrested at his home on May 27, 2026 and, following an initial appearance, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 5, 2026 in federal court in Worcester.
According to the criminal complaint, Infante was identified as a user in an online private chat group dedicated to the viewing, download and exchange of CSAM.
It is alleged that during a search of Infante’s residence on May 27, 2026, approximately 30 videos depicting CSAM were located in various “download” folders on Infante’s phone. It is further alleged that the videos depicted the abuse of minor victims as young as approximately two to four years old.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potapchuk of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.