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14 May 2026
Columbia Man Charged with Bank Robbery, Brandishing Firearm During Violent Crime, and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was charged by a federal grand jury with bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Basil Jacob Kyles, 71, allegedly entered a bank in downtown Columbia, Mo., when he brandished a firearm and demanded that the teller give him money. The teller emptied her cash drawer that contained approximately $6,000 and gave it to Kyles. Kyles placed the money into a plastic bag and left the bank
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, Kyles is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years on the bank robbery charge, up to life imprisonment on the brandishing firearm charge, and up to 15 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney, Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Columbia, Missouri Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Colorado Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Colorado business owner pleaded guilty to filing a false personal tax return with the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Manuel Rocha, of Aurora, Colorado, owned and operated Rocha’s Drain, a drain installation business, and Rocha’s Liquor, a liquor store, both located in Denver, Colorado. While operating these businesses, Rocha diverted income to additional bank accounts to conceal the true amount of money he earned.
Each year from 2015 through 2022, Rocha provided records and information to his tax preparers that omitted his diverted income. As a result, he underreported the income he and his businesses earned during each of these years. In 2021, for example, Rocha reported that his two businesses earned $57,907 in gross receipts. In reality, the businesses earned approximately $691,650—a difference of more than $600,000.
In total, Rocha caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $2.2 million.
Rocha is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25 and faces a maximum of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys David F. Scollan and Megan E. Wessel of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Charleston Man Sentenced for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Victor Lynn Jarrett, 74, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation for dealing firearms without a license.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May 2019 and March 2023, Jarrett purchased at least 79 firearms from licensed retailers and sold at least 72 of those firearms to others to make a profit. As part of his guilty plea, Jarrett admitted that he did not buy the firearms for his own personal collection, he did not have the required license when he sold them, and he sold them either from his Charleston residence or at various locations in the Charleston area.
Investigators determined that Jarrett sold firearms at locations including a gas station on the East End, a flea market near Capital High School, and from his truck parked on the side of the road in Kanawha City. Several of the firearms Jarrett purchased were recovered by law enforcement at local crime scenes.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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-162.
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Charleston Man Found Guilty of Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston today found Joe Claude Schleider, 66, of Charleston, guilty of willful destruction of government property following a one-day bench trial conducted earlier.
Evidence at trial showed that on May 6, 2025, Schleider repeatedly struck an electric card entry scanner outside a federal facility in Charleston with a long pole-like metal object, causing approximately $1,800 in damages. Surveillance video footage showed Schleider approach the card entry scanner and strike it approximately eight times.
Schleider is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Federal Protective Service and the Charleston Police Department.
Johnston presided over the bench trial on April 14, 2026. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-173.
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Charges of Sexual Exploitation and Child Pornography Involving an InfantRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the arrest yesterday of CORY MATTHEWS, and the Indictment, on April 29th, of BETH SAIERS, a/k/a “Beth Young.” MATTHEWS and SAIERS are charged in separate charging instruments with sexual exploitation of an infant and the receipt and distribution of child pornography. MATTHEWS was taken into federal custody yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court and detained. BETH SAIERS was arrested in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2026, pursuant to a Complaint that was unsealed on April 23, 2026. A Grand Jury in the Southern District of New York returned an Indictment of SAIERS on April 29, 2026.
“The charges here—sexual exploitation of an infant—allege horrific conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Every New Yorker wants children protected from life-scarring conduct. We know our community wants this conduct investigated and, as appropriate, charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The women and men of this Office are dedicated to that mission.”
As alleged in the charging documents and statements made in court:[1]
On or about April 16, 2026, law enforcement executed a search of MATTHEWS’s residence in Putnam County pursuant to a New York state search warrant. Among the items seized was MATTHEWS’s cellphone.
A search of the phone revealed chats on a social media application between MATTHEWS and SAIERS on April 14, 2026. In the course of the chats, MATTHEWS transmitted an image of an infant (“Victim-1”) to SAIERS, who responded “Put your dick in its face[.]” Thereafter, MATTHEWS transmitted an image in which Victim-1 is visible in the background and a man’s erect penis occupies the foreground. MATTHEWS asked, “Now what,” to which SAIERS responded, “Take a pic of my pedo dick in front of the babies face[.]” Thereafter, as MATTHEWS transmitted a series of sexually explicit photos and videos of Victim-1 to SAIERS, SAIERS commented on the images and directed MATTHEWS to engage in sexual acts involving Victim-1.
On or about April 16, 2026, MATTHEWS was arrested and charged in the Town of Kent, New York, with promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child. On or about April 19, 2026, following the discovery of the photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of Victim-1, additional charges were added. The charges included, among other things, predatory sex assault against a child and rape in the first degree.
On or about April 23, 2026, SAIERS was arrested in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, pursuant to a Complaint filed on April 21, 2026, in the Southern District of New York. SAIERS was detained pending her removal to New York. On or about April 29, 2026, a Grand Jury in the Southern District of New York indicted SAIERS for sexual exploitation of a child and receipt and distribution of child pornography.
There may be other victims. If you have information to report, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
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MATTHEWS, 38, of Kent, New York, and SAIERS, 41, of Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, are each charged with sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and receipt and distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, Putnam County Child Advocacy Center Team, Putnam County Department of Social Services, New York State Police, Town of Carmel Police Department, Town of Kent Police Department, and the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania Police Department in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcia S. Cohen and Jake Sidransky are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the Indictment and the description of the Complaint and the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Candidate for New York City Public Advocate Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, a criminal complaint was unsealed charging Angela Aquino, a 2025 candidate for New York City Public Advocate, with wire fraud in connection with her scheme to defraud New York City’s campaign finance system to obtain public matching funds. Aquino was arrested today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon by United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Nadia I. Shihata, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charge.
“The defendant, a former candidate for citywide office, allegedly engaged in a months’ long brazen scheme to obtain fraudulently $1 million in public funds, exploiting a matching funds program designed to reduce corruption in the city’s campaign finance system,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will aggressively hold accountable would-be public officials out to steal taxpayer dollars.”
“New Yorkers deserve political candidates who uphold the highest standards of public service, demonstrating their integrity and commitment to the City and its people. Instead, as charged, this defendant allegedly orchestrated a bold scheme to manipulate the public matching funds system in an illegal attempt to unlawfully secure $1 million for her campaign, none of which she was entitled to receive,” stated DOI Commissioner Shihata. “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for their partnership in rooting out corruption and protecting public funds.”
“Angela Aquino allegedly attempted to steal one million dollars from New York taxpayers by fraudulently inflating her campaign’s bank account to receive matching public funds. The FBI continues to hold accountable corrupt political candidates who try to buy the public’s support,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
New York City’s Matching Funds Program
The New York City Campaign Finance Board (“CFB”) offers a voluntary public financing program matching small-dollar contributions from New York City residents to candidates for city office. The program is available to any candidate running for city office, including Public Advocate. To be eligible for matching funds, candidates must meet a two-part fundraising threshold: first, they must collect a minimum number of contributions of $10 or more; and second, they must raise a minimum number of qualifying contributions from residents of New York City. To be eligible for the matching funds program, a candidate for Public Advocate must have raised at least $125,000 from at least 500 qualifying contributors. In addition, cash contributions are capped at $100 per contributor for purposes of qualifying for matching funds.
For a candidate to apply cash contributions toward the threshold necessary to become eligible for public matching funds, a candidate’s authorized committee was required to submit contribution cards to the CFB that listed, among other information, each contributor’s name, residential address, employer, occupation, and date and amount of contribution. The contribution cards also had to be signed by the contributors.
Candidates were prohibited from giving false information to the CFB. Candidates were also prohibited from using public matching funds for purposes that were illegal, improper, or not in furtherance of the candidate’s nomination or election. Violation of these prohibitions would render the candidate ineligible to receive public matching funds.
Once a candidate met the eligibility requirements to join the program, the CFB would provide the campaign with public funds at a matching rate of $8 to $1. Therefore, if a candidate raised $125,000 toward the fundraising threshold, the CFB would provide that candidate with $1 million in public matching funds.
The Fraudulent Scheme
As alleged in the complaint, the defendant engaged in a scheme to obtain $1 million in public matching funds, knowing that her campaign committee was not entitled to such funds. In particular, the defendant took numerous steps to artificially inflate the deposits into her campaign committee’s bank account to make it appear that the committee had met the $125,000 threshold for public funds. In fact, very little of the deposits were eligible contributions from New Yorkers.
In the first months of 2025, the defendant’s personal bank account received more than $130,000 that originated from the Philippines. Of this amount, at least $34,000 was a loan to the defendant from a contact there. The defendant, with others, repeatedly withdrew funds from her personal bank account in cash and deposited cash into her campaign committee’s bank account. These contributions were then identified to the CFB as contributions from residents of New York City that were eligible for public matching funds. Contribution cards submitted in support of these supposed contributions, which purported to identify the contributors and included their personal identifying information and their signatures, were falsified.
Aquino also cycled funds out of, and back into, the campaign committee’s bank account, sometimes using bank accounts of friends and associates as intermediary accounts to obscure the true source of the funds. The purpose of cycling the funds in this way was to make the total amount of deposits into the campaign committee’s account appear higher, such that the total contributions would appear to meet the CFB’s threshold.
Aquino also used funds from the campaign committee account to pay for her personal expenses, including the rent for her apartment, falsely reporting to the CFB that the payments were for legitimate campaign expenses. Aquino also lied to federal agents as to her relationship with the recipients of some of these expenditures. For example, Aquino told federal agents that her landlords helped with petitions and with campaigning, justifying the campaign’s payments to them. In fact, Aquino’s landlords had nothing to do with her campaign.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, the defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise and Sean Sherman are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Melissa Bennett.
The Defendant:
ANGELA AQUINO
Age: 47
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-MJ- 93
sealed_complaint_signed.pdfCalifornia Political Consultant and Former Public Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, Filing a False Tax Return, and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Plea agreement found here:
williamson_plea_agreement.pdfSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Political consultant Dana Williamson, 53, of Carmichael, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, subscribing to a false tax return, and making false statements to a federal agent, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
“As part of an investigation that began in 2022, Williamson joins the two others who were charged in the ‘Conduit Scheme’ conspiracy in pleading guilty,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “These conspirators, three of whom are former public officials, shockingly looted campaign funds for personal benefit. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue working to protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that those who scorn the law are held accountable.”
“Dana Williamson and her co-conspirators weaponized public trust for personal gain,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “They stole from a campaign account, fabricated contracts, filed false tax returns, and lied to federal agents. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation spent years investigating this case because integrity in public service isn't optional. No title and no political connection places anyone above the law.”
“Today’s plea highlights the calculated and far reaching nature of this scheme, which involved using pass through payments, creating fabricated records, and taking steps to mislead federal investigators,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Oakland Field Office. “IRS-CI remains committed to uncovering complex financial fraud and holding those responsible to account.”
The Conduit Scheme
According to court documents, between February 2022 and September 2024, Williamson conspired with Greg Campbell, 52, of Davis, Sean McCluskie, 57, of Davis, and others to steal approximately $225,000 in funds from a dormant political campaign and funnel it to McCluskie for his personal use. Collectively, they funneled the money through various business entities and disguised it as pay to McCluskie’s spouse for what was, in reality, a no-show job.
False Tax Returns
From 2021 to 2023, Williamson claimed a total of approximately $1,718,277 million in business deductions for what were actually personal and nondeductible expenditures, such as food delivery services, luxury vacations to Mexico (twice) and Santa Barbara, private jet travel, purported wages for family members, home goods, veterinary services, landscaping services, and other nondeductible personal expenses. Williamson’s false deductions resulted in a tax loss of approximately $504,523, which she agreed in her plea agreement to pay back to the IRS in full as restitution.
False Statements
When questioned by FBI agents in November 2024, Williamson made false statements regarding the diversion of campaign funds, Williamson’s request to Campbell to create false and backdated contracts after she received a civil subpoena from the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding Paycheck Protection Program loans to her business, and allegations of public corruption. These statements were designed to lead the FBI away from Williamson’s criminal activity by concealing the nature of the conduit scheme, denying the backdating of contracts, and hiding Williamson’s involvement in passing information to former clients and business partners to give them an advantage in litigation against the state.
This case is the product of a multiyear investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson, Katherine T. Lydon, and Matthew Thuesen, and Public Integrity Section Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey are prosecuting the case.
On Dec. 4, 2025, Campbell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit offenses against the United States. On Nov. 20, 2025, McCluskie pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. They are scheduled for a status of sentencing hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on June 4, 2026.
A status conference regarding Williamson’s sentencing is scheduled before Chief Judge Nunley on July 9, 2026. Williamson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and $225,000 in restitution for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud; up to three years in prison, a $100,000 fine and $504,523 in restitution to the IRS for filing a false tax return, and up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making false statements. The actual sentence and amounts of restitution, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
California Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $46 Million in Public Benefits and Laundering Proceeds to ChinaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brian R. Cleland, age 72, a resident of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on May 14, 2026, to 120 months in prison by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $46.4 million.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cleland previously pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, and admitted that he and his coconspirators Bruce Jin, Age 61, and Carlos A. Grijalva, age 60, both of Los Angeles, California, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. Cleland, Jin, Grijalva, and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. The funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. Economic Impact Payments, or “stimulus payments,” were also obtained through fraudulent means.
Unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. These fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states.
After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva. For instance, Jin, through companies that he controlled known as Ample International and Jin Commerce, received over $12 million in UC funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. In addition, the defendants used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $45 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, GC Accounting, and CLECO. After that, Cleland and Grijalva transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies and over $6 million to a company controlled by an associate of Jin.
After Jin received the fraudulent funds, either from identity theft victims’ accounts or from Cleland and Grijalva through ACH processing, he then made international wire transfers totaling over $35 million to a bank account associated with a company in China, which is known in the Indictment as “COMPANY 2.” Jin also transferred over $2 million directly to the individual in China who controlled that company, who is referred to as “COCONSPIRATOR 2” in the Indictment.
Cleland was also ordered to pay approximately $46.4 million in forfeiture.
“Brian Cleland and his co-conspirators stole millions from struggling Americans during a national emergency — hiding behind fake businesses while robbing the American people of crucial unemployment benefits and other public funds. Deplorable schemes like this end now,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who attempt to exploit tax-payer funded programs; The Office of Inspector General, our law enforcement partners, and Vice President Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — will find you, investigate you, and hold you accountable to the highest extent of the law.”
"Fraud schemes targeting the funds which aid the American people undermines the programs built to support those in need," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of these programs and pursuing those who exploit them through fraud and deception.”
Jin was sentenced on April 30, 2026, to 144 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit over $59 million in US currency, along with other properties. Grijalva has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe and U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick B. Gushue prosecuted the case.
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Bangor Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Bradley Bellfleur, 33, to six years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Bellfleur pleaded guilty on July 23, 2024.
According to court records, Bellfleur was enrolled in the Penobscot Adult Treatment and Recovery Court in Bangor as part of his sentence for a 2022 burglary conviction. While enrolled in that court, investigators received information that he was trafficking fentanyl. A search of his residence recovered fentanyl and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Additional evidence—such as messages obtained from his cellular phones—showed that Bellfleur was working with individuals from Massachusetts and obtaining fentanyl on a regular basis for distribution in the Bangor area. Bellfleur was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in 2016.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated this case, with assistance from the FBI, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, the Bangor Police Department, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
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Baltimore County Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm Charges in HSTF CaseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore County man pled guilty in court today, to drug and firearm charges in connection with a federal drug surveillance operation.
Jacque “Hammer” Brown, 50, of Randallstown, Maryland, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, after authorities caught him with fentanyl during a traffic stop.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to the guilty plea, in March 2025, the DEA began investigating Brown after learning that he was dealing fentanyl in the Baltimore region. After investigators identified Brown’s vehicles and Randallstown residence, the court authorized law enforcement to install a GPS tracker on his vehicles and a “ping” order on his cellular telephone.
In April 2025, investigators observed a meeting between Brown and his drug supplier. It appeared that Brown engaged in a re-up with his supplier. A few days after the meeting, investigators saw Brown meet with multiple suspected drug customers throughout the day. Then law enforcement observed Brown leave his residence that evening with a plastic bag of suspected drugs. When Brown left in his vehicle, investigators initiated a traffic stop.
During the traffic stop, a K-9 officer responded to the scene, scanned the vehicle, and positively detected the presence of narcotics. After the positive alert, Brown, who was standing with a patrol officer, attempted to flee. As he fled, Brown threw a clear plastic bag. Then investigators quickly apprehended Brown, placing him under arrest.
After apprehending Brown, investigators retraced his steps and discovered a clear plastic bag that contained 15 grams of fentanyl on the ground. Officers also recovered a cellphone from Brown and three additional cellphones from his vehicle.
Following Brown’s arrest, law enforcement executed a search warrant on his Randallstown residence. Investigators searched Brown’s room, recovering 500 grams of fentanyl in multiple plastic bags; multiple digital scales; a hydraulic press; and sifters with drug residue. Law enforcement also found two firearms, a loaded 9mm Ruger and a Mossberg Maverick 12-gauge shotgun. Brown, who is a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Additionally, investigators searched one of Brown’s phones and discovered messages between Brown and his fentanyl supplier. The messages revealed that Brown and his fentanyl supplier discussed the high potency of the fentanyl, and that Brown infused cutting agents in the narcotic to reduce the risk of overdosing.
Brown faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and 15 years for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson set sentencing for Tuesday, July 21, at 2:30 p.m.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Homeland Security Task Force (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 Baltimore comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Miner and Ari D. Evans who are prosecuting this 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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Australian Man Caught in Arkansas Sting Operation Sentenced to More Than 28 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – An Australian permanent resident was sentenced on May 12, 2026, to 345 months in federal prison without the possibility of parole to be followed by lifetime supervised release for distributing child pornography and possessing a phone containing child pornography. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, Gabriel Perkhofer, age 48, communicated with an undercover officer posing as the mother of two minor daughters. During the communications, Perkhofer described sexual acts that he wanted to perform and explicit images he wanted to produce with the minor daughters and sent two files of child pornography to the officer. Perkhofer thereafter traveled from Missouri to Arkansas to meet the “mother” and was arrested for state law violations. A subsequent review of Perkhofer’s phone revealed a large, years-long collection of child pornography and extensive communications between Perkhofer and other child pornography offenders.
Perkhofer was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in July of 2024 and entered a plea of guilty in December of 2025.
U.S. Attorney Kimberly D. Harris of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Williams, Devon Still, and Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
21-Year-Old Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A man was arrested on May 12, 2026, in the state of Minnesota on criminal charges related to child exploitation.
According to court documents, in August 2024, Roberto Gadiel León-López, then 19, transported a then 13-year-old female minor, from her house to another location, with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
An investigation was initiated by law enforcement authorities related to this incident and, on April 15, 2026, a federal Grand Jury returned a one count indictment charging León-López with transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a). An arrest warrant was issued and, on May 12, 2026, León-López was arrested in Minnesota following a traffic stop. The defendant had his initial appearance on May 13 and is scheduled to have a detention and identity hearing on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Minnesota. He is expected to be transferred to the District of Puerto Rico after the scheduled hearings for further criminal proceedings.
“Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will prosecute criminals who exploit our children to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Protecting children from exploitation and abuse remains one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” said Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This arrest reflects the relentless work of our agents and law enforcement partners to identify offenders, locate them wherever they may be hiding, and ensure they are brought to justice. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue the protection of vulnerable children and prosecution of those who would seek to harm them.”
If convicted, Roberto Gadiel León-López faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum penalty of up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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York Man Sentenced to 210 Months’ Imprisonment for Offenses Relating to Death of A Five-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Adrian Moye, age 34, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 210 months’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on August 20, 2019, Moye left a five-year-old boy unattended in a vehicle parked on East Philadelphia Street in York. Moye’s loaded handgun was also in the vehicle. The gun was accidentally discharged, killing the five-year-old boy. Moye was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including drug-trafficking offenses. A subsequent investigation revealed that Moye also possessed cocaine for distribution.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the York City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
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Wyola man pleads guilty to sex offenseRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Wyola man who sent inappropriate text messages, photos, and videos to a minor admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Truman Frank Jefferson, Jr., 50, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement. Jefferson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for September 29, 2026. Jefferson remained detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in June 2024 law enforcement responded to a home in Lodge Grass for a trespass complaint regarding Jefferson. There, 16-year-old Jane Doe disclosed Jefferson had been sexually harassing her for years. Jane Doe reported she began receiving inappropriate text messages, photos, and videos from him years earlier.
Doe described multiple instances when Jefferson messaged her to come see him and then requested she touch his exposed penis. Jane Doe said one of those incidents occurred when she was 14 or 15 years old in Bozeman when Jefferson sent her a text message instructing her to come outside to his vehicle because he had a present for her. Once she was close to him, Jane Doe observed his exposed penis and he told her to “touch it.”
Investigators recovered messages from Jefferson to Jane Doe. One of the recovered conversations was from Jefferson’s cell phone and contained his request to perform oral sex on Jane Doe. Jefferson, in his 40s when he was messaging Jane Doe, knew she was under 18 years old.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks is prosecuting the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
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Winooski Man and Woman Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base and FentanylRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Todd Jarvis, 54, and Kylei Brown, 24, both of Winooski, Vermont, have been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl. On May 12, 2026, Jarvis appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Jarvis be detained pending trial. Brown is scheduled to have her initial appearance later today.
According to court records, the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted substantial surveillance of Jarvis after learning from sources that Jarvis was engaged in drug trafficking. DEA’s surveillance revealed that Jarvis was associated with multiple drug-involved locations in the greater Burlington area, that Brown frequently accompanied him on visits to these drug-involved locations, and that Jarvis was making short-duration trips to New York City. These observations led law enforcement to interdict Jarvis on the evening of May 10, 2026, while he was returning to Vermont from New York City. During a traffic stop in Shelburne, Vermont, Brown was driving, and Jarvis was the passenger. A search of Jarvis’ person revealed approximately 510 grams of suspected cocaine base and 24 grams of suspected fentanyl in his vest pocket. A search of Jarvis and Brown’s Winooski apartment occurred in the early morning hours of May 11, 2026, resulting in the seizure of additional suspected controlled substances and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Jarvis and Brown are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Jarvis and Brown face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Vermont Office, thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Task Force 21, the Burlington Police Department, and the Essex Police Department for their assistance.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nate Burris. Jarvis is represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq. Brown is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Williamsport Man Charged with Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Henry Herb, III, age 52, of Elmira, New York, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender upon relocating from Pennsylvania to New York.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that from December 2025 and continuing to April 1, 2026, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), upon relocating to New York from central Pennsylvania, Herb failed to register his address as required by SORNA.
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Waterbury Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD McDANIEL, also known as “Shay,” 45, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between March and June 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department investigated a drug trafficking organization headed by Robert Harrison, also known as “Firm” and “Lox.” During that time, investigators made eight controlled purchases of narcotics from Harrison and his associates, including McDaniel.
On June 20, 2024, law enforcement executed federal search warrants for locations connected to Harrison’s organization. A search of Harrison’s residence on Frost Road in Waterbury, his auto repair business on Todd Hollow Road in Waterbury, and a recording studio he operated on Woodtick Road in Waterbury, revealed more than 370 grams of cocaine, narcotic pills, four loaded handguns, gun magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition, and approximately $18,208 in cash. A search of McDaniel’s residence on Lone Oak Avenue revealed approximately 700 grams of cocaine, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, drug processing and packaging materials, a money counter, and approximately $2,450 in cash. McDaniel was arrested on state charges on that date
McDaniel was arrested on federal charges on October 15, 2024. On December 15, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
McDaniel has been detained since March 20, 2025, when he bond was revoked.
Harrison pleaded guilty and, on August 11, 2025, was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Washington Man Charged with Harassing Endangered Monk Seal “Lani” by Hurling Large Rock at Her HeadRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk, 38, of Covington, Washington, was charged by criminal complaint on May 12, 2026, for harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal by throwing a large rock at the seal’s head, in violation of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Lytvynchuk was arrested today, May 13, 2026, near Seattle, Washington by Special Agents of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Lytvynchuk is currently in custody and is scheduled for an initial appearance on these charges in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (Seattle courthouse) on May 14, 2026 at 9 AM.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed today, Lytvynchuk was observed and filmed on May 5, 2026 walking along the shoreline in the Lahaina area of Maui tracking the movements of a Hawaiian monk seal, known as “Lani,” as she playfully pushed a floating log close to the shoreline. According to the complaint, Lytvynchuk then picked up a large rock, took aim, and threw the rock directly at Lani’s head. The rock narrowly missed her nose, startling her, and causing her to rear up out of the water. Witnesses immediately confronted Lytvynchuk and told him they had contacted law enforcement, to which Lytvynchuk reportedly responded that he was “rich enough to pay the fines,” before walking away. According to witnesses, Lani remained largely immobile for an extended period of time after the incident, which caused much concern over her welfare.
If convicted, Lytvynchuk, faces up to one year in prison for each charge, plus a term of supervised release. Lytvynchuk also faces a fine of up to $50,000 under the Endangered Species Act and a fine of up to $20,000 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
“The unique and precious wildlife of the Hawaiian Islands are renowned symbols of Hawaii’s special place in the world and its incredible biodiversity. We are committed to protecting our vulnerable wild species, in particular endangered Hawaiian monk seals, like Lani,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We pledge that those who harass and attempt to harm our protected wildlife will face rapid accountability in federal court.”
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service – Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar is prosecuting the case.
Victorville Man Who Used Instagram to Pose as Teenage Football Player to Sexually Exploit Girls Sentenced to 45 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 540 months in federal prison for sexually exploiting two teenage girls he met on Instagram, including by posing as a teenage boy to entice them into having a sexual relationship, and for bringing one victim from San Luis Obispo County to Mexico to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Daniel Navarro, 42, of Victorville, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte, Jr., who also ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution. Navarro has been in federal custody since July 2022.
At the conclusion of a four-day trial in July 2025, a jury found Navarro guilty of six felonies: two counts of sexual exploitation of a child to produce a sexually explicit visual depiction, one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of transportation of child pornography.
According to evidence presented at trial, from at least August 2021 until July 2022, Navarro used Instagram to entice two 14-year-old girls into believing he was “Danny,” a 15-year-old football player from California, using the handles “dn.2021.01” and “dn84831.” Navarro later groomed and enticed the victims into producing sexually explicit images of themselves.
From June 30, 2022, to July 1, 2022, Navarro traveled with one of the victims, an Arizona girl who was spending the summer in the San Luis Obispo County town of Nipomo, to Tijuana, Mexico, with the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, Navarro had an online relationship with this victim for approximately five months. A review of one of Navarro’s Instagram accounts revealed conversations between Navarro and the victim on the victim’s Instagram account in which Navarro professed his love for the victim and discussed getting her pregnant.
Mexican law enforcement rescued this victim at a Tijuana residence in mid-July 2022.
“[Navarro] was a nearly-40-year-old man making empty promises to dozens of girls in pursuit of his own sexual gratification,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Navarro] lied to, groomed, and manipulated children to get what he wanted most from them: sexually explicit images and sex acts with these children.”
The FBI and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office provided substantial assistance. The FBI’s Legal Attaché in Mexico City and Mexican law enforcement authorities provided assistance during this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kathy Yu, Chief of Ethics, Trials, and Compliance, and Kevin B. Reidy of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller Recognizes the Law Enforcement Community During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT– In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. The week is observed May 10 through May 16, 2026.
“During National Police Week, we pause to honor the courageous men and women of law enforcement who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities—and especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” said United States Attorney Keller. “Our Office and community are deeply grateful for the unwavering commitment of our local, state, and federal officers who keep us safe while serving with integrity, courage, and honor.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche kicked off National Police Week 2026 by hosting a breakfast at the Department of Justice to honor law enforcement officers and their families, emphasizing a message of "we love law enforcement". He celebrated their daily work, stating that the week is meant to honor the fallen while recognizing those who "keep us safe every day".
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe.
In 2025, there were 111 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers that died in the line of duty., representing 25% decrease from the 148 deaths in 2024. Of those officers who died, 53 were feloniously killed. There were 44 firearm related incidents, 34 from traffic related deaths and 33 other causes including health-related, etc. Demographically, the average age of fallen officers was 44, with an average of 14 years of service. Five of those officers who died in the line of duty were from Louisiana.
For National Police Week 2026, a total of 363 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
On today, May 13, 2026, 109 names of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during 2025 will be formally dedicated during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil held in Washington, D.C. You can view it livestream:
YouTube: YouTube.com/NLEOMF
Facebook: Facebook.com/NLEOMF
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/company/national-law-enforcement-officers-memorial-fund
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
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CONTACT
Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm in Downtown Chicago Federal CourthouseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has charged a man with illegally possessing a loaded firearm in the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago.
JAMES C. LAKE, JR. possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun on Monday morning in the lobby of the Dirksen Building, which is located at 219 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago’s downtown Loop neighborhood, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The Dirksen Building houses the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the offices of various governmental agencies. It is the largest federal courthouse in the United States both by square footage and number of federal judges.
According to the complaint, Lake approached the Court Security Officers around 7:40 a.m. and placed a bookbag containing the gun, a box cutter, and a jackknife onto the magnetometer conveyer belt. Lake informed the officers that he had a gun and “other stuff” in the bag, the complaint states. Officers searched the bag and discovered the gun with a loaded magazine, the box cutter, 23 live rounds of ammunition, and the jackknife inside its sheath. The seized items can be seen in the photo below.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of IllinoisAn inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service took Lake into custody and seized the contraband. Lake had previously been convicted of a federal felony and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The complaint charges Lake, 53, of Chicago, with illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Lake made an initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and LaDon Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Smith.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
lake_complaint.pdfU.S. Attorney Dunavant Appointed to Serve on Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has announced the appointment of 18 selected U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Administration’s inaugural Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC), which includes the appointment of U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee. Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Justice Department policies.
AGAC membership is selected to represent the various geographic areas of the Nation and various sized United States Attorneys' Offices, and makes recommendations to the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, and the Associate Attorney General concerning essential matters that are in the best interests of justice, including:
(1) Establishing and modifying policies and procedures of the Department;
(2) Improving management, particularly with respect to the relationships between the Department and the U.S. Attorneys;
(3) Cooperating with State Attorneys General and other State and local officials for the purpose of improving the quality of justice in the United States;
(4) Promoting greater consistency in the application of legal standards throughout the Nation and at the various levels of government; and
(5) Aiding the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, and the Associate Attorney General in formulating new programs for improvement of the criminal justice system at all levels, including proposals relating to legislation and court rules.
The AGAC also establishes subcommittees and working groups in program and subject matter areas that reflect the priorities set by the President. During his prior service as U.S. Attorney from 2017-2021, Mr. Dunavant served on the Violent & Organized Crime, Controlled Substances, and Native American Issues subcommittees of the AGAC.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "I am honored and excited to be appointed to serve on this prestigious committee with my distinguished U.S. Attorney colleagues from across the Nation, and I look forward to working with them to provide critical advice to the Attorney General and DOJ leadership to advance the Department’s efforts to achieve justice for victims, consequences for criminals, support for law enforcement, respect for the rule of law, protection of the U.S. Treasury, and better public safety outcomes for all citizens.”
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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.
Two Foreign Nationals Charged with Fraudulently Using the Trump Name to Scam Victims Across the United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of two separate Indictments charging GORAN SPIRIDONOV and KRISTINA JANEVA, respectively, with federal crimes relating to their fraudulent sale of “Trump Bucks”—a fake form of legal tender—to victims across the United States. SPIRIDONOV and JANEVA are both citizens and residents of North Macedonia and remain at large. SPIRIDONOV’s case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel and JANEVA’s case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, both of the Southern District of New York.
“As alleged, the defendants created a fictitious financial instrument and marketed it to Americans around the country under the false pretense that ‘Trump Bucks’ was affiliated with the funding of President Trump’s re-election campaign and other causes associated with the President and the Trump Organization,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “That cannot be further from the truth. ‘Trump Bucks’ has no connection to the President, the campaign, or the Trump Organization. This fraud targets many senior citizens, taking advantage of their support for the President. We commend our FBI partners for detecting and thwarting this scheme. Importantly, this conduct may be ongoing, and we strongly urge anyone targeted not to provide financial information or funds to any entity related to ‘Trump Bucks’ or the fictitious products pictured in this press release.”
“These foreign nationals allegedly leveraged a false affiliation with the President's administration to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from Americans,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI continues to target fraudsters that manipulate our country’s citizens, regardless of where they’re located.”
As alleged in the Indictments:[1]
From at least in or about 2023 through in or about the present, SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and others based abroad have engaged in a widespread scheme to scam victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through the sale of so-called “Trump Bucks.” SPIRIDONOV and JANEVA have each falsely claimed that “Trump Bucks” are valuable legal tender affiliated with President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization. In reality, these products are worthless and have no such affiliations.
SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and other participants in the scheme have each marketed and sold a number of different “Trump Bucks” and other related products to victims, mainly through the use of a certain online marketplace (identified in the Indictments as “Marketplace-1”) and encrypted messaging applications such as Telegram. Scheme participants have fraudulently sold “Golden Checks,” “Membership Booklets,” “Golden Badges,” “Trump Dollars,” “Trump Checks,” “Golden Trump Checks,” and “Diamond Bucks,” among other fraudulent products, many of which are marketed under the “Trump Rebate Banking System,” or “TRB,” banner. Pictures of some of the “Trump Bucks” products fraudulently marketed and sold to victims are below:
SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and other promoters of this scam have each falsely represented to victims that “Trump Bucks” products are affiliated with President Trump, members of his family, members of the Trump Organization, and members of the Trump administration, and that purchases of “Trump Bucks” would help fund President Trump’s re-election campaign and various causes purportedly associated with President Trump. SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and others have also falsely claimed that these products are preloaded with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash that would be redeemable at banks during a Trump presidency. These statements are all lies. “Trump Bucks” products are worthless; are not redeemable at any bank; and have no affiliation at all with President Trump, his family members, or members of his administration.
During the scheme, JANEVA marketed several different fake “Bank of Trump” products to victims. Below is an example of a “Ruby Certificate” marketed by JANEVA, which she falsely claimed was issued by the Trump Organization:
SPIRIDONOV has marketed several other fake “Trump Bucks” products to victims. For example, in the below email, which was later sent to victims, SPIRIDONOV falsely claimed that any victim who purchased a “Patriot Eagle” product could exchange such product for $10,000 upon President Trump’s reelection:
SPIRIDONOV, JANEVA, and others have each used this fraudulent scheme to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims across the country, many of whom are senior citizens.
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SPIRODONOV, 25, and JANEVA, 39, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. SPIRIDONOV and JANEVA are each also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo and Jackie Delligatti are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictments and the description of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Third Sibling Pleads Guilty to SNAP Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A man from Yazoo City pleaded guilty Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in federal court to stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford nutritious food. He is the third sibling to plead guilty to stealing SNAP benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Christopher Hill, 43, of Yazoo City unlawfully acquired and used approximately $116,893.48 in SNAP benefits from approximately August 2022 through November 2023, by virtue of his sister’s employment as a Customer Service Representative for Conduent. Conduent plays a key role in EBT processing by partnering directly with state governments to manage the distribution of benefits such as SNAP. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally funded, national benefit program to help qualifying low- and middle-income families buy food, thus reducing hunger.
Hill pleaded guilty to Food Stamp Fraud and will be sentenced on August 21, 2026. Hill’s sister, Kizzie Hill, pleaded guilty to the same crime on December 19, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing. Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hill’s brother, Adrian Hill, pleaded guilty in May 2025, and was sentenced on February 11, 2026 to five years’ probation with one year of home confinement.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and United States Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk made the announcement.
The United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Texas man pleads guilty for his role in cross country narcotics conspiracy originating in MexicoRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ian Dyer, 26, of Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
Between April 2023, and February 20, 2025, Dyer conspired with others to sell cocaine that came from Mexico and was transported from Texas to multiple locations throughout the United States, including Buffalo. His role was primarily that of a drug courier and the receiver of bulk currency for counting. Dyer personally made numerous trips with bulk cocaine to Buffalo, NY, and took numerous trips back to Texas with bulk U.S. currency.
On April 8, 2023, the Ohio State and Highway Patrol seized 18.93 kilograms of cocaine from a co-conspirator who was attempting to transport the cocaine from Texas to Buffalo. On December 12, 2023, Tennessee’s 23rd Drug Task Force seized $100,000 in U.S. currency from Dyer and one of his co-conspirators, some of which currency had come from Buffalo. On May 7, 2024, the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office seized 9.3 kilograms of cocaine and 3,528 grams of pure methamphetamine from a co-conspirator during a traffic stop. On a typical trip, Dyer or his co-conspirators transported approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine to Buffalo and additional kilograms of cocaine to other destinations.
Dyer was arrested in April 2025, along with six other defendants, including: Winnie Taru Woods a/k/a Ru, Sharron McCullough a/k/a Black, Marlon Holt, Jr. a/k/a Scooter a/k/a Professor, Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr., Shannell Gosine, and Norman Patillo. Dyer is the third to be convicted.
This case was 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 Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler, Donna Duncan, and Jeffrey E. Intravatola. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Enforcement Division. Additional assistance was provided by the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, the 23rd Judicial Taskforce, Tennessee, as well as Homeland Security Investigations in NY, and Houston and Austin, Texas.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 9, 2027, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.
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Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Immigration Fraud, Possession of Child Pornography, and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for engaging in immigration fraud, possessing child pornography, and committing tax fraud.
JOSE GREGORIO SOSA CARDONA operated Delta Global Solutions, Inc., which assisted individuals in applying for asylum, immigrant visas, and other immigration benefits. From 2020 to 2024, Sosa Cardona conspired with others to knowingly provide false information to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on behalf of his foreign national clients who were seeking immigration benefits. Among other things, Sosa Cardona fabricated foreign law enforcement reports and other documents to falsely corroborate his clients’ asylum claims. He also falsely represented himself as a licensed attorney to clients and USCIS when, in fact, he was not an attorney and was not authorized to represent applicants in U.S. immigration proceedings.
A court-authorized search of Sosa Cardona’s electronic devices in 2024 turned up approximately 2,877 photos and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Sosa Cardona also filed fraudulent individual tax returns and failed to pay taxes withheld from his employees’ pay for the calendar years 2020 to 2023, causing a loss to the IRS of approximately $316,000.
Sosa Cardona, 42, of Downers Grove, Ill., pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of tax fraud. U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani imposed the nine-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 7, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud 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.
Statement of United States Attorney Moore Capito on the Death of Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Moore Capito issued the following statement regarding the passing of Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.:
“Senior U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., was the best of us. His wisdom, his intellect, his compassion, his indefatigable spirit, and his commitment to justice were renowned. He truly embodied the ideal jurist, and what a blessing that his tenure on the bench proved so enduring. My heart goes out to Camille, their sons and family. I join with all West Virginians in mourning his passing while celebrating a lifetime of public service that has seen few peers.”
A copy of this statement is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON TURNER, also known as “Bizz,” 31, of Stamford, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to a narcotics trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and the Stamford Police Department’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit identified Turner as a narcotics distributor. In July 2024, investigators made a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Turner. On April 21, 2025, employees of an apartment complex where Turner had been employed as a maintenance worker found a tool bag in a storage room that contained approximately 790 grams of fentanyl and one kilogram of cocaine. The investigation, which included a review of surveillance camera and the use of DNA analysis, determined that Turner had placed the bag in the storage room. A related court-authorized search of Turner’s vehicle revealed additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.
Turner pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Turner, who is detained, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5.
The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
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.
St. Francois County Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography PossessionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Wednesday sentenced a registered sex offender who exchanged child sexual abuse material on Snapchat and raped a woman in 2024 to 20 years in prison.
Michael A. Driemeier, 32, of Bonne Terre, will be on supervised release for life after his release from prison. Driemeier pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to possession of child pornography as a prior offender.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol was first alerted by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in November of 2024 that Driemeier had distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via Snapchat. Investigators found Driemeier on Jan. 9, 2025, shopping with a young child. He consented to a search of his cell phone, which revealed CSAM and an exchange of CSAM with another Snapchat user. He later admitted obtaining CSAM and sending it to others, his plea agreement says. Driemeier also admitted as part of his plea that he raped a 20-year-old female acquaintance in a hotel room in February of 2024.
On April 6, 2018, Driemeier was convicted in St. Francois County Circuit Court of second-degree statutory rape and sentenced to five years in prison. The victim in that case was 13.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and the Bonne Terre Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Springfield Gang Associate Sentenced for Possession of a Machine GunRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who was closely associated with a local street gang known as “All Family No Friends,” was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a Glock pistol outfitted with a machine gun conversion device (MCD), a device designed to turn a firearm into a fully automatic weapon.
Trey Alexander Giles, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to five years in federal prison without parole, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
Between July 2023 and February 2025, Giles was repeatedly reported to police regarding his involvement with violent incidents including domestic violence and crimes involving firearms. Giles’s domestic partner also reported Giles to the police for chasing her with a pistol equipped with an MCD.
On Sept. 21, 2023, the Springfield, Missouri Police Department contacted Giles and three of his associates, which resulted in the search of Giles’ vehicle. Officers located a Glock pistol equipped with a 50-round drum magazine and an MCD, an Anderson Arms AR-style pistol, a Pioneer Arms AK-style rifle, a second Glock equipped with a 30-round extended magazine, and an additional Glock pistol. All firearms were loaded. Officers also located a ski mask, various ammunition, and marijuana in Giles’s vehicle.
On Nov. 2, 2023, Giles was again contacted by police near a residence. Prior to contact, officers observed Giles walking away from a trash can outside of the residence. Officers located a Glock pistol with an MCD under a trash can.
In response to an indictment by a federal grand jury, Giles pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun on Oct. 3, 2025.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Springfield, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Southington Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison for Dealing AR-15-Style Assault Rifles, MarijuanaRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRYAN JOYCE, 40, of Southington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 90 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for offenses related to his selling privately made AR-15-style firearms, ammunition, and marijuana.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2022, the Connecticut State Police received information that Joyce was offering to sell assault weapons and other firearms, including privately manufactured firearms (PMFs or “ghost guns”), as well as ammunition and firearms accessories. On January 28, 2022, Joyce sold an undercover law officer a privately made AR-15 style rifle, a privately made 9mm handgun, and a box of ammunition, in exchange for $2,000. On March 4, 2022, Joyce sold the undercover officer two loaded AR-15 style rifles and approximately 400 grams of marijuana, for $5,800. For an additional charge, Joyce offered to supply the undercover officer with fully automatic firearms.
On March 21, 2022, Joyce was arrested at a parking lot in Waterbury where he met with the undercover officer who had arranged to purchase five more privately made AR-15 style rifles and a kilogram of marijuana. A search of Joyce’s vehicle revealed the five firearms, marijuana, and numerous rounds of ammunition.
The investigation revealed that Gregory Leary was Joyce’s firearm supplier. A subsequent search of Leary’s Wolcott residence revealed six privately made AR-15 style rifles; two privately made 9mm semiautomatic handguns; a loaded Remington 12-gauge shotgun; a Glock .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun; a Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun stamped “San Antonio Police Department”; numerous firearm parts and accessories; equipment used to manufacture firearms; and $7,129 in cash.
Joyce is a felon with a criminal history that includes state convictions for drug, larceny, and burglary offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On October 8, 2024, Joyce pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, three counts of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, marijuana, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Joyce, who had been released on bond, has been detained since April 2024 after he was arrested after a domestic violence incident.
Leary pleaded guilty and admitted that he manufactured and sold more than 25 firearms to Joyce. On November 7, 2023, he was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force (SFTTF) and Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force (SUVCCCTF/Gangs Unit), assisted by the Statewide Narcotics Task Force (SNTF) Southwest and North Central Offices, and the Bridgeport, Shelton, Orange, Waterbury, and Hartford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
South Puget Sound former financial advisor sentenced to three years in prison for stealing nearly $1 million from elderly clientRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 57-year-old Fox Island, Washington, man was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to three years in prison for his scheme to steal from an elderly client who trusted him as a financial advisor, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. John S. Winslow was indicted just over a year ago on four counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, four counts of money laundering, and four counts of making and subscribing a false tax return. Winslow was a financial advisor at a national financial services firm until he was fired following revelations he had stolen over $920,000 in life savings and inheritance from a former client, a widow in her 70’s. “This crime was personal,” U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright. “Mr. Winslow had a longstanding relationship with this victim.”
“Over about four years, this defendant stole more than $900,000 from an elderly victim. First, he ingratiated himself with the victim. He took her grocery shopping and bought her flowers and chocolate. Then, he took advantage of her trust, her cognitive decline and isolation,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “He used the victim’s funds to live with luxuries – buying an island home, installing a hot tub, and purchasing a new car. All the while, the victim scrimped and lived on a limited budget. This prison sentence holds him accountable.”
“Lies, deceit, and fraud are not things that should be associated with any financial advisor trusted to protect a client’s hard-earned money. However, Mr. Winslow chose exactly these things when he callously stole from his client,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to pursue justice against those who choose to commit such financial crimes.”
According to records in the case, Winslow moved funds out of the victim’s brokerage accounts with the financial services firm and into her outside bank account in multiple transactions. He did this to conceal his fraud by placing the victim’s funds outside of the firm’s surveillance system. From the victim’s outside bank account, the funds were transferred into Winslow’s bank account, again in multiple transactions. Winslow used his trusted status with the victim to further the fraud. He falsely claimed to the victim that if she transferred money to him, he would repay her at a higher interest rate than what she was getting from her banks. He visited the victim at her home and instructed the victim to call the bank and put the call on speaker. He then told the victim what she should tell the bank. Winslow then used the victim’s funds for his own benefit.
To hide the illicit nature of the funds, Winslow funneled the victim’s funds through extra layers of transactions. For example, Winslow purchased gold coins from an online gold retailer in multiple transactions. He then sold those gold coins to two local brick-and-mortar gold retailers before depositing the proceeds into his bank account.
With each of these transactions, Winslow made the decision to steal from the victim. Prosecutors argued that such persistent and intentional fraud deserved a 70-month prison sentence. “Before each of these transactions, Winslow had the chance to stop and to ponder what he was doing to his victim. But he did not stop. He wanted the gravy train to keep on going. He kept at it even after his withdrawals from (the victim’s) accounts triggered an elderly fraud alert. And he meant to bleed (the victim) dry. The only thing that stopped him from taking more of (the victim’s) money was getting caught.”
During the fraud-scheme period, Winslow also failed to report the funds that he stole from the victim on his federal tax returns, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $254,000.
Judge Carwright ordered Winslow to pay $1,175,475 in restitution representing the theft from the victim as well as the tax loss to the U.S.
The victim sued the financial services firm, and they settled the suit for $920,483. So that amount of restitution is due to the financial services firm. Unfortunately, the victim had to pay attorney fees of nearly $321,000 to obtain the settlement and so still suffered financial loss.
Winslow has agreed to forfeit his Fox Island home to help pay his restitution obligation.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yunah Chung and Lauren Staniar.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Snyder County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography and Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jason Lee Wilson, age 24, of McClure, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann, relative to his plea of guilty to production of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Wilson communicated online with minor victims who he enticed into creating images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit activity and then directed them to send those images and videos to him over the internet. Likewise, he sent the minor victims videos and images of himself engaged in sexual activity.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti 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 Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate and 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.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Keith Havener, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty May 13, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City to possession of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Havener admitted that between June 1, 2024, and January 13, 2025, he possessed and attempted to possess visual depictions of child pornography, including a depiction involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. Evidence in the case showed that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cybertip report from Tagged.com about a local 14-year-old female making a dating profile offering up housecleaning and prostitution. FBI agents interviewed the girl to ensure her safety, and she denied making the ad. It was determined that the ad was made by Havener. On January 6, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Havener’s residence, where officers seized an iPhone, multiple computers/laptops, and multiple external storage devices. Forensic analysis of the digital media devices revealed that Havener possessed a total of 1,025 images of child pornography all created by Havener using Artificial Intelligence technology to remove clothing from the pictures of children he had gotten off social media. Some of the images included sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Evidence in the case also revealed that a parallel investigation into Havener was being conducted by the Sioux City Police Department about allegations Havener had used AI to create explicit images of his female coworkers and distributed them at work. His employer turned over the computer Havener used for work to be searched and SCPD detectives discovered additional images of child pornography, as well as images of Havener’s coworkers. Detectives sought search warrants for Havener’s Google accounts and discovered Havener had created the Tagged.com ad, created email accounts in the 14-year-old’s name, and was conversing with people online in a sexual manner. Some of the discussions involved people traveling to Sioux City from out of state to engage in sex with the 14-year-old. Detectives passed those leads on to the local agencies where the offenders lived.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Havener remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Havener faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4001. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Simpsonville Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Bobby Tyrell Davis, 41, of Simpsonville, originally from Detroit, Michigan, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana, distribution of fentanyl and marijuana, laundering drug proceeds, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Davis was released from the South Carolina Department of Corrections in September of 2017 after serving a sentence for trafficking heroin. Within that same year, Davis resumed his drug trafficking operation. In the Fall of 2024, Davis was obtaining fentanyl and heroin from Detroit and distributing it in the Upstate. He also used a co-defendant, Zachary Goosby, to conduct hand-to-hand sales for him. Davis laundered drug proceeds to make his crimes more difficult to detect. On Sept. 17, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Davis’s residence and found multiple loaded firearms. Davis was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior felony conviction.
United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Davis to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Goosby pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and Greenville Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen prosecuted the case.###
Shiprock Man Sentenced for Firing at Occupants of VehicleRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to seven years in prison for pointing a handgun at occupants of a vehicle and opening fire as they attempted to flee.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2025, Bryson Chee, 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, arrived at a residence in Shiprock as a passenger in a vehicle with two others. After exiting the vehicle, Chee retrieved a handgun, pointed it at the occupants, and began shooting as they attempted to drive away.
Chee pleaded guilty to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Chee will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
Sex Offender Who Had Been Deported to Mexico Sentenced to 30 Months for Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Saul Castillo-Crespo, 28, an illegal alien from Mexico and a previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Saul Castillo-Crespo committed a brutal sexual assault against a defenseless woman on the streets of the District, was deported after serving his sentence, and then illegally returned to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He apparently believed that using a new name would make him invisible. He was wrong. Following his prison sentence, he will again be deported.”
Castillo-Crespo pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2026, before U.S. District Court Timothy J. Kelly to one count of unlawful re-entry of a previously deported alien. In addition to the 30-month prison sentence, Judge Kelly ordered Castillo-Crespo to serve three years of supervised release and to submit to any deportation order.
According to court papers, on May 7, 2017, Castillo-Crespo encountered a woman in the early morning hours on a sidewalk near Lafayette Square in downtown Washington. The woman was extremely intoxicated and unable to walk on her own. She told Castillo-Crespo she wanted to go home. Instead, Castillo-Crespo hailed a cab and took her to his apartment building in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW.
Once inside, the woman refused to enter Castillo-Crespo’s fourth-floor apartment and repeated that she wanted to go home. Castillo-Crespo carried her to a staircase and sexually assaulted her. The assault was captured on the building’s surveillance cameras.
In August 2017, Castillo-Crespo was convicted in D.C. Superior Court and sentenced to five years in prison for the kidnapping and sexual assault.
In January 2023, Castillo-Crespo was deported to Mexico. Two years later, he illegally re-entered the United States in March 2025 and failed to register as a sex offender as required by law.
On June 27, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Castillo-Crespo on unrelated charges. Although he initially identified himself to officers using the alias “David Crespo,” law enforcement fingerprinted him after his arrest, which confirmed his true identity. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also confirmed that his fingerprints matched those of a previously deported alien.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter.
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Rochester man who threatened and stalked a police officer going to prisonRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Orlando Justice, 38, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of transmission of threatening communications in interstate commerce, was sentenced to serve 21 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca.
On November 23, 2024, a Rochester Police officer (Victim) participated in the arrest of Justice, who was intoxicated at the time of arrest and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital. While at Strong, Justice threatened the officer by stating that he would come to officer’s house and injure him. Justice was subsequently charged with Trespassing and Resisting Arrest and issued an appearance ticket. The following day, Justice called the officer multiple times via cellular service and FaceTime. In one call on FaceTime, Justice told the officer, “I told you that I would find you,” and that he knew the officer’s personal information and where he lived. Justice also stated that the officer “messed with the wrong one” and that he (Justice) was “a different breed of human.” Justice demanded that the officer give him the names of the other officers who were present during his arrest. Justice threatened to go to the officer’s home, continued calling the officer and encouraged his friends to do the same.
A few hours later, Justice called the officer again via FaceTime, asking “Why your friends come to my house?” the officer asked Justice who he was, and he responded that the officer knew who he was and gave the name “John Doe.” The officer ended the call by telling Justice not to call him. The following day, Justice sent a series of text messages. In one of these messages, Justice told the officer, “Don't get scared now.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher.
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Registered sex offender sentenced to prison for possessing images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 55-year-old Marysville man, who is a registered sex offender, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison for possession of images of child sexual abuse. Robert Anthony Fiore came to the attention of law enforcement when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cybertip report from Dropbox that child sexual abuse material had been uploaded on Fiore’s account. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “Possession of images of child sexual abuse harms the child for life…. Victims are given a life sentence by the people who buy these videos.”
“My office is committed to protecting the public from predators. This prison sentence will help, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This defendant was actively communicating with teens as young as twelve over the internet. It’s a good reminder for parents and guardians to be vigilant about who their children communicate with online.”
Law enforcement obtained warrants and served search warrants on Fiore’s electronic devices finding 50 videos and 242 images of child sexual abuse. Fiore has sex crime convictions out of California. He pleaded guilty in federal court on November 21, 2025. In his plea agreement Fiore admitted that he was chatting online with more than a dozen minors as young as 12-years-old.
“Mr. Fiore clearly did not learn his lesson from his last offense," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Despite already being registered as a sex offender, he continued to prey on young victims online. Each one of the dozens of videos and hundreds of images of child sexual abuse on Mr. Fiore’s devices contributes to the trauma and suffering of an innocent young victim. We hope this case sends a message to would-be predators that there are consequences for their actions. Law enforcement will discover their conduct and hold them accountable.”
In asking for the three-year prison sentence, prosecutors noted the harm done by child sexual abuse images. “Those who collect and share images and videos of children being raped and tortured further a market that thrives on the sexual abuse of children. The collection of this material drives demand for new material and normalizes horrific acts of sexual exploitation. And it subjects victims of child abuse to perpetual re-victimization, knowing that the digital record of their worst moments forever travels the globe to satisfy the sexual appetite of child predators,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
The case was investigated by the FBI in coordination with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) with officers from the Seattle Police Department and Marysville Police Department, and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Registered sex offender sentenced to more than 34 years in prison for sexually exploiting high schoolersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court here today to 410 months in prison for preying on high school girls by providing them with drugs and gifts in exchange for sexual activities or explicit images and videos.
Investigators initially identified at least four minors victimized by Terrance P. Cummings, 31. After the news of Cummings’s arrest in 2024, at least 17 other females contacted the related law enforcement tipline to report similar interactions with Cummings.
“Despite previously being convicted of sex crimes against minors, Cummings continued to prey on a slew of young females, exploiting and manipulating his victims in order to maintain his reputation of a lifestyle of sex and drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Cummings has demonstrated time and again that he is a danger to society and must be imprisoned to protect our youth.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie stated: “This type of egregious victimization of minors cannot and will not be tolerated. We are grateful for our partnership with the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force that allows us to investigate and prosecute this type of conduct.”
According to court documents, in July 2024, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force received information about a teenage victim allegedly receiving gifts and illicit substances from Cummings in exchange for sex acts. Cummings was known on social media as “614 Terrance.”
Further investigation revealed that Cummings had sex with numerous minor victims and requested nude images and videos of the victims in exchange for marijuana, Xanax, cocaine, acid and ecstasy. The defendant bought the victims gifts like clothes and shoes and offered to buy lingerie and sex toys for at least one of the victims.
While executing a search warrant at Cummings’s apartment in August 2024, agents discovered two iPhones submerged in the water tank on the back of the bathroom toilet, which Cummings had attempted to destroy after learning about the warrant. Investigators also discovered fentanyl pills, Xanax, cocaine, methamphetamine, mushrooms and amphetamine in the apartment.
Cummings’s electronics contained approximately 62,000 chat messages, 26,000 emails and 150 instant messages about drug sales and to various females. In the messages, Cummings requested the females send him “content” videos and said he would give cash, clothes, concert tickets, drugs, alcohol or other items of value to them.
Between 2015 and 2023, Cummings kept information on his iPhone investigators later recovered and connected to his crimes, such as lists of the full names of hundreds of females, including some of the identified victims. He also kept track of his monthly spending on his iPhone, with one example where Cummings noted he spent $1,300 on a**, $400 on “nudes” and $400 on “gifts for hoes” one month. He also made a list of the ways females could make $250, which included seven different sexual acts and a time frame for which to complete the sex act.
Cummings has a criminal history of unlawful sexual conduct with minors dating back to 2016. He pleaded guilty in this case in June 2025 to sexually exploiting minors, sex trafficking of a minor and to distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force was formed under the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Property Management Company to Pay $60,000 to Servicemember for False AffidavitRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that Rental Marketing Solutions, LLC (RMS), a property management company based in St. Petersburg, Florida, will pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by obtaining an unlawful eviction judgment against an active duty Navy sailor. This is the largest amount the Department has ever obtained for a single servicemember in a case involving the filing of a false military service affidavit.
“It is unacceptable and illegal for a landlord or property management company to file a false affidavit stating that an active duty servicemember is not in military service,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This SCRA violation had significant consequences, as potential landlords refused to rent to a sailor once they learned of the eviction on his record. He became homeless and his wife was forced to move back in with her parents in another state. The Justice Department will continue to fight to protect the rights of military families.”
“Protecting the civil rights of our servicemembers is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to aggressively enforce the SCRA to protect the servicemembers who fight to protect us here at home. These servicemembers, along with their families, sacrifice to serve our country and deserve to be treated with dignity. No servicemember should ever be denied housing or have their record tarnished based on a false affidavit.”
The Department alleges that RMS named the sailor as a defendant in an eviction action for a property he had not lived in for several years, filed a false affidavit stating he was not on active duty, and obtained an eviction judgment against him in a Florida county court while he was assigned to the USS Nimitz at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Because the eviction judgment showed up on his background reports, a dozen or more landlords refused to rent to him and his wife. For four months, he had to live separately from his wife and rotate among temporary accommodations, including sleeping on the berthed Naval ship, which had no heat.
The SCRA requires a plaintiff in a case where a defendant does not make an appearance to file an affidavit stating whether the defendant is in military service, with necessary supporting facts. This allows the court to appoint an attorney to represent the servicemember and to postpone the proceedings if a defense cannot be presented without the servicemember’s presence. Because RMS filed a false affidavit stating that the sailor was not in military service, he did not receive the benefit of those protections.
Under the settlement, RMS will pay $60,000 in compensation to the sailor and for ten years of credit monitoring for him. RMS will also be required to pay a $6,000 civil penalty and maintain SCRA policies and procedures to avoid committing future violations.
The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained $489 million in monetary relief for 152,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Property Management Company to Pay $60,000 to Servicemember for False AffidavitRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - The Justice Department today announced that Rental Marketing Solutions, LLC (RMS), a property management company based in St. Petersburg, Florida, will pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by obtaining an unlawful eviction judgment against an active duty Navy sailor. This is the largest amount the Department has ever obtained for a single servicemember in a case involving the filing of a false military service affidavit.
“Protecting the civil rights of our servicemembers is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to aggressively enforce the SCRA to protect the servicemembers who fight to protect us here at home. These servicemembers, along with their families, sacrifice to serve our country and deserve to be treated with dignity. No servicemember should ever be denied housing or have their record tarnished based on a false affidavit.”
“It is unacceptable and illegal for a landlord or property management company to file a false affidavit stating that an active duty servicemember is not in military service,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This SCRA violation had significant consequences, as potential landlords refused to rent to a sailor once they learned of the eviction on his record. He became homeless and his wife was forced to move back in with her parents in another state. The Justice Department will continue to fight to protect the rights of military families.”
The Department alleges that RMS named the sailor as a defendant in an eviction action for a property he had not lived in for several years, filed a false affidavit stating he was not on active duty, and obtained an eviction judgment against him in a Florida county court while he was assigned to the USS Nimitz at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Because the eviction judgment showed up on his background reports, a dozen or more landlords refused to rent to him and his wife. For four months, he had to live separately from his wife and rotate among temporary accommodations, including sleeping on the berthed Naval ship, which had no heat.
The SCRA requires a plaintiff in a case where a defendant does not make an appearance to file an affidavit stating whether the defendant is in military service, with necessary supporting facts. This allows the court to appoint an attorney to represent the servicemember and to postpone the proceedings if a defense cannot be presented without the servicemember’s presence. Because RMS filed a false affidavit stating that the sailor was not in military service, he did not receive the benefit of those protections.
Under the settlement, RMS will pay $60,000 in compensation to the sailor and for ten years of credit monitoring for him. RMS will also be required to pay a $6,000 civil penalty and maintain SCRA policies and procedures to avoid committing future violations.
The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained $489 million in monetary relief for 152,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil
Property Management Company to Pay $60,000 to Servicemember for False AffidavitRead the Press Release
TAMPA, FL — The Justice Department today announced that Rental Marketing Solutions, LLC (RMS), a property management company based in St. Petersburg, Florida, will pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by obtaining an unlawful eviction judgment against an active duty Navy sailor. This is the largest amount the Department has ever obtained for a single servicemember in a case involving the filing of a false military service affidavit.
“Protecting the civil rights of our servicemembers is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to aggressively enforce the SCRA to protect the servicemembers who fight to protect us here at home. These servicemembers, along with their families, sacrifice to serve our country and deserve to be treated with dignity. No servicemember should ever be denied housing or have their record tarnished based on a false affidavit.”
“It is unacceptable and illegal for a landlord or property management company to file a false affidavit stating that an active duty servicemember is not in military service,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This SCRA violation had significant consequences, as potential landlords refused to rent to a sailor once they learned of the eviction on his record. He became homeless and his wife was forced to move back in with her parents in another state. The Justice Department will continue to fight to protect the rights of military families.”
The Department alleges that RMS named the sailor as a defendant in an eviction action for a property he had not lived in for several years, filed a false affidavit stating he was not on active duty, and obtained an eviction judgment against him in a Florida county court while he was assigned to the USS Nimitz at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Because the eviction judgment showed up on his background reports, a dozen or more landlords refused to rent to him and his wife. For four months, he had to live separately from his wife and rotate among temporary accommodations, including sleeping on the berthed Naval ship, which had no heat.
The SCRA requires a plaintiff in a case where a defendant does not make an appearance to file an affidavit stating whether the defendant is in military service, with necessary supporting facts. This allows the court to appoint an attorney to represent the servicemember and to postpone the proceedings if a defense cannot be presented without the servicemember’s presence. Because RMS filed a false affidavit stating that the sailor was not in military service, he did not receive the benefit of those protections.
Under the settlement, RMS will pay $60,000 in compensation to the sailor and for ten years of credit monitoring for him. RMS will also be required to pay a $6,000 civil penalty and maintain SCRA policies and procedures to avoid committing future violations.
The Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained $489 million in monetary relief for 152,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil. Do not reply to this message. If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Previously removed Mexican national headed to federal prison for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 53-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Alcantar Esquivel Moreno pleaded guilty Feb. 20.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Moreno to serve 54 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he will be removed following his imprisonment. In imposing the sentence, the court noted Moreno had been told what would happen if he came back, and he chose to do so anyway.
Moreno has a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault-family violence. Authorities first removed him from the United States in February 2012.
Law Enforcement discovered Moreno again Oct. 23, 2022, following his arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Moreno has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Portland Man Sentenced for Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Derren Wood-Peterson, 35, to seven years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Judge Neumann also ordered Wood-Peterson to pay $56,500 in restitution to victims whose images he possessed. Wood-Peterson pleaded guilty on October 2, 2025.
According to court records, Wood-Peterson sent a payment on Cash App for a link associated with child sexual abuse material. In December 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at his residence, resulting in the seizure of two cell phones containing thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material. When interviewed by investigators, Wood-Peterson admitted to accessing, viewing, and distributing child sexual abuse material over the internet. Forensic analysis of his devices revealed multiple acts of distribution of this material over the Telegram Messenger application.
The FBI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Pharaoh’s owner going to prison for 25 years for bribery, sex trafficking conspiracy and witness tamperingRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Peter Gerace, 59, of Clarence, NY, was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo after a jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, drug trafficking and defrauding the United States, along with witness tampering, maintaining a drug involved premises and bribing a public official.
Between 2005, and 2019, Gerace, owned and operated Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club. While doing so Gerace engaged in various criminal activity to include conspiring to distribute controlled substances, sex trafficking and bribing former Drug Enforcement Agent Joesph Bongiovanni. Gerace paid Bongiovanni in exchange for Bongiovanni using his position to dissuade other members of law enforcement from conducting investigations into Gerace’s activities at Pharaoh’s. Bongiovanni was previously convicted and was sentenced to serve five years in prison. Gerace also forced and coerced Pharaoh’s dancers to engage in commercial sex acts.
“The conduct Peter Gerace engaged in had a horrendous impact on the victims and negatively impacted the community,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “My office will continue pursue individuals who engage in such conduct and hold them accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing of Peter Gerace sends a clear message that individuals who exploit vulnerable people for profit will be held accountable,” said Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Buffalo Field Office. “This case exposed the devastating impact of drug trafficking, public corruption, and human trafficking within Western New York. To those who have been exploited or trafficked: your life matters, and your voice matters. The FBI encourages victims and survivors to come forward, as we have dedicated professionals and resources available to provide support. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.”
“Today’s sentence closes a dark chapter in which this defendant treated people as commodities and tried to bend the justice system to his will,” said HSI Buffalo Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. “No amount of money, influence, or intimidation could shield Peter Gerace from accountability. HSI Buffalo and our partners will continue to stand with victims, follow the evidence, and dismantle criminal networks that profit from exploitation in our community.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message to anybody who would seek to bribe a corrupt federal law enforcement agent to facilitate crimes like drug and sex trafficking,” said Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Northeast Region. “The DOJ OIG commends its investigative partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this just outcome.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Tripi, Nicholas T. Cooper, and Casey L. Chalbeck. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special-Agent-In-Charge Ryan T. Geach, Northeast Region.
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Perfectus Aluminum Inc. and Related Companies Agree to Pay $549.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – California-based companies Perfectus Aluminum Inc., Perfectus Aluminum Acquisitions LLC and four affiliated warehousing companies have agreed to pay a total of $549.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly evading, or conspiring to evade, antidumping and countervailing duties owed to the United States on aluminum extrusions imported from the People’s Republic of China (China).
“The President’s America First Trade Policy defends this country’s national and economic security and ensures compliance with trade laws, including the payment of tariffs intended to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Those who try to game the system harm American businesses and workers and will be brought to justice.”
“Unscrupulous, corrupt, and anti-competitive practices against American manufacturers will not be tolerated,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Law enforcement will use all legal means to protect American taxpayers, workers, and businesses.”
“Consistent with the goals of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, this settlement reflects our commitment to hold accountable those who commit fraud on the government by withholding duties that are owed on imported goods,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will continue to zealously pursue those who attempt to evade such duties and harm U.S. manufacturing jobs.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) played a pivotal role in this action, providing critical support through the Office of Trade, Office of Field Operations, Office of Finance, and Office of Chief Counsel. “Duty evasion is not a victimless crime; it hurts businesses that play by the rules and undermines U.S. economic security,” said CBP Office of Trade Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas. “I am proud of CBP’s close collaboration with the Justice Department and Homeland Security Investigations, as we work together to protect the American economy.”
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties, including antidumping and countervailing duties assessed by the Department of Commerce. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies. During the relevant time period, aluminum extrusions from China were subject to both antidumping and countervailing duties.
The settlement resolves civil allegations that, from July 2011 through June 2014, Defendants Perfectus, Perfectus Aluminum Acquisitions, and its affiliated warehousing companies 1001 Doubleday, LLC; Von-Karman Main Street, LLC; 10681 Production Avenue, LLC; and Scuderia Development, LLC (together, “Perfectus Defendants”) knowingly made, and caused others to make, false statements on Customs Form 7501 Entry Summaries that were material to obligations to pay duties owed to CBP on extruded aluminum.
The Perfectus Defendants knowingly and improperly avoided antidumping and countervailing duties owed on more than 2.2 million aluminum extrusions in the form of “pallets,” which they misrepresented to CBP as finished merchandise not subject to antidumping and countervailing duties. The pallets were simply aluminum extrusions that were spot-welded together to make them appear to be functional pallets. In fact, there were no customers for these pallets imported by the Defendants between 2011 and 2014, and no pallets were ever sold. On August 23, 2021, a jury in the Central District of California convicted the Perfectus Defendants of Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States or Defraud the United States, among other things. United States v. Perfectus Aluminum Inc., et al., No. 2:19-cr-00282-GK (C.D. Cal.).
The settlement with the Perfectus Defendants resolves civil lawsuits filed by relators Mike Rapport, Eric Shen, and the Aluminum Extruders Council under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuits were separately filed in the Central District of California and later consolidated under the caption United States ex rel. Rapport v. PengCheng Aluminum Enterprise Inc., et al., No. 5:15-cv-00712 (C.D. Cal.). As part of today’s resolution, the relator share will be 17.5 percent of the settlement proceeds that are returned to CBP.
The resolution obtained in this matter was 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 Central District of California, with assistance from CBP’s Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Los Angeles West Region.
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 Civil Division coordinated this action through the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Department’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here.
Assistant United States Attorney Hunter B. Thomson for the Central District of California and Attorneys Jennifer Chorpening and Martha Glover of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Fraud Section, handled the case.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Detonating an Explosive Device Under Former Supervisor’s VehicleRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man admitted to denotating an explosive device under a vehicle that was parked at his former supervisor’s residence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.
Michael Patrick Takacs, Jr., 44, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an Information charging him with one count of transporting an explosive with the knowledge and intent that it would be used to intimate an individual and used unlawfully to damage and destroy property.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
After being terminated from his employment in or around April 2025, Takacs manufactured an improvised explosive device, commonly referred to as an “IED,” using explosive chemicals and a remote pyrotechnic device he purchased and filling the IED with shrapnel, including nails. In the early morning hours of July 26, 2025, Takacs transported the IED from Pennsylvania to his former supervisor’s personal residence in Delran, New Jersey and placed it under a vehicle parked in the driveway. While transporting the IED, Takacs took steps to conceal his identity by removing the license plate from his vehicle, leaving his personal cell phone at his house, and wearing a mask on his face. Ultimately, Takacs remotely detonated the IED in an effort to intimidate his former supervisor and to damage and destroy the vehicle.
The charge of transporting an explosive to intimidate or damage property carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the following with the investigation leading up to this guilty plea: special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the direction of U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, under the direction of Director Thomas G. Hauck, New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of LaChia L. Bradshaw, the Delran (NJ) Township Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Matthew J. Gasper, the Warminster (PA) Township Police Department under the direction of Chief James Donnelly III, the Bucks County (PA) Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Daniel Ceisler, and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Joe Khan.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith and Vincent D. Romano of the National Security Unit in Newark, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
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Defense counsel: Thomas Young, Esq.
takacs.information.pdfOregon man sentenced to over 6 years in prison for drug trafficking in BillingsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – An Oregon man who trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Billings was sentenced today to 82 months of imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Derry Jerel Howard, 55, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Susan P Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on January 11, 2023, law enforcement received information an individual was selling drugs in Billings. They located the individual in a vehicle in downtown Billings. They also saw a male, later identified as Howard, driving the vehicle. Law enforcement watched Howard commit several traffic violations and stopped the car. The vehicle slowly came to a stop and when Howard got out of the driver’s door a baggie with suspected meth was observed on the driver’s seat in plain view. Also in plain view in the rear seat was a container with suspected fentanyl pills. Howard was advised of his rights and denied knowing there were drugs in his vehicle. The other individual was advised of his rights and stated he and Howard were on their way to sell fentanyl pills and the drugs in the vehicle were Howard’s. The individual also told officers Howard had a large cache of drugs at his apartment.
After obtaining a search warrant for Howard’s apartment, officers recovered approximately 117 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 153 grams of fentanyl, and a significant quantity of US currency.
After the search, law enforcement interviewed Howard and he admitted purchasing meth and fentanyl pills to sell in Billings.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deon Dewayne Grundy, 29, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 3, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Beckley residence where Grundy was living and seized 86 grams of fentanyl. As part of his plea agreement, Grundy admitted that he intended to distribute the seized fentanyl in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. Grundy further admitted that he sold approximately 5 grams of fentanyl earlier that day to a confidential informant at the Beckley residence in exchange for $300.
Grundy is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:26-cr-8.
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