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13 May 2026
Nicholson Man Indicted for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Vieira, age 37, of Nicholson, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of production of child pornography, online enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Vieira used the internet and an electronic device to persuade and entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct and to produce child pornography. The indictment also alleges that on January 1, 2026 and January 10, 2026, Vieira received child pornography.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson 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 the crimes charged in the Indictment is life 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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Naugatuck Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SEAN SAYER, 23, of Naugatuck, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 20, 2025, an eight-year-old boy (“minor victim”) in Oregon contacted Sayer by text message and asked Sayer if he was @fornight_legends on TikTok. Sayer responded affirmatively and, over the next three days, exchanged with the minor victim more than 1,300 messages in which Sayer repeatedly and aggressively demanded sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim in exchange for playing Fortnite with him online. The minor victim sent Sayer at least 15 videos constituting child sexual abuse material or child pornography.
Sayer was arrested on June 18, 2025. A subsequent forensic review of Sayer’s cellphone revealed screenshots of Snapchat conversations Sayer had with numerous additional minor victims who Sayer coerced or enticed to send him sexually explicit photos of themselves. To date, investigators have identified approximately 89 separate minor victims.
In addition, electronic devices seized from Sayer revealed more than 5,000 videos and 1,000 images containing child sexual abuse material, including images and videos depicting sexual violence against prepubescent minors.
Sayer pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment on each count, and one count of possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Sayer, who was released on bond, has been detained since February 17, 2026, after his bond was revoked.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Eugene (Ore.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Morristown Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in the Deaths of Multiple Fentanyl Overdose VictimsRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On May 13, 2026, Ashlyn Jade Henry, 25 of Morristown, Tennessee was sentenced to 20 years by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Court, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following her imprisonment, Henry will be on supervised release for five years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Henry agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C).
According to filed court documents, in January 2024, Henry purchased a quantity of cocaine base from her supplier in the Knoxville area for the purpose of reselling it to people in Morristown, Tennessee. This cocaine base was laced with fentanyl. Over the course of several days Henry then sold the laced drugs to numerous victims. At least three victims were found deceased in their homes after using the drugs. Two additional victims overdosed and survived after being resuscitated. Both surviving victims identified Henry as the person that sold them the fentanyl laced cocaine base.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to the indictment and subsequent conviction of Henry included the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Morristown Police Department, and the Hamblen County Sherriff’s Office.
Meghan L. Gomez, Assistant United States Attorney represented the United States.
On December 15, 2025, the President issued an Executive Order designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Mexican national illegally living in Lufkin guilty of immigration violations as part of Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national illegally living in the Eastern District of Texas, has pleaded guilty to immigration violations, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose Perez-Segura, 41, pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry by a deported alien before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on May 13, 2026.
According to information presented in court, Perez-Segura was arrested by the Lufkin Police Department in August 2025 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Further investigation revealed Perez-Segura was an alien illegal present in the United States after having been previously deported in 2011 and did not have permission to return to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lufkin Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
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Mexican national illegally living in Arlington sentenced to 20 years in federal prison as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigation for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – An illegal alien has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Mauricio Diaz-Abraham, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on May 12, 2026.
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2020, Diaz-Abraham, a Mexican national who was illegally living in Arlington, was part of a methamphetamine distributing conspiracy responsible for trafficking a large amount of methamphetamine from Mexico into the Eastern District of Texas and beyond. Diaz-Abraham admitted to being personally responsible for the distribution of at least 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CD; United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Mexican Human Smuggler Sentenced for Role in Years-Long Smuggling OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced Monday to 11 years in prison for her role in a years-long, prolific smuggling organization that operated at the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to the indictment, Ofelia Hernandez Salas, 64, of Mexicali, Mexico, and co-conspirators facilitated the travel of hundreds of aliens from and through numerous countries into the United States. Hernandez Salas charged the aliens as much as tens of thousands of dollars to illegally cross the Mexico-U.S. border. The aliens traveled from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.
“Transnational human smuggling at a large scale directly threatens our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Ofelia Hernandez Salas and her co-conspirators endangered our communities on a massive scale by illegally bringing foreign nationals from more than a dozen countries into the United States. Not only did she take away the ability to properly vet these people from immigration authorities, she and her co-conspirators also robbed these people of their personal belongings at gun or knife point. Illegal border crossings are already incredibly dangerous; this defendant only increased the potential of mortal danger they faced by adding robbery to her criminal acts.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office alongside our federal and international partners use every available tool to aggressively target and dismantle dangerous transnational human smuggling organizations and bring their leaders to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “This investigation and prosecution exemplify the work that is being done every day in the District of Arizona and through Joint Task Force Alpha to secure our nation’s southern border and protect the American people.”
Hernandez Salas and co-conspirators directed the aliens to cross the border in several ways. They provided aliens with a ladder to climb over the border fence, pointed out holes where they could climb under the fence, and provided a plank for them to walk over a waterway. In addition to moving aliens across the border in droves, Hernandez Salas and her co-conspirators also robbed the aliens of money, cell phones, and other belongings, often while armed with guns and knives.
In March 2023, Hernandez Salas and co-conspirator Raul Saucedo-Huipio were arrested in Mexico pursuant to an extradition request from the United States and remained in federal custody. Saucedo-Huipio has also pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing in June 2026. In December 2024, Hernandez Salas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and three substantive counts of bringing an alien to the United States for commercial benefit or private financial gain. She is subject to deportation upon the completion of her sentence.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by JTFA, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 450 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI Yuma investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol (BP), Customs and Border Protection (CBP); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; FBI; and the U.S. Marshals Service, working in concert with HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force and OFAC.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Hernandez-Salas, and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Foreign Ministry for making the extradition possible. The Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) provided significant assistance as well.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Crowley for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case, with significant assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Meth trafficker sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, Georgia: A Laurens County man with a checkered criminal history has been sentenced to federal prison for distributing methamphetamine.
Bobby Akins, 55, of Dublin, Georgia, was sentenced to 90 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of more than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also fined Akins $1,000 and ordered him to serve four years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Whether in our largest cities or our smallest communities, we will pursue those who peddle poison in our neighborhoods and send them to prison,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Deadly drugs like methamphetamine have no safe place in the Southern District of Georgia.”
As described in court documents and testimony, investigators identified Akins as a source of illegal drug distribution in the Toombs County area, primarily selling quantities of methamphetamine. During the investigation, and prior to his federal indictment in October 2025, he was arrested for violating probation on state charges of meth trafficking in Montgomery County and confined to serve the remainder of his state prison sentence.
Akins has a long criminal history including multiple convictions on state charges for drug trafficking, and in 2001 was convicted on federal charges in the Southern District of Texas for transporting illegal aliens hidden in a tractor trailer.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Deputy Criminal Chief Marcela C. Mateo and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Scanlon.
Memphis Gang Members Sentenced to 50 Years Each for Murdering a Fellow Gang MemberRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two Unknown Vice Lords — a violent Memphis street gang — were each sentenced to 50 years in prison after a federal jury convicted them on Feb. 13 for a gang-related murder.
“Substantial sentences like these send the loud and clear message that organized gang violence and retaliatory murder will be vigorously pursued, charged, and prosecuted by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants carried out a calculated, execution-style murder. They intended to incite fear and silence in fellow gang members and in the Memphis community. The court’s 50-year sentences means they now will be known as long-term residents of the Bureau of Prisons, and the good people of Memphis will no longer be dealing with their vice. The Criminal Division remains committed to protecting communities from violent criminal organizations and pursuing justice for victims and their families.”
“These significant federal sentences have dismantled the leadership of the UVL street gang here in Memphis,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “From now on, E-Money, Dre, and V-Slash will not be ‘known’ by their gang nickname, but only by their Bureau of Prisons inmate numbers.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Allen, also known as E-Money, 42, of Los Angeles, and Deandre Rodgers, also known as Dre, 29, of Memphis, were high-ranking members of the Unknown Vice Lords also known as The Ghost Mob — a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis, as well as Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of the Unknown Vice Lords committed murders, burglaries, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s so-called Supreme Elite Chief, the gang leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved.
As proven at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in broad daylight, in a residential neighborhood. While the gang initially thought that a rival gang was responsible, they eventually came to believe it was one of their own who killed their leader and decided to retaliate.
On Jan. 14, 2019, Allen and Rodgers obtained guns from fellow gang member Vincent Grant, also known as V-Slash, 41, of Memphis. Early the next morning around 1 a.m., Allen, Rodgers, Grant, and another gang member drove the victim to the back of a rundown apartment complex where Allen and Rodgers used the firearms Grant supplied to murder the victim. Grant was also prosecuted and found guilty in a separate trial.
The jury convicted Allen and Rodgers of causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, that being murder in aid of racketeering.
A separate jury also convicted Grant of causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, that being murder in aid of racketeering. The court sentenced him to 24 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Memphis Police Department, and U.S. Secret Service assisted in the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
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If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Maryland Woman Sentenced for CARES Act Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland woman received a prison term for her role in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud conspiracy.
District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Kiara Smith, 28, of Prince George’s County, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, in connection with the scheme. Judge Boardman also ordered Smith to pay $3.5 million in restitution and imposed a criminal forfeiture of $275,000.
Smith, who served as a contractor for the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL), allowed her co-conspirators to use her work laptop to alter and approve fraudulent Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act UI claims. She also sought and fraudulently obtained a significant amount of UI benefits separate from the conspiracy.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the court documents, beginning in May 2021, and continuing until June 2022, Smith and her co-conspirators engaged in an identity theft scheme to defraud the United States, State of Maryland, multiple financial institutions, and multiple individuals. The co-conspirators submitted false and fraudulent UI benefits claims to the MD-DOL, Maryland’s agency that is responsible for processing the UI claims. As part of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than $3.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits.
Company 1 employed Smith to provide professional support services, including fraud detention efforts, to the MD-DOL. As part of the scheme, Smith provided a company-issued laptop to co-conspirators to access and alter non-public UI data and MD-DOL-maintained databases. This enabled the co-conspirators to maximize the UI payouts on fraudulent UI claims.
Smith’s co-conspirators altered the contact email addresses, online account passwords, and payment methods for existing UI claims. The co-conspirators furthered the scheme by using the identity theft victims’ personal identifying information (PII). They also used their access to the MD-DOL databases to upload and approve documents submitted in support of fraudulent UI claims; remove fraud holds on UI claims; certify weeks for determining UI benefits; and engage in other actions to facilitate the fraudulent UI benefits payments. During the scheme, the MD-DOL believed it was disbursing UI benefits to debit cards/accounts of UI applicants, but the accounts were opened and controlled by the co-conspirators.
Judge Boardman previously sentenced co-conspirators Lawrence Nathanial Harris, 32, of Temple Hills, Maryland, Ahmed Hussain, 23, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Zakria Hussain, 28, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Bryan Nushawn Ruffin, 27, of Woodbridge, Virginia, to 180-month, 102-month, 36-month, and 27-month federal-prison sentences, respectively. Terry Chen, 25, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, is receiving his sentence on Wednesday, May 20.
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.
For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and FBI for their work in the investigation and the Maryland Department of Labor for its assistance. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Joseph L. Wenner, who are prosecuting this case. She also recognized the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland man learned his fate in federal court, today, in connection with drug trafficking and weapons crimes.
U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Dominick Mackall, 37, of Lexington Park, to 110 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Judge Boardman also entered an order that Mackall forfeit all his firearms, ammunition, and $4,298 in cash.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Sheriff Steven A. Hall, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court documents, on October 26, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mackall’s residence and took him into custody in connection with a five-month narcotics trafficking investigation. During the search, law enforcement discovered multiple loaded firearms, including a ghost gun, and numerous rounds of ammunition in Mackall’s bedroom. Mackall is a convicted felon, so he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Law enforcement also uncovered several controlled substances in different quantities — including 964 fentanyl pills, cocaine, and marijuana — $4,298 in cash. Additionally, law enforcement found reloadable government-benefit cards in other people’s names.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Appleby-Rumon who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Mary Esther Fraudster Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Treivorn McLeod, 25, of Mary Esther, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit of money laundering. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Fraudsters will try every angle and scheme to steal money from innocent, unsuspecting victims, so it remains of critical importance to educate the general public about these fraud threats to prevent more of our citizens from being victimized. Thanks to the excellent investigative work by our federal law enforcement partners and the aggressive prosecution by my office, this scheme has been dismantled and this fraudster finds himself in federal prison where he belongs.”
Between June 1, 2022, and January 29, 2024, the defendant was part of a criminal conspiracy that defrauded victims by falsely claiming that the victims had won millions of dollars in the Publisher’s Clearing House lottery and the American Cash Rewards lottery. The conspiracy falsely told the victims that, to collect their winnings, the victims would have to pay fees and costs in advance. However, none of the victims received any money or prizes as promised after sending these fraudulent fee payments. In total, the defendant’s criminal conspiracy defrauded victims of approximately $530,000.
The defendant faces up to 80 years’ imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Air Force Department of Special Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 24, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Man Sentenced to More Than Six and a Half Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Firearm During Burglary Attempt in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than six and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded firearm while attempting to burglarize a store in Chicago.
NARVEAL RAGGS possessed a loaded handgun in the early morning hours of Nov. 15, 2024, while he and others attempted to break into a store in the 2600 block of North Halsted Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. The handgun had been equipped with a “switch” device, allowing it to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger, essentially turning the firearm into a machine gun. Chicago Police officers arrived on the scene before Raggs and the others could break into the store. Raggs took off running and threw the handgun onto the roof of a nearby building before he was apprehended.
A screenshot from the store’s video surveillance footage depicts Narveal Raggs holding a handgun.Raggs had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, including firearm-related convictions, and was legally prohibited from possessing a gun.
Raggs, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. On May 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Raggs to six years and 8 months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Jodrey.
Man Sentenced to 360 Months in Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 4, 2026, United States District Court Judge Gina Méndez-Miró sentenced Juan Edgardo Negrón-Navarro to 360 months (30 years) in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for two counts for sexual exploitation of children, and one count of interstate threat communications. Negrón-Navarro, 28, from Jayuya, Puerto Rico, was indicted on June 26, 2025, arrested on July 2, 2025, and pleaded guilty on December 5, 2025.
According to court documents, from in or about April 2023 to in or about May 2023, Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor between 15 and 16 years old (Minor 1) to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct.
Additionally, from in or about September 2024 to in or about November 2024, Negrón-Navarro did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce another female minor while she was 17 years of age (Minor 2), to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. At the same time, the defendant produced sexually explicit images of such conduct.
Moreover, on or about August 3, 2024, Negrón-Navarro, through the Internet, threatened to kill an adult female if she did not send him sexually explicit images.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Carlos Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted 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.
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Luxury Yacht Companies Plead Guilty to Violating Lacey Act for Using Illegally Obtained Burmese Teak on Multimillion Dollar Yachts; Agree to Pay $200,000 FineRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Sunseeker International Limited and Sunseeker USA Sales Co. Inc. (Sunseeker) pleaded guilty this week to two violations of the Lacey Act for using illegally obtained Burmese Teak on yachts that it imported into the U.S. Sunseeker agreed to pay a fine of $200,000, and to implement a compliance plan, among other penalties. Sunseeker manufactures luxury performance motor yachts and superyachts.
“Congress amended the Lacey Act in 2008 to prohibit the importation of illegally harvested timber,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “By enforcing the law, we ensure a level playing field for companies that follow the law. Timber trafficking is the third most lucrative form of transnational crime, so enforcing the law keeps money from flowing into criminal enterprises.”
“South Florida is one of the world’s great gateways for luxury vessels, but our ports are not open to illegal goods,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Sunseeker admitted that illegally obtained Burmese teak was used on yachts imported into the United States. That matters. Trafficking in illegal timber, wildlife, and other protected natural resources harms legitimate businesses, supports corrupt supply chains, and turns the natural world into profit for criminal organizations. This guilty plea, fine, and compliance requirements are a direct step toward accountability.”
“Timber trafficking is a transnational crime that damages forests and puts legitimate businesses at a disadvantage,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “We are actively disrupting illegal timber supply chains and holding violators accountable under the Lacey Act. This case is part of our ongoing work to protect natural resources and ensure American markets aren’t a destination for illegal goods.”
Sunseeker manufactures its vessels in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and sells them internationally, including in the U.S. Sunseeker pleaded guilty to using Burmese Teak on their yachts, specifically, a Teak balcony door intended to be incorporated into a yacht, and Teak parts incorporated into two yachts priced at approximately $2.98 million and $1.07 million, respectively.
The illegal logging of Teak in Myanmar has been a known problem since at least 2017. Both the U.S. and the U.K. have imposed sanctions against Myanmar and the U.S. has sanctioned the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE), the sole authorized seller of export Teak harvested in Myanmar. U.S. sanctions prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or those transiting the U.S. that involve any property or interest in property associated with the MTE. The U.K. has concluded that timber harvesting, specifically Teak, has financially supported dictatorships in Myanmar.
Sunseeker was previously charged in the U.K. and pleaded guilty in 2023 to three criminal violations of the U.K.’s Timber and Timber Products Regulations (UKTR). The company was sentenced and fined approximately $450,000. The Teak imports that Sunseeker imported into the U.S. came from the illegal Teak imports charged in the U.K. case.
Sunseeker is set to be sentenced on Aug. 20.
Last month, ENRD hosted a TIMBER Working Group roundtable where ENRD PDAAG Gustafson outlined ENRD’s commitment to enforcing timber trafficking laws. It is estimated that the U.S. Forest products industry loses $500 million annually to trafficking through depressed wood prices and lost export opportunities.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
ENRD is a member of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort that also involves the Criminal and Civil Divisions’ Fraud Sections, ENRD, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. 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 Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-cr-20181.
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Luxury Yacht Companies Plead Guilty to Violating Lacey Act for Using Illegally Obtained Burmese Teak on Multimillion Dollar Yachts; Agree to Pay $200,000 FineRead the Press Release
Sunseeker International Limited and Sunseeker USA Sales Co. Inc. (Sunseeker) pleaded guilty this week to two violations of the Lacey Act for using illegally obtained Burmese Teak on yachts that it imported into the United States. Sunseeker agreed to pay a fine of $200,000, and to implement a compliance plan, among other penalties. Sunseeker manufactures luxury performance motor yachts and superyachts.
“Congress amended the Lacey Act in 2008 to prohibit the importation of illegally harvested timber,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “By enforcing the law, we ensure a level playing field for companies that follow the law. Timber trafficking is the third most lucrative form of transnational crime, so enforcing the law keeps money from flowing into criminal enterprises.”
“South Florida is one of the world’s great gateways for luxury vessels, but our ports are not open to illegal goods,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Sunseeker admitted that illegally obtained Burmese teak was used on yachts imported into the United States. That matters. Trafficking in illegal timber, wildlife, and other protected natural resources harms legitimate businesses, supports corrupt supply chains, and turns the natural world into profit for criminal organizations. This guilty plea, fine, and compliance requirements are a direct step toward accountability.”
“Timber trafficking is a transnational crime that damages forests and puts legitimate businesses at a disadvantage,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “We are actively disrupting illegal timber supply chains and holding violators accountable under the Lacey Act. This case is part of our ongoing work to protect natural resources and ensure American markets aren’t a destination for illegal goods.”
Sunseeker manufactures its vessels in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and sells them internationally, including in the United States. Sunseeker pleaded guilty to using Burmese Teak on their yachts, specifically, a Teak balcony door intended to be incorporated into a yacht, and Teak parts incorporated into two yachts priced at approximately $2.98 million and $1.07 million, respectively.
The illegal logging of Teak in Myanmar has been a known problem since at least 2017. Both the U.S. and the U.K. have imposed sanctions against Myanmar and the U.S. has sanctioned the Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE), the sole authorized seller of export Teak harvested in Myanmar. U.S. sanctions prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or those transiting the U.S. that involve any property or interest in property associated with the MTE. The U.K. has concluded that timber harvesting, specifically Teak, has financially supported dictatorships in Myanmar.
Sunseeker was previously charged in the U.K. and pleaded guilty in 2023 to three criminal violations of the U.K.’s Timber and Timber Products Regulations (UKTR). The company was sentenced and fined approximately $450,000. The Teak imports that Sunseeker imported into the U.S. came from the illegal Teak imports charged in the U.K. case.
Sunseeker is set to be sentenced on Aug. 20.
Last month, ENRD hosted a TIMBER Working Group roundtable where ENRD PDAAG Gustafson outlined ENRD’s commitment to enforcing timber trafficking laws. It is estimated that the U.S. forest products industry loses $500 million annually to trafficking through depressed wood prices and lost export opportunities.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
ENRD is a member of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort that also involves the Criminal and Civil Divisions’ Fraud Sections, ENRD, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. 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 Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here.
Louisville Man Charged by Federal Complaint for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Last week, a Louisville man was arrested and charged by complaint with possession with the intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, possession of firearms as a convicted felon, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
The complaint alleges that in April 2026, law enforcement identified Darrell Malone, 35, as a multi-kilogram quantity fentanyl drug trafficker in the Louisville area and began an investigation into Malone’s drug trafficking operation. On or about May 7, 2026, members of the DEA executed a federal search warrant at Malone’s residence in Louisville. During the execution of the search warrant, DEA seized 4 bricks of suspected powdered fentanyl, additional bags of suspected fentanyl, a baggie of suspected MDMA (ecstasy) tablets, a hydraulic kilo press, and United States currency. DEA also seized three firearms, including a loaded Smith and Wesson 9-millimeter pistol, a loaded Glock 9-millimeter pistol, and a stolen Springfield XD 9-millimeter pistol. At the time he allegedly possessed the firearms, Malone was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on a prior federal conviction for conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
As a result of the seizures, Malone was charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
United States Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner stated, “President Trump has designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction based upon its lethality and the tragic loss of so many American lives from overdose deaths. DEA’s seizure of three million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl undoubtedly saved the lives of Louisvillians. I want to commend DEA for this fentanyl seizure. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to assist law enforcement in investigating fentanyl trafficking and we will aggressively prosecute fentanyl trafficking cases.”
“Mr. Malone, a career criminal, is behind bars today because of the cooperation and partnerships among law enforcement at every level… federal, state, and local, all working together to make Louisville a safer city,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Field Division. “The amount of fentanyl that we took from his home equates to more than three million potentially lethal doses that never made it to the street.
If convicted as charged in the complaint, Malone faces a combined mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of Life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the DEA, FBI, and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Nashville comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
A complaint merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Louisiana Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Failure to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Fort Polk, La., woman was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment, three years of post-release supervision, and ordered to pay $322,098.70 in restitution, for her conviction of wire fraud and willful failure to pay federal employment taxes. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Juanita Faye Holtschneider, 58, was sentenced before U.S. Senior District Judge Douglas Harpool, for one count of wire fraud, pursuant to Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1343, and one count of failure to pay employment taxes to the United States, pursuant to Title 26, U.S. Code, Section 7202.
Holtschnieder, working as the accountant for G2 Material Handling, embezzled monies from the United States and G2 by redirecting automatic deposits set up within the business. Holtschnieder used her trusted position to reroute deposits, intended for the bank accounts of the U.S. Treasury and G2’s business account, to her personal account. Holtchneider then created false documents that she submitted to her employer that effectively hid her embezzlement. Holtschneider’s scheme to defraud was only detected after the Internal Revenue Service detected failure by the business to submit regular payments for collected employment taxes. Holtschneider was ordered to pay $322,098.70 in restitution, with $289,607.70 paid to the U.S. Government, and an additional $32,491.00 paid to G2 Material Handling.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Kansas Woman Sentenced for Stealing from Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Junction City, Ks., woman was sentenced in federal court for stealing from an elderly couple for whom she served as an informal caretaker.
Amanda Rutherford, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, for one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. Rutherford was sentenced to six years imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $165,381.59 in restitution to the elderly victims. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
In 2022, the Dickinson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office received a report that several items, including firearms, and more than $400,000 in collector coins, were stolen from the farmhouse of an octogenarian married couple. Rutherford had lived on the property and claimed to be an informal caregiver for the couple. In early 2024, the Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Rutherford sold gold and silver coins to a jewelry store in Clay County, Mo. and received checks totaling $100,000. After confirming the sale with the jewelry store, a search warrant was served on Rutherford’s vehicle soon after she cashed the checks. The search revealed newly purchased merchandise, the remainder of the bundled currency, and other coins belonging to the victims. Rutherford claimed the victims had given her permission to sell the coins and split the proceeds with them, which the victims denied. Rutherford sold the victim’s coins to at least three other pawn shops from October 2023 through March of 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by the Dickinson County Kansas Sheriff’s Office and Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations unit.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing child pornography.
Jesus Angel Rios, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of distribution of child pornography. By pleading guilty today, Rios admitted that he knowingly distributed child sexual abuse images over the internet between Sept. 26, 2024 and Dec. 5, 2024.
Under federal statutes, Rios is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Based on his plea of guilty, Rios will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Challenging Biden Administration’s Alleged Social Media Coercion and CensorshipRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department this week announced the settlement of litigation alleging that the Biden administration induced Twitter to suppress disfavored speech by an American citizen. The lawsuit alleged that coercing the social media company to suppress disfavored speech violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The settlement implements President Trump’s Executive Order, entitled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” acknowledging that “the previous administration trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms, often by exerting substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as social media companies, to moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress speech that the Federal Government did not approve.” 90 Fed. Reg. 8243 (Jan. 28, 2025).
“The Biden Administration engaged in blatant viewpoint discrimination, wielding power over social media to kick conservatives off Twitter completely,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Today’s settlement proves such injustices are over under President Trump’s leadership.”
“This Department will continue working to undo past abuses of the First Amendment,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, of the Civil Division. “Unlawful government coercion of social media companies has no place in our country or under our Constitution.”
“This settlement is an important milestone in the battle for free speech in our country, concerning a time when social media censorship encouraged by state and federal government actors suppressed wide swaths of protected speech," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, of the Civil Rights Division. "The proper antidote to speech one doesn’t like, is more speech.”
The Department’s agreement with plaintiff avoids the need for continued litigation in this case. Berenson v. Biden, No. 25-2709 (2d. Cir.).
Securing the right of the American people to engage in constitutionally protected speech is a priority of the Department of Justice. Additional information about the Civil Division is available at www.justice.gov/civil.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against D.C. Bar Disciplinary Authorities over Their Weaponization of the Bar Disciplinary Process Against Federal Government AttorneysRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a complaint against D.C. Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton P. Fox III, the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility over their improper use of bar discipline to regulate the official actions of Federal Government attorneys. The filing advances President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government and Presidential Memorandum on Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Courts. Specifically, the complaint seeks to nullify the D.C. Bar’s unlawful prosecution of former Assistant Attorney General Jeff Clark based on internal deliberations relating to potential fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election, which remains the subject of litigation nearly six years later.
"As our complaint and history make clear, the DC Bar has long acted as a blatantly partisan arm of leftist causes. No more,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“President Trump promised to put an end to the weaponization of the legal process, and today’s lawsuit against the D.C. Bar makes good on that promise,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “The D.C. Bar will no longer be permitted to probe sensitive Executive Branch deliberations and target Executive Branch officials with whom they happen to politically disagree, and Federal attorneys will once again be free to share their candid legal advice with their bosses and colleagues.”
Just last week, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in support of former interim United States Attorney Ed Martin, who is seeking to have the D.C. Bar’s unlawful prosecution of him heard in a neutral Federal tribunal.
As three former Attorneys General recently recognized, the D.C. Bar’s efforts to discipline Justice Department attorneys “for making recommendations, factual assertions, and providing legal advice during confidential internal agency deliberations on law enforcement and sensitive public policy” are “improper and constitutionally impermissible.”
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward filed the complaint. The complaint is available here.
Jury convicts Laredoan of multiple offenses involving child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Laredo man has been found guilty of transportation, receipt and possession of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Fernando Xavier Ortiz on all counts as charged following a two-day trial that concluded May 12.
The investigation began after law enforcement learned child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to a social media application which originated from an apartment in Laredo. Ortiz resided at the location with his family.
Authorities executed a search warrant in June 2024 and seized several electronic devices. Further examination of one of the cellular phones revealed 220 videos and 144 images containing CSAM. The files were all hidden in a “secure” folder Ortiz had loaded on the phone which was password protected.
Testimony revealed he had been actively using that same secure folder for other purposes, such as sending emails to purchase a car.
The jury heard from four witnesses, some of whom described how Ortiz obtained the material from another application and stored it in the secure folder of the Samsung phone.
The defense attempted to convince the jury someone else must have placed the material on his phone, and there was insufficient proof that he did it. They did not believe those claims and found Ortiz guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen presided over trial and will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Ortiz faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Previously released on bond, he was ordered into custody following the verdict where he will remain pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Laredo Police Department and other members of the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Zeller and Michael Makens are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Jury Convicts Sacramento Man of Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury found Anthony Carter, 23, of Sacramento, guilty on Tuesday of being a felon in possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at a trial held before U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, on Dec. 4, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a call for service regarding a parking disturbance involving a firearm at an apartment complex in South Sacramento. When officers arrived, they saw four individuals, including the defendant and his co-defendant Isaiah Rowland, 30, of Antelope. While officers conducted their initial investigation, a nearby resident informed police that his Ring security cameras had just captured two men hiding firearms underneath a trash can at the corner of his apartment building.
Officers reviewed the Ring camera footage, which showed two individuals running toward the corner of the building at approximately 11:05 p.m. In a video, Rowland is seen kneeling to hide a firearm under a trash can while Carter stands nearby, looking around as if to act as a lookout. Immediately after Rowland finishes, Carter is seen crouching at the same trash can and placing a second firearm beneath it. Both men then leave the area on foot. The Ring cameras did not activate again from when Rowland and Carter discarded their firearms to when the Ring camera owner secured the firearms. Subsequently, the Ring camera owner turned the firearms over to police. The two firearms were a .40-caliber Glock 27 and a Springfield Armory XD 45 pistol. Carter is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions including illegal firearms possession.
The Sacramento Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zulkar Khan and Caily Nelson are prosecuting the case.
In August 2024, a grand jury charged both Carter and Rowland with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Rowland pleaded guilty on June 13, 2025, and was sentenced on Sept. 19, 2025, to 33 months in prison.
Carter is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Coggins on Sept. 25, 2026. Carter faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, 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.
This case is the result of the ongoing collaboration between the Sacramento Police Department and its local, state, and federal partners as part of a Public Safety Partnership (PSP) to address violent crime in the community. Started in 2022, the Sacramento PSP is a multi-faceted violence-reduction strategy that relies on innovative data-driven strategies to promote public and community safety. Participating PSP partners include: the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office, Sacramento FBI, Sacramento DEA, Sacramento ATF, the Sacramento U.S. Marshals, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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.
Jefferson County felon sentenced for federal firearms violation related to Dowlen Road disturbanceRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Wendell Rashaud McKinney, 38, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on May 12, 2026.
According to information presented in court, during the early morning hours of February 22, 2025, a 911-caller reported multiple armed men loitering in the parking lot of the Fuma Dubai Hookah Lounge on Dowlen Road. Moments later when Beaumont police responded they found McKinney in possession of an AK-style pistol. Further investigation revealed McKinney was a previously convicted felon having been found guilty of a felony drug offense in Jefferson County and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
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Jamaican National Sentenced to 4.5 Years in Prison for Role in International Lottery Scam Targeting ElderlyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of St. James parish in Jamaica has been sentenced in federal court to 54 months of incarceration on his conviction of violating wire fraud and money laundering laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Tajay Singh, 29, of Montego Bay.
According to information presented to the Court, from approximately January 2021 to October 2023, Singh conspired to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering by defrauding elderly victims through a lottery scam. As part of the scam, members of the conspiracy called elderly victims and informed them that they had won a lottery but needed to pay taxes and fees to receive their prize. After sending the money as directed, the victims never received the prize money. The conspirators used a network of other conspirators and victims, as well as bank accounts opened in victims’ names, wire transfers, purchases of physical goods, and ATM withdrawals in Jamaica to execute and obfuscate their scheme.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Singh.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Firearms from the U.S.Read the Press Release
MIAMI – A Jamaican national pleaded guilty to illegally exporting dozens of firearms, magazines, and ammunition from the U.S. to Jamaica by concealing them inside furniture and shipping them overseas.
Taugea Ubert Dayes, 33, who performs under his stage name “Countree Hype,” pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling goods from the U.S. and one count of delivering a firearm to a common carrier without written notice.
“Illegal firearms trafficking fuels violence far beyond our borders,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant concealed dozens of firearms inside furniture and attempted to ship them overseas to evade detection and arm the black market in Jamaica. Firearms smuggling is not a paperwork offense. It is a public safety threat that fuels violence, empowers criminal organizations, and destabilizes communities. We will continue working with our international law enforcement partners to stop the flow of illegal weapons at its source.”
According to court records, on March 7 and 8, 2025, Dayes concealed 30 firearms, 32 magazines, and over 100 rounds of ammunition inside five office chairs. He wrapped the items in tinfoil and foam and sewed them into the seat cushions. On March 10, 2025, Dayes shipped the chairs from the U.S. to Jamaica using a freight shipping service. Jamaican law enforcement seized the firearms in Kingston eight days later.
Dayes faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI Miami is investigating with assistance from the HSI Kingston Attaché, HSI Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU), and the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Roca Shaw and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kseniya Smychkouskaya are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20344.
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Indictments, Convictions through Guilty Pleas, and Sentencings in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) ProsecutionsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following investigative and prosecutorial results for the week of May 4 through May 10, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Indictments:
- On May 6, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment charging (1) Charlie G. Marval-Henríquez (Venezuelan); (2) Jhoan Alexander Rodríguez-Núñez (Venezuelan); and (3) José Abraham Rodríguez-Núñez (Venezuelan) with conspiracy and attempt to import cocaine. Marval-Henríquez is also facing one count for re-entry of a removed alien. Jhoan Alexander and Josué Abraham Rodríguez-Núñez are both facing one count of improper entry by alien. According to court documents, in April 2026, the defendants knowingly and intentionally imported into the United States, from Colombia and other places, five kilograms or more of cocaine. Specifically, on April 29, 2026, HSTF seized approximately 643.3 kilograms of cocaine that the defendants were smuggling in a vessel. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Camille García-Rivera is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 7, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a 27 count superseding indictment charging (1) Douglas Antonio Fernández-Rodríguez (Venezuelan); (2) Eurices Gómez-Quijada (Venezuelan); (3) Oswaldo Bermúdez-Sánchez (Venezuelan); (4) Jesús Antonio Bougrat-Ramos (Venezuelan); (5) Jesús Mata-Gómez (Venezuelan); (6) Luis Quijada-Martínez (Venezuelan); (7) Alan Ibarra-Ibarra, a.k.a. “Alans/El Colombiano” (Venezuelan); (8) Primitivo Meregildo-Vargas, a.k.a. “El Viejo/El Jefe” (Dominican); and (9) Ramón Antonio Mejía-Meregildo, a.k.a. “El Barbero,” (Dominican) with conspiracy and importation of cocaine from Venezuela and other places, into Puerto Rico. All defendants are charged with knowingly entering or attempting to enter the United States illegally. Specifically, on or about March 11, 2026, HSTF seized approximately 709.1 kilograms of cocaine from a vessel that crashed on the shores of Vieques following a pursuit by law enforcement. United States Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Cody A. McKinney is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas:
- On May 5, 2026, Frank Quiñones-Boria pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in CR Case 22-327 (PAD). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute and distribute heroin, cocaine base (crack), cocaine, and marijuana at the Pedro Rosario Nieves Public Housing Project in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, and other areas nearby. All in violation of Title 21, U.S.C.§§ 841(a)(1), 846, and 860. Defendant was arrested on July 27, 2022. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 8, 2026. AUSA Corinne Cordero is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 5, 2026, Raul Quiñones-Boria pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in CR Case 22-327 (PAD). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute and distributing heroin, cocaine base (crack), cocaine, and marijuana at the Pedro Rosario Nieves Public Housing Project in Fajardo, PR, and other areas nearby. All in violation of Title 21, U.S.C.§§ 841(a)(1), 846, and 860. Defendant was arrested on July 27, 2022. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 8, 2026. AUSA Corinne Cordero is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 7, 2026, Calin Hernández-Valdez pleaded guilty to Count One in CR Case 25-484 (RAM). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction. Defendant was arrested on November 14, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 5, 2026. SAUSA Steven Liong-Rodríguez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 7, 2026, Usbardo Trinidad-Hungría pleaded guilty to Count One in CR Case 26-027 (GMM). According to the superseding indictment, the defendant was charged with an illegal reentry offense. On January 5, 2026, Trinidad-Hungría was remanded to the custody of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement by the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections after Defendant finished serving a sentence at the Bayamón Regional Jail for violations of the Puerto Rico Firearms Law. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 7, 2026. AUSA Manuel Muñiz-Lorenzi is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Julio Torres-Roche pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 300 to 400 grams of cocaine and the possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking in CR Case 25-392 (SCC). He also pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a detectable amount of cocaine in case 25-345 (GMM). According to the indictment in CR Case 25-392 (SCC), the defendant was charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in public housing projects and other areas in and around Cayey, Puerto Rico, and using firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking. In CR Case 25-345 (GMM), he was charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Defendant was arrested on December 3, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 20, 2026. AUSAs Vance Eaton and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Zael Lao-Ortiz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 200 to 300 grams of cocaine and the possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking in CR Case 25-392 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in public housing projects and other areas in and around Cayey, Puerto Rico, and using firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking. Lao-Ortiz was arrested on October 6, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 20, 2026. AUSAs Vance Eaton and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Jonathan Ortiz-Martínez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 200 to 300 grams of cocaine in CR Case 25-392 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances in public housing projects and other areas in and around Cayey, Puerto Rico. Defendant was arrested on October 7, 2026. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 20, 2026. AUSAs Vance Eaton and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Michael Jovan Rodríguez-Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in CR Case 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), marihuana, and fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes in several public housing projects in San Juan. The court set defendant’s sentencing for August 6, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Maycol A. Franco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes in CR Case 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, marihuana, and fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes in several public housing projects in San Juan. The defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing for August 6, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Jorge L. Carmona Gil pleaded guilty to all charges in the Indictment namely, Count One: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and Distribute in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine aboard a vessel of the United States; Count Two: Possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine aboard a vessel of the United States and Aiding and Abetting; Count Three: Conspiracy to import cocaine in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine; and Count Four: Attempted Importation in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine and Aiding and Abetting in case 24-132 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with these above drug trafficking crimes. Defendant was arrested on March 22, 2024. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for August 6, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
Sentencings:
- On May 4, 2026, Rodolfo Brunet-González was sentenced by Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé to a three-year term of probation for conspiring with another person to transport into and receive in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico a firearm from out of State via the United States Postal Service (USPS) mail without being a licensed importer, manufacturer, dealer or collector of firearms. Defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on September 18, 2025, in CR Case 25-389 (CVR), and pleaded guilty on February 3, 2026. AUSA Pedro R. Casablanca is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 5, 2026, Sem Monge-Parrilla was sentenced by Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach to 60 months of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for participating in drug trafficking in and near the Jardines de Sellés Public Housing Project. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on May 8, 2024, in CR Case 24-170 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on February 4, 2026. AUSAs Joseph Russell and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 5, 2026, Ernesto Caraballo was sentenced by Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach to 96 months of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for participating in drug trafficking while armed in and near the Jardines de Sellés Public Housing Project. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on May 8, 2024, in CR Case 24-170 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on February 4, 2026. AUSAs Joseph Russell and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 6, 2026, [2] Marcos Antonio Ventura-Martínez was sentenced by Judge Silvia L. Carreño-Coll to a 30 month term of imprisonment (with no term of supervised release) for drug trafficking crimes, including Count One: Conspiracy to import cocaine in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine; Count Two: Importation in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine and Aiding and Abetting; Count Three: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and Distribute in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine aboard a vessel of the United States; and Count Four: Possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine aboard a vessel of the United States and Aiding and Abetting. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on October 2, 2024, in Criminal case #24-376 (SCC), and pled guilty to all four charges on February 4, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 6, 2026, defendant Rafael Emilio Pérez-Pichardo, a 66-year-old Dominican Republic national, was sentenced by Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach to two years’ probation for illegal reentry of removed alien after having been previously removed from the United States following a felony conviction, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) & (b)(1). In 1990, the defendant was convicted in New York of manslaughter and sentenced to an indeterminate sentence of 5 to 15 years of imprisonment. In 2003, he was removed from the United States. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on June 4, 2025, in CR Case 25-262 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026. AUSA Elba Gorbea was in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 7, 2026, Omar Antonio Contreras-Mendoza was sentenced by Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach to 70 months of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute 339 kilograms of cocaine knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance would be imported into the United States. Because the defendant was detained in Colombia pending extradition, the Court credited 20 months and 8 days, resulting in a sentence of 49 months and 22 days of imprisonment. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on October 5, 2022, in CR Case 22-435 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025. AUSA Camille García Jiménez was in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 7, 2026, Eduardo Berríos-Sepúlveda was sentenced by Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach to 96 months of imprisonment and 8 years of supervised release for participating in drug trafficking while armed in and near the Jardines de Sellés Public Housing Project. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on May 8, 2024, in CR Case 24-170 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on January 8, 2026. AUSAs Joseph Russell and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 7, 2026, Luis A. Quijano-Cruz was sentenced by Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll to a term of imprisonment of 18 months and supervised release term of 5 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on February 22, 2024, in CR Case 24-069 (SCC), and pled guilty to the charge on April 24, 2025. AUSA María Cristina Semanaz is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 7, 2026, Erick Leandro Calderón-Soler was sentenced by Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to 87 months of imprisonment for drug-trafficking charges regarding movement of cocaine from Colombia to the United States. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on May 4, 2023, in CR Case 23–178 (MAJ) and pleaded guilty on February 11, 2026. AUSA Antonio Perez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Fedor Vovk and Aleksei Kondratev were sentenced by Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé to a term of imprisonment of time served (equal to seven months) for conspiracy to bring in illegal aliens at a place other than a designated port of entry. According to court documents, the defendants were charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on November 6, 2025, in CR Case 25-471 (CVR), and pleaded guilty on February 6, 2026. SAUSA Steven Liong-Rodríguez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, Michael García-Torres was sentenced by Judge Silvia Carreño Coll to 108 months (9 years) of imprisonment to be followed by 6 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes in several public housing projects in San Juan. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on June 11, 2025, in CR Case 25-272, and pleaded guilty on February 18, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, [1] Jonathan Ramaza Sanabria was sentenced by Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández to a 120 month (10 years) term of imprisonment and a supervised release term of five years for drug trafficking crimes, including Count One: Conspiracy to import cocaine in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine; Count Two: Importation in excess of 5 kilos of Cocaine and Aiding and Abetting; Count Three: Possession with intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilos of cocaine; and Count Four: Possession with the intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilos of cocaine and Aiding and Abetting. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on July 7, 2022, in CR Case 22-304 (PAD), and pleaded guilty to all four charges on February 7, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On May 8, 2026, defendant Juan Enrique Feliciano-Torres was sentenced by Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró to 66 months of imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release for a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances containing a detectable amount of Fentanyl and possession of a Glock Pistol G27, .40 caliber, loaded with ammunition, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, the defendant signed a Waiver of Indictment and pleaded guilty to Counts One and Two of an Information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Puerto Rico on February 6, 2026, in CR Case 26-050 (GMM). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edwin Cabán Jr. from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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Illinois Tax Preparer Convicted at Trial After Stealing More Than $11 Million from Taxpayers in COVID-19 Assistance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Northern District of Illinois convicted an Illinois woman yesterday of unemployment insurance fraud for submitting false claims to a COVID-19 assistance program. From May 2020 and continuing through December 2022, Haim Hmaidan, 54, of Orland Park, Illinois, and her co-conspirators submitted nearly 700 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims that caused over $11 million in fraudulent unemployment benefits to be dispersed.
“Hiam Hmaidan stole more than $10 million from American taxpayers during the COVID-19 pandemic through an unemployment insurance fraud scheme that submitted nearly 700 fraudulent claims,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division will continue to find and prosecute fraudsters who exploited a national crisis to steal from Federal benefit programs.”
“Hiam Hmaidan nefariously used the identities of her tax clients and others without their knowledge or consent to steal over $10 million in unemployment insurance benefits meant to support struggling Americans,” said Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito of the U.S. Department of Labor. “Her conviction sends a clear message: my office, alongside Vice President Vance's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, will relentlessly pursue those who commit fraud and hold them accountable. Protecting the integrity of these critical programs isn’t optional — it’s our highest priority. Fraud is a tax you never voted for, and we’re coming after the people collecting it.”
“This guilty verdict is justice for the American people,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “Hiam Hmaidan took advantage of a program people relied on to get through a very difficult time. She and her co-conspirators stole millions from taxpayers at a time when families were struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables. Working closely with our fellow law enforcement partners, IRS-CI followed the money to expose the full scope of this scheme and helped bring it to an end. This verdict sends a clear message that if you try to cash in on a national crisis, you will be brought to justice and held accountable for your crimes.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hmaidan operated an unemployment insurance fraud scheme in which she agreed with others to defraud the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, which Congress established in 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
Hmaidan, together with her co-conspirators, submitted claims containing false information regarding the claimants’ employment status and the impact of the pandemic on their ability to earn a living. Hmaidan abused her position as a tax preparer by submitting many of the fraudulent claims using her clients’ names and personal information. Based on those fraudulent claims, unemployment insurance benefits were loaded onto debit cards and mailed directly to Hmaidan or to addresses accessible to Hmaidan and her co-conspirators. Once Hmaidan and her co-conspirators obtained the debit cards, they used the fraudulent proceeds on the cards to withdraw approximately $2.8 million in cash from ATMs near where they lived.
The jury convicted Hmaidan of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and five counts of mail fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2. Hmaidan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on all counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Shy Jackson and Meredith B. Healy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
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.
Illegal aliens and convicted felons sentenced for transnational drug trafficking and money launderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Two illegal aliens and two convicted felons have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a large international drug trafficking and money laundering organization stretching from Mexico to Atlanta.
“These defendants forfeited their freedom by choosing to poison our community and enrich narco-terrorists abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office, our Homeland Security Task Force, and our state and local partners are deeply committed to stemming the tide of drugs flowing into north Georgia and punishing the criminals who enable and abet foreign cartels.”
“Fentanyl continues to devastate communities across our country,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Through strong partnerships and coordinated enforcement efforts, we were able to stop a dangerous operation and disrupt the flow of illegal profits. This case underscores our shared mission to save lives and keep our communities safe.”
“Sandra Hernandez Chilel’s sentencing demonstrates that individuals involved in trafficking dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and laundering crime proceeds, which contribute to violence and instability within our communities, will be held responsible,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents, together with our federal partners, conducted thorough investigations to dismantle this network and intercept narcotics and illicit funds, thereby ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2024, federal law enforcement uncovered a scheme in which David Miranda Vinalay and multi-convicted drug dealers, such as Jerome Lewis and Irving Joel Hernandez, funneled bulk cash drug proceeds to a middleman in Norcross, Georgia. At the direction of Mexico-based drug traffickers, the middleman delivered the money to Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, who laundered the funds to Mexico through her Norcross, Georgia money service business, “Pulga La Esperanza.” Hernandez Chilel attempted to conceal the laundered funds by wiring the money to different individuals in Mexico in small transactions. Between September and November 2024, the organization laundered over $1 million in drug proceeds to Mexico.
Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, 50, an illegal alien from San Marcos, Guatemala, to five years and five months in prison and she will be deported to Guatemala upon completion of her sentence. On December 17, 2025, Hernandez Chilel pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Three additional defendants were sentenced in this case:
- Jerome Lewis, 48, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lewis was separately convicted in federal court in 2015 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
- David Miranda Vinalay, 40, an illegal alien from Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced to seven years and eleven months months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
- Irving Joel Hernandez, 35, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Hernandez was convicted in state court in 2015 of trafficking methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Valuable assistance was also provided by Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, and Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert, Dwayne A. Brown, Jr., and Nicholas Evert prosecuted the case.
These prosecutions are 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 Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien and husband convicted of firearms offenses and lying to Immigration JudgeRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. – An illegal alien who unlawfully possessed a firearm at a Fayette County gun range and her husband, who lied to an immigration judge in an effort to secure his wife’s release from custody and who paid another woman to fraudulently purchase firearms that others attempted to smuggle into Mexico, have pleaded guilty to multiple felony offenses and now face years in prison.
“Illegal aliens are strictly prohibited from possessing weapons in our country, and federal law prudently prohibits lawful residents from telling lies to facilitate illicit gun trafficking,” said U.S Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through their deceitful conduct, this husband-and-wife duo demonstrated contempt for the law, but they could not escape its reach. My office’s partnership with Atlanta’s highly productive Homeland Security Task Force will ensure that these criminals and those who assisted them are held accountable.”
“Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice,” said ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. “This investigation is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through strong collaboration among multiple partner agencies, resulting in outstanding outcomes.”
“The Bureau of Industry and Security is committed to preventing unlawful exports,” stated Bureau of Industry and Security Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Shein. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt, dismantle and deter the illicit procurement networks that seek to violate U.S. export laws and inflict harm.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 8, 2025, Steven Estrada Feregrino gave a woman $4,600 to purchase firearms on his behalf from a gun store in Fayetteville, Georgia. The woman bought seven firearms with Estrada’s money and falsely represented that she was the actual buyer of the firearms. Afterwards, the woman gave the firearms to Estrada and Miguel Angela Varela-Posas, a previously deported illegal alien. Within less than a week, the firearms that Estrada and Varela-Posas received were recovered at the Del Rio, Texas port of entry inside a van bound for Mexico.
Two months later, Estrada and his wife, Brenda Rojano-Gonzalez, 26, an illegal alien from Temimilco, Mexico, went to a gun range where CCTV cameras recorded Rojano-Gonzalez handling and discharging a firearm. Subsequently, immigration authorities arrested Rojano-Gonzalez. At a November 5, 2025 hearing in immigration court, Estrada falsely testified under oath that Rojano-Gonzalez never shot a firearm at a gun range. Although the immigration court released her on a bond, Rojano-Gonzalez was charged in federal court with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Rojano-Gonzalez pled guilty to that charge on March 11, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2026, before Chief U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May.
On May 11, 2026, Steven Estrada Feregrino, 29, of Fayetteville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to perjury and false statements to a federal firearms licensee. Sentencing is scheduled for August 14, 2026, before Chief Judge May.
In indictments returned on February 3, 2026, and May 5, 2026, Varela-Posas, 30, of Puebla, Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry to the United States, false statements to a federal firearms licensee, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and possession of counterfeit documents.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. Varela-Posas is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
These prosecutions are 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 Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Feloniously Assaulting Law Enforcement Officers During ArrestRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An illegal alien residing in Aurora, Ill., has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for feloniously assaulting law enforcement officers during the execution of an arrest warrant.
The assaults occurred on the afternoon of July 17, 2025, in the lobby of the Kane County Sheriff’s Department in St. Charles, Ill. Two officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations approached FRANCISCO JAVIER ACEVEDO-CALDERA and informed him that they had a warrant for his arrest. Acevedo-Caldera, who had recently been bonded out of the Kane County Jail, resisted the arrest, kicked one of the officers, head-butted the other officer, and then bit a Kane County Sheriff’s Deputy who offered to help, puncturing the Deputy’s skin. The officers were eventually able to subdue Acevedo-Caldera and execute the arrest warrant.
Acevedo-Caldera, 40, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to a federal charge of assaulting a federal employee. On May 7, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jeremy C. Daniel sentenced Acevedo-Caldera to 12 months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Raymond Hernandez, Acting Field Director for ICE-ERO in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Kane County Sheriff’s Department.
“Defendant’s conduct was serious—he made physical contact with all three officer victims and caused bodily injury to two of them,” Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Finch argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Assaulting these officers in a government building caused risk to public safety and demonstrated disrespect for the law and law enforcement.”
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Concepcion Soto-Rivera, a/k/a Conception Soto-Rivera, age 41, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, and the Eufaula Police Department.
The Indictment alleged that on March 17, 2026, Soto-Rivera, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on October 30, 2016, October 18, 2014, August 13, 2008, June 23, 2008, May 21, 2008, May 17, 2008, and May 13, 2008.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Soto-Rivera will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin Knutson and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Homewood Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on May 12, 2026, to violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chaz Mitchell, 36, of the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan to a one-count Indictment charging Mitchell with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on July 5, 2025, following the issuance of a state arrest warrant for Mitchell on unrelated charges, officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police observed Mitchell in possession of an assault rifle and sawed-off shotgun and attempted to execute the state warrant. Mitchell refused to exit a residence until the SWAT unit arrived. Upon Mitchell’s surrender and being taken into custody, officers obtained and executed a state search warrant for the residence, from where they recovered an assault rifle, sawed-off shotgun, pistol, and ammunition. Mitchell had previously been convicted of felony state firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Ranjan scheduled Mitchell’s sentencing for August 21, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mitchell.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Homeland Security Task Force investigation into methamphetamine trafficking leads to lengthy federal prison sentence for Dallas manRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Dallas man has been sentenced to federal prison as a result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Juan Jose Montanez, also known as Happy Johnny, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on May 12, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in 2021 federal agents began investigating a drug trafficking scheme in the Dallas area and the Eastern District of Texas. The investigation led authorities to Montanez, an employee at a Dallas barbershop, and it was determined he was responsible for trafficking not only methamphetamine, but a large amount of cocaine. In addition to his federal prison sentence, Montanez was ordered to forfeit $131,800 in cash; several bank accounts totaling $126,000; three firearms; and assorted shoes, purses, sunglasses, and a jacket all together estimated to be worth approximately $64,215.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CD; United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Grosse Pointe Woods Doctor Convicted of Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Grosse Pointe Woods doctor was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Detroit for failing to declare and pay taxes on income he earned from illegally selling controlled substance prescriptions as well as failing to declare and pay taxes on income received from corporations he controlled but registered in the names of other individuals, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Convicted was Peter Nwoke, 50. The trial which began on April 7, 2026, was conducted before United States District Denise Page Hood.
The charges on which Dr. Nwoke was convicted arose from the operation of his medical practice, Divine Medical Care and Divine Medical Services, which largely involved visiting homebound Medicare patients in Detroit. In order to avoid paying taxes Nwoke also incorporated two additional corporations, City Medical and Divine Medical Center, which he placed in the names of nominees. While Nwoke controlled the bank accounts and reaped profits from businesses incorporated in the names of others, he did not report that income or pay taxes on the money he received. Nwoke also engaged in the business of unlawfully selling controlled substance prescriptions for highly addictive opioids, charging $500 a prescription for Oxycontin 80mg or oxycodone 30mg. The prescriptions were then filled by the purchasers and sold on the street market. When he deposited some of the cash he received from pill sales in 20 different bank accounts, he failed to declare it as income or pay taxes on it.
According to evidence presented at trial, Nwoke underreported his taxable income for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 by a total of more than $2 million. Nwoke underreported his tax due and owing for those years by more than $725,000. He paid taxes totaling $29,424 when he should have paid $849,088 in taxes. In one tax year he paid $500 in taxes on income of over $400,000.
During the tax years in question Nwoke prescribed over 2.8 million dosage units of prescription drug-controlled substances. He deposited over $1.4 million in cash in his collection of bank accounts. After one of his confederates in the pill business was raided by the FBI, Nwoke told him “They’ll never get me, because I keep my paperwork together.”
Nwoke is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2026. The defendant’s sentence will be determined after consideration of the sentencing guidelines.
The defendant has pending against him three counts of false statement/perjury, based on his testimony at an earlier trial on the tax charges. That trial in 2022 ended in a mistrial, since that jury was unable to agree on a verdict. The perjury charges were severed from the tax charges and will be scheduled for trial at a later date. Nwoke is presumed innocent of these charges unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, with assistance from many other federal agencies.
The trial was conducted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rob Moran and Wayne F. Pratt.
German citizen charged with laundering funds linked to prominent darknet marketplace “Dream Market”Read the Press Release
ATLANTA - Owe Martin Andresen, the suspected main administrator of Dream Market, one of the largest illicit darknet marketplaces before its 2019 shutdown, has been indicted for an alleged scheme to launder funds from Dream Market’s administrator accounts. Andresen was arrested last week in Germany on parallel charges brought by the German government.
“Andresen allegedly channeled commissions earned from selling illegal drugs, stolen personally identifiable information, counterfeit identification documents, and other items through cryptocurrency wallets and even converted his ill-gotten gains into gold bars,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the close coordination between federal and German law enforcement, Andresen and his co-conspirators will no longer profit from the online sales of narcotics and fraud services, and Andresen will be prosecuted in both Germany and the United States as a result of his actions.”
“This action highlights the unwavering commitment of IRS Criminal Investigation and our global law enforcement partners to dismantle the financial engines that sustain transnational criminal enterprises,” said Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington D.C. Field Office. “The reintegration of long dormant proceeds demonstrates a hard truth: illicit actors may hide in the shadows, but their financial footprints remain. IRS CI is dedicated to following the money, and our Cyber Crimes Unit special agents are dedicated to exposing those who attempt to exploit technology to evade accountability.”
“Technology has provided drug traffickers with more and more options to peddle their poisons into our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley. “It’s up to us to slam the door on those options and bring these cyber criminals to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Dream Market launched in 2013 and became one of the largest criminal marketplaces on the darknet, with close to 100,000 listings at a given time. Between 2013 and 2019, Dream Market facilitated the sale of more than 90 kilograms of heroin, 450 kilograms of cocaine, 25 kilograms of crack cocaine, 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, 13 kilograms of oxycodone, and 36 kilograms of fentanyl. Buyers and sellers accessed Dream Market and interacted with each other through the use of Tor (an internet traffic anonymizing service), and they relied on cryptocurrency to mask the origin and destination of their payments—a model that allowed the marketplace to grow at a staggering pace.
Coordinated law enforcement efforts led to the dismantling of the Dream Market infrastructure by identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the high-level vendors, moderators, and administrators who sustained the transnational criminal enterprise. High-ranking administrators who used the monikers “Oxymonster” and “KITT3N” were previously convicted in prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Southern District of Florida and the U.S. Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. A mid-level administrator responsible for customer service issues on the website and who used the moniker “GOWRON” was convicted in a prosecution by the United Kingdom Crown Prosecution Service. However, the main administrator of the Dream Market, who used the moniker “Speedstepper,” was not identified.
In 2019, facing increasing law enforcement pressure, Dream Market’s administrators announced that they were voluntarily shutting down the marketplace. After Dream Market’s closure, the marketplace’s cryptocurrency infrastructure remained largely untouched, including Dream Market wallets that held millions of dollars in commission payments to the administrators (the “Dream Wallets”).
Three years later, in November and December 2022, Andresen allegedly accessed the Dream Wallets and transferred funds into new, consolidated cryptocurrency wallets (the “Consolidated Wallets”)—activity that could only have been initiated by someone with access to Dream Market’s original private keys, believed to be “Speedstepper.”
Months later, in August 2023, Andresen allegedly used a cryptocurrency service provider based in Atlanta, Georgia to purchase gold bars from international companies using funds in the Consolidated Wallets and directed those companies to ship the gold bars to his home address in Germany. German law enforcement identified additional money laundering transactions committed by Andresen in Germany. In total, Andresen is alleged to have laundered over $2 million between August 2023 and April 2025.
On May 7, 2026, in a coordinated effort by both German and U.S. law enforcement, Andresen was arrested on German charges, and his residence and two other locations were searched. During the searches, law enforcement located approximately $1.7 million of gold bars allegedly purchased with Dream Market funds, as well as over $23,000 in cash. Law enforcement also located information identifying several bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets containing approximately $1.2 million of funds believed to be proceeds of the Dream Market.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 13, 2026, charging Owe Martin Andresen, 49, of Germany, with six counts of international concealment money laundering and six counts of concealment money laundering. Each federal charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Germany also has charged Andresen with several counts of concealment money laundering. Each German charge is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation – Cyber Crimes Unit and DEA Miami Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force, with substantial assistance from foreign law enforcement partners, including the Bundeskriminalamt Cybercrime Unit and Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg.
A multi-agency task force, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, initially investigated Dream Market’s criminal activities between 2016 and 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert is prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance during the investigation. The original Dream Market investigation was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Georgian National Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Attack in New York CityRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national also known as “Commander Butcher,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon for soliciting hate crimes and distributing instructions to make bombs and ricin. Chkhikvishvili is a leader of Maniac Murder Cult, an international racially motivated violent extremist group that is also known as “Maniacs Murder Cult,” “Maniacs: Cult of Killing,” “MKY,” “MMC,” and “MKU.” Chkhikvishvili recruited others to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City. He was extradited from Moldova to the Eastern District of New York in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in November.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; James C. Barnacle, Jr, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“The defendant is a hate-mongering menace who intended to hurt and kill children in the Jewish community and in other minority communities in New York City,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Thanks to our incredible law enforcement partners, he did not succeed and will now face justice for his cowardly acts. Today’s sentence sends a strong message to hateful extremists, wherever you are, who seek to spread fear through unspeakable violence: we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Nocella praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of State, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the government of Moldova for their crucial assistance in securing Chkhikvishvili’s arrest and extradition.
“Chkhikvishvili, a leader of the ‘Maniacs Murder Cult,’ repeatedly called for the murder of innocent civilians, including children, and schemed to attack and terrorize Jewish communities and racial minorities in the United States,” stated Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg. “Chkhikvishvili, for example, tried to recruit a supposed associate to dress up as Santa Claus and pass out poisoned candy to minority children. Today’s sentence takes a monster off our streets and protects our communities at least for a time.”
“The defendant plotted abhorrent acts of antisemitic and racially motivated violence,” stated Assistant Attorney General Dhillon. “Individuals who plan and encourage this violence will not find refuge in the dark corners of the Internet. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue these criminals, and hold them accountable.”
This defendant’s repeated and consistent efforts to solicit violence resulted in irreparable damage to numerous families in the United States and around the world,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “His ideologically driven, racially-motivated, and anti-Semitic actions inspired followers, admirers and members of the Maniac Murder Cult and similar hate groups to commit heinous acts. This arrest and subsequent sentencing send a strong message to those who wish to engage in hate-filled violence; you will face the consequences regardless of your location. Being overseas will not shield anyone from the relentless pursuit of the FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to deliver justice.”
“As a leader of the white supremacist group ‘Maniac Murder Cult,’ this defendant concocted hate-fueled, mass-casualty plans and inspired others to commit attacks based on his vile rhetoric,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This violent extremist’s intentions were clear: harm and kill as many Jews and racial groups as possible. But thanks to the work of our NYPD investigators, along with the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, he is now off our streets and being held accountable for his hateful crimes.”
Maniac Murder Cult adheres to Neo-Nazi ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Hater’s Handbook encourages people to commit acts of mass violence, including school shootings, and includes Chkhikvishvili’s assertion that he has “murdered for the white race.”
In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn, New York. Beginning as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via Telegram, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was an undercover FBI employee (the UC).
Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved having an individual dress up as Santa Claus and hand out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. In January 2024, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the UC to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison. Chkhikvishvili sent detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases, including ricin.
Chkhikvishvili has incited multiple attacks and killings around the world:- In January 2025, a 17-year-old student killed one individual and injured another before dying by suicide inside Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee. The attacker livestreamed part of the attack. Prior to the attack, in an audio recording posted online and attributed to him, the attacker claimed he was taking action on behalf of Maniac Murder Cult. The attacker’s manifesto explicitly mentioned Chkhikvishvili.
- In August 2024, an individual livestreamed himself stabbing five people outside a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, while wearing a tactical vest bearing Nazi symbols. A manifesto attributed to the attacker included explicit references to Chkhikvishvili and his violent statements. Before the attack, the attacker also distributed a link to the Hater’s Handbook and other violent propaganda.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Reich and Ellen H. Sise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, Special Agent Kristoffer Borch from the Eastern District of New York’s Criminal Investigations Unit, and Paralegal Specialists Rebecca Roth and Wayne Colon. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division also provided assistance.
The Defendant:
MICHAIL CHKHIKVISHVILI (also known as “Mishka,” “Michael,” “Commander Butcher” and “Butcher”)
Age: 22
Tbilisi, GeorgiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-286 (CBA)
Georgian National Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Attack in New York CityRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national also known as “Commander Butcher,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon for soliciting hate crimes and distributing instructions to make bombs and ricin.
Chkhikvishvili is a leader of Maniac Murder Cult, an international racially motivated violent extremist group that is also known as “Maniacs Murder Cult,” “Maniacs: Cult of Killing,” “MKY,” “MMC,” and “MKU.” Chkhikvishvili recruited others to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City. He was extradited from Moldova to the Eastern District of New York in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in November.
“Chkhikvishvili, a leader of the ‘Maniacs Murder Cult,’ repeatedly called for the murder of innocent civilians, including children, and schemed to attack and terrorize Jewish communities and racial minorities in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Chkhikvishvili, for example, tried to recruit a supposed associate to dress up as Santa Claus and pass out poisoned candy to minority children. Today’s sentence takes a monster off our streets and protects our communities at least for a time.”
“The defendant plotted abhorrent acts of antisemitic and racially motivated violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Individuals who plan and encourage this violence will not find refuge in the dark corners of the Internet. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue these criminals, and hold them accountable.”
“The defendant is a hate-mongering menace who intended to hurt and kill children in the Jewish community and in other minority communities in New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Thanks to our incredible law enforcement partners, he did not succeed and will now face justice for his cowardly acts. Today’s sentence sends a strong message to hateful extremists, wherever you are, who seek to spread fear through unspeakable violence: we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The defendant recruited others to commit violent attacks against the Jewish community and racial minorities, and he will now pay a steep price for his crimes,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “His twisted plans included poisoning children with candy around the holidays, but that plot was stopped thanks to the good work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners. The defendant was extradited from Moldova, showing once again that those who try to harm our citizens will not be able to hide overseas from the FBI and Justice Department prosecutors. We will spare no effort to make sure these criminals face justice.”
“As a leader of the white supremacist group ‘Maniac Murder Cult,’ this defendant concocted hate-fueled, mass-casualty plans and inspired others to commit attacks based on his vile rhetoric,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “This violent extremist’s intentions were clear: harm and kill as many Jews and racial groups as possible. But thanks to the work of our NYPD investigators, along with the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, he is now off our streets and being held accountable for his hateful crimes.”
Mr. Nocella praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of State, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the government of Moldova for their crucial assistance in securing Chkhikvishvili’s arrest and extradition.
Maniac Murder Cult adheres to Neo-Nazi ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Hater’s Handbook encourages people to commit acts of mass violence, including school shootings, and includes Chkhikvishvili’s assertion that he has “murdered for the white race.”
In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn, New York. Beginning as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via Telegram, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was an undercover FBI employee (the UC).
Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved having an individual dress up as Santa Claus and hand out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. In January 2024, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the UC to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison. Chkhikvishvili sent detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases, including ricin.
Chkhikvishvili has incited multiple attacks and killings around the world:
- In January 2025, a 17-year-old student killed one individual and injured another before dying by suicide inside Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee. The attacker livestreamed part of the attack. Prior to the attack, in an audio recording posted online and attributed to him, the attacker claimed he was taking action on behalf of Maniac Murder Cult. The attacker’s manifesto explicitly mentioned Chkhikvishvili.
- In August 2024, an individual livestreamed himself stabbing five people outside a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, while wearing a tactical vest bearing Nazi symbols. A manifesto attributed to the attacker included explicit references to Chkhikvishvili and his violent statements. Before the attack, the attacker also distributed a link to the Hater’s Handbook and other violent propaganda.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew D. Reich and Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, Special Agent Kristoffer Borch from the Eastern District of New York’s Criminal Investigations Unit, and Paralegal Specialists Rebecca Roth and Wayne Colon. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division also provided assistance.
Geauga County Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Geauga County man has been sentenced to federal prison for engaging in online activities that involved Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).
Jeffrey A. Williams, 50, of Chardon, Ohio, has been sentenced to 110 months (9.1 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan, after pleading guilty in January to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct. He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $184,000 in restitution to victims.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from about November 2022 to February 2024, investigators found that Williams knowingly received and distributed numerous computer files which contained the sexual abuse of children. He served as a moderator and participant in online groups where he engaged with others to share CSAM and discuss their sexual interest in children. As moderator, he served as a gatekeeper to more than 50 chat groups and required others to provide CSAM files to him before they were admitted. During a search warrant executed on his electronic devices, investigators found more than 5,300 images and videos of CSAM. About 80 CSAM videos were more than 15 minutes long, with two being more than one hour. His collection included the sexual abuse of infants and the torture and rape of pre-pubescent children.
The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Cleveland Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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 justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Gang Members Sentenced to 50 Years Each for Murdering Fellow Gang MemberRead the Press Release
Two Unknown Vice Lords — a violent Memphis street gang — were each sentenced to 50 years in prison after a federal jury convicted them on Feb. 13 for a gang-related murder.
“Substantial sentences like these send the loud and clear message that organized gang violence and retaliatory murder will be vigorously pursued, charged, and prosecuted by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These defendants carried out a calculated, execution-style murder. They intended to incite fear and silence in fellow gang members and in the Memphis community. The court’s 50-year sentences means they now will be known as long-term residents of the Bureau of Prisons, and the good people of Memphis will no longer be dealing with their vice. The Criminal Division remains committed to protecting communities from violent criminal organizations and pursuing justice for victims and their families.”
“These significant federal sentences have dismantled the leadership of the UVL street gang here in Memphis,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “From now on, E-Money, Dre, and V-Slash will not be ‘known’ by their gang nickname, but only by their Bureau of Prisons inmate numbers.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Allen, also known as E-Money, 42, of Los Angeles, and Deandre Rodgers, also known as Dre, 29, of Memphis, were high-ranking members of the Unknown Vice Lords also known as The Ghost Mob — a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis, as well as Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of the Unknown Vice Lords committed murders, burglaries, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s so-called Supreme Elite Chief, the gang leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved.
As proven at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in broad daylight, in a residential neighborhood. While the gang initially thought that a rival gang was responsible, they eventually came to believe it was one of their own who killed their leader and decided to retaliate.
On Jan. 14, 2019, Allen and Rodgers obtained guns from fellow gang member Vincent Grant, also known as V-Slash, 41, of Memphis. Early the next morning around 1 a.m., Allen, Rodgers, Grant, and another gang member drove the victim to the back of a rundown apartment complex where Allen and Rodgers used the firearms Grant supplied to murder the victim. Grant was also prosecuted and found guilty in a separate trial.
The jury convicted Allen and Rodgers of causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, that being murder in aid of racketeering.
A separate jury also convicted Grant of causing death by use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, that being murder in aid of racketeering. The court sentenced him to 24 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Memphis Police Department, and U.S. Secret Service assisted in the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl and Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Neumen Jacobs, 32 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Jacobs was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Jacobs sold a confidential informant 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Jacobs was also in possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense.
“An armed, recidivist drug dealer is going to prison for dealing fentanyl. He forfeited 6 and a half years of his life because he wanted to peddle poison in our district. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fort Wayne Police Department and Assistant United States Attorney Dawn R. Ransom, the Defendant was caught, prosecuted, and sentenced,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
“Fentanyl remains the country’s deadliest drug threat, claiming nearly 50,000 lives last year. The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with its law enforcement and prosecution partners, will continue to hold accountable anyone who is willing to drive Americans towards the poison of fentanyl. Mr. Jacobs is now being held accountable for his criminal actions, which includes being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Fort Wayne region is safer today with Mr. Jacobs distant and away from the community,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dawn R. Ransom.
Former Tennessee Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Johnathan Nathaniel Allen, 27, of Chattanooga Tenn., has pleaded guilty to production of child sexual abuse material.*
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in September 2024 Allen used accounts on Reddit and Text Me to contact a 13-year-old girl in South Carolina.
Allen posed as a 14-year-old boy named “Josh” on the applications and pressured the minor to produce sexually explicit material at his request. At the time, Allen was 25 years old and had been a deputy with a county sheriff’s office in Tennessee since 2021.
On Reddit, Allen navigated to a forum that referenced teenagers in the title. He started a conversation with one of the minors and then directed the conversation to text messages. There, Allen used a virtual phone number he obtained through the TextMe platform. The minor showed Allen pictures of her stuffed animals and he “begged,” according to evidence, for pictures of the minor. He told the minor she could trust him and that he would not share the files. Allen caused the production of sexually explicit content depicting the minor. Allen told the victim that he was proud of her, and that she learned something new she could do. He requested additional sex acts, and he told her to delete the messages so no one else would see them.
When agents searched Allen’s home, they found a phone with Reddit, Text Me, and the fake “Josh” identity. Agents also found 19 communications on Allens’ phone with the minor, including numerous calls to the minor after law enforcement had seized the minor’s phone. Data from the Reddit and Text Me account, including pictures shared by the user, all resolved to Allen. Agents also found clothes in Allen’s bedroom that “Josh” was wearing when it shared sexually explicit images on the platform. One of the pictures shared by the Reddit user when posing as a teenager was a picture of Allen when he was younger.“This outrageous criminal conduct, especially from someone sworn to protect society’s most vulnerable, its children, will be met with the full force of the federal government,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’re grateful to the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the York County Sheriff’s Office and the Hamilton County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office for their work to bring this defendant to justice.”
Allen faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, he faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and a term of up to lifetime supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Allen after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
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 FBI Columbia Field Office and the York County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Hamilton County, TN Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.###
* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
Former School Resource Officer Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mack’s Creek, Mo., man was sentenced to nine years imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release for his conviction of receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Darrin Marshall Skinner, 52, was sentenced before District Judge Stephen R. Bough, for one count of receipt of CSAM.
Skinner, who worked as a school resource officer in Mack’s Creek and was employed by the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, traded child sexual abuse material with other individuals using MeWe, an application which focuses on the privacy of its users. A National Center for Missing and Exploitive Children (NCMEC) Cyber Tip alerted the Camden County Sheriff’s Office of Skinner’s conduct. Due to a conflict of interest, the Camden County Sheriff’s office requested the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigate.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Skinner will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
Former New York State Judge and Brooklyn Real Estate Investor Charged with Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a complaint was unsealed charging Sam Sprei, also known as “Yechiel Sprei,” “Shimon Sprei,” and “Eli Shapiro,” and Edward Harold King, a former Kings County Supreme Court Justice, with wire fraud conspiracy. Both defendants were arrested this morning and are scheduled to make their initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants stole millions of dollars from investors by cynically leveraging King’s position as a sitting judge to lend false legitimacy to supposed investment opportunities,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrests demonstrate that this Office will hold accountable those who exploit victims for their own financial gain. Holding corrupt individuals accountable for the abuse of public trust will always be a priority of our Office.”
“Fraud that hides behind a veneer of legitimacy—especially the authority of a judge—strikes at the heart of public trust,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. “IRS‑CI will relentlessly follow the money, expose deception, and ensure that those who manipulate and mislead investors are brought to justice. Today’s arrests send a clear message: schemes dressed up as opportunity will not shield wrongdoers from accountability.”
As set forth in court filings, Sprei and King perpetrated numerous schemes to defraud, including multiple schemes to defraud real estate investors in which they solicited the victims’ funds in fictitious investment opportunities, represented to the victims that their invested funds would be returnable on demand if the victims decided to end their involvement in the investments, and then later refused to return the money based on false excuses and converted a significant portion of the victims’ funds for their own use.
For example, in November 2024, Spreipresented two investors (the Investors) with an opportunity to purchase commercial real estate located in Freehold, New Jersey (the Property). Sprei told the Investors that to take advantage of this opportunity, they would first have to show “proof of liquidity” by depositing funds in escrow. In addition, Sprei told the Investors that King was an independent escrow agent and a New York judge. Sprei also made numerous misrepresentations designed to deceive the Investors, including that if the Investors decided not to pursue the investment, they could so advise the escrow agent and would receive the full amount deposited within two business days. Based on these representations from Sprei, the Investors wired a total of $6.5 million to a bank account in King’s name pursuant to written escrow agreements signed by the Investors and King. In the days immediately following the wire transfers from the Investors to the bank account in King’s name, millions of dollars of the Investors’ funds were withdrawn or transferred to a bank account in Sprei’s name. When the Investors subsequently wrote to King to request the return of their deposited funds, King provided false excuses as to why he could not return the $6.5 million. Months later, King and Sprei returned to the Investors $1.5 million, representing only a portion of the Investors’ investment. To date, Sprei and King have not returned any further funds to the Investors.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of wire fraud conspiracy, the defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca Schuman and Andrew Wang are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Special Agent Anthony J. Cunder and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Bennett.
The Defendants:
SAM SPREI (also known as “Yechiel Sprei,” “Shimon Sprei,” and “Eli Shapiro”)
Age: 37
Brooklyn, New YorkEDWARD HAROLD KING
Age: 72
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-MJ-91
26mj0091_complaint.pdfFormer Multinational Consulting Company Finance Director Convicted in Decade-Long Multi-Million Dollar Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal court in Brooklyn, the defendant Jordan Khammar pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for his role in a decade-long scheme to defraud a multinational media, brand management, and consulting company and steal over $7.9 million. When sentenced, Khammar faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment as well as restitution of at least $7.9 million in addition to $7.9 million in criminal forfeiture.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea.
“For over a decade, the defendant betrayed his employer’s trust and abused his access to its financial systems for side projects and personal gain,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will relentlessly pursue justice for victims of economic crime and seek to hold accountable those who commit such offenses.”
"Khammar didn’t just steal—he engineered a years‑long deception to bankroll his own ventures and bury the truth under doctored records. IRS‑CI followed the money, exposed the scheme, and brought it down. When someone turns a company’s financial systems into their personal slush fund, we will unwind every transaction and make sure they answer for it," stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
As set forth in court filings, Khammar was hired as a financial consultant in 2006 by a multinational media, brand management, and consulting company (Company-1). He eventually became Company-1’s Finance Director with certain access to and control over a wide range of its financial accounts and systems including those tied to banking, accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll functions. Between January 2015 and May 2025, Khammar abused that access and control to engage in a scheme to defraud Company-1 out of millions of dollars. Specifically, during the ten-year period, Khammar initiated over 300 wire transactions sending himself more than $7.9 million that he was not entitled to from Company-1’s bank account.
Khammar took multiple steps to conceal his scheme from Company-1 including by manipulating its books and records, circumventing internal controls, and limiting other employees’ and consultants’ access to the company financial systems and accounts. For example, Khammar created over 100 false entries in Company-1’s general ledger to disguise his fraudulent wire transfers as purportedly legitimate payments for Company 1’s expenses including corporate credit card bills, taxes, and costs associated with renovating its Brooklyn office.
Khammar wired most of the stolen money to an account held in the name of Olive Tree Ventures, Inc. (Olive Tree), a company that he founded, owned, and controlled. From the Olive Tree account, he dispersed a large portion of the funds to finance his independent business ventures including his media production company, Sideswipe Media, Inc., to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of real estate in Florida and Ohio, and to further pay himself and a variety of personal expenses.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax and Dana Rehnquist are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
JORDAN KHAMMAR
Age: 47
Columbus, OhioE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-283 (AMD)
Former Gymnastics Coach Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, MS – A former gymnastics coach pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to three counts of production of child sexual abuse material after he secretly videotaped gymnasts in the bathroom of the gym where he coached.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sean Gardner, 39, of West Des Moines, Iowa, used his access to children as a gymnastics coach in Purvis, Mississippi to surreptitiously record minors changing clothes and using the bathroom. The investigation began after reports were made to the U.S. Center for SafeSport alleging that Gardner, while working as a gymnastics coach, engaged in inappropriate conduct involving minor athletes. SafeSport forwarded the allegations to law enforcement, which led to a joint investigation by local and federal authorities.
During the execution of a search warrant at Gardner’s Iowa residence, law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed numerous images and videos depicting minor children – some under the age of 12 – in states of undress that appeared to have been recorded using a concealed camera. Investigators determined that several of the recordings were made in a restroom at a gym in Purvis, Mississippi, where Gardner previously worked. The evidence included multiple files dated as early as 2017 and 2018, and investigators identified several of the minors depicted as former gymnastics students.
If you are a parent of a child that has at any point been under the instruction of Gardner, the FBI has set up a website to provide you with resources and further information about this case: https://forms.fbi.gov/seeking-victim-information-in-sean-michael-gardner-investigation.
“This is one of the most reprehensible crimes prosecuted by my office,” said United States Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger. “Coach Sean Gardner exploited his position to abuse and exploit those children he was entrusted to mentor and care for. Justice demands that we relentlessly pursue these predators, and we remain resolute in our commitment to protecting our children. I commend the tireless work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, whose dedication ensured that this defendant was brought to justice and that the victims’ voices were heard.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jackson Field Office, Robert A. Eikhoff, remarked, “Every child deserves to feel safe and never be victimized by someone they trust. Sean Gardner’s reprehensible acts of manipulating and abusing children, and betraying their parents’ trust, have been brought to an end. When children are harmed, the FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will employ every resource available to ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”
Gardner pleaded guilty to three counts of production of child sexual abuse material. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 90 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Des Moines Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Purdie and Lee Smith are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former CEO of West Michigan Nonprofit Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Dr. Nkechy Ezeh was the Founder of Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced today that Dr. Nkechy Ezeh, 61, of Kent County, Michigan, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that stole $1.4 million in taxpayer and donor money intended for vulnerable preschool children. She was also sentenced to a concurrent prison term of 60 months for evading income taxes.
Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou, who imposed the sentence, characterized Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief,” described the scheme as “brazen and widespread,” and noted that Ezeh stole money intended for some of West Michigan’s most vulnerable children. Judge Jarbou ordered Ezeh to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud and $390,174 to the IRS. Judge Jarbou also remanded Ezeh directly to prison to begin serving her sentence immediately.
“Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible,” VerHey said. “She stole taxpayer and private-donor dollars meant for low-income children in our community. Instead of helping kids, she spent that money on herself. The stolen money could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families. Judge Jarbou’s sentence was perfectly appropriate.”
Ezeh – the 2018 West Michigan Woman of the Year, a two-time appointee to the State of Michigan’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation’s Executive Committee, and a tenured professor of education – founded Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a West Michigan nonprofit funded by the Department of Health and Human Service’s Early Head Start program, the U.S. Department of Education, and private donors. It provided meals, transportation, funding, advocacy, and other services to children in preschools located in underserved communities.
As a result of the fraud, ELNC had to close its doors in 2023, many West Michigan preschools lost funding, and needy children lost valuable resources. ELNC also had to lay off its 35 employees without any notice. Sharon Killebrew, ELNC’s former bookkeeper and Ezeh’s co-conspirator, was sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months in federal prison for her role in the scheme.
In a sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Ezeh used the stolen money to fund her lifestyle, pay for a family member’s wedding, and to travel to Hawaii, Europe, and Africa. She placed her family members on a ghost payroll that caused ELNC to pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars for little or no work, and she used money mules to wire hundreds of thousands of dollars of stolen money to her family in Nigeria.
The sentencing memorandum also pointed out that, although the direct victims of the fraud were ELNC’s donors – the federal government’s Early Head Start Program, the U.S. Department of Education, and three of Michigan’s largest, most generous, and most well-known charities – the people most affected were the children and their families who lost the support ELNC once provided. These were mostly children of color under the age of five years old, 72% of whom lived below the federal poverty level in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Kent County, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek.
“This case underscores the seriousness of misusing federal grant funds for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “Our commitment to protecting the integrity of HHS programs remains steadfast, and we will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to uphold these standards and ensure that violators are held accountable.”
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler is the prosecutor.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefits programs.
Florida Woman Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Trinity Joy Johnson, 26, of Alachua, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for twenty-three counts of production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Johnson appeared in federal court for her arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 17, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
Johnson faces between 15 to 30 years’ imprisonment for the production of child pornography offenses; between 5 to 20 years’ imprisonment for the distribution of child pornography offenses; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography.
The case was jointly investigated by the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Felon Sentenced to Federal Probation for Selling Cocaine and Firearms in Bloomington, IllinoisRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – An Indianapolis, Indiana, man, Melvin May, 44, formerly of Bloomington, Illinois, was sentenced on May 7, 2026, to five years’ probation by United States District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley after pleading guilty to four counts of distribution of a controlled substance (cocaine) and two counts of possession of a firearm as a felon.
Between September 27, 2024, and October 25, 2024, May sold cocaine and/or firearms in Bloomington on five occasions. In total, he sold two firearms and 151.8 grams of cocaine. May, who had four prior felony convictions, was on probation in McLean County, Illinois, at the time he committed the federal offenses. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
May was indicted in December 2024 and pleaded guilty in January 2026.
The statutory penalties for distribution of a controlled substance (cocaine) are a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment per count, while the felon in possession charges carry a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment per count. Each charge requires the imposition of a minimum three-year term of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
FCI Schuylkill Inmate Indicted for Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brayan Giron-Ferman, age 22, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on the charge of possession of a weapon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on February 27, 2026, Giron-Ferman possessed a prison-made weapon, approximately a seven-and-a-half-inch sharpened piece of metal with a cloth handle, commonly referred to as a “shank.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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