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8 May 2026
Defendant Sentenced to Thirty Months in Federal Prison for Decades-Long Identity Theft and Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington — First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on May 7, 2026, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Pennell sentenced Raymond Kenneth Musgrove, age 78, to 30 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $1,025,544.69 in restitution to the United States. The Court also imposed a $1,100 special assessment.
Musgrove pled guilty to two counts of false representation of a Social Security number, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of theft of government funds. He was also found guilty at bench trial of three counts of aggravated identity theft stemming from a decades-long scheme in which he impersonated a real Vietnam veteran to unlawfully obtain government benefits and services.
According to court records and evidence presented, Musgrove engaged in a fraudulent scheme spanning more than 25 years. Beginning as early as 1997, he assumed the identity of a real individual, identified in court documents as J.M.C., a United States Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. While posing as J.M.C., Musgrove obtained Veterans Affairs compensation benefits, received healthcare services through the Department of Veterans Affairs, opened financial accounts using the victim’s identity, and submitted false statements and documentation to maintain and reinstate benefits.
Even after the real J.M.C. died in 2018, Musgrove continued the scheme by falsely claiming the death had been reported in error and successfully persuaded agencies to resume benefit payments. The fraud continued until 2023, when his attempts to obtain additional benefits led to the discovery of the scheme.In total, Musgrove fraudulently obtained more than $860,000 in federal benefits, contributing to the total restitution amount ordered in this matter.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that the sentence reflects the gravity of Musgrove’s conduct, which involved a highly calculated and sustained fraud scheme, the exploitation of a deceased veteran’s identity, significant financial losses to the government, and repeated efforts to deceive federal agencies over decades.
District Court Judge Rebecca Pennell, before imposing sentence, told Musgrove, “Your offense conduct was lengthy and very troubling. I don’t think it can be fairly characterized as just a mistake . . . You had been living a lie for decades.” Judge Pennell went on to note Musgrove seemingly had no concern for how his actions would impact the victim or his family, and that his pattern of putting himself before others “stops today.”
First Assistant Pete Serrano noted, “Mr. Musgrove carried out a calculated and deeply troubling fraud for decades, exploiting the identity of a military veteran to steal over a million dollars in benefits intended for those who have honorably served our country. This sentence reflects the seriousness of his conduct and underscores our commitment to protecting public resources and holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”
“Today's sentencing underscores the VA OIG’s commitment to investigating and holding accountable those involved in fraudulent activities targeting veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”
“Raymond Musgrove falsely represented the identity of a veteran as his own to deceptively receive benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, diverting critical benefits meant for veterans who earned them through service and sacrifice,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. “His actions represent a theft from our veterans and the systems designed to support them.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman of the Eastern District of Washington. For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of WashingtonDefendant Sentenced to 300 Months for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on May 6, 2026, United States District Court Judge Thomas Rice sentenced William Scott Morse, to a total of 25 years of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release after pleading guilty to various sex trafficking offenses stemming from his knowing solicitation of minor victims for sex.
According to court documents and information revealed during the sentencing hearing, in late September 2024, Minor Victim 1 posted a babysitting ad on Craigslist. Minor Victim 1 identified herself as 15 years old and indicated that she and her friend were CPR certified and were looking to babysit in the evenings or weekends. Morse responded asking if the victim would like to make quick money—but not for babysitting. Morse corresponded with the child extensively describing sex acts he was looking to pay for. He ultimately offered her $320 for sex and went to her home where he engaged in sexual contact with the minor.
Search warrants for Morse’s email accounts showed he was also conversing with Minor Victim 2, who was 16 years old and had also posted a babysitting ad on Craigslist. He promised her quick cash for sex. Minor Victim 2 did not take Morse up on the offer.
In this case, Morse entered a global plea agreement, which required him to enter a plea of guilty to both the federal offenses detailed herein as well as to plead guilty in the Spokane County Superior Court to Rape of a Child in the Third Degree, in violation of RCW 9A.44.079(1). Morse will enter his guilty plea in Spokane County now that the federal sentence has been imposed.
First Assistant Serrano said, “The impact of an offense like this extends beyond the child victims themselves to the entire community. It is tragic that our local teenagers cannot even seek babysitting positions without being propositioned by offenders.”Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Preston McCollam said, “Strong partnerships between local and federal agencies are of critical importance in protecting the young and vulnerable members of our community.”
“Mr. Morse is a threat to the community who persistently targeted innocent and vulnerable teens looking for babysitting jobs online,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “He knew how young these victims were but continued to prey on them anyway. It is our hope that this long prison sentence will keep other young people safe from his crimes.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Perez of the Eastern District of Washington and Scott Donahue for the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.Defendant Sentenced to 240 Months for Large-Scale Fentanyl Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington — First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on May 6, 2026, United States District Court Judge Thomas Rice sentenced Clinton Paul Patterson, age 42 to 240 months (20 years) in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release for his role in a significant fentanyl trafficking operation that distributed tens of thousands of pills across Eastern Washington.
The sentence follows an extensive investigation involving law enforcement agencies, including the Regional Anti-violence Enforcement and Narcotics Task Force (RAVEN) and federal partners, which uncovered a sophisticated drug distribution network operating between Seattle and Spokane, with meetings frequently arranged in Ritzville, Washington. According to court documents and information revealed during the sentencing hearing, beginning in December 2023, approximately 5,475 fentanyl pills (weighing over 480 grams), along with cocaine, firearms, and multiple cell phones were seized from the execution of a residential search warrant. Law enforcement, through surveillance footage, determined that location was utilized for the distribution of fentanyl in Spokane. Text message evidence revealed that Patterson —identified through phone records and financial transactions—was the source of supply for that fentanyl being trafficked out of this residence. The messages showed Patterson directed drug distribution activities, coordinated meeting locations, and arranged payments through Cash App and cash exchanges. Records confirmed multiple payments totaling thousands of dollars corresponding to drug transactions.
Patterson was arrested on October 21, 2024, in Pasco, Washington. Subsequent searches of his residence and vehicle resulted in the seizure of additional narcotics, including: •Approximately 1,449 grams of fentanyl recovered from a toilet, where Patterson hadattempted to destroy evidence when law enforcement knocked and announced their presence athis door.
•189 grams of fentanyl pills found in his vehicle.
•Cocaine and MDMA located within his residence.In issuing this sentence, Judge Rice considered Patterson’s extensive criminal history, which included prior convictions for attempted second-degree murder and a previous federal drug trafficking offense. Notably, Patterson had previously received a reduced federal sentence for fentanyl distribution but continued engaging in similar criminal conduct upon release, resulting in the this conviction. Additionally, while in custody, Patterson made threats against his own legal counsel and a federal prosecutor, further raising concerns about public safety and deterrence.
First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano said, “This sentence was well deserved in this case given the huge quantity of deadly fentanyl involved and Patterson’s pattern of violent and drug-related criminal conduct. This case underscores the ongoing efforts of federal and local law enforcement to combat the distribution of fentanyl, a highly dangerous and often deadly substance contributing to the opioid crisis nationwide.”
“This 20-year sentence sends a clear message: those who profit from poisoning our communities with fentanyl will be held accountable,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Through Fentanyl Free America, DEA is relentlessly targeting the individuals and networks responsible for distributing this deadly drug. With strong enforcement, intelligence-driven investigations, and strategic partnerships, we are working every day to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain and save American lives.”
Sergeant Julian Covella of the RAVEN Task Force said, “This sentence is reflective of the many hours of hard work and dedication shown by the lead investigator in this case and the RAVEN Task Force members as a whole. The RAVEN Task Force is proud of the collaborative work between our local and federal partners as we continue to battle the fentanyl epidemic affecting our community.”
For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.Convicted Felon Out on Parole Sentenced Back to Prison for 29 Years for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man who committed a string of armed robberies while he was out on parole for a separate offense has been sentenced back to prison. Fourteen individuals were terrorized with life-threatening violence by his robberies.
Lawrence Sturdivant, 36, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, was sentenced to 352 months (29.3 years) in prison after pleading guilty to:
- Use, Carry, and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence
- Interference with Commerce by Robbery
- Attempted Interference with Commerce by Robbery
- Felon in Possession of Ammunition; prior convictions include Burglary and Attempted Burglary in 2010; and Aggravated Robbery in 2014.
He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. U.S. District Court Judge J. Philip Calabrese imposed the sentence May 5.
According to court documents and information presented in court, throughout a three-week period in December 2021, Sturdivant terrorized employees and patrons at 10 Cleveland-area stores as he committed robberies at gunpoint. Each time he entered a store, he would wander around the aisles before bringing a small item to the cashier counter. When the cashier opened the cashbox for the sale, Sturdivant pointed his gun at the employees, threatened their lives, and demanded money.
“Mr. Sturdivant’s violent actions inflicted a level of trauma on the employees and customers of these stores that was devastating and life altering,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are thankful to the ATF and our local police departments for piecing together the evidence in these robberies and bringing this individual to justice. Our community is safer now that this serial criminal will spend decades behind bars.”
The victim businesses that were affected were:
- Walgreens Pharmacy, Chagrin Boulevard, Shaker Heights, Dec. 5, 2021
- Walgreens Pharmacy, Union Avenue, Cleveland, Dec. 5, 2021
- Family Dollar, Madison Avenue, Cleveland, Dec. 11, 2021
- Family Dollar, South Miles Road, Cleveland, Dec. 11, 2021
- Walgreens Pharmacy, Clark Avenue, Cleveland, Dec. 16, 2021
- CVS Pharmacy, Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Dec. 16, 2021
- Family Dollar, East 93rd Street, Cleveland, Dec. 17, 2021
- Family Dollar, Kinsman Avenue, Cleveland, Dec. 26, 2021
- Family Dollar, 4172 Pearl Road, Cleveland, Dec. 2021
- Family Dollar, Detroit Road, Cleveland, Dec. 26, 2021
“There is no place in our society for criminals like Lawrence Sturdivant,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Smerglia. “The crimes he committed were despicable and cut to the very core of our moral fabric. Prison is exactly what he deserves. The tremendous work conducted by ATF Agents in conjunction with our local partners is a tribute to the excellent partnerships here in Cleveland. Violence will not be tolerated in our community, and I could not be prouder of our investigators and prosecutors for their efforts here every day.”
Investigators also discovered that Sturdivant attempted to hide evidence of his crimes. After the tenth robbery, he cleaned his car, parked it away from where he was staying, and reported it stolen to Cleveland police. When agents later searched his home, they found 9mm rounds of ammunition. In total, Sturdivant stole nearly $3,000 during the robberies.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Cleveland Division of Police-Real Time Crime Center, the Shaker Heights Police Department, and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam J. Joines and Margaret Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Hobbs Act Robbery and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Laquinton Montral Harris, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of Hobbs Act robbery; carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Court documents reflect that on January 31, 2026, Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a reported robbery at Z-Mart located on Fred George Road in Tallahassee. Surveillance footage captured an armed individual dressed entirely in black clothing and face covering enter the store. The individual approached a store employee and demanded money. When the employee responded he had nothing immediately on hand, the suspect fired one round from his firearm into the floor. The employee removed the cash register drawer and handed it to the suspect who then left the store. Law enforcement conducted a detailed investigation which led them to Laquinton Harris, who has prior felony conviction, as the main suspect. A federal search warrant was executed at Harris’ residence. A firearm and clothing consistent with items seen on the store surveillance footage were located.
Harris appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 23, 2026, at 8:30 am before United States Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida.
If convicted, Harris faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the robbery count; at least 10 years, which must be consecutive to any other sentence, on the carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence count; and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count.
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.
The case involves an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Connecticut Man Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base and FentanylRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on May 7, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Dayquan Smith, 34, of Hartford, Connecticut with possessing with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base and fentanyl.
Smith entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on May 7, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle had previously ordered that Smith be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, on January 21, 2026, members of the Vermont State Police executed a search warrant at a residence on Sand Hill Road in Bethel, Vermont. Smith was present in a camper on the property in which law enforcement found over 350 grams of suspected cocaine base, over 40 grams of suspected purple fentanyl, and an unknown wet white powder/sludge on the floor of the shower. Also within the camper was approximately $8,675 in U.S. currency, a Ruger LCP Max .380 pistol, and a box of .380 caliber ammunition.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Smith is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a potential sentence of up to life imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police and the FBI.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Smith is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
Columbus Repeat Offenders Sentenced in Operation Take Back America CasesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Three defendants, all with criminal histories, were sentenced to prison in separate Operation Take Back America investigations in the Columbus region.
Travis Dwayne Broadnax, 40, was sentenced to serve 137 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Feb. 4, 2026.
Johnny Foster, III, 47, was sentenced to serve 87 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Feb. 10, 2026.
Clifford E. Thompson, 59, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Jan. 23, 2026.
The defendants are all from Columbus. U.S. District Judge Clay Land handed down the sentences on May 6. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Convicted felons with guns will find their criminal cases in federal court, where there is no parole,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We are working alongside law enforcement at every level to protect our communities and ensure armed repeat offenders are brought to justice.”
“Criminals must understand that there are serious repercussions for the illegal possession of firearms and that ATF and our law enforcement partners will contribute all necessary time and effort to ensure criminals are brought to justice,” said ATF Resident Agent in Charge Joseph Waller.
“These cases reflect the strength of our partnerships at every level of law enforcement,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “By working together, we are holding repeat offenders accountable and taking illegal firearms off the streets. Our shared goal is simple: protect our communities and prevent future violence before it happens.”
“The hard work and dedication of law enforcement, along with the commitment of prosecutors to hold criminals accountable, helps make all Georgians safer,” said Colonel William W. Hitchens, III, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
"We're not going to stop until the criminal behavior stops. Repeat violent offenders with guns increase the opportunities to commit additional violent crimes,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “We will continue to work through collaborative efforts to serve as a force multiplier to get guns out of the hands of violent offenders."
“Armed repeat offenders will not dictate the safety of this city. CPD, alongside our partners, will continue to identify, arrest and help prosecute those who choose violence and illegal firearms. These outcomes reflect accountability, not chance,” said Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis.
According to court documents and statements referenced in the Broadnax case, a deputy with the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Broadnax on Macon Road on Aug. 22, 2024, which resulted in a high-speed chase and Broadnax crashing into a mailbox and tree, then fleeing on foot. Broadnax was quickly apprehended, and a pistol was found in the vehicle. In jail, Broadnax was recorded asking others to find someone who would claim ownership of the firearm, because he had too many gun charges. Later, Broadnax admitted the firearm belonged to him and that he purchased it from a Zohannon gang member the same night he was arrested. Broadnax has several prior felonies, including two convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and felony obstruction of a police officer, along with prior convictions for theft, all out of Muscogee County, Georgia, Superior Court.
According to court documents and statements referenced in the Foster case, officers with the Columbus Police stopped a car for a traffic violation on Benning Drive on Feb. 27, 2025. Foster was a passenger in the backseat. Officers directed the occupants to step out of the car and sit on the curb. Foster then stood up and ran toward a nearby apartment complex but tripped and fell. He was detained, and Foster admitted he had a firearm in his pocket and that there were drugs in the rear passenger side of the vehicle, where he had been sitting. Officers found a loaded pistol in Foster’s pocket, and quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana packaged for sale in small baggies in the backseat. Foster has a lengthy criminal history, including prior felony drug convictions in Georgia, including Muscogee County Superior Court.
According to court documents and statements referenced in the Thompson case, a Georgia Department of Public Safety Trooper stopped Thompson, who was driving his truck on Interstate 185-North in Harris County, Georgia, for not wearing a seat belt on Sept. 20, 2023. The trooper saw Thompson attempt to hide something under the driver’s seat, and he was asked to step out of the vehicle. Thompson told the trooper it was marijuana, and there was nothing else in the truck. The trooper found a semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat floor mat; a book bag filled with 107 grams of cocaine, as well as substances suspected to be marijuana and mushrooms; plus, clear bags and a scale behind the driver’s side seat. Thompson also had $1,905. Thompson has three previous felony drug convictions in Muscogee County Superior Court.
It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. There is no parole in the federal system.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the cases, with the FBI, the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department and the Georgia Department of Public Safety handling the specific traffic stops. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the cases for the Government.
Colin Jackson Convicted of Participating in Scheme to Defraud Automobile Insurance CompanyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury convicted Colin Jackson of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The jury’s verdict followed a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson.
The jury found that Jackson conspired with others, including a previously convicted defendant, Kirill Afanasyev, to defraud an automobile insurance company concerning the submission of a fraudulent insurance claim on an already-wrecked car in 2018.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Jackson, 39, of San Francisco, obtained an insurance policy on an undrivable car in June 2018. He made a number of misstatements in his application for that policy, including regarding his estimated annual mileage on the car. Five months later, in November 2018, Jackson and Afanasyev worked together to submit a fraudulent claim concerning a fake accident to the insurer. Unaware it had insured a wrecked car, the defrauded automobile-insurance company approved the claim and paid Jackson about $27,000—the insurer’s estimate of the replacement value of the car, which had been titled in Jackson’s name.
The 2018 fraud followed a similar scheme in 2017, when Jackson and Afanasyev obtained a payout from the insurer of approximately $30,000 on another already-wrecked car titled in Jackson’s name.
United States Attorney Craig Missakian, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cobo, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen made the announcement.
Jackson is next scheduled to appear before Judge Thompson for sentencing on September 25, 2026.
With the jury’s verdict against Jackson, more than a dozen defendants have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial as part of an ongoing federal investigation into automobile insurance frauds and an unrelated arson conspiracy involving an overlapping defendant, Jose Badillo, who previously pleaded guilty to participating in both parts of the scheme.
* * *
Operation Hammer Down
Operation Hammer Down was a federal investigation into automobile-insurance frauds orchestrated by Afanasyev and Badillo, the former owner of Jose’s Towing, Auto Towing, and Specialty Towing. In total, Afanasyev, Badillo, and others submitted and conspired to submit more than 50 fraudulent insurance claims that caused in excess of $1.5 million dollars in losses to automobile insurance companies.
Operation Hammer Down also concerned arsons orchestrated by Badillo, who sought to impede his competitors’ business prospects to exact revenge against them for perceived wrongs. For his role in the arson campaign, Badillo was sentenced in February 2026 to 60 months in custody by U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin.
The cases that resulted from the investigation include the following, among others:
DefendantCase Number(s)Statute(s)StatusKirill Afanasyev3:23-cr-00042-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud),18 U.S.C. § 1341 (Mail Fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) (Money Laundering), 18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Wire Fraud), and 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering)Sentenced on November 7, 2025.3:24-cr-00471-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud),18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1341 (Mail Fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Wire Fraud), and 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering)Jose Badillo3:24-cr-00471-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud), and 18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud)Sentenced on February 13, 2026.3:25-cr-00062-RFL18 U.S.C. § 844(i) and (n) (Conspiracy to Commit Arson)Sentenced on February 12, 2026.Colin Jackson3:23-cr-00236-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud),18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Wire Fraud), and 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering)Convicted following a trial on May 6, 2026.Jason Naraja3:24-cr-00471-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud)Sentenced on September 12, 2025.Deshaun Loggins3:23-cr-00042-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud) and 18 U.S.C. § 1341 (Mail Fraud)Sentenced on April 19, 2024.Vladimir Sarser3:23-cr-00042-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1343 (Wire Fraud) and 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering)Sentenced on March 29, 2024.Jay Yoon Song3:23-cr-00270-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering).Sentenced on April 25, 2024.Sergey Kravchenko3:24-cr-00049-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud) (2), 18 U.S.C. § 1341 (Mail Fraud) (2), and 18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering) (2).Pleaded guilty on November 5, 2024.Jessica Najarro3:24-cr-00382-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering)Pleaded guilty on February 21, 2025.Jamie Respicio3:24-cr-00471-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1957 (Money Laundering)Sentenced on June 27, 2025.Boris Meleshinsky3:24-cr-00483-TLT18 U.S.C. § 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud)Pleaded guilty on September 27, 2024.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 Francisco comprises agents and officers from FBI and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Galen A. Phillips and Nicholas M. Parker are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Lance Libatique, Andy Ding, Carolyn Jusay, and Yaqiong Fan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the San Francisco Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.
Chinese National and Ringleader Sentenced to 12.5 Years in $27 Million Multinational Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Targeting over 2,000 SeniorsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Zhao Wang, aka “Oscar,” was sentenced in federal court today to 151 months in prison for leading a $27 million fraud and money laundering scheme targeting approximately 2,000 elderly victims across the United States.
Wang, a Chinese national, was the lead defendant charged in a five-defendant indictment unsealed in 2024. According to public documents, members of the conspiracy operated a series of technical support, bank impersonation and government impersonation, and refund scams targeting elderly victims. Victims received unsolicited phone calls, emails, and pop-up ads directing victims to call a phone number. Unbeknownst to the victims, those phone numbers belonged to India-based scam call centers. Once a victim called the call center, members of the conspiracy used social engineering techniques to build trust with victims. In many instances, the conspirators had victims download commercially available remote desktop software, which the conspirators used to access victims’ computers and to carry on the scams.
One of the most frequent scams was a refund scam. In the refund scams, victims were told they were entitled to a small refund, for example, from a retailer for an alleged unauthorized charge. While pretending to process the refund, the victim would be accidentally “over-refunded” money. The conspirators would then instruct the victim to send the alleged over-refunded money through wire transfers or in cash via express mail to members of the conspiracy. In reality, the victims had not been refunded any money and victims were scammed into sending their own money.
Victims were instructed to send the alleged over-refunded money via wire transfers and in bulk cash via express mail packages to members of the conspiracy, including defendant Zhao Wang, in the United States. When a victim was duped into sending bulk cash in the mail, Wang would provide his India-based co-conspirators a fictitious name plus an address of a retail location that could accept express mail packages. Those names and addresses would then be relayed to the victims, who were instructed to express mail the bulk cash. Then, once a victim had sent the cash in the mail, Wang and his co-conspirators would use fake IDs to get the packages of cash sent by the elderly victims.
In sentencing papers, the government argued that Wang oversaw the U.S.-based operation, including co-conspirators who would retrieve victim packages and document themselves retrieving and opening packages and counting the money inside. Agents seized countless such photos and videos from Wang’s phone.
Investigators identified over 2,000 elderly victims from throughout the country, including victims in San Diego, who were defrauded and suffered over $27 million in losses over an approximately two-year period between 2021-2023.
At sentencing, the government emphasized that Wang was explicit that his operation was, in his own words, scamming elderly Americans. The following conversation from February 2022 was seized from Wang’s cellphone during the investigation:
In publicly filed documents, Wang also admitted that after receiving the fraud proceeds, he and his co-conspirators laundered the money using cryptocurrency back to their foreign-based counterparts.
Wang admitted that typically each day after collecting victim packages, Wang’s co-conspirators would deliver the money from the packages to him. Wang would then coordinate with his foreign-based co-conspirators, who would provide a cryptocurrency wallet that Wang would use to transfer cryptocurrency. Wang took upwards of 18 percent of the fraud proceeds and transferred the rest via cryptocurrency to his co-conspirators. Wang also admitted that he laundered the proceeds to promote the fraud scheme by using fraud proceeds to pay co-conspirators and to purchase the fake IDs used in the scheme.
“This sentence recognizes the profound human cost of exploiting trust and treating vulnerable people as opportunities for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
“Zhao Wang, “Oscar,” and his co-conspirators callously scammed more than 2,000 elderly victims throughout the country with a variety of fraud schemes for years,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Today’s sentence ensures that Wang, the coordinator perpetrating the multitude of scams, is held accountable for his role. FBI San Diego and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who think they can prey on our elder population without consequences.”
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie called the scope of the fraud “staggering” and called Wang’s domestic operation of the scheme “100 percent reprehensible.” In finding Wang specifically targeted elderly victims, Judge Huie emphasized, “Their vulnerability was not incidental. It was not coincidence. It was how they were selected. It was how they came to be scammed.”
The wife and daughter of an 83-year-old victim spoke at the sentencing hearing today. They said that within months of being scammed, the victim lived with suspicion, distrust and resentment and he soon passed away. Judge Huie commented, “It’s really hard to fathom the depth of that harm in somebody’s last months on this planet.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.
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.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number 24-cr-1317-RSH-01
Zhao Wang, aka “Oscar” Age: 41 Las Vegas, NV
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349, 2326
Maximum Penalties: Forty years in prison; $1 million fine
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) and 1956(h)
Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the amount laundered
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego County Sheriff’s DepartmentSan Diego Police Department
San Diego Elder Justice Task Force
Chino Police Department
Coronado Police Department
Escondido Police Department
Glendora Police Department
Long Beach Police Department
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
Brentwood Attorney Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE - David Gebhardt, 54, of Brentwood, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to filing false tax returns that failed to report millions of dollars in income from cryptocurrency sales and from his consulting business.
According to court documents, Gebhardt, a Tennessee-licensed attorney, purchased cryptocurrency but used decentralized exchanges and nominees to conceal his income from those investments. In total, from March 2018 through December 2022, Gebhardt withdrew approximately $6.6 million in funds from his cryptocurrency sales. Despite being warned by his accountants to report all of his cryptocurrency income on his tax returns, he failed to do so. Further, on his 2020 through 2022 returns, he indicated that he did not engage in virtual currency transactions when, in fact, he did. Gebhardt also failed to report all the gross receipts earned by a consulting business he owned. In total, Gebhardt caused a tax loss of more than $550,000 by filing false tax returns for 2018 through 2022.
Gebhardt pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false individual tax returns. His sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of 6 years in federal prison, as well as restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
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.
Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Criminal Chief Ahmed Safeeullah for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Roger Lee Cousins, 51, of Beckley, was sentenced today to two years and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 8, 2024, Cousins sold approximately 14.66 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant in Beckley. As part of his guilty plea, Cousins admitted to selling approximately 27.2 grams of fentanyl during the transaction, and to receiving a total of $3,140 for both controlled substances.
Cousins also admitted to additional criminal conduct. Cousins admitted to selling cocaine and fentanyl on October 21, 2024, cocaine on October 29, 2024, and fentanyl on December 6, 2024, each time to a confidential informant.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-42.
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Autism researcher extradited from Germany to face federal charges of stealing CDC grant moneyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Poul Thorsen, a Danish researcher who was one of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s top ten most wanted fugitives, was arraigned today on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges after his extradition from Germany.
“Poul Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million in federal grant money by submitting fabricated invoices and diverting funds to his personal bank accounts,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “International fugitives who think they can avoid responsibility for serious federal crimes by living overseas are wrong. Due to the unwavering persistence of my office and our law enforcement partners, Thorsen has been extradited to the United States and will face justice in federal court.”
“Thorsen is alleged to have diverted more than a million dollars designated for critical public health and autism research. These funds were entrusted to advance scientific understanding and support children and families; instead, these tax dollars were exploited for personal gain, a serious breach of law and profound betrayal of public trust,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Thorsen’s extradition reinforces a core principle: individuals who are accused in an indictment of defrauding the American people and misusing federally funded research will be pursued wherever they flee. HHS-OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of federal programs and ensuring that those who steal from the public are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From 2000 to 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, awarded over $11 million to two governmental agencies in Denmark to study the relationship between autism and exposure to vaccines, between cerebral palsy and infection during pregnancy, and between childhood development and fetal alcohol exposure. In 2002, Thorsen, who had worked as a visiting scientist at the CDC when it was soliciting the grant applications, became responsible for administering the research money awarded by the CDC.
Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million of the CDC grant money by submitting fraudulent documents to the Danish government, Aarhus University, and a Danish hospital where scientists performed research under the grant. From February 2004 through June 2008, Thorsen allegedly submitted over a dozen fraudulent invoices, containing the forged signature of a CDC laboratory section chief, that falsely claimed a CDC laboratory had performed work and was owed grant money. Based on these invoices, Aarhus University transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to CDC Federal Credit Union accounts the university believed belonged to the CDC. In truth, the credit union accounts were personal accounts held by Thorsen. After the money was transferred, Thorsen allegedly withdrew the fraudulent proceeds for his own use, obtaining cashier’s checks and buying a home in Atlanta, a Harley Davidson motorcycle, and Audi and Honda vehicles.
A federal magistrate judge issued an arrest warrant after a grand jury in Atlanta indicted Thorsen on April 13, 2011, but Thorsen evaded apprehension for nearly 14 years by remaining in Denmark. On June 4, 2025, Thorsen, 65, was arrested in Passau, Germany, pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice based on the April 2011 arrest warrant.
Earlier this year, Germany agreed to extradite Thorsen to face trial on two counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering. On May 7, 2026, Thorsen was flown to the United States in federal custody. He was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Elizabeth McBath and will be held without bail pending further proceedings.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and extradition of Thorsen from Germany.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. McClain is prosecuting the case.
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.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl Pills Through U.S. MailRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 38-year-old man has pleaded guilty to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy to transport fentanyl pills from Arizona to North Carolina.
Sadai Lopez, of Goodyear, Arizona, pleaded guilty to the following charges in the indictment:
- Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl
- Distribution of a Controlled Substance
According to court documents, from about August 2023 to November 2024, Lopez was engaged in trafficking illegal narcotics from Arizona to Ohio, to be further transported to North Carolina for redistribution. Investigators found that during the conspiracy, Lopez used U.S. Postal Service offices throughout the Phoenix area to mail six parcels to an accomplice in Newton Falls, Ohio. A search warrant on one of the parcels uncovered 1.150 kilograms of fentanyl pills that were contained inside of two vacuum-sealed bags.
Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 4, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the U.S Postal Service Inspection Service.
The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio.
About the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
USPIS is the law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service. To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit uspis.gov/report. For more information about combatting mail theft visit uspis.gov/project-safe-delivery.
Another illegal alien multi-DUI offender heads to federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old illegal alien living in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country without authorization again, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Luis Miguel Sanchez-Martinez pleaded guilty Feb. 19.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Sanchez-Martinez to serve 42 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court considered his dangerous behavior, lack of respect for the law and need for further deterrence.
Sanchez-Martinez has multiple convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Authorities first removed him from the United States in November 2020 following his third DUI conviction. He was subsequently removed after a fourth DUI, but law enforcement found him in Houston Aug. 9, 2024, with no authorization to be in the country.
Sanchez-Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Anderson Man Sentenced to Almost 15 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Mayo Pickens, 47, of Anderson, has been sentenced to almost 15 years in federal prison for cocaine trafficking.
On June 26, 2025, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at Pickens’s residence in Anderson. Law enforcement found approximately 76 kilograms of cocaine and multiple firearms inside the house, including multiple pistols and a rifle. Agents seized more than $75,000 in cash.Pickens was arrested in his vehicle with a loaded revolver. The investigation revealed that Pickens was also responsible for another 24 kilograms of cocaine that he intended to traffic.
Pickens previously received a 292-month sentence following federal convictions for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and money laundering. Pickens was released from federal custody in 2021.United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Pickens to 176 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case.###
Additional Charges Files Against Massachusetts State RepresentativeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts State Representative for the First Barnstable District has been charged in a superseding indictment with additional counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns.
Christopher Flanagan, 38, of Dennis, Mass. was indicted with eight counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, one count of falsification of records and three counts of filing false tax returns. Flanagan was previously charged in a six-count indictment in April 2025. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Flanagan is currently the Massachusetts State Representative for the First Barnstable District, which includes the towns of Dennis, Yarmouth and Brewster. Prior to being elected to his first two-year term to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2022, Flanagan served two consecutive three-year terms as a member of the Town of Dennis Select Board. Flanagan received an annual compensation of approximately $97,546 and $100,945 in 2023 and 2024, respectively, from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
From approximately early 2019 to mid-2024, Flanagan also served as the Executive Officer of a Home Builders Association in Cape Cod (HBA) – a professional trade association that represented the Cape Cod building industry comprised of over 300 members. As HBA Executive Officer, Flanagan reported to a Board of Directors and had signatory authority over HBA bank accounts. Flanagan received annual salary and benefits ranging approximately from $65,800 to $81,600 from 2019 to 2024 from the HBA.
It is alleged that, beginning in at least as early as October 2021, Flanagan was facing personal financial difficulty, with thousands of dollars in outstanding credit card debt, missing mortgage payments and hundreds of dollars in bank overdraft fees. According to the superseding indictment, from in or about November 2021 to January 2023, Flanagan stole more than $36,000 in HBA funds from one of the association’s bank account via wire transfers:
Additionally, it is alleged that from February 2021 to December 2023, Flanagan stole more than $7,000 from another HBA bank account via wire transfers:
Flanagan allegedly used the majority of the stolen funds to pay personal mortgage bills, to pay down thousands of dollars in credit card debt and to make other personal expenditures. In one instance, in January 2023, Flanagan allegedly stole $10,000 from HBA in order to fund his campaign account for State Representative. It is further alleged that, in addition to stealing HBA funds via official checks and PayPal transfers, Flanagan also stole hundreds of dollars via direct debit transactions from the association’s bank account funds to pay for personal psychic services in July 2022.
The superseding indictment alleges that Flanagan did not report the stolen funds on his personal tax returns for tax years 2021, 2022 and 2023. Additionally, it is alleged that Flanagan collected rental income that he failed to report on his 2023 tax returns.
According to the superseding indictment, on or about May 5, 2024, Flanagan concealed the stolen funds from the HBA Board by logging onto HBA’s accounting/bookkeeping software using another employee’s account, entering backdated transactions to account for the stolen funds and entering false transaction codes (e.g., “office supplies,” “travel” and “bank charges”) for the withdrawals.
As part of his concealment, it is alleged that Flanagan told the HBA Board that he withdrew funds to reimburse himself for HBA-related expenses that he had paid for out-of-pocket with his personal funds. When the HBA Board requested proof, Flanagan allegedly provided two phony expense reports:
On the first expense report, Flanagan allegedly claimed he had spent $159.36 on “Technology Expenses” at Best Buy on March 4, 2022 and $537.26 on “Office Supplies” at 4Imprint on April 18, 2022. Records of the actual purchases, however, allegedly showed that the Best Buy purchase was for a portable Bluetooth speaker and that the 4Imprint purchase was for t-shirts supporting Flanagan’s State Representative campaign:
Additionally, in the second expense report, Flanagan allegedly claimed to have spent a total of $3,784.84 on “Office Supplies.” Records of the actual purchases, however, allegedly showed that $2,118.10 of this amount was actually used for Flanagan’s personal expenses. Specifically: $613.70 and $361.24 Best Buy purchases were allegedly for an electric dryer and an air conditioner, both delivered to Flanagan’s home; a $1,050.30 Macy’s purchase allegedly for men’s ties, dress shirts, slacks and sports coats; and a $92.86 purchase at Target allegedly for children’s clothes and toys.
According to the superseding indictment, in or about December 2022, the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) opened an investigation regarding a campaign mailer that was distributed during Flanagan’s 2022 campaign for State Representative, purportedly a group called “Conservatives for Dennis.”
It is further alleged that Flanagan obstructed the OCPF investigation by attributing the source of the mailer to a false persona he created named, “Jeanne Louise,” whom Flanagan claimed was a member of an independent conservative group that had endorsed his candidacy. It is further alleged that Flanagan created and sent phony emails to OCPF purporting to be on behalf of vendors responsible for creating and distributing the mailer.
In or about October 2023, after Flanagan admitted to OCPF that Jeanne Louise was fake and that he himself was the source of the mailer, OCPF expanded its investigation into Flanagan’s campaign finance activity. Specifically, OCPF requested Flanagan produce evidence that the $10,000 deposited into his campaign account in January 2023 had indeed come from his personal funds.
However, it is alleged that Flanagan’s bank statements from the time of the deposit in January 2023 would reflect that he could not have issued the $10,000 campaign check without his theft of HBA money – showing a beginning balance of approximately $42.28 just one week before depositing the stolen funds. In response, Flanagan allegedly provided OCPF with falsified expense reports that claimed that: the $10,000 check from HBA constituted legitimate HBA-reimbursed expenses; that HBA had a practice of allowing Flanagan to withdraw large sums of money for the purpose of expense reimbursement; and therefore, the $10,000 campaign check was a legitimate donation of Flanagan’s own personal funds.
It is further alleged that Flanagan transferred the $10,000 in stolen funds from his personal bank account into his campaign bank account before using the funds to pay vendors in order to conceal the true source of the funds.
The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. The charge of falsification of records provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of filing false income tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
21-Year-Old Felon Who Possessed Gun SentencedRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a loaded gun illegally was sentenced on May 7, 2026, to 51 months in federal prison.
Devieon Jermaine-Oliver Irvin, age 21, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 3, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm as a felon.
While investigating a theft, police officers learned that Irvin was sending text messages to a 13-year-old juvenile. In these messages, Irvin and the juvenile discussed Irvin providing the juvenile with drugs. On March 13, 2025, police searched Irvin’s residence in Marion, Iowa, and found a loaded gun in the couch in the living room. Irvin was a convicted felon and was on state probation at the time he possessed the gun.
Irvin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Irvin was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Irvin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Marion Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-00078.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
7 May 2026
Zuni Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter of InfantRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after her 2-month-old daughter died from asphyxiation.
According to court documents, on the night of January 25, 2025, Miranda Cachini, 27, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, consumed alcoholic beverages and fell asleep while breastfeeding her 2-month-old daughter in bed. During the night, Cachini rolled over on top of the baby, causing her to pass away by asphyxiation.
Cachini pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and faces up to eight years in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
Venezuelan national sentenced for stealing nearly $300,000 from ATMS in NY, Massachusetts and IllinoisRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that David Jose Gomez Cegarra, 25, a citizen of Venezuela, who was convicted of bank larceny, was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay restitution totaling $294,820 by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Cegarra was then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Between October 5 and November 11, 2024, Gomez Cegarra, and several co-conspirators, stole more than $290,000 using an illicit technique known as “ATM Jackpotting,” in which they either removed an ATM’s cover and infected its hard drive with malware or removed the entire hard drive and replaced it with an infected hard drive. The technique allows an individual to assume control of an ATM and cause it to dispense currency.
- On October 5, 2024, Gomez Cegarra and his co-conspirators stole $109,620.00 from an ATM located at Radius Federal Credit Union in Kenmore, NY.
- On October 6, 2024, Gomez Cegarra and his co-conspirators stole $58,000.00 from an ATM located at St. Mary’s Federal Credit Union in Framingham, MA.
- On October 17, 2024, Gomez Cegarra and his co-conspirators stole $21,600.00 from an ATM located at First National Bank of Dryden in Dryden, NY.
- On November 11, 2024, Gomez Cegarra and his co-conspirators stole $105,600.00 from two separate Community First Bank ATMs in Mount Vernon, Il.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey E. Intravatola and Douglas A.C. Penrose. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Kenmore Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Phillips, the Homer, NY, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Pitman, the Framingham, MA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lester Baker, and the Mahomet, Illinois, Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smysor.
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U.S. Court of Appeals Affirms Federal Prison Sentence of More than Thirty Years for El Salvador Man Convicted of Possession and Conspiracy to Distribute Sixteen Pounds of FentanylRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has affirmed a federal prison sentence of more than thirty years issued by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann to an El Salvador man following his conviction by a federal jury in Aberdeen, South Dakota, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place at the federal courthouse in Aberdeen on September 15, 2025. The appeal was argued at the federal courthouse in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 19, 2026. The Eighth Circuit issued its opinion and judgment affirming the sentence on May 7, 2026.
Edwin Giovanni Salinas, 47, an illegal alien from El Salvador who was living in Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to serve 365 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.Salinas left California with a backpack he used to transport approximately three pounds of pure China and Mexican cartel-sourced fentanyl powder and nearly 50,000 fentanyl pills laced with horse tranquilizer. One of the bags of fentanyl seized from Salinas was marked with the word “CHINA.” The pills were manufactured to look like prescription oxycodone pills. In all, Salinas was seeking to distribute approximately sixteen pounds of fentanyl, presumably to communities across the Midwest. The immediate destination for the drugs was believed to be a designated meeting spot at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The approximate street value of the drugs was estimated at $2,000,000.
Salinas was traveling with the illegal drugs in a speeding car with California plates at four in the morning near the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, with an individual he recruited to drive. The vehicle was stopped and the contraband found and seized by a deputy with the Roberts County Sheriff’s Department and a police officer with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe. Salinas was convicted on both felony counts following a five-day jury trial.
At sentencing, the district court made factual findings, credited on appeal, that Salinas “had enough fentanyl to kill 500,000 people” and that this was one of “the biggest drug bust[s] in the history of South Dakota.” The appellate court also affirmed a sentencing enhancement imposed by the district court for threatening his co-defendant and placing her in fear when they were in U.S. Marshals custody and traveling to federal court.
“Case closed,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “The incredible vigilance and professionalism demonstrated by these on-duty law enforcement officers with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Police and Roberts County Sheriff’s Office unquestionably saved lives.”
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribal Police, the Roberts County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Division of Drug Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case. Following sentencing, Salinas was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service before being transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. The Mexican drug cartels responsible for the fentanyl smuggled into the United States—primarily the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel—operate global criminal enterprises and rely on a global supply chain, with most fentanyl and its chemical precursors originating from China. In 2025, DEA seized more than 47 million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and nearly 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, equivalent to more than 369 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Several for Excellence in ServiceRead the Press Release
Kevin NashBaltimore, Maryland – Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland (USAO-MD), honored 19 staff members, eight law enforcement officers, and one civilian, today, for their contributions to upholding the Office’s mission.
USAO-MD hosted its annual awards ceremony at the Edward A. Garmatz United States District Courthouse where Hayes also introduced 19 new Assistant U.S. Attorneys, 10 Special Assistant United States Attorneys, and 17 other staff who joined the office since the beginning of 2025.
“Today we recognize the very best of what public service looks like. Our Assistant United States Attorneys, professional staff, and law enforcement partners bring extraordinary skill, integrity, and dedication to their work every single day,” Hayes said. “These awards are a way to honor the countless hours and unwavering commitment behind every case completed, every victim served, and every criminal held accountable. I am extremely grateful for and proud of my office’s and our partners’ teamwork and professionalism in everything that we do to further our shared mission of protecting our communities.”
During the ceremony, Hayes announced the following award recipients:
The Eugene P. “Pete” Twardowicz Award
- Donzell Tate, Special Agent, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General
- Kari Spaniol, Special Agent, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General
- George Wahl, Special Agent, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General
- Guy Petrillo, Special Agent, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General
- David Rutledge, Supervisory Forensic Accountant, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Nicole Brianna Dell, Forensic Accountant, Federal Bureau of Investigation
This award recognizes law enforcement agents or officers for outstanding cooperation and achievement while working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The award is named for Eugene P. (Pete) Twardowicz who rendered many years of outstanding service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an IRS criminal investigator and a special investigator for this office.
Rod J. Rosenstein Award
Charles T. Gregory, Detective, Charles County Sheriff’s Office
Established in 2017, the Rod J. Rosenstein Award is presented to a state and/or local investigator whose cooperative efforts and excellent work reflect the highest traditions of the law enforcement profession.
Hometown Hero Award
James “Jaime” Bradley, Detective Sergeant, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
Established by the Department of Justice, this award honors a law enforcement officer who demonstrates exceptional commitment to public service, and in particular, demonstrates partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Carl S. Lackl, Jr., Award
Aquana Murray
The Carl S. Lackl Award, established in 2008, is given in honor of Carl Stanley Lackl, Jr., for exemplary perseverance and fortitude in pursuit of justice. In 2006, Mr. Lackl witnessed a murder in Baltimore, identified the suspect, and then agreed to testify against the perpetrator. After law enforcement arrested the suspect, and the State charged him with the murder, the perpetrator (while incarcerated) used a contraband cellphone to contact co-conspirators to arrange to murder Mr. Lackl. Sadly, Mr. Lackl was shot to death outside his home in front of his daughter. All conspirators were convicted on federal charges.
Barnet Skolnik Award
AUSA Joseph Baldwin
This annual award honors one or more Assistant U.S. Attorneys who demonstrate outstanding professionalism, determination, and creativity in a case of unusual public significance. Barnet D. (Barney) Skolnik was a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who led teams that prosecuted numerous white-collar criminals and corrupt public officials in the 1970s, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Awards for Excellence
Established in 2007, the U.S. Attorney’s Awards for Excellence recognize Assistant U.S. Attorneys for excellence in civil advocacy, fraud prosecution, support of a law enforcement initiative, legal support, organized crime prosecution, and violent crime prosecution.
Civil Advocacy
AUSAs Jessica Dillon and Rebecca Koch
Fraud Prosecution
AUSAs Joshua Rosenthal and Darren Gardner
Law Enforcement Initiative
AUSAs Brooke Oki, Spencer Todd, and Carolyn Mills
Legal Support
Alisha Swiger, Andrew Murray, Kimberly Bolarinwa, and Kristy Penny
Organized Crime Prosecution
AUSA James Wallner
Violent Crime Prosecution
AUSAs Paul Budlow and Spencer Todd
Deborah A. Johnston Profile in Courage Award
AUSAs Coreen Mao and Thomas Sullivan
Established in 2019, the Deborah A. Johnston Profile in Courage Award is presented to one or more Assistant U.S. Attorneys who demonstrate extraordinary courage and commitment to duty while representing the United States. During her 23-year tenure, Ms. Johnston served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Southern Division, and Senior Litigation Counsel for the office. Ms. Johnston fearlessly took on the most challenging prosecutions in pursuit of justice.
Employee of the Year
Jenaye Moye
The Employee of the Year Award, which is given for outstanding contributions exemplifying the highest traditions of the office, recognizes sustained superior performance and outstanding achievements by a non-attorney. This award also recognizes the recipient's professionalism, dedication, and comprehensive knowledge in their area of expertise.
Gary P. Jordan AwardAUSA Thomas Corcoran, Chief of the Civil Division
This is an award presented to an employee for exemplary performance and for upholding the highest traditions of the office: integrity, ingenuity, dedication to public service, and fairness. Gary P. Jordan served with distinction for many years, including as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, first assistant from March 29, 1987, until his death on October 25, 1996, and as interim U.S. Attorney in 1993.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended all the awardees and staff for their hard work and contributions to the success of the office.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Two men sentenced to federal prison for theft of U.S. mailRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, Georgia: Two men have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to charges including mail theft.
Michael Jermaine Thompson, 24, of North Augusta, South Carolina, was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $2,000 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Mail Key and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall previously sentenced Thompson’s co-defendant, Robert Dean Plyler, 23, of Augusta, to a total of 38 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he pled guilty to Possession of Stolen Mail, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“The security of the U.S. Mail is vital to commerce and communications, and mail theft is a serious matter,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “These sentences hold both men accountable, and deliver a timely warning that we will diligently pursue those who would violate the mail system.”
As described in court records and testimony, North Augusta police officers were alerted in December 2024 that two men were seen opening a mail “blue box” outside the Georgia Avenue post office and placing the mail in the trunk of their car. As officers were enroute they saw a vehicle matching the description and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle sped into Georgia and eventually crashed during the pursuit, and Thompson and Plyler were taken into custody.
Investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office recovered a pistol and a large amount of mail from the vehicle. Personnel at the Richmond County jail also found a U.S. Postal Service key in Thompson’s possession.
A total of 131 pieces of mail were recovered, representing 29 victims. The investigation also discovered that Plyler had opened a bank account in his name and had been depositing checks taken from mail thefts into the account. Judge Hall ordered Plyler to pay restitution of $1,157.
“This sentencing is a statement that mail theft will not be tolerated, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue to partner with other law enforcement agencies to collectively pursue criminals who victimize postal customers.”
“Stealing from the U.S. Mail is not a victimless crime – it disrupts lives, compromises financial security, and erodes trust in a system Americans rely on every day,” said Matt Ploskunak, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Augusta office. “These defendants not only targeted that system, but one of them did so while unlawfully possessing a firearm, compounding the threat to the community. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to aggressively pursue those who exploit the mail for personal gain and hold them accountable under federal law.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the North Augusta Office of Public Safety. The case was prosecuted for the United States of America Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Scanlon.
Two Maryland Men Charged in Connection with Justice Department’s Operation Iron PursuitRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Two Maryland men face indictment for child sexual abuse crimes stemming from the Department of Justice’s Operation Iron Pursuit.
Tarif Jahmil Alston, 43, of Baltimore, and Gleybar Josue Ramirez-Clemente, 21, of Frederick, are charged with sexually exploiting children. Operation Iron Pursuit commenced April 1 and ended April 30.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictments with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche; FBI Director Kash Patel; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; and Clinton J. Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland (USMS).
The Department announced the results from the one-month, nationwide enforcement effort to find child victims of sex abuse and arrest child sex predators. Law enforcement located more than 200 child victims and arrested more than 350 child sexual abuse offenders. All 56 FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country participated in the coordinated takedown effort. The Administration for Children and Families recognized April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“This operation puts every child predator on notice: we are coming for you,” Blanche said. “The sexual exploitation of minors is an abomination with no place in our society. We will hunt down these offenders, hold them fully accountable under the law, and deliver justice for victims.”
“Every single day this FBI is working 24/7 to break networks of child abusers all across this country,” Patel said. “Last year we joined our partners delivering a record year, identifying and rescuing over 6,300 missing children, and today’s announcement of Operation Iron Pursuit is just the latest success in that work — with over 200 victims located and over 350 offenders arrested. Let this be a message to criminal actors who seek to target America’s children: you will be pursued, and you will be brought to justice.”
“One of our highest priorities is protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. Operation Iron Pursuit underscores the Department of Justice and our office’s commitment to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting individuals who exploit and abuse our children, and ensuring victims are safely returned to their loved ones,” Hayes said. “We will continue working closely with our community and law enforcement partners to secure justice for every victim.”
“Operation Iron Pursuit is another example of how our Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force is working to protect children across Maryland,” Paul said. “Together with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we are taking dangerous child predators off the streets to face justice in federal court.”
“The success of this operation was the result of effective cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement, and I am grateful for the hard work and dedication by the deputies who took part,” Fuchs said. “The recovery of critically missing children and the pursuit of child predators is a top priority of the Marshals Service and operations like this one serve as a reminder that we will not rest until fugitive sex offenders are brought to justice and missing children are reunited with their families.”
Alston, a previously convicted sex offender, is charged with five counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material, two counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Ramirez-Clemente is charged with sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Other individuals arrested allegedly committed various crimes, including sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, abuse, kidnapping, and possessing, distributing, or receiving child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Some of the alleged offenders include:
- A Columbus, Ohio, man who pleaded guilty to creating AI-generated obscene material of adults and children and to cyberstalking exes;
- A District of Columbia man charged with producing child pornography;
- A New York man charged with sexually exploiting a child; and
- A Pennsylvania man and former felon charged with sexually exploiting a child and illegally possessing a gun.
Additionally, a victim recovered includes a 10-year-old from Utah who was flown from Cuba back home to reunite with the child’s biological mother. The child was supposed to be on a camping trip with a transgender parent, partner, and another child. The group instead flew from Canada to Mexico and then to Cuba; concerns existed that the 10-year-old child was taken to Cuba for gender reassignment surgery. FBI Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted with the recovery of the children, providing crisis support and stabilization.
This effort follows three other successful operations last year. Operation Relentless Justice, which concluded in December 2025, resulted in the rescue of 205 children and arrests of 293 offenders. Operation Enduring Justice, which concluded in August 2025, resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders. Additionally, Operation Restore Justice, which concluded in May 2025, resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders.
The FBI’s VSD assisted victims during Operation Iron Pursuit and provided services such as forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Maryland; State’s Attorney’s Office for Baltimore City; State’s Attorney’s Office for Frederick County; Baltimore Police Department; and Frederick Police Department for their work on the Maryland investigations.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Twin Brothers Plead Guilty to Robbery, Brandishing Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Javae McClain, 19, of Aurora, and Javaris McClain, 19, of Aurora, each pled guilty to robbery affecting commerce and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the plea agreements, in September of 2024, the McClain brothers committed an armed robbery of a convenience store in Denver. Both were charged with aggravated robbery in Denver and then released on state bond. Between December 23, 2024, and January 12, 2025, while on state bond, Javae McClain committed an additional ten armed convenience store robberies across the Denver Metro area, and was taken into custody on January 12, 2025. After Javae McClain was taken into custody, Javaris McClain, who was also still on state bond, continued the robbery spree by robbing an additional nine Denver area convenience stores with a gun. Javaris McClain was arrested on February 4, 2025.
Senior United States District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the hearing.
Both McClains are scheduled to be sentenced in September.
The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force handled the investigation in cooperation with Denver, Commerce City, Westminster, Lakewood, Sheridan, Littleton, Aurora, and Parker Police Departments, and the Arapahoe County Sherriff’s Office.
The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 25-cr-134-WJM
Tucson Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Violent Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On May 5, 2026, Steven Daniel Buitimea, 37, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 210 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Buitimea previously pleaded guilty to Aggravated Sexual Abuse.
On May 28, 2022, Buitimea, an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, sexually assaulted the victim by force, causing serious physical injury to the victim. The sexual assault occurred on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation in Tucson, Arizona.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 22-CR-1916
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-070_Buitimea
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Three Sentenced for Spree of Armed Robberies of Luxury Watches in Summer of 2024Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darryl James, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Friday, May 1, 2026, to 15 years in prison for his participation in a spree of armed robberies of luxury watches and other goods in the Summer of 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
James pleaded guilty to three counts of armed robbery, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. His two co-conspirators, Isaiah Boyd, 24, and Issac Ingraham, 20, were sentenced on February 13, 2026 for their participation. Boyd pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery and one count of attempted robbery, while Ingraham pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of carrying a pistol without a license.
According to the government’s evidence, in the Summer of 2024, there were a number of similar-style armed robberies that were committed in busy nightlife areas of the Northwest quadrant of the District of Columbia, fitting a similar modus operandi: a stolen car would pull up to a pedestrian or make a U-Turn before pulling up to a pedestrian, one or more masked men would jump out of the car and brandish a gun, and one or more of those men would rob a luxury watch at gunpoint. James participated in at least eight of these armed robberies, culminating in the last one on July 26, 2024, when James led law enforcement on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle throughout the District, ultimately discarding stolen property and two handguns along the way. James, Boyd, and Ingraham were able to flee successfully that day, but James was arrested about two weeks later with another handgun. Law enforcement eventually identified Boyd and Ingraham as being participants, alongside James, and they were arrested in December 2024 and January 2025, respectively. All three have been detained since their arrest.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
2024 CF3 008088, 2024 CF3 012630, 2025 CF3 001859
Three Men Indicted for the Armed Hijacking of a Delivery Truck Loaded with Apple Products at the Americana Manhasset Mall on Long IslandRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, a three-count indictment was unsealed charging defendants Alan Christhofer Cedeno-Ferrer, Michael Mejia-Nunez and Ennait Alexis Sirett-Padilla with Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before the Honorable Anne Y. Shields, United States Magistrate Judge.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) announced the charges.
“As alleged, these defendants committed a violent and brazen daytime robbery that terrorized the victims and endangered the public at one of the most popular shopping centers on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will continue its relentless pursuit of violent criminals who prey on innocent victims and put our communities in harms way for their own financial gain.”
“The defendants allegedly held two innocent employees at gunpoint before hijacking and robbing their delivery truck out of selfish greed. The FBI remains in lockstep with our local law enforcement partners to stop violent criminals from wreaking havoc on our communities,” announced FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“These individuals came into Nassau County and committed a robbery with weapons that put people in fear. We didn’t stop pursuing them until they were brought to justice. County Executive Bruce Blakeman and I have zero tolerance for criminal activity here in Nassau County. Thanks to our great partners in the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, these defendants have been indicted and will now have to answer for their crimes.” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Bergen County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance on the case.
As set forth in court filings, at approximately 8:00 a.m. on January 3, 2026, the defendants, working with others, hijacked a delivery truck that was parked outside of the Apple Store at the Americana Manhasset mall, as two workers were preparing to deliver Apple products to the store. The contents of the truck included more than $1.2 million worth of MacBook laptop computers, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and various accessories. Three men approached the delivery workers armed with handguns, forced one of the workers into the back of the delivery truck and zip tied his hands. They ordered the other victim into the driver’s seat to drive the truck. The victim driver was directed to a secluded parking area behind an office building located on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset, New York, and was then ordered into the back of the truck with the first victim, where his hands were also zip tied. A Home Depot box truck, rented by Cedeno-Ferrer using a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license, pulled into the parking area and backed up to the rear of the delivery truck so the cargo sections were aligned. The men moved all of the Apple merchandise from the delivery truck to the Home Depot truck. Once finished, they closed the cargo door to the delivery truck with the victims inside and left the location. One of the victims was able to free himself and call 911.
The stolen merchandise was then taken to New Jersey and brought to a self-storage facility in Paterson, New Jersey. Upon arrival, as caught by surveillance cameras, Mejia-Nunez and Sirett-Padilla rented a storage unit that was used to facilitate transferring the stolen Apple goods from the Home Depot truck to a U-Haul truck and another vehicle being driven by a coconspirator. The Home Depot truck was abandoned in the Bronx and located by law enforcement on January 5, 2026. Cedeno-Ferrer’s fingerprints were found on a copy of the rental agreement that was recovered from inside the Home Depot truck.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, the defendants face up to 30 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Paul G. Scotti is in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of paralegal specialist Janelle Robinson.
The Defendants:
ALAN CHRISTHOFER CEDENO-FERRER
Age: 27
Bronx, New YorkMICHAEL MEJIA-NUNEZ
Age: 29
New York, New YorkENNAIT ALEXIS SIRETT-PADILLA
Age: 24
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-118 (SJB)
2026.05.07_cedeno-ferrer_et_al_detention_letter._final.pdf 26-cr-118_cedeno-ferrer_et_al.indictment_redacted.pdfThree Individuals Indicted in Northwest Alabama Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted three individuals for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
An 11-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Tyrone Bernard Watkins, aka “T.Y.,” 33, of Muscle Shoales, Alabama; and Mikel Leshane Presley, aka “Mike Lowery,” 34, and Jade Leela Mitchell Little, 34, – both of Tuscumbia, Alabama – with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Watkins was also charged with distribution of methamphetamine. Presley was also charged with distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm. The alleged incidents occurred between October 2023 and August 2024, in Colbert County, Alabama.
The DEA, ATF, and FBI investigated the case along with the Colbert County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Judah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Houston, Tx., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and commit money laundering.
Tyrone Godley-Johnson, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2024, Godley-Johnson transported approximately two kilograms of cocaine to Kansas City, Mo. Once in Kansas City, Godley-Johnson exchanged the cocaine for $35,000. On Sept. 5, 2024, as Godley-Johnson was returning to Texas, he was stopped in Moore, Ok., for a traffic violation. During the car stop, law enforcement discovered the $35,000 hidden inside the driver’s side trunk area paneling of his rental vehicle.
Godley-Johnson admitted that he had transported approximately seven kilograms of cocaine to Kansas City, Mo., over the course of three separate trips, in exchange for a total of $131,000. These three trips occurred between the summer of 2022, and Sept. 4, 2024. On each occasion, Godley-Johnson transported or attempted to transport the U.S. currency back to the state of Texas.
Under federal statutes, Godley-Johnson 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Overland Park, Kansas Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Ten Indicted in Drug Trafficking Conspiracies in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that ten people were charged in an indictment that was unsealed on May 6, 2026, on charges including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm.
The ten indicted individuals are:
- Navy Kapeli, a/k/a “Tiny,” “Unc,” 38, of Oahu
- Joshua Militante-Hanamaikai, a/k/a “Sparx,” 25, of Oahu
- Samuel Kaolulo, 54, of Oahu
- Dallas Jardine, 24, of Oahu
- Kenneth Taylor, 39, of Oahu
- Alabanza Tuimalealiifano, a/k/a “Insane,” 39, of Oahu
- Kaylam Kumos, 18, of Oahu
- Oriana Holmes, 38, of Oahu
- Taiana Kapeli, 54, of Hawaii
- Douglas Keliikuli, 37, of Oahu
N. Kapeli, Militante-Hanamaikai, Kaolulo, Jardine, Taylor, Kumos, Holmes and T. Kapeli face a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Jardine has also been charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. N. Kapeli, Tuimalealiifano, and Keliikuli are accused of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court filings, the drug trafficking organization led by Kapeli and Militante-Hanamaikai had large quantities of methamphetamine shipped to Hawaii. The organization, sometimes referred to as H-Mob, used juveniles to store narcotics and firearms at the Puuwai Momi Housing complex. Investigators seized at least twenty pounds of methamphetamine during the investigation. Additionally, several firearms were seized when search warrants were executed at multiple locations on May 6, 2026, including locations within the Puuwai Momi Housing complex.
Image 1. Items seized during execution of May 6, 2026 search warrants.
In a separate conspiracy, Tuimalealiifano, an inmate at Halawa Correctional Facility, had Navy Kapeli pick up a pound of methamphetamine and deliver it to Keliikuli, a guard at the prison. Keliikuli then brought the methamphetamine into the prison where it was seized by investigators.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years for the drug charges and a maximum of life imprisonment, plus a term of supervised release. Jardine also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for the gun charge.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Coast Guard Investigative Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Honolulu Police Department, and Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeannette Graviss is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Hawaii comprises agents and officers from ICE-HSI, FBI, ATF, CBP, CGIS, DCIS, DEA, DSS, IRS-CI, NCIS, USMS, USPIS and HHIDTA with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii.
Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty to Discharge of A Firearm During the Commission of A Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Langston Love Hughes, age 22, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by not less than 10 years and up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on January 5, 2026, Hughes did knowingly use, carry, brandish, and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, that is, Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.
Hughes will remain the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
St. Louis Felon Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis felon caught twice with guns, including after a police chase, to a total of 27 years in prison.
After a two-day bench trial in October, Judge Divine found Roosevelt Easley, 40, guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Thursday, Judge Divine sentenced Easley to 25 years for that case and two more years for violating his supervised release in a 2018 case in which he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, cocaine base and methamphetamine.
Evidence and testimony at the October trial showed that on March 29, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped a vehicle driven by Easley. Marijuana and a firearm were in plain view in the vehicle. On Sept. 10, 2022, St. Louis police again attempted to make a traffic stop of Easley’s vehicle, but he sped off. He eventually crashed into a tree before running away. Officers found two firearms in the vehicle.
Easley also resisted arrest, threatened police officers, intimidated a potential witness and attempted to bribe a police officer, a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce says.
Easley has at least three previous convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses, which subjected him to the enhanced penalty provisions of the Armed Career Criminal Act.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce and Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Southeast commercial fisherman sentenced in illegal halibut fishing conspiracyRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A Southeast Alaska commercial fisherman was sentenced yesterday to five years’ probation, a $15,000 fine and a world-wide fishing and hunting ban throughout his time on probation for his role in a conspiracy to illegally harvest halibut with another commercial fisherman, in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, from September 2019 to August 2022, Vincent Jacobson, 52, conspired with Jonathan Pavlik, 41, both of Yakutat, to fraudulently use Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permits to commit violations of federal law and regulations. An IFQ permit is a permit any individual commercially fishing for halibut in the waters off Alaska is required to have. It requires a permit holder to be aboard a vessel at all times during a fishing trip, including when fishing gear is set and when fish are harvested from the set gear.
On Aug. 24, 2022, Pavlik allegedly directed his crew aboard the F/V New Era to receive halibut on his behalf from Jacobson aboard the F/V Epic. The halibut was harvested by the F/V Epic at a time that neither Pavlik nor his crew were aboard, which is a violation of federal law and regulations. Pavlik later landed the halibut under his IFQ permit, allegedly falsely reporting the vessel of harvest and that the halibut was creditable to his IFQ balance, when the halibut had been harvested from fishing gear that was set by the F/V Epic and transferred to the F/V New Era, while Pavlik was not aboard the vessel.
The next day, while aboard the F/V New Era, Pavlik allegedly retained halibut from fishing gear that had been set by Jacobson aboard the F/V Epic at a time when Pavlik was not aboard the vessel. Pavlik then landed halibut under his IFQ permit, allegedly falsely reporting the vessel of harvest and that the halibut was creditable to his IFQ balance, when the halibut had been harvested from fishing gear that was set by the F/V Epic while he was not aboard the vessel. Pavlik then allegedly paid Jacobson for the illegally caught halibut from both days.
Jacobson participated in two additional fishing trips in 2019 and 2020 with nearly identical conduct.
On Aug. 28, 2025, Jacobson pleaded guilty to one count of Lacey Act conspiracy.
“In the heart of IFQ season, this sentence should serve as a reminder that there are significant consequences for breaking the laws that help sustain and maintain Alaska’s vital fishing industry,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Mr. Jacobson knew the rules and regulations surrounding commercial halibut fishing and used that knowledge to game the system. This conduct is an affront to law abiding commercial fisherman and he now has a federal criminal conviction because of it.”
“Protecting the future of Alaska’s fisheries requires honest fishing practices, promoting fairness and equity for all industry participants. NOAA enforces federal statutes to ensure all participants conduct their business within a level playing field” said Benjamin Cheeseman, Assistant Director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division. “These sentences ensure lawful stakeholders are given the opportunity to conduct successful business, by sending a powerful message to potential offenders. We remain vigilant in ensuring offenders are deterred, and preserving Alaska’s fisheries for our Nation’s future.”
- Pavlik was charged with four counts of Lacey Act conspiracy, five counts of Lacey Act—unlawful sale, and five counts of Lacey Act—false labeling. He is awaiting the scheduling of his trial.
- Kyle Dierick, 36, of Yakutat, was charged with one count of one count of Lacey Act conspiracy. He is awaiting the scheduling of his trial.
- Michael Babic, 43, of Cordova, was charged with one count of Lacey Act conspiracy. He is awaiting the scheduling of his trial.
- Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington, pleaded guilty to one count of Lacey Act conspiracy on Sept. 8, 2025, and was sentenced to five years’ probation and a $15,000 fine on Dec. 10, 2025.
The NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement Alaska Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson prosecuted the case.
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South Portland Man Sentenced for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns for others and filing false tax returns for himself.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Lawrence Okeyo, 48, to two years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Okeyo was convicted on October 29, 2025, following a three-day jury trial.
According to court records and testimony at trial, Okeyo was a professional tax return preparer in Portland. He prepared tax returns for others in exchange for a fee. Okeyo often collected his preparation fees, which sometimes exceeded $1,000, from the tax refunds issued to his clients. Okeyo falsified his clients’ tax returns by claiming bogus, unreimbursed employee expenses that can be deducted only by a limited set of professionals: Armed Forces reservists, qualified performing artists, fee-basis state or local government officials, and employees with impairment-related work expenses. Neither Okeyo nor his clients met these qualifications. By falsifying tax returns, Okeyo generated or inflated unwarranted tax refunds for his clients and himself. Okeyo also prepared a false tax return for an undercover IRS agent posing as a client. During his interactions with the undercover agent, Okeyo told the agent, “I know that you should pay [taxes]. What I’m wanting to do is save you from paying.” Okeyo then fabricated supposed business expenses on the tax return he prepared for the undercover agent. Okeyo advised the undercover agent that, if he was audited, he would not be able to prove that he was entitled to claim the expenses.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
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South Florida Tax Preparer Admits to Wire Fraud in $4.1 Million PPP Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal judge accepted the guilty plea of a South Florida tax preparer who prepared and submitted false tax forms to support more than 200 fraudulent loan applications under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to court documents, Roody Metelus, 47, of Westlake, owned and operated JRS Tax Services, LLC, in Dania Beach. From approximately January 2021 through January 2022, Metelus worked with others to fabricate tax documents for clients — many of whom were wage earners — to falsely portray them as self-employed business owners eligible for PPP funds.
“Pandemic relief programs were created to help small businesses survive an economic crisis, not to enrich tax preparers through fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant fabricated tax records, exploited his clients’ trust, and helped generate more than $4.1 million in fraudulent loan applications to steal taxpayer-funded relief. Those who abuse emergency government programs for personal gain will be prosecuted, and they will not keep the proceeds of their crimes.”
“Tax fraud is fraud, and this defendant is now a felon,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office. “I caution anyone thinking of submitting false documents to the United States Government or defrauding federal relief programs, you will face a similar fate.”
Using these false records, Metelus and his co-conspirators sought more than $4.1 million in PPP loans. Approximately 116 of those applications were funded, resulting in roughly $2.3 million in proceeds. Metelus required clients to pay him a percentage of the loan funds once disbursed.
Metelus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in 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 Special Agent in Charge Loecker made the announcement.
The IRS-CI, Florida Field Office, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee Jimenez is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-cr-60019.
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Shreveport Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT– On April 27, 2026, Felanda Ashton, a 53-year-old Shreveport resident, was sentenced to 211 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking activity. In addition to his prison sentence, Ashton will serve five years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) received a tip that Shreveport resident Ashton was selling a large amount of methamphetamine from his vehicle. Caddo Parish SO located 187.1 grams of pure methamphetamine in his vehicle following a traffic stop. A subsequent tip claimed Ashton was continuing his drug operation out of his daughter’s home. When officers attempted to execute an arrest warrant, Ashton fled scene and threw a fanny pack containing 84.7 grams of methamphetamine, suspected Klonopin pills and 10 blue pills containing fentanyl. Officers also located a loaded Glock pistol in his vehicle.
The DEA investigated this case with assistance from the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 24-cr-00234.
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Salvadoran National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Antonio Chavarria-Marquez, age 43, a citizen of El Salvador, was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Chavarria-Marquez illegally reentered the United States and was found in York, Pennsylvania, on April 14, 2026, after he had been removed from the United States through Laredo, Texas on April 4, 2019, and reentered without having permission to do so.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evelyn M. Stoner is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments 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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Rochester man pleads guilty for conspiring to defraud victims, including taxpayers, of more than $2,000,000 and money launderingRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Timothy Wadsworth, 35, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Between March 2020, and September 2021, Wadsworth conspired with others to fraudulently obtain money. To execute the scheme, he obtained credit card account numbers from coconspirators and processed unauthorized credit card transactions from those accounts, transferring the money to his bank accounts, transferring a portion of the money to his Coinbase account to purchase Bitcoin, and transferring Bitcoin to his coconspirators. Between March 10, 2020, and May 15, 2020, Wadsworth, using a Stripe, Inc. account, which allows merchants to receive funds from consumers as payments for goods and services, attempted to process 310 payments totaling $1,673,578. Of the 310 attempted transactions, 116 were initially successful totaling $730,728.22. These transactions were fraudulent. The credit card account holders did not authorize the transactions, and their account information was used to make the payments without authorization.
Once credit card payments were successfully processed, Wadsworth transferred the funds from his Stripe account to bank accounts he owned with HSBC and Evolve Federal Credit Union. He then transferred funds from those bank accounts to his Coinbase account, purchased Bitcoin with the money, and transferred the Bitcoin to various external addresses. These transactions were often in excess of $10,000 each. For example, between April 22 and April 28, 2020, Wadsworth transferred fraudulently obtained proceeds from his Stripe account to his HSBC account on three separate occasions, in the amounts of $49,419.99, $45,501.85, and $53,496.75.
In addition, between May 13, 2020, through May 5, 2021, Wadsworth and others submitted nine false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications in an attempt to obtain money they were not entitled to. The applications contained misrepresentations about the businesses’ revenue and operation, which was material in assessing the businesses’ eligibility for the EIDL funds. Three of the EIDL applications were approved, and a total of $161,200 was paid to Wadsworth’s bank accounts as a result of the fraud. Between March 7 and April 26, 2021, Wadsworth applied for six Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $91,219. Two of the loans were funded for $20,833 and $20,416, respectively, which was paid to Wadsworth’s bank account. Once again, the applications contained misrepresentations about the businesses they were submitted for.
From May 2020 through September 2021, Wadsworth fraudulently received approximately $65,896 in unemployment benefits from New York State, the State of Washington, and the Department of Labor. He was not eligible to receive any unemployment funds from any source during that time.
Wadsworth also participated in a romance fraud scheme in 2020. The victim, recently widowed, met an individual on Facebook that represented himself as an oil rig worker, and requested $42,000 from her to pay for travel expenses to return to the United States. The victim was directed to wire the money to Wadsworth’s bank account, which she did on March 20, 2020.
Wadsworth also defrauded six other victims out of $26,000 as a result of his schemes.
Wadsworth’s actions, including the credit card fraud, the PPP and EIDL fraud, the unemployment fraud, and the other frauds, resulted in actual and intended losses of approximately $2,059,893.00.
On April 7, 2026, 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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford. The plea is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., New York Field Office, the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow, and the New York State Department of Labor, under the direction of Commissioner Roberta Reardon.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2026, before Judge Geraci.
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Registered Sex Offender Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered sex offender has been arrested and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
James Muzzi, 61, of Medford, Mass., was charged with possession of child pornography. Muzzi remains detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today.
According to the charging documents, Muzzi’s cell phone contained thousands of images and videos of CSAM, including children who appeared to be as young as three to five years old. It is further alleged that Muzzi’s phone also included online chat messages in which Muzzi and other individuals exchanging multiple videos containing CSAM as well as messages regarding CSAM. Muzzi was previously convicted in Massachusetts state court of three counts of distribution of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography.
Because Muzzi is a recidivist offender, the charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Medford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julissa Walsh and Luke Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Public Company CEO and Chairman Convicted of FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that BRADLEY HEPPNER, the former chairman of GWG Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded company, was found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff. HEPPNER was convicted of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, and false statements to auditors in connection with a scheme to fraudulently extract more than $150 million from GWG.
“A unanimous jury has found former public company CEO and Chairman Bradley Heppner guilty of fraudulently extracting $150 million,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Heppner used shell companies to hide his scheme. When his house of cards began to collapse, he did not come clean. Instead, he doubled down by falsifying emails and backdating documents to lie to the auditors, directors, and the SEC. Our world-leading capital markets are built on trust and transparency. The honesty and candor of C-Suite executives is essential, and this action should send a message: C-Suite executives who breach the public trust will be pursued by the SDNY’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and our dedicated partners at FBI, vigorously. That is what investors and the American people want and deserve.”
As established during the trial:
Between 2018 and 2021, HEPPNER, as chairman of GWG Holdings, Inc.—a Nasdaq-listed financial services company that raised capital through bonds sold predominantly to retail investors and retirees—executed a scheme to fraudulently divert GWG funds to his own benefit through a shell company he controlled, the Highland Consolidated Limited Partnership (“HCLP”).
To effectuate the scheme, HEPPNER fabricated a $141 million debt that Beneficient, a subsidiary of GWG that HEPPNER had founded, purportedly owed to HCLP. Under the guise of repaying that debt, HEPPNER told the board of directors of GWG that it was necessary to transfer millions of dollars to Beneficient. When a special committee of GWG’s board inquired about who controlled HCLP and would receive the debt payments, HEPPNER falsely represented that HCLP was independent and disclaimed any personal financial interest in payments made on the purported debt. Those representations were false. HCLP was controlled by HEPPNER, and when GWG authorized payments to satisfy what it believed were arm’s-length obligations to a third-party lender, those funds flowed through multiple corporate entities and ultimately into HEPPNER’s personal accounts. HEPPNER used the proceeds for personal expenses, including renovating his Dallas mansion and purchasing a private jet travel and jewelry.
To conceal the scheme, HEPPNER made false and misleading statements and caused the preparation of backdated and fraudulent documents to deceive auditors in connection with their assessment of whether HCLP was independent of HEPPNER. After GWG received a subpoena from the SEC, HEPPNER also falsified the minutes of an October 2019 board meeting, adding language to create the false appearance that he had previously disclosed to Beneficient his history of borrowing funds from HCLP, and caused the falsified minutes to be transmitted to the SEC.
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HEPPNER, 60, of Dallas, Texas, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rakoff on October 7, 2026. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, and false statements to auditors, and a maximum of five years in prison on the conspiracy count.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This case is being handled by SDNY’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel G. Nessim, Alexandra Rothman, and Kyle Wirshba are in charge of the prosecution.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition and using a firearm in relation of a drug trafficking offense.
Shawn Hart, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2025, Hart pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl; one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine; one count of using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Hart was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
In August 2022, Hart was identified as a manufacturer and distributor of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances on the North Shore of Massachusetts. On Sept. 15, 2022, Hart distributed approximately 500 counterfeit Adderall pills, containing 68 grams of fentanyl, during a controlled purchase in North Billerica. Additionally, on June 1, 2023, Hart distributed approximately 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing suspected fentanyl and well as a 9mm privately manufactured firearm (commonly known as a “ghost gun”) containing 19 rounds of ammunition during a controlled purchase at his home in Methuen.
In addition, three additional firearms, a pill press used for manufacturing counterfeit pills and suspected narcotics in various forms and quantities were seized from Hart’s residence following his arrest.
Hart is prohibited from possession firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous state felony convictions, including: possession with intent to distribute a class a controlled substance in December 2003; armed robbery in June 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; masked armed robbery, breaking and entering a vehicle at night and larceny in August 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; and assault and battery on a correctional institution guard in September 2004, for which he was sentenced to six months in prison.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Methuen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Wray of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced in Navy Yard Firearm Flight CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Phil Darkwah, 32, a previously convicted felon, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition during a police foot chase in the Navy Yard neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Darkwah pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025 before Judge Loren L. AliKhan to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the 24-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Darkwah to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 37-month prison term.
According to court papers, on May 6, 2025, at about 4 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers conducting mobile traffic enforcement in the Navy Yard area observed a black BMW sedan without a required front license plate and initiated a traffic stop in the 100 block of I Street SE.
Before officers could approach, Darkwah exited the passenger side and ignored commands to remain in the vehicle. He then fled on foot, clutching his waistband as he ran.
Officers pursued Darkwah toward an apartment building in the 800 block of New Jersey Ave. SE. Surveillance footage captured images of Darkwah discarding an object consistent with a firearm into a planter near the building’s entrance. A civilian witness subsequently located the firearm and directed officers to it.
Police recovered a loaded .40 caliber Glock 27 handgun from the planter. DNA testing later linked Darkwah to the gun’s magazine.
Darkwah previously was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in June 2023 in connection with a 2022 shooting in Fairfax County, Virginia, that killed another person. He had been released from custody in April 2024 and was on probation at the time of this offense.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative, in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.
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Previously Convicted Felon Indicted for Using Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain SNAP BenefitsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE- A federal grand jury in Rhode Island has returned a four-count indictment charging Felipe Almonte Polanco, 57, of Providence, with wire fraud, theft of public money, false representation of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft related to an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits using the identities of deceased and other individuals.
According to information presented to the court, investigators with the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit and Program Integrity began investigating fraudulent applications submitted in the identity of a deceased individual. The investigation determined that Polanco submitted fraudulent SNAP applications in the names of multiple victims, including a deceased individual, and used the benefits cards to conduct transactions at stores in Rhode Island. Almonte Polanco was previously convicted in the Western District of New York of making false statements in connection with a passport application and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that between October 2021 and April 2026, Polanco made balance inquiries on Rhode Island EBT cards associated with the stolen identities of at least 18 individuals and personally used cards issued in the names of at least nine victims. During the execution of a search warrant at Polanco’s residence, investigators recovered multiple EBT cards and materials used to create identification cards. The scheme resulted in Polanco receiving approximately $69,000 in fraudulent SNAP benefits.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan and Special Assistant United States Attorney John M. Moreira.
The matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit and Program Integrity, and the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.
Port St. Lucie Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Port St. Lucie man who attempted to obtain thousands of fentanyl pills through the mail and kept a firearm alongside drug proceeds was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence on Juneem Jermain Barnes, 34, after he pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Fentanyl is killing Americans every day, and those who distribute it are fueling that crisis for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant trafficked thousands of counterfeit pills designed to look like legitimate prescription medication and kept a loaded firearm alongside drug proceeds and distribution tools. That combination of fentanyl and firearms is a direct threat to public safety. In South Florida, if you poison our communities for profit, you will be prosecuted and sent to federal prison.”
According to court documents, Barnes attempted to receive a mail parcel containing at least 15,000 fentanyl pills at his residence. The pills were pressed to resemble pharmaceutical oxycodone. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Barnes’s home and discovered an additional parcel containing fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, three pounds of marijuana, more than $35,000 in cash, a money counting machine, and other items used to package and distribute narcotics. Law enforcement also located a Glock Model 19X 9mm handgun near the cash and counting machine. In total, law enforcement seized approximately 2,000 grams of fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made the announcement.
DEA Miami Field Division, West Palm Beach District Office, and USPIS Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, West Palm Beach Resident Agency, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Jupiter Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-14065.
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Port Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Enticing a Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – James Gregory Ford (34, Port Charlotte) has pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, in October 2025, Ford was communicating with a minor using a social media application. He asked the minor to send him nude pictures and videos of herself. Further, Ford sent a nude picture of himself to the minor.
Law enforcement began an investigation into Ford after the child’s parent reported observing the conversations with Ford and seeing the nude photographs and videos on the minor’s cellphone that had been sent on a social media platform.
On October 28, 2025, law enforcement interviewed Ford concerning his communications with the minor. Ford admitted to engaging in conversations and exchanging inappropriate messages and images with the minor. He also admitted that he had initiated communications with the minor. He further acknowledged receiving and sending explicit photographs.
Subsequent to a search warrant for Ford’s cellphone, the forensic examination revealed the social media account belonging to Ford that had been used to communicate with the minor. Images and videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct were also located on Ford’s cellphone.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pensacola Felon Convicted of Possession of Ammunition & Firearm SilencersRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – James Michael Olshefskie, 55, of Pensacola, Florida, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Pensacola following a two-day jury trial for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of two unregistered firearm silencers. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty verdict.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly proud to deliver another win for the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, through which we are aggressively prosecuting the perpetrators of violent crime to keep our communities safe. This felon has demonstrated an outright refusal to follow the law, and so it is necessary to ensure he remains incarcerated to protect the law-abiding citizens of this District from his continued criminality.”
On September 11, 2025, United States Probation Officers visited the defendant at his residence in Pensacola, Florida, as part of his federal post-conviction supervision. The defendant was on federal supervised release for a 2024 federal felony conviction, and as a convicted felon he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. During their visit, probation officers found ammunition and unregistered firearm silencers in the defendant’s bedroom.
Olshefskie faces up to 25 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 2:00 pm in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Dealing & Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Juston McDowell, age 25, of Laurinburg, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 27 months in prison for unlawfully dealing in firearms without a license.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, McDowell admitted that between March 2022 and February 2025, he acquired multiple firearms, including handguns and switches, in North Carolina and then sold the firearms in Albany, New York, and elsewhere. McDowell also admitted that he did not have a license that would allow him to deal in firearms.
FAUSA John A. Sarcone III stated: “Juston McDowell is responsible for putting numerous firearms in the hands of individuals who sought to circumvent laws designed to keep our communities safe. His actions were dangerous and caused additional unregulated firearms to enter our neighborhoods. Yesterday’s sentence sends a message: If you illegally bring guns into my District, you will be punished. I commend the hard work and determination of our partners at ATF and AUSA Belliss for bringing this dangerous individual to justice.”
ATF SAC Bryan DiGirolamo stated: “This sentencing holds accountable an individual who unlawfully trafficked firearms across state lines, putting dangerous weapons—including machine gun conversion devices—into our communities. ATF is committed to disrupting the illegal flow of firearms that drive violence, and this case underscores the critical role of partnership in that mission. We thank the ATF NY Albany Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York for their dedication to this investigation and prosecution.”
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year term of post-release supervision.
ATF investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Rick Belliss prosecuted this case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of 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 for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cornell Cordon, 59, of New York, New York, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failure to update his registration as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), following interstate travel.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cordon was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a two-year-old female in Putnam County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on July 15, 2019. Because of his conviction, state and federal law require him to register as a sex offender for life. Cordon was living in West Virginia when he obtained permission from his probation officer to visit family in Elizabeth, New Jersey, from April 14, 2025, to April 21, 2025. Cordon failed to return to West Virginia following the authorized trip and there is no record of Cordon registering as a sex offender in New Jersey or in any other state as required.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-142.
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New York Man Sentenced for Foreign Murder of a U.S. National in BangladeshRead the Press Release
Today, a Bronx man was sentenced in New York for the June 2021 murder of a U.S. national in Bangladesh.
Ganet Rozario, 54, a U.S. citizen from New York, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Rozario previously pleaded guilty to one count of foreign murder of a U.S. national.
According to court documents and statements read in court, Rozario used a shotgun to kill his uncle, Michael Rozario, in Bangladesh. Both men are naturalized U.S. citizens originally from Bangladesh. The men had been involved in a years-long property dispute over the family home located in Munshiganji, Bangladesh. During a visit to Bangladesh in 2021, both men were staying at the property.
On the evening of June 11, 2021, Ganet went outside the family home to smoke a cigarette near his uncle’s bedroom window. While outside, he overheard his uncle, who was inside the house, insulting him. Ganet became angry, went back into the house, retrieved a shotgun, and went back outside. After shouting words to the effect of “you will not see the sun tomorrow,” Ganet fired a single shot through an opaque window shutter striking Michael Rozario on his right stomach and abdomen area, killing him. Ganet returned to the United States in July 2023 and was indicted for the murder of his uncle in April 2024.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles and New York Field Offices investigated this case.
Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Legal Attaché in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance to the case. The Justice Department thanks the Government of Bangladesh for their cooperation.
Muskogee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that John David James, II, age 41, of Warner, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment charged James with knowingly possessing two rounds of ammunition on November 6, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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.
James will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Staubus and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.