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1 May 2026
High-Ranking Sinaloa Cartel Member Sentenced for Drug Distribution and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Mexican national and high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel was sentenced last week by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief/Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC) to 336 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride and a concurrent 240 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentence will be followed by a total of five years of supervised release.
Emmanuel Martimiano Leon-Soto, age 42, of Naco, Mexico, was charged along with 37 other individuals in November 2024 by a federal grand jury seated in the Middle District of North Carolina with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride. Leon-Soto is also known as Manny, Jose Manuel Lopez-Castro, Jesus Lopez Castro, Pedro Beltran Zazueta, Pedro Zazueta Beltran, Emmanuel Gomez, Emanuel Leon, Emanuel Leon-Soto, Manuel Leon Soto, Jose Manuel Lopez Castro, and Emanuel Pena Gomez. He was one of 10 defendants in the case also charged with conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the drug trafficking scheme.
Prior to his indictment, Leon-Soto was designated as a Regional Priority Target (RPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. He is a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel (also known as Cartel de Sinaloa, Mexican Federation, and Guadalajara Cartel), which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Cártel de Sinaloa is one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels and one of the largest producers involved in the smuggling, importation, and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States.
“Mexican Cartel kingpins poisoning America will face justice in every judicial district in our country. Leon-Soto and his co-conspirators distributed staggering amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in our district and beyond,” said Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “The sentencing represents the culmination of a broad collaboration of law enforcement partners determined to disrupt and dismantle Sinaloa Cartel operations in our homeland. Be assured we will continue to use all available resources to attack the criminal organizations that flood our streets with dangerous drugs.”
“Today marks a significant victory for the many law enforcement agencies that worked together to dismantle this organization,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The Postal Inspection Service remains committed to protecting the integrity of the mail, disrupting illicit drug trafficking, and safeguarding the American public. This success is a direct result of the strong collaboration among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”
“This arrest strikes at the heart of a cartel network responsible for flooding our communities with deadly drugs,” said Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “HSI and our partners are relentless in pursuing those who profit from addiction and violence. We will continue to dismantle criminal organizations and protect the public from the devastation caused by fentanyl and other narcotics.”
“Today’s sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to bringing drug traffickers to justice,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to target those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”
“This sentencing sends a strong message to those criminals trafficking drugs. We are committed to identifying and dismantling drug trafficking and money laundering networks by targeting the individuals who facilitate or profit from these operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents utilize their financial expertise and legal authority to collaborate with partner agencies, tracing illicit financial activity to disrupt the distribution of fentanyl and other drugs within the United States.”
“The Marshals are committed to reducing violent crime by taking criminals off the streets,” said Catrina A. Thompson, U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We are proud to play our part in disrupting these networks and helping to reduce the availability of dangerous drugs and make all of our communities safer.”
Investigating agencies include the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Candor Police Department, Mesa (Arizona) Police Department, Davie County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Drug Task Force, Mooresville Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and Surry County Sheriff’s Office.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Pousson, Randall Galyon, and Nicole DuPré.
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Harrison County methamphetamine dealer sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violationRead the Press Release
MARSHALL, Texas – A Marshall man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for a drug trafficking violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Avis Delynn Jones, 41, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap on May 1, 2026April 15, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on March 17, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Jones’ University Avenue residence in Marshall resulting in the discovery of 440.7 grams of methamphetamine concealed in children's backpacks found in the kitchen. In addition, investigators found cocaine, marijuana, a stolen firearm, U.S. currency, and distribution paraphernalia such as digital scales and plastic bags.
Jones also has prior Texas felony convictions for injury to a child, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, out of both Harrison and Gregg counties.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Marshall Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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Gregg County man guilty of federal firearms violations in Longview drive-by shootingRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Longview man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jamichael Devorea O’Quinn, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a machine gun before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell on May 1, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on May 18, 2024, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office responded to a drive-by, machine-gun shooting of a high school graduation party near Longview. Eyewitnesses and gunshot victims identified O’Quinn as a shooter. Further investigation revealed O’Quinn publicly bragged on a social media platform about his distinctive blue machine gun conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock Switch, while warning of his willingness to use the weapon.
The attached images of social media posts were presented in court, which included multiple images of a pistol with a distinctive blue machine gun conversion device installed on its slide.
O’Quinn was arrested on July 26, 2024, during a traffic stop in Longview, during which a firearm outfitted with a machine gun conversion device was seized. Ballistic testing confirmed the firearm was the same gun used in the shooting on May 18, 2024.
O’Quinn faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
O’Quinn has also been indicted in Gregg County and charged with murder in an unrelated drive-by shooting. An indictment is not proof of guilt, and a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“Our focus in this case was to bring some measure of justice for the victims of this shooting. The illegal possession of a machine gun cannot, and will not, be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “The families of Longview deserve to live free of fear. My office, federal agents, and local law enforcement will never tire in their efforts to root out and hold accountable those who inflict violence on our communities.”
District Attorney John Moore said, “The Gregg County District Attorney’s Office is proud to work with our partners to share a strategy that has improved public safety in Gregg County.”
“ATF is proud to stand alongside our local, state, and federal partners in bringing this offender to justice. This case highlights the real and growing danger posed by illegal machine gun conversion devices, which turn firearms into extremely lethal weapons. Through strong collaboration and determined investigative work, we were able to hold a violent offender accountable and make our communities safer. We will continue to prioritize cases like this to disrupt criminal activity and protect the public.” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner
“The Longview Police Department will not tolerate illegal fully automatic weapons in our city,” said Longview Police Chief Anthony Boone. “We will continue to utilize every available state and federal resource to combat criminal activity in Longview, Texas. We are thankful for the partnership and support of the Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Longview Police Department; the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office; the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office; and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Farahnak and Emil Mikkelsen.
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Grand jury indicts six defendants in financial fraud scheme impacting victims across the countryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging six defendants with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for their roles in a financial fraud scheme. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. Named in the indictment are:
- Jeffrey Fleischer, 36
- Crystal Velez, 36
- Blaine Webster, 40
- Reginald Seals, 47
- Johnny Ray Mcduffie, 36
- Anthony Zorilla A/K/A Anthony Velazquez, 28, all of Buffalo, NY.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, stated between August 2023 and May 2024, the defendants are accused of conspiring to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions by depositing stolen United States Treasury checks into bank accounts opened by the defendants. The defendants used fraudulent identification documents to open the accounts and then withdrew the funds from those bank accounts.
According to the indictment, the defendants obtained stolen United States Treasury tax refund checks that were payable to other persons, and then used fraudulent identification documents to open bank accounts in the names of the persons the tax refund checks were payable. The checks would then be deposited into the fraudulent bank accounts, allowing the defendants to withdraw or transfer the funds from the accounts for their benefit. Accounts were opened at various financial institutions including Northwest Bank, Evans Bank, Good Neighbors Credit Union, ServU Credit Union, Sweet Home Federal Credit Union, Erie Federal Credit Union, Corning Credit Union, Greater Niagara Federal Credit Union, Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union, and High Point Federal Credit Union. The financial institutions were located in Buffalo, Amherst, Getzville, Niagara Falls, Painted Post, and Corning, NY, and Erie, Pennsylvania. The defendants are accused of stealing the identities of more than 12 victims living in NY, Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Oregon, with estimated losses totaling more than $1,300,000.
The Department of Justice has created 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 Paul E. Bonanno. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Carpenter, Northeast Field Division, the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Charles T. Perras, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the Town of Niagara Police Department, under the direction of Chief Craig Guiliani, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Erie and Niagara County Crime Analysis Centers.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Former U.S. Congressman and Lobbyist Convicted of Acting as Unregistered Agents of Venezuela in Connection with $50 Million ContractRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami found a former U.S. Congressman and lobbyist guilty of secretly lobbying on behalf of the Venezuelan government and laundering millions of dollars tied to that work, in violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).
“These convictions expose a simple truth: the defendants sold access and influence to a hostile foreign regime for money,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They accepted millions tied to the Maduro regime, concealed that relationship from the United States government, and used trusted personal and political relationships to secretly advance the interests of Venezuela’s regime. In South Florida, where so many families fled communist oppression, that kind of betrayal carries real weight. The Foreign Agents Registration Act exists to protect transparency and safeguard our democracy from covert foreign influence. If you secretly act on behalf of a foreign government in violation of federal law, you will be investigated, prosecuted, and convicted.”
"Today’s verdict sends a clear and powerful message: our democratic processes are not for sale to foreign adversaries. Choosing to prioritize personal greed over legal transparency, David Rivera and Esther Nuhfer violated the Foreign Agent Registration Act by lobbying for the interests and benefit of the Venezuelan government,” said Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Using coded messages and laundering millions of dollars to fund personal lifestyles and political campaigns, these defendants thought they could operate in the shadows. This conviction proves that no matter how much 'coded language' is used or how high-ranking the conspirators may be, the FBI and its partners will remain steadfast in identifying and investigating those who covertly serve foreign interests at the expense of the American public's trust."
“This verdict underscores what can be achieved when federal partners combine their investigative strengths,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “Following the money is what IRS Criminal Investigation does best, and our agents worked tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uncover the illegal activity driving this foreign influence scheme. IRS Special Agents will continue to pursue criminals, regardless of how sophisticated the scheme or influential the individuals involved.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, David Rivera, 60, and Esther Nuhfer, 51, obtained a $50 million contract with a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), to advance the interests of the Venezuelan regime in the U.S. Without registering as foreign agents as required by law, Rivera and Nuhfer lobbied U.S. officials — including then-U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Pete Sessions — and arranged meetings between U.S. policymakers and high-ranking Venezuelan officials, including then-President Nicolas Maduro and then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez. In text message exchanges, Rivera and Nuhfer used coded language to describe their activities.
The evidence further showed that Rivera used approximately $600,000 from the contract proceeds to fund his Florida state congressional campaign, among other personal uses. Nuhfer used approximately $455,000 of the proceeds for the purchase of a residence in Key Colony Beach.
The jury found Rivera guilty of conspiracy to violate FARA, a violation of FARA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. Nuhfer was convicted of conspiracy to violate FARA, a violation of FARA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property.
Rivera faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison. Nuhfer faces a maximum sentence of 30 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; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, made the announcement.
Senior Trial Counsel Harold Schimkat, Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz, and Trial Attorney David Ryan of the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting 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 at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20552.
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Former IRS Revenue Agent Charged with Embezzling more than $12 Million and Money Laundering as the Then-CFO and Controller of New Jersey-Based CompanyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County man and former Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service was arrested on April 30, 2026 for embezzling more than $12 million and money laundering as the then-Chief Financial Officer and Controller of a fuel company based in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
“As alleged in the complaint, Robert McCloughy — a former IRS Revenue Agent entrusted to enforce the tax laws — used his position as a company’s CFO and Controller to steal more than $12 million and then launder the proceeds for his own benefit. This Office is committed to rooting out sophisticated financial fraud and holding accountable those who illegally exploit their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of others.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
Robert M. McCloughy, 43, of Carlstadt, New Jersey was charged in a three-count complaint with one count of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. McCloughy is expected to have his initial appearance on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
McCloughy previously served as a Revenue Agent with the Internal Revenue Service. In or around 2009, McCloughy was hired by a New Jersey-based fuel company (“Company-1”), where he served interchangeably as the CFO and Controller. From around March 2017 through March 2025, McCloughy misappropriated approximately $12 million from Company-1, separate and apart from what he was paid in the normal course. He did so through at least two methods: (1) causing Company-1’s payroll company to pay him unauthorized “expense” reimbursements; and (2) causing unauthorized transfers to be made from Company-1’s bank accounts to his personal bank accounts. To hide the fraud, McCloughy made false entries in Company-1’s books and records. Then, once McCloughy received the misappropriated funds, he engaged in money laundering transactions, including gambling large sums at online sportsbooks and casinos.
The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense or of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Each charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
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.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of IRS — Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark and Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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mccloughy.complaint.pdfFlorida Woman Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Interstate Travel to Engage in Sexual Conduct with A Minor and for Victim TamperingRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On April 30, 2026, Kasey Lynn Skaggs, 27, of Jacksonville, FL, was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following her imprisonment, Skaggs will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Skaggs agreed to plead guilty to two counts in the indictment charging her with one count of interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b); and one count of tampering with a victim to destroy evidence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(2)(B).
According to court filed documents, investigators with the Homeland Security Investigations-Internet Crimes Against Children (HSI-ICAC) Task Force and local law enforcement investigated a report of child sexual abuse in 2024. Investigators found that from December 2023 to February 2024, Skaggs, along with co-defendant and husband, Jeffrey Lee Robertson, traveled across state lines on three different occasions into the Eastern District of Tennessee to have sex with a 14-year-old female. On the victim’s phone, investigators located text and social media messages between the two defendants, enticing and talking to the minor about illicit sexual acts they would do together. Further evidence was found of the two defendants instructing the victim to destroy evidence of their communication when they believed they had been caught.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by HSI-ICAC, 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General and Lenoir City Police Department.
This investigation was led by HSI-ICAC Task Force Officer Cortney Dugger.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
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Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Sixteen Years in Federal Prison After Fatal Overdose of Indianapolis WomanRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Arieon Lofton, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 16 years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2025, the victim, identified as “J.A.,” began texting an unsaved phone number to arrange a trade involving suboxone strips and Xanax. The following day, J.A. agreed to exchange 150 suboxone strips for 15 Xanax bars, $50, and a gram of “slow.” On July 30, 2025, a friend discovered J.A. unresponsive inside her apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators recovered text messages arranging the drug transaction between J.A. and a phone number registered to Valencia Griffin. Griffin is currently incarcerated in the Indiana Department of Correction, serving an 11‑year sentence for dealing a narcotic drug, and did not physically possess the phone at the time the messages were sent.
However, investigators uncovered multiple three‑way calls involving Griffin; her boyfriend, Martell Marshall, who is also incarcerated; and Arieon Lofton, who was not in custody. A subpoena revealed that the phone number used in the drug deal consistently pinged at an apartment belonging to Lofton’s girlfriend.
On August 21, 2025, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant for the phone. When officers arrived, Lofton initially approached the door but retreated into a bedroom instead of answering. His girlfriend eventually allowed officers inside. While searching for the phone, officers observed marijuana, burnt joints, and two white pills in plain view. They subsequently obtained a State of Indiana search warrant to search the residence for narcotics.
Inside the master bedroom, officers located four active cell phones plugged in, along with five additional phones in a bathroom drawer. They also recovered two 9mm Taurus firearms, $2,573 in cash stored in shoeboxes, approximately 400 grams of fentanyl, more than 1,000 counterfeit Xanax pills, one pound of marijuana, a pill press, and multiple bottles of lactose hidden inside the dishwasher. Suboxone strips prescribed to J.A. were also found in the dishwasher. Forensic analysis confirmed that substances recovered from the dishwasher contained 327.09 grams of acetyl fentanyl and 66.92 grams of fentanyl.
The fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl supplied by Lofton led to J.A.’s fatal overdose. Investigators found no other drug‑related conversations on J.A.’s phone besides those with Lofton, and records showed she had been purchasing narcotics from him since at least March 10, 2025. The coroner determined that J.A. died from acute mixed drug intoxication, with bromazolam, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl present in her system.
At the time of the offense, Lofton was on supervised release following a 22‑month federal sentence for attempted robbery. He also has previous convictions for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, driving while suspended and false identity.
“My thoughts are with J.A.’s loved ones as they continue to grieve an unimaginable loss. Lofton’s actions showed a clear disregard for human life, and the consequences were devastating. It is impossible to know how many others might have been harmed had investigators not acted when they did,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Lofton’s actions were not a mistake—they were a deliberate pattern of choices that cost a young woman her life, and he will now spend years in federal prison answering for every one of them.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Justin R. Olson.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
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Federal Jury Finds Lionel Duncan Guilty of Methamphetamine and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On April 29, 2026, LIONEL ANTOINE DUNCAN a/k/a “Headbaby,” age 36 of Thibodaux, LA was found guilty by a jury, after previously being indicted, of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count One),and Use of Communications Facility, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b) (Count Four), following a three day trial before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to the evidence at trial, DUNCAN, as part of his role in the “Murdagang” drug trafficking organization, supplied local dealers in the Marydale community of Thibodaux, LA with methamphetamine and cocaine until approximately 2024. The investigation into DUNCAN revealed that during the timeframe of the charged conspiracy, he frequently communicated, via telephone, with other members of the drug trafficking organization. A search warrant executed at DUNCAN’s residence in June 2024 resulted in the seizure of DUNCAN’s nine cellular telephones. Information extracted from one of his phones included communications involving methamphetamine between DUNCAN and one of his methamphetamine sources of supply.
As to Count One, DUNCAN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, at least five (5) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As to Count Four, DUNCAN faces a term of imprisonment of up to twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. Each count also carries the payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for July 28, 2026.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Thibodaux Police Department, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Stuart M. Theriot and Briana N. Williams, both of the Narcotics Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man for Attempted Kidnapping and Stalking of Memphis MayorRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee has returned a two-count indictment charging Trenton Abston, 25, of Memphis, with the attempted kidnapping and stalking of Memphis Mayor Paul Young. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the return of the federal indictment today.
As alleged in the indictment and established in other court proceedings: On June 15, 2025, Abston drove his car and parked outside the mayor’s neighborhood. Abston then climbed an 8–10-foot privacy fence to avoid neighborhood security and used his phone to navigate on foot to the mayor’s home. Abston had rope and duct tape with him in the car and carried a taser with him in his hoodie. Abston then rang the doorbell of the mayor’s home at approximately 9:30 PM, while the mayor and his family were inside. The taser in Abston’s pocket was clearly visible on recorded doorbell camera footage. No one answered the door, and Abston left the area.
The Memphis Police Department was later able to identify Trenton Abston as the suspect and arrested him. Abston admitted to police that he went to the mayor’s home because he was angry and wanted to have a confrontation with the mayor. Police later found a storage unit belonging to Abston and found written surveillance notes where Abston noted the movements of the guards around the mayor’s neighborhood, as well as addresses, telephone numbers, and names of family members of Mayor Young and other local elected officials.
On June 20, 2025, officers found an Apple AirTag that Abston placed on the mayor’s official government vehicle. Police also discovered that this was not Abston’s first time stalking the mayor, and that Abston tried to physically force his way into the mayor’s office at City Hall on April 4, 2024.
Abston is federally charged with one count of attempted kidnapping and one count of stalking. The attempted kidnapping offense carries a sentence of up to 20 years, and the stalking offense carries a sentence of up to 5 years in federal prison. If Abston is convicted of the charged offenses, a federal judge will determine the sentence to impose on the defendant after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
Abston was originally charged by criminal information in the Shelby County Criminal Court, Division 10, with the Class D Felony offense of Attempted Kidnapping. On April 14, 2026, the defendant entered a best interest Alford plea of guilty as charged. After a lengthy sentencing hearing, the state Criminal Court Judge placed the defendant on judicial diversion probation for a period of 4 years, with Community Corrections supervision and other conditions of release, over the objection of the state prosecutor. Under applicable state law, if the defendant successfully complies with the conditions of his term of judicial diversion probation and supervision, he will be eligible to have the original charge dismissed and his criminal record expunged.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Targeting elected officials for political violence is dangerous and absolutely unacceptable, and this office has zero tolerance for such threatening conduct. Because the state court disposition is manifestly inadequate to vindicate the substantial federal interests of the United States to prioritize and protect the safety of public officials, the defendant must be charged and held accountable under federal law.”
This case was investigated by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Assistant United States Attorneys J. William Crow and Gavin A. Smith are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
FCI Schuylkill Inmate Charged with Possession of Prohibited ObjectsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Antwan Edward Johnson, Jr., age 27, of North Carolina, was indicted on April 28, 2026, by a federal grand jury on charges of possession of a prohibited object in prison.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Johnson, while an inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, possessed a cell phone and a six-inch sharpened plastic weapon with a cloth handle on January 10, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is six 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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FCI Dublin Correctional Officer Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing Female Inmate, Lying to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Former Bureau of Prisons correctional officer Jeffrey Wilson was sentenced today to 52 months in prison for sexually abusing a female inmate at the Federal Correction Institution in Dublin, California, a low-security federal prison for females, and for making false statements to federal agents. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers handed down the sentence.
Wilson, 34, of Eureka, Calif., pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025, to five counts of sexual abuse of a ward and one count of making a false statement to federal agents.
Wilson was employed from July 2021 to September 2022 as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin, where he served as a health technician/paramedic. In that role, he was responsible for providing emergency assessment and medical care to the female inmates.
According to his plea agreement, around August 2021, he began interacting with a victim inmate after she began taking medication prescribed to her for seizures. He encouraged the victim to transfer from the prison to the FCI Dublin Camp where there were fewer medical staff who would see their interactions.
Wilson admitted to engaging in sexual acts on multiple occasions with the victim. He also provided the victim with a $60 pre-paid credit card and a cellphone while she was at the FCI Dublin Camp. The victim used that cellphone to take naked pictures of herself and send them to Wilson.
When he was interviewed by special agents from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG), Wilson falsely stated that he never had sexual contact with the victim inmate and that he had never given her contraband.
United States Attorney Craig Missakian, DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Hunt, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cobo made the announcement.
Wilson is the ninth correctional officer to have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial as part of an ongoing federal investigation into sexual abuse of inmates at FCI Dublin. FCI Dublin was closed in 2024.
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FCI Dublin Investigation
As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, 10 FCI Dublin correctional officers have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility. The status of these cases is below:
DefendantCase NumberStatusWarden Ray J. Garcia4:21-cr-00429-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Dec. 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prisonCO John Bellhouse4:22-cr-00066-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Jun. 5, 2023; sentenced to 63 months in prisonCO Darrell Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”)4:23-cr-00110-YGRCase dismissed on December 22, 2025, following two hung juriesChaplain James Highhouse4:22-cr-00016-HSGPleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prisonCO Ross Klinger4:22-cr-00031-YGRPleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2022; sentenced to one year of home confinementCO Enrique Chavez4:22-cr-00104-YGRPleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prisonCO Andrew Jones4:23-cr-00212-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug.17, 2023; sentenced to 96 months in prisonCO Nakie Nunley4:23-cr-00213-YGRPleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2023; sentenced to 72 months in prisonCO Lawrence Gacad4:25-cr-00181-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentenced to one year of home confinementCO Jeffrey Wilson4:25-cr-00180-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentenced to 52 months in prisonAssistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson, Alethea Sargent, Sailaja Paidipaty, and Molly Priedeman are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Soana Katoa, and Amala James. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by DOJ OIG and the FBI.
El Cajon Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Conspiracy to Sex Traffic 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Samuel Melvin Cooper of El Cajon was sentenced in federal court today to 121 months in prison for directing a 15-year-old girl to perform commercial sex acts for his financial benefit in San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson.
Cooper pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025, to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking through Force, Fraud or Coercion. According to his plea agreement, Cooper was arrested in September 2024 by San Diego Police detectives during a traffic stop in an area known for street-based prostitution. Police discovered Cooper was tracking locations of two female teens, ages 15 and 18, on a cell phone application – a common method used by pimps to track the location of commercial sex victims under their control.
The case was further investigated by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force. The investigation revealed that Cooper had traveled by car with the 15-year-old to Arizona for the purpose of commercial sex work for Cooper’s financial benefit. Text messages revealed that Cooper intended to leave the 15-year-old victim stranded in Arizona if she did not make enough money through commercial sex work.
According to his plea agreement, Cooper admitted he also exploited another 15-year-old girl by directing her to engage in commercial sex for Cooper’s financial benefit. Sexually explicit videos and photographs of Cooper engaged in sexually explicit conduct with this second minor were recovered. Cooper was aware of the minor’s age as her date of birth, including the year, was Cooper’s unlock code for his cell phone.
“We won’t allow children to be bought and sold,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This sentence reflects the profound harm caused when predators exploit minors for profit.”
“Let this sentence stand as a clear and stern warning; there is no refuge for those who exploit or abuse children. I am proud of our Human Trafficking Task Force that investigated this case to ensure that Cooper would be held fully accountable,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Although nothing can undo the pain the victim has endured, we hope this sentence offers a measure of closure and a sense that justice has been served. My office will continue to pursue justice relentlessly, support survivors every step of the way, and diligently investigate these crimes. Above all, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect the children of California and ensure they can grow up safe, supported, and free from harm.”
In the government’s sentencing memo, prosecutors noted that when San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force officers tried to interview the first 15-year-old victim after the defendant’s arrest, she was crying hysterically, denied any involvement in prostitution and refused to cooperate with the investigation. The victim’s mother has written a victim-impact statement to the court about how the girl is still a runaway and lost to her and her family. “That letter speaks more powerfully to the lasting trauma of living on the streets and being conditioned at such a young age that your worth is tied to commercial sex than any attorney can capture in words,” the government’s memo said.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.
If you believe you or someone you know has been a victim of human trafficking, investigators ask that you contact the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr2623-JO
Samuel Melvin Cooper Age: 21 El Cajon, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force/Coercion, 18 U.S.C., Section 1594(c)
Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment; $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
San Diego Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Special Victims Unit. Formed in April 2025, the SVU is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and child exploitation, civil rights, and labor trafficking. The SVU oversees the Southern District of California liaisons to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and Project Safe Childhood
Dutchess County Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that JORDAN WATSON was sentenced to 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román for receipt and distribution of child pornography. WATSON previously pled guilty to two counts of receiving and distributing child sex abuse material.
“Jordan Watson crossed a clear legal and moral line by pressuring children to produce sexually explicit images,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This kind of conduct deepens the harm to victims and spreads far beyond a single interaction. It affects families and communities here in New York, and we will hold accountable those who engage in this reprehensible conduct.”
According to the Information, plea agreement, other public court filings, and statements made in court:
In July and August 2021, WATSON—who was 23 years old at the time, but pretended to be 16 years old—while in Wappingers Falls, New York, communicated with a 12-year-old girl in Arizona (“Victim-1”) and a 12-year-old girl in Indiana (“Victim-2”) online, and persuaded each to engage in sexually explicit conduct, to produce a visual depiction of such conduct, and to transmit one or more images or videos depicting that conduct to him over the Internet.
For example, over Snapchat, WATSON engaged in sexually explicit conversations with Victim-1. On July 18, 2021, WATSON described in graphic detail how he wanted to have sex with Victim-1 and asked Victim-1’s age. Victim-1 initially told WATSON that she was “14” years old, although she was 12 years old at the time. Later that same day, WATSON messaged Victim-1 “Send the pics”; “Send me stuff if you’re horny . . .”
On July 26, 2021, WATSON engaged in further conversations with Victim-1, the context surrounding which indicated that suggested that he was requesting or had requested sexually explicit material. Among other things, WATSON directed Victim-1 to “[p]ut them on infinity,” which is a reference to a setting on Snapchat that makes a video play on loop, so the video keeps repeating without stopping until the recipient closes it. The same day, Vicitm-1 messaged Snapchat Account-1 “I’m almost 13,” reflecting her true age of 12.
On August 1, 2021, Victim-1 sent WATSON a sexually explicit video of herself masturbating.
WATSON also engaged in sexually explicit conversations with Victim-2 over Snapchat. For example, on August 3, 2021, WATSON asked Victim-2 “how old are you”; Victim-2 responded that she was “13,” although she was in fact 12 years old. WATSON then messaged Victim-2 “[l]ater TN you should show me something and I wanna fuck you it’ll be nice to see your titties bounce.” Several hours later, on August 4, 2021, WATSON sent Victim-2 numerous messages asking her to send sexually explicit images or videos of herself to him. WATSON messaged Victim-2 “What would you send me”; “You can go to the bathroom and do some stuff please I’ll fuck you whenever you want”; “No pussy that’s what my dicks gonna be in and send videos playing with them”; “If you do it in the red you gotta send another pic of just your pussy.” WATSON then directed Victim-2 to send “[t]its and face in bathroom and a video fingering yourself.” When Victim-2 expressed concern that, if she sent WATSON sexually explicit videos, he would post them online, WATSON responded, “Please a quick pussy playing video no one will know.”
On August 5, 2021, WATSON messaged Victim-2, among other things, “Finger yourself for me”; “Show me and send like 20 videos put them on infinity so I can jerk off to them”; “And spit on the brush and suck on the brush and show your face cuz I wanna think that I’m fucking you.” Victim-2 responded “my wifi is slow but some are sending”; “6 videos.” WATSON responded, “Send more please I’m horny asf for you.”
Shortly thereafter, on August 5, 2021, Victim-2 sent two videos to WATSON: a sexually explicit video of herself masturbating with a hairbrush, and video in which her face is visible, in which Victim-2 puts the same hairbrush in her mouth.
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In addition to the prison term, WATSON, 27, of Wappingers Falls, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia M. Reville and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution.
District of Arizona Charges 217 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 25 through May 1, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 217 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 126 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 74 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Laura Rowell. On April 27, 2026, Laura Rowell was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 25, Border Patrol Agents received a report of three potential illegal aliens getting into a truck on Route 19. Agents located the vehicle and attempted to stop the driver, Rowell, to perform an immigration inspection. Rowell failed to yield and accelerated to over 100 miles per hour. She eventually slowed down and started to make a U-turn in a driveway before getting out of the vehicle and surrendering. Agents discovered four passengers wearing camouflage hiding in Rowell’s truck, who were eventually determined to be citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents discovered that Rowell was transporting the illegal aliens to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-05980]
United States v. Carlos Abraham Echeverria-Rodriguez, et al. On April 28, 2026, Carlos Abraham Echeverria-Rodriguez and Yadira Zueth Rivera-Cervantes were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 27, Border Patrol Agents observed headlights approaching an area at a known load-up spot to pick up illegal aliens then watched the driver speed off. Agents attempted to stop the driver to conduct an immigration inspection. The driver slowed, and two individuals wearing camouflage exited the vehicle. The driver drove off again at a high rate of speed. Agents apprehended the camouflaged individuals, who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents then located the truck and apprehended the driver, Echeverria-Rodriguez, and the passenger, Rivera-Cervantes. Agents discovered that the two had picked up the illegal aliens with the intent of transporting them to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-06082]
United States v. Kevin Mejia-Quintanilla. On April 27, 2026, Kevin Mejia-Quintanilla was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 26, Border Patrol Agents received information that a driver was traveling up and down a highway, appearing to look for areas to stop and pull off. Agents then observed the driver pull over before merging back onto the highway. Agents attempted to stop the driver, Meija-Quintanilla. He failed to yield, and agents pursued his vehicle. Agents ahead of the pursuit set up a vehicle immobilization device and successfully spiked two of the tires on the vehicle. When the vehicle came to a stop, agents observed four individuals inside who were wearing camouflage. The camouflaged individuals were determined to be citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents discovered that Mejia-Quintanilla was transporting the illegal aliens to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-06058]
United States v. Alberto Santiago. On April 24, 2026, Alberto Santiago was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. On April 23, agents received information regarding a suspicious vehicle traveling on I-10 westbound that appeared to be carrying approximately 10 individuals. Homeland Security Investigations Agents located the vehicle and saw several individuals in the rear cargo area. The agents also observed that the driver had an obstructed view and was speeding in a construction zone. A sergeant with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office initiated a vehicle stop, at which point, the driver of the vehicle, Santiago, pulled over and jumped out while the vehicle was still moving. Santiago was ultimately apprehended and taken into custody. Law enforcement identified 11 passengers in the vehicle, including five juveniles. Some of the passengers wore camouflage clothing, and similar clothing littered the inside of the vehicle. Law enforcement learned that Santiago, the driver of the vehicle, was transporting the illegal aliens. Immigration checks confirmed that all 11 passengers were citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3115]
United States v. Selvin Mauricio Romero-Flores and Mynor Aroldo Ramirez-Vasquez. On April 29, 2026, Selvin Mauricio Romero-Flores and Mynor Aroldo Ramirez-Vasquez were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens. On April 28, a deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle traveling westbound on I-10. A records check revealed that the vehicle had an expired registration, so the deputy initiated a traffic stop. When the driver pulled over to the shoulder of the road, four men got out and ran east into the desert. Inside the vehicle, the deputy found the driver, Romero- Flores; a passenger, Ramirez-Vasquez; and a man lying in the rear cargo area of the vehicle. The deputy also saw camouflage clothing on the passenger-side floorboard. Immigration checks confirmed that the man in the rear cargo area was a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. It was discovered that both Romero-Flores and Ramirez-Vasquez were transporting illegal aliens for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5177]
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).
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-069_May 1, 2026, Immigration Enforcement
Des Moines Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man pleaded guilty on May 1, 2026, to three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents, Tyler Boyd Pavlick, 33, placed a mini video camera in the tank of a porta-potty at three Central Iowa events: co-ed middle school and high school cross-county meets, one held in State Center on September 23, 2025, and another held in Osceola on September 30, 2025; and an arts, craft, and harvest event held in Des Moines on October 4, 2025. Pavlick placed the cameras with the purpose of creating visual depictions of minors lasciviously exhibiting their anus, genitals, or pubic area. Law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Pavlick’s Des Moines residence on October 15, 2025, including mini cameras that were the same model as those seized by police from the porta-potties in State Center and Des Moines. One of the electronic devices seized from Pavlick’s residence contained video footage of minors using the porta-potty at the Osceola event, including footage of a minor under the age of 12.
Pavlick is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2026 at 9:15am. Each of the three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child carry a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The possession of child pornography charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Des Moines Police Department, and Iowa DCI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Kerndt is prosecuting the case.
Department of Justice Seeks to Enforce Subpoena Against Hospital that Performs Sex-Rejecting Procedures on MinorsRead the Press Release
Note: View petition for enforcement here.
Yesterday, the Department of Justice’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas filed a petition in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to enforce a subpoena issued to Rhode Island Hospital demanding records related to pediatric sex-rejecting procedures.
According to the filed petition, the Department of Justice served a subpoena under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act on Rhode Island Hospital as part of its investigation into the distribution of certain prescription drugs to minors with gender dysphoria and related disorders, including puberty blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones. To date, Rhode Island Hospital has not complied with the subpoena.
“The Department of Justice expects and demands full compliance with validly issued subpoenas like the one at issue here,” said Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “Non-compliance with lawful process is never an option.”
Additional information about the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx.
US Petition for Enforcement.pdfCriminal Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Mario Lopez-Martinez, 33, of Mexico, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry into the United States. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our nation’s immigration laws are not mere suggestions that can be brazenly disregarded by illegal aliens cutting in line in front of the thousands of other immigrants trying the right way to enter and remain in our country. Criminal aliens, like this defendant who continued breaking our nation’s laws after his illegal reentry, pose a very real threat to our public safety, and my office will aggressively prosecute such offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant, a citizen of Mexico, departed the United States in 2017 after an Immigration Judge entered an Order of Removal. He illegally returned to the United States two additional times in 2019 and 2020. The defendant was convicted of Driving Under the Influence in 2022 in Gadsden County and Fleeing from a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting without Violence in 2026.
“Repeated illegal reentry into the United States is a serious offense, and those who disregard court orders and federal statutes will be held accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Protecting the integrity of our immigration system is essential to public safety and the rule of law.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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.
Convicted Felon from East Boston Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing Machinegun and Ghost GunsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An East Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possession of a machinegun. Three privately made firearms (ghost guns), four machine gun conversion devices, a 3D printer, five magazines and 31 privately made firearm receivers were allegedly found during a search on March 31, 2026.
Angel Negron, 47, was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a machinegun. Negron was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 2026. He remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 6, 2026.
According to the charging documents, between Jan. 14, 2026, and March 2, 2026, Negron ordered 29 firearm parts to his apartment via his eBay account. Additionally, on March 3, 2026, Negron allegedly submitted an online complaint to a firearm company, saying that a trigger he purchased from the company’s eBay store did not fire his firearm properly. In that communication, Negron allegedly included a photograph of a firearm with a 3D printed frame.
During a search of Negron’s apartment on March 31, 2026, three privately made firearms (ghost guns), four machine gun conversion devices, a 3D printer, five magazines and 31 privately made firearm receivers were seized:
In 2007, Negron was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of possession of a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded firearm, for which he was sentenced to 30 months in the house of correction.The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 30 Months for Drunk Driving Crash with Loaded Gun and Intent to Distribute DrugsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Curtis Nathaniel Suber, 35, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison in connection with unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm while driving drunk and carrying drugs he intended to sell, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On Nov. 26, 2025, Suber pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Suber to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 46-month prison term.
According to court papers, about 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2025, MPD officers observed a silver vehicle speeding through an intersection in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Officers followed and found the vehicle crashed into a residential apartment building. The vehicle’s airbags had deployed, and smoke was rising from the car. As officers approached, Suber stepped out holding a half-empty bottle of Hennessy.
Officers recovered a loaded Glock .45 with 23 rounds in the magazine wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. Suber’s backpack contained marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, oxycodone, and ecstasy, along with a set of digital scales and $4,200 in cash. Suber tested positive at the time of arrest for cocaine, amphetamines, and fentanyl.
Suber had been convicted in 2023 of carrying a pistol without a license and had completed a term of supervision for that offense just over a year before his arrest in this case.
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 Christopher R. Howland of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
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Colombian Transnational Robbery Crew Member Sentenced to 57 MonthsRead the Press Release
The last member of a transnational Colombian robbery crew in Miami was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his role in a series of robberies of and thefts from jewelry couriers that targeted high-end retailers and resulted in losses exceeding $5 million. Leroy Ortega, also known as “el Enano,” 43, of Miami, was the last of 11 defendants to be sentenced as part of a series of indictments targeting a South American theft group operating in the Southern District of Florida.
The 11 defendants were each convicted as part of Operation Boujee Bandits, an investigation of a Colombian South American theft group targeting jewelry salespersons in South Florida and elsewhere. The investigation resulted in three indictments and an information that charged robberies and money laundering activity from September 2019 to July 2021.
According to court documents, Ortega was part of a group that forcefully took jewelry and other property from victims they believed were in the business of buying and selling jewelry throughout South Florida. To commit the robberies, defendants rented vehicles using false identification documents to follow jewelry salespersons from the International Jewelry Exchanges or the Seybold Jewelry Building. They would then rob victims of the jewelry that they were transporting, sometimes brandishing a knife-like weapon to ensure victims’ compliance.
Ortega admitted that he committed two robberies. On Oct. 16, 2019, Ortega and his co-defendants identified a person they believed was carrying a case of jewelry. In fact, the victim was not a jewelry courier but rather a professional photographer who had been photographing jewelry. Following the victim to a shopping center, co-defendant Allan Lucas, 33, of Miami, pushed the photographer and Ortega grabbed the photographer’s case, which contained photography equipment and a computer. The photographer chased Ortega and Lucas to their get-away car. When the photographer tried to open the car door to get his case back, Ortega reversed the car, causing injury as the photographer was thrown to the ground.
Then, on Nov. 7, 2019, Ortega and his co-conspirators, including defendants Andres Barahona Poveda, 51, a national of Colombia, and Edwin Castillo, 45, of Pembroke Pines, robbed a jewelry salesman of approximately $125,000 of assorted jewelry. Ortega and his co-conspirators followed the salesman to his business in Miami Beach. As the salesman sat in the vehicle, Ortega approached and smashed the salesman’s windows while another co-conspirator took the salesman’s backpack containing the jewelry. When the salesman tried to exit the vehicle, Ortega held the salesman’s door shut trapping him inside the vehicle. To conduct the robbery, defendant Carlos Morales, 47, of Miami rented a vehicle using a fraudulent Venezuelan driver’s license.
Ortega pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery.
Defendants convicted under this operation, in addition to Ortega, include:
- Allan Lucas, 34, of California, who was sentenced to 168 months in prison;
- Diana Grisales Basto, 41, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 97 months in prison;
- Carlos Morales, 48, of Florida, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison;
- Giovanni Cardenas, also known as “El Mono,” 40, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 110 months in prison;
- Andres Barahona Poveda, 51, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison;
- Edwin Castillo, 45, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 108 months in prison;
- Demian Gonzalez Contreras, 30, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 74 months in prison;
- Victor Fabian Valenzuela, 39, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 57 months in prison;
- Hernando Rodriguez Mahecha, also known as “Nando,” 42, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison; and
- Mark Simon, 57, of New York, was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is leading the investigation of the case with valuable assistance from the FBI Miami Field Office, Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department, Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office, Boynton Beach Police Department, Fort Pierce Police Department, and the Jewelry Security Alliance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.
Trial Attorneys Lakeita F. Rox-Love and Deputy Chief Kelly Pearson of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dobbins for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Chicago Tribune Op-Ed by Andrew S. Boutros and Christopher C. Amon: The New Dawn of Federal Anti-Violence Initiatives in ChicagoRead the Press Release
“It’s Halloween, and somebody is going to die tonight.” Those were the chilling words of a Chicago gang member who made good on his threat by firing a hail of bullets into a car on Halloween night in 2009 in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. A passenger in the car was shot multiple times and died. It’s a tragedy we sadly see all too often in Chicago. It also was entirely preventable.
I, Andrew S. Boutros, was then a new assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago when I received a call from an experienced federal agent about a large-scale case that had just been reassigned. Turns out the gang member who committed the drive-by murder had been under federal investigation for months. Prior to Halloween, federal agents coordinated undercover firearm purchases from him and referred the matter for federal prosecution. Federal agents had identified the defendant as highly dangerous and volatile, but the U.S. attorney’s office had opted not to charge him then while prosecutors looked for more evidence. The agent soon came to meet with me, and he did not mince words. I heard him; he was right.Working alongside another assistant federal prosecutor returned multiple indictments charging nearly two dozen members of that violent gang and others. All defendants were convicted and sent to prison. But should the case have sat for as long as it did in the quest for better evidence and case building? After all of our experience, the answer to that question is almost always: No.
As I, Andrew, embark on my second year leading the Chicago U.S. attorney’s office and working closely with many law enforcement partners, including Christopher Amon, special agent in charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, I can now do something about cases that trouble me, such as what happened in Humboldt Park in 2009.
We, Andrew and Christopher, decided to chart a different course, which we will describe here.
With dozens of newly minted federal criminal prosecutors coming on board in Chicago, many with deep experience handling violent crime cases in federal and state courts around the country, we are building the team to do it. Indeed, we will do it, all while we continue to prosecute corrupt public officials, narco-terrorists, drug traffickers, large-scale fraud, corporate crime, government benefit schemes, child predators, human traffickers and other worthy federal targets. Just scroll through our office’s news releases from last year and this year — including the first-ever annual report we issued in January: Under fresh office-wide leadership, we are doing significantly more with far fewer resources.
On the violent crime front, there has long been a perception from some in Chicago that federal prosecutors must turn to large-scale conspiracy cases against street gangs as a centerpiece of urban violence reduction. The theory is intuitive: Dismantle the organization, incapacitate its leadership and send a deterrent message that reverberates across the streets. These noteworthy prosecutions, often built under racketeering or similar statutes, are resource-intensive, multiyear undertakings that culminate in sweeping indictments, dramatic news conferences and lengthy sentences. They are also, as a primary strategy for reducing today’s street violence, not the principal tool for the job.
If the goal is reducing shootings this week, next month or even this year, the overwhelming evidence based on empirical research and law enforcement experience — including Christopher’s more than two decades of experience in multiple cities — as well as common sense, points toward rapid, targeted and responsive interventions that interrupt violence in real time.
This is the strategy that gets results quicker. It’s the strategy that reduces violent crime and saves lives. It means measuring success not by the size of an indictment but by the absence of violence and, even more pointedly, the prevention of violence. And with the summer months ahead, it’s the strategy that will drive our violent crime initiatives at the federal level here in Chicagoland.
Long-term federal gang and violence cases are built deliberately and painstakingly. Investigations often take years, involving wiretaps, informants, controlled drug and firearm transactions, financial tracing and coordination across agencies. Arrests and charges often occur long after the individuals contributed to cycles of violence and retaliation. That means by the time an indictment is returned, the factual narrative typically reflects a backward-looking account of conduct that may stretch over a decade. That retrospective orientation is inherent to the model. It is designed to tell a comprehensive story of enterprise criminality, not to disrupt the next retaliatory shooting.
Violence, however, operates on a different clock. Most shootings are not the product of hierarchical gang directives or long-term conspiracies; they are reactive, situational and often impulsive. A slight, a social media post, a perceived encroachment on territory, a dispute involving a girlfriend can escalate into lethal violence in hours or even minutes. The individuals involved are frequently known to local law enforcement and community members. What is missing is not information. What is needed is clear deterrence and accountability through immediate arrest, detention and prosecution of worthy targets. Arresting and federally charging a dangerous felon in possession of a firearm before he shoots someone are far more effective — and decent — actions than prosecuting that defendant for murder after he has already killed somebody.
There is also a mismatch in scale. Long-term federal gang and violence prosecutions are designed to take down organizations. But as the data shows, violence is largely concentrated among a small number of individuals and increasingly smaller, yet no less violent and lethal, groups of street gangs and crews. Strategies that focus on rapid, targeted intervention operate at the right level of analysis and on the right timeline. They are not about building perfect courtroom cases; they are about preventing the next act of violence.
When it comes to dangerous offenders, simple and straightforward gun cases spearheaded through violent crime prevention centers like ATF’s Chicago Gun Intelligence Center and charged swiftly by federal prosecutors can do more with less to immediately curb violence in Chicago. As the head of ATF Chicago, I, Christopher, have seen firsthand that by leveraging technology such as ballistic evidence, law enforcement can identify the true drivers of violence to intervene early and disrupt the violence cycle. In doing so, we can focus on individuals with extensive criminal histories who illegally possess guns as well as those linked to prior shootings.
Federal law can also serve as a backstop when state prosecutions face complicated legal or factual scenarios, such as self-defense. In those instances, perpetrators can be charged under federal firearms statutes that carry a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
Critically, real-time prosecutions also are far less resource-intensive. A single long-term federal gang case can consume enormous prosecutorial, investigative and judicial resources. Agents are tied up for years. Prosecutors devote substantial time to managing multidefendant litigation, complex evidentiary records and massive volumes of discovery. Even successful prosecutions may not bring about the desired force-multiplier effects. Convictions have frequently resulted in retrials for one reason or another. Lengthy prison sentences imposed years after the crime may not influence other individuals making split-second decisions in volatile situations.
Meanwhile, those same law enforcement resources, if redeployed toward proactive intervention such as gun prosecutions and rapid-response initiatives, can produce swift, predictable justice that is more immediate, measurable, exact and effective in reducing violence, even if they lack major headlines, courtroom drama, celebrated outcomes and obvious career advancement.
Rapid-response strategies are not ad hoc; they depend on structured, robust collaboration among law enforcement partners and prosecutors. In Chicago, when it comes to anti-violence work, we are lucky to have first-rate federal agents and experienced federal, state and local leadership in place at all those levels, including FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug DePodesta, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Todd Smith, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino, U.S. Marshal LaDon Reynolds, Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and many others.
This shift in mindset took hold in the federal law enforcement community many years ago, even if it has not made its way to some former prosecutors and others who practiced decades ago or never really practiced in this space at all. Those who reminisce about large-scale, multiyear violence prosecutions often speak of a bygone era when prosecutors and defendants operated with beepers, typewriters, fax machines, Dictaphones and cassette players — as opposed to the lightning speed of social media, encrypted messaging apps, drones and other forms of modern technology, such as computers, the internet and smartphones.
The Chicago U.S. attorney’s office and the ATF’s Chicago Field Division play a key role in providing investigative and prosecutorial muscle for tough-on-crime enforcement that quickly disrupts the cycle of violence and leads to safer streets and fewer victims. The next shooting will not be prevented by a case that will be indicted three years from now. It will be prevented by what happens in the next 24 to 72 hours.
The tragic murder of that young man in Humboldt Park years ago is a prime example of what we speak. But his senseless death has informed the thinking of today’s law enforcement leaders, who are working, strategizing and innovating to try to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
Against that backdrop, at the U.S. attorney’s office and ATF, our collective focus squarely resides in acting now, all while upholding the most cherished traditions of our storied offices.
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Andrew S. Boutros is United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Christopher C. Amon is Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This Op-Ed was published in the Chicago Tribune on April 29, 2026.
Central Valley Men Indicted for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Thursday against Ruben Garcia, 49, of Turlock, and his brother-in-law Heriberto Ayala, 48, of Delhi, charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between Nov. 1, 2025, and April 15, 2026, Garcia and Ayala worked together to sell methamphetamine. During the investigation, law enforcement agents used a confidential source to conduct methamphetamine purchases from Garcia and Ayala in the cities of Turlock and Delhi.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Modesto Police Department, the Stockton High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
California Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $59 Million in Public Benefits and Laundering Proceeds to ChinaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bruce Jin, age 61, a resident of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on April 30, 2026, to 144 months in prison by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $59 million.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Jin previously pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, and admitted that he and his coconspirators Brian R. Cleland, age 72, and Carlos A. Grijalva, age 60, both of Los Angeles, California, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. Jin, Cleland, Grijalva, and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. The funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. The indictment alleges that Economic Impact Payments, or “stimulus payments,” were also obtained through fraudulent means.
Unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. These fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states.
After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva. For instance, Jin, through companies that he controlled known as Ample International and Jin Commerce, received over $12 million in UC funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. In addition, the defendants used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $45 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, GC Accounting, and CLECO. After that, Cleland and Grijalva transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies and over $6 million to a company controlled by an associate of Jin.
After Jin received the fraudulent funds, either from identity theft victims’ accounts or from Cleland and Grijalva through ACH processing, he then made international wire transfers totaling over $35 million to a bank account associated with a company in China, which is known in the Indictment as “COMPANY 2.” Jin also transferred over $2 million directly to the individual in China who controlled that company, who is referred to as “COCONSPIRATOR 2” in the Indictment.
Jin was ordered to forfeit over $59 million in US currency, along with other properties.
Cleland and Grijalva have both pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in May 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe and U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick B. Gushue prosecuted the case.
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30 April 2026
United States Files Suit Against Naples Immunologist for False and Fraudulent Claims in Connection with Subcutaneous Immune GlobulinsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – The United States has filed a civil complaint in federal district court against Dr. Kevin Rosenbach, a doctor practicing in allergy and immunology in Naples Florida, and Kevin P. Rosenbach, M.D. P.A. The complaint alleges that Dr. Rosenbach and Kevin P. Rosenbach, M.D. P.A knowingly caused false claims for subcutaneous immune globulins to be submitted to Medicare Part B. As part of these claims, Dr. Rosenbach would change or add diagnoses to a rare immunodeficiency disease for patients who did not meet the definition of that disease to obtain Medicare Part B coverage. The complaint further alleges that by falsely diagnosing patients, Dr. Rosenbach caused the submission of false claims to Medicare Part B by special pharmacies dispensing immune globulins, resulting in a loss of over $1.9 million to Medicare Part B.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will vigorously pursue and prosecute those who violate the law and compromise the integrity of federally funded programs,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “This action sends a message that our office will continue to protect Medicare funds and the valuable healthcare services the program provides.”
The claims asserted against Dr. Rosenbach are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. It is being litigated on behalf of the United States by Assistant United States Attorney Chad Spraker.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
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.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller Highlights a Dozen Recent Child Exploitation Prosecutions Across the DistrictRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – Today, United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller highlights a dozen recent prosecutions in the Western District of Louisiana involving serious child exploitation crimes. These cases span the entire District and include charges such as interstate transportation of minors to engage in illegal sexual activity, coercion and enticement of minors to produce child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”), and the receipt, production, and distribution of CSAM as well.
“The defendants charged in these cases span not only our 42-parish District but also the spectrum of predators that require our vigilance as law enforcement and as parents: people in positions of trust like teachers and National Guardsmen, recidivist sex offenders, people using AI to generate child pornography using our children’s faces or preying upon children they meet on video game platforms, and people paying others to abuse children at their instruction or transporting them across state lines to abuse them. Our message in prosecuting these cases and highlighting them here is simple: we as Louisianans, as parents, and as families have had enough of this awful abuse and are committed to seeing those who perpetrate these acts brought to justice.” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “We look forward to seeing justice done in these significant cases and to continuing our work alongside our federal and state partners to make our Louisiana community safe for our children.”
"Children should be able to trust adults and when that trust is shattered by predators, the FBI and our partner law enforcement agencies will work with prosecutors to see that justice is done," said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. "The FBI is committed to doing whatever it can to protect our most vulnerable victims."
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans remains steadfast in our mission to protect children from predators in our communities and online,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of HSI New Orleans. “The scale and complexity of these crimes have increased, making teamwork essential. Partnerships with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and other Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force partners are critical to identifying, investigating, and bringing offenders to justice, and ensuring survivors receive the support they need to heal.”
The following cases highlight ongoing efforts to protect children and hold offenders accountable in the Western District:
In the Lafayette area:
Christie Elizabeth Dunbar Oster, 38 of Broussard, was indicted for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Oster, an eighth-grade teacher who was named Teacher of the Year in 2025, is charged with having maintained a sexual relationship with a minor victim during most of 2024. As alleged, Oster formed a sexual relationship with one of her eighth-grade students by meeting with her outside of school hours and using their cell phone communications not only to engage in sexual discussions but also to instruct the minor victim to do things like deleting text messages to avoid detection by the minor victim’s parents or others. Oster faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison if convicted. This matter is being investigated by FBI and is being prosecuted by United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Joanne Henry-Mills. The case number is No. 26-CR-00158.
- Luxe Arlen Thomas, 19 of Scott, was indicted for producing child pornography, interstate transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and other CSAM-related crimes. Thomas, who was a U.S. National Guardsman, engaged in a monthslong pattern of abuse against a minor girl whom he understood to have intellectual disabilities and to be in the foster system, with Thomas traveling to another state to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her and then transporting her back to Louisiana to do the same, producing and possessing images of sexually explicit conduct as he did so. Thomas faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison if convicted. This matter is being investigated by HSI and Louisiana Bureau of Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon with assistance from Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard. The case number is 26-CR-00164.
Rickey James Hebert, 66 of Abbeville, was indicted for conspiracy to produce child pornography, attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and receipt of child pornography. As alleged, Hebert was paying a Filipina woman to create live videos of minor children being sexually abused and otherwise engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hebert faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison. The case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon. The case number is No. 6:26-CR-00151.
Scott Nicholas Martel, 36 of Basile, was indicted for receiving and possessing CSAM. As alleged, Martel falsely portrayed himself online as having access to minors by using online names such as “BaileyMomof2daughters” to secure CSAM from other users in internet-based chat rooms. A search of Martel’s phone in February 2026 revealed a trove of CSAM he received in this way, as well as AI-generated pornographic materials involving Martel’s use of pictures available online of minor children living in his area. Martel faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The FBI is investigating this case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Cassidy with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon. The case number is 26-CR-00095.
Michael Roy Williams, 61 of Opelousas, was indicted in two separate cases, one charging him for possessing an explosive device and the other for possessing CSAM. These cases arose from St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives receiving information indicating that Williams possessed child pornography. After they obtained a search warrant for Williams’ smartphone, detectives then learned that Williams possessed an explosive device, which they recovered from his residence after securing another search warrant. Williams faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge. These matters are being investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Joanne Henry-Mills. The case numbers are 26-CR-00152 and 26-CR-00153.
Donald W. Bergeron, 42 of Broussard, was indicted on Distribution of Child Pornography, Receipt of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography. As alleged, Bergeron, who has a prior conviction for incest with a child, used social media messaging applications and cloud-based file storage services to send, receive, and save images of CSAM. Bergeron faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The case is being investigated by the FBI and Louisiana Bureau of Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Ashley Hammons with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon. The case number is 26-CR-00154.
Cody Allen Bell, 34 of Carencro, was indicted for receiving and possessing CSAM. The investigation stems from a tip provided to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) by an encrypted messaged application, with the tip advising that someone attempted to upload CSAM to the messaging application. NCMEC forwarded the tip to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations for further investigation, and detectives identified Bell as the individual utilizing the messaging application. Detectives executed search warrants on Bell’s account as well as a cloud-based storage account that he utilized and his cellular telephone and located CSAM in all locations. Bell faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison if convicted. This matter is being investigated by the FBI and Louisiana Bureau of Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren S. Sarver with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Joanne Henry-Mills. The case number is 26-CR-00160.
In the Lake Charles area:
Victor Gomes, 25 of Texas, was charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity after traveling from Texas to meet a minor girl at a Lake Charles-area park to transport her back to Texas to engage in sexual activity. As it would turn out, Gomes had been communicating with an undercover FBI agent, and after he was caught in an FBI sting operation trying to meet a minor girl in Lake Charles, planning to transport her back to Texas. If convicted, Gomes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. This matter is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Sarver with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Joanne Henry-Mills. The case number is 26-CR-00108.
Oscar Rodriguez, 38 of Lake Charles, involved Rodriguez attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl at a Lake Charles-area hotel to engage in sexual activity only to find that it was an undercover operation. Rodriguez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life if convicted. This matter is being investigated by FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon II with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle. The case number is 26-CR-00103.
In the Shreveport area:
Darryl Hawkins, 43 of Shreveport, was indicted for attempting to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity. As alleged, Hawkins communicated via social media platform with an undercover FBI agent posing as a 14-year-old girl, ultimately traveling to a local park in the Shreveport area to meet the purported minor after engaging in sexual discussions online. Hawkins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison if convicted. This matter is being investigated by the FBI and Shreveport Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Stewart. The case number is 26-CR-00133.
Joshua Bixby, 22 of Shreveport, was indicted for producing child pornography. The indictment stems from a complaint by a minor female alleging that Bixby solicited her to produce and send sexually explicit images via a social media platform, with an FBI investigation identifying additional victims, ages 12-16 whom Bixby solicited on the same platform. If convicted, Bixby faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. This matter is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell with the assistance from Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Stewart. The case number is 26-CR-00134.
In the Monroe area:
Ronnie Carlton Rogers, 41 of California, was indicted for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Rogers, who was previously convicted of child sexual abuse, is alleged to have targeted a minor girl under the age of 12 in northeast Louisiana through a video game, meeting the girl and engaging in sexual discussions while instructing her to expose herself to him. Rogers faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison if convicted. The case is being investigated by the Monroe, Louisiana and San Francisco, California offices of the FBI, West Monroe Police Department, Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office and the California State Probation Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Gaskins with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Emily Favrot. The case number is 26-CR-00149.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These investigations are a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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 each case’s respective case number.
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Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
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Twitter @USAO_WDLA
U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred Announces Indictment in Operation “Porterhouse Parlay” Alleging an Illegal Gambling Conspiracy, Extortion, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – On April 16, 2026, a federal grand jury in Hammond, Indiana, returned a 28-count indictment charging James L. Gerodemos a/k/a “Jimmy the Greek,” Dean Gialamos a/k/a “Dean Gem,” Chris L. Gerodemos, and nineteen others with running an illegal gambling conspiracy that used extortionate means to collect gambling debts and laundered the money, among other crimes. According to the indictment, the organization operated in northwest Indiana and elsewhere from on or about January 2021 to on or about April of 2026. The indictment was unsealed on April 29, 2026, following the execution of arrest and search warrants accompanying the indictment.
“Through this indictment, the grand jury has alleged that the defendants built an illegal gambling organization that operated both online and in person at two northern Indiana businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “According to the indictment, members of the organization used threats and intimidation to collect on gambling debts. My office bears the burden of proving that the defendants are guilty of these charges, which I am confident we will do. In the meantime, I want to make two points. First, every defendant named in this indictment is entitled to a fair trial by a jury of their peers and is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. And second, like all investigations, this one is continuing. My office will investigate any additional crimes revealed by the evidence and any additional subjects who might have participated in the alleged criminal activity. If you believe that you are a victim of the alleged organization, or if you have any information relevant to it, you are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
“Illegal gambling operations often fuel broader criminal activity and exploit our communities for profit,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI, in partnership with our law enforcement colleagues, is committed to dismantling these criminal networks and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.”
“Today marks the culmination of a lengthy, complex and collaborative investigation,” said Indiana Gaming Commission Law Enforcement Superintendent Brock Pilgrim. “The indictments, arrest and search warrants all send a clear message: those who attempt to corrupt the integrity of licensed gaming operations in Indiana will be held accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Indiana Gaming Commission, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistance U.S. Attorneys Philip Benson and Kevin Wolff.
Two Men Who Attacked Multiple U.S. Victims Using ALPHV BlackCat Ransomware Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two cybersecurity professionals were sentenced today to four years each in prison for their role in a conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce through extortion in connection with ransomware attacks occurring in 2023.
Ryan Goldberg, 40, of Georgia, and Kevin Martin, 36, of Texas, were sentenced. According to court documents, they and another co-conspirator, Angelo Martino, 41, of Land O’Lakes, successfully deployed the ransomware known as ALPHV BlackCat between April 2023 and December 2023 against multiple victims located throughout the U.S. The three men agreed to pay the ALPHV BlackCat administrators a 20% share of any ransoms received in exchange for access to the ransomware and ALPHV BlackCat’s extortion platform. All three men worked in the cybersecurity industry — meaning that they had special skills and experience in securing computer systems against harm, including the type of harm they themselves were committing against the victims in this case. After successfully extorting one victim for approximately $1.2 million in Bitcoin, the men split their 80% share of this ransom three ways and laundered the funds through various means.
According to court documents, ALPHV BlackCat targeted the computer networks of more than 1,000 victims around the world. The group used a ransomware-as-a-service model in which developers were responsible for creating and updating ransomware and for maintaining the illicit internet infrastructure. Affiliates were responsible for identifying and attacking high-value victim institutions with the ransomware. After a victim paid, developers and affiliates shared the ransom.
“The court’s sentences today reflect the damage that these defendants inflicted during their cyberattacks on victim companies throughout the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They harmed important firms who were providing medical and engineering services. They played hardball with them, going so far as to cause the leak of patient data from a doctor’s office victim. They also split the ransoms they were paid, and laundered the illicit proceeds. These were supposed to be cybersecurity specialists who did good and helped businesses and people. Instead, they used their high-level cyber skills to feed their greed. Ransomware attackers like this should be punished and removed from society to serve their lawful sentences so they cannot harm others.”
“These defendants exploited specialized cybersecurity knowledge not to protect victims, but to extort them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They used ransomware to lock down critical systems, steal sensitive data, and pressure American businesses into paying to regain access to their own information. Today’s sentence of four years reflects not only the scale of this scheme, but the real harm inflicted on businesses, employees, and victims whose private information was weaponized for profit. In this District, cybercriminals will face federal prison and forfeit the proceeds of their crimes.”
“Today’s sentencings show that ransomware criminals can operate anywhere, including right here in the United States, and that the FBI is actively working to track them down and dismantle their networks — wherever they exist,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Goldberg and Martin leveraged their technical skills and cyber security knowledge to extort millions from victims across the U.S., but the FBI’s global reach ensured that they ultimately faced justice. When Goldberg sought to flee abroad and escape prosecution, the FBI tracked him through 10 countries, demonstrating the lengths we will go to hold cyber criminals accountable and protect victims. The FBI thanks our DOJ partners for their help securing today’s outcome.”
Today’s announcement follows the Justice Department’s prior actions in December 2023 to disrupt ALPHV BlackCat ransomware, in which the FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer hundreds of victims the capability of restoring their systems, saving victims approximately $99 million in ransom payments. At that time, the FBI also seized several websites operated by ALPHV BlackCat.
In December 2025, Goldberg and Martin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion. In April 2026, co-conspirator Angelo Martino also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion. In addition to conspiring with Goldberg and Martin to attack victims with ransomware, Martino also abused his role as a negotiator for victims of ransomware by sharing confidential victim information with threat actors to increase the value of the ransom paid. His sentencing is set for July 9.
The FBI Miami Field Office is leading the investigation, with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Haggerty and Quinshawna Landon for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Significant assistance in this investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Morris for the Eastern District of Texas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W.A. Peach for the Middle District of Georgia. Additional assistance was provided by the Policía de Investigación of the Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México.
Private sector organizations can report any suspicious activities and threats to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), visiting www.tips.fbi.gov or contacting their local FBI field office.
If you are a victim of ransomware, contact your local FBI field office or file a report at ic3.gov. If you have information about ALPHV BlackCat, their affiliates or activities, you may be eligible for a reward through the Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards program or Rewards for Justice program. Information can be submitted through the following Tor-based tip line (Tor browser required):
he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion.
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 25-cr-20443.
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Two Americans Who Attacked Multiple U.S. Victims Using ALPHV BlackCat Ransomware Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Two American cybersecurity professionals were sentenced today to four years each in prison for their role in a conspiracy to obstruct, delay, or affect commerce through extortion in connection with ransomware attacks occurring in 2023.
Ryan Goldberg, 40, of Georgia, and Kevin Martin, 36, of Texas, were sentenced. According to court documents, they and another co-conspirator, Angelo Martino, 41, of Florida, successfully deployed the ransomware known as ALPHV BlackCat between April 2023 and December 2023 against multiple victims located throughout the United States. The three men agreed to pay the ALPHV BlackCat administrators a 20% share of any ransoms received in exchange for access to the ransomware and ALPHV BlackCat’s extortion platform. All three men worked in the cybersecurity industry — meaning that they had special skills and experience in securing computer systems against harm, including the type of harm they themselves were committing against the victims in this case. After successfully extorting one victim for approximately $1.2 million in Bitcoin, the men split their 80% share of this ransom three ways and laundered the funds through various means.
According to court documents, ALPHV BlackCat targeted the computer networks of more than 1,000 victims around the world. The group used a ransomware-as-a-service model in which developers were responsible for creating and updating ransomware and for maintaining the illicit internet infrastructure. Affiliates were responsible for identifying and attacking high-value victim institutions with the ransomware. After a victim paid, developers and affiliates shared the ransom.
“The court’s sentences today reflect the damage that these defendants inflicted during their cyberattacks on victim companies throughout the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They harmed important firms who were providing medical and engineering services. They played hardball with them, going so far as to cause the leak of patient data from a doctor’s office victim. They also split the ransoms they were paid, and laundered the illicit proceeds. These were supposed to be cybersecurity specialists who did good and helped businesses and people. Instead, they used their high-level cyber skills to feed their greed. Ransomware attackers like this should be punished and removed from society to serve their lawful sentences so they cannot harm others.”
“These defendants exploited specialized cybersecurity knowledge not to protect victims, but to extort them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They used ransomware to lock down critical systems, steal sensitive data, and pressure American businesses into paying to regain access to their own information. Today’s sentence of four years reflects not only the scale of this scheme, but the real harm inflicted on businesses, employees, and victims whose private information was weaponized for profit. In this District, cybercriminals will face federal prison and forfeit the proceeds of their crimes.”
“Today’s sentencings show that ransomware criminals can operate anywhere, including right here in the United States, and that the FBI is actively working to track them down and dismantle their networks — wherever they exist,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Goldberg and Martin leveraged their technical skills and cyber security knowledge to extort millions from victims across the U.S., but the FBI’s global reach ensured that they ultimately faced justice. When Goldberg sought to flee abroad and escape prosecution, the FBI tracked him through 10 countries, demonstrating the lengths we will go to hold cyber criminals accountable and protect victims. The FBI thanks our DOJ partners for their help securing today’s outcome.”
Today’s announcement follows the Justice Department’s prior actions in December 2023 to disrupt ALPHV BlackCat ransomware, in which the FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer hundreds of victims the capability of restoring their systems, saving victims approximately $99 million in ransom payments. At that time, the FBI also seized several websites operated by ALPHV BlackCat.
In December 2025, Goldberg and Martin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion. In April 2026, co-conspirator Angelo Martino also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct, delay or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by extortion. In addition to conspiring with Goldberg and Martin to attack victims with ransomware, Martino also abused his role as a negotiator for victims of ransomware by sharing confidential victim information with threat actors to increase the value of the ransom paid. His sentencing is set for July 9.
The FBI Miami Field Office is leading the investigation, with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service.
Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Haggerty and Quinshawna Landon for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Significant assistance in this investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Morris for the Eastern District of Texas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W.A. Peach for the Middle District of Georgia. Additional assistance was provided by the Policía de Investigación of the Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México.
Private sector organizations can report any suspicious activities and threats to the FBI’s National
Threat Operations Center by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), visiting www.tips.fbi.gov or contacting their local FBI field office.
If you are a victim of ransomware, contact your local FBI field office or file a report at ic3.gov. If you have information about ALPHV BlackCat, their affiliates or activities, you may be eligible for a reward through the Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards program or Rewards for Justice program. Information can be submitted through the following Tor-based tip line (Tor browser required): he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion.
Transnational Email Fraud Scheme Nets Prison Terms for Four DefendantsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Four defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a transnational business email compromise (BEC) scheme that stole more than $38 million from victims across the U.S. and abroad.
Kelvin Owusu Nkwantabisa, also known as “Kevin Brown” and “KO,” 33, of Georgia, and John Jouissance, 33, of Ohio, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, while Leshea Moore, also known as “Deborah Green,” 29, of Georgia, and Justice Amoh, “Samuel Andrews,” 37, of New York, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court records, beginning at least in August 2022, the defendants were members of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) that carried out a sophisticated BEC fraud targeting individuals and businesses. The group gained unauthorized access to victims’ email accounts, monitored communications involving legitimate financial transactions, and then impersonated trusted business partners to redirect payments to bank accounts controlled by the TCO. The stolen funds were then moved through multiple accounts to conceal their origin and avoid detection.
“This was organized international fraud carried out through deception, stolen trust, and financial manipulation,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These defendants infiltrated legitimate business communications, diverted millions of dollars, and laundered the proceeds through shell companies and fraudulent bank accounts to conceal their crimes. Business email compromise schemes can devastate companies and individuals in a matter of hours. Today’s sentences send a clear message: if you use our financial system to steal and launder money, we will find you, follow the money, and hold you accountable.”
Nkwantabisa led the U.S.-based operation. He coordinated with overseas co-conspirators, directed the creation of bank accounts across multiple states to receive victim funds, tracked incoming payments, and instructed others on how to launder the proceeds. Nkwantabisa was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Moore established shell companies, opened bank accounts using fictitious identities, and conducted financial transactions to launder fraud proceeds. She also managed others involved in creating false identities and communicated with financial institutions about victim payments. Moore was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.
Amoh opened bank accounts using fictitious identities to receive victim funds and carried out financial transactions at Nkwantabisa’s direction to launder proceeds. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Jouissance established shell companies, opened bank accounts to receive victim funds, and conducted financial transactions to launder the proceeds. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI Fort Lauderdale investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Quin Landon prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon handled asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-60061.
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Three Plead Guilty in Kidnapping, Violent Armed Robbery of Two Female Victims Lured for a ‘Babysitting’ JobRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cierra Charity Lee, 20 and Kayvon Edwards, 21, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with the Oct. 20, 2025, kidnapping and armed robbery of two female victims in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Lee and Edwards pleaded guilty to kidnapping and armed robbery before Judge Christopher R. Cooper. Co-defendant Robynn Danielle Bynum, 18, of Fort Washington, Maryland, pleaded guilty on Apr. 16, 2026, to the same counts. Judge Cooper scheduled Lee’s sentencing for August 4; Edwards for September 10. A date for Bynum’s sentencing is pending.
“They lured these women with the promise of a babysitting job, but instead subjected them to a terrifying kidnapping and armed robbery involving a knife and duct tape,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This was a calculated effort, directed by Edwards from jail, to intimidate and silence a witness connected to a rape case. Such conduct shows a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of others. Our office will continue to hold accountable those who resort to violence and coercion to obstruct justice.”
According to court documents, a U.S. Park Police officer responded on Oct. 20, 2025, at about 11:45 p.m. for a report of a stabbing in the 3200 block of Minnesota Avenue SE. The officer found two victims. One had been stabbed several times in her back. The second had knife wounds on her right wrist.
Investigators determined that the victims were attacked earlier that night at a residence near Suitland Parkway and Stanton Road SE. The victims went to the residence for a “babysitting job” when two individuals escorted them into a basement and attacked them. Bynum stabbed Victim 1 multiple times in the back and injured Victim 2 during the assault.
Lee and Bynum then forced both victims into a bathroom where they bound them with duct tape. While the victims were restrained, Lee questioned Victim 1 about a rape case pending against Edwards in Prince George's County. Lee and Bynum then searched the victims' pockets and stole their phones and car keys.
Lee and Bynum then led the victims to a car and told them they were being driven to Pennsylvania. A flat tire scuttled those plans. The assailants abandoned the car and the victims, who were able to escape and seek help.
MPD officers later found the victims' car parked in the 3200 block of M Street SE. Officers noted blood stains and pieces of duct tape on the back seat and observed that the front passenger tire was flat.
Investigators determined that Edwards, who was awaiting trial for rape at the time and held in Prince George's County, orchestrated the attack through a series of monitored phone calls. On those calls, Edwards asked Bynum about her driving abilities, warned her about getting caught by the police, and pleaded with Bynum to not let him down. Additionally, Edwards directed Lee to restrain Victim 1, ensure she could not flee, and silence her as a witness. Lee assured Edwards that Victim 1 would drop the charges and not appear in court.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter.
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Three Foreign Nationals Sentenced in April for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that three foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.
Demer Ramirez-Diaz, aka Demer Neftali Ramirez Diaz, 38, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Ramirez-Diaz has been removed from the U.S. four times prior: in June 2009, February 2012, and July 2012, following arrests by the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona and New Mexico, and in February 2022, after having served a six-month sentence for a previous illegal reentry conviction in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In September of last year, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) officer who recognized Ramirez-Diaz from his previous arrest and prosecution in this district saw the defendant walking down the street in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. The officer approached, identified himself, and took Ramirez-Diaz into custody without incident.
Ramirez-Diaz was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in October and pleaded guilty in November.
Ubdulio Santiago-Morales, 32, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Chief Judge Wendy Beetlestone to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Santiago-Morales first entered the country unlawfully in August 2011, was quickly encountered by immigration officers, and voluntarily returned to Mexico the following day. He was subsequently removed from the U.S. twice: in July 2012 and in January 2015.
In April of last year, the defendant was arrested by local police in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and charged with DUI and related violations. He was released on bond in that case and informed that he must return to court for his preliminary hearing on July 11, 2025. The defendant failed to appear on July 11 and remained a fugitive for six months.
ICE took Santiago-Morales into custody in January of this year on a federal criminal complaint and warrant. He was charged by information with illegal reentry in February and pleaded guilty in March, waiving prosecution by indictment.
Efrain Villegas Lopez, 35, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Catherine Henry to time served, approximately three months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Lopez had previously been removed from the U.S. in June 2012, following his arrest by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.
In January of this year, ICE became aware that the defendant had been arrested by the Lower Providence Township Police Department. Lopez was arrested on a federal criminal complaint that month, charged by information with illegal reentry in February, and pleaded guilty in April, waiving prosecution by indictment.
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.
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Andrew Jenemann, Nancy Potts, and Robert Schopf.
Thorsby, Alabama Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sara J. Jones announced the sentencing of a Thorsby, Alabama man for producing child sexual abuse material.
On April 30, 2026, a federal judge ordered 36-year-old Matthew Louis Hourany to serve 360 months in prison. The judge also ordered that Hourany remain on supervised release for life following his prison term and to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Children deserve to grow up safe from harm and protecting them remains one of law enforcement’s highest priorities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “This sentence reflects the gravity of the defendant’s conduct and emphasizes our commitment to stopping predators who target children. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure offenders are held fully accountable.”
“The FBI remains unwavering in our mission to identify, locate, and apprehend those who exploit our most vulnerable, our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “We will work tirelessly to keep our community’s children safe and to bring justice to these victims.”
According to Hourany’s plea agreement and other court records, in September 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip about the upload of child sexual abuse materials to a cloud storage drive. NCMEC provided the tip to the FBI.
Agents reviewed files on the drive and found numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material. The investigation ultimately revealed Hourany as the owner of the account. Agents arrested Hourany on March 23, 2025.
Hourany pleaded guilty to production of child pornography on January 8, 2026. During his plea hearing, Hourany specifically admitted to enticing or coercing minors to produce child sexual abuse videos or images on at least six separate occasions with different victims each time.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz, John J. Geer III, and Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging New Jersey Laws Providing In-State Tuition and Financial Assistance for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Today, the United States announced that it is challenging New Jersey laws providing in-state tuition and financial assistance for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates, scholarships, or subsidies, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal immigrants with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law.
“Imagine being denied the opportunity of education in your own country,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “By granting illegal aliens in-state tuition, the state of New Jersey is doing just that.”
“This is a simple matter of federal law: in New Jersey and nationwide, colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.”
The Department of Justice’s complaint is filed in the District of New Jersey, against the State of New Jersey, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, the Acting Secretary of Higher Education Margo Chaly, the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund, and the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education seeking to enjoin the State from enforcing the unconstitutional New Jersey laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of New Jersey laws that requires colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain New Jersey residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin New Jersey from enforcing state laws which afford financial assistance and scholarships to illegal aliens.
This is the 9th lawsuit in a series of actions the department has filed to fulfill President Trump’s commitment to ensure that illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. These efforts have already delivered wins for the American people, as three similar lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma have resulted favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional analogous laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens. Lawsuits against other states that similarly put illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country in Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, Nebraska, and California.
The Fraud Division Launches West Coast Strike Force to Target Health Care Fraud Schemes Across Arizona, Nevada, and Northern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division) today announced the formation of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, a multi-district enforcement initiative uniting the Division’s Health Care Fraud Section with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Arizona, District of Nevada, and Northern District of California. The Health Care Strike Force model has proven to be one of the most powerful tools in the federal enforcement arsenal, responsible nationally for the prosecution of over 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion.
“Driven by data showing a significant and accelerating increase in health care fraud across all three districts, the Strike Force builds on a foundation of recent landmark prosecutions — including the successful prosecution of digital health technology executives in the Northern District of California and the dismantling of Medicaid, sober home, and wound care fraud schemes in the District of Arizona,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division. “The Fraud Division is committed to bringing that same relentless, data-driven prosecutorial force to bear across every corner of this region, making unmistakably clear that no scheme is too sophisticated, no network too large or small, and no fraudster too distant to escape federal accountability.”
“Silicon Valley has become ground zero for technology-driven health care fraud schemes that seek to cheat taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare,” said Craig H. Missakian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. “The Health Care Strike Force announced today is a powerful partnership that brings together the resources and expertise needed to detect and dismantle even the most sophisticated fraud schemes.”
“Defrauding the government steals from Americans who need help the most. In Arizona alone, federal law enforcement and the United States Attorney’s Office have disrupted fraud schemes worth over a billion dollars of taxpayer money,” said Timothy Courchaine, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. “Our mission as part of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force is to ensure Americans who need critical services are not used as pawns to make bad actors rich. Through excellent investigations, trial work, and seizures of ill-gotten gains, the District of Arizona will continue safeguarding those services.”
“The dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff in the District of Nevada are working in coordination with our partners at the FBI, HHS, DEA and other federal, state, and local agencies to unravel fraud schemes and to hold criminals fully accountable,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “With each indictment and conviction, we are achieving justice for victims who were taken advantage of by these fraudsters. We are proud to be part of the newly created West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force and we are committed to bringing our skill and expertise to the Justice Department’s fight against fraud.”
This expansion brings enhanced federal enforcement resources to one of the nation’s most significant health care technology hubs in the Northern District of California and what data analytics show is the migration of fraud schemes to Arizona and Nevada. Late last year in San Francisco, the CEO and Chief Medical Officer of a digital technology company were convicted for an over $100 million scheme to commit health care fraud and distribute over Adderall over the internet, resulting in addiction and patient harm. These convictions followed other recent high-impact prosecutions that were jointly prosecuted by the Strike Force and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices prosecutors:
- United States v. Gehrke and King (DAZ): Two wound graft company owners pled guilty and were sentenced to 15.5 and 14 years in prison for a $1.2 billion wound graft fraud scheme targeting Medicare and Medicaid. The Government seized $126 million in assets, including cash, luxury vehicles, and gold bars, related to this case.
- United States v. Ali (DAZ): The owner of a Pakistan-based medical billing company was indicted in June 2025 for an alleged scheme involving the exploitation of substance abuse patients at over 41 substance abuse treatment clinics that fraudulently billed Arizona Medicaid over $650 million. The defendant is a Pakistani national and fugitive from justice.
- United States v. Schena (NDCA): The president of a Silicon Valley-based medical technology company was convicted at trial and sentenced to eight years in prison in the first criminal securities fraud case related to COVID-19 charged by the Justice Department, the first criminal COVID-19 health care fraud case brought to trial, and a significant prosecution delineating the scope of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act. United States v. Schena, No. 23-2989 (9th Cir. 2025).
As part of the expansion, Health Care Fraud Acting Chief Jacob Foster and Acting Assistant Chief Gary Winters will coordinate closely with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to establish the Strike Force. The Strike Force will work in partnership with the HHS Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other law enforcement partners, reflecting the Department’s determination that the need for coordinated, aggressive action in this region is urgent and undeniable. Health care fraud in these districts imposes an enormous and growing burden on American taxpayers and undermines the integrity of Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. The victims are real: elderly patients denied access to legitimate care, disabled individuals whose benefits are stolen by criminal networks, and low-income families who rely on these programs for basic medical services. The Strike Force’s west coast expansion makes clear that the Fraud Division will use every available legal tool to identify, investigate, and prosecute these offenses. Members of the public are encouraged to report wrongdoing in the health care industry, and the new Department-wide corporate enforcement policy for criminal matters creates incentives for companies to voluntarily disclose when misconduct occurs.
“DEA’s involvement in the West Coast Fraud Task Force demonstrates our continued commitment to work across government to safeguard the health and safety of our communities. Our message to health care professionals who profit their patients’ pain is clear: if you use your license to harm the public, you will be held accountable,” said Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz, DEA Diversion Control Division. “Whether you are a medical professional who diverts controlled substances, like Adderall or Xanax, or a criminal enterprise that defrauds federal health care programs and private insurers, DEA will continue its pursuit of those who exploit our health care system and poison our communities.”
“The FBI is proud of the work we do to combat health care fraud, and we are eager to continue investigating those who illegally abuse our systems,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This Strike Force allows for further joint actions that will prevent more criminals from lining their pockets at the expense of the American taxpayer. We look forward to playing our part in this whole-of-government approach to combating these schemes.”
“Strike Force partnerships between HHS-OIG, DOJ, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI, and the DEA are a proven force multiplier that utilizes a coordinated and data-driven approach to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting fraud,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “Recent enforcement actions across Arizona, Nevada, and California have revealed emerging threats targeting billions of taxpayer dollars from federal health care programs. Many of these schemes are driven by sham operations designed to appear legitimate while exploiting patients and inflating claims through increasingly sophisticated methods. The expansion of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force ensures that HHS‑OIG can apply our investigative tools and coordinated enforcement capabilities to identify these threats earlier and act with strategic precision.”
The establishment of the West Coast Strike Force builds on the recent expansion of the Strike Force program to the District of Massachusetts and a record-setting year for health care enforcement in 2025—leading the largest ever National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging more than $15 billion in alleged loss, forfeiting and returning to the public fisc more than $560 million, and bringing four corporate matters. A third-party consulting group analyzed return on investment and showed that the average return on investment (FY21-24) from funding the Health Care Fraud Section by year 10 is $106.76 per $1 spent, and over $4.5 billion in projected savings.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Fraud Division Launches West Coast Strike Force to Target Health Care Fraud Schemes Across Arizona, Nevada, and Northern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division) today announced the formation of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, a multi-district enforcement initiative uniting the Division’s Health Care Fraud Section with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Arizona, District of Nevada, and Northern District of California. The Health Care Strike Force model has proven to be one of the most powerful tools in the federal enforcement arsenal, responsible nationally for the prosecution of over 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion.
“Silicon Valley has become ground zero for technology-driven health care fraud schemes that seek to cheat taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare,” said Craig H. Missakian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. “The Health Care Strike Force announced today is a powerful partnership that brings together the resources and expertise needed to detect and dismantle even the most sophisticated fraud schemes.”
“Driven by data showing a significant and accelerating increase in health care fraud across all three districts, the Strike Force builds on a foundation of recent landmark prosecutions — including the successful prosecution of digital health technology executives in the Northern District of California and the dismantling of Medicaid, sober home, and wound care fraud schemes in the District of Arizona,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division. “The Fraud Division is committed to bringing that same relentless, data-driven prosecutorial force to bear across every corner of this region, making unmistakably clear that no scheme is too sophisticated, no network too large or small, and no fraudster too distant to escape federal accountability.”
“Defrauding the government steals from Americans who need help the most. In Arizona alone, federal law enforcement and the United States Attorney’s Office have disrupted fraud schemes worth over a billion dollars of taxpayer money,” said Timothy Courchaine, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. “Our mission as part of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force is to ensure Americans who need critical services are not used as pawns to make bad actors rich. Through excellent investigations, trial work, and seizures of ill-gotten gains, the District of Arizona will continue safeguarding those services.”
“The dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff in the District of Nevada are working in coordination with our partners at the FBI, HHS, DEA and other federal, state, and local agencies to unravel fraud schemes and to hold criminals fully accountable,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “With each indictment and conviction, we are achieving justice for victims who were taken advantage of by these fraudsters. We are proud to be part of the newly created West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force and we are committed to bringing our skill and expertise to the Justice Department’s fight against fraud.”
This expansion brings enhanced federal enforcement resources to one of the nation’s most significant health care technology hubs in the Northern District of California and what data analytics show is the migration of fraud schemes to Arizona and Nevada. Late last year in San Francisco, the CEO and Chief Medical Officer of a digital technology company were convicted for an over $100 million scheme to commit health care fraud and distribute over Adderall over the internet, resulting in addiction and patient harm. These convictions followed other recent high-impact prosecutions that were jointly prosecuted by the Strike Force and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices prosecutors:
- United States v. Gehrke and King (DAZ): Two wound graft company owners pled guilty and were sentenced to 15.5 and 14 years in prison for a $1.2 billion wound graft fraud scheme targeting Medicare and Medicaid. The Government seized $126 million in assets, including cash, luxury vehicles, and gold bars, related to this case.
- United States v. Ali (DAZ): The owner of a Pakistan-based medical billing company was indicted in June 2025 for an alleged scheme involving the exploitation of substance abuse patients at over 41 substance abuse treatment clinics that fraudulently billed Arizona Medicaid over $650 million. The defendant is a Pakistani national and fugitive from justice.
- United States v. Schena (NDCA): The president of a Silicon Valley-based medical technology company was convicted at trial and sentenced to eight years in prison in the first criminal securities fraud case related to COVID-19 charged by the Justice Department, the first criminal COVID-19 health care fraud case brought to trial, and a significant prosecution delineating the scope of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act. United States v. Schena, No. 23-2989 (9th Cir. 2025).
As part of the expansion, Health Care Fraud Acting Chief Jacob Foster and Acting Assistant Chief Gary Winters will coordinate closely with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to establish the Strike Force. The Strike Force will work in partnership with the HHS Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other law enforcement partners, reflecting the Department’s determination that the need for coordinated, aggressive action in this region is urgent and undeniable. Health care fraud in these districts imposes an enormous and growing burden on American taxpayers and undermines the integrity of Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. The victims are real: elderly patients denied access to legitimate care, disabled individuals whose benefits are stolen by criminal networks, and low-income families who rely on these programs for basic medical services. The Strike Force’s west coast expansion makes clear that the Fraud Division will use every available legal tool to identify, investigate, and prosecute these offenses. Members of the public are encouraged to report wrongdoing in the health care industry, and the new Department-wide corporate enforcement policy for criminal matters creates incentives for companies to voluntarily disclose when misconduct occurs.
“DEA’s involvement in the West Coast Fraud Task Force demonstrates our continued commitment to work across government to safeguard the health and safety of our communities. Our message to health care professionals who profit their patients’ pain is clear: if you use your license to harm the public, you will be held accountable,” said Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz, DEA Diversion Control Division. “Whether you are a medical professional who diverts controlled substances, like Adderall or Xanax, or a criminal enterprise that defrauds federal health care programs and private insurers, DEA will continue its pursuit of those who exploit our health care system and poison our communities.”
“The FBI is proud of the work we do to combat health care fraud, and we are eager to continue investigating those who illegally abuse our systems,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This Strike Force allows for further joint actions that will prevent more criminals from lining their pockets at the expense of the American taxpayer. We look forward to playing our part in this whole-of-government approach to combating these schemes.”
“Strike Force partnerships between HHS-OIG, DOJ, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI, and the DEA are a proven force multiplier that utilizes a coordinated and data-driven approach to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting fraud,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “Recent enforcement actions across Arizona, Nevada, and California have revealed emerging threats targeting billions of taxpayer dollars from federal health care programs. Many of these schemes are driven by sham operations designed to appear legitimate while exploiting patients and inflating claims through increasingly sophisticated methods. The expansion of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force ensures that HHS OIG can apply our investigative tools and coordinated enforcement capabilities to identify these threats earlier and act with strategic precision.”
The establishment of the West Coast Strike Force builds on the recent expansion of the Strike Force program to the District of Massachusetts and a record-setting year for health care enforcement in 2025—leading the largest ever National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging more than $15 billion in alleged loss, forfeiting and returning to the public fisc more than $560 million, and bringing four corporate matters. A third-party consulting group analyzed return on investment and showed that the average return on investment (FY21-24) from funding the Health Care Fraud Section by year 10 is $106.76 per $1 spent, and over $4.5 billion in projected savings.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Dismantling of an Interstate Drug Trafficking Operation Sends Two to PrisonRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men were sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that stretched from Philadelphia to Detroit to Morgantown, West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Rex Jenkins, 34, of Southfield, Michigan, was sentenced to 124 months in federal prison after a jury convicted him in March 2025 of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine trafficking. James Elli, 43, of Point Marion, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 79 months. Jenkins and Elli were part of a larger drug trafficking operation based in Philadelphia that was selling methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Morgantown. Drug amounts between the two men totaled more than 43 grams of fentanyl, 126 grams of methamphetamine, and more than four grams of cocaine.
The 24 defendants involved in the drug trafficking conspiracy were convicted for their roles. Twenty, including Jenkins and Elli, have been sentenced to a combined 183 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Task Force Publishes Report on Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias and Restoring Religious LibertyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Today, the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias published a report detailing how the Biden Administration’s prosecutions, policies, and practices demonstrated anti-Christian bias throughout the federal government, in accordance with Executive Order 14202. The Acting Attorney General serves as Chair of the Task Force, and the Justice Department coordinated this significant interagency effort.
“No American should live in fear that the federal government will punish them for their faith,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Chair of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias. “As our report lays out, the Biden Administration’s actions devastated the lives of many Christian Americans. That devastation ended with President Trump. The Department of Justice will continue to expose bad actors who targeted Christians and work tirelessly to restore religious liberty for all Americans of faith.”
The 200-page report collects the detailed findings of the seventeen federal agencies on the Task Force, as well as other agencies who also uncovered religious discrimination. The report examines how the Biden Administration pushed its radical policy agenda, even when its actions infringed on Christian beliefs, free exercise, and on matters of deep personal importance to nearly every American: life, family, marriage, self-identity, education, medical decisions, and more. To support these findings, the Report contains over 1100 footnotes and over 300 pages of exhibits.
In creating its portions of the report, the Justice Department conducted a thorough review of internal discussions, case files, and prosecutorial decisions, some of which are detailed in the recent report published by the Weaponization Working Group about the FACE Act. The Justice Department met with and received information from over 100 stakeholders and victims in its review of the impacts of the Biden Administration’s anti-Christian bias.
The report touches on a broad array of federal policies and programs, including conscience rights, the Johnson Amendment, fines against Christian universities, girls’ sports, vaccine mandates, and the exclusion of Christians from public programs, among many others. The Task Force also highlights related findings at the state and local level and in the private sector. Among the many findings, the Justice Department discovered:
- President Biden pushed policies to eliminate statutory protections for religious Americans that interfered with his policy goals. Although he failed to change federal law, under his direction, federal agencies used policy and regulatory means to accomplish the same goals.
- The Biden Justice Department aggressively opposed concerned parents through the Garland School Board Memo and diligently attempted to use its enforcement authority against parents who defended their children’s safety at local school board meetings.
- The Biden Justice Department immediately mandated the adoption of gender ideology throughout the federal government far beyond the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County.
- The day after Biden was sworn into office, career employees at the Justice Department urged for the reversal of a Trump Justice Department memo on Bostock that directed the department to “respect its employees’ right to express traditional views" regarding marriage and gender identity.
- Career employees called the memo “an affront to the dignity of our transgender employees,” and called for the memo to be rescinded under Biden's Executive Order on gender ideology.
- The Biden Justice Department also considered requests for religious exemptions related to gender ideology as harmful conduct to be regulated and consistently pushed its incorrect Bostock interpretation in amicus briefs, even though federal courts repeatedly rejected it.
- The Biden Justice Department advised White House and senior leadership in a phone call that federal employees’ religious objections to the Covid vaccines were “insincere” or “not religious.”
- The Civil Rights Division under President Biden sidelined Christians in favor of preferred constituencies. It published materials suggesting that Christians could not be victims of religious discrimination, only other faith groups.
While this report details the egregious actions of the Biden Administration against Christians, it also demonstrates how the Trump Administration is restoring the rights of Christians—and all Americans—to practice their faith without fear of retribution.
- The Trump Justice Department is protecting parental rights by rescinding the Garland Memo and taking legal actions to protect students, including a lawsuit to stop the Loudoun County School District from unlawfully forcing gender ideology on students who have sincerely held religious beliefs on marriage and human sexuality.
- The Trump Justice Department has restored law and order by rescinding the Biden Bostock memo. As a result, all people of faith may once again freely exercise their faith.
- The Trump Justice Department is protecting religious liberty in the federal workplace by issuing an Office of Legal Counsel opinion affirming religious liberty protections for federal employees, which include accommodation requests.
- The Trump Justice Department is ending the weaponization of the FACE Act by protecting houses of worship from violence and threats under the FACE Act.
- The Trump Justice Department is protecting religious congregations from discrimination under RLUIPA.
- The Civil Rights Division has filed statements of interest supporting faith communities in RLUIPA cases across the country.
The Department of Justice is committed to religious liberty for all and will continue to support President Trump’s mandate to eradicate anti-Christian bias throughout the federal government.
Tallahassee Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida - Theodore Roosevelt Robinson, Jr., 32, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to five years in federal prison following his guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This is yet another successful prosecution under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative, which has marshalled the full might of the Department to keep our communities safe from the perpetrators of violent crime. Felons, like this defendant, are legally barred from possessing firearms, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute any and all violations of our laws to deliver the safe streets the citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve.”
A federal investigation revealed that on or about September 16, 2025, the defendant sold a 12-gauge shotgun during a law enforcement operation. At the time of the firearm sale, the defendant was a felon and could not legally possess a firearm, based upon his prior convictions on state charges of possession of methamphetamines, drug trafficking, and attempted armed robbery.
The case involved an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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.
Sussex County Man Pleads Guilty to Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Sussex County man pleaded guilty yesterday to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika accepted the plea.
According to court documents, Miles Clark, 22, transported a 12-year-old girl from a church near her residence in Pennsylvania to his residence in Delaware where the two had sexual intercourse. Approximately one week before, Clark and the minor victim met on Snapchat. Their conversations quickly turned sexual with Clark describing in detail the various sex acts he wanted to engage in with the minor. Clark also sent the minor videos of himself masturbating. Clark knew the victim was a minor.
Clark pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor and faces a maximum of life imprisonment with a mandatory-minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for August 27, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul made the announcement.
FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of Delaware State Police Troop 4. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-cr-3-MN.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Paul R. McDowell, Jr., 29 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access of a computer, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
McDowell was sentenced to 94 months of prison followed by 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $66,000 in restitution.
“The Defendant was a hacker-for-hire and would hijack the online social media accounts of several young women in exchange for money from third parties. Evidence showed that he illegally obtained and used victims’ personally identifiable information to gain access to their online accounts and to download private photographs and videos. He then exploited those victims by sharing the private photos and videos with other people online. The Defendant boldly attempted to hack into at least 37 different victims’ accounts! Thanks to the vigilant efforts of our partners at the FBI as a part of Project Safe Childhood, the law enforcement team executed a search warrant at this predator’s house and recovered his computer and cell phone. The Defendant ‘s devices and computer accounts contained more than 3,000 images and 3,000 videos of child sexual abuse material. Our nation’s children are safer with him behind bars,” said US Attorney Adam Mildred.
“Paul McDowell was a hacker for hire, who violated the privacy of dozens of unsuspecting young women, stole their personally identifiable information, and subjected them to sustained harassment, shame, and even blackmail, all so he could boost his confidence and make a few bucks,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “To make matters worse, the FBI found tens of thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his devices. This guy didn’t just break into computer systems, he broke young people’s lives, violated their privacy, and today’s sentence will keep him locked up for a good long time so he can’t harm anyone else.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston and Indianapolis Field Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Luke N. Reilander.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sharon Felon Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Bruce Lindsey, 47, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on March 20, 2025, Lindsey possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, as well as a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime and after previously having been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for September 1, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Mercer County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lindsey.
Second Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Selling Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl Resulting in Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his involvement in selling counterfeit pills containing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a person.
According to court documents, on September 2, 2023, Izaiah Flood and his co-defendant Davon Johnson sold pills, which they represented as ecstasy, to an individual on the Las Vegas Strip. The victim immediately ingested one pill. Within two hours, the victim lost consciousness; within six hours after the drug sale, the victim suffered cardiac arrest. The victim was later declared brain dead and pronounced deceased.
“Fentanyl is a scourge to our communities and in this instance, a person’s life was lost,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “The defendant disregarded and endangered the victim by selling counterfeit pills that were made with fentanyl. Working with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to prosecuting drug dealers who are plaguing our communities with dangerous and deadly drugs like fentanyl and ensuring justice is served for the victim and their loved ones.”
Flood pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He was sentenced today to 156 months in prison. The government recommended a 188-month term of imprisonment.
Co-defendant Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced Monday to 156 months in prison. The government recommended a 210-month term of imprisonment.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenna Bush prosecuted the cases.
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Roswell Man Sentenced for Making Bomb Threats to Government OfficesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Roswell man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for a series of violent threats to government offices across several states.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2025, Jeffrey Ramon Diaz, 44, made threatening calls to several governmental agencies and offices, including a United States Senator’s office, the New Mexico Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County, the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, and the Governor of Pennsylvania’s office.
During the calls, Diaz identified himself by name and made explicit threats of violence and bombings. He told a congressional staffer he was threatening to bomb the Senator’s office. He left a voicemail for a New Mexico state court judge threatening to blow up the judge’s building and harm the judge. He also spoke directly to an employee at the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, declaring a bomb threat and threatening to set the building on fire. Additionally, Diaz called the Pennsylvania Governor’s office claiming he had placed a bomb in the Governor’s home and threatened to kill those inside.
Diaz pled guilty to four counts of malicious threats to injure by fire or explosive. Upon his release from prison, Diaz will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and A.J. Gibes, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Las Cruces Police Department and Chaves County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher McNair is prosecuting the case.
Puerto Rico Man Pleads Guilty to Clean Water Act Violation in Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research ReserveRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Puerto Rico Man was charged and pleaded guilty today for violating the Clean Water Act for construction and filling activities on a property in the las Mareas area of Salinas, Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, Orlando Rivera-Alejandro placed fill material in Mar Negro, within the waters of the United States, and within the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR). Between January 2020 and March 2022, Rivera-Alejandro built multiple structures on top of the filled area, including a gazebo and a concrete boat ramp. He also constructed a dock and numerous concrete-filled PVC poles within Mar Negro, discharging concrete directly into Mar Negro during the construction. Rivera-Alejandro did not seek or receive approval to fill the area or to engage in construction within Mar Negro. At no point was Rivera-Alejandro permitted to do so.
As a part of the plea agreement, Rivera-Alejandro has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and remove all structures and alterations to the property and to engage in remediation of the environmental harm, damage, and changes that altered the property from its natural state. Rivera-Alejandro is scheduled to be sentenced on September 1, 2026.
The photographs below depict the property in May 2019 and in March 2022, demonstrating the illegal construction.
The JBNERR was designated as a reserve in 1981 to protect the wetlands and study the biological and societal impacts of estuarine habitat, as well as provide recreation and educational opportunities to local communities. The reserve is home to the endangered brown pelican, peregrine falcon, hawksbill turtle and West Indian manatee. Congress enacted the Clean Water Act in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of the waters of the United States. It prohibits the discharge of any pollutant and fill material into waters of the United States except when a permit is obtained from the United States.
This case is part of an ongoing investigation into the destruction of wetlands in Puerto Rico. Previously convicted individuals include Luis Enrique Rodríguez-Sánchez, sentenced in June 2024; Awildo Jiménez-Mercado, Rafael Carballo-Diaz, and Nathaniel Hernandez-Claudio, sentenced in September 2024; and Pedro Luis Bones-Torres, sentenced in March 2025.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI which participate in the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Environmental Crimes Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico.
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Previously convicted felon sentenced to federal prison for possessing firearmRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Robert Isham, 41, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 51 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2024, in Hamilton, Isham possessed a loaded semi-automatic handgun.
Officers observed Isham walk into the middle of a street, causing disturbance to the traffic flow. When they approached Isham, he began to flee on foot. During the pursuit, Isham reached into his pocket, pulled out a handgun and threw it. He was tased by officers and taken into custody without further incident.
Isham’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including for aggravated robbery and domestic violence. Isham previously served 10 years in state prison. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Cincinnati Police Interim Chief Adam Hennie announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this 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.
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Previously convicted felon returning to prison for latest firearms possession offenseRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dumfries man was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on July 21, 2025, Jonathan Daniel Smith discharged a handgun while he was engaged in a fight with another individual at a gas station in Woodbridge. On July 24, 2025, Prince William County Police officers recognized Smith from footage of the incident and apprehended him after a pursuit. During the chase, Smith attempted to hide his handgun, which was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine, under a parked car. Witnesses directed law enforcement to the handgun's location. A comparative analysis confirmed that a shell casing recovered from the shooting had been fired from Smith’s handgun.
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of VirginiaIn 2023, Smith was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Smith cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated this case with assistance from the Prince William County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. 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.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-324.
Previously convicted armed robber found guilty againRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Richmond man yesterday on charges of armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 12, 2025, Monte Decarlos Winston, 56, committed an armed robbery of a Valero gas station in Henrico County. On Feb. 18, 2025, Winston committed a second armed robbery at The Beauty Zone, a beauty supply company, in Chesterfield County.
In 2003, Winston was convicted of the same crimes, as well as possession of cocaine, and was sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison. In 2016 and twice in 2018, Winston was found guilty of violating the terms of his supervised release.
Winston faces a mandatory minimum 50 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on July 30. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Richmond Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Henrico Police Department and the Chesterfield Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Miller and Janet Jin Ah Lee are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to 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.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-117.
Pharmacy Technician Pleads Guilty to $5.6M Health Care Fraud Scheme and Illegal Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
A Michigan man pleaded guilty yesterday to defrauding health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, by billing for prescription medications that he never dispensed and providing unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash.
According to court documents, Ali Naserdean, 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was a pharmacy technician at three metro-Detroit pharmacies. From 2019 through 2022, Naserdean and his co-conspirator submitted false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs for prescription drugs that were not ordered by a doctor and never dispensed to the patient. Naserdean and his co-conspirator used forged prescriptions from doctors to hide their scheme, when the patient had never seen the listed doctor and the medication had never actually been prescribed. Naserdean and his co-conspirator caused over $5.6 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Additionally, from 2019 through 2022, Naserdean provided unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash, without regard to whether the prescriptions were actually prescribed by physicians or dispensed in good faith.
Naserdean pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and possession with intent to illegally distribute oxycodone. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan; Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office, HHS-OIG, and the City of Dearborn Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Crapko of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Kuebler for the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Payment Processing Broker Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Bank DebitsRead the Press Release
An Oregon man who worked as a payment processing broker pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for his role in using fraudulent, unauthorized debits to steal money from victims’ bank accounts.
According to court documents, Jeremy Todd Briley, 46, of Oregon, worked as a payment processing broker. Acting on behalf of clients (merchants), Briley identified payment processors in the United States for his clients to use in processing charges. Briley’s two largest clients were sham companies that falsely represented that they provided online marketing services to businesses. Instead, they stole from victims by fraudulently debiting their bank accounts, causing over $14 million in unauthorized debits and attempted debits.
From February 2017 to December 2023, Briley obtained and maintained payment processing relationships for those sham companies so that they could process fraudulent debits, knowing that the sham companies were fraudulently debiting bank accounts. Despite repeatedly receiving information that the debits processed on behalf of the sham companies were not authorized by the victims, Briley concealed the fraudulent activities of the sham companies in various ways, and he arranged for a payment processor to deceive banks by manipulating return rates on the fraudulent debits.
Briley pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald; U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group; and Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Chicago Region made the announcement.
The USPIS and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Daniel Zytnick of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff for the Southern District of Florida is handling forfeiture.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.