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17 April 2026
New Hampshire Man Charged with Enticing a MinorRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 17, 2026, Jared Marcus Hutchins, 22, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was charged with Enticement of a Minor and Travel With Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor. Hutchins was arrested yesterday in Montpelier, Vermont. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.
According to court records, Hutchins began communicating via social media with the 13-year-old victim in late December of 2025. During the messaging, Hutchins requested that the minor victim send a video of herself engaging in sexual behavior, and the two also exchanged nude photos. On April 10, 2026, Hutchins and the minor victim met in a park in the area of Montpelier, Vermont and engaged in sexual intercourse. Afterward, Hutchins accused the minor victim of having other male contacts on social media. Hutchins searched through her phone, became angry, and physically assaulted the minor victim. Hutchins’ physical assault of the minor victim included choking, striking her in the face with his hand, pointing a loaded firearm at her, striking her on the back of the head with the firearm, and stabbing her in the stomach with a screwdriver. After the assault, Hutchins drove off with the minor victim still in his car, reaching high rates of speed, before returning to Montpelier due to mechanical issues with his car. On April 16, 2026, after the minor victim had reported the abuse to law enforcement, Montpelier Police noticed Hutchins’ vehicle in the City of Montpelier, located Hutchins nearby, and took him into custody. At the time he was apprehended, Hutchins was in possession of a firearm.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Hutchins is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted of Enticement of a Minor, Hutchins faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life imprisonment. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the swift and collaborative investigatory efforts of the Montpelier Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department. “I am extremely grateful for the partnership of these law enforcement agencies, and I am immensely proud of their work so far on this case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont will continue to prioritize protecting children from harm and holding accountable those who victimize them.”
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. Hutchins has not yet retained or been appointed counsel.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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.
Morrow County man sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for 2 armed bank robberies near Polaris mallRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Morrow County man was sentenced in federal court here today to 171 months in prison for robbing the same bank at gunpoint twice in the spring of 2025.
James Travis Scurlock, 44, of Cardington, stole a total of approximately $41,000 from a bank branch near the Polaris mall.
According to court documents, on March 6 and May 16, Scurlock robbed the Huntington Bank on Gemini Place while carrying a firearm. Scurlock wore a black sweatshirt, jeans, white Nike shoes, black gloves and a white camouflage mask during both robberies.
During the first robbery, he initially inquired about opening a bank account. After the teller asked him for two forms of identification, he pointed a handgun at the teller and told the teller to put money in his backpack. Scurlock then stole approximately $13,700.
During the May robbery, Scurlock pointed the handgun at a teller before walking to two tellers’ drawers and taking cash. He then ordered the tellers to the vault and placed more cash into his backpack. Scurlock stole approximately $27,700 during the second robbery.
The defendant was charged in June 2025 and pleaded guilty in October 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Noah R. Litton 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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Mohamed Mubarak Convicted of Firearm and Identity Theft OffensesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that yesterday, Mohamed Mubarak, 28, of Burlington, Vermont, was convicted in U.S. District Court in Burlington of three firearm offenses and two identity theft offenses after a four-day jury trial. Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss ordered that Mubarak remain in jail pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. Mubarak has been detained since his arrest in November of 2025.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Mubarak obtained an associate’s driver’s license by providing the associate with crack cocaine. Mubarak then used the associate’s driver’s license (without that associate’s knowledge) to purchase two firearms from a Vermont firearm store, specifically a black Canik 9mm pistol and a pink SCCY 9mm pistol. Mubarak could not lawfully purchase or possess firearms due to his prior felony convictions. In March of 2024, evidence related to the purchase of the firearms was recovered during the investigation of a firearm discharge at an apartment building in South Burlington, Vermont. Law enforcement also obtained messaging and photographs from a cellular phone, as well as other social media messaging that provided evidence of defendant Mubarak’s possession of the associate’s license, the illicit firearm purchases, and Mubarak’s unlawful possession of firearms. The photograph below was admitted into evidence at trial, and depicts defendant Mubarak with a Canik 9mm pistol and a pink SCCY 9mm pistol.
Based on the jury’s verdict, Mubarak faces a mandatory minimum of 2 years of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft, and up to 15 years of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing firearms as a convicted felon. The actual sentence will be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Burlington Police Department, and the Essex Police Department, and thanked the Vermont State Police, Newport Police Department, Montpelier Police Department, and Winooski Police Department for their assistance.
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.
Minnesota Man Found Guilty of Criminal Vehicular HomicideRead the Press Release
DULUTH – Defendant Eric Peterson, 51, of Virginia, Minnesota, has been found guilty of one count of criminal vehicular homicide following a four-day trial, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N.Rosen.
On December 17, 2024, Peterson struck and killed 38-year-old Amanda Boshey when driving along Lake Vermilion Reservation Road near the Fortune Bay Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. Peterson hit Ms. Boshey, who was walking on foot, shortly after he left the casino. In convicting Peterson, the federal jury concluded that he was driving his vehicle negligently while under the influence of alcohol.
FollowingFollowing a four-day trial in Duluth, Minnesota, before the Honorable Judge Laura M. Provinzino, the jury returned a guilty verdict on count one, which charged Peterson with criminal vehicular homicide-in a negligent manner while under the influence of alcohol. Peterson was acquitted on count two, which charged Peterson with criminal vehicular homicide-while having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more as measured within two hours of the time of driving for the same fatality.
"We would like to extend our condolences to Ms. Boshey’s family and the Bois Forte community." said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Justice for Ms. Boshey's tragic death would not have been possible without substantial assistance from our tribal, local, and state law enforcement partners. We hope that holding the defendant accountable for their recklessness will provide some sense of justice for those who are forever impacted by this loss.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, aided by the BCA, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Nett Lake Tribal Police Department, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia Police Department. The coordination of resources between these law enforcement agencies was imperative to the swift identification and apprehension of Peterson and the ultimate resolution of this case.
Ms. Boshey was an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. She is survived by five children as well as her siblings, parents, and other family and loved ones.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen prosecuted the case.
Middlesex County Woman Sentenced to 20 Months for Defrauding Multiple COVID-19 Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced to 20 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Damaris Valerio, a/k/a Damaris Tineo Abreu, 42, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Judge Kirsch, on April 14, imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2020 through December 2021, Valerio fraudulently obtained $194,212 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits meant for unemployed workers, by submitting false and fraudulent applications inflating her business’s revenues, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, she diverted proceeds from the relief programs for her personal gain.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Kirsch sentenced Valerio to 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $194,212 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito, and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General’s Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Bleiberg and Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense Counsel: John Russo, Esq, of New York.
Mexican National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Illegally Re-entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An illegal alien has been sentenced for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation as a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
On April 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Ramon Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 43, a citizen of Mexico, to 24 months in prison. In September 2025, Rodriguez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation after a felony conviction.
According to court records, Rodriguez-Gonzalez was deported on April 29, 2019, after he was convicted of false claim of citizenship in March 2019 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Rodriguez-Gonzalez came to law enforcement’s attention again on May 30, 2019, after illegally re-entering the United States. He was removed again on June 1, 2019. After having been found illegally in the United States a third time, Rodriguez was arrested on June 27, 2025, by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He entered ICE custody on June 30, 2025. Rodriguez-Gonzalez is also currently facing state charges of homicide and abuse of a corpse in Bibb County.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison J. Garnett prosecuted the case.
Metro Detroit Surgeon Was Sentenced to a Year in Prison in $7 Million Dollar Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT –– A surgeon from Metro Detroit was sentenced yesterday for his involvement in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for psychotherapy services, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Division, and Mario Pinto Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
Mustafa Hares, 79, of West Bloomfield was sentenced by U.S. District Court Gershwin A. Drain to 12 months in federal prison. Hares was also ordered to pay $4.8 million in restitution and to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his incarceration.
According to court records, between 2019 and 2023, Hares and others joined in a scheme to submit more than $7 million in fraudulent claims for psychotherapy services which were never rendered. Hares joined with Mohammed Kazkaz in signing purported patient progress notes, which were actually written by employees in Mexico rather than by actual medical providers. Kazkaz was previously sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison for his role in this fraud scheme.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “This physician abused his medical license and position of trust as a doctor to facilitate a massive health care fraud scheme at the expense of the American taxpayer. We must eradicate fraud.”
“Medicare fraud is theft from the American people, and physicians who exploit it for personal gain will be held responsible for their actions,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The defendant’s sentencing for this multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud scheme reflects the significant impact of his actions, which drained critical resources from a program designed to serve those in need and undermined trust in the medical professionals who follow the law. I commend the dedicated members of FBI Detroit, alongside our partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, whose work ensured those involved were brought to justice. Together, we remain committed to protecting the integrity of our healthcare system and those who depend on it.”
“Patients place enormous trust in their medical providers, and schemes like this not only defraud Medicare but also betray that trust in deeply harmful ways,” said Mario Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “When practitioners misuse their credentials to authorize false services, they jeopardize the care and well-being of the very people these programs are designed to protect. HHS-OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, remains firmly committed to uncovering such misconduct and ensuring that those who put patients at risk for personal gain are held accountable.”
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 was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Regina R. McCullough and Philip A. Ross.
Mercer County Man Sentenced to 260 Months for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County man was sentenced yesterday to 260 months’ imprisonment for possessing quantities of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute it, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking, and for his unlawful possession of firearms as a previously convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
“Fentanyl, cocaine, and illegal firearms are a deadly combination that poisons our communities and fuels violence. This defendant trafficked in dangerous drugs, and law enforcement recovered guns from his home during the investigation—yesterday’s sentence reflects our commitment to dismantle drug trafficking operations and protect the people of New Jersey from the violence and harm they cause.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“The FBI and our partners take the responsibility of keeping guns, drugs and violent criminals off of the streets very seriously. The Trenton Safe Streets Task Force identified, investigated and presented evidence for Mr. Wilson and his associates. This sentence of over 20 years shows others who wish to perpetuate illegal operations in Trenton and New Jersey, that justice will prevail,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
Jamal Wilson, a/k/a “Vill,” 49, of Trenton, N.J., previously pleaded guilty before the Honorable Georgette Castner, United States District Judge in Trenton federal court, to a five-count Superseding Information, charging Wilson with possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of two firearms as a previously convicted felon.
In August 2022, Wilson, and 12 other individuals (Theodore Meekins, Louis Williams, Clinton Rodriguez, Kai Bowman Jr., Glenn Moore, Rashied McKines, Michael Williams, Derrick Jiles, Dion Morris, Jerry Farmer, James Edwards, and Alterrick Livingston) were charged by criminal complaint with drug trafficking and/or firearms offenses.
According to documents filed in this case:
Beginning in or around July 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies conducted a two-year investigation of individuals engaged in unlawful drug-trafficking and firearms activities in and around the area of Garfield, Cleveland, and Logan Avenues (referred to as the “GCL” area”), a Trenton neighborhood known for high levels of narcotics activity and gun violence. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained court authorization to intercept Wilson’s telephonic and electronic communications. These intercepted communications and subsequent investigation revealed that Wilson was a significant drug trafficker of fentanyl and cocaine in the GCL and greater Trenton area, including and specifically in the area of the Grand Court Villas apartment building (the “Grand Court Villas”); the intersection of East State Street and South Olden Avenue; and Garfield Avenue Playground. Those communications also revealed the scope of Wilson’s unlawful drug-trafficking activities, including Wilson’s downstream customers and co-defendants. As part of the investigation, law enforcement recovered from Wilson’s residence and his stash apartment approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, two kilograms of cocaine, four firearms (including two unserialized, privately-made firearms), high-capacity magazines, ammunition, gun parts, and two gun suppressors.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Wilson to 5 years of supervised release.
Wilson’s conviction and sentence are the result of an investigation by the Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force. Led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Task Force is comprised of various federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and its mission is to combine the resources and intelligence of the participating agencies to enhance the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals involved in gang-related activities, violent crime, and drug distribution in and around the greater Trenton area.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Trenton Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Director Steve Wilson; and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, with the investigation leading to the conviction and sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: David E. Schafer, Esq.
Media Advisory: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces National Crime Victims’ Rights Week EventRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C – In commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle announces NCVRW observances planned in the Eastern District of North Carolina for the week of April 19-25, 2026. The National Crime Victims’ Rights Ceremony will be held in Raleigh. Members of the public and media are invited to attend.
WHERE: State Archives Building, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 21, 2027, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Registration is required for this event.
This event is sponsored by the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network and Members of the Victim Services Interagency Council of North Carolina.
For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office website. For more ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.
Maryland Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of a Ghost GunRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man is headed to federal prison for more than seven years for possessing a loaded ghost gun and ammunition as a convicted felon.
U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Sequan Branch-Green, 29, to 90 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with the charge.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to court documents, on January 10, 2024, BPD officers responded to the 1900 block of Aisquith Street in connection with an individual with an outstanding arrest warrant. Upon arriving at the scene, officers identified the individual as Branch-Green.
When law enforcement investigated Branch-Green’s vehicle, officers found a firearm in plain view between the driver’s seat and the center console. Officers then recovered the firearm and identified it as a Polymer 80 9mm Luger handgun loaded with nine rounds of ammunition. Polymer 80 firearms are commonly known as “ghost guns” as they do not possess a serial number and are untraceable by law enforcement.
Additionally, law enforcement recovered more than 100 grams of narcotics, which were packaged for resale, from the vehicle’s center console.
Branch-Green is a convicted felon, so he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. He has an extensive criminal history and was on supervised probation for separate offenses in both Carroll County and Baltimore City at the time of this incident. Branch-Green is currently pending violation-of-probation hearings in both jurisdictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Simpkins who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Lexington Man Arrested and Federally Charged with Threatening to Assault and Murder President Trump and Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- A federal criminal complaint was unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Lexington on Wednesday charging Kadrioan Serainity Santiago, 23, with interstate threatening communication.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 1, 2026, FBI received information that Santiago, under the username “kadi_skating,” had been posting a series of politically violent threats and statements on Instagram between January 2026 and late March 2026. Among other things, Santiago threatened to cut President Donald Trump’s face with a razor blade, pull his skin off and feed the skin to stray dogs; threatened to kill the next member of law enforcement who interacted with him; encouraged others to shoot at ICE agents; and threatened to kill ICE agents himself.
The criminal complaint alleges that Santiago began posting the threatening communication in January 2026, posting, “im filled with political violence.”
“Threatening violence against the President and federal law enforcement officers strike at the core of our nation’s safety and the rule of law,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “These actions will not be tolerated and will be met with swift and decisive prosecution. Through the FBI’s diligence and swift action, we moved quickly to address this threat and will pursue prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
"To those who choose to hide behind the anonymity of a screen to unleash threats against the President of the United States, other government officials, and law enforcement, the FBI will find you,” said Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “It is against the law to post threatening communications online, and the FBI and our partners will use every available resource to identify, locate, and arrest those who choose to do so."
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the criminal complaint.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Greenfield is representing the United States in this case.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations. The Defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Leader of Clan Del Golfo, the Colombian Drug Cartel and Terrorist Organization, Charged in Superseding Indictment with Expanded Criminal Conduct and Terrorism OffensesRead the Press Release
A fifth superseding indictment was filed yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn against Jobanis de Jesus Avila Villadiego, also known as “Chiquito” and “Chiquito Malo,” which added new charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and providing or attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Avila Villadiego was previously charged in multiple superseding indictments with operating a continuing criminal enterprise, international cocaine trafficking, and using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, as well as other drug-related crimes, through his continuing leadership of the Clan del Golfo (CDG), one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. The fifth superseding indictment extends the end-dates of the continuing criminal enterprise and multiple conspiracies from October 2021 to April 2026. Avila Villadiego remains at large.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Frank A. Tarentino, III, Associate Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Northeast Region (DEA); and Michael Alfonso, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, Avila Villadiego presides over a vast narcotics empire that floods the United States with cocaine and serves as a financial lifeline for a designated foreign terrorist organization. This prosecution is about more than just seizing drugs; it is about destroying terrorist organizations while simultaneously stopping the flow of deadly drugs and associated violence into the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “For the Clan del Golfo, narcotics trafficking and terrorism are two sides of the same coin of instability. This fifth superseding indictment demonstrates that we will continue to pursue Avila Villadiego until he is brought to justice before the American legal system.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York offices of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also acknowledged the significant assistance provided by the Bogota offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the Justice Department’s National Security Division, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, and Colombian law enforcement authorities.
“Avila Villadiego allegedly runs a designated foreign terrorist organization responsible for trafficking thousands of kilograms of illicit narcotics into the United States. The FBI and our law enforcement partners on the NY Homeland Security Task Force are determined to defend the nation by stomping out these terrorist groups and holding accountable their leaders, regardless of where they’re hiding,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“Today’s superseding indictment against “Chiquito Malo”, the leader of the Clan Del Golfo, a Colombian drug cartel and terrorist organization, further exposes the ruthless violence, terror, and destruction these criminal networks inflict on our communities,” stated DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino. “Chiquito Malo” led one of the largest cocaine distribution networks in the world, leaving a trail of terror is his path. This is not just drug trafficking, this is narcoterrorism driven by greed, power, and complete disregard for human life. Let there be no mistake: those who lead these organizations are responsible for the poison flooding our streets, the violence in our neighborhoods, and the lives lost to addiction and overdose. The DEA, alongside our federal, state, and international partners, will continue to target, dismantle, and hold these individuals and organizations accountable, no matter where they operate in the world. The DEA will not stop, nor will we slow down. This is our global pursuit mindset; Protecting our communities and saving lives.”
“These new charges against Jobanis de Jesus Avila Villadiego, the leader of Colombia’s largest transnational criminal organization and a designated foreign terrorist organization, underscore the scale and brutality of a group that fields thousands of armed members, exerts military control over Colombian territory, and, as alleged in court filings, moves multi-ton cocaine shipments ultimately destined for the United States. Under Avila Villadiego’s command, Clan del Golfo uses murders, kidnappings, and other violence to protect its profits and attack law enforcement, posing a grave drug trafficking and national security threat to our country and our global counterparts. HSI New York and our Homeland Security Task Force partners will relentlessly pursue Avila Villadiego and his criminal network, wherever they operate and wherever the evidence leads,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso.
According to court filings, Avila Villadiego is the principal leader of the CDG, Colombia’s largest and most influential cartel. The CDG is one of the most violent and powerful criminal organizations in Colombia, and it is one of the largest distributors of cocaine in the world. With as many as 6,000 members at its peak, the CDG exercises military control over a vast territory in the Urabá region of Antioquia, Colombia, one of the most lucrative drug trafficking areas within Colombia due to its proximity to the Colombia-Panama border and the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Clad in military uniforms, CDG members employ military tactics and weapons to reinforce their power and incite wars and violence against rival drug traffickers, paramilitary organizations, and Colombian law enforcement authorities who threaten the CDG’s control.
The prior principal leader of the CDG, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, also known as “Otoniel,” was arrested in October 2021 and extradited to the Eastern District of New York in May 2022. In January 2023, Úsuga David pleaded guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise; in August 2023, he was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment. Avila Villadiego, who previously served as a senior commander of the CDG under Úsuga David, rose to power as the principal leader of the CDG following Úsuga David’s arrest.
The CDG, with Avila Villadiego as its principal leader, has continued to be involved in multi-ton shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico and Central America for ultimate importation into the United States. Throughout CDG controlled territory in Colombia, the cartel coordinates production, purchase, and transfer of shipments of cocaine and imposes a “tax” on any drug traffickers operating in these regions. Specifically, the CDG charges a set fee for every kilogram of cocaine that is manufactured, stored, or transported through areas controlled by the CDG. Profits from narcotics trafficking are reinvested into the cartel to support its activities.
The CDG also engages in acts of violence and terrorism, including murders, assaults, kidnappings of law enforcement officers, and assassinations. On December 17, 2025, the United States Secretary of State designated CDG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Secretary of State also designated CDG as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on December 17, 2025. The CDG remains a designated FTO to date.
Undeterred by the designation, Avila Villadiego has continued to lead the CDG post-designation, and to carry out criminal acts including the provision of material support to the CDG.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force 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 U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New York comprises agents and officers from HSI; the DEA; FBI; the New York City Police Department; IRS Criminal Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and U.S. Secret Service, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York leading this prosecution.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lorena Michelen, Katherine Onyshko, and Rebecca Urquiola are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JOBANIS DE JESUS AVILA VILLADIEGO (also known as “Chiquito” and “Chiquito Malo”)
Age: 49
Uraba, ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-625 (S-5) (DLI)
Lawrence Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Attempting to Meet with a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for using an interstate facility to transmit information about a child.
Alex Bou, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2026, Bou pleaded guilty to one count of use of an interstate facility to transmit information concerning a minor. In August 2025, Bou was arrested and charged.
On Aug. 17, 2025, Bou responded to an advertisement posted by undercover law enforcement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex acts. The advertisement contained images of a young female and language purported to be written by a female describing herself as a “flower ready to blossom.” On Aug. 17, 2025, Bou sent a text message to the number listed on the advertisement saying, “U available,” to which an undercover agent posing as the purported minor responded suggesting Aug. 19, 2025.
On Aug. 19, 2025, Bou continued his conversation with the undercover agent. In their conversation, the undercover agent stated that she was a 15-year-old girl available to perform sex acts in exchange for money. Upon being informed that the purported minor was 15 years old, Bou responded with, “Ok are you a virgin?” Bou agreed to pay $175 to have unprotected sex with the purported minor and acknowledged that he was agreeing to have sex with an “underage girl.” Bou obtained her address via text message, and shortly thereafter arrived at the location where he was placed under arrest.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit prosecuted the case.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Lakewood Sex Offender Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation and Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 34-year-old, previously convicted sex offender, was sentenced to prison for producing child pornography and hosting a server dedicated to trafficking in child pornography.
Gareth S. Schakel, of Lakewood, was sentenced to 312 months (26 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, after pleading guilty Jan. 8, to the following charges in the indictment:
- Sexual Exploitation of Children,
- Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, and
- Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).
He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $52,000 in restitution to victims. Judge Calabrese imposed sentence on April 16.
In 2023, Schakel produced CSAM on a server he hosted out of his Lakewood home. He created an “invite only” platform to share explicit content with other child predators. In April 2023, agents located hundreds of CSAM files when executing a search warrant of Schakel’s electronic devices. These files included sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, torture and rape of prepubescent children, and bestiality. The investigation also revealed a 15-year-old victim whom Schakel was sexually exploiting in the spring of 2023. Schakel enticed the minor into sending him sexually graphic content of herself. He also sent her sexually explicit photos of himself. Investigators learned that Schakel had a previous state conviction for pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor in 2011 as well as convictions for failing to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was led by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Kauai Man Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Repay $1.4 Million for Stealing from Federal COVID-19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ethan Page, 52, of Kekaha, Hawaii, was sentenced on April 15, 2026, to fourteen months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, along with $1,409,964.35 in restitution to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”), following his guilty plea for making a false statement to the SBA.
According to court records, in or around March 2021, Congress enacted the American Rescue Plan Act, which established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (“RRF”) to provide support to eligible entities in the food service industry that suffered revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain RRF funding, a qualifying business was required to submit an application to the SBA signed by an authorized representative of the business. An awardee was not required to repay funds received under the RRF program unless the funds were used for an unauthorized purpose. The program required an awardee to submit a post-award report disclosing whether and to what extent the awardee had spent RRF funds on eligible expenses.
On or about May 16, 2021, Page submitted an RRF application to the SBA in the name of his business, Hanapepe Design Studio, LLC, seeking over $1.4 million in RRF funds. The SBA approved the application and deposited just over $1.4 million into the business’s bank account. Page then transferred $1.3 million of RRF funds to his own personal investment account at another institution. Page then used the remaining $100,000 on other ineligible expenses. On or about December 22, 2021, Page signed and submitted a post-award report to the SBA, in which he falsely certified that he used the entirety of the RRF proceeds for Hanapepe Design Studio expenses that were eligible for RRF funds, such as payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other business operating expenses. Had Page accurately reported how he used the RRF funds, the SBA would have required Hanapepe Design Studio to repay the funds.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig S. Nolan and Gregg Paris Yates prosecuted the case.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in First-Ever Lawsuit Enforcing the Violence Against Women Act Housing Rights SubpartRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the settlement of United States v. David Montanus and Lisa Montanus, the first lawsuit filed by the Civil Rights Division to enforce the Housing Rights Subpart of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA), 34 U.S.C. § 12495.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire in May 2025, alleges that Defendants David and Lisa Montanus violated VAWA when they unlawfully penalized the complainant by evicting her after she sought police assistance for domestic violence. The settlement requires the Defendants to comply with VAWA and prohibits them from making adverse credit reports regarding the complainant’s tenancy. If the Defendants acquire rental properties during the three-year term of the settlement, they must report those acquisitions to the United States and undergo VAWA training. The Defendants must also pay $25,000 to compensate the complainant and her minor children.
“Tenants have a right to request law enforcement and emergency services when they need assistance,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No one should be faced with the choice of calling for help or losing her housing.”
“Violence against women will never be tolerated in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. “Penalizing survivors of violence with eviction for seeking help revictimizes them. We will use all available legal tools to protect the civil rights of victims.”
“I will not allow women seeking police intervention in a domestic violence situation to later be victimized with an eviction because they sought the assistance of our brave police,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor. “Secretary Turner’s HUD is dedicated to protecting women from violence and ensuring that the fair housing rights of all Americans are protected.”
In 2022, Congress reauthorized VAWA and added provisions that strengthened housing protections for people who require emergency assistance at their homes, including survivors of domestic violence. VAWA provides a right to seek law enforcement or emergency assistance, and prohibits housing providers from taking adverse actions, including eviction or threat of eviction, when a tenant, resident, occupant, or guest seeks emergency assistance.
The case was referred to the Civil Rights Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.
If you have been penalized by a housing provider for seeking law enforcement or emergency services or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. You may also file a report with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by calling 1-800-669-9777 or submitting a complaint online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in First-Ever Lawsuit Enforcing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Housing Rights SubpartRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the settlement of United States v. David Montanus and Lisa Montanus, the first lawsuit filed by the Civil Rights Division to enforce the Housing Rights Subpart of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA), 34 U.S.C. § 12495.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire in May 2025, alleges that Defendants David and Lisa Montanus violated VAWA when they unlawfully penalized the complainant by evicting her after she sought police assistance for domestic violence. The settlement requires the Defendants to comply with VAWA and prohibits them from making adverse credit reports regarding the complainant’s tenancy. If the Defendants acquire rental properties during the three-year term of the settlement, they must report those acquisitions to the United States and undergo VAWA training. The Defendants must also pay $25,000 to compensate the complainant and her minor children.
“Tenants have a right to request law enforcement and emergency services when they need assistance,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No one should be faced with the choice of calling for help or losing her housing.”
“Violence against women will never be tolerated in New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. “Penalizing survivors of violence with eviction for seeking help revictimizes them. We will use all available legal tools to protect the civil rights of victims.”
“I will not allow women seeking police intervention in a domestic violence situation to later be victimized with an eviction because they sought the assistance of our brave police,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor. “Secretary Turner’s HUD is dedicated to protecting women from violence and ensuring that the fair housing rights of all Americans are protected.”
In 2022, Congress reauthorized VAWA and added provisions that strengthened housing protections for people who require emergency assistance at their homes, including survivors of domestic violence. VAWA provides a right to seek law enforcement or emergency assistance, and prohibits housing providers from taking adverse actions, including eviction or threat of eviction, when a tenant, resident, occupant, or guest seeks emergency assistance.
The case was referred to the Civil Rights Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.
If you have been penalized by a housing provider for seeking law enforcement or emergency services or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. You may also file a report with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by calling 1-800-669-9777 or submitting a complaint online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Jury convicts Houston man who distributed meth and firearms from motelRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old self-proclaimed Crips street gang member has been convicted of drug trafficking and firearm offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
A federal jury in Houston deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before convicting Todd McCoy of three counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and three counts of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug offense following a four-day trial.
Over the course of a five-month investigation, McCoy sold approximately 215 grams of meth and four firearms during multiple meetings in Houston.
The jury heard that beginning in December 2024, McCoy conducted a series of transactions out of a motel on South Main Street. In one instance, McCoy said he had several pistols for sale and later sent photos of additional firearms, including a pistol with an extended magazine.
Testimony revealed McCoy claimed he controlled the motel and used lookouts for protection and had ready access to large quantities of meth and other drugs. McCoy also claimed he was a member of the Crips street gang.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that evidence was improperly handled, and the investigation was otherwise sloppy and unreliable. The jury did not believe those claims and found McCoy guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner presided over trial and set sentencing for July 9. At that time, McCoy faces up to life in prison.
The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted forensic testing of the meth McCoy sold and provided an expert witness who testified regarding the basics of drug trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Ganz and Hunter Brown are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Northampton Felon of Robbing 4 Gas Stations in Pitt and Martin CountiesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Timarcus Lavonnte Britt, 29, on four charges of robbery and four charges of brandishing a gun during these robberies.
“This thuggish crew terrorized hard working, normal folks as they marauded around Eastern NC in July 2023. This antisocial terrorism has no place in polite society, and our civic minded jury righteously rejected his bogus excuses. This man can expect to spend decades in prison regretting his crimes. Eastern North Carolina will be safer for it.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
Three individuals including Britt, Jaliek Grant, and a juvenile, engaged in a spree of five attempted armed robberies on July 11, 2023, between 1 and 4 a.m. in Greenville, Williamston, and Robersonville. Britt’s crew first drove over 50 miles from their homes in Northampton County to Greenville and robbed a woman at gunpoint in the parking lot outside of a Speedway on Highway 264. The victim described how two masked men ran up on each side of her car, pointed guns at her, and took her keys, purse, and cell phone.
Next, they drove to a Speedway in Greenville. At that store, two masked men burst into the store aiming guns with extended magazines. They pushed behind the counter, shoved the guns into the cashier’s face, and demanded money. After emptying the register and stealing the cashier’s phone, they ran out of the store.
Then the crew drove to a Speedway on NC 33 in Greenville, wearing the same outfits and armed with guns. Again, they shoved their guns upside the cashier’s head, emptied the register, and stole cigarettes and Backwoods cigarillos. They repeated the same pattern at Speedway stores in Williamston and Robersonville—two suspects, same outfits, same guns, shoved in the cashiers’ faces, and stole money, cigarettes, and Backwoods cigarillos.
Britt’s gang ended their spree at a Speedway in Oak City. After the spate of other robberies, Martin County Sheriff’s Deputies had thankfully called ahead to employees at the Oak City store warning: lock the doors. When the criminals arrived at the Oak City store at 4:15 a.m., they could not figure how to open the locked doors, so they just ran away.
Multiple law enforcement agencies across the two counties met to discuss the similarities. The case broke open when they identified and tracked the same car from several stores using license plate readers and city camera footage. Grant owned it. Officers executed a search warrant on Grant’s car finding the distinct clothes from one robber, Grant’s phone, and a pile of Backwoods cigarillos. Searching Grant’s phone, they identified the juvenile and Britt as the other two villains seen on surveillance footage: two who entered each store and one getaway driver. A search of Britt’s residence revealed the gun Britt used during the robberies along with multiple extended magazines.
Britt faces a mandatory minimum of 28 years’ imprisonment when the Court sentences him.
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The FBI, ATF, Greenville Police Department, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Williamston Police Department, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and Robersonville Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Dixon and Khari Cyrus prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00068-C-2.
Irwin Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Irwin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of distribution and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Kyle Patrick Ryan, 37, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about April 2, 2025, Ryan distributed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor via text message. Additionally, Ryan possessed child sexual abuse material including images and videos depicting, in part, prepubescent minors.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered Ryan detained to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ryan.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Individual Charged with Importation of Cocaine Extradited from Colombia as Part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Colombian authorities extradited Nixon Manuel Marino-Carreño from La Picota in Bogota, Colombia, to the United States to face drug trafficking charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico.
Nixon Manuel Marino-Carreño was arrested in Colombia on March 10, 2025 at the request of the United States, and extradited to Puerto Rico on April 17, 2026. According to court documents, beginning no later than May 2024, defendant Marino-Carreño, along with other coconspirators, imported and attempted to import cocaine from Venezuela and Colombia, into the United States. The defendant is also facing two counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Marino-Carreño.
The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are in charge of the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille García of the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Division is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlos R. Goris, and DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Martínez.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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In One Week, National Fraud Enforcement Division Announces More Arrests, Convictions and Sentences Representing over $340 Million in Taxpayer FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the following actions from across the country to hold individuals accountable for schemes that attempted or succeeded in defrauding the American taxpayers out of over $340 million.
“The National Fraud Enforcement Division is committed to prosecuting anyone who steals from American taxpayers. Over the past seven days the Department of Justice has taken enforcement action in fraud schemes totaling over $340 million, with loss or intended loss amounts in individual cases ranging from $54,000 to over $100 million. No matter the amount, we are steadfast in our effort to eliminate fraud,” said Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Five people were arrested yesterday in Kentucky, Indiana, and Colorado on federal charges out of the Western District of Kentucky for their role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The indictment charges two individuals—Kaelynn Greene, 31, and Camden Newton, 32—with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, all related to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 financial assistance program funds. The indictment also charges Betty Walker a/k/a Betty Bailey, 39, Breanna Patterson, 32, and Jordan Greene, 34, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Thursday, April 16
A former teacher pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego admitting that she conspired with others to launder millions of dollars of health care fraud proceeds and paid $3.7 million in unlawful kickbacks. In total, Valenzuela and her co-conspirators billed Medicare nearly $51 million and were paid approximately $20 million, ultimately laundering at least $14 million dollars of Medicare proceeds
A federal grand jury in the District of Maryland jury indicted a former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee in connection with a social security disability theft scheme. Through the scheme, Corbett received $116,537.62 in SSI disability payments.
Wednesday, April 15
In St. Louis, Missouri a chiropractor who committed healthcare fraud and issued fraudulent prescriptions for powerful pain medication (including 94,971 oxycodone pills) and other drugs with no legitimate medical purpose was sentenced to more than eight years in prison and ordered to repay $4.7 million to Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare.
A Seaside, Oregon, woman was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $581,283 in restitution for submitting fraudulent pandemic unemployment applications, falsely claiming over two dozen employees, and causing the government to pay her over half a million dollars in benefits.
In Arizona, Leslie Victor Gentry, a Peoria man pleaded guilty to submitting 14 false Form 941 tax returns claiming false COVID-related tax credits based on fictitious wages paid to fictitious employees. Through the false filings, Gentry fraudulently sought and received more than $1.8 million.
On Wednesday, a New Mexico man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for submitting 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance applications using stolen identities during the pandemic. As a result of his fraudulent activities, he received more than $177,000. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/belen-man-sentenced-unemployment-fraud-scheme
In Alabama, a Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison for her role in a $2 million tax fraud scheme.
An Orlando, Florida man was sentenced to over six years in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft involving pandemic unemployment assistance. The court also ordered him to forfeit $549,375.50 in proceeds from his bank fraud scheme.
Tuesday, April 14
A Florida nursing assistant was sentenced to nine years in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in an $11.4 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy in which hundreds of Medicare beneficiaries were sent thousands of orthotic braces they did not need.
An illegal alien from Mexico residing in Houston has admitted to theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. Using a stolen identity, she submitted immigration petitions on behalf of family members and obtained disability and Medicare benefits, receiving more than $278,000 in benefits from 2013 through February 2026.
Monday, April 13
A Detroit resident pleaded guilty for his role in an extensive unemployment insurance and Paycheck Protection Program fraud scheme, involving $1.9 million in losses.
A Naples, Florida, tax preparer pleaded guilty to defrauding the IRS of more than $65,000
Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $352,155 for misappropriating covid relief funds and wire fraud related charges.
Friday, April 10
A Slidell, Louisiana, man was sentenced for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic tests. This scheme resulted in over $6.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare.
Federal law enforcement arrested West Bloomfield, Michigan resident who is charged by complaint with wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly defrauding financial institutions and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), by applying for more than $5 million in loans across six applications submitted to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
A federal judge sentenced a Robeson County, North Carolina woman, to 10 months in prison for her role in submitting a false application to the Small Business Administration’s to receive a $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan.
Thursday, April 9
A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 43 months in prison for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two more defendants—Suleman Yusuf Mohamed and his brother Gandi Yusuf Mohamed—have pleaded guilty for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. The conspirators received over $10 million meant to feed children.
A Columbia, South Carolina woman pleaded guilty to theft of public money by collecting pension benefits of a dead relative that she was not entitled to collect. The investigation determined that she collected $54,450 in pension payments after the death of her relative.
A Lynn, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to receiving stolen Social Security benefits and making false statements. He received approximately $63,959 in stolen Social Security benefits from June 2019 through June 2025 that were intended for a beneficiary that had died.
A Florida Certified Public Accountant pleaded guilty to evading payment of more than $2.2 million of income tax liabilities.
An Iowa farmer was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for cheating federal taxpayers out of more than $1.7 Million.
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.
Illegal Nicaraguan Alien Guilty of Illegal Re-Entry of a Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – ORLANDO JOSE JARQUIN OROZCO (“JARQUIN”), age 36, a citizen of Nicaragua, pled guilty on April 7, 2026 to illegal re-entry, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court records, JARQUIN reentered the United States after he was previously deported on November 2, 2016. Prior to his deportation, he was convicted of second-degree battery in Jefferson Parish and sentenced to two years in prison.
JARQUIN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Identity Theft Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national who unlawfully resided in Dorchester has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported on three separate occasions. The defendant has previously been convicted of drug trafficking, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud dating as far back as 1997.
Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, a/k/a Jose Perez Antonio, 56, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint in February 2026. He is currently in ICE custody.
According to the charging documents, Peguero has illegally entered the United States at least four times, and used numerous aliases, including aliases belonging to U.S. citizen victims. In 1997, under an alias associated with a U.S. citizen victim, Peguero was convicted of drug trafficking. He was removed from the United States in 2005 and thereafter illegally reentered the country. In 2016, Peguero was arrested and charged by the state for possession of a fraudulently obtained driver’s license. That criminal case remains in default status. He was removed from the U.S. a second time in 2016.
After Peguero allegedly illegally entered the U.S. a third time, he was charged in Dorchester District Court with trafficking cocaine and fentanyl in a criminal case that remains in warrant status. According to court documents, his Massachusetts criminal history is associated with his alias Jose Perez Antonio.
In 2021, Peguero was arrested and charged with his true name in federal court for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was convicted of both charges on Jan. 11, 2023, and sentenced to more than two years in federal prison. In 2023, Peguero was removed from the United States a third time. Peguero then illegally reentered the United States a fourth time and was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Feb. 5, 2026, while using a false identity document.
The charge of illegal reentry by an alien with a prior aggravated felony conviction provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
High-Level Guatemalan Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 10 YearsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Jorge Campos-Oliva, aka “Peluda,” an extradited Guatemalan national, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison on charges of international cocaine distribution conspiracy.
According to public documents, Campos-Oliva was identified as part of a multi-year proactive wiretap investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations targeting high-level cocaine traffickers operating in northwest Guatemala and their suppliers. The investigation offered one of the most comprehensive views of the inner workings of cocaine trafficking in Guatemala, which sits between South American cocaine producers and Mexico-based drug cartels.
In public documents, Jorge Campos-Oliva admitted that he participated in the distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine between at least 2017 and 2020 through a drug trafficking organization based in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The cocaine Jorge Campos-Oliva distributed was then further distributed to drug trafficking organizations in Huehuetenango, Guatemala or South Mexico and ultimately to the United States. During the wiretap, agents intercepted thousands of messages, including numerous photos of cocaine bricks, such as the ones shown below. Indeed, Campos-Oliva admitted to distributing at least 2,000 kilograms of cocaine during his participation in the conspiracy.
In July 2020, Campos-Oliva was indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine intended for unlawful importation into the United States, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. He was arrested on August 31, 2021 in Guatemala pursuant to an extradition request from the United States. On February 10, 2022, he was extradited to the United States. One month after he was extradited from Guatemala, on March 2022, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued treasury sanctions against the Los Huistas Drug Trafficking Organization (“DTO”) and some of its leaders. Based on extensive wiretap intercepts, Jorge Campos-Oliva distributed cocaine to Augusto Jean Carlo Castillo-Hernandez (charged in 20CR2242-DMS), who in turn offered that cocaine to a leader in Los Huistas.
“The Department of Justice will aggressively pursue high-level drug traffickers who earmark multi-ton quantities of cocaine for the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the seriousness of the offense.”
“This significant sentencing demonstrates HSI’s commitment to investigating and dismantling transnational criminal organizations around the world,” said Kevin Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego. “This HSTF investigation disrupted the organization’s ability to transport ton quantities of cocaine into the United States and safeguarded our communities.”
In sentencing Campos-Oliva today, U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw found that Campos-Oliva was an organizer/leader in the conspiracy, which involved extensive “coordination” in a “multi-ton” cocaine trafficking conspiracy that defendant operated with his brother. Sentencing for the brother, Fabio Campos-Oliva, aka “Black Chivita,” who was separately charged in a related indictment, is scheduled for May 1, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Sabraw.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number 20cr2241-DMS
Jorge Campos-Oliva Age: 48 Guatemala aka “Peluda,” aka “Papa,” aka “Magico”
Case Number 20cr2240-DMS
Fabio Campos-Oliva Age: 50 Guatemala aka “Black Chivita”
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 959, 960, 963
Criminal Forfeiture – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 853Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
U.S. Coast Guard
HSI Attaché Guatemala City, Guatemala
HSI Attaché Mexico City Mexico
Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations
Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S)
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty
Guatemalan Illegal Alien and Convicted Felon Sentenced to 24 Months Imprisonment for Illegal Re-entry OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today that United States District Court Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced FEDERICO MENDEZ-FRANCISCO a/k/a “JORGE SANTOS ARROYO,” a/k/a “JORGE A. GORDILLO,” a/k/a “FEDERICO MENDEZ,” a/k/a “FREDERICO MENDEZ,” a/k/a “FEDERICO MENDEZ FRANCISCO,” (“MENDEZ-FRANCISCO”), on April 14, 2026 to twenty-four (24) months imprisonment. MENDEZ-FRANCISCO, age 44 and a native of Guatemala previously pled guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). The Court ordered that MENDEZ-FRANCISCO’s term of imprisonment be served consecutively to any other sentence. MENDEZ-FRANCISCO must serve three (3) years of supervised release upon his release from prison and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment cost.
According to court documents and on May 15, 2024, MENDEZ-FRANCISCO pled guilty to the felony offense of Domestic Abuse-Child under 13 Present, in the 24th Judicial District Court Parish of Jefferson. The United States government removed MENDEZ-FRANCISCO from the United States on November 3, 2005, February 11, 2010, and July 3, 2024. Law enforcement authorities located MENDEZ-FRANCISCO, an illegal alien, in Jefferson Parish on May 2, 2025. MENDEZ-FRANCISCO had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter the United States.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ICE-ERO”) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to 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 Neighborhoods
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Former Social Security Administration Worker Charged in Disability Funds Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced today that a federal grand jury indicted a former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee in connection with a social security disability theft scheme.
Najee Alexander Corbett, 37, of Baltimore, is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of government property, and false statements. Through his position, the former SSA customer service representative could access sensitive SSA databases containing benefit claimants’ personally identifiable information.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.
According to the indictment, beginning in February 2023, and continuing through April 2023, Corbett willfully devised a scheme to defraud the SSA. Through the scheme, Corbett fraudulently obtained Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, designated for other individuals, for his and his associates’ personal use.
As part of the scheme, Corbett targeted SSI claimants diagnosed with mental health disorders. Corbett then altered claimant records in the database to include bank accounts he controlled and his residential mailing address to receive their SSI benefit funds.
Additionally, in furthering the scheme, Corbett changed the date of benefit eligibility payments for the selected claimants in SSA’s database which generated back payments in the claimants’ names. Corbett then caused claimants’ SSI benefit payments to be transmitted to bank accounts he controlled and mailed to his home.
Through the scheme, Corbett received $116,537.62 in SSI disability payments and retained $71,304.62.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Corbett faces up to 20 years for wire fraud; up to 20 years for mail fraud; up to 10 years for theft of government property; up to five years for false statements; and a mandatory two years — which runs consecutive to any other sentence — for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the SSA-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Former Lewiston Man Sentenced for CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A man formerly from Lewiston was sentenced on April 16 in U.S. District Court in Portland for stalking his victim using facilities of interstate or foreign commerce.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Brent Ouellette, 34, to 18 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Ouellette pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025.
According to court records, Ouellette engaged in a course of conduct against his victim that included posting sexually explicit videos or pictures of his victim online without consent, contacting his victim posing as other people, and obtaining his victim’s social media login information.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
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Former Leader of a Violent Transnational Criminal Organization Pleads Guilty to Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise as Part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 14, 2026, José Julio Rodríguez-Cumba, a.k.a. “Chambi/Chembi/Josué/Chambo/Patrón,” pleaded guilty to running a continuing criminal enterprise. Rodríguez-Cumba was charged by way of information. The Information charged the defendant with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise from 2011 through May 2024. Rodríguez-Cumba was arrested in the District of Puerto Rico on October 4, 2021. When sentenced, he will face a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison and up to life in prison.
According to court documents, Rodríguez-Cumba directed a large-scale drug trafficking organization (the Enterprise), that utilized land and sea transportation assets to import and distribute multi-hundred-kilogram shipments of cocaine from South America into Puerto Rico and the continental United States. The defendant admitted that he was responsible that more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine that were going to be unlawfully imported into the United States and distributed as part of the Enterprise.
Rodríguez-Cumba made millions of dollars in profit from drug trafficking. This defendant directed members of the enterprise to use violence, possess firearms, including machine guns for protection and in furtherance of the Enterprise.
From on or about July 2023 and continuing up to and until May 22, 2024, while in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo, Rodríguez-Cumba caused other individuals to introduce buprenorphine into MDC.
As part of the plea agreement, Rodríguez-Cumba agreed to forfeiture of various properties, including a luxury yacht - “El Ancla”, a 2014 Pershing, 62-foot vessel, and other assets including cash, real property, and personal property, as well as firearms. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Ryan R. McCabe of the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering and Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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Former High School Teacher Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing a Minor StudentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mark Williams, 59, of Virginia, was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court, to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing one of his minor students in 2014, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Williams was found guilty on February 12, 2026, of four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a secondary education student and four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan ordered Williams to serve a total prison term of 16 years, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. William is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
“Mark Williams groomed and sexually abused an underage student. It took years for the victim to gain the courage to come forward and disclose the abuse she suffered. Williams even left the country, but justice ultimately caught up with him,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who exploit vulnerable individuals, especially children. This sentence is well deserved.”
According to the government’s evidence, in the spring of 2014, Williams was the victim’s high school teacher at Duke Ellington School for the Arts. Williams began an independent study with the victim, who was 17 years old at the time. Their independent study met in a locked, windowless room in the basement of Duke Ellington. Williams then initiated a romantic and sexual relationship with the victim, during which they participated in sexual acts while on campus.
Williams was arrested on November 21, 2023, and has been in custody since he failed to appear for trial on February 2, 2026.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Jones, Investigative Analyst Lucas Jetson, and Victim Witness Coordinators Guisela Castillo and Katina Adams.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Hyde and Sarah Roessler, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Platt, who assisted with investigating the case.
2023 CF1 008583
Former Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Nasdaq-Listed Company Charged with Operating a Continuing Financial Crimes Enterprise in Multi-Year Scheme to Defraud Investors and LendersRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, a ten-count indictment was unsealed charging Puthugramam “Harish” Chidambaran, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of iLearningEngines, Inc. (iLearning), and Sayyed Farhan Ali “Farhan” Naqvi, iLearning’s former Chief Financial Officer, with running a continuing financial crimes enterprise, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. The charges arise from the defendants’ years-long scheme to defraud retail and institutional investors in iLearning, a technology company that claimed to provide artificial intelligence (AI)-driven business automation solutions, and to obtain financing for iLearning through materially false and misleading statements about the company’s financial performance. Chidambaran was arrested this morning in Potomac, Maryland, and will appear this afternoon in federal court in the District of Maryland. Naqvi was arrested this morning in San Jose, California, and will appear this afternoon in federal court in the Northern District of California. Both defendants will appear in federal court in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendants exploited investor excitement over the AI boom and presented a rosy financial outlook to investors and lenders that was built on lies. While the defendants pitched iLearning as a way to revolutionize training and education through AI, the truly artificial part of the defendants’ story was iLearning’s customers and revenues,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office is committed to protecting investors and holding accountable corporate executives who undermine the integrity of our financial markets for personal gain.”
As alleged in the indictment, iLearning was a Bethesda, Maryland-based technology company founded in 2010 by Chidambaran. iLearning marketed itself as “an out-of-the-box AI platform that empowers customers to ‘productize’ their institutional knowledge and generate and infuse insights in the flow-of-work to drive mission critical business outcomes.” iLearning claimed to earn revenue primarily by selling licenses for its platforms to customers, and the company reported rapidly growing revenues that reached $421 million in 2023.
In April 2024, iLearning became a publicly traded company. In connection with its going-public transaction, iLearning also obtained $40 million in loan proceeds from the New York City branch of a financial institution. Shortly thereafter, iLearning obtained an additional $20 million in loan proceeds from another New York City branch of a financial institution. Following its going-public transaction, iLearning’s shares began trading on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol “AILE,” and the company quickly achieved a market capitalization of approximately $1.5 billion.
Unbeknownst to investors and lenders, however, iLearning fabricated virtually all its customer relationships and revenues. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants inflated iLearning’s revenues through an intricate web of sham contracts with purported customers—often purportedly worth tens of millions of dollars per year. The agreements were often signed by iLearning employees or family members of iLearning employees posing as senior executives of the purported customers. The defendants and others at iLearning then created fake information about those purported customers, including, for example, creating a website for a shell entity, to deceive investors and lenders into believing that iLearning’s customers were real. In other cases, the defendants convinced friends and associates of iLearning executives to enter into sham contracts with iLearning and to lie to iLearning’s auditor, potential investors, and lenders on iLearning’s behalf.
To make it appear as though iLearning was generating revenues from its sham contracts, the defendants “round tripped” money that iLearning received from lenders and investors—sending those funds to purported customers, who, in turn, would send that money back to iLearning. For example, at Chidambaran’s direction, an associate of Chidambaran, who previously worked as an iLearning vice president, incorporated and opened bank accounts in the names of several purported iLearning customers. Over the course of several years, the defendants transmitted millions of dollars from iLearning to an account controlled by this individual. This individual then sent those funds to other accounts he controlled in the names of other entities, before ultimately sending the money back to iLearning. The aggregate value of these round-trip transactions exceeded $144 million.
In August 2024, an investment research firm issued a report alleging that iLearning had materially misrepresented its revenue, including by attributing a significant portion of its reported income to undisclosed related-party transactions. Following the publication of that report, iLearning’s stock price declined precipitously, erasing a substantial portion of its market value. When questioned about the contents of the short-seller report, the defendants repeatedly lied to their investors and lenders about the nature of iLearning’s relationship with its largest customers—including by repeatedly denying that its largest purported customer was actually an entity controlled by the defendants and others at iLearning—and directed representatives of their purported customers to lie on their behalf. iLearning ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the District of Delaware in December 2024, and the proceedings were later converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation in 2025, marking the collapse of the company.
Prior to iLearning’s collapse, both Chidambaran and Naqvi profited handsomely from their scheme. In connection with iLearning’s going-public transaction, Chidambaran received more than $500 million worth of iLearning common stock and subsequently received approximately $12.5 million in iLearning restricted stock units. Likewise, Naqvi was awarded iLearning common stock worth approximately $11.2 million, and iLearning paid out nearly $4.5 million in cash to cover his tax liabilities.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the continuing financial crimes enterprise charge, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum term of life.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Dugan and Kamil R. Ammari, along with Paralegal Specialist Timothy Migliaro.
The Defendants:
PUTHUGRAMAM CHIDAMBARAN
Age: 57
Potomac, MarylandSAYYED FARHAN ALI NAQVI
Age: 44
Houston, TexasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-97 (LDH)
ilearningengines_indictment.pdfFormer Cherokee County deputy sheriff sentenced for sexual exploitation of minorsRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – Former Cherokee County Deputy Sheriff Stephen Michael Bunte has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
“Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect, and Bunte ignored that oath by sexually exploiting children and preying on vulnerable victims overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Predatory conduct will not be tolerated, and those who commit these crimes will be prosecuted and excised from the community.”
“Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect the most vulnerable among us, and the public trusts them to uphold that responsibility,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Stephen Bunte failed to honor his oath and betrayed that trust by exploiting children instead of protecting them. His actions are reprehensible, and HSI is committed to ensuring that anyone who violates their oath and preys on the innocent is held fully accountable—regardless of their position or title.”
“Working alongside Homeland Security Investigations to keep children in our community and communities around the world safe is always a priority,” said Calhoun Police Department Assistant Chief, Lt. Col. Ken Carson. “It gives detectives with the Calhoun Police Department great satisfaction to assist with this case and have a successful outcome for the child victims involved.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In August 2023, HSI agents conducting an expansive investigation into international child sex trafficking networks in the Philippines identified a child trafficker who offered access to sexually explicit webcam livestreams involving multiple children under the age of 12. The investigation revealed that the target offered customers hands-on access to the children, including the trafficker’s own children.
In March 2024, agents discovered communication between the trafficker and Stephen Michael Bunte. At the time, Bunte lived in Calhoun, Georgia, and was employed as a deputy sheriff for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Between May 2023 and March 2024, Bunte and the target exchanged over 14,000 messages and 15 phone calls. During these conversations, Bunte received at least 35 images of child sexual abuse material involving three minor victims aged 6, 10, and 14.
On April 16, 2026, Stephen Michael Bunte, 42, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II, to 15 years in federal prison followed by 15 years on supervised release. Bunte was also ordered to register as a sex offender. On November 4, 2025, Bunte pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Calhoun Police Department.
Assistant U.S Attorneys Calvin A. Leipold, III and Leanne Marek prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Five Arrested in Kentucky and Colorado for Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain $1.6 Million in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Five people were arrested today in Kentucky, Indiana, and Colorado on federal charges for their role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Colin McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division, U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Great Lakes Field Division made the announcement.
On April 8, 20216, a federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment, which charges two individuals—Kaelynn Greene, 31, and Camden Newton, 32—with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, all related to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 financial assistance program funds. The indictment also charges Betty Walker a/k/a Betty Bailey, 39, Breanna Patterson, 32, and Jordan Greene, 34, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the indictment, for over two years, Kaelynn Greene and Camden Newton engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans through fraudulent statements on applications, either in their own names, through entities they created, or through stolen identities. Greene also conspired with Betty Walker, Breanna Patterson, and Jordan Greene, and others to recruit borrowers who were ineligible for PPP loans to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. In the applications, they falsely claimed the borrowers operated businesses that did not exist and that would have otherwise qualified them for loans, or over inflated minimal business activity. To bolster their applications, the defendants created fake tax forms that were also submitted as part of the loan process. As a result, Greene and others obtained PPP loan proceeds to which the borrowers were not entitled. Greene was further compensated by receiving kickbacks from the borrowers.
In total, the defendants combined caused more than 20 EIDL applications and more than 50 PPP applications to be filed on behalf of ineligible borrowers. The fraudulent applications resulted in disbursement of more than $850,000 in fraudulently obtained federal funds and attempts to obtain an additional more than $750,000 in such loan proceeds that were declined.
As the indictment alleges, these fraudulent schemes took advantage of federally funded programs created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) for the purpose of assisting individuals and small businesses who struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those funds were generally administered by the Small Business Administration through two programs. First, the SBA provided PPP loans designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses who were in operation on February 15, 2020, to keep their workers on the payroll. PPP loan proceeds were required to be used by the business on certain permissible expenses. Interest and principal on PPP loans could be entirely forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on the allowable expenses within a designated period and used a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses.
Second, the SBA provided Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
“As part of the Department of Justice’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division, this indictment begins the process of holding five fraudsters accountable for their theft of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. These defendants allegedly took advantage of two federally funded programs designed to carry our country and its small businesses through unprecedented economic uncertainty by lying, cheating, and stealing. Their conduct will not be tolerated, and they will be aggressively prosecuted by this Office,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner.
Kaelynn Greene, Breanna Patterson, and Betty Walker made their initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky yesterday. Jordan Greene and Cameron Newton’s initial appearance has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
This case is being investigated by TIGTA.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Elver is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Final Young Mob Defendant Sentenced After Trial Conviction for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three Memphis men have been sentenced following their convictions at trial on Nov. 12, 2025.
A jury convicted Darius Moore, 39; Mervin Anderson, 40; and Mario Gardner, 49, all of Memphis, of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Yesterday, the court sentenced Moore to 210 months in prison. Anderson and Gardner were previously sentenced to 150 months and 51 months in prison respectively. Moore was designated a career offender, having been twice convicted of the sale of hydromorphone in 2005 and 2008, and was on supervised release when he committed this crime. In 2019, Moore was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl within 1000 feet of a playground and after serving his prison term was placed on supervised release. Moore was also sentenced yesterday to an additional 1 year in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members or associates of the Memphis street gang, Young Mob Military or Young Mob. One of the leaders of Young Mob, co-defendant Brian Lackland, was central to the running of the drug conspiracy that distributed fentanyl within the Western District of Tennessee. Evidence presented during trial included seizures of thousands of fentanyl pills that were sent through the United States Postal Service addressed to Lackland’s residence. The fentanyl pills had been designed to mimic Oxycodone with pressed symbols on the blue pills. Members of the conspiracy would refer to the fentanyl pills as “blues” or “blues clues.”
Fentanyl pills
The surveillance caught members of the conspiracy exchanging large quantities of pills at gas stations, grocery stores, and other locations within feet of unsuspecting citizens of Memphis.
“These three defendants mailed thousands of dangerous and potentially fatal fentanyl laced pills through the United States mail and openly sold them on the streets of Memphis, ultimately endangering end users,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dangerous opiates like fentanyl are a scourge to our communities, and leave a wake of death, ruined lives, and sorrow. Dedicated work by law enforcement took this drug trafficking organization down. We will continue to stand with our partners and remove dangerous drug dealers from the streets.”
“Because illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic, President Trump has designated fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD),” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “Its lethality is significant, and those who traffic fentanyl must be severely punished and incapacitated. This sentence will ensure that this recidivist ‘not-so-young’ mob member will grow old in a federal prison.”
“ATF will not tolerate violent gangs that fuel their criminality by distributing danger drugs like fentanyl on our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Office. “This sentencing underscores the collective efforts of our local, state, and federal partners and the unwavering commitment to maintaining public safety. Through persistent investigation, collaboration, and enforcement, we will continue to dismantle these criminal networks and protect the safety and security of our citizens.”
While detained pending trial for the drug conspiracy, Anderson was charged and convicted at trial of possessing two sharpened, handmade knives, commonly referred to as “shanks” while at the Shelby County Detention Center. Video from the jail showed Anderson threatening another inmate while swinging and thrusting the knives. When the shanks were taken from Anderson, he stated, “God is on his side, I was about to kill that boy.” Anderson then continued to make threats against the other inmate, stating, “I’m going to kill that boy when I get out.”
Anderson with shank
Other alleged members of the drug conspiracy, including the leader of the Young Mob, are charged in separate indictment with racketeering conspiracy, as well as narcotics and firearm offenses.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) prosecuted the case. Brian P. Leaming of VCRS and Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Neal Oldham for the Western District of Tennessee provided substantial assistance with the investigation and prosecution.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.
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If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Federal Violent offender sentenced to Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced on April 9, 2026 to 105 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Willie Hosea, 44, plead guilty to three counts of felon in possession of a firearm. Hosea has a prior conviction for Use of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence out of the United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama from May 10, 2005. On August 25, 2024, Mobile Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Hosea for failure to signal. He was in possession of a firearm and illegal pills. On June 27, 2025, MPD conducted a traffic stop on Hosea for switched tag, again Hosea was in possession of a pistol and marijuana. On July 9, 2025, a search warrant was issued for his home, and inside officers located four firearms with ammunition.
A term of three years on supervised release will follow Hosea’s incarceration.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms along with the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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.
Federal Jury Convicts Fugitive Sex Offender who Vanished after Staging Crime Scene and Fleeing Oklahoma in 2012Read the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted ANTHONY MICHAEL LENNON, 44, formerly of Moore, of failure to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On November 18, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Lennon with failure to register as a sex offender. On April 17, 2026, a federal jury found Lennon guilty.
“Mr. Lennon spun an elaborate web of lies to disappear and evade authorities by staging a crime scene, fleeing the state, and living under false identities for 13 years. But despite his best efforts, Mr. Lennon could not erase his criminal past nor stop the relentless pursuit of law enforcement to hold him accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “I commend the determined resolve of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Moore Police Department in their efforts to track down fugitives and bring them to justice, no matter how long it takes, how far they run, or the lengths they go through to hide from authorities.”
“The arrest of Anthony Lennon 13 years and 1,500 miles from the time he was last seen illustrates the dedication and expertise of the U.S. Marshals Service to find and apprehend fugitives, no matter how long they’ve been gone or how far they’ve run,” said U.S. Marshal Johnny L. Kuhlman.
According to evidence presented at trial, on March 12, 2012, officers with the Moore Police Department contacted the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) for assistance in locating Lennon after he disappeared from a local hotel. Authorities initially found evidence suggesting a violent struggle. However, after consulting with crime scene experts, the USMS determined the scene had been staged.
At the time of his disappearance, Lennon, a registered sex offender, faced child pornography charges in Cleveland County District Court, along with potential prison time for violating the terms of his suspended sentence from a prior child pornography conviction. Investigators later learned that Lennon had emptied his bank accounts shortly before vanishing and believed he had fled the state of Oklahoma.
In 2025, investigators learned Lennon had fraudulently attempted to obtain a U.S. passport multiple times under an alias while living in Nevada and Illinois. Investigators further determined Lennon was living in New York. Lennon failed to register as a sex offender in any state in which he lived. Lennon was arrested on October 30, 2025, in Canton, New York.
The trial lasted four days and the jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding Lennon guilty. At sentencing, Lennon faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Moore Police Department, the Diplomatic Security Service, Consular Affairs, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Ganote are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Etowah County Man Indicted for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Etowah County man has been indicted on child exploitation charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Kevin James Xiques, 54, of Altoona, Alabama, with possession of child pornography. The incident allegedly occurred in December 2025, in Etowah County, Alabama. Xiques was arrested today at his residence in Altoona, Alabama.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. Reports can be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
East Wenatchee Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Shooting and Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on April 14, 2026, United States District Judge Rebecca Pennell sentenced Victor John Stevenson, age 37, of East Wenatchee, Washington, to 17.5 years of prison on drug trafficking and firearm charges. Judge Pennell also ordered that, following his sentence, Stevenson be on supervised release for 4 years. Stevenson was found guilty on November 13, 2025, and December 16, 2025, following two separate jury trials.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trials, on September 4, 2024, Stevenson, despite being a convicted felon, illegally possessed a firearm and ammunition and shot at a vehicle in the parking lot of the Wenatchee Valley Mall in East Wenatchee. Stevenson was eventually connected to the shooting through various evidence, including DNA and ballistics evidence analyzed by the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory.
On September 26, 2024, Stevenson, who was serving a term of community custody supervision from a prior state assault conviction, reported to the Wenatchee Department of Corrections (DOC) office for a random drug test. After Stevenson tested positive, DOC officers were authorized to search inside his vehicle. After officers located suspected drugs and a firearm in a safe in Stevenson’s vehicle, they contacted members of the Columbia River Drug Task Force, who had also been investigating the September 4th shooting. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and subsequently recovered approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, a firearm, and ammunition in Stevenson’s vehicle.
DOC officers subsequently traveled to Stevenson’s residence and located a pistol in the driveway. The pistol was analyzed by the Washington State Patrol laboratory and confirmed to be the weapon used in the September 4th shooting. Stevenson was then interviewed by members of the Columbia River Drug Task Force and admitted to the shooting. Investigators also located a phone call Stevenson made to an inmate at the Chelan County Jail in the days following the September 4th shooting. In the recorded call, Stevenson, apparently referencing the shooting, said “I don’t think one was enough” and “I’m gonna have to get a little closer next time.”
Stevenson was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to previous felony convictions. One of Stevenson’s prior felony convictions related to a shooting he committed at the same location, the Wenatchee Valley Mall, in 2006.
“Victor Stevenson posed a tremendous danger to the people of the Wenatchee Valley and we appreciate the work of our law enforcement partners who work to arrest and prosecute those, like Mr. Stevenson, who repeatedly commit acts of violence on our streets,” stated Serrano.
“Homeland Security Investigations is grateful for the support and collaboration of our partner agencies, which led to Mr. Stevenson’s apprehension and conviction,” said April Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge, HSI Seattle. “This outcome enhances the safety of the Wenatchee Valley community. We hope this substantial sentence encourages Mr. Stevenson to reflect on his actions and pursue positive change.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Columbia River Drug Task Force. The Washington State Department of Corrections and the Washington State Patrol’s Crime Laboratory provided invaluable assistance. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich and Law Clerk Jessica Vye.
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East Bay Men Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit H1-B Visa Fraud Claiming Clients Would Work for the University of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dublin residents Sampath Rajidi, 51, and Sreedhar Mada, 51, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit visa fraud, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Rajidi operated two visa servicing companies, S-Team Software Inc. and Uptrend Technologies LLC. As part of the business models of S-Team and Uptrend, Rajidi petitioned for H1-B Specialty Occupation worker visas to obtain foreign workers for temporary placement with various companies. Mada served as Chief Information Officer of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) located in Davis. As Chief Information Officer, Mada possessed supervisory authority, but could not hire H1-B workers for his department without further authorization.
Between June 2020 and January 2023, Rajidi and Mada conspired to submit fraudulent H-1B visa petitions for numerous beneficiaries. On those petitions, Rajidi falsely represented that beneficiaries would be employed at positions working for the University of California. Mada lent his name and the credibility of his position as Chief Information Officer of UCANR to bolster the false assertion that beneficiaries would be staffed on projects for the University of California.
In reality, both defendants were aware that the positions listed on the petitions did not exist. The beneficiaries did not work on projects at the University of California, and the defendants instead undertook to market these beneficiaries to other clients, having already secured H1-B visas based on the false assertions. They submitted false information knowing such information was material to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) decisions in granting visas. As a result of their conspiracy, Rajidi and Mada gained an unfair advantage over other firms and depleted the pool of H-1B visas available to competing firms.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Harman is prosecuting the case.
Rajidi and Mada are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on July 30, 2026. Both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Duo Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Meth Concealed in Cheetos BagsRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Goldie Flenor, 37, and Natasha Garner, 47, both of Los Angeles, California, have each been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on March 5, 2025, Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and the DEA Evansville Resident Office were notified by UPS about a suspicious, damaged package en route from West Chester, Ohio. In accordance with company policy, UPS employees opened the package and discovered five Cheetos bags containing 20.97 pounds of plastic‑wrapped, vacuum‑sealed bags of crystal methamphetamine.
A second suspicious package addressed to the same Evansville residence was located shortly afterward. It also contained five Cheetos bags filled with approximately 19.5 pounds of vacuum‑sealed crystal methamphetamine.
Law enforcement officers took control of both packages and delivered them to their intended address. Investigators observed Garner and Flenor arrive in a white van, retrieve the packages, and drive away heading west. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the pair refused to comply, swerving and nearly striking a marked police vehicle. They fled at a high rate of speed before crashing head‑on into a fully marked Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office patrol car.
Both Flenor and Garner exited the van and attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended by law enforcement.
“The defendants brazenly disguised 40 pounds of meth in Cheetos bags and used a commercial delivery company to transport it for them,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Their scheme failed, these drugs were interdicted, and they will spend years in federal prison. We will continue to work with our partners to dismantle trafficking operations that attempt to poison our communities with devastating drugs like meth, no matter how they are disguised.”
“This investigation highlights the innovative and unique methods Drug Trafficking Organizations use to import drugs into our communities. DEA along with our state and local counterparts are equally innovative in our steadfast approach to bringing those responsible for flooding our communities with these drugs to justice,” said Gerald C. Dooley, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Indianapolis District Office.
The DEA Evansville Resident Office, Evansville Police Department, Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, and Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case.
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District of Arizona Charges 240 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 11 through April 17, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 240 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 152 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 68 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 17 cases against 19 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
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. Rae Ashley Paya. Rae Ashley Paya was charged by criminal complaint on April 13, 2026, with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 11, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a suspicious vehicle near Why, Arizona. The driver abruptly stopped before fleeing at a high rate of speed. Agents pursued the vehicle as it reached speeds of 100 mph. About four miles later, the driver abruptly stopped again, and four subjects exited the vehicle and ran. Agents apprehended the subjects. The driver was identified as Rae Ashley Paya. The three other subjects were determined to be citizens of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-04565]
United States v. Jose Ivan Solano-Perez. Jose Ivan Solano-Perez was charged by complaint with Bringing Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, on April 15, 2026. On April 13, U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered multiple individuals at the summit of the Sierra Pinta Mountains near Wellton, Arizona. Agents in a helicopter observed two individuals inside a cave with several tree branches covering the opening and additional individuals further up the mountain. Agents located and apprehended five individuals—including Solano-Perez—all wearing camouflage clothing. Agents learned that Solano-Perez acted as a foot guide, leading the group from Mexico into the United States. Immigration checks confirmed that two of the four individuals traveling with Solano-Perez were citizens of Mexico, one was a citizen in Honduras, and one was a citizen of El Salvador, all unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-1289]
United States v. Carlos John Peters. Carlos John Peters was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens, on April 13, 2026. On April 11, a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office sergeant observed a white Dodge Durango traveling westbound on I-10 near mile marker 207 and conducted a routine registration check on the vehicle. The check showed that the vehicle’s registration was suspended, so the sergeant initiated a traffic stop. When the sergeant approached the vehicle, he observed Peters in the driver’s seat and two individuals asleep in the rear passenger seats. He also saw two camouflage backpacks and a smaller camouflage bag containing camouflage clothing on the floorboard between the front and second row seats of the vehicle. When U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived on the scene, they learned the passengers were citizens of Guatemala, unlawfully present in the United States. Agents also learned that the passengers had crossed into the United States from Mexico and had walked through the desert until they met up with Peters. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3018]
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: 2026-064_April 17, 2026 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
District Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dontrey Bell, 33, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison in connection with possessing several videos of himself as he exposed and manipulated his genitals in close proximity to a child as she slept, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Bell pleaded guilty on July 24, 2025, before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of transportation of child pornography. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Bell to serve 15 years of supervised release.
“Bell’s actions represent a profound betrayal of trust and a disturbing exploitation of a child’s vulnerability. The evidence in this case revealed calculated and deeply troubling conduct that cannot be tolerated in any community,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office remains committed to holding offenders accountable and ensuring that those who prey on children face serious consequences. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect victims and pursue justice in every case.”
According to court documents, on May 6, 2023, a witness called police to report she had discovered five videos and one image depicting Bell sneaking into a girl’s bedroom and engaging in sexual behavior near the child while the child was asleep.
In one of the videos, the child is seen waking up, and an adult male tells the child that he is in the bedroom to get cats out of the room. In another video, the individual recording the video turns the camera on himself selfie-style and records himself putting his head under child’s covers while the child is sleeping.
The witness identified the male as Bell. The phone was linked to Bell’s cloud storage. The videos showed were timestamped between Aug. 9, 2022, and Apr. 28, 2023, and recorded between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
This case was investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell and Michael Lawlor.
The matter was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcDOJ and FTC Extend Deadline for Public Comment on Guidance on Business CollaborationsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (Agencies) hereby extend the period for receiving public comments on their inquiry for consideration of guidance on collaborations among competitors, that was announced on Feb. 23, 2026.
The Agencies are extending the comment period deadline from April 24, 2026 to May 21, 2026 to give all stakeholders more time to provide fulsome input on the development of up-to-date guidance to the business community, building on the previous 2000 Antitrust Guidelines for Collaborations Among Competitors.
Interested parties, including attorneys, economists, academics, consumer groups, industry stakeholders or other members of the public, may now submit public comments no longer than 18 pages to Regulations.gov until May 21, 2026. The information submitted will be used by the Agencies to consider updated guidance.
Church’s Chicken Franchisee in Georgia Settles ADA Service Animal AllegationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced today that it has come to a resolution with Askar Management Group, QSR Group Holdings, LLC, and QSR Southern Group, LLC (collectively, QSR, the owners and operators of Church’s Chicken #749 at 1801 Watson Boulevard, Warner Robins, Georgia), involving an allegation that it improperly excluded an individual with a disability accompanied by a service animal.
The investigation began after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia received a complaint from a veteran with a disability who uses a service animal. The complaint alleged that an employee at the Watson Boulevard location refused to serve the veteran unless his service animal was removed from the restaurant dining room, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Ensuring access for individuals with disabilities, including permitting service dogs, is required by the ADA. Our office is dedicated to protecting these rights and ensuring proper accommodation for all,” said U.S. Attorney Will Keyes. “We appreciate the cooperation by the owners of this Church’s Chicken franchise in Warner Robins in resolving this matter and demonstrating their commitment to customer accessibility.”
Under the Letter of Resolution, QSR has agreed to: adopt, maintain, implement and enforce a service animal policy; not discriminate against or provide unequal treatment to persons with disabilities who use service animals; provide training on the service animal policy to employees and managers; post the policy in public areas; and pay a $2,000 civil penalty to the United States. QSR cooperated with the government throughout the investigation.
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants and bars, are required to modify their policies, practices or procedures—such as a no pet policy—to permit the use of a service animal by an individual with a disability. A service animal generally may go wherever the public is allowed, and a public accommodation may not require documentation about the service animal.
ADA complaints may be made by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia at (478) 752-3511.
More information about the ADA is available at the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY) and on the ADA website at www.ada.gov.
This matter was handled by Civil Chief W. Taylor McNeill and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Simon, in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Civil Rights Investigative Specialist Danyelle D. White led the investigation for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Chicago man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS’s enemies and recruit ISIS members.
Ashraf Al Safoo was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms. Al Safoo and other members of Khattab created and posted pro-ISIS videos, articles, essays, and infographics at the direction of, and in coordination with, ISIS. Much of Khattab’s propaganda promoted violent jihad on behalf of ISIS, which has been designated by the United States government as a foreign terrorist organization. In one posting, Al Safoo encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.” In another posting, Al Safoo wrote, “Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others.”
Many of Khattab’s postings included images of violence, celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States, and encouragement for “lone wolf” attacks in western countries.
Al Safoo, 41, has been in federal custody since his arrest in Chicago in 2018. Al Safoo immigrated to the U.S. in 2008 and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2013.
After a bench trial last year in U.S. District Court in Chicago, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found Al Safoo guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization. Judge Blakey imposed the 25-year prison term during a hearing today in federal court and ordered that it be followed by ten years of court-supervised release.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Peabody of the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS’s enemies and recruit ISIS members.
ASHRAF AL SAFOO was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms. Al Safoo and other members of Khattab created and posted pro-ISIS videos, articles, essays, and infographics at the direction of, and in coordination with, ISIS. Much of Khattab’s propaganda promoted violent jihad on behalf of ISIS, which has been designated by the United States government as a foreign terrorist organization. In one posting, Al Safoo encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.” In another posting, Al Safoo wrote, “Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others.”
Many of Khattab’s postings included images of violence, celebrations of terrorist attacks and mass shootings in the United States, and encouragement for “lone wolf” attacks in western countries.
Al Safoo, 41, has been in federal custody since his arrest in Chicago in 2018. After a bench trial last year in U.S. District Court in Chicago, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found Al Safoo guilty of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization. Judge Blakey imposed the 25-year prison term during a hearing on Thursday in federal court and ordered that it be followed by ten years of court-supervised release.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Department of Justice, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas P. Peabody of the Northern District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Andrew J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
California Man Convicted at Trial of Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John Douglas Burch, 56, of Los Angeles, California, was convicted late yesterday at trial of all charges against him: use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in prostitution, and two counts of traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
The defendant was charged with those offenses by indictment in January 2024, arising from a nearly decade-long scheme to sexually exploit children online and “train” them to be his “sex slaves.”
This “training” included, among other things, the requirement that the girls listen to explicit audio recordings, watch violent pornography, create pornographic images and videos and transmit the content to Burch over the internet, and have sexual encounters and commercial sex with adult strangers, which Burch would encourage and promote.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, Burch caused a minor female (Minor 1), starting when she was 14 years old and continuing until she was 17, to produce and transmit over the internet numerous sexually explicit videos and images depicting Minor 1 engaged in sex acts.
Burch also directed Minor 1 to engage in commercial sex acts with various men in Pennsylvania and caused Minor 1 to create visual depictions of the sex acts and send them to Burch, as proof that Minor 1 engaged in the conduct.
As further proven, between 2014 to 2015, Burch twice traveled from California to Pennsylvania and sexually assaulted Minor 1 at a Montgomery County hotel.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25 and faces a maximum possible term of life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum term, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a $1,000,000 fine, and mandatory restitution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Anthony Carissimi.
Buffalo man sentenced for his role in credit card scamRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Angel Valentin-Martinez, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, was sentenced to serve five years supervised release and pay restitution totaling $13,098 by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Between October and December 2024, Martinez conspired with Daniel Plata Miranda to fraudulently gain access to the credit card accounts of individuals at Synchrony Bank. The two used an account holder’s personally identifiable information to pass Synchrony’s account verification process. Martinez and Miranda then changed the address of record on the accounts to an address that they controlled or had access to. This oftentimes caused new credit cards to be sent to Martinez’s residence in Buffalo, or to a P.O. Box registered to Miranda in Rochester, NY. On one or more occasions, Martinez drove to the Rochester P.O. Box to retrieve mail. Martinez and Miranda then used the fraudulently obtained credit cards to make purchases in the Western New York area, including numerous purchases at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores. In total, Martinez and Miranda used five fraudulently obtained credit cards at six different Lowe’s locations to make more than two dozen purchases, totaling approximately $13,098.
Charges are pending against Daniel Plata Miranda.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Jason Buckley, Boston Division.
Buffalo man arrested on cocaine charge involving shipments from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Daniel Lopez-Rivera, 40, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
According to the complaint, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating Lopez-Rivera, who is believed to be involved in on-going narcotics activity in Buffalo. On April 12, 2026, the Postal Inspection Service was alerted to a Priority Mail parcel, suspected of containing narcotics, being shipped from Puerto Rico to a residence on Tonawanda Street in Buffalo, a residence utilized by Lopez-Rivera. On April 14, 2026, investigators executed a search warrant on the parcel and found approximately seven pounds of suspected cocaine inside.
On April 16, 2026, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel to the Tonawanda Street address. A short time after the delivery, Lopez arrived at the residence. Investigators observed another individual approach Lopez’s vehicle and hand him a grocery bag with the parcel inside. Lopez then returned to his Chadduck Avenue residence, where he was taken into custody. Investigators then executed a search warrant on the residence, seizing postage labels addressed to another residence believed to be utilized by Lopez for his drug trafficking activities.
Lopez-Rivera made an initial appearance this afternoon before US. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released on conditions.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass. The complaint is a result of an investigation by U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Jason Buckley, Boston Division and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division.
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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British National Pleads Guilty to Hacking into Companies and Stealing at Least $8 Million in Virtual CurrencyRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A United Kingdom man pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to hack into the computer systems of at least a dozen companies via text message phishing attacks and to steal at least $8 million in virtual currency from individual victims throughout the United States.
Tyler Robert Buchanan, 24, of Dundee, Scotland, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Buchanan has been in federal custody since April 2025.
According to his plea agreement, from September 2021 to April 2023, Buchanan and other individuals conspired to conduct cyber intrusions and virtual currency thefts. The victims and intended victims included interactive entertainment companies, telecommunications companies, technology companies, business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology (IT) suppliers, cloud communications providers, virtual currency companies, and individuals.
Buchanan and his co-conspirators defrauded at least a dozen companies and their employees as well as individual victims throughout the U.S.
As part of the scheme, Buchanan and his co-conspirators conducted Short Message Service (SMS) phishing attacks by sending hundreds of SMS phishing messages to the mobile telephones of a victim company’s employees. The messages purported to be from the victim company or a contracted IT or BPO supplier for the victim company.
The SMS phishing messages contained links to phishing websites designed to look like legitimate websites of a victim company or a contracted IT or BPO supplier. The websites then lured the recipient into providing confidential information, including personal identifying information (PII), and account usernames and passwords.
Buchanan and his co-conspirators then used the stolen credentials to access the accounts of a victim company’s employees and the victim company’s computer systems to steal confidential company information. For some victim companies, this stolen information included confidential work product, intellectual property, and PII such as account access credentials, names, email addresses, and telephone numbers.
The conspirators created a phishing kit that captured login credentials entered into the fraudulent phishing websites by a victim company’s employees. The stolen credentials were then transmitted to an online Telegram channel administered by Buchanan and another co-conspirator.
Buchanan admitted in his plea agreement that in April 2023 at his residence in Scotland, he possessed files related to numerous victim companies.
Buchanan further admitted that he and several co-conspirators used the information stolen from company intrusions to identify and gain access to virtual currency accounts and wallets belonging to individual victims to steal millions of dollars’ worth of virtual currency.
To gain access to individual victims’ virtual currency wallets and accounts, and bypass two-factor authentication security features, Buchanan and others gained unauthorized access to victims’ online accounts and conducted Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swaps of victims’ mobile telephone numbers to devices that the conspirators controlled.
“SIM swapping” is a technique in which a criminal fraudulently induces a mobile carrier to reassign a cell phone number from the legitimate subscriber’s SIM card to a SIM card controlled by another without the legitimate subscriber’s authorization or knowledge. This process allows a criminal to intercept two-factor authentication codes sent to the victim via phone call or SMS, and to gain access to the victim’s various accounts.
In April 2023, on a digital device found at Buchanan’s Scotland residence, he possessed the names and addresses of numerous individual victims, including a text file that contained cryptocurrency seed phrases and login information for one victim’s account.
Buchanan admitted in his plea agreement that the scheme involved the theft of at least $8 million worth of virtual currency assets from individual victims located throughout the United States.
United States District Judge John W. Holcomb scheduled an August 21 sentencing hearing, at which time Buchanan will face a statutory maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison.
A co-conspirator, Noah Michael Urban, 21, a.k.a. “Sosa” and “Elijah,” of Palm Coast, Florida, is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay $13 million in restitution. Urban pleaded guilty in April 2025 to three fraud-related counts.
The other three defendants charged with Buchanan – Ahmed Hossam Eldin Elbadawy, 24, a.k.a. “AD,” of College Station, Texas; Evans Onyeaka Osiebo, 21, of Dallas, Texas; and Joel Martin Evans, 26, a.k.a. “joeleoli,” of Jacksonville, North Carolina – still face criminal charges in this case.
The FBI is investigating this matter. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina; the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; Police Scotland; Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (Spain); and the FBI field offices in Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, and Portland provided assistance during this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Restrepo of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.