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16 April 2026
Justice Department Announces Settlement to Combat Antisemitism in Massachusetts School DistrictRead the Press Release
This week, the Justice Department and the Concord-Carlisle, Massachusetts School District entered into a voluntary settlement agreement to ensure the district appropriately responds to incidents of antisemitic harassment of students by their peers. The settlement agreement resolves the Department’s investigation under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, regarding complaints of harassment based on religion, race, and national origin.
“The Department will not tolerate antisemitic harassment of students at any level of education,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts, like colleges and universities, must take prompt and effective action to address antisemitic harassment when it creates a hostile environment for Jewish students and must keep taking action until Jewish students are once again safe and welcome at their school.”
Between 2023 and 2025, a series of antisemitic incidents occurred at both the high school and middle school levels in the district. These incidents included the repeated drawing of swastikas and the use of “Jew” as a derogatory term by other students against Jewish students.
After the Department opened its investigation in March 2025, the district adopted reforms and initiatives to combat antisemitism and address the issues caused by these incidents, including working with stakeholders and providing additional training to its employees on handling antisemitism incidents. The Department commends the district for its cooperation with the Department’s investigation, and for entering into this Settlement Agreement. The Department also thanks the Anti-Defamation League, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, Mayer Brown, and their clients for filing a complaint and for their assistance with the Department’s investigation.
Under the settlement agreement, the district will review and revise its policies. It will also respond promptly and effectively to potential incidents of harassment, including by ensuring that all incidents are identified, protecting complainants from retaliation, conducting full and comprehensive investigations, taking appropriate remedial measures where warranted (including developing and implementing safety and support plans for victims and making public statements in response to incidents where appropriate), and designating a district-level employee to oversee its compliance with these requirements. The district will also provide additional staff and student training on the district’s harassment policies and procedures. The Department will monitor the district’s compliance with the settlement agreement, and the district will continue to report to the public about its efforts to address antisemitism.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat discrimination is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Justice Department Announces Completion of Compliance Review After Illinois Removes Unlawful DEI Criteria from Loan Repayment ProgramRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced that it has closed a compliance review of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). The Department opened this review based on a provision of the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program that required ISAC to set aside at least 30% of funding for applicants who are of “African American or Black, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, or Native American origin.” After the Department notified ISAC of the compliance review, Illinois removed this DEI criteria from the Program as well as a number of other programs administered by ISAC.
“State agencies may not accept funds from the Department of Justice and then use race, color, or national origin to decide who benefits from them,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department appreciates that the State of Illinois has recognized that ISAC cannot lawfully base its funding decisions on unlawful criteria and has removed them from this program and others administered by ISAC.”
Title VI prohibits race, color, or national origin discrimination by recipients of Federal financial assistance, including the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Additional information about the Civil Rights Divisions is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Illegally Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man today of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds.
“This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law-abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.”
“The verdict announced today makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.”
The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepción for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
Jimcy McGirt Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Sorna Violation and Revocation of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jimcy McGirt, age 77, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, and 12 consecutive months in prison on the revocation of his supervised release for his May 2024 conviction of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. The Court also imposed a lifetime term of supervised release.
The charge and revocation arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service, the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On June 24, 2025, McGirt pleaded guilty to failing to register and update a registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). According to investigators, on August 31, 2024, McGirt was discovered residing at an apartment located less than 2,000 feet from a playground despite having registered his residence in another county. Investigators also uncovered evidence that McGirt had been active on social media and the internet, a direct violation of the court-ordered terms and conditions of his supervised release imposed after his May 2, 2024, conviction in federal district court for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. McGirt, a registered sex offender, is required to notify local law enforcement of any changes of residence and is prohibited from residing within 2,000 feet of a playground or park.
“This sentence sends the clear message that sex-offender registry compliance is not optional and that orders of the Court are to be obeyed,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “These requirements exist to protect our communities, and the United States will aggressively prosecute individuals who violate their SORNA obligations and restrictions.”
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. McGirt will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah McAmis and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Illegal Alien from Honduras Arrested for Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – An illegal alien from Honduras was arrested yesterday and charged with threatening the victim in a sexual exploitation case charged earlier this year in the Western District of Virginia.
Dania Orellana-Gamez, 20, was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint and charged with one count of witness tampering. She made her initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville.
Orellana-Gamez is the girlfriend of Bryan Sixto Arias-Chicas, who was charged in October 2025 with the May 2025 sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old Albemarle County, Virginia girl. Arias-Chicas is accused of getting the girl, Minor Victim 1 (MV1), so intoxicated that she could not walk and repeatedly having sex with her, as well as taking photos and videos of himself have sex with MV1. Gustavo Quintero was charged in January 2026 with the repeated sexual exploitation of MV1 in the months following the May 2025 sexual assault. In addition to sexual exploitation charges, Quintero has also been charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.
According to court documents, in February 2026, Orellana-Gamez contacted MV1 via Facebook Messenger and began harassing and threatening her.
Orellana-Gamez told MV1 it was in her best interest to “keep quiet” and threatened to “upload all those videos and put your name on them,” referring to the alleged videos that Arias-Chicas had recorded of the sexual assault of MV1.
Orellana-Gamez also threatened to post the videos “everywhere.”
MV1 reported the contact to law enforcement and felt Orellana was attempting to scare her into not testifying in court.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and HSI Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf made the announcement
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Illegal Alien from Guatemala Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the US After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to reentering the United States after a prior removal.
According to court records, on March 12, 2026, U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Franklin County were driving near Stratton when they observed a white box truck heading north towards the U.S.Canadian border. Elmer Enrique Ramirez-Ardon, 33, was in the truck’s passenger seat. After observing the truck and its occupants, the agents suspected it contained aliens. They stopped the truck after it reversed direction and began travelling south towards the interior of the state.
During a subsequent roadside immigration inspection, agents determined that the truck’s two occupants were, in fact, aliens without lawful authority to be in the country. They were transported to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing, at which time agents determined that Ramirez-Ardon, a citizen of Guatemala, had been ordered deported and removed from the country in 2014.
Ramirez-Ardon faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien from Dominican Republic Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lynn has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Yodenny Michael Baez-Cabrera, 41, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. The defendant is currently in state custody and will appear in federal court at a later date.
According to the indictment, Baez-Cabrera was deported from the United States on July 18, 2017. It is alleged that sometime after his July 2018 removal, Baez-Cabrera illegally reentered the United States without permission.
In 2015, Baez-Cabrera was convicted of felony assault with a dangerous weapon and witness intimidation.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lynn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Federal Officers During ArrestRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS PETERSON ROHR FERREIRA BORGES, 25, a citizen of Brazil illegally residing in the U.S., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to nine months of imprisonment for assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ferreira Borges has a case pending in Connecticut Superior Court stemming from an arrest on September 16, 2023. In that case, he is charged with assault of public safety, emergency medical, public transit or health care personnel; assault in the third degree; breach of peace in the second degree; interfering with an officer; and intimidation based on bigotry or bias in the first degree. On October 10, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an arrest warrant for Ferreira Borges charging him with being present in the U.S. in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
On June 25, 2025, federal law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, apprehended Ferreira Borges in the area of Zion Street in Hartford. Ferreira Borges was non-compliant and resisted arrest. After being placed in a government vehicle, he kicked, flailed, and screamed obscenities at the ERO officers. As the vehicle traveled to the federal building on Main Street in Hartford, Ferreira Borges began raising and moving his leg, which was inches away from the ERO officer who was driving the vehicle, and Ferreira Borges stated he was going to kick the officer in the neck. Ferreira Borges then started to bite another ERO officer who tried to control him, and spit on the ERO officer who was driving the vehicle.
Ferreira Borges has been detained since his arrest. On January 22, 2026, he pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer. He faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
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.
Houston man sentenced to federal prison in ATM hook and chain crime spree involving Prosper bankRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Houston man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for a violent crime spree in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Cody Williams, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank theft and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on April 15, 2026. Williams was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $71,639.
According to court documents, from June 2020 to June 2024, Williams was involved in a crime spree referred to as “Hook and Chain” burglaries, which involved stealing a truck, attaching hooks and chains to the vehicle, and using it to drag the door off an ATM to retrieve the cash currency from the machine. This crime spree involved several burglaries in Texas and Arizona, including the Texas Bank on South Preston Road in Prosper. The conspiracy resulted in a loss of over $400,000 in bank funds and damage to property.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Fort Worth Police Department, and Pottsboro Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Honduran Criminal Alien Found Guilty of Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Jose Guadelupe Escobar, 39, of Honduras, was found guilty by a federal jury of illegal reentry by a removed alien. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Over the past two decades, this criminal alien showed a brazen disregard for our national immigration laws through his repeated, illegal re-entries after being removed from our country. More alarmingly, he admitted in sworn testimony at trial to a history of violence, both while illegally within this country and while residing in other countries. This dangerous criminality cannot be ignored. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute criminal alien defendants like this to ensure our borders remain secure and our nation’s immigration laws are fully enforced.”
Trial testimony and evidence demonstrated that the defendant had first been encountered by the Border Patrol in September 2004, after he illegally entered the country by wading across the Rio Grande River. The defendant failed to appear in immigration court on July 7, 2005, and was ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge. The defendant escaped notice by immigration officials until January 5, 2009, when he was encountered in a jail in Merrifield, Virginia, after being arrested for attempted murder. The defendant was removed from the United States on February 17, 2009. The defendant illegally reentered the United States and was encountered again in Los Angeles, California on December 30, 2013. The defendant was removed back to Honduras a second time on May 1, 2014. On October 22, 2025, the defendant was encountered in Tallahassee after previously being removed from the United States in 2009 and 2014.
While testifying at trial, the defendant admitted that he had previously been imprisoned in Honduras, and had spent several years in jail in Mexico on suspicion of murder.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 2:00 pm in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
Escobar faces up to 2 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This conviction was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Holly Hill Man Indicted for Damaging Facilities and Unlawfully Entering Secure Area at Daytona Beach International AirportRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Bryan John Parker (58, Holly Hill) with damaging, destroying, or disabling airport facilities and entering an aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements. If convicted on all counts, Parker faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on March 25, 2026, Parker crashed his Ford Mustang through a closed gate into a restricted area at Daytona Beach International Airport. Once inside, Parker drove towards one of the runways and exited his car. He proceeded to run around on foot, urinate on the taxiway, and chase after taxiing aircraft. After climbing into several empty planes and attempting to enter the cabin of a running aircraft, Parker was apprehended by security personnel.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Air Marshal Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
Helena brothers both sentenced to more than 10 years in prison on drug chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Two brothers from Helena who trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl have been sentenced, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Austin Leon Timothy Hagman, 36, and Michael Wayne Hagman, 40, both pleaded guilty in November 2025 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Austin Hagman was sentenced yesterday to 144 months of imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release. Michael Hagman was sentenced on March 11, 2026, to 136 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over both hearings.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement officers were investigating the Hagmans for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl since November 2024.
Law enforcement intercepted a package containing two pounds of methamphetamine destined for the Hagmans’ residence and developed information from two sources that allowed them to apply for a search warrant for the residence in Helena. Law enforcement located a large quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl, $39,704 in U.S. Currency, a Zastava Arms Mark X rifle, a Mossberg 464 rifle, an Israel Weapon Industries TAVOR TS12 shotgun, a Stag Arms STAG15 rifle, a Stoeger shotgun, a Winchester 1873 rifle, and miscellaneous ammunition and firearm accessories, including magazines, slings, scopes, and disassembled firearms and cases.
Austin Hagman was interviewed after the search. He told law enforcement he sold fentanyl powder for $200 per gram, methamphetamine for $450 per ounce, and M30s for $10 each. Law enforcement also located $5,000 in U.S. Currency on his person. When asked about the $5,000, Hagman said it was all from that day. He estimated he had purchased approximately 20 ounces of fentanyl powder, 4-5 pounds of meth, and two boats (2000 pills) of fentanyl from his source of supply. He also admitted the package intercepted in December was intended for him.
Michael Hagman was interviewed on March 20, 2025, and told law enforcement he received methamphetamine and fentanyl from a co-conspirator and distributed it in the Helena area. The co-conspirator would sometimes front Michael Hagman drugs to sell. He said he sold fentanyl powder for the same price he paid for it, but he would get a little from the co-conspirator for selling it. He would buy an ounce of methamphetamine for $300, grams of fentanyl powder for $200, and M30s for $5 each. He admitted he would make money from selling the methamphetamine at a higher price than he bought it from the co-conspirator.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Helena Police Department, Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation.
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Grand jury indicts illegal alien from Mexico for illegally possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Mexican illegal alien who fired a shot in the garage at his residence has been indicted by a grand jury for illegally possessing firearms.
Armando Rivera-Sereno, 41, was originally charged by a federal criminal complaint in November 2025.
According to charging documents, on Sept. 9, 2024, Columbus police officers were dispatched to Holly Hill Drive in Columbus on reports of shots fired. They discovered Rivera-Sereno in his garage, where they also found a pistol, loaded magazine, rifle, box of ammunition, spent shell casing, suspected narcotics and numerous empty beer cans.
Rivero-Sereno, who has also gone by Armando Rivera-Sanchez and Alejandro Aguirre, was convicted in 2022 of unlawfully reentering the United States as an illegal alien. He had been removed five other times before his arrest in that case.
Today’s two-count indictment charges him with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and illegally possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, which each carry a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez 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.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand jury indicts Lockport man on charges of enticement of a minor and production and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an 11-count indictment charging Damon Singleton-Spencer, 33, of Lockport, NY, with enticement of a minor, three counts of production of child pornography, and seven counts of possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
According to the indictment, on June 30, 2019, Singleton-Spencer coerced a minor victim to engage in sexual activity. He is accused of coercing the minor victim on three more occasions, in November 2020, June 2021, and November 2022, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. In addition, on February 16, 2024, Singleton-Spencer possessed three hard drives, a desktop computer, an SD card, a gaming computer, and a cellular telephone that all contained images of child pornography.
Singleton-Spencer was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. McCarthy. The indictment is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Felicetti.
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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Fresno County Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Luis Enrique Trevino, 32, of Coalinga, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Feb. 7, 2026, Trevino was the front passenger of a vehicle associated with a prior call for a disturbance. When law enforcement officers conducted a stop of the vehicle, Trevino immediately opened the vehicle door and fled. In an open compartment of that passenger door, law enforcement observed a 34-round, high-capacity magazine loaded with 16 live rounds of 9 mm ammunition. After a brief pursuit, Trevino was apprehended. A search of Trevino’s path of flight revealed he discarded a backpack in a trash can. Inside the backpack, law enforcement officers found a privately manufactured P80 “ghost” 9 mm handgun. Surveillance showed Trevino take off the backpack and attempt to conceal it in the trash can as he fled from pursuing officers. Trevino is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions including being a felon in possession of a firearm, threatening crime with intent to terrorize, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm, and vandalism and was serving a grant of Post-Release Community Supervision at the time of his arrest.
The Coalinga Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Karp is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Trevino faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Franklin Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Nael Jabbar (age 47) of Franklin, Wisconsin, pled guilty on April 14, 2026, to one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and one count of filing a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1).
Since 2005, Jabbar owned and operated Hot Spot Super Market (Hot Spot) in Milwaukee, which was authorized to accept benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He signed documents for Hot Spot agreeing to comply with all program requirements. From 2021 through 2024, he defrauded the program by exchanging benefits for cash, giving SNAP beneficiaries half of the transaction in cash while he billed the program for the full amount. The government will argue at sentencing that Jabbar’s scheme caused a loss of more than $1.6 million.
Jabbar also signed and submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) individual income tax returns (Forms 1040) that did not report all the income he received in 2020 through 2022. During those years, he transferred approximately $611,000 from business bank accounts to his personal accounts and then used the funds for personal expenses such as travel, vacations, retail purchases, and payments on personal loans and credit cards. Jabbar’s filing of false Forms 1040 caused a total tax loss to the IRS of more than $87,000.
Jabbar’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. At sentencing, he faces up to twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine on count one, as well as three years in prison and a $250,000 fine on count two. He also faces a term of supervised release after imprisonment.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and IRS, Criminal Investigation, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Scully is prosecuting.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Four Charged with Trafficking Narcotics into Massachusetts from Puerto Rico and California through the MailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to distribute multiple kilograms of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.
The following defendants have been indicted with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances:
- Alexander Pineda Nunez, 32, residing in Methuen, Mass.;
- Angel Luis Cedeno Moni, 31, unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass.;
- Raymond Cedeno Calderon, 3, residing in Clifton, N.J.; and
- Adrian Pena Rodriguez, 23, unlawfully residing in Haverhill, Mass.
Pena is also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Pineda, Moni and Pena were arrested and made their initial appearance in Boston on April 7, 2026. They remain in custody pending detention hearings. Calderon is currently in custody in Tennessee and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Pineda and Moni led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that imported kilogram quantities of drugs to Massachusetts through the U.S. mail and other carriers. For example, Pineda, Moni, Pena and others allegedly arranged for kilogram quantities of cocaine to be mailed from Puerto Rico to various residential addresses in northeastern Massachusetts. Pineda and his co-conspirators would allegedly track the drug-laden packages and take them from the delivery address shortly after delivery, often at multiple locations on the same day. It is alleged that multiple packages mailed from Puerto Rico to the DTO in Massachusetts were seized—including one that was seized directly from Pena—and found to contain multiple kilograms of cocaine
It is further alleged that Pineda and Moni also travelled to Arizona and California to send packages of fentanyl and methamphetamine back to Massachusetts through the U.S. Mail. In August and September 2025, six packages that had allegedly been sent from California by Moni and Pineda were seized and found to contain multiple kilograms of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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; Ted. E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Jeff Grimming, Acting, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Boston Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Former Track & Field Coach Charged in Superseding Indictment for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 15, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging former track and field coach Miguel Ángel García-López, 29, from Carolina, Puerto Rico, for child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. García-López was arrested on December 12, 2025, and is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons.
According to court documents, from May 2025 to November 2025, Miguel Ángel García-López induced, enticed and coerced five female minors: two 13-year-old minors, one 14-year-old minor and two 15-year-old minors, to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography and/or transport a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The defendant used his cellular phone to record the victims while communicating with them. During the communications, the defendant requested sexually explicit images to the minors. The defendant also recorded the minors while engaging in sexually explicit conduct with him.
If you think someone you know might be a victim of this defendant or any other predator, please report it so the proper authorities can investigate.
García-López is charged with four counts of production of child exploitation material; one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; two counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity/attempt; and one count of receipt of child exploitation material.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. FBI San Juan is in charge of the investigation.
If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: production of child exploitation material - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; (3) transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity/attempt - mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life; and receipt of child exploitation material – a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former Teacher Pleads Guilty in $51 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme in National Fraud Enforcement Division ProsecutionRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Former teacher Jeanett Valenzuela Ayub pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that she conspired with others to launder millions of dollars of health care fraud proceeds.
In total, Valenzuela admitted that she and her co-conspirators billed Medicare nearly $51 million for bogus prescriptions and were paid approximately $20 million, ultimately laundering at least $14 million dollars of Medicare proceeds and paying $3.7 million in unlawful kickbacks.
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
According to her plea agreement, Valenzuela and co-conspirators owned and operated multiple durable medical equipment (DME) companies, which sold orthotics – including back, wrist, and knee braces – to Medicare beneficiaries.
Valenzuela admitted that in operating the DME companies, she and co-conspirators paid unlawful kickback payments to sham marketing companies who provided bogus prescriptions for DME. The prescriptions were signed by physicians who had no legitimate doctor-patient relationship with the beneficiary; had not conducted a legitimate medical evaluation of the beneficiary; and had not impartially determined that the beneficiary actually needed the DME.
When agents interviewed Medicare beneficiaries during its investigation, the Medicare beneficiaries confirmed that they never spoke with a doctor, were never examined by a doctor related to the prescribed DME, and were not familiar with the prescribing doctor; never used nor even opened the packages containing the DME; and many of the Medicare beneficiaries still had the DME in their original unopened packages.
Valenzuela further admitted that she used DME companies to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Once Valenzuela’s or her co-conspirator’s DME companies were suspended from billing Medicare, Valenzuela conspired to put DME companies in the names of nominee owners while she and her co-conspirators maintained control of the companies and the monies received from Medicare.
Among Valenzuela’s co-conspirators was her brother, Fernando Valenzuela Ayub, who previously pleaded guilty to the same offense and is pending sentencing. When her brother was arrested on December 9, 2024, for his involvement in this conspiracy, Valenzuela absconded to Tijuana. Ultimately, Valenzuela was detained in August 2025 in the Dominican Republic after she left Mexico and traveled with family for a vacation.
After being detained in the Dominican Republic, Valenzuela was removed to the United States through Miami, Florida, where she was then arrested by U.S. Marshals and ultimately transported to San Diego to face the pending charges against her.
Valenzuela is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2026, at 9 a.m.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero of the Southern District of California. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie Chu contributed significantly to the case.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr2489-DMS
Jeanett Valenzuela Ayub Age: 51 Chula Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
Former Slidell Resident Sentenced for False Statements and Theft of over $350,000.00 in Covid-19 BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RACQUEL PICHON (“PICHON”), age 42, formerly of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced on April 14, 2026, for false statements and theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1001 and 641, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
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.
According to court documents, PICHON applied for multiple Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) loans under the business Exotica Beauty LLC (“Exotica”). PICHON was the registered agent for Exotica. On June 12, 2020, PICHON completed a Small Business Administration (SBA) backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application for Exotica. As a result of the PPP application, on June 19, 2020, PICHON received an SBA backed PPP loan of approximately $194,642.50.
According to the indictment, on June 23, 2020, PICHON also completed and submitted an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan application for Exotica. As a result, on June 25, 2020, PICHON received an EIDL advance grant of $10,000.00. Then, on June 29, 2020, PICHON received an EIDL loan of $149,900.00 as a business loan.
On or about July 2, through July 7, 2020, PICHON spent, in total, $8,074.00 in EIDL loan proceeds at a high-end retail store in New Orleans. On July 15, 2020, PICHON spent $921.00 in EIDL loan proceeds for tickets to an amusement park in Florida. PICHON also spent $3,303.00 in EIDL loan proceeds at an additional high-end retail store in New Orleans.
In total, PICHON received $354,542.50 in COVID-19 funds.
United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced PICHON to 12 months home detention with electronic monitoring, probation for five years, $354,642.50 restitution, and payment of a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, is an active member of the PRAC Fraud Task Force.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.
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Former Jacksonville Church Pastor Indicted for Wire Fraud Involving SBA Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Marcus Eichelberger (46), a former church pastor in Jacksonville, Florida, has been indicted on four counts of wire fraud related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). If convicted, Eichelberger faces up to 20 years in federal prison per count. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, between March 2021 and February 2022, Eichelberger directed another individual to fraudulently complete and submit applications for PPP loans from the SBA that they were not entitled to receive. As part of the application process, it is alleged that Eichelberger and the other individual certified that the proceeds would be used to maintain payroll and pay expenses for a purported business. After the loans were approved, it is alleged that Eichelberger and the other individual retained the proceeds for their personal use and not for any legitimate PPP purpose. Finally, it is alleged that Eichelberger and the other individual fraudulently applied for forgiveness of both loans, causing approximately $50,000 in loss.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those who use fraud and deception to exploit our nation’s federal benefits programs,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of these taxpayer-funded programs.”
“This case demonstrates the VA OIG’s unwavering commitment to detecting and preventing fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “Through a proactive initiative with the SBA OIG, our investigation uncovered that a VA employee and the employee’s pastor fraudulently obtained federal relief funds intended for legitimate businesses in need. The VA OIG appreciates the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners as we work together to hold accountable anyone who exploits these critical programs.”
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
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.
Florida Man Arrested After Traveling to Arizona to Pick up $600,000 in Gold from Victim in Phantom Hacker SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gary Christopher, 59, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, was arrested on April 10, and charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to launder money for his role as a courier in a broader fraud scheme that targeted an elderly victim in Phoenix. Christopher made his initial appearance in federal court on April 13.
According to the complaint, Christopher’s co-conspirators contacted the elderly victim, falsely claiming that she was the victim of identity theft. A co-conspirator, impersonating a former United States Attorney, instructed the victim to purchase gold with the funds in her account and turn it over for safekeeping. The victim transferred over $400,000 in assets to the co-conspirators before discovering she had been defrauded. Christopher, acting as a courier, then traveled to Arizona on April 9 to retrieve an additional $600,000 in gold bullion from the victim. Law enforcement intercepted Christopher when he arrived at the victim’s residence to collect the gold. Investigators recovered evidence that Christopher received instructions outlining the steps for picking up and transferring the gold from the victim to a co-conspirator.
FBI’s Phoenix Division is conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adriana Genco, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
Phantom hacker scams and government impersonation scams are increasingly prevalent and disproportionately affect elderly victims. Fraudsters in these schemes typically pose as government agents and pressure victims to act quickly to transfer their money to the perpetrators.
The public is urged to remain vigilant, verify the identity of anyone requesting financial transactions, and report suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately. The government will never call individuals to instruct them to transfer funds to the government without written documentation.
The government will never instruct individuals to transfer assets into gold bullion. The government will never instruct an individual to deliver funds to a “courier” who comes to the individual’s residence. Educating potential victims and their families is a key component in preventing these crimes and minimizing financial harm.
If you or someone you know is a victim of elder fraud, we encourage you to call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time. Services are available for speakers of English, Spanish, and other languages. Victims can also report the fraud to the FBI by filing a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (“IC3”) at https://www.ic3.gov/ by clicking the red “File A Complaint” button. Victims should be sure to include all available information about the scam.
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.
CASE NUMBER: 26-mj-6086
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-063_Christopher
Final Young Mob Defendant Sentenced After Trial Conviction for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
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 pillsThe 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 shankOther 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.
Final Defendant in Homeland Security Task Force Initiative Case Sentenced to 10 Years for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – Christopher Mack, 48, of Sardis, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for distribution of cocaine. His co-defendant, Irish Lee of Como, pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine and was sentenced to sixty months in a previous court proceeding.
According to court documents, Mack pleaded guilty of sale and distribution of cocaine before the Honorable Michael P. Mills, Senior United States District Court Judge.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, Scott F. Leary made the announcement. He stated, “This operation and conviction resulted from another FBI sponsored Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. For years our border was open, and drugs poured into our country unencumbered. As a consequence, many of our communities were decimated by drug trafficking and violent crime. HSTF is a response to this reality, establishing a multi-agency partnership dedicated to ending the drug cartel influence in our country. Drug trafficking is not limited to our cities, many smaller communities are also detrimentally affected. Through HSTF initiatives, the FBI directs resources to such damaged communities. Hopefully Sardis, Mississippi, will benefit from the FBI’s hard work.”
Robert Eikhoff, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office said, “Poisoning our communities and destroying lives will not be tolerated. Christopher Mack learned the hard way that those who choose to distribute illegal drugs will be held accountable. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to identify, investigate, and bring to justice anyone who violates federal laws designed to protect our communities."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad M. Doleac prosecuted the case.
Felon Charged in Alleged Plot to Help Inmate EscapeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses following an FBI investigation into an alleged plan to arm ainmate for an escape from custody.
According to court documents, on February 13, 2025, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at three residences in northwest Albuquerque associated with Crisantos “Ventex” Garcia, 34, a suspected West Side Locos gang member and convicted felon. Garcia allegedly attempted to flee by jumping from a second‑story window, breaking multiple bones before being taken to the hospital, where agents seized his cell phone.
Screenshots of Garcia taken from a music video, titled “Streets”During the searches, agents recovered more than a dozen firearms, including a Draco‑style pistol and multiple rifles and pistols, thousands of rounds of ammunition, ballistic vests, high‑value vehicles including a Dodge “Hellcat,” and approximately 151 grams of fentanyl pills. Laboratory testing later identified Garcia’s DNA on two of the seized firearms, and a search of his cell phone revealed photographs of firearms and messages discussing rifles, ammunition, and pill sales.
Investigators further allege that Garcia stockpiled firearms, ammunition, cash, and a stolen vehicle to support an escape plan devised by Dakota Briscoe, an Albuquerque man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for a violent crime spree linked to a 2020 double murder and multiple armed carjackings. According to investigators, Briscoe allegedly directed Garcia to hide a firearm behind an ATM on the second floor of the University of New Mexico Hospital. Additional firearms, cash, and a stolen car were to be staged nearby as part of the escape effort. Investigators believe Briscoe’s plan involved faking a medical emergency during a scheduled court appearance on April 15, 2026, prompting his transfer to the hospital. A letter recovered by investigators further directed others to coordinate by phone to ensure the presence of a vehicle and firearm at the designated location. Agents also learned that Briscoe ultimately intended to flee to Mexico.
Note from Briscoe directing Garcia to make sure he is at designated location with firearm and vehicle to aid in Briscoe’s escapeOn April 14, 2026, the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office Desert Hawk Fugitive Task Force executed an arrest warrant for Garcia at a residence in Phoenix. Garcia again attempted to flee from law enforcement by jumping walls, running through buildings, parking lots, and across heavily trafficked streets, all while accompanied by his minor stepson. When agents caught up, Garcia abandoned the child and was subsequently captured.
Garcia is charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Garcia faces not less than 10 and up to 40 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Services, Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Detention Center and Rio Rancho Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Garcia).pdf SW App Packet Garcia.Padilla.Dow_.Green_. V2.pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Robbery with a Firearm and Possession of Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Justin Alan Seymour (37, Tampa) guilty of Hobbs Act Robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in October of 2024, while robbing a pizza store in Tampa, Seymour pointed a gun at the store clerk. Law enforcement obtained their first break in the case when they obtained dashcam video from a delivery vehicle parked outside the store, then utilized the video to ascertain specific unique characteristics of the suspect’s vehicle. Two days later, law enforcement pulled over the vehicle being driven by Seymour, who had a firearm in his waistband. Seymour’s cell phone data placed him near the pizza store at the time of the robbery.
Seymour has a prior felony conviction for attempted robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon; therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted with the cell phone analysis. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
Federal Jury Convicts Louisiana Deputy U.S. Marshal of Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice ChargesRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a federal jury in the Western District of Louisiana, convicted Deputy United States Marshal Joshua Firmin of subjecting a prisoner to cruel and unusual punishment by severely assaulting the victim without cause. Firmin was also convicted of obstruction of justice for writing a false report about the incident.
“When the defendant beat the victim without any lawful purpose or justification, he violated the Constitution and breached the public’s trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The jury’s verdict sends a clear message that all Americans — including prisoners — are entitled to basic human dignity.”
The evidence at trial established that on Feb. 9, 2024, Firmin was supervising prisoner custody operations at the U.S. District Court in Lafayette, Louisiana, when he assaulted the victim while the victim was restrained in handcuffs, a belly chain, and leg irons. Firmin opened a locked cell door, grabbed the victim by the collar, and struck the victim in the face with a ring of cell keys. Then Firmin pulled the victim out of the cell and shoved him forcefully against the cellblock wall. Because the victim was unable to brace himself or dampen his fall due to his restraints, the victim’s head struck the cellblock wall forcefully, resulting in a scalp injury that required staples to close. Firmin later wrote and submitted an official U.S. Marshals Service incident report in which he falsely stated that he used force in reaction to the victim attempting to spit on him.
The Office of the Inspector General, Houston Division, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Dallas Man for Mailing Threats to Federal Judges and Hoax Biological Weapons to Fort Worth Federal CourthouseRead the Press Release
A Dallas federal jury convicted a man for mailing threatening communications and hoax biological weapons, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Following a two-day trial and only one hour of deliberation, the jury convicted Donald Ray McCray, 67, of Dallas, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, of three counts of mailing threatening communications to several United States District Court Judges in the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of New York, and one count of sending hoax biological weapons to the Fort Worth, Texas Federal Courthouse.
“Threats and disruptions to the orderly functioning of our federal courts will not be tolerated. And anyone who threatens a NDTX federal judge or NDTX employee will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “With this verdict, North Texas residents held the defendant accountable for his threats and attempts to undermine our judiciary.”
“The FBI takes threats to federal officials and courthouse personnel seriously. We would like to thank our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners who assisted in this investigation. This collaborative effort ensured that this offender was held accountable for threatening our judicial system,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to evidence presented at trial, McCray, while incarcerated in a Texas state prison, sent multiple threatening letters containing white powder to the clerk of courts at the Fort Worth and Amarillo federal courthouses in March 2025. In those letters, McCray threatened to kill multiple state and federal government employees, including federal district court judges. After being indicted in June 2025, McCray appeared at a hearing in federal court and made further threats against various government employees and district court judges.
The jury also heard evidence that when one of McCray’s threatening letters contained white powder was received at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth, it effectively shut down the courthouse and required a full HAZMAT response from multiple agencies before it could be rendered safe for its occupants and the public. Evidence at trial further established that in 2019, McCray was convicted in a Texas state court of threatening a Texas state judge under similar circumstances. Among other exhibits, the government introduced McCray’s threatening letters, transcripts of the previous court hearing where he made additional threatening statements, and evidence related to the HAZMAT testing of the white powder sent by McCray.
McCray is set for sentencing on August 19, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who presided over the trial. McCray faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count of mailing threatening communications and up to five years in federal prison for the hoax biological weapons conviction. He also faces a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated and coordinated by multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service, Ft. Worth Police Department, Ft. Worth Fire Department, Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services, Tarrant County Department of Public Health, the Texas Tech Biological Threat Research Laboratory, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore Parran III and Chad E. Meacham prosecuted the case.
Federal Judge Revokes Citizenship of Immigration and Identity FraudsterRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice has secured the denaturalization of Gurdev Singh Sohal, also known as Dev Singh, also known as Boota Singh Sundu, who naturalized in 2005 despite having been ordered deported in 1994.
After receiving a deportation and exclusion order under the name Dev Singh, Sohal failed to leave the country, and, instead, acquired a new identity with a different and fictitious name, date of birth, and date of entry into the United States. Sohal naturalized under the new and assumed identity. Sohal withheld his prior immigration history under the Dev Singh identity in any of his immigration applications or proceedings under the new identity.
“This case shows this Administration’s strength and commitment to ensuring the sanctity of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The cooperation between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security reflects a strong partnership to protect the nation against immigration and identity fraud.”
This case was investigated as part of the Historic Fingerprint Enrollment project, an ongoing national initiative between the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Expert analysis in February 2020 confirmed that the fingerprints submitted under both identities came from the same individual. The analysis was only made possible after DHS digitized the paper fingerprint submission documents from older immigration files.
On April 13, the court found that Sohal illegally procured his U.S. citizenship because the unlawful acts he committed in hiding his prior identity rendered him unable to show that he had the requisite good moral character to naturalize.
This case was prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from USCIS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Egyptian National Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Egyptian national was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after pointing a handgun at a victim at a Las Cruces gas station.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on the morning of May 12, 2025, Moustafa Mahmoud Abdelnabi Salem, 29, a citizen and national of Egypt, threatened an individual at a gas station by pulling a handgun, chambering a round, and pointing it at the victim. After the incident, the victim flagged down an officer from the Las Cruces Police Department and reported the assault.
When the officer questioned Salem, who was still at the location, he alleged that the victim had assaulted him with a large knife and denied pointing a handgun at the victim. Salem refused to allow the officer to retrieve the handgun from his vehicle, leading the officer to believe that there was an issue with the firearm.
Upon further investigation, the officer determined that Salem was an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States after overstaying his visitor visa. The incident was captured by CCTV footage from the gas station in which Salem appears to be the aggressor.
Salem pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to deportation.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations Las Cruces. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
Dover Man with Four Prior Gun Convictions Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Dover man was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in prison for drug dealing and possessing a gun after multiple prior felony convictions. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall imposed the sentence.
According to court documents, Deontray Watson, 24, was released from state prison on a prior gun conviction in late February 2024. Less than a month later, law enforcement received information that Watson was once again armed and now dealing drugs. Law enforcement arrested Watson and an associate at a gas station. Inside their vehicle, law enforcement found fentanyl, crack cocaine, and a loaded, stolen handgun. The handgun was found beneath the passenger seat on top of Watson’s wallet. Watson ultimately pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug offenses. The gun conviction gives Watson five such convictions in the past ten years.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace stated, “Deontray Watson has been an armed danger to Delaware since he was a teenager. That is why, after I became the U.S. Attorney for our District, I continued personally handling this case. The just sentence imposed by Judge Hall today is more than double the longest sentence Deontray Watson has previously served. It is my sincere hope that this is the punishment that finally gets through to Watson. I extend my thanks to our law enforcement partners at the ATF, the Dover Police Department, and Delaware Probation and Parole, all of whom did terrific work investigating this case.”
ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer stated, “This sentence reflects ATF’s commitment to targeting armed drug traffickers who fuel violence in our communities. By removing individuals who combine illegal narcotics distribution with firearms, we directly reduce the threat of violence in our community and show those who bring guns into our neighborhoods that they will be held accountable.”
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-129.
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Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Hacking Betting WebsiteRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that KAMERIN STOKES, a/k/a “TheMFNPlug,” was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme to hack user accounts on a fantasy sports and betting website (the “Betting Website”) and sell access to those accounts, resulting in losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the users. STOKES was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald. On April 25, 2024, STOKES pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit computer intrusion.
“Kamerin Stokes victimized thousands of users of an online betting website though a cyberattack,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “After pleading guilty to federal crimes, Stokes audaciously reopened his criminal business, marketed using the tagline ‘fraud is fun,’ and said that he opened the new Shop in part because ‘gotta pay my attorneys,’ referring to his prosecution in this case. Fraud is not fun; fraud on the street or fraud online will not be tolerated. Today’s federal prison sentence is a direct message to any others who think online fraud is different.”
According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court:
On or about November 18, 2022, several individuals launched a “credential stuffing attack” on the Betting Website. During a credential stuffing attack, a cyber threat actor collects stolen credentials, or username and password pairs, obtained from other large-scale data breaches of other companies, which can be purchased on the dark web. The threat actor then systematically attempts to use those stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the same user with other companies and providers, in order to compromise accounts where the user has maintained the same password. Here, in connection with the attack on the Betting Website, there was a series of attempts to log into the Betting Website accounts using a large list of stolen credentials.
Those individuals successfully accessed approximately 60,000 accounts at the Betting Website (the “Victim Accounts”) through the credential stuffing attack. In some instances, the individuals who unlawfully accessed the Victim Accounts were able to add a new payment method on the account, deposit $5 into that account through the new payment method to verify that method, and then withdraw all the existing funds in the Victim Account through the new payment method (i.e., to a newly added financial account belonging to the hacker), thus stealing the funds in the Victim Account.
Access to the Victim Accounts was sold on various websites that traffic in stolen accounts, which are frequently referred to as “Shops.” STOKES controlled his own Shop, used the alias “TheMFNPlug,” and purchased Victim Accounts in bulk. STOKES obtained Victim Accounts from the Betting Website with a total listed account value of over $125,000 and then offered access to those accounts for sale on his Shop.
After pleading guilty, STOKES reopened his Shop website, offering for sale access to stolen accounts of various retailers. STOKES advertised his reopened Shop using the tagline “fraud is fun,” and said that he had been running these types of shops for three years. He further said that he opened the new Shop in part because “gotta pay my attorneys,” referring to his prosecution in this case. After reopening his Shop website, STOKES was rearrested for violating the conditions of his pretrial release and remanded into federal custody.
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In addition to the prison term, STOKES, 23, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $125,965.53 in forfeiture and $1,327,061 in restitution.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Micah Fergenson are in charge of the prosecution.
Davis Picnic Day Shooter Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison in Separate Federal Firearm CaseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Joseph Allen Davis, 20, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 30 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, an investigation began into Joseph Allen Davis after determining that he was a shooter at the April 12, 2025, shooting incident at Rainbow City Park in Davis where three people were injured by gunfire. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Joseph Allen Davis’s apartment and seized a short-barrel AR-15-style pistol that was loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition. Davis is prohibited from possessing any firearms and ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felony gun possession offense. Davis pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Davis Police Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Bryon Greco, 39, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 16, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for attempted production of child pornography. United States District Court Judge Susan Bazis sentenced Greco to 420 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Greco’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.
In November 2024, an online moderator for a Minecraft server reported a tip to the FBI National Threat Operations Center that Greco was involved in the sexual exploitation of a minor child using Discord. Investigators found that Greco began communicating with a minor child through Discord in 2023. Greco requested and encouraged the victim to take nude photos and videos of herself and send the sexually explicit content to Greco. Greco also sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself to the minor. Greco is a convicted sex offender out of Gage County, Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Convicted Felon on Federal Supervised Release Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that a convicted felon on supervised release was sentenced to prison yesterday for illegal gun possession.
Dequan Keontez Chambers, 32, was sentenced to a total of 47 months in prison – 35 months for the firearm offense and a consecutive 12 months for violating his supervised release. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
On August 28, 2025, Chambers pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
“This was Chambers’ third criminal conviction involving firearms – and he committed this one while still on supervised release for the last one,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Everyone deserves a second chance, but not a third – we will seek lengthy prison sentences for repeat offenders like Chambers.”
According to court documents, on July 4, 2026, at approximately 12:50 a.m., law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Chambers’ vehicle. During the traffic stop, the officers determined that Chambers was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction and had multiple outstanding state and federal arrest warrants. The officers ordered Chambers to exit the vehicle, but Chambers refused to comply. One of the officers observed that Chambers was armed. While one officer was holding onto Chambers’ arm, another officer removed a loaded .40 caliber pistol from the defendant’s waistband. The firearm was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition with one live round in the chamber. Chambers also had eight rounds of ammunition in his front pocket.
After a tussle with one of the officers, Chambers was placed under arrest. While Chambers was in custody he slipped his handcuffs to the front twice, before shattering the window of the police vehicle transporting him to jail.
Chambers is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. In 2016, Chambers was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, and theft of a firearm. Chambers also has a 2013 state conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon, among several other state convictions.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Biscoe Police Department for their investigation of the case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Colombian national sentenced to eight years in prison for receiving child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Colombian national residing in Virginia was sentenced today to eight years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Jorge Antonio Escobar, 50, downloaded and saved images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including depictions of prepubescent minors. In September of 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into those sharing CSAM on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing network, which identified an IP address traced back to Escobar’s residence in Leesburg. Escobar admitted to using BitTorrent to search for images of young girls.
Escobar pleaded guilty to receipt of CSAM on Dec. 30, 2025.
HSI Washington, DC, investigated the case with assistance from the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndi McVey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-283.
Colombian National Sentenced to Eight Years for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A Colombian national residing in Virginia was sentenced today to eight years in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Jorge Antonio Escobar, 50, had downloaded and saved images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including depictions of prepubescent minors. In September of 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into those sharing CSAM on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing network, which identified an IP address traced back to Escobar’s residence in Leesburg, Virginia. Escobar admitted to using BitTorrent to search for images of young girls.
Escobar pleaded guilty to receipt of CSAM on Dec. 30, 2025.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The HSI D.C. Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndi McVey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cheektowaga man pleads guilty to production and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dustin Coffelt, 36, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to two counts of production and one count of possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.
In July 2022, the Depew Police Department received a report that Coffelt sexually abused a 13-year-old girl (minor victim). Subsequent investigation determined that the alleged abuse may have been ongoing for several years and included communication over various social media applications and text messaging. On July 29, 2022, Coffelt provided a voluntary statement to detectives from the Depew and Cheektowaga Police Departments admitting to the sexual abuse and producing sexually explicit photographs of the minor victim. Coffelt also voluntarily provided his phone to the detectives and subsequent extraction of the device revealed numerous sexually explicit images of the minor victim, which constitute child pornography. Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation subsequently arrested Coffelt on August 11, 2022.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maeve E. Huggins and Sasha Mascarenhas. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Depew Police Department, under the direction of Chief James McNamara, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 24, 2026, before Judge Vilardo.
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California Man Indicted for Drug Distribution & Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Kelvin Henriques Jr., 32, of Los Angeles, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Henriques appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 18, 2026, at 9:00 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
If convicted, Henriques faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment up to life in prison for the drug count and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the money laundering count.
The case is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This 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 comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Buffalo man going to prison on gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Gilbert Santiago, 39, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
In August 2019, a search warrant was executed at Santiago’s residence in the City of Tonawanda. Investigators recovered a .22 semi-automatic rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition. In December 2013 and July 2014, Santiago was convicted in Erie County Court of felony crimes and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. In addition, in February 2020, Santiago was found in possession of approximately five grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright. The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division.
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Boone County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Crittenden, Ky., man, Randall Kipling, 63, was sentenced on Thursday to 121 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, Kipling and his co-defendant, Mark Ball, were involved in distributing methamphetamine out of Kipling’s residence in Boone County. Kipling provided a vehicle and money that Ball used to engage in the drug trafficking. On February 23, 2023, law enforcement responded to an overdose at Kipling’s residence and Kipling was present with Ball and two others, who showed significant signs of intoxication and were taken to the hospital for treatment. Law enforcement searched Kipling’s residence and seized over 250 grams of methamphetamine, other controlled substances, and numerous drug paraphernalia items. Kipling admitted possessing the methamphetamine which the group intended to distribute.
Ball previously pleaded guilty to his role in the methamphetamine distribution and was sentenced to 126 months in March 2026.
Under federal law, Kipling must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Belton Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for selling fentanyl to a confidential informant.
Raimon Martez Gilliam, also known as “Ray Money,” “Money,” and “Money Mike,” 27, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.
According to court documents, on Oct. 8, 2025, a Jackson County Drug Task Force confidential informant (“CI”) contacted Gilliam to purchase fentanyl. Gilliamdirected the CI to meet him at a location near Indiana Avenue, Kansas City, Mo. Upon arrival, Gilliam entered the front passenger seat of the CI’s vehicle. The CI handed Gilliam $5,400 and in exchange, Gilliam gave the CI one baggie of purple fentanyl and one baggie of white fentanyl. Once the transaction was completed, the CI left the area and met with detectives who took possession of the suspected fentanyl. Thereafter, the evidence was sent to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory for testing. Following analysis, a forensic scientist determined that both bags contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, with a combined weight of 73.02 grams.
Under federal statutes, Gilliam is subject to a sentence of not less than 5 years and up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Armed Robberies, Carjacking, Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man is headed to federal prison for his role in robbing multiple local commercial businesses and then later assaulting a Deputy U.S. Marshal while at the U.S. Courthouse in Baltimore.
U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Sharif Northington, 23, of Baltimore, to 10 years in prison for interfering with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Northington also received one year in prison, consecutive to the 10-year sentence, for intentionally assaulting an officer and employee of the United States. In September 2024, following a court proceeding at the U.S. Courthouse in Baltimore, Northington threatened and then assaulted the Deputy U.S. Marshals escorting him to his cell.
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); Clinton J. Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland (USMS); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to court documents, in November 2022, Northington conspired with co-conspirators Devin Grimes, 27, of Baltimore, and John Hyman, 21, of Baltimore, to commit armed commercial robberies and at least one armed carjacking. During each robbery and carjacking, the co-conspirators used a firearm while demanding money, a vehicle, and/or other items.
On November 29, Northington, Grimes, and Hyman — who were wearing masks and hoods — entered a Northeast Baltimore 7-Eleven convenience store. Grimes brandished a handgun and then proceeded to rob the store with Northington and Hyman. The suspects stole money from the cash register and then fled the store. But unknown to the suspects, the stolen cash included a money tracker which helped law enforcement officers track their movements. In response, both BPD and BCPD dispatched officers, detectives, and aviation squads to locate the suspects.
The co-conspirators then went to a carry-out restaurant, less than a mile away. Upon entering, Grimes went to the back of the restaurant and brandished a handgun. He then confronted a delivery driver and robbed the man of the keys in his pocket. Then Grimes returned to the register and demanded the cashier open the register. Grimes then removed money from the register before the three co-conspirators fled the store in the delivery man’s vehicle.
BPD and BCPD aviation units soon located and apprehended the co-conspirators. During the arrests, law enforcement recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, money, and a money tracker from Grimes. Law enforcement also discovered additional cash in the vehicle.
In December 2024, Judge Hollander sentenced Grimes to 10 years in federal prison. Then in September 2025, Judge Hollander sentenced Hyman to 10 years in prison for his role in the crimes.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the ATF, USMS, BPD, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sippel who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information on 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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Baker City Man Charged with Investment Fraud for Stealing from Investors for Almost Seventeen YearsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Baker City, Oregon, man has been charged with stealing his clients’ shares of stocks, selling them, and transferring the proceeds into his personal bank account for almost seventeen years.
Jeffrey Thomas Higgins, 54, has been charged by information with investment fraud.
According to court documents, from December 2007 through June 2024, Higgins worked as an investment adviser in Baker City. To entice investors, Higgins lied, falsely claiming he purchased stocks on their behalf at deep discounts when he actually purchased the stocks at market value. Higgins then sold the stocks without the investors’ knowledge and stole the proceeds from the sales – transferring the money to his personal bank account.
To keep the scheme going, Higgins created fictitious annual statements that exaggerated profits. Statements reflecting the true costs of stock purchases were mailed directly to a post office box controlled by Higgins. As a result of Higgins’ scheme, victim investors suffered a financial loss totaling more than $1.6 million.
Higgins made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. magistrate judge. He was ordered released pending further court proceedings.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Chinwuba and Andrew T. Ho are prosecuting the case.
An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Another Operation Sweet Silence Defendant Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Fernando Brown, also known as “Nino,” 33 of Columbus, a repeat offender, was convicted today by a federal jury of distributing methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana while armed. A total of 30 defendants has now either been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to drug charges resulting from Operation Sweet Silence, a multi-agency law enforcement effort in and around Columbus as part of Operation Take Back America, the Department of Justice’s nationwide effort cracking down on criminal organizations and cartels.
Following a four-day trial, the jury found Brown guilty of conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, cocaine, and more than 100 pounds of marijuana and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Although this case closes a significant chapter in Operation Sweet Silence, our commitment to dismantling armed drug trafficking organizations is unwavering,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia. “Together, law enforcement and prosecutors will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety of the communities we serve and bring them to justice.”
“This defendant was responsible for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana in the Columbus, Georgia, area,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His crimes fueled violence and harmed the community until federal, state, and local law enforcement worked together to dismantle this criminal organization. The Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting those who traffic dangerous drugs and threaten the safety of our communities.”
“Criminal Street gangs were responsible for a wave of violent crime in and around Columbus,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Richard Bilson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. “Columbus is a safer place now that the FBI and our partners have effectively dismantled this armed drug trafficking organization. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to keep our streets safe.”
“This investigation represents the very best of law enforcement collaboration,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Federal, state, and local partners worked side by side for years to uncover the full scope of this criminal enterprise and ensuring every individual responsible face justice. With the conviction of this defendant, we are getting closer to holding all individuals involved accountable. Our communities are safer today because of the dedication and teamwork of the investigators and prosecutors, and we are committed to bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”
"We won't stop until the criminal activity stops,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “There is strength in collaboration when we combine our resources to go after criminal enterprises involving street gangs, drug dealers and convicted felons. We will continue this fight for safer streets and a safer community.”
According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, federal and local law enforcement conducted Operation Sweet Silence from August 2022 until May 2024, an extensive investigation in the illegal activities of the Zohannon criminal street gang involving armed drug trafficking. During this extensive investigation, agents discovered that Brown, who is not a member of the Zohannon organization, was working with others to dominate the illegal drug market in Columbus by supplying methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine.
Trial evidence revealed that Brown was captured on a wiretap discussing the distribution of methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine. During the execution of search warrants at Brown’s drug trap house on 10th Street and his residence on Rosewood Street, both in Columbus, law enforcement seized methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and seven firearms.
Cocaine hidden under a sink and seized at trap house:
Semi-automatic pistol and ammunition seized at trap house:
Other defendants, all from Columbus unless otherwise indicated, were indicted across nine separate indictments and have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial, with some already sentenced by the court. Operation Sweet Silence defendants are:
Freddie Bowens, also known as Profit, 27, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the illegal possession of a machine gun.
LaBrandon Brown, 31, was sentenced to four years in prison for using a phone to facilitate a drug offense.
Jantzen Carter, 40, of Waverly Hall, GA, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Ulises Cervantes, 33, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Anthony Champion, 46, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Trenton Clemons, 48, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Dequindre Dawson, 33, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute.
Nicholas Fitzpatrick, 30, was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Terry Gash, 54, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Undrae Hayes, 37, was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Roderick Hicks, 59, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Christopher Hill, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison for using a phone to facilitate a drug offense.
Marquez Holloway, 32, was convicted at trial of drug conspiracy and drug distribution and is awaiting sentencing.
Darius Jenkins, 24, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Jeffrey Kimbrough, 29, was sentenced to three years of probation for drug conspiracy.
Hykeem Lomax, 33, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing.
Quadarius Lusk, 30, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing.
Aundray Morgan, 39, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing.
Tommie Mullins, Jr., also known as “TJ,” also known as “Bo,” also known as “Mini,” 31, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Javonta Paden, 25, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Adrian Palmer, also known as “AP,” 25, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute.
Adrian Pleasants, 29, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Derrick Porter, 54, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Dahvontay Richardson, 28, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Trenton Thomas, also known as “Bubble,” 25, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Juan Carlos Torres-Arzapalo, 41, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Corey Turner, also known as “Lito Red,” 33, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Jhy’Keith Williams, 24, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for illegally possessing a machine gun.
Malik Williams, 27, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute.
The final defendant was arrested today and is charged by federal indictment: Leonard Campbell, 37, of Columbus, is charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is facing a maximum life in prison.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Muscogee County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office with critical assistance from the Harris County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office; the Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office; the Coweta County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Veronica Hansis for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Matthew Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) are prosecuting the case.
Another Operation Sweet Silence Defendant Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
Fernando Brown, also known as “Nino,” 33 of Columbus, Georgia, a repeat offender, was convicted today by a federal jury of distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana while armed. A total of 30 defendants have now either been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to drug charges resulting from Operation Sweet Silence, a multi-agency law enforcement effort in and around Columbus, Georgia, as part of Operation Take Back America, the Department of Justice’s nationwide effort cracking down on criminal organizations and cartels.
Following a four-day trial, the jury found Brown guilty of conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, cocaine, and more than 100 pounds of marijuana and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This defendant was responsible for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana in the Columbus, Georgia area,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His crimes fueled violence and harmed the community until federal, state, and local law enforcement worked together to dismantle this criminal organization. The Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting those who traffic dangerous drugs and threaten the safety of our communities.”
“Although this case closes a significant chapter in Operation Sweet Silence, our commitment to dismantling armed drug trafficking organizations is unwavering,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia. “Together, law enforcement and prosecutors will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety of the communities we serve and bring them to justice.”
“Criminal Street gangs were responsible for a wave of violent crime in and around Columbus,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Richard Bilson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. “Columbus is a safer place now that the FBI and our partners have effectively dismantled this armed drug trafficking organization. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to keep our streets safe.”
“This investigation represents the very best of law enforcement collaboration,” said Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Federal, state, and local partners worked side by side for years to uncover the full scope of this criminal enterprise and ensuring every individual responsible faces justice. With the conviction of this defendant, we are getting closer to holding all individuals involved accountable. Our communities are safer today because of the dedication and teamwork of the investigators and prosecutors, and we are committed to bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”
According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, federal and local law enforcement conducted Operation Sweet Silence from August 2022 until May 2024, an extensive investigation into the illegal activities of the Zohannon criminal street gang involving armed drug trafficking. Agents discovered that Brown, who is not a member of the Zohannon organization, was working with others to dominate the illegal drug market in Columbus by supplying methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine.
Trial evidence revealed that Brown was captured on a wiretap discussing the distribution of methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine. During the execution of search warrants at Brown’s drug trap house on 10th Street and his residence on Rosewood Street, both in Columbus, law enforcement seized methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and seven firearms.
Cocaine hidden under a sink and seized at trap house Semi-automatic pistol and ammunition seized at trap houseOther defendants, all from Columbus unless otherwise indicated, were indicted across nine separate indictments and have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial, with some already sentenced by the court. Operation Sweet Silence defendants are:
Freddie Bowens, also known as Profit, 27, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the illegal possession of a machine gun.
LaBrandon Brown, 31, was sentenced to four years in prison for using a phone to facilitate a drug offense.
Jantzen Carter, 40, of Waverly Hall, GA, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Ulises Cervantes, 33, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Anthony Champion, 46, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Trenton Clemons, 48, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Dequindre Dawson, 33, was sentenced to 90 months in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute.
Nicholas Fitzpatrick, 30, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Terry Gash, 54, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Undrae Hayes, 37, was sentenced to eight years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Roderick Hicks, 59, was sentenced to 140 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Christopher Hill, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison for using a phone to facilitate a drug offense.
Marquez Holloway, 32, was convicted at trial of drug conspiracy and drug distribution and is awaiting sentencing.
Darius Jenkins, 24, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Jeffrey Kimbrough, 29, was sentenced to three years of probation for drug conspiracy.
Hykeem Lomax, 33, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing.
Quadarius Lusk, 30, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing.
Aundray Morgan, 39, pleaded guilty to using a phone to facilitate a drug offense and is awaiting sentencing.
Tommie Mullins Jr., also known as TJ, also known as Bo, also known as Mini, 31, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Javonta Paden, 25, was sentenced to 71 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Adrian Palmer, also known as AP, 25, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute.
Adrian Pleasants, 29, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Derrick Porter, 54, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Dahvontay Richardson, 28, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Trenton Thomas, also known as Bubble, 25, was sentenced to 135 months in prison for drug conspiracy.
Juan Carlos Torres-Arzapalo, 41, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Corey Turner, also known as Lito Red, 33, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy.
Jhy’Keith Williams, 24, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a machine gun.
Malik Williams, 27, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for drug possession with intent to distribute.
Leonard Campbell, 36, of Columbus, is charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is facing a maximum penalty of life in prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Muscogee County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office with critical assistance from the Harris County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office; the Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office; the Coweta County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Alien Drug Trafficker from Colombia Sentenced to Five Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An illegal alien from Columbia was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment after he possessed and intended to distribute fentanyl in the District of Utah.
WMDTFThe sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, comes after David Estiven Alvear Carcamo, 21, residing illegally in Kearns, Utah, pleaded guilty via felony information on January 20, 2026. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Carcamo was sentenced to four years of supervised release. Upon his release from imprisonment, Carcamo will be remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made at Carcamo’s sentencing and change of plea hearings, a search warrant was executed on a residence and vehicle on March 4, 2025. During the search of the vehicle, agents seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills, and a handgun. See prior press release: Colombian National Indicted After Agents Seize Approximately 10,000 Fentanyl Pills and a Firearm.
WMDTFFirst Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated jointly by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI and the Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force (DMNSF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Alabama Man Found Guilty of Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Justin William Gifford, 26, of Enterprise, Alabama, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Tallahassee following a two-day trial on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors, and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty verdict.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners, and the excellent trial presentation by my Assistant U.S. Attorneys, this sexual predator will be held accountable for his attempts to sexually exploit a child. Keeping our kids safe is one of my highest priorities, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to stop deviants like this defendant from sexually victimizing children and exploiting them online.”
During the two-day jury trial, court records and evidence showed that Gifford was identified during a multi-agency law enforcement operation conducted in June 2025, after he responded to an online advertisement on a website known for escort services. Over a two-day period, Gifford engaged in increasingly sexually explicit text and telephone conversations with an undercover investigator posing as a 15-year-old child. During the conversations, Gifford sent a photograph of an erect penis to the child, then planned to meet the minor in Panama City Beach to engage in sexual activity. Gifford was electronically tracked travelling from his home in Enterprise, Alabama, to Panama City Beach, where he was arrested upon his arrival at the agreed location. After his arrest, forensic analysis of Gifford’s seized cellular telephone verified the communications and the obscene image were sent by him from his phone.
Gifford faces a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, and is scheduled for sentencing in federal court before United States District Judge Mark A. Walker on June 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric K Mountin and Justin M. Keen.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
15 April 2026
Woman Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Committing Assault on Meskwaki SettlementRead the Press Release
A woman who stabbed another woman in the neck with a piece of trim that broke off in the victim’s neck was sentenced April 14, 2026, to more than five years in federal prison.
Ashley Thompson, age 38, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 31, 2025, guilty plea to one count of assault causing serious bodily injury.
At the guilty plea, Thompson admitted that on January 14, 2024, she assaulted a woman on the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama, Iowa. Thompson was in another person’s home along with the victim. An argument between multiple people occurred. Thompson picked up a loose piece of wooden wall trim. She thrusted the piece of trim at the victim. The wood hit the victim in the neck. A piece of the wood broke off in the victim’s neck.
Law enforcement officers responded to the scene. The victim was having difficulty breathing and appeared to be losing consciousness. The victim was transported to Marshalltown and then to Des Moines for surgery. The piece of wood was against the victim’s jugular vein but had not pierced it.
Thompson has a lengthy criminal history. She has four previous assault convictions in state court. While detained in the Polk County jail in February 2024 following her arrest, she assaulted another inmate by throwing a cup of hot water at her. She also has multiple convictions for child endangerment, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, disorderly conduct, and theft.
Thompson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thompson was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thompson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by Meskwaki Nation Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-cr-00069.
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Warrant Issued for Permanent Resident from Nigeria for Failure to Report to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Georgia Department of Driver ServicesNEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Phillips Currault signed a complaint and issued an arrest warrant for EMUOBOSAN EMANUELLA HALL, age 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, for failure to report to the Bureau of Prisons to serve a sentence. HALL, a citizen of Nigeria and a U.S. permanent resident, had been sentenced to eight years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for her role in a romance scam. HALL is currently at large.
According to the criminal complaint, HALL was charged in April 2024 by a federal grand jury in New Orleans with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, and was granted bond. HALL subsequently pleaded guilty. In January 2026, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced HALL to 96 months in prison. Judge Milazzo permitted HALL to remain on bond and ordered her to report to her designated Bureau of Prisons institution to serve her sentence by March 25, 2026.
However, HALL did not report as ordered. According to GPS data from her monitoring device, HALL’s last known location was Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on March 24, 2026, where the device ceased operating. HALL had provided her probation officer with her flight information to Minnesota, where she was designated to serve her sentence. According to airline records, HALL did not board that flight. Phone records suggest that HALL traveled to Dulles Airport outside of Washington, D.C.
HALL had pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud mostly older women in a romance scam. Her codefendant, Kenneth G. Akpieyi, of Marietta, Georgia, was convicted after a four-day jury trial in July 2025 and was sentenced by Judge Milazzo to 25 years in prison. According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, members of this conspiracy falsely represented themselves to be generals, philanthropists, or entrepreneurs who lived outside the United States. Conspirators would meet victims on Facebook, Instagram, and similar social media platforms, gain trust from the victims, and then ask the victims to move their conversations to WhatsApp or another encrypted platform. Thereafter, the perpetrators would foster a romantic relationship with their victims and then ask the victims to send money for fraudulent reasons, such as to help with charitable work or to assist sick family members. According to court documents, Akpieyi and HALL organized a company, Le Beau Monde LLC, which they used in furtherance of romance scam. HALL would deposit victim funds into accounts held in the name of her company and then transfer those funds to accounts at other financial institutions, including foreign banks. HALL admitted responsibility for $851,207.00 in losses to victims of this scheme, while Akpieyi was found to be responsible for victim losses exceeding $3.5 million. Akpieyi was remanded into custody after trial, and he is currently serving his sentence in custody of the Bureau of Prisons.
United States Attorney Courcelle stated, “Our office will vigorously enforce the law, particularly when a defendant fails to report to prison to serve her sentence. Her failure to report to prison reflects an utter lack of respect for the law. HALL was sentenced for her role in defrauding women, often of money that they had saved for their retirement. Our office will continue to prosecute fraud wherever it occurs, especially when criminals exploit vulnerable victims.”
If convicted, HALL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years of imprisonment to be served consecutively to her prior sentence, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 3146(a)(2) and (b)(1)(A)(i). She may be fined up to $250,000, and she may receive a term of supervised release of up to three years. She also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne, Senior Litigation Counsel, is in charge of the prosecution.
We are asking for the public’s assistance. To provide tips call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or send information to www.tips.fbi.gov .
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.
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