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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
10 April 2026
Springfield Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm After Allegedly Firing a Gun from Back Porch at NeighborRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Christopher Paredes, 43, of Springfield, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Middle Tennessee has some of the greatest neighborhoods in America and those neighborhoods should be safe from gunfire,” said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “Keeping all of the communities of Middle Tennessee safe from armed and violent criminals is a high priority of our office and the Department of Justice.”
According to court documents, on March 30, 2026, the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls from concerned citizens that Paredes was discharging a gun from his back porch in Springfield. One caller told law enforcement that Paredes told her that he would kill her and then fired the gun at her.
After initially refusing to exit his residence, the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team, using flashbangs and chemical agents, successfully facilitated Paredes’ surrender. Deputies recovered a Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol from Paredes’ back porch and eight .40 caliber casings from the back yard.
Paredes had previously been convicted of assault in the second degree and wanton endangerment in the first degree when he pleaded guilty to those felony offenses in 2011 in Warren County, Kentucky. He was sentenced to serve 15 years in state prison.
If convicted, Paredes faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlin C. Hess is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Sopchoppy Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun & Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Howard Neil Martin, 46, of Sopchoppy, Florida, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners, and the aggressive prosecution of this repeat offender by my office, our community can rest assured he will spend several years in prison for his armed drug dealing. Keeping our streets safe and drug-free remains a top priority for my office, and we will continue to deliver successful prosecutions under the Department of Justices Operation Take Back America initiative.”
Court documents reflect that Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report about a burglary in progress. When they arrived, the defendant was parked in the driveway of the residence and in a verbal dispute with someone watching the residence for the homeowner. Officers could see a firearm in plain view inside the defendant’s truck and upon running his criminal history, learned that he was a convicted felon. Officers ultimately searched the truck and located approximately half a pound of crystal methamphetamine.
“This joint investigation removes another methamphetamine trafficker from our North Florida communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, Tampa Field Division. “I’m thankful to our law enforcement partners for their support in bringing this criminal to justice.”
Sheriff Jared F. Miller, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office said: “Cases like this highlight the ongoing threat illegal drugs and firearms pose to our community. I’m proud of our deputies for their quick response and strong partnership with our federal agencies to ensure dangerous offenders are held accountable.”
When the defendant is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for a period of five years.
The case involved an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 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, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Social media influencer sentenced to 6 years in prison for $20 million Ponzi scheme, tax fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today enforcement actions against violators of tax laws, including a social media influencer who orchestrated a $20 million real estate Ponzi scheme and committed tax fraud to further that scheme.
“As we close out tax season for the year, I want to remind the public that this office will aggressively pursue those who cheat the tax system or otherwise steal from the U.S. Treasury,” said U.S. Attorney Gerace. “We will not tolerate fraud—whether committed against the government or private citizens.”
Tyler Bossetti
Tyler Bossetti, 31, of Columbus, was sentenced in federal court in Columbus today to 72 months in prison. He received more than $23 million in investments from victim investors throughout the United States and abroad. In total, dozens of investors lost more than $11 million.
According to court documents, from 2019 until 2023, Bossetti widely publicized what he described as a real estate investment program. Through his company Boss Lifestyle LLC, Bossetti guaranteed large rates of return for short-term investments. He advertised the investments, often promising a rate of return of thirty percent or more, through social media, especially Facebook and YouTube.
Bossetti also caused the issuance and filing of approximately 14 false and fraudulent 1099-INT tax forms. He filed the IRS forms to report interest income for investors who did not earn interest. Bossetti claimed he had reinvested victims’ interest earnings when in fact he had not.
Bossetti admitted to misappropriating investor funds to further his lifestyle and make purchases like rental payments on a condo in downtown Columbus, frequent travel, a $150,000 Mercedes SUV and various cryptocurrency investments.
Bossetti was charged by a bill of information in April 2025 and pleaded guilty in June 2025 to wire fraud and aiding in a false tax filing.
Tiauna Castro
Also in Columbus, Tiauna Castro was convicted of submitting false federal tax forms related to a pair of sham businesses. Castro was part of a methamphetamine trafficking organization and mailed packages of methamphetamine from Las Vegas to Columbus. While on pretrial release in this case, Castro submitted false tax forms and received more than half a million dollars in refunds to which she was not entitled. Castro pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to the submission of false tax claims while on pretrial release. Castro awaits sentencing.
Christopher Dowtin
On March 10, a federal judge in Dayton found Christopher Dowtin, an Atlanta-area man, guilty of wire fraud and theft of public funds following a bench trial. Dowtin fraudulently received two tax refund checks—including one for more than $32 million—by falsely converting two businesses’ IRS accounts to his name and address. After receiving these tax refund checks, Dowtin then traveled to Ohio and attempted to negotiate the funds into a brokerage account in his name. Dowtin awaits sentencing.
Angela and Shonda Michael
On March 24, Angela and Shonda Michael were indicted by a grand jury in Dayton and charged with 15 counts of willfully failing to pay over taxes to the IRS. According to the indictment, the defendants own and operate Free To Be You Residential Services, LLC, a business in Eaton, Ohio, that provides healthcare and other services to disabled adults. As alleged in the indictment, since at least 2021, the Michaels failed to pay over employment taxes they withheld from their employees, totaling more than $400,000, and instead kept the money for their own personal benefit.
Marshae Love
On April 29, Marshae Love is scheduled to plead guilty to aiding in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns. According to the plea agreement, Love worked as a tax preparer at a Columbus business, and, over the span of two years, falsified tax returns that were submitted to the IRS. Specifically, the defendant filed Schedule Cs with fake businesses and claimed false tax credits for COVID-related sick leave and family leave. The total tax loss is nearly $1.6 million. Love’s plea agreement requires her to pay restitution of the full tax loss.
Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi, Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Amy M. Smith, and Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Twombly, Erica D. Lunderman and Timothy D. Prichard are representing the United States in these cases. These cases were investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI.
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Slidell Doctor Sentenced for $6.6 Million in Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ROBERT TASSIN, M.D. (“TASSIN”), age 67, of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced on April 9, 2026, for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1347 and 1349, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic (“CGx”) tests, announced United States 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, TASSIN worked for several purported telemedicine companies. From approximately February through September of 2019, TASSIN, through the purported telemedicine companies, signed doctors’ orders for CGx tests for Medicare beneficiaries he never saw, spoke to, or otherwise treated. As a result, TASSIN’s orders resulted in over $6.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, of which Medicare reimbursed over $2 million. To conceal and perpetuate the fraud, TASSIN made several false and fraudulent statements in support of the orders he submitted, including falsely certifying in medical records that the CGx tests were medically necessary for the patients’ treatment. In exchange for electronically reviewing patient charts and ordering CGx tests, TASSIN was paid a set fee per doctor’s order, typically $30.
Unites States District Judge Barry W. Ashe sentenced TASSIN to three years of probation, with the first twelve months to be served in home confinement, and a ban on participating in a healthcare business during probation without prior approval from United States Probation. Consistent with the plea agreement, Judge Ashe also ordered TASSIN to pay restitution of $2,043,542.23 to Medicare; $106,757 in forfeiture (which TASSIN paid the day of sentencing); and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorneys Kelly Walters and Zakeria Haidary of the Fraud Division’s Healthcare Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, for the Eastern District of Louisiana, prosecuted the case.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced for Fentanyl PossessionRead the Press Release
A man who possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl was sentenced today to over 12 years in federal prison.
Alfredo Soberanes, Age 31, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 4, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In a plea agreement, Soberanes admitted that around midnight on August 31, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on his vehicle but he drove away as officers approached. Law enforcement did not pursue the vehicle but went to the address in Sioux City associated with the vehicle registration. Law enforcement were given permission to search the residence where they located Soberanes hiding in the basement. Found in Soberanes’ possession at arrest was methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, a digital scale, and over 2,500 pills marked “M-30” which contained fentanyl. For possessing the methamphetamine, defendant was charged by the State and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment but ultimately served a total of 620 days before he was federally indicted for possession with intent to deliver fentanyl.
Soberanes was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Soberanes was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment but was given credit for 620 days he had served on the related State conviction. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-04046. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced for Years-Long Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Rhode Island man was sentenced yesterday to 28 months in prison for deceiving banks by artificially inflating his company’s sales numbers to avoid bank scrutiny over its excessive consumer chargebacks.
According to court documents, Michael Brian Cotter, 64, of Greenville, Rhode Island, was CEO of a tech support company that operated from a call center in India. In 2016, when banks began restricting the company’s ability to process debit and credit card payments because of fraud and chargeback concerns, Cotter and his co-conspirators began purchasing virtual debit cards to run thousands of sham transactions on their own merchant accounts. In doing so, Cotter artificially inflated the company’s sales numbers to make it appear to banks and their agents that the company’s chargeback ratios — a key metric used by banks to detect fraud — were within acceptable levels. Although this tactic amounted to the company effectively paying itself, Cotter used actual customer personal identifying information, without customers’ knowledge or consent, to disguise the transactions from banks by making them appear like legitimate sales.
Cotter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group (USPIS CIG) made the announcement.
The USPIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Jason Feldman and Shana Priore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Cocaine, MDMA, KetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cranston, R.I., man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in distributing cocaine, MDMA and ketamine.
Lengsy Prum, a/k/a, “Leon,” 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2026. Prum was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025.
In June 2024, Prum was identified as a Rhode Island-based distributor of cocaine, MDMA and ketamine. On three occasions between July and August 2024, Prum distributed ketamine to undercover law enforcement – personally delivering the ketamine in the parking lot of a home improvement store in Attleboro, Mass. In total, Prum distributed 3.2 kilograms of ketamine to undercover law enforcement. During an August 2024 search of Prum’s residence in Cranston, six kilograms of ketamine, 6.6 kilograms of cocaine and 4.2 kilograms of MDMA were recovered.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 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; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Walpole Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Retired Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Agrees to Plead Guilty to PPP FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A retired Sergeant for the Massachusetts State Police has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to allegedly fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program loan, which was later forgiven.
Damian Halfkenny, 54, of Boston, was charged with one count of wire fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the court.
According to the charging document, in 2021, Halfkenny was employed full-time as a Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police. He also owned and rented several real estate properties, a business for which he had no employees. It is alleged that in March 2021, Halfkenny submitted a PPP loan application for his real estate business, falsely representing that he had a monthly payroll expense of $8,488. In support of this application, Halfkenny allegedly provided a fabricated IRS Schedule C. Based on his alleged misrepresentations, the U.S. Small Business Administration issued Halfkenny, and later forgave, a $21,220 PPP loan.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm While out on ParoleRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for committing a firearm violation while he was out on parole for a separate, but similar, offense.
John Ward, of Maple Heights, Ohio, has been sentenced to 129 months (10.75 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after pleading guilty in December 2025 to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, in August 2025, law enforcement was conducting a liquor law compliance inspection at a bar in Cleveland when they observed several individuals consuming alcohol outside the establishment. As they approached the group, one man, later identified as Ward, moved away toward a vehicle. Officers then heard a hard object hit the ground. The object recovered near the vehicle was found to be an FN, Model 509, 9mm caliber pistol, loaded with 17 rounds in a 24-round magazine. Agents noted that Ward appeared highly intoxicated and was taken into custody. The investigation further revealed that Ward had previous convictions for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition in 2022, and for Aggravated Robbery in 2010.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie A. Wojtasik and Scott C. Zarzycki for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Leads to Federal Charges Against Michigan Man for $5 Million Plus Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Federal law enforcement arrested West Bloomfield, Michigan resident Randon “Romero” Williams, who is charged by complaint with wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly defrauding financial institutions and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
“These efforts are the first fruits of President Donald J. Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and come on the heels of the establishment of the new National Fraud Enforcement Division working under Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. “We will zealously prosecute any thief who steals from the hardworking American taxpayer,” said Gorgon.
“The National Fraud Enforcement Division is ensuring that those who steal from taxpayers are held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald, of the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The complaint alleges that between approximately April 2020 and March 2021, Williams, 40, applied for more than $5 million in loans across six applications submitted to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) participating lenders under the names of various businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators allege that these businesses either existed only on paper or that the applications materially inflated employee headcounts, payroll expenses, and gross receipts during relevant periods—key factors used to determine loan eligibility and amounts.
According to the complaint, Williams claimed that businesses with names such as “The Romero Group” and “Step Ladder Construction” employed between 21 and 75 individuals and reported monthly payroll expenses of more than half a million dollars. To support these claims, Williams allegedly submitted falsified tax documents with the loan applications.
“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was designed to be a lifeline for struggling businesses during a global disaster event, not a free-for-all for any unscrupulous fraudster looking for easy money,” said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “If you think that’s the case, you are dead wrong, and you will be held accountable for stealing from every hard-working tax-payer that pays their fair share. Our expertise is following the money, and we will find you.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Fasbinder and investigated by IRS Criminal Investigations.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
In other news from around the country, an Iowa farmer who defrauded federal taxpayers out of more than $1.7 million in agricultural subsidies, stole multiple identities, and stalked a witness, was sentenced yesterday to 13 years in federal prison. In North Carolina, a federal judge sentenced a Robeson County woman, to 10 months in prison for her role in a half-million dollar covid fraud scheme. And in South Carolina, a former U.S. Department of Energy employee pled guilty to stealing a dead relative's pension.
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.
President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Leads to Federal Charges Against Bloomfield Hills Man for $5 Million Plus Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Federal law enforcement charged by complaint and yesterday arrested West Bloomfield resident Randon “Romero” Williams with wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly defrauding financial institutions and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). “These efforts are the first fruits of President Donald J. Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and come on the heels of the establishment of the new National Fraud Enforcement Division working under Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. “We will zealously prosecute any thief who steals from the hardworking American taxpayer,” said Gorgon.
The complaint alleges that between approximately April 2020 and March 2021, Williams, 40, applied for more than $5 million in loans across six applications submitted to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) participating lenders under the names of various businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators allege that these businesses either existed only on paper or that the applications materially inflated employee headcounts, payroll expenses, and gross receipts during relevant periods—key factors used to determine loan eligibility and amounts.
According to the complaint, Williams claimed that businesses with names such as “The Romero Group” and “Step Ladder Construction” employed between 21 and 75 individuals and reported monthly payroll expenses of more than half a million dollars. To support these claims, Williams allegedly submitted falsified tax documents with the loan applications.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigations Detroit Field Office.
“The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was designed to be a lifeline for struggling businesses during a global disaster event, not a free-for-all for any unscrupulous fraudster looking for easy money,” said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “If you think that’s the case, you are dead wrong, and you will be held accountable for stealing from every hard-working tax-payer that pays their fair share. Our expertise is following the money, and we will find you.”
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is complete, determinations will be made whether to seek felony indictments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Fasbinder and investigated by IRS Criminal Investigations.
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.
Philadelphia Man Convicted of His Second Firearms Offense in Less Than Two WeeksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Arthur Thompson, 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted this afternoon at trial of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The defendant was charged by indictment in July of last year.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on October 18, 2023, investigators with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force (GVTF) carried out an operation to locate Thompson, who was the subject of an active arrest warrant. Investigators conducting surveillance on the 3000 block of North Percy Street in Philadelphia saw two people, who they believed were the defendant and his girlfriend, in a parked car, which drove away from that location a few hours later.
GVTF members maintained constant visual surveillance of the vehicle, which subsequently pulled over to drop off the female passenger. After the male drove off, investigators relayed its location and path of travel to Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) Highway Patrol officers, who initiated a vehicle stop. After the male driver was removed from the vehicle and positively identified as Arthur Thompson, the PPD officers arrested him on the active warrant.
GVTF investigators obtained and executed a search warrant on the vehicle, recovering a loaded 9mm handgun. Thompson had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition.
This is the defendant’s second trial and gun conviction in less than two weeks. On March 31, in a separate case, a federal jury found Thompson guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
He is scheduled to be sentenced for both gun convictions on July 8 and faces a maximum possible sentence on each charge of 15 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Gun Violence Task Force, and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha A. Arena.
Participant in $542,000 Family Covid Fraud Ring Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
New Bern, NC. – A federal judge sentenced Erica McMillian, a Robeson County woman, to 10 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for her role in submitting a false application to the Small Business Administration’s to receive an Economic Injury Disaster Loan.
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.
“We are proud to prosecute this case as a part of the President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. This office will continue to hold accountable anyone who defrauds any of our taxpayer funded programs. This Covid fraudster has learned the lesson – Cheaters.Never.Win.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
Inmate McMillian submitted a fraudulent EIDL loan application for a fictitious business located in Robeson County. To obtain the $150,000 loan, McMillian made false representations concerning the number of employees and gross revenues of the business. She also submitted false and fraudulent tax forms and bank statements. Following approval of the loan application, funds were disbursed into a personal account controlled by Inmate McMillian.
McMillian’s case is part of a broader investigation into a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s EIDL and Paycheck Protection Programs. That scheme resulted in the disbursement of $542,288 in fraudulent covid loan proceeds. Former Robeson County Sheriff’s Office deputy Ricky McMillian, age 50, his wife Erica McMillian, age 46, and their two sons, Dwayne McMillian, age 29, and Derian McMillian, age 27, have all been convicted in the scheme.
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced McMillian to prison. The FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-126-FL, 7:25-CR-113-FL, 7:25-CR-120-FL, 7:25-CR-122-FL.
Owner of Old Dutch Mustard Co. Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison and Company Ordered to Pay $1.5 Million Fine for Secretly Pumping Pollutants into the Souhegan RiverRead the Press Release
Owner of Old Dutch Mustard Co. Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison and Company Ordered to Pay $1.5 Million Fine for Secretly Pumping Pollutants into the Souhegan River
CONCORD – A New York man and Old Dutch Mustard Co., a mustard and vinegar manufacturing company, were sentenced today in federal court for knowingly discharging acidic water into the Souhegan River, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Charles Santich, 60, of New York was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 18 months in federal prison, one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. The Court sentenced Old Dutch Mustard Co., Inc., d/b/a Pilgrim Foods, Inc. (Old Dutch Mustard) to pay a $1.5 million fine and to establish environmental compliance and ethics programs. In February 2025, the defendants pleaded guilty to knowingly discharging a pollutant without a permit in violation of the Clean Water Act.
The Clean Water Act “CWA” prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into navigable waters of the United States without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. According to the court documents and statements made in court, due to a long history of CWA non-compliance beginning in the 1980s, Old Dutch Mustard has been subject to several enforcement actions by the EPA, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (“NH DES”), and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. As a result of these actions, EPA and NH DES have required continuous monitoring of an Unnamed Stream that flows underneath and in front of the facility, eventually flowing into the Souhegan River. Santich and his company sought to purposefully evade this monitoring. The Souhegan River is one of nineteen rivers that the State of New Hampshire has designated as an important natural resource.
“Throughout years of repeated civil and administrative attempts to encourage Santich and his company to follow the law, Santich lied to state and federal authorities and even purposefully built the illegal infrastructure needed to pump his manufacturing waste into New Hampshire’s waterways, pushing his employees to help him violate the law,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “New Hampshire is the best place in the country in which to start and run a business. State and federal agencies tried over and over to help Santich and his company end the pollution that left waterways with fewer fish, and impacted the recreationalists and homeowners who use the Souhegan River. As the result of this years-long scheme of intentional misconduct and deceit, a criminal sanction is necessary to protect the public.”
“This case reflects a deliberate effort to violate environmental laws and evade detection, putting one of New Hampshire’s valued waterways at risk. We appreciate the strong partnership with our federal colleagues in holding the defendant accountable, and I want to thank our federal partners as well as the members of our New Hampshire Department of Justice Environmental Protection Bureau for their long and dedicated work on this case,” said New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella. “Protecting our rivers is a top priority, and our office will continue to pursue all appropriate actions to ensure compliance and safeguard New Hampshire’s water quality.”
Santich executed a plan to elude monitoring of the Unnamed Stream, which was required due to past non-compliance with the law, and save on shipping costs by secretly pumping his excess wastewater into the Souhegan River. In May 2017, Santich hired an excavation company to extend an underground pipe to the top of a hill several hundred feet behind the facility. He also had the excavation company construct a drainage ditch or swale to direct water from the pipe into the Souhegan River. To minimize his paper trail, Santich had the owner of the excavation company alter its proposal to remove references to the illegal discharge pipe and drainage ditch.
For the next six years, Santich directed his employees to repeatedly pump his acidic wastewater and stormwater through the underground pipe and ultimately into the Souhegan River. His employees reported that Santich would fire them if they did not assist in the crime. Santich hid this crime from state and federal regulators by, among other things, submitting false documents that concealed the illegal discharge pipe and by obstructing EPA’s efforts to obtain data about the volume of wastewater that flowed through a sump pump he used to illegally pump the wastewater into the river.
After an evidentiary hearing, the Court found that the wastewater Santich pumped into the river caused environmental harm. Prior pollution from Old Dutch caused fish kills in the 1990s and Santich’s discharges continued to pollute the river and prevent its recovery and the return of acid-sensitive fish and other aquatic life to that area of the river. An EPA Toxicologist also testified at sentencing that Santich’s discharges likely contributed to conditions that resulted in a mercury fish consumption advisory in the area of the discharges.
In May of 2023, state inspectors from NH DES discovered wastewater from the facility, with low pH and smelling of vinegar, flowing from the manmade ditch at the top of the hill on the Old Dutch Mustard property into the Souhegan River. Santich falsely told them that the residue from his illegal discharges was the result of a failed attempt to plant mustard seed, a lie he later had employees repeat to criminal investigators. In August 2023, EPA agents executed a search warrant at the facility where they discovered the pipe actively discharging.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and Trial Attorney R.J. Powers of the Environment and Natural Resources Division prosecuted the case with the assistance of EPA Senior Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Dianne G. Chabot.
New York Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Launder Proceeds for Scammers Targeting the ElderlyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Ivan Wilbur Seales, 58, a resident of New York and citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on Tuesday, following a six-day jury trial.
Seales laundered nearly $1 million in proceeds of a fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims from around the country including Arizona, with numerous victims losing significant portions of their life savings to the scam.
Seals kept a portion of the ill-gotten gains for himself and helped the scammers launder the remaining funds through a maze of financial transactions he conducted either through crypto currency transfers or other financial transfers offshore, to include to India.
The scam organization targeted elderly victims using “phishing attacks” such as fraudulent emails, text messages, pop-ups, or websites impersonating trusted entities like banks and software or tech companies.
Some victims observed a “pop-up” display causing their computer to freeze. These victims were directed to call other scammers who claimed to be representatives of legitimate companies such as Apple or Microsoft. Other victims received “phishing” emails or text messages indicating they had received a charge on their account from Geek squad, PayPal, or an antivirus software company.
These charges never occurred but were sent to the victims to lure them into the scheme. Once the victims called the fraudsters, they were led to believe that these “legitimate companies” erroneously transferred an over-refunded amount to the victims’ bank accounts. As instructed, victims then transferred their own money back to the scammers believing they were returning the scammers the “over-refunded amounts.”
Victims were also lied to and informed that their bank accounts had been hacked or were compromised. Some were also told that money from their bank accounts was directed to child sexual abuse material, pornography, or a gambling site. To further the scam, the fraudsters directed the victims to transfer their money to various locations to “protect” their accounts and/or to “catch” the scammers.
Seales, a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was remanded into custody after the jury’s verdict. Sentencing is set for June 18, 2026.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and New York State Police conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
Learn more about the Justice Department’s efforts to protect older Americans from exploitation here.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-0419
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-059_Seales
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
New Haven Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI today announced that MARCOS ALEX MENDEZ TORRES, 26, of New Haven, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child exploitation offenses including traveling to engage in sexual activity with minors he met and coerced online.
As alleged in court documents, Mendez Torres used the social media usernames “nozuto” and “demoniodedinero” to communicate with girls online. In 2022, Mendez Torres began communicating with an approximately 11-year-old girl in Pennsylvania over the online game platform Roblox. Between 2022 and 2024, he used social media applications, including Discord and Snapchat, to communicate with the girl. Between 2023 and 2024, Mendez Torres also communicated via social media with another girl in Ohio beginning when she was approximately 12 years old. In March 2024, Mendez Torres traveled to Pennsylvania to meet with and to engage in sexual activity with the then-13-year-old girl residing there. He then traveled back to Connecticut before returning briefly to Pennsylvania and continuing on to Ohio with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the then-12-year-old girl residing there.
The criminal complaint charges Mendez Torres with coercion and enticement of a minor, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life; travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with children, an offense that carries a maximum of term of imprisonment of 30 years; and transfer of obscene materials to a minor, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Mendez Torres has been detained since June 26, 2024, when he was arrested by the Connecticut State Police on child exploitation and kidnapping charges relating to a 15-year-old girl in Connecticut. He was transferred to federal custody and appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan noted that investigators are seeking to identify additional victims and encouraged victims, witnesses, and anyone with helpful information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or to contact the FBI online at tips.fbi.gov.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis L. Beyerlein.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Nevada Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Fraudulently Claim COVID-19 Tax CreditsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Nevada businesswoman pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns claiming over $15 million dollars in COVID-19 related tax credits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Adonia Stiles, a Las Vegas-based real estate agent, tax preparer, and clothing store owner, conspired with others to file false tax returns fraudulently seeking refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and sick and family leave credit. Congress created both the ERC and the sick and family leave credit to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
One of Stiles’s coconspirators was Candies Goode-McCoy, who was sentenced Monday to 54 months in prison for her role in the scheme. Stiles had Goode-McCoy file 11 false employment tax returns for Stiles’s clothing store seeking more than $800,000 in refundable tax credits. Stiles also directed 18 other people to Goode-McCoy for her to file over 150 false employment tax returns. Goode-McCoy claimed $15 million in fraudulent tax credits on these taxpayers’ behalf, causing the Treasury to pay more than $7 million in refunds. In exchange for making these referrals to Goode McCoy, Stiles received at least $135,000, which she did not report as income on her individual income tax returns.
Stiles pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false claims. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, 2026, and 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.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John C. Gerardi of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez of the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
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Mexican Illegal Alien Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Noe Zamudio Hernandez, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty in federal court to attempted enticement of a minor and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “As this case demonstrated, securing our border and vigorously enforcing our immigration laws is not just a matter of national security, it is also of vital importance to keeping our communities and children safe from dangerous sexual predators, like this defendant. The Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America was launched by President Donald J. Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche with this kind of case in mind, and we remain committed to devoting the full might of our office toward aggressively prosecuting dangerous criminal illegal aliens to keep our citizens and communities safe.”
According to court records, the defendant came under investigation in 2024 during a law enforcement operation in Panama City, Florida, aimed at identifying individuals targeting children for sexual exploitation. During the operation, the defendant communicated with an individual he believed was a minor to arrange for a sexual transaction. When the defendant was arrested, law enforcement learned he was unlawfully present in the United States and had been previously removed to Mexico. The defendant was previously removed from the United States after committing a sexual offense against a minor.
“This case highlights the strength of our partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office. Together, we identified and apprehended a dangerous criminal illegal alien who was targeting children in our community,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. “When individuals enter this country unlawfully and commit serious crimes, especially against children, we will work with our federal partners to ensure they are arrested and held fully accountable”
“Those who repeatedly violate our immigration laws and prey on vulnerable children will face the full force of federal prosecution, period,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to prioritize the protection of children and the integrity of our borders. We will not tolerate those who endanger our communities by disregarding our laws."
Deportation proceedings against him will commence following the conclusion of serving his federal sentence.
The case involved a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
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 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.
Member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders and two other attempted murders.
Luis Enrique Santana, a/k/a “Chiquito,” 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 19, 2026. Enrique Santana was arrested and charged in February 2025.
The Trinitarios are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, dubbed Operation Paper Machetes, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to fourteen years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. Luis Enrique Santana is the ninth defendant to plead guilty.
During today’s court proceeding, Luis Enrique Santana admitted to his membership in the gang and his participation in a shooting March 2019, where the Trinitarios intended to kill three rival gang members.
Enrique Santana also admitted to his participation as an accessory after the fact to two murders in September 2023. During this incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by a party in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at the people gathered outside celebrating someone a recent graduation and heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including two who later died from the gunshot wounds they sustained. After the shooting, Enrique Santana assisted the Trinitarios in moving the vehicle used in the shooting from Lynn to Lawrence in order to conceal it from law enforcement and destroy evidence that it contained.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five 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; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Man Sentenced to 14 and a Half Years in Prison for Carjacking Vehicle at Gunpoint in Backyard of Chicago ResidenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man who carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint in the backyard of a Chicago residence has been sentenced to 14 and a half years in federal prison.
On the evening of Nov. 2, 2023, DAMARRI CONNER and KENNETH MERRITT carjacked an Audi sedan in the backyard of a residence in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. A woman and her daughter had just returned home in another vehicle when Conner and Merritt sprang from a hiding place and attacked them. Conner punched the woman in the face, causing her to fall to the ground, and then pointed a loaded handgun at her. Conner then pointed the gun at the woman’s husband, who had rushed outside to help his family and calm the situation by providing instructions to the carjackers on how to start the Audi. The carjackers took the Audi and drove off. The carjacking was captured on a home-security video, which can be viewed here.
Conner, having stolen the keys to the victims’ other car—a Range Rover—during the carjacking, returned to the victims’ home on Nov. 14, 2023, and took the Range Rover from in front of the house. Law enforcement was able to track the Range Rover to Conner’s neighborhood and later found him hiding in the closet of a residence, leading to his arrest.
Conner, 23, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm offenses. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Sunil R. Harjani sentenced Conner to 14 and a half years in federal prison. Merritt, 29, of Chicago, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to carjacking and firearm offenses. Judge Harjani scheduled Merritt’s sentencing for June 9, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
Conner’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“Carjackings are among the most personal and terrifying crimes committed in this District,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Conner’s case. “This crime was heinous and violent. The trauma he inflicted on his victims will take years to repair.”
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Second Conviction for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Tracy Daniels, who had just completed a term of supervised release after serving 39 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, is heading back to prison after a second federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This time, Daniels will spend 10 years in federal prison. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.
A federal grand jury indicted Daniels, 34, of Mabelvale, in a four-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On October 20, 2025, Daniels pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Daniels to three years’ supervised release for this conviction. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation revealed that on December 30, 2024, officers with the Jacksonville Police Department received a call regarding an attempted residential burglary. Upon arrival at the residence, officers met with the homeowner who stated the suspect, later identified as Daniels, walked up to the residence, kicked in the front door, and entered the residence. Once inside the residence, the family dog began to bark, which scared Daniels away. Officers reviewed two videos from the homeowner’s video camera that showed Daniels in the home. Officers observed a muddy shoe print on the front door.
After broadcasting a description of Daniels to other officers, Daniels was then observed entering into the passenger side of a vehicle at a convenience store in Jacksonville. Officers approached Daniels and removed him from the vehicle. Officers asked Daniels to see the bottom of his shoe and the pattern matched what was observed on the front door of the residence. When officers asked Daniels to provide his identity, he gave them false names and dates of births. Officers were able to positively identify Daniels through a fingerprint scanner provided by the Arkansas State Police.
Officers placed Daniels under arrest and conducted a search of the area near the vehicle where Daniels had been seated and located a .38 caliber firearm underneath a black plastic bag in the passenger side floorboard. The driver of the vehicle stated to officers that the firearm belonged to Daniels. Prior to transporting Daniels to the Pulaski County Detention Facility, officers conducted a search of Daniels’ person and discovered he had concealed a shopping bag containing a Ziplock bag with approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine and smaller baggies containing cocaine.
In addition to the June 15, 2021, federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Daniels’ criminal history also includes a conviction for robbery and first-degree battery.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Jacksonville Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reese Lancaster.
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Additional information about the office of the
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Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Carjacking a Cabdriver at GunpointRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Manuel Joseph Rose III of San Diego was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison for committing an armed carjacking and unlawfully possessing ammunition as a convicted felon.
Rose was convicted in two separate jury trials in October. First, a jury found Rose guilty of Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Violent Crime. The following week, a different jury found Rose guilty of possessing thousands of rounds of firearm ammunition while being a convicted felon.
“An armed carjacking is more than a theft — it is a violent crime that leaves lasting trauma for victims,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This sentence reflects the serious danger posed when a convicted felon arms himself and threatens innocent people.”
According to evidence presented at the carjacking trial, a cabdriver was dispatched to pick up Rose on the evening of July 3, 2024. After the cabdriver took Rose to several locations, Rose’s behavior became alarming. He started looking around and slinking down in the back seat of the cab. This prompted the cabdriver to stop at a 7-Eleven to ask for help. When the cabdriver did that, Rose said “Why did you go here? Why did you stop?” Rose then pulled out a handgun, racked the slide of the handgun, and pointed it at the cabdriver. As the cabdriver ran into the 7-Eleven, he dropped the keys to the cab just outside the driver’s door.
While the cabdriver was in the 7-Eleven calling police, Rose picked up the keys and fled from the in the cab. Minutes later, Chula Vista police found Rose driving the stolen cab and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Rose refused to yield to police and instead led police on a high-speed chase across multiple freeways. Rose drove so recklessly that police terminated the pursuit to protect the public. Rose eventually ditched the cab in North Park and, when apprehended by police, denied ever being the cab. However, Rose’s DNA and his hat were found in the cab, and the victim identified Rose as the carjacker.
The firearm Rose used during the carjacking was never recovered by police. However, on July 8, 2024 - five days after the carjacking - Rose’s living area was searched. During that search, investigators recovered, among other items, ghost gun kits, semiautomatic handgun parts and two loaded semiautomatic handgun magazines.
The July 8 search of the defendant’s living area also revealed a rifle-style firearm and safe containing more than five thousand rounds of various caliber ammunition, high-capacity ammunition magazines, and various gun-related items. Rose was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition as a previously convicted felon.
While the jury was deliberating in the carjacking trial, a second trial began concerning the firearm and ammunition seized from Rose’s residence. The second jury found Rose guilty of possessing the ammunition but did not reach a decision on whether Rose illegally possessed the rifle-style firearm.
When pronouncing the defendant’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Todd Robinson described the cabdriver’s experience as “horrific,” adding: “No one should have to go to work and face the situation he faced that day.”
“The FBI worked diligently on this investigation and our collaboration with our partners at the Chula Vista Police Department was the driving force that led to a successful prosecution,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “FBI San Diego will continue to engage with our partners to ensure all violent criminals are held accountable.”
“I would like to recognize the exceptional efforts of both our Patrol officers and Special Investigations Unit detectives, along with our federal partners,” said Chula Vista Police Department Acting Chief Dan Peak. “Their teamwork, professionalism, and dedication were critical in ensuring a thorough investigation and successful prosecution of the suspect.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr1586-TWR
Manuel Rose III Age: 40 San Diego, CA
CHARGES
Carjacking (18 U.S.C. §2119)
Maximum penalty: 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine
Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A))
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and a $250,000 fine
Felon in Possession of Ammunition (18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1))
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Chula Vista Police Department
United States Marshals Service
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Man Pleads Guilty to Suborning Perjury in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
FLINT — During the second week of his federal trial on several witness tampering and perjury charges, Omar R. Pouncy, 38, of Flint, pleaded guilty to suborning perjury, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Kay Behm accepted Pouncy’s guilty plea to suborning perjury and scheduled sentencing for July 14, 2026. Pouncy faces up to five years in federal prison.
According to court documents and the testimony and evidence elicited at trial, Pouncy was convicted of committing multiple carjackings and armed robberies in Genesee County in 2005. The trial court sentenced Pouncy to a lengthy term of incarceration. After exhausting all of his appeals in state court, Pouncy filed a federal habeas corpus petition in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in 2013. During the federal habeas proceedings, Pouncy alleged, among other things, that he was actually innocent of the carjackings for which he had been convicted, and that another man, Jaakawa McGruder, had committed the carjackings instead of Pouncy.
On May 22, 2018, the U.S. District Court conducted an evidentiary hearing on Pouncy’s actual innocence claims. During the hearing, Jaakawa McGruder testified falsely that he, not Pouncy, committed the carjackings. During the hearing, McGruder also testified falsely that he had not been offered and was not receiving any money for his testimony or his presence at the hearing, when in fact, Pouncy paid McGruder $10,000 to testify. Pouncy’s scheme nearly worked: the district judge released him on bond and subsequently ruled in his favor. But Pouncy’s scheme was uncovered when employees of the Michigan Department of Corrections found, and later searched, two cell phones that Pouncy was using from inside prison. Text messages on the phones revealed that Pouncy coached McGruder on how to testify, providing him with details of the carjackings and robberies that only the perpetrator would know. The text messages also revealed Pouncy’s directives to others to ensure payment to McGruder in order to secure his testimony in the habeas proceeding.
McGruder and another person who assisted Pouncy in his scheme were previously convicted for their roles.
“This violent criminal lied his way back into our community. He endangered the public and directly attacked our justice system. But we uncovered his perjury scheme. And now the same courts he undermined will serve him justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
"Attempting to manipulate the justice system by orchestrating false testimony is a serious crime, and those who engage in schemes to obstruct the truth will be held accountable,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The defendant’s actions were a deliberate effort to undermine the integrity of the judicial process. Due to the diligent work of our partners at the Michigan Department of Corrections in uncovering key evidence, members of the FBI Flint Resident Agency were able to thoroughly investigate this case. FBI Detroit will continue to prioritize public safety, keeping violent offenders off the streets and ensuring our communities remain safe.”
This investigation was conducted by special agents of the FBI’s Flint Resident Agency and officials with the Michigan Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jules DePorre and Ann Nee.
Long Island College Professor Charged with Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Philip Schuler was arraigned in federal court in Central Islip this morning on a seven-count indictment charging him with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and child pornography charges. Schuler, who was an adjunct professor at Suffolk County Community College at the time of the charged conduct, was arrested on a complaint in January 2026. Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks who ordered the defendant detained pending trial.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant spent months communicating with an FBI undercover agent who purported to be a 13-year-old female child, during which the defendant repeatedly expressed his interest and willingness to have a sexual relationship with her,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will vigorously prosecute sexual predators who target children to ensure they are held accountable and protect vulnerable members of the community from these depraved individuals.”
“Philip Schuler allegedly sent explicit photos and messages to a supposed teenage girl before planning to sexually abuse her in person. This alleged attempt revealed the defendant’s disturbing desire to repeatedly groom and exploit a vulnerable child. The FBI continues to protect minors from online sexual predators looking to fulfill their twisted wants,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As set forth in court filings, beginning in October 2025, acting on a tip from the Decoy Project, lnc., a non-profit organization dedicated to identifying and reporting online predators, a member of the FBI acting in an undercover capacity (the FBI UA) and posing as a 13-year-old girl named “Chloe,” began communicating with Schuler on the social media platform Discord. During these almost daily communications, Schuler engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the FBI UA, including those in which the defendant talked about taking her virginity; masturbated during a video call; and sent her a photograph of his penis. On January 7, 2026, Schuler arranged to meet the FBI UA at Edward W. Cahill Memorial Park in Valley Stream, where upon his arrival, he was arrested by FBI agents. Schuler possessed a key to a motel room that he had rented earlier in the day so that he and the FBI UA could be alone. Law enforcement recovered spermicide, gifts for the FBI UA, and a laptop computer, among other items, from inside the motel room. A subsequent Court-authorized search of Schuler’s electronics uncovered approximately 400 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, Schuler faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Special Assistant United States Attorney James P. Scahill is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PHILIP SCHULER
Age: 53
Port Jefferson, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-77 (SJB)
Leesville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Setting Wildfires in Kisatchie National ForestRead the Press Release
LEESVILLE, Louisiana – On April 9, 2026, Clinton Nathaniel Johnson, a 37-year-old Leesville resident, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison and immediately remanded to federal custody after previously pleading guilty to a felony for intentionally setting wildfires in the Kisatchie National Forest. In addition to his prison sentence, Johnson was ordered to pay $39,094 in restitution for fire response costs and will serve two years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.
“Wildfires pose a grave threat to life and property, and there must be consequences for anyone reckless enough to intentionally set them,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our community is extremely fortunate that no injuries or property damage resulted from the 19 illegal fires set by Mr. Johnson, and we are grateful to our firefighters and first responders for their swift and effective actions. This case shows our Office’s commitment alongside our law enforcement partners to identify perpetrators of this reckless and dangerous crime and hold those perpetrators accountable with felony charges.”
The following photo depicts one of the fires that Mr. Johnson set:
Evidence presented in court showed that approximately 19 intentional fires were ignited in the Kisatchie National Forest between May and July 2025 that investigators linked to Johnson through patterns such as distinctive stormproof matches that were recovered at multiple scenes. Several of these fires burned significant portions of the Kisatchie, including three fires that separately consumed approximately 150 acres, 75 acres, and 35 acres. Thanks to the rapid response and coordinated efforts of federal and state fire personnel, all fires were contained without injury or structural damage.
In August 2025, federal and state agents executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence. Agents located the same brand and type of stormproof matches recovered at the fire scenes during the search, and investigators also recovered video evidence showing Johnson purchasing the matches. Johnson later admitted to igniting the fires by throwing matches from his vehicle while traveling on roads through the forest.
The United States Forest Service investigated this case with assistance from the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Denise Duhon and Ginger Green.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 2:25-cr-00237-01.
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United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Challenging Biden State Department’s Alleged Social Media CensorshipRead the Press Release
The Justice Department this week announced the settlement of litigation alleging that the Biden State Department actively silenced and censored disfavored speech by American citizens, in particular through its now-closed “Global Engagement Center.” The lawsuit alleged that the prior administration funded and promoted private companies’ development of technologies that social media companies and other private entities could use to downgrade, demonetize, and otherwise suppress protected speech online. Among other claims, plaintiffs alleged these actions violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The settlement implements President Trump’s Executive Order, entitled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship,” acknowledging that “the previous administration trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms. Under the guise of combatting ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and ‘malinformation,’ the Federal Government infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens across the United States in a manner that advanced the Government’s preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate.” 90 Fed. Reg. 8243 (Jan. 28, 2025).
“The weaponization of the Biden Administration against the American people who they disfavored is over,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This settlement is righting the historic wrong that they perpetrated against Americans, and today we say ‘never again’ will we tolerate these injustices.”
“The Biden Administration muted speech it didn’t like. But progressive elites cannot oust conservative viewpoints from the public square,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “These settlements are yet another example of DOJ making good on President Trump’s promise to end weaponization against ordinary Americans, ensuring all of our Nation’s citizens may speak freely.”
“The Department of Justice will continue vindicating Americans’ right to free speech,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, of the Civil Division. “The Federal Government has no business promoting and funding tools to censor domestic media or citizens. This resolution ensures the unlawful practices at issue will not recur.”
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas found good cause for plaintiffs to take discovery in support of their motion for a preliminary injunction after denying the government’s motions to dismiss and to transfer venue. Now, the Department’s agreement with plaintiffs avoids the need for continued litigation in this case. Daily Wire v. Dep’t of State, No. 6:23-cv-609 (E.D. Tex.).
Securing the right of the American people to engage in constitutionally protected speech is a priority of the Department of Justice. Additional information about the Civil Division is available at www.justice.gov/civil.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Washtenaw County, Michigan for Interfering with Federal Immigration LawsRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the County of Washtenaw, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia M. Dyer, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Eli Slavit, and the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, over Washtenaw County’s policies, orders, and resolutions that promote aliens over citizens and obstruct the Executive’s enforcement of our Nation’s immigration laws.
Not only are Washtenaw County’s “sanctuary” policies illegal under federal law, the policies shield criminal illegal aliens from apprehension by federal law enforcement. As alleged in the complaint, Washtenaw County’s ban on cooperation with federal immigration authorities has resulted in the release onto American streets of dangerous criminals from police custody who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal aliens convicted of criminal sexual conduct with a child under thirteen years old, sexual assault, domestic violence, and DUI.
Washtenaw County’s policies prioritize the illegal alien over the safety of its own American citizens. The County’s failure to honor ICE detainers endangers the public and places federal officers at great risk. Illegal aliens, previously in Washtenaw County custody but released without being transferred to ICE custody, have been re-apprehended by federal officers only after the illegal aliens attempted to flee from federal officers both on foot and in vehicles. In at least one instance, an illegal alien rammed federal vehicles with his own in an attempt to escape. This chaos is entirely avoidable if Washtenaw County acted with common sense rather than political theater.
“Federal agents are risking their lives to keep Michigan citizens safe, and yet Washtenaw County’s leaders are enacting policies designed to obstruct and endanger law enforcement,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Counties may not deliberately interfere with our efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals — Washtenaw’s sanctuary policies will not stand.”
Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of 14 other suits brought by the Department in the last year targeting illegal sanctuary policies across the country, including in New York, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Boston, and New Jersey.
Acting Attorney General Blanche has vowed to continue bringing litigation to end sanctuary policies nationwide. In keeping President Trump’s campaign promise to the American people to heal our Nation from Biden’s open-border policies, the Department will continue working to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. “Our efforts will not end until every sanctuary city’s lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law and the Executive’s duty to take care over immigration matters ceases,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.
Journalist Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomas Pham LeGro, 48, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The Honorable John D. Bates scheduled sentencing for Sept. 3, 2026.
LeGro, a video journalist, was arrested June 26, 2025, after FBI agents executed a search warrant at his residence and seized several electronic devices. During the execution of the warrant, agents observed what appeared to be fractured pieces of a hard drive hidden under a rug in the basement of the residence. A review of LeGro's laptop revealed a folder that contained 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse. These videos depicted adult men sexually abusing prepubescent children and forcing them to engage in sex acts.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in making the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell for the District of Columbia.
It was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcInland Empire Man Federally Charged with Deliberately Setting Fires that Destroyed Massive Warehouse in OntarioRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with deliberating setting fires that destroyed a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse, causing approximately $500 million in damage, the Justice Department announced today.
Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, of Highland, is charged with arson of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce and used in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce. The federal complaint was filed late Thursday.
Abdulkarim was arrested on Tuesday and is in local custody in San Bernardino County. He is expected to be arraigned on state criminal charges this morning in San Bernardino County Superior Court.
According to an affidavit filed with the federal criminal complaint, early in the morning on April 7, Abdulkarim filmed himself setting fire to multiple pallets of paper goods inside of a large distribution center in Ontario. As he lit the fires, he stated, “If you’re not going to pay us enough to [expletive] live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this [expletive].”
The fires Abdulkarim set quickly consumed the building, resulting in its destruction and causing approximately $500 million in damage.
Abdulkarim posted videos of himself on social media setting the fires. He further made statements to others on the telephone and via text messages related to his motive for setting the building on fire, including the following: “I just cost these [expletive] billions,” “1% is a [expletive] joke,” and “All you had to do was pay us enough to live. Pay us more of the value WE bring. Not corporate. Didn’t see the shareholders picking up a shift.”
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is pursuing a criminal case against him in connection with Tuesday’s fire.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Abdulkarim would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ontario Police Department, and the Ontario Fire Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander S. Gorin of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.
Illegal Alien from Guatemala and Prior Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Illegally Returning to U.S. and Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Joel Martin Mendez, 33, a Guatemalan illegal alien, pleaded guilty today to illegally re-entering the United States and failing to register as a sex offender, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo, Jr., U.S. Border Patrol.
According to court records, sometime prior to 2023, Martin Mendez unlawfully entered the United States. While here illegally, Martin Mendez communicated via texts and phone calls with who he thought was a 15-year-old female—but was an undercover agent. Martin Mendez responded to a “Skip the Games” online classified website known as a platform for advertising escort services and adult entertainment. This site is often used for illegal prostitution and is frequently monitored by law enforcement to combat sex trafficking. Martin Mendez discussed prices for various sex acts and arranged to meet the girl at a hotel in Monroe County, Michigan. But law enforcement arrested him. Martin Mendez pleaded guilty to two state felonies (children-accosting for immoral purposes and attempted computer-internet communication to do a crime) but was sentenced to only 17 days’ incarceration and 5 years’ probation. He was also ordered to register on the sex offender registry. Martin Mendez failed to register as a sex offender prior to his removal to Guatemala. Detroit Sector Border Patrol identified that Martin Mendez thereafter illegally returned to the U.S. and arrested him in February.
“Joel Martin Mendez is another reminder of how illegal immigration endangers Americans. This illegal alien broke into our country and tried to sexually abuse one of our children,” said Gorgon.
“I am incredibly proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our Detroit Sector agents and our law enforcement partners in apprehending this convicted child predator, who had previously been removed from the United States and illegally returned,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo Jr., U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector. “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities. Through their vigilance and teamwork, this dangerous offender has been taken off our streets, making our neighborhoods safer for the families we are sworn to protect.”
This case was investigated by the special agents of the U.S. Border Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Fairchild.
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.
Illegal Alien with 8 Prior Removals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally reentered the United States from Mexico was sentenced April 9, 2026, to 54 months in federal prison.
Julio Cesar Moreno, age 47, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry as a felon.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on September 15, 2025, Moreno was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been removed from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions. Moreno admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission and was previously convicted of four aggravated felony offenses while in the United States. Additionally, Moreno had been convicted of two counts of felony deadly conduct in the discharge of a firearm in Hidalgo, Texas, in 2005.
Moreno was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Moreno was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03047. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
IU Biology Researcher Pleads Guilty to Smuggling E. coli DNA from China Concealed in Clothing ShipmentRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS - Youhuang Xiang (“Xiang”), 32, formerly a post-doctoral researcher at Indiana University and a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, has been sentenced to more than four months in prison, a $500 fine, and one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to smuggling biologic materials into the United States from China. As part of Xiang’s plea agreement with the government, Xiang also stipulated to the entry of a Judicial Order of Removal, which will result in his immediate removal from the United States to the People's Republic of China.
Xiang, who holds a Ph.D. from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, applied for and received a U.S. Non‑Immigrant student (J‑1) visa to perform postdoctoral research in the Department of Biology at Indiana University Bloomington (“IU”), beginning June 12, 2023.
According to court documents, in November 2025 the FBI’s Indianapolis Division began investigating suspicious shipments from China to individuals affiliated with Indiana University. During the investigation, FBI agents determined that Xiang had received a suspicious shipment from China at his Bloomington, Indiana, residence in March of 2024. The package in question originated from Guangzhou Sci‑Tech Innovation Trading, and the shipping manifest declared that the package contained “Underwear of Man-Made Fibers, Other Womens.” Investigators found it unusual that Xiang was purchasing and shipping women’s underwear from China, especially from a company focused on science and technology innovation.
On November 23, 2025, Xiang was interviewed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officials at Chicago O’Hare International Airport as he returned to the U.S. from a research trip in the United Kingdom. During that interview, Xiang initially denied any knowledge of smuggling but subsequently admitted the shipping manifest for the package he received in March of 2024 was intentionally mislabeled and samples of DNA of E. coli bacteria were concealed in that package to circumvent U.S. law. Based on those admissions, CBP immediately terminated Xiang’s J‑1 visa, and he was arrested by the FBI.
During the sentencing hearing on April 7, 2026, the U.S. District Court also heard that the FBI’s investigation uncovered evidence that Xiang was a member of the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP”), and that Xiang lied about his affiliation with the CCP when questioned by immigration authorities.
“Xiang intentionally exploited his access to laboratory facilities at one of Indiana’s flagship research universities, and the privileges of his J‑1 visa status, to illegally smuggle biological materials into the United States. Conduct like Xiang’s circumvents diligent inspection of potentially harmful substances by CBP, USDA, and those agencies required by law to prevent the introduction of invasive and harmful biologic materials into our country. Such conduct poses a very serious threat to public safety and to the health of our agricultural economy,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Let me be clear: The Customs laws and regulations of the United States exist to protect our borders, our economy, and the citizenry of this Country. They may not be ignored at the whim and folly of scientific researchers and academic institutions. Our office remains firmly committed to working with our exceptional law enforcement partners to protect Hoosiers and defend the United States against such grave national security threats.”
“Those who attempt to secretly bring biological materials into the United States are taking a serious risk with public safety,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “Concealing E. coli to avoid detection shows a clear disregard for the law and for the safety of others. The FBI will not tolerate these actions and will ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
“This Chinese Communist Party member exploited a federally funded research grant from USDA to smuggle dangerous biological material into the United States. The sender lied on the manifest to hide the dangerous nature of the shipment. USDA OIG actively combats the illegal import of biological materials, treating these threats to agricultural security and public safety with the highest investigative priority. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement partners like CBP and FBI against trade fraud and stop the exploitation by foreign adversaries of federal grants administered by USDA,” said USDA Inspector General John Walk.
The FBI Indianapolis Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General jointly investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Rinka, Chief of the Office’s National Security Unit, who prosecuted this case.
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IBM Pays $17 Million to Resolve Allegations of Discrimination Through Illegal DEI PracticesRead the Press Release
Today, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the first False Claims Act resolution secured under the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which he launched in May 2025. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has agreed to pay the United States $17,077,043, inclusive of civil penalties, to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with anti-discrimination requirements in its federal contracts due to practices the United States contends discriminated against employees and applicants for employment because of race, color, national origin, or sex.
Most federal contracts contain provisions that require contractors to comply with anti-discrimination requirements as to employees and applicants for employment. As a condition to being a federal contractor, the company must certify that it will not discriminate against an employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, national origin, or sex and must further certify that it will take steps to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to race, color, national origin, or sex. The settlement resolves allegations that IBM failed to comply with these requirements and knowingly maintained practices that the United States contends were discriminatory employment practices.
“Racial discrimination is illegal, and government contractors cannot evade the law by repackaging it as DEI,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department launched the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative to root out this misconduct, hold offenders accountable, and end this practice for good.”
In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that IBM took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government in its investigation. IBM made early disclosures of facts relevant to the government’s investigation gathered during IBM’s independent investigation, including information to assist in the calculation of damages and penalties. The company also undertook voluntary remedial measures, including the termination and/or modification of various programs and practices at issue.
“Merit drives promotion and opportunity. Not someone’s sex or race,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Today’s settlement proves this Department’s commitment to ensure companies are not using taxpayer funded work to further woke unconstitutional practices in American workplaces.”
“The Nation’s anti-discrimination laws are clear and reflect our basic commitment that opportunity, compensation, and advancement should turn on merit and performance, and not immutable characteristics,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna E. Jenny. “When a company accepts federal funding while engaging in practices that sort, prefer, or disadvantage employees on the basis of race or sex, the company is stepping outside the conditions under which the government agreed to contract with them, and we will hold them accountable.”
The United States alleged that IBM took race, color, national origin, or sex into account when making employment decisions, including by using a diversity modifier that tied bonus compensation to achieving demographic targets. The government further alleged that IBM altered interview criteria based on race or sex through the use of “diverse interview slates” and other related employment practices in connection with identifying “diverse” candidates for hiring, transfer, or promotion. Additionally, the government alleged that IBM developed race and sex demographic goals for business units and took race and sex into account when making employment decisions to achieve progress towards those demographic goals. Finally, the United States alleged that IBM offered certain training, partnerships, mentoring, leadership development programs and educational opportunities only to certain employees, with eligibility, participation, access or admission limited on the basis of race or sex.
The settlement can be viewed here.
The matter was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The claims resolved by the United States in the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Greenville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Marijuana, Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Larry Eugene Gunnin, III, 26, of Greenville, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for dealing marijuana and possessing firearms.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that beginning in or around 2020, and continuing up to January 2025, Gunnin and others conspired to unlawfully possess with intent to distribute and distribute marijuana. Additionally, Gunnin knowingly possessed firearms while trafficking the drugs.
United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Gunnin to 180 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Cauthen, III prosecuted the case.Grand jury indicts Jamestown man and Buffalo woman on narcotics conspiracy chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Brandon Murray, 41, of Jamestown, NY, and Latika Saintkitts, 35, of Buffalo, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. In addition, Saintkitts is charged with distribution of crack cocaine and fentanyl.
According to the indictment, between 2021, and September 2024, Murray and Saintkitts conspired with others to possess and distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. In addition, on April 3, 2024, Saintkitts possessed and distributed crack cocaine, and on June 14, 2024, she possessed and distributed fentanyl.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Murray and Saintkitts were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer. Murray was detained pending a detention hearing on April 13, 2026, and Saintkitts was released on conditions.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster.
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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Grand jury indicts Buffalo man on multiple COVID related fraud chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a 10-count indictment charging Brandon Millender, 24, of Buffalo, NY, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and concealment money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine up to $500,000.
According to the indictment, between April 2021, and August 2025, Millender conspired with others to defraud financial institutions, financial service companies, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting fraudulent Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and PPP loan forgiveness applications. The applications contained information regarding non-existent businesses, including payroll expenses and revenue. Millender carried out the scheme by:
- creating, using, and maintaining numerous e-mail addresses using the names, or variations of the names, of other individuals without knowledge or permission. In addition to names, he used social security numbers, addresses, and other personal information of these individuals.
- creating bank accounts, credit card accounts, on-line profiles, and CashApp/Block accounts, which he then used to receive proceeds of the scheme, conceal proceeds of the scheme, and spend proceeds of the scheme.
Affected financial institutions included Key Bank, Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC, Benworth Capital Partners, CashApp/Block, and the Small Business Administration.
In addition, between June and August 2025, Millender sought to obstruct the federal investigation of the conspiracy by attempting to influence an individual to provide false and misleading information to federal investigators.
Between April 21 and May 11, 2021, Millender conducted financial transactions involving property, which included the proceeds of some of the unlawful activity. Millender did so knowing that the transactions were designed to conceal and disguise the nature, ownership, and the control of the proceeds.
In total, the scheme involved over $140,000 in PPP loan proceeds.
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.
Millender was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and released on conditions.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis.
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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Gainesville Felon Faces Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Robert Anthony Yancy, Jr., 25, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.
Yancy appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 27, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
Yancy faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Franklin County Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to over 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Ahmod Talley to over 10 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Franklin County. On January 14, 2026, Inmate Talley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell and possess with the intent to sell heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, possession with intent to sell heroin and fentanyl, possession with intent to sell cocaine, and two counts of possession of a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“We recognize the devastating impact drug addiction and overdoses have on families in our communities. This sentence sends a message, understand clearly: when you sell deadly poison to our kids and families just to make a little bit of money, you will pay serious consequences. Dope dealers lose their freedom for decades. This prolific drug dealer earned every day of his prison sentence, and the residents of Eastern North Carolina will be safer while he’s locked up. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits – Do Right.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
The investigation into Inmate Talley’s drug dealing started after a fatal drug overdose in Franklin County. Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated and determined that Inmate Talley sold fentanyl to the victim three days before the death. Ultimately, law enforcement pulled Inmate Talley over, and found a loaded .40 caliber handgun, bindles of fentanyl labeled “Try This” (like the ones found in the overdose victim’s house) and bindles perversely labeled “Life Support.” Law enforcement searched Inmate Talley’s house, finding a .380 caliber pistol, cocaine, and marijuana. They also searched Inmate Talley’s grandmother’s house, where they found a rifle and 350 bindles of a heroin and fentanyl mix stamped “Life Support” and, apparently marketed at children, “Goosebumps.”
“Today’s sentence underscores the power of coordinated law enforcement efforts to hold drug dealers accountable when their actions cost someone their life,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte. “Through the combined work of the FCSO, HSI, and our partners in the Eastern District of North Carolina, HSI remains committed to targeting those who distribute lethal fentanyl and other narcotics in our communities at the expense of public safety.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. FCSO and HSI investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-365-M-RJ.
Former Veterans Affairs Employee Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Multiple COVID-19 BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with wire fraud.
Jesus Abreu, 38, who worked as a Food Service Worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs from November 2021 until March 2022, was indicted on three counts of wire fraud.
As alleged in the Indictment, in July 2020, Abreu submitted an application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and received $32,400. In the application for the EIDL, Abreu made false claims regarding gross revenues. Subsequently, in April 2021, Abreu submitted two applications seeking Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. In those applications, Abreu allegedly made false claims regarding gross income purportedly earned from a sole proprietorship. To support these false claims, Abreu allegedly attached fraudulent tax documents as part of the applications. The PPP loan applications were approved and Abreu received $41,666. Abreu allegedly used that money on personal expenses. However, in September 2021, Abreu allegedly submitted loan forgiveness applications that falsely claimed the entire $41,666 was spent on payroll. Based on the misrepresentation the loans were forgiven.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office; and Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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.
Former Shallowater ISD Assistant Band Director Indicted for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
A former Shallowater ISD assistant band director was indicted by a federal grand jury for enticement of a minor after engaging in a sexual relationship with a female high school student, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Joseph Macauley Gonzalez, 27, was charged by a federal criminal complaint in mid-March and indicted on April 8, 2026, for the federal offense of enticement of a minor. He is set for an initial appearance on April 20, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Burch in Lubbock, Texas.
“Those who severely abuse trusted positions to prey on children, as this defendant is charged with doing, will be swiftly brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners’ diligent work uncovered the disturbing circumstances alleged in this indictment and complaint. We will prosecute this case and others like it to the fullest extent.”
“The FBI’s partnerships with state and local law enforcement allow us to combine resources and collectively tackle crimes against children. We will continue to prioritize these investigations and support our partners in pursuing those who target the most vulnerable members of our community,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to the complaint, in 2023, Gonzalez began developing a relationship with a female student under the age of 17, eventually using a school-approved app to exchange messages with her. In the summer of 2025, Gonzalez obtained the student’s cell phone number and began using that and another platform to message her. Beginning in October 2025, Gonzalez solicited the victim for nude photos and videos of herself and sent the victim nude photos of himself. He also had sex with her in the Shallowater High School band hall on multiple occasions. Court records reveal that Gonzalez’s cell phone contained explicit messages sent to the victim by Gonzalez. The indictment charges Gonzalez with enticement of the victim to engage in sexual activity through March 12, 2026.
If convicted, Gonzalez faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison up to life imprisonment. He remains in custody pending further court proceedings.
FBI Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency and the Texas Rangers conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case.A complaint and an indictment are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Former Ohkay Owingeh Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A former Ohkay Owingeh Police Department officer has pleaded guilty to using his position to disclose sensitive information about a federal investigation.
According to court documents, on February 26, 2020, Justin Aguino, 31, a former police officer with the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department, placed a phone call to an individual and disclosed that a person that individual was in contact with was cooperating with federal authorities. Aguino made these statements to alert the individual to the person’s status as an informant, knowing that such disclosure could interfere with an ongoing federal investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. When confronted by FBI agents in 2022, Aguino denied sharing this information.
Aguino was released on conditions pending trial on July 6, 2023, but failed to appear for a child support hearing in August 2024, prompting a tribal bench warrant, and then violated his release conditions by failing to maintain contact with Pretrial Services. After the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office offered a reward for information leading to his capture, Aguino was arrested on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo on November 26, 2025, and was subsequently detained pending trial.
Aguino pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and faces up to 15 months in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Region III Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement (Aguino).pdfFlorida Man Arrested at the Cyril E. King Airport with 28 kilograms of Marijuana in His LuggageRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Davaunte Butler, of Kissimmee, Florida, was arrested for bringing two suitcases of marijuana into St. Thomas.
According to court documents, on April 8, 2026, at the Cyril E. King airport U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered Butler’s luggage during a routine inspection of a flight arriving from Atlanta, Georgia. The luggage was then placed on the baggage claim conveyor belt for retrieval. CBP officers then observed Butler retrieve the bags, at which time Butler and the bags were taken into custody. The luggage contained 28 kilograms (61 pounds) of marijuana.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Erik Tate is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury finds Memphis Man Guilty of Distributing Heroin and Carfentanil, Resulting in Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a 3-day jury trial, a federal jury found Steven McCurdy, 46, aka Stephen McCurdy, aka “Kroger Man”, aka “Plug Tunchii”, guilty of distributing heroin and carfentanil, resulting in death. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty verdict today.
On May 11, 2020, victim W.B. and a witness purchased what they believed to be heroin from the defendant, Stephen McCurdy, who the witness knew as “Kroger Man.” The victim and witness then went to the witness’s home in Byhalia, Mississippi, where they took the drugs recently sold to them by McCurdy.
Later that night, the witness awoke and found W.B. unresponsive and called 911. First responders arrived within minutes, where W.B. was pronounced deceased on the scene. An autopsy was conducted by the Mississippi Medical Examiner’s Office, and the cause of death for the victim was determined to be a combination of heroin and carfentanil toxicity.
Another witness called by the government during trial identified Stephen McCurdy as the person they knew as “Kroger Man”, aka “Plug Tunchii”, and as the individual who sold the witness narcotics around the time of May 2020. In his statement to Special Agents with the FBI upon his arrest, Stephen McCurdy admitted to selling marijuana and narcotics, but claimed no one had overdosed on his products.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 17, 2026 before the Honorable Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman of the Western District of Tennessee, where McCurdy faces not less than 20 years or more than life, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Heroin and fentanyl distribution cases resulting in death receive top priority for investigation and federal prosecution, regardless of the quantity involved or the prior criminal record of the offender. We commend the outstanding investigative work of our federal and local law enforcement partners, and we hope this conviction will achieve some measure of justice for the victim’s family.”
"The FBI is committed to removing dangerous drugs from our communities and holding dealers, traffickers, and accomplices accountable for their actions," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "This case demonstrates the power of collaboration and our dedication to ensuring that no community is overlooked."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Byhalia Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bryce H. Phillips and Wendy K. Caceres, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erica Ronquillo, of the United States Army Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Federal Jury Finds San Antonio Tax Preparer Guilty of Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury convicted a San Antonio woman today on 11 counts of aiding or assisting in the filing of a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Natasha Sheree Banks-Brown, 45, owned and operated a tax preparation business named “Tasha’s Total Tax Service,” beginning in 2016. In December 2020, IRS Criminal Investigations began investigating an increasing number of questionable tax returns prepared by Banks-Brown.
The investigation revealed that Banks-Brown filed individual tax returns on behalf of her clients which included false and fraudulent deductions and credits which significantly increased their tax refunds. Banks-Brown never quoted a specific price for her services and said that she would take her fee out of the return. As part of her fraudulent scheme, she used tax preparation software that allowed her to designate returns to be deposited into a bank account she controlled. The client would then receive a portion of the return via a transfer from Banks-Brown’s bank account to the client’s account. Multiple clients testified that they never received a copy of the tax return themselves or reviewed the returns with Banks-Brown, and that they were unaware of her actions. Evidence introduced at trial indicated that Banks-Brown filed close to 1,200 tax returns between 2017 and 2021 that resulted in over $8 million dollars of refunds.
Banks-Brown was indicted on April 3, 2024, and arrested April 16, 2024. A jury was selected on April 6, 2026, and a four-day trial, presided over by U.S. District Judge David Ezra, began on April 7. A sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for July 13.
“Everyone rightly wants to get the best deal on their tax preparation and the largest refund possible, but some things are just too good to be true,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “The public should be aware that tax preparers may have the incentive to defraud the IRS for their own personal benefit and to the detriment of their clients. This defendant abused the trust of her clients to make more than a million dollars for herself and cost the government several times that amount. This tax season, and every tax season, taxpayers should make sure to properly vet their tax preparers and keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior both to protect themselves and the country as a whole from these types of fraudsters.”
“We use tried and true investigative techniques, including undercover special agents, to document what a return preparer does when they think the government isn’t looking,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “In this case, the evidence was very clear that the tax fraud was committed. As tax season comes to a close, be careful who you let file your tax returns.”
IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung and Ryan Groomer are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Judge Revokes Naturalization of Violent ExtortionistRead the Press Release
Today the Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York revoked the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Michael Pizzuti, a native of Italy, after finding that he had illegally procured his citizenship. The court determined that Pizzuti had committed crimes involving moral turpitude and unlawful acts and had given false testimony about those crimes during his naturalization proceedings, all of which prevented him from establishing the good moral character necessary to naturalize. The court additionally found that Pizzuti obtained his naturalization through fraudulent concealment and willful misrepresentations of material fact relating to his crimes.
From July 1998 through August 2000, Pizzuti dealt in counterfeit money, trafficked contraband cigarettes, and conspired to steal a truck and commit mail fraud. He was arrested and indicted for those crimes on December 5, 2001, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. Then, between May 2001 and September 30, 2001, Pizzuti violently extorted his financial advisor after discovering that the advisor was running a Ponzi scheme with Pizzuti’s money. Pizzuti broke into his house, held him at gunpoint, ordered him to maintain the Ponzi scheme until he had enough money to pay back Pizzuti’s investment, and then destroyed computer records to hide his crimes. For that violent extortion and obstruction of justice, Pizzuti was convicted in 2005 (after he naturalized) and sentenced to 17½ years in prison.
“Violent criminals like this have no place in our society, and when they lie about those crimes to obtain U.S. citizenship, this Administration will stop at nothing to correct that travesty,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
But on May 2, 2002 — less than five months after his first indictment and arrest — Pizzuti appeared at his naturalization interview and falsely testified, under oath, that he had never been arrested and had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. Based on that false testimony, Pizzuti naturalized unlawfully on July 24, 2002.
Pizzuti’s naturalization revocation case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the ICE Office of the Principle Legal Advisor. The cases were civilly prosecuted jointly by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Pizzuti’s underlying criminal cases were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason Bloedow, 41, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced on April 8, 2026, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution. Bloedow pleaded guilty to this charge on January 8, 2026.
In March and early April 2025, Bloedow sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On April 24, 2025, officers stopped and arrested Bloedow on his way back to Wisconsin after he traveled to Minnesota to pick up methamphetamine. When officers searched Bloedow’s car, they found a box containing approximately 881 grams (or roughly two pounds) of methamphetamine. Bloedow later admitted to selling approximately 28 pounds of methamphetamine and making $48,000 in profit in just a three-month period.
At sentencing, Judge Conley emphasized Bloedow’s long criminal history, noting Bloedow’s criminal conduct had continued to escalate despite his age. In arriving at a 10-year sentence, Judge Conley focused on Bloedow’s increase in the amount of methamphetamine he trafficked.
The charge against Bloedow was the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, the Dunn County and Chippewa County Sheriff’s Offices, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Dunn County and Eau Claire County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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.
Drug Trafficker Leading Armed Fentanyl Ring in Berkeley County, West Virginia Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced today that 45-year-old Delano Alan Butler has admitted to spearheading a drug trafficking ring in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle. Butler pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, approximately 200,000 lethal doses, as well as methamphetamine and cocaine.
According to court documents, Butler organized a crew of six individuals to facilitate the sale of these substances and maintained a dedicated property located in Berkeley County for their distribution. As part of his plea agreement, Butler will forfeit several firearms connected to the operation, including six semi-automatic rifles; two semi-automatic pistols; and one semi-automatic shotgun.
Four of Butler's co-defendants have also entered guilty pleas and are currently awaiting sentencing. Butler faces a potential prison term of 180 to 288 months. His final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge following a review of U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force was the lead investigative unit. Other investigative agencies that assisted include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Juan, and Philadelphia Field Offices; United States Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Service; Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisville and Chicago Divisions; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Martinsburg Police Department; Ranson Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; West Virginia Air National Guard; Mineral County Sheriff's Office; Grant County Sheriff's Office; Hampshire County Sheriff's Department; Keyser Police Department; Northwest Regional Drug Task Force, Virginia; Pennsylvania State Police; Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania; Winchester Police Department, Virginia; Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Virginia; Virginia State Police; Sunnyvale Police Department, California.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble.
Find the related press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/twenty-five-charged-drug-trafficking-eastern-panhandle
Domestic Violence offender, and a repeat DUI defendant, both illegally present in U.S., sentenced for returning following deportationRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Mexican citizens, both illegally present in the U.S., were sentenced in the last few weeks for reentry of a removed alien, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Both Jorge Velasquez-Sandoval, 36, and Filadelfo Garcia Garcia, 36, returned to the U.S. after two prior removals.
“These cases typify what we are seeing as the sanctuary policies of Washington State prohibit local officials from cooperating with immigration enforcement,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. “Mr. Velasquez-Sandoval was arrested in Snohomish County for domestic violence but was released before immigration agents could take him into custody. When he was arrested again for violating a protection order we were able to secure a judicial warrant for illegally re-entering the United States and keep him detained. Similarly, Mr. Garcia Garcia has multiple DUI convictions and even more arrests. This criminal alien was repeatedly released back into the community rather than turning him over to immigration authorities. It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed because the State refuses to cooperate with federal law enforcement. My office will continue to use the tools we have available to ensure crimes are not committed by individuals who are in United States illegally.”
According to records filed in the case, Velasquez-Sandoval was first encountered by law enforcement in 2007 in the Benton County Jail. In February 2009, an immigration judge ordered him removed to Mexico, and he was removed at the San Ysidro, California Port of Entry. In December 2015, Velasquez-Sandoval was encountered by Homeland Security Agents at Tecate, California. Velasquez-Sandoval was again removed from the U.S. at the San Luis, Arizona Port of Entry.
In October 2024, Department of Homeland Security Agents were alerted that Velasquez-Sandoval had been arrested in Snohomish County for 4th degree assault (domestic violence). Velasquez-Sandoval was released back into the community. DHS was again alerted in September 2025, that Velasquez-Sandoval had been arrested for violating a protection order related to the domestic violence assault.
Homeland Security Agents obtained a judicial warrant for Velasquez-Sandoval’s arrest and took him into federal custody on February 5, 2026. On February 26, 2026, Velasquez-Sandoval pleaded guilty.
At the March 31, 2026, sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, ““It is clear that Mr. Velasquez-Sandoval has no respect for the law. . .. It looks to me that I’ve got somebody who’s essentially committing crimes every time he’s here.”
Velasquez-Sandoval will be turned over to immigration authorities and detained while being processed for removal to Mexico.
In the second case, Fidelfo Garcia Garcia was sentenced April 9, 2026. At that sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “I shouldn’t have to tell you that drinking and driving is serious…. I take that seriously.”
According to records filed in the case, Garcia Garcia was first removed from the U.S. in August 2018. He was found in California and removed a second time in May 2019. In December 2025, Agents learned that Garcia Garcia was arrested in Lewis County and obtained a judicial warrant for his arrest.
In its sentencing request, prosecutors noted that Garcia Garcia has a dangerous history of driving under the influence. “For example, he has DUI convictions from 2014, 2016, and 2025, in addition to other arrests for DUIs that did not result in convictions from June 2015, August 2017, October 2022, and August 2025. He also has multiple arrests for ignition interlock violations over the years, one of which resulted in a conviction. Also concerning is a 2017 arrest for a hit and run of an attended vehicle, which was dismissed after entering into a stipulated order of continuance.”
Garcia Garcia will be turned over to immigration authorities and detained while being processed for removal to Mexico.
Both defendants received time served sentences – approximately 54 days for Velasquez-Sandoval and 28 days for Garcia Garcia.
The cases were investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI).
The cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christine Cáceres. Ms. Cáceres is an attorney with Homeland Security Investigations specially designated to handle immigration matters in federal court.
District of Arizona Charges 171 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 4 through April 10, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 171 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 99 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 62 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 10 cases against 10 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Cesar Arturo Herrera-Moreno, Ernesto A. Vargaz-Ramirez. Herrera-Moreno and Vargaz-Ramirez were charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens, on April 4, 2026. On April 2, a Pinal County Sheriff’s sergeant observed a vehicle driving near mile marker 214 on I-10 that had multiple items hanging from the rearview mirror. The sergeant ran a search on the vehicle’s license plate, which indicated the vehicle did not have insurance. The sergeant initiated a vehicle stop, approached the car and observed a driver, Herrera-Moreno; a front seat passenger, Vargaz-Ramirez; and three males in the backseat of the car. When Border Patrol agents arrived on the scene, they noticed camouflage clothing and carpet shoes on the backseat floorboard. Immigration checks confirmed that the passengers were citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, all unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5144]
United States v. Ernesto Carrillo-Gonzales. Carrillo-Gonzales was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit on April 8, 2026. On April 7, Border Patrol agents conducting surveillance in Nogales, Arizona, observed a subject concealed in the brush less than a mile north of the border. Agents watched the subject run from the brush and get into a vehicle. They followed the vehicle to a Motel 6 and observed both the subject and the driver, later identified as Carrillo-Gonzales, enter a motel room. An hour later, Carrillo-Gonzales drove to an area just north of the border and then returned to the motel room with a second individual. After another hour, Carrillo-Gonzales left and returned to the same motel room with two additional subjects. Twenty minutes later, Carrillo-Gonzales left again and was observed picking up another individual from the brush. He drove briefly before coming to a stop, and the individual got out of the vehicle. Agents apprehended both Carrillo-Gonzales and his passenger and learned that the passenger was a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. Finally, agents conducted an immigration inspection at the motel room and determined that the individuals inside were citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, all illegally present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-07395]
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-060_April 10, 2026 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Dayton man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for mailing methamphetamine, cocaine from Las Vegas to nephew in Dayton areaRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Kuron Evans, 47, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 130 months in prison for participating in a narcotics conspiracy involving more than two kilograms total of methamphetamine and cocaine.
According to court documents, in January 2024, Evans used the United States mail to send a package from a post office in Las Vegas to his nephew in Trotwood, Ohio. Evans used fictitious names for the sender and the recipient.
Law enforcement officials intercepted the package and discovered approximately one kilogram each of cocaine and methamphetamine.
Both Evans and his nephew, Dorian Evans, also age 47, were arrested in Trotwood in February 2024. Dorian Evans was sentenced in March to 60 months in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck; and officials with the Montgomery County Regional Agencies Narcotics & Gun Enforcement Task Force (RANGE) Task Force announced the sentence imposed on April 7 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
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