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9 April 2026
Box Elder Woman Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid CityRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Box Elder woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 30, 2026.
Lindsey Fitzgerald, 37, was sentenced to 11 1/2 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fitzgerald was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. She pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025.
Between October 2021 and November 2024, Fitzgerald and others were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Rapid City, South Dakota, area. The trafficking organization routinely traveled to other states to purchase multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine destined for South Dakota. Fitzgerald made multiple trips out of state with a co-conspirator in order to transport large quantities of methamphetamine into South Dakota. Once here, Fitzgerald both personally and with a network of sub-distributors orchestrated the sale of at least 10 pounds of methamphetamine inside the state. Law enforcement seized over eight pounds of methamphetamine during the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Fitzgerald was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bowdoinham Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bowdoinham man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony offense.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Rodney Skipper, 46, to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Skipper pleaded guilty on September 11, 2025.
According to court records, Brunswick police responded to a Walmart regarding a potential shoplifting incident. Upon arrival, officers were directed to Skipper, who had gone outside to his vehicle. Officers noticed Skipper had an empty pistol holster on his hip, and were told that Skipper had been seen with a firearm in the holster before their arrival. A subsequent search of Skipper’s vehicle resulted in the recovery of a 9mm pistol, a .40 caliber pistol, and a 10mm pistol. Skipper was prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of a prior felony conviction for assaultive conduct.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Brunswick Police Department.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime
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Billings bail bondsman pleads guilty to exchanging bond money for sexRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Billings bail bondsman accused of paying bonds in exchange for sex admitted to charges yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Louis Christopher Ikeda, 46, pleaded guilty to 1 count of use of facility in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering. Ikeda faces 5 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Ikeda was released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Ikeda was a licensed surety producer and bail bond agent employed with Northwest Bail Bonds in Billings, Montana.
In November 2024, Jane Doe was incarcerated at YCDF on several criminal cases pending before the State of Montana’s Thirteenth Judicial District Court. To be released from custody on those matters, Jane Doe was required, in pertinent part, to post $10,000.00 bail.
On November 18, 2024, Ikeda initiated a text message conversation with Jane Doe that continued over the course of the following weeks. Their conversation quickly turned sexual, including whenever Jane Doe would bring up the topic of her bail. After initially telling Jane Doe that he could not post her bond because it would be illegal, Ikeda later began discussing different amounts he would accept as payment. These discussions would typically be interjected with sexually explicit messages. Ultimately, Ikeda told Jane Doe he would accept $300 (the amount Northwest Bail Bond would owe its surety company) to post her bail. The conversation then turned sexual in anticipation of her release.
On December 2, 2024, Ikeda posted bail for Jane Doe. After the two left YCDF, Ikeda drove Jane Doe to an area by the river in Billings and they had sexual intercourse. Jane Doe later described feeling pressured into having sex with Ikeda because whenever she talked about being released from jail he would respond by expressing his desire to have sex with her. She also believed the sexual relationship was in exchange for Ikeda accepting a reduced amount to post bond for her release. Jane Doe reported that after she was released from custody, Ikeda instructed her that if anyone asked about their relationship, she should say it was strictly professional.
In total, Ikeda accepted $200 from a third party to post bond for Jane Doe’s $10,000 bail. However, Ikeda deposited a total of $300 in Northwest Bail Bonds’ accounts used to pay its surety. He later admitted he used his own money to make up the difference.
Subsequent to posting Jane Doe’s bond, Ikeda messaged two other female inmates at YCDF. He discussed bail with both inmates and both conversations quickly turned sexual. Ultimately, he posted bond for both inmates for less than the required minimum premium amount. Both women later reported they believed a sexual relationship with Ikeda was expected in exchange for his posting their bond, but both were able to evade him after their respective releases from YCDF.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Vestal and Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, State of Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation.
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Armed Felon Who Fired into A Charlotte Apartment Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A convicted felon who fired a gun into an occupied apartment was sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert Dale Emerson Jr., 37, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 105 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 20, 2025, Emerson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Firing a gun into an apartment complex where families and children live shows a complete disregard for life and the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “This thoughtless act could have killed someone going about their life at home. Those who terrorize innocent people in their homes will face federal charges, and the Court’s sentence today demonstrates they will pay the price.”
“Today’s sentence is yet another example of the outstanding partnerships that keep our community safe,” said Chief Patterson. “Working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF, CMPD remains committed to ensuring that individuals who endanger our residents with violent and reckless actions are held fully accountable. We will continue to pursue every available resource and every collaborative effort to protect our neighborhoods and uphold justice.”
According to court documents, on the evening of June 22, 2023, Emerson fired between five and six rounds into an occupied apartment complex from his vehicle. At the time of the shooting, a family, including a child as young as a year old, lived at the apartment. No one was physically harmed as a result of the shooting. Once on the scene, CMPD officers retrieved a shell casing from the road outside of the home.
Months later, in the early morning of November 5, 2023, CMPD officers found Emerson asleep in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Emerson’s vehicle matched the description of the vehicle driven by the perpetrator of the June shooting. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and recovered a loaded Canik TP9SF semi-automatic pistol affixed to the defendant’s right hip, loaded with an 18-round magazine and a round in the chamber. Officers also located a dual magazine pouch with two loaded magazines, each containing 18 rounds of 9mm ammunition, on the defendant’s left hip. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a loaded handgun magazine, additional rounds of ammunition, and body armor.
CMPD’s Crime Laboratory compared the shell casing collected during the June shooting against the firearm seized from Emerson. A firearm examiner determined Emerson’s pistol fired the shell casing.
Emerson has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.
Adair County Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that James Michael Young, Jr., age 43, of Bunch, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 2 years of probation for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 1, 2025, Young pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, Young knowingly possessed 244 firearms and 40 rounds of ammunition on October 29, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
8 April 2026
Wilmington Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Wilmington man was sentenced yesterday to 121 months in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”). U.S. District Judge Gregory B. Williams imposed the sentence.
According to court documents, Tyler Ramaley, 32, joined other men on Zoom video chat rooms for the purpose of watching, discussing, and masturbating to videos depicting graphic sexual violence toward minors, including infants less than one year old. During the calls, Ramaley even streamed his personal CSAM collection for others. Following Ramaley’s arrest, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) seized and searched Ramaley’s devices pursuant to a federal search warrant, where they discovered additional CSAM and conversations with others regarding the exploitation of children.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace stated, “Every time Tyler Ramaley watched a video of a child being sexually abused—and every time he helped another person do so—he was victimizing that child all over again. My Office will never stop pursuing those who hurt children, even if we need to chase those offenders through the darkest corners of the internet. I thank our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, whose excellent investigative work led to the arrest and conviction of this dangerous offender.”
“The FBI investigates crimes of violence and sexual abuse against children as a top priority,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “The sentencing of Tyler Ramaley for having knowingly received, possessed, and shared videos of child sexual abuse material will hopefully provide a degree of relief to Ramaley’s victims. Ramaley victimized the most vulnerable members of our society, and the FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force will vigorously pursue anyone who commits such crimes.”
Upon his release from prison, Ramaley will be required to register as a sex offender.
The FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force investigated this case, with the assistance of the New Castle County Police Department, Delaware State Police, and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-cr-49-GBW.
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Wilkinsburg Resident Sentenced Following Guilty Plea for Stealing from Another Passenger During FlightRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 7, 2026, to a charge of theft on an aircraft and was sentenced to one year of supervised release, including 90 days of home detention, and ordered to pay a $250 fine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Jaymer Ferrell, 23.
According to information presented to the Court, on April 9, 2025, the Allegheny County Police Department was called about an unruly passenger vaping on a Pittsburgh-bound flight from Los Angeles, California. A flight attendant told investigators that he had observed the passenger, Ferrell, vaping and going through numerous bags in the overhead bins during the flight. Based on Ferrell’s behavior over the course of the hours-long flight, the attendant believed that Ferrell had stolen from other passengers’ luggage.
Upon arrival at Pittsburgh International Airport, Ferrell was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, and found in possession of a backpack containing the wallet, debit card, and credit cards of another passenger on the flight.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ferrell.
Umatilla County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder, Robbery, and Prohibited Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Umatilla County man pleaded guilty yesterday on the second day of trial to attempted murder, robbery, and felon in possession of a firearm (Armed Career Criminal Act) related to an armed robbery of the Wildhorse Resort and Casino on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in 2022.
Javier Francisco Vigil, 54, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, robbery, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (Armed Career Criminal Act).
According to court documents, on August 17, 2022, Vigil entered the Wildhorse Casino, walked straight to the cashier cage in the gaming area, and handed the cashier a note demanding $1 million. Vigil then drew a holstered pistol, pointed it at the cashier, and threatened to “bathe everyone in blood.” After getting nearly $70,000 in cash, Vigil exited the casino and shot at the responding Umatilla tribal police officer, who returned fire striking Vigil.
On December 19, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 6-count superseding indictment charging Vigil with attempted murder, interference with commerce by robbery, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon (Armed Career Criminal Act).
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
Vigil will be sentenced on August 4, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Umatilla Tribal Police Department, with the assistance of ATF, the Hermiston Police Department, the Pendleton Police Department, Oregon State Police, Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassady Adams and Arin Heinz are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: This April, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine joins the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), communities across the U.S., and sovereign Tribal nations in observing Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is proud to stand with victims, and announces that in Fiscal Year 2025, OVW awarded $9,635,137 to several grantees in Maine including the Family Violence Project, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Partners for Peace, the Penobscot Indian Nation, Pine Tree Legal Assistance, the Maine Department of Public Safety, Safe Voices, and the Next Step Domestic Violence Project.
“Sexual assault has impacts that can reverberate through an entire community. These crimes leave lasting scars, and, as federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens of Maine to pursue justice,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maine Andrew B. Benson.
Victims deserve safety, dignity, and justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine is committed to prosecuting those who violate federal law and collaborating with local law enforcement and prosecutors to bring offenders to justice. Partners in our district have a key role in ensuring victims have access to resources for safety and healing.
We encourage everyone in our district to learn more about sexual assault and take steps to support friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who have suffered these crimes. By understanding the signs of abuse and connecting victims to available resources, we can all play a role in creating safer, supportive communities.
For more information on sexual assault or to access resources, please visit mecasa.org.
The Department of Justice funds essential victim services through its grants. Grantees of OVW andthe Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) run programs that support victims of sexual assault. There are many services available to help victims, including the Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, OVW’s website has a ”Resources for Survivors” page, which lists state sexual assaultcoalitions that can direct victims to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved.
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Two Sentenced in Connection with Fraud Ring That Stole Millions in Government Funds, Thousands of IdentitiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that Ikponmwosa Erhinmwinrose, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Nyerhovwo Presley Agbure, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, each sentenced in connection to a fraud ring that stole millions in government funds and victimized thousands of people nationwide. Erhinmwinrose will spend 17 years in federal prison after a federal jury in Denver convicted him on six counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Agbure will spend 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Two other codefendants await sentencing.
According to the evidence presented at the trial and sentencing of Erhinmwinrose, he and other conspirators including Agbure, applied for more than $90 million in government benefits and stole more than $7.6 million in government benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, multiple state unemployment insurance programs including from the state of Colorado, and tax refunds. The PPP and EIDL are economic relief programs launched by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To obtain these benefits, Erhinmwinrose, Agbure, and other conspirators in the fraud ring used the stolen identities of more than 1,000 victims. As a result of Erhinmwinrose and Agbure’s actions, identity-theft victims never received IRS stimulus payments, received letters in the mail stating that they had to start repaying loans that were taken out in their names, and faced backlash on social media because others thought they had taken out large loans that in fact went to Erhinmwinrose, Agbure, and other members of his fraud ring. To facilitate the criminal activity, the defendants created dozens of email accounts under false names to impersonate real individuals and businesses, worked with conspirators to submit fraudulent applications for benefits, and then instructed a network of conspirators to launder the proceeds through multiple bank accounts before converting the money to cash or transferring it overseas.
“Driven by greed and selfishness, these criminals ran an aggressive fraud scheme which stole millions of dollars from American taxpayers and victimized more than a thousand innocent people,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “The United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Colorado in partnership with the National Fraud Enforcement Division will continue to vigorously seek out and prosecute those who defraud and victimize American taxpayers.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, FDIC Office of Inspector General, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Sonia Dave handled the prosecution.
The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
Department of Justice efforts 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.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Case Number: 1-23-cr-00300-CNS
Twice Deported Ecuadorian National Previously Convicted of Sex Abuse, Other Offenses, Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE RAUL MAITA, 55, a citizen of Ecuador, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 1996, Maita was granted status as a legal permanent resident in the United States following approval of an application based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. In February 1998, Maita was convicted in Westchester County Court in New York of sexual abuse first degree involving sexual contact by forcible compulsion. The victim of the offense was nine years old. Maita was sentenced to five years of probation and was required to register as a sex offender. In November 2000, Maita was convicted in New York of failure to register as a sex offender. In August 2001, he was convicted of driving while intoxicated and for violating his probation stemming from his sexual abuse conviction. Maita’s probation was revoked and he was sentenced to one year of incarceration. In October 2003, Maita was deported to Ecuador.
Maita illegally reentered the U.S. and, in November 2006, he was convicted in Westchester County Court of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. In April 2007, he was convicted in New York of failure to register as a sex offender. In April 2008, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Maita and, in October 2008, he was convicted in the Southern District of New York of unlawful reentry. In August 2009, Maita was again removed to Ecuador. He subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S.
On September 20, 2025, Maita, who identified himself as “Jose P. Maita” and provided a false date of birth, was arrested by the Connecticut State Police in Southbury on charges of illegal operation of a motor vehicle without a license and illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Maita was subsequently released on bond.
On November 4, 2025, the U.S. District Court in New Haven issued a criminal complaint charging Maita with unlawful reentry. Maita was located and arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations on March 18, 2026, in Waterbury. He has been detained since his arrest.
Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for July 2, at which time Maita faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Tulsan Sentenced for Possessing Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced Daryl Delando Jackson, 39, to 108 months imprisonment, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
In June 2025, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers observed a vehicle driving 100 mph in a 65-mph zone. When troopers attempted to pull Jackson over, he refused to stop and led troopers on a pursuit through a residential neighborhood. Jackson drove through an apartment complex, where he fled on foot from troopers. After being detained, troopers recovered a firearm, a large bag with several small baggies of cocaine, liquid PCP, marijuana, and a scale.
Jackson has a lengthy criminal history, including eluding officers, drug possession, burglary, felony possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen vehicle. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey prosecuted the case.
Trinitarios Gang Member Convicted of Witness Retaliation for Assault at Detention CenterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the conviction at trial today of BRIAN HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Malaki,” for his role in an assault carried out at the Metropolitan Detention Center (“MDC”) in Brooklyn, New York on December 3, 2023. The conviction comes after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman. HERNANDEZ is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2026.
“With today’s verdict, the jury has found that the defendant, a member of the Trinitarios, committed this brutal attack in which another inmate was horribly stabbed and slashed across the face,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “They also found that this heinous and senseless crime was committed for the purpose of retaliating against his victim because the defendant believed he was cooperating with the government. We commend the jury for its careful consideration of the evidence, and this verdict repeats loud and clear for all to hear that New Yorkers will not tolerate the harassment and intimidation of any witness, let alone the kind of violence a notorious and violent street gang committed here. Regardless of who you are or who you may be affiliated with, if you retaliate against a witness, the women and men of this Office and our partners in law enforcement will bring you to justice.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
On December 3, 2023, HERNANDEZ and other members of the Trinitarios, while incarcerated at MDC, coordinated and carried out an attack on another inmate believed by the attackers to be providing information to the Government. During the attack, the victim was slashed and stabbed multiple times, including by HERNANDEZ who slashed the victim above the eye, leaving a deep gash and causing substantial bleeding.
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HERNANDEZ, 26, of New York, New York, was convicted of three total counts and faces up to 50 years in prison.
CountChargeSentenceCount OneConspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness20 Years In PrisonCount ThreeWitness Retaliation (Causing Bodily Injury)20 Years In PrisonCount FourWitness Retaliation (Causing Harm to a Person)10 Years In PrisonThe maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Bureau of Prisons.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank J. Balsamello, Lisa Daniels, and William K. Stone are in charge of the prosecution. The team was assisted by paralegal specialist Ananya Sankar.
Topeka man uses federal grant funds as shopping moneyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A former employee of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) pleaded guilty to misapplying thousands of dollars the tribe received in federal grants and using the money to purchase sports memorabilia.
According to court documents, Matthew Waits, 41, of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of federal grant funds.
Waits previously worked for the PBPN as manager and program director of the Diabetes Prevention Program. In January 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) / Indian Health Service awarded federal grants and assistance to the tribe. Waits misapplied more than $5,000 in grant money by using it to buy sports memorabilia, which is not an authorized purchase under the rules of the grant and in violation of federal law.He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Diabetes patients are susceptible to long-term damage to their heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. It was the defendant’s job to teach people how to avoid this chronic disease. Waits took money intended to help save lives and used it to purchase materials to enhance his hobby shop that sold collectables such as Pokemon cards and sports memorabilia,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (HHS – OIG) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Maag and Lindsey Debenham are prosecuting the case.
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Three Former Employees of the Psychiatric Institute of Washington Indicted for Criminal Negligence in the Death of a PatientRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nelson Kuma, 37, Richard Hounnou, 45, and Norma Munoz-Bent 68, all from Maryland, were indicted on charges of criminal negligence and appeared in court yesterday for their arraignment, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
After the arraignment, Kuma, Hounnou, and Munoz-Bent were released pending trial. They are scheduled to appear before the Honorable Carmen McLean on May 29, 2026.
The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on March 31, 2026. It is alleged that on the date of his death, and while in the care of PIW staff, G.W., a 58-year-old male, became unresponsive and stopped breathing. Kuma and Hounnou, who were employed by PIW as psychiatric counselors, and Munoz-Bent, a registered nurse, discovered G.W. in this condition, but failed to timely and properly assess G.W., failed to perform CPR, and failed to provide any potentially lifesaving measures. G.W. did not receive life saving measures for at least 21 minutes. By the time lifesaving measure started, it was too late, and G.W. could not be resuscitated.
Joining the announcement was Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Inspector General Lucas acknowledged the work of those who are investigating and prosecuting the case from the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). They commend the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, who is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia urges anyone with information regarding abuse of a vulnerable adult at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington to call our tipline at (202) 252-0809.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
2026 CF2 005110; 2026 CF2 005111; 2026 CF2 005112
piw_indictment.pdfTallahassee Man Indicted for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Chandler Brittain Smith, 27, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of distribution of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Smith appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 26, 2026, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Smith faces a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on the attempted enticement count. Smith also faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the attempted transfer of obscene materials count.
The case is being jointly investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
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 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.
St. Louis County Fossil Company Operator Accused of Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The owner of a fossil replica company was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently seeking disability benefits.
Scott A. Taylor, 50, is still on probation from a prior disability fraud case. The new indictment, on one count of making a false statement, accuses him of applying for Social Security disability benefits on Jan. 28, 2026, claiming that he had not worked since 1993. The indictment says Taylor has been self-employed since 2014.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Taylor’s disability benefits were initially discontinued after an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Taylor pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to one felony count of theft of government money. He admitted opening Taylor Made Fossils, which made fossil recreations, after having been granted disability benefits. Taylor’s plea agreement says that while he repeatedly falsely claimed to be too disabled to work or perform many normal daily activities, he carried large or heavy objects, did yard work and walked normally while unassisted. On Dec. 9, 2025, he was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $106,923 to the Social Security Administration.
“Individuals who exploit disability programs for personal gain undermine critical support intended for those who truly need it,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Chancellor Melvin, SSA OIG, Chicago Field Division. “Our office remains committed to identifying and investigating fraud, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of Social Security programs and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
Department of Justice efforts 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 core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.
The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting the case.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
On April 7, 2026, Ry Tyler, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced to federal prison after a November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in federal court in Sioux City.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in January 2025, law enforcement received a report that Tyler was accessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on Russian websites. Tyler appeared on a podcast for sex addicts where he expressed a sexual interest in children and persistent thoughts of children in sexual situations. Tyler admitted to recently deleting images off his computer and told law enforcement the images would be considered “appalling.” A search of Tyler’s electronics revealed child pornography, child erotica, and child pornography search terms. A forensic examination of Tyler’s electronic devices revealed over 2,100 images and 5 videos of child pornography. The videos and images included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Tyler to 66 months’ imprisonment along with a 5-year term of supervised release after release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Tyler remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4025. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sex offender sentenced to prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Jacob Navarrette, 34, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In April 2020, a federal judge in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma sentenced Navarrette for possession of child pornography. As part of his sentence, Navarrette went to stay at a transitional center in Wichita, Kansas. In 2024, a staff member found a contraband cellphone under Navarrette's mattress. The phone contained an instant messaging app and messages between the defendant and a person who self-identified as a 17-year-old minor. This minor sent explicit photos of himself at Navarrette's request. Navarrette later admitted to installing the app and using it to speak sexually with many people, including minors.“Unfortunately, Navarrette was back to committing child sex abuse crimes before he finished serving time for the offense that landed him in prison in the first place,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “This case is an example of why continued monitoring of sex offenders is crucial to protect our society and our children.”
Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigated the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sex Trafficking Leader Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty today for her role in conspiring with others and committing sex trafficking of two minors and one adult.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Christy Parker, also known as “Lula,” 28, of Fall River, Massachusetts, used physical beatings, threats, intimidation, sleep deprivation, starvation and other means to coerce at least one adult victim and two minor victims to engage in repeated commercial sex acts in and around Fall River, Massachusetts between January and August 2023. Starting in January 2023, Parker coerced the adult victim to engage in repeated commercial sex acts by physically beating, threatening and verbally abusing the victim; imposing manufactured debts on the victim; plying the victim with alcohol and subsequently withholding it; and threatening to have the authorities take the victim’s 3-year-old child away from her.
Parker later worked with a minor to recruit two minor victims for commercial sex with false promises of easy money. Parker and her co-defendants harbored the minor victims in a house and a Fall River hotel and provided them for commercial sex over the course of two months in July and August 2023. Parker physically beat and threatened the minor victims, prohibited them from sleeping so they could engage in more commercial sex, starved them, and confiscated all of their earnings. Parker’s scheme ended in August 2023, when one of the minor victims called her social worker and asked for help. The social worker contacted law enforcement, and Parker was arrested at the Fall River hotel where she was harboring the victims.
Parker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking a minor. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Restitution is also mandatory for offenses involving sex trafficking.
Four of Parker’s co-defendants were previously convicted and sentenced. Tyreik Reid, 22, and Cory Primo, 44, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking each and sentenced to 70 months in prison. Avvani Jeffers, 24, was convicted of two counts of forced labor and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Tre’sean Reid, 23, was convicted of one count of forced labor and sentenced to time served, which amounted to 8 months in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming of the HSI New England Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI New England Field Office and Fall River Police Department are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Saugus Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Thousands of Pills Containing Meth and FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl.
George Krabey, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In November 2025, Krabey pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. In July 2025, Krabey was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Between December 2024 and April 2025, Krabey repeatedly met with a cooperating source and sold thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. On April 22, 2025, Krabey was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement in Danvers. Krabey was enroute to Salisbury to sell the cooperating source 4,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine. During a search of the vehicle, a shoebox was located containing 5,296 pills containing methamphetamine with a weight of approximately two kilograms.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jared A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Revere, Saugus and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.San Fernando Valley Clinic Operator Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Ring that Sold Illegal Opioid Prescriptions for CashRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A San Fernando Valley man who operated corrupt medical clinics was sentenced today to 216 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking ring that sold thousands of illegal opioid prescriptions for cash.
Justin Douglas Cozart, 48, of Woodland Hills, who operated and supervised the ChiroMed medical clinics, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter.
In February 2025, at the conclusion of a five-day trial, a federal jury found Cozart guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of concealment money laundering.
From 2017 to January 2020, Cozart and others knowingly and intentionally participated in a conspiracy to distribute the opioid painkiller oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
Cozart operated several medical clinics in Southern California. Other members of the conspiracy recruited sham patients to go to Cozart’s clinics – including ones in Inglewood, Santa Ana, and Anaheim – to obtain oxycodone prescriptions. Cozart employed doctors at the clinic, including John Korzelius, 74, a.k.a. “Dr. K,” of Long Beach, who wrote oxycodone prescriptions for the fake patients. The recruiters then paid Cozart for the fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions.
Upon obtaining the prescriptions from the clinic, the recruiters took the sham patients to a pharmacy to fill the prescriptions. After collecting and consolidating the pills, co-conspirators shipped them to a drug customer in the Boston area, for distribution on the black market. On two occasions in October and December 2018, parcels containing their consolidated pills were seized by law enforcement.
In November and December of 2019, at a clinic in Inglewood, Korzelius issued prescriptions for 60 30 milligram oxycodone pills – the highest dose of short-acting oxycodone available and the dose most popular among drug abusers – to a patient who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer.
Korzelius did not conduct a physical examination of this “patient” and instructed the undercover officer to not fill the prescription at a large pharmacy such as Walmart or CVS.
“[Cozart] was a primary, illegal source of supply of oxycodone, a dangerous and frequently abused drug, for an organization that was shipping thousands of pills across the country for sale,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He converted otherwise lawful chiropractic clinics into drug trafficking businesses, and pulled their existing employees…into his scheme.”
In total, prosecutors in this case have secured nine convictions.
Korzelius pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. His California medical license expired in December 2020. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 8.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Torrance Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalind Wang and Brian Yang of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Firing Machine Gun Near Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio man who prompted a military response by firing a weapon outside Lackland Air Force Base in 2024 was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for possession of a machine gun and unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Joseph Anthony Jimenez, 20, fired a stolen 9mm pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD) into a field near Lackland Air Force Base on two separate occasions on Aug. 17, 2024. Also known as a “Glock switch,” an MCD allows a firearm to fire as a fully automatic weapon. An MCD is defined as a machinegun under the National Firearms Act, even when not installed. Jimenez admitted to accidently shooting his friend later that same day, then throwing the MCD-equipped handgun over the perimeter fence of an apartment complex.
Jimenez was arrested on a state warrant on Aug. 29, 2024. He was federally indicted with possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered firearm on Nov. 6, 2024, and transferred to federal custody on Nov. 21, 2024. On Dec. 3, 2025, Jimenez pleaded guilty to both charges.
“Beyond the basics of responsible gun ownership, everyone must understand the dangers of machinegun conversion devices,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “This individual set an example of what not to do, and he should feel fortunate that the consequences of his actions were not far worse, even deadly. Thanks to the response from the JBSA Defenders, along with the subsequent investigation by local and federal authorities, Jimenez is being held accountable for his poor decisions and violations of federal law.”
“The illegal possession and use of a machinegun conversion device represents a serious threat to public safety,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. “These devices turn otherwise lawful firearms into fully automatic weapons, dramatically increasing the potential for mass harm. ATF remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who endanger our communities through the use of illegal firearms and conversion devices.”
The ATF, FBI, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Air Force 502nd Security Forces Group, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka prosecuted the case.
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Rochester man pleads guilty to drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Juan Sosa, 30, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon N. Gonzalez, who is handling the case, stated that on May 22, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Sosa’s Northlane Drive residence, during which they seized approximately 193 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, approximately 142 grams of cocaine, approximately 16 grams of dipentylone, $4,813 in cash, a loaded pistol, an assault rifle with a sawed-off barrel, and drug paraphernalia. The warrant, executed as part of a large-scale narcotics trafficking investigation, was one of multiple warrants executed at locations throughout Monroe County. Sosa has three prior felony convictions in Monroe County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Webster Police Department, under the direction of Dennis Kohlmeier, Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Catholdi, the New York State Police, under the direction Major Amie Feroleto, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County Crime Analysis Center.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 21, 2026, before Judge Wolford.
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Previously Deported Guatemalan National with Murder for Hire Conviction Admits Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced MARIO RAMIRO ARAGON-RUANO, also known as Mario Ramiro Aragon and Jose Juana-Zapata, 43, a citizen of Guatemala, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2006, Aragon-Ruano, using the name Jose Juana-Zapata, was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona. He was deported to Guatemala later that month and warned that he could not return to the U.S. for a period of five years. He subsequently reentered the U.S. and was arrested in 2007.
In August 2008, Aragon-Ruano was convicted, under the name Mario Ramiro Aragon, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on a federal charge of murder for hire, and was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment. In September 2013, he was again deported to Guatemala.
In July 2019, U.S. Border Patrol encountered Aragon-Ruano in Arizona. In January 2020, he was convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported and he was sentenced to 13 months and one day of imprisonment. He was deported to Guatemala a third time in July 2020.
Aragon-Ruano subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. On January 10, 2026, he was arrested by Waterbury Police and charged with criminal trespass in the first degree and breach of peace in the second degree. After Aragon-Ruano was released on bond on those state charges, he was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations on January 12, 2026, in Waterbury.
Aragon-Ruano has been detained since his arrest. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for July 1, 2026, at which time Aragon-Ruano faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Phoenix Man Sentenced for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Phoenix man was sentenced to 108 months in prison for sexually abusing a minor.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in 2019, Jeremy Blueeyes, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual contact with a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12.
Blueeyes subsequently pled guilty to abusive sexual contact of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Blueeyes will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Acting 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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Personal Assistant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding her Elderly EmployersRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Catalina Corona pleaded guilty to wire fraud after stealing nearly $10 million from her employers, an elderly married couple from Long Island, New York. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. When sentenced, Corona faces a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, as well as restitution and fines.
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 guilty plea.
“Today’s guilty plea means the defendant has been held accountable for a calculated scheme that siphoned nearly $10 million from the very employers who trusted her,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will continue to pursue those who exploit positions of trust for personal gain and ensure they face the consequences for their deception and fraud.”
“Catalina Corona stole nearly $10 million from an elderly couple who entrusted her with their care to fund her lavish shopping habits. The FBI is committed to holding accountable individuals who abuse positions of trust out of selfish greed,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As set forth in court filings, between approximately 2017 and 2024, while working as a personal assistant to an elderly married couple (the Victims), Corona repeatedly deposited hundreds of checks written out to cash—made payable to herself—from the Victims’ bank accounts without their knowledge or consent. In total, Corona stole nearly $10 million, which she used to pay her credit card bills and to purchase luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Gucci and other high-end brands. Many of these transactions took place in Queens and on Long Island.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca M. Urquiola is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
CATALINA CORONA
Age: 62
Corona, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-78 (NGG)
Pakistani National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Commit ISIS-Inspired Attack at Jewish Center in New YorkRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as “Shahzeb Jadoon,” pleaded guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 12, 2026.
“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Khan declared that New York City was the ‘perfect’ venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law.”
“Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan’s plan was disrupted before he reached the United States. Today’s guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City. We will continue to ensure the safety of religious groups who have the fundamental right to gather peaceably and without fear of harm. That’s what New Yorkers want and that’s the American way.”
“Khan planned to illegally enter the United States and conduct an ISIS-inspired attack on the Jewish community around the one-year anniversary of the attacks in Israel by Hamas,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “With this guilty plea, he will now face the consequences of planning a mass shooting in New York City that might have killed or injured many people. I want to thank the FBI teams and our partners for their work to prevent an attack and to bring this individual to justice.”
“Muhammad Khan targeted a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn to honor the October 7th anniversary by attempting to conduct what he hoped would be the largest terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11,” said Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI New York Field Office. “Khan planned to inflict significant casualties and fear before he was intercepted 12 miles from our northern border. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stand alongside our local law enforcement partners to defend our city from terrorists seeking to harm any of our citizens.”
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city’s Jewish community,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack. This case is yet another example of the sophisticated work that the NYPD does to protect our communities from harm and our ongoing commitment to stop hate-fueled violence.”
As alleged in the charging instruments and other public filings:
In or about November 2023, Khan, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Khan subsequently began planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to Khan, were undercover officers (the UCs). Khan told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].”[1] Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack.
In or about August 2024, Khan changed his target to New York City, telling the UCs that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York (Location-1). Khan conveyed that he hoped to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal and deadly terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. Khan told the UCs that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population in america,” and, as such, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan told the UCs that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where Khan planned to carry out his attack. In the days that followed, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS. During one such communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about Sept. 4, 2024, Khan attempted to reach the U.S.-Canada border using a human smuggler. Khan traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada, toward the United States, before he was stopped and arrested in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
Khan, 21, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The potential maximum penalty in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles and Chicago Field Offices, the New York State Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division worked with authorities in Canada to secure the arrest and June 2025 extradition of Khan. Mr. Clayton also thanked our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
[1] “Chabad” is a branch of Hasidic Judaism, as well as a movement that operates Jewish religious and educational institutions around the world.
Pakistani National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Commit Isis-Inspired Attack at Jewish Center in New YorkRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, Acting Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Coult Markovsky, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a/k/a “Shahzeb Jadoon,” pled guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. KHAN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2026.
“Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan’s plan was disrupted before he reached the United States. Today’s guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City. We will continue to ensure the safety of religious groups who have the fundamental right to gather peaceably and without fear of harm. That’s what New Yorkers want and that’s the American way.”
“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Khan declared that New York City was the ‘perfect’ venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law.”
“Khan planned to illegally enter the United States and conduct an ISIS-inspired attack on the Jewish community around the one-year anniversary of the attacks in Israel by Hamas,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “With this guilty plea, he will now face the consequences of planning a mass shooting in New York City that might have killed or injured many people. I want to thank the FBI teams and our partners for their work to prevent an attack and to bring this individual to justice.”
“Muhammad Khan targeted a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn to honor the October 7th anniversary by attempting to conduct what he hoped would be the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11,” said FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Khan planned to inflict significant casualties and fear before he was intercepted 12 miles from our northern border. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stand alongside our local law enforcement partners to defend our city from terrorists seeking to harm any of our citizens.”
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city’s Jewish community,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack. This case is yet another example of the sophisticated work that the NYPD does to protect our communities from harm and our ongoing commitment to stop hate-fueled violence.”
As alleged in the charging instruments and other public filings:
In or about November 2023, KHAN, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. KHAN subsequently began planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to KHAN, were undercover officers (the “UCs”). KHAN told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate (“Associate-1”) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (“City-1”) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].”[1] KHAN repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. KHAN also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack.
In or about August 2024, KHAN changed his target to New York City, telling the UCs that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York (“Location-1”). KHAN conveyed that he hoped to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024—which KHAN recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal and deadly terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. KHAN told the UCs that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population in america,” and, as such, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” KHAN told the UCs that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where KHAN planned to carry out his attack. In the days that followed, KHAN continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS. During one such communication, KHAN noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about September 4, 2024, KHAN attempted to reach the U.S.-Canada border using a human smuggler. KHAN traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada, toward the United States, before he was stopped and arrested in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
* * *
KHAN, 21, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, pled guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The potential maximum sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles and Chicago Field Offices, the New York State Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division worked with authorities in Canada to secure the arrest and June 2025 extradition of KHAN. Mr. Clayton also thanked our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
[1] “Chabad” is a branch of Hasidic Judaism, as well as a movement that operates Jewish religious and educational institutions around the world.
North Hollywood Drug Dealer Who Sold Ketamine that Killed Actor Matthew Perry Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley woman was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for her long-running drug dealing activities, including selling ketamine that contributed to at least two deaths, including the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023.
Jasveen Sangha, 42, a.k.a. “Ketamine Queen,” of North Hollywood, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett.
Sangha pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Sangha is a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom and has been in federal custody since August 2024.
“For years…Sangha operated a high-volume drug trafficking business out of her North Hollywood residence,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “To cultivate her business, [Sangha] marketed herself as an exclusive dealer who catered to high-profile Hollywood clientele…While [Sangha] worked to expand and profit from her drug trafficking, she knew – and disregarded – the grave harm her conduct was causing.”
According to court documents, Sangha worked with Erik Fleming, 56, of Hawthorne, to knowingly distribute ketamine to Perry, a successful actor and author whose struggles with drug addiction were well documented. In October 2023, Sangha and Fleming sold Perry 51 vials of ketamine, which were provided to Kenneth Iwamasa, 61, of Toluca Lake, Perry’s live-in personal assistant.
Leading up to Perry’s death, Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that Sangha supplied to Fleming. Specifically, on October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of Sangha’s ketamine, which caused Perry’s death.
After learning from news reports of Perry’s death, Sangha called Fleming on the Signal app to discuss how to distance themselves from it. That day, Sangha updated the settings on the Signal apps to automatically delete her messages with Fleming. She further instructed Fleming to “Delete all our messages.”
Two days after Perry’s death, Fleming left Sangha a voicemail on Signal and texted, “Please call . . . Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry]. Only his Assistant. So the Assistant was the enabler. Also they are doing a 3 month tox screening . . . Does K stay in your system or is it immediately flushed out[?].”
In August 2019, Sangha sold four vials ketamine to victim Cody McLaury, who died hours later from a drug overdose.
In March 2024, law enforcement searched the residence and found thousands of pressed methamphetamine pills, 79 vials of liquid ketamine, MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets, counterfeit Xanax pills, baggies containing powdered ketamine and cocaine, and other drug trafficking items such as a gold money counting machine, a scale, a wireless signal and hidden camera detector, drug packaging materials, and $5,723 in cash.
Sangha also used her North Hollywood residence to store, package, and distribute narcotics, including ketamine and methamphetamine, since at least June 2019.
Besides Sangha, the following defendants have been sentenced in this case:
- Salvador Plasencia, 44, a.k.a. “Dr. P,” of Santa Monica, is serving a 30-month prison sentence after pleading guilty in July 2025 to four counts of distribution of ketamine. He surrendered his California medical license in September 2025. Plasencia repeatedly sold vials of ketamine to Perry despite knowing Perry’s well-documented history of drug addiction and that Perry’s personal assistant was administering the drug without medical training or supervision.
- Mark Chavez, 55, of San Diego, was sentenced to three years of probation, eight months of home detention, and was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Chavez operated a ketamine clinic and sold the drug to Plasencia, who then distributed it to Perry. Chavez surrendered his medical license in November 2024.
Iwamasa and Fleming are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. Each of them pleaded guilty in August 2024 to federal narcotics charges.
The Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the National Security Division and Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On April 7, 2026, DAVID LOUIS IV (“LOUIS”), age 23, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). United States District Judge Darrell J. Papillion sentenced LOUIS to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment. The Court’s sentence will run consecutively to a yet to be determined sentence imposed in a pending state prosecution for possessing contraband in jail. The Court’s sentence will also run concurrently with sentences yet to be imposed for probation violations in two separate state court matters, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court records, on April 15, 2025, the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) detectives conducting surveillance near Conrad Park, located in the 3400 block of Hamilton Street, in New Orleans, observed LOUIS and a female associate enter Conrad Park. LOUIS had a black backpack from which he removed marijuana and began smoking the marijuana while talking with his associate. LOUIS alsoremoved a black pistol from his waistband area.
A silver Nissan Altima, being driven by LOUIS’s girlfriend, and occupied by another adult female, and minors, arrived at the park. LOUIS approached the Altima and engaged in a verbal argument with the vehicle’s occupants. During the argument, LOUIS removed the pistol from his waistband and waived it in the air. NOPD officers arrived after seeing LOUIS in possession of the firearm. Observing the officer’s approach, LOUIS entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle. While inside the Altima, LOUIS placed his pistol, a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an extended magazine, loaded with twenty-two (22) live rounds of ammunition, and his black backpack on the driver’s side floorboard, where the driver was seated.
During a search of the Nissan Altima, NOPD detectives recovered LOUIS’s pistol and backpack from the driver’s side floorboard. LOUIS’s backpack contained three (3) live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; a magazine containing eleven (11) live .40 caliber rounds of ammunition; a clear plastic bag containing marijuana; and a Louisiana identification card in LOUIS’s name.
LOUIS is a convicted felon and is federally prohibited from possessing firearms.
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).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Jersey Tax Preparer Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for $170 Million COVID-19 Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK N.J. – A New Jersey tax preparer who sought more than $170 million in fraudulent COVID-19-related tax refunds was sentenced today to 144 Months in prison and 5 years of supervised release before the Honorable William J. Martini, in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Haynes was also ordered to pay more than $55 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Following a six-day jury trial in November 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, Leon Haynes, 52, of Teaneck, was convicted of 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion. This is the largest COVID-19 tax relief fraud case to be tried to date in the country.
“Pandemic relief programs were created to support Americans during a national crisis, but Haynes—a tax preparer entrusted to help people comply with the law—treated those programs as a personal cash machine. Our office will continue to pursue those who exploit emergency relief programs and hold them accountable for stealing from the American people.”
- U.S. Attorney Rob Frazer
According to documents in this case and evidence at trial:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized an employee retention tax credit and sick and family leave credit that small businesses could use to help keep their business afloat and employees on payroll.
From November 2020 to May 2023, Haynes orchestrated a massive, multimillion dollar scam to exploit those COVID-related tax credits for his own greed. As a tax preparer, Haynes prepared and submitted, and worked with others to prepare and submit, more than 1,900 false employment tax returns to the IRS claiming COVID-related tax credits on behalf of himself and his clients. Each of these tax forms contained a number of false statements. For example, the vast majority of the tax forms claimed a fictitious number of employees and/or fabricated wages.
Haynes and his co-conspirators fraudulently sought more than $170 million in tax refunds on behalf of his own businesses and his clients and successfully caused the government to pay out over $55 million in refunds.
Throughout the scheme Haynes also charged clients a percentage of the refund checks as his fee and requested cash payments. He failed to report the money he received from his clients, thereby evading his own taxes.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents the IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, and postal inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano, Matthew Stark, and Peter A. Laserna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense Counsel for Haynes: Michael Koribanics, Esq., and Vando Cardoso, Esq.
Muscatine Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Muscatine man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 15 years in federal prison for transportation of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received CyberTips that an account, later determined to be associated with Clay Dereck Calkins, 45, received and uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized Calkin’s phone during a March 2023 search at his Muscatine residence. A forensic examination of the phone showed that Calkins used the device to receive, view and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. This conduct occurred during the time that Calkins was on probation for a 2022 child pornography conviction in the Iowa District Court for Muscatine County.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Calkins will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Calkins was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Mexican national admits to role in Black Market Peso Exchange money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old foreign national has pleaded guilty for his role in two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy to move drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Gabriel Arturo Castillo, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, participated in a sophisticated, international money laundering conspiracy to transfer proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States to cartels in Mexico without physically transporting money across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conspirators concealed those funds through the movement of goods between the two countries.
As part of the black-market peso exchange scheme, the criminal conspiracy received large quantities of U.S. dollar drug proceeds in various cities in the United States. The proceeds then were either deposited into various bank accounts or transported to Laredo.
From there, the drug proceeds were sold to Mexican business owners in Mexico who used the U.S. currency to purchase products from stores in the United States, including perfume sellers. Once the businesses received payment, the merchandise Mexican business operators purchased was transported from Laredo to Mexico.
Finally, Mexican business operators paid for the drug proceeds by transferring pesos in Mexico to the drug trafficking organizations. By doing so, the conspirators sought to conceal the source of the drug proceeds and to allow the Mexico-based drug dealers to receive their profits in their native currency, pesos.
“Castillo and his co-conspirators all played a critical role in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering scheme,” said Marck. “This plea is yet another step we are taking to dismantle the financial networks that fuel violence and narcotics trafficking along our southern border. We will continue to follow the money trail until all participants in this organization are held accountable.”
“For years, Gabriel Arturo Castillo agreed to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels are motivated by profit, and these financial facilitators promote their deadly drug trafficking and endanger lives, legitimate business and trade. The devastating effects of this transnational crime are vast and wide ranging. This conviction sends a clear message that the Criminal Division will pursue narcotraffickers as well as those who enable their crimes.”
“Gabriel Castillo played a key role for years in hiding drug trafficking proceeds using complex money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal of the Drug Enforcement Administration San Antonio Division. “Castillo helped facilitate the concealment of drug profits through elaborate laundering operations. But once DEA agents in Laredo started their investigation, they swiftly identified the cartel's activities, leading to justice and ending the criminal schemes that empower their operations.”
“The specific type of scheme they used is called a black-market peso exchange, versions of which existed for decades and can be as complex as the concept is old,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “We were able to follow the money to unravel how merchandise was purchased from U.S. businesses near the border and then sold in Mexico for a predetermined price. You can’t hide your ill-gotten gains from a law enforcement agency dedicated to following the money.”
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing July 7. At that time, Castillo faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
DEA and IRS-CI conducted the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance in this matter. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and August 2025 extradition of Castillo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Amanda Gould are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Keith H. Liddle and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Black-Market Peso Exchange Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A Mexican national pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in a two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy that moved drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico.
According to court documents, Gabriel Arturo Castillo, 52, of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, participated in a sophisticated, international money laundering conspiracy to transfer proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States to cartels in Mexico without physically transporting money across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conspirators concealed those funds through the movement of goods between the two countries.
As part of the black-market peso exchange scheme, the criminal conspiracy received large quantities of United States dollar drug proceeds in various cities in the United States. The proceeds then either were deposited into various bank accounts or transported to Laredo, Texas. From there, the drug proceeds were sold to Mexican business owners in Mexico who used the U.S. currency to purchase products from stores in the United States, including perfume sellers. Once the businesses received payment, the merchandise purchased by the Mexican business operators was transported from Laredo to Mexico. Finally, Mexican business operators paid for the drug proceeds by transferring pesos in Mexico to the drug trafficking organizations. By doing so, the conspirators sought to conceal the source of the drug proceeds and to allow the Mexico-based drug dealers to receive their profits in their native currency, pesos.
“For years, Gabriel Arturo Castillo agreed to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels are motivated by profit, and these financial facilitators promote their deadly drug trafficking and endanger lives, legitimate business, and trade. The devastating effects of this transnational crime are vast and wide ranging. This conviction sends a clear message that the Criminal Division will pursue narcotraffickers as well as those who enable their crimes.”
“Castillo and his co-conspirators all played a critical role in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering scheme,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “This plea is yet another step we are taking to dismantle the financial networks that fuel violence and narcotics trafficking along our southern border. We will continue to follow the money trail until all participants in this organization are held accountable.”
“Gabriel Castillo played a key role for years in hiding drug trafficking proceeds using complex money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) San Antonio Division. “Castillo helped facilitate the concealment of drug profits through elaborate laundering operations. But once DEA agents in Laredo started their investigation, they swiftly identified the cartel's activities, leading to justice and ending the criminal schemes that empower their operations.”
“The specific type of scheme they used is called a black-market peso exchange, versions of which existed for decades and can be as complex as the concept is old,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “We were able to follow the money to unravel how merchandise was purchased from U.S. businesses near the border and then sold in Mexico for a predetermined price. You can’t hide your ill-gotten gains from a law enforcement agency dedicated to following the money.”
Castillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7 and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Keith Liddle and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Amanda Gould for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and August 2025 extradition of Castillo.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.
Mexican National Extradited to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Adrian Weyman-Urbina (37) of Ensenada, Mexico was extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
Eight others were previously convicted as part of the drug trafficking conspiracy charged here, which involved current and former inmates of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) obtaining methamphetamine and heroin from Mexico and distributing the drugs in West Michigan and elsewhere. The conspiracy spanned eleven counties in Michigan, including Alger, Luce, Allegan, Berrien, Branch, Grand Traverse, Ingham, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Van Buren Counties. Further details of the investigation are available in the April 19, 2021 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/pr/2021_0420_Operation_Prison_Break) and the criminal complaints filed in United States v. Luis Alberto Cruz, No. 1:20-mj-00145 and United States v. Carlos Martinez, No. 1:20-mj-179.
“My office went the extra mile to extradite Weyman-Urbina out of Mexico because he set up his drug distribution network while he was in our country illegally, then continued to harm our citizens after he was returned to Mexico. Let this be a message that wherever you are in the world, if you are responsible for the distribution of drugs in the Western District of Michigan, we will find you, arrest you, and bring you to justice in an American courtroom,” stated U.S. Attorney VerHey. “We look forward to proving this defendant’s involvement in the conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime
The Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Michigan Department of Corrections, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office, and the Michigan State Police and its sponsored drug trafficking task forces, including the West Michigan Enforcement Team, the Southwest Enforcement Team, and the Traverse Narcotics Team investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vito S. Solitro.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Maryland Man Admits to Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Temple Hills, Maryland man has admitted to sex trafficking between Virginia and Martinsburg, West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Rodney Dale Johnson, 47, pled guilty today to sex trafficking. According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson transported the victim from Virginia to Martinsburg, West Virginia to engage in sex acts at a hotel. Johnson used threats, threats of force, and coercion with the victim.
Johnson faces 15 years to life. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Love County Resident Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dustin Scott Langley, age 33, of Overbrook, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 86 months in prison for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Love County Sheriff’s Office.
On September 15, 2025, Langley pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 2, 2025, Langley knowingly possessed visual depictions of a minor who had not attained twelve years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which Langley accessed with the intent to view.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Langley will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and Tribal resources to prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
To report suspected child trafficking or exploitation, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at report.cybertip.org, or call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678.
Lincoln County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Waynesburg, Ky., man, Jasper McCann, 43, was sentenced on Tuesday to 120 months by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, on May 12, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by McCann. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement located digital scales, four firearms, and approximately 206 grams of methamphetamine. McCann admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with intent to distribute it to others.
McCann had previously been convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance first degree in January 2013.
Under federal law, McCann must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Aaron Noel, Mt. Sterling Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Mt. Sterling Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Lexington County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Stolen GunRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Trevor Jerremy Jones, 36, of Lexington County has pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and possessing a stolen firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Nov. 6, 2021, a University of South Carolina Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jones after determining that the car tag had expired. When the officer approached the vehicle, he smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a clear plastic bag containing suspected marijuana in the driver’s side door and a large clear plastic bag containing a large amount of suspected marijuana in the center console.
A further search of the car revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol in the glove box. The gun had been reported stolen. Jones claimed he bought the firearm from a friend and admitted that he knew or had reason to know that it was stolen. Jones also had a large amount of money, grouped into small denominations, consistent with the sale of narcotics. Lab tests confirmed Jones possessed marijuana, in a quantity that he intended to distribute.
Jones faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Jones after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the University of South Carolina Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.###
Kansas City Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Jermaine J. Arrington, 42, was sentenced in United States District Court to one hundred eight months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 20, 2025, officers were called to 31st and Prospect Ave., Kansas City, Mo., regarding an armed disturbance with shots fired. When officers arrived in the area, they encountered Arrington, who grabbed his waistband and began to walk away. Officers gave commands to Arrington to show his hands and get on the ground; however, Arrington refused and ran from officers. During the foot chase, Arrington pulled a black handgun from his waistband and tossed it over a vehicle. Arrington was taken into custody afterward. Following his arrest, officers found approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine in Arrington’s front pocket. Officers retrieved the firearm, which was a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P, 9mm pistol that had been reported stolen from Olathe, Ks, in 2023. The firearm was loaded with one round in the chamber and twelve rounds in the magazine.
Arrington, who is a convicted felon, had been found guilty of six prior felony offenses before today’s hearing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Kalona Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Kalona man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 25 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in May 2025, the Washington County Sheriff's Office received information that Alexander Warren Dehogues, 35, had secretly recorded two minor children in stages of undress and saved those recordings to his electronic devices. A forensic examination of electronic devices seized from Dehogues’s Kalona residence showed that Dehogues used the devices to record, receive, and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Dehogues will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Johnstown Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 144 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Jonathan Brunson, 54.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Brunson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of crack, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Additionally, at different times during the first half of 2021, Brunson possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine and a quantity of a mixture of fentanyl. Brunson was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation.Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Brunson. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL FEAST, (“FEAST”), age 31, was sentenced on March 31, 2026, by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, after previously pleading guilty to Counts Two and Three of a three-count indictment, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. Count Two charged FEAST with distribution of a quantity of cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Count Three charged FEAST with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
FEAST was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment as to Count Two and 60 months as to Count Three, to be served consecutively. Judge Long also ordered that FEAST be placed on supervised release for three years as to Count Two and five years as to Count Three. The terms will be served concurrently. Also, FEAST is ordered to pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court records, on August 1, 2024, United States Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint operation to purchase narcotics and firearms from co-conspirator William Small, at an apartments complex in Metairie, Louisiana. During the joint operation, FEAST and Small sold 7 grams of crack cocaine to a confidential informant in a controlled purchase.
Additionally, during a second joint operation by law enforcement, on September 18, 2024, FEAST sold a Metro Arms, Model American Classic Amigo, .45 caliber pistol and a small quantity of cocaine to a person believed to be a legitimate buyer in an additional controlled purchase.
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security Violent Crime Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Jamestown man going to prison for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jaquez Thomas, 22, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between 2020 to 2022, Thomas distributed quantities of fentanyl and cocaine he received from Joseph Zaso. Thomas utilized Facebook and Cash App to conduct his drug trafficking activities. During the conspiracy, he supplied quantities of fentanyl to Justin Yuchnitz and Joseph Thayer.
Thomas also conspired with Jose Maisonet in 2022. In Spring of 2022, Jamestown Police officers conducted three controlled purchases from Jose Maisonet. In July 2022, a search warrant was executed at Thomas’ Allen Street residence. During the search a loaded handgun, and drug paraphernalia were seized. A search warrant was also executed at Maisonet’s Forest Avenue residence, during which quantities of suspected crack cocaine and methamphetamine, digital scales, cell phones, and $2,715.00 in cash was seized.
Joseph Zaso, Joseph Thayer, and Justin Yuchnitz were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Jose Maisonet was previously convicted and sentenced in a separate case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Illegal alien sentenced for cartel-linked conspiracy to smuggle over 1900 aliensRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multi-year conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens for financial gain, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Giovana Lozano Hernandez pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2025.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Hernandez to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the large-scale human smuggling organization operated as a “one-stop shop” for harboring and transporting illegal aliens on the United States side of the border. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the depth of her involvement and significant responsibility she had in this large-scale human smuggling organization. Further, the court noted the dangerous individuals involved in this organization.
The investigation revealed Hernandez served as the group’s de facto chief financial officer, managing its books and finances alongside her husband, Danny Nunez. The couple worked directly with Cartel del Noreste and helped smuggle over 1,900 aliens which resulted in a substantial amount of illicit profits for both the CDN and the couple.
Authorities tied Hernandez to multiple smuggling events dating back to March 2023. In one December 2023 incident, authorities observed several people being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse. A subsequent search uncovered 101 aliens inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied minors.
Several of the aliens reported difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the trailer’s conditions.
A search of the couple’s home led to the discovery of cellphones, ledgers documenting smuggling activity, more than $36,000 in proceeds and two illegal aliens on the premises. Authorities also identified numerous digital images of paper ledgers and illegal aliens as well as voice messages exchanged between Hernandez and others detailing the transportation, housing and financial accountability for aliens who had already been transported and harbored.
Nunez, 35, was previously ordered to serve 10 years in federal prison Jan. 7.
Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal alien indicted for gun possessionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging an illegal alien from Mexico with having a firearm.
According to court documents, Luis Estrada-Andrade, 22, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Alfredo Bustamante-Pineda, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Francisco Javier Gandarilla-Baray, 35, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Alexis Guzman-Olea, 22, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of reentry of previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting the case.
Apolonio Melesio-Rios, 48, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Edgar Montoya-Jakes, 45, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien convicted of an aggravated felony. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
Santiago Ramos-Zeferino, 37, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Houston operation leads to charges against several for drug and gun crimes linked to Clinton Park neighborhoodRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 10 Houston residents are now in custody for various firearm and drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Authorities arrested Damian Ray Broussard, 39, Corre Deandre Plater, 36, Stacy Lawton, 46, Quentin Mayes, 51, Johnnie Lee Chatmon, 51, Leroy Lumpkin, 55, Emanuel Walker, 30, and Anthony Means, 51, April 7, who have begun to make their initial appearances in federal court. All are charged in separate, but related indictments returned in March which were unsealed upon their initial appearances.
Ronald Maddox, 42, was previously arrested and remains in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
At the time of the arrests, law enforcement also took a 10th man into custody. Justin Leonard, 39, is charged in a separate, but similar criminal complaint. He is in custody on related charges and is expected to make his appearance in federal court in the near future.
According to the allegations, the group trafficked fentanyl, crystal meth, cocaine and counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs as well as firearms in Houston’s Clinton Park neighborhood.
As detailed in the complaint, Walker and Leonard allegedly sold various amounts of cocaine, crystal meth and approximately 3,000 pills containing meth. Leonard has also sold a large amount of crack cocaine out of the Clinton Park residence, according to the charges.
As part of the operation, authorities allegedly discovered and seized over 30 firearms, cocaine, pills containing meth or fentanyl, crystal meth, prescription pills, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana and cash, among other things.
With the exception of Mayes, Chatmon and Walker, who face varying terms up to 40 years in federal prison for the drug charges, the remaining men could receive up to life in prison for either the drug and/or firearms charges. All could also be ordered to pay a maximum $250,000 fine on any of the counts.
FBI – Houston led the investigation as part of Operation Spring Cleaning along with Houston Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Fuel Executive Gets Five Year Prison Sentence for Defrauding U.S. Military in Contract Bid ScamRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Jasen Butler, 38, of Jupiter, was sentenced today in West Palm Beach to 60 months in prison and criminal forfeiture by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. In January, a jury convicted Butler of 34 counts of wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering.
According to the evidence at trial, Butler, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, corrupted the competitive bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire transfer memos and invoices to multiple U.S. warships between August 2022 and January 2024. These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia to defend strategic American interests around the globe. Butler received over $4.5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred.
After Butler came under scrutiny by Navy officials, he continued his scheme by concealing his identity from government officials. Butler adopted a false name and feigned employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. Butler used the millions in the proceeds of his crimes to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple multi-million-dollar properties in Florida and Colorado. Judge Middlebrooks has entered a preliminary order of forfeiture for those properties.
“The defendant stole millions of dollars from our military with a fake job, fake identity, and fake invoices,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This administration takes defrauding the American military seriously with a prison sentence reflecting the seriousness of the crime.”
“The Defendant made his choice: to rip off the federal government and the Navy to line his own pockets. The Justice Department made its choice: to pursue maximum incarceration for the Defendant. In response, Judge Middlebrooks rightly ordered the Defendant imprisoned for 5 years,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its wonderful staff have zero tolerance for those who seek to corrupt competition.”
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of what the evidence at trial showed: a calculated scheme that targeted the U.S. military for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendant submitted false documents, stole millions in taxpayer funds, and then tried to hide behind a fake identity when scrutiny began. When you defraud our armed forces, you are not just committing fraud, you are undermining operations that protect this country. That conduct will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who defraud the U.S. military will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “CGIS will continue to work with our investigative partners and the Department of Justice to identify, investigate, and hold those accountable who exploit government systems for personal gain.”
“This outcome reinforces DCIS’s commitment to safeguarding DoD resources and ensuring taxpayer funds are available for their intended purpose: supporting the readiness and effectiveness of the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This scheme stole millions from the American taxpayer and threatened to undermine a program essential for our global military operations. DCIS, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our military and exploit systems designed to support our nation's warfighters.”
“The sentencing of Jasen Butler sends the unequivocal message that the Department of the Navy has zero tolerance for fraud within its procurement systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “The SEA Card program is indispensable to the U.S. Navy's global readiness. NCIS, along with our federal partners, are committed to aggressively dismantling any criminal enterprise that attempts to exploit systems designed to enable U.S. warfighting capabilities around the globe.”
The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as a part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force.
The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-80093.
###
Fuel Executive Gets Five Year Prison Sentence for Defrauding U.S. Military in Contract Bid ScamRead the Press Release
Jasen Butler, 38, of Jupiter, Florida was sentenced today in West Palm Beach to 60 months in prison and criminal forfeiture by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. In January, a jury convicted Butler of 34 counts of wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering.
According to the evidence at trial, Butler, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, corrupted the competitive bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire transfer memos and invoices to multiple U.S. warships between August 2022 and January 2024. These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia to defend strategic American interests around the globe. Butler received over $4.5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred.
After Butler came under scrutiny by Navy officials, he continued his scheme by concealing his identity from government officials. Butler adopted a false name and feigned employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. Butler used the millions in the proceeds of his crimes to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple multi-million-dollar properties in Florida and Colorado. Judge Middlebrooks has entered a preliminary order of forfeiture for those properties.
“The defendant stole millions of dollars from our military with a fake job, fake identity, and fake invoices,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This administration takes defrauding the American military seriously with a prison sentence reflecting the seriousness of the crime.”
“The Defendant made his choice: to rip off the federal government and the Navy to line his own pockets. The Justice Department made its choice: to pursue maximum incarceration for the Defendant. In response, Judge Middlebrooks rightly ordered the Defendant imprisoned for 5 years,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its wonderful staff have zero tolerance for those who seek to corrupt competition.”
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of what the evidence at trial showed: a calculated scheme that targeted the U.S. military for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendant submitted false documents, stole millions in taxpayer funds, and then tried to hide behind a fake identity when scrutiny began. When you defraud our armed forces, you are not just committing fraud, you are undermining operations that protect this country. That conduct will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who defraud the U.S. military will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “CGIS will continue to work with our investigative partners and the Department of Justice to identify, investigate, and hold those accountable who exploit government systems for personal gain.”
“This outcome reinforces DCIS’s commitment to safeguarding DoD resources and ensuring taxpayer funds are available for their intended purpose: supporting the readiness and effectiveness of the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This scheme stole millions from the American taxpayer and threatened to undermine a program essential for our global military operations. DCIS, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our military and exploit systems designed to support our nation's warfighters.”
“The sentencing of Jasen Butler sends the unequivocal message that the Department of the Navy has zero tolerance for fraud within its procurement systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “The SEA Card program is indispensable to the U.S. Navy's global readiness. NCIS, along with our federal partners, are committed to aggressively dismantling any criminal enterprise that attempts to exploit systems designed to enable U.S. warfighting capabilities around the globe.”
The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as a part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force.
The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.