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30 March 2026
Amherst Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possessing Enormous Child Pornography CollectionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Amherst, Mass. man has been sentenced in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for possessing more than 100,000 files of sexual abuse material (CSAM). The defendant possessed disturbing images of violent acts including a female being shot in the head, a cat in a blender and a dog being beaten to death.
Daniel Tocci, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 70 months in prison. In September 2025, Tocci pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
During a search of Tocci’s Amherst residence in November 2023, it was revealed that Tocci possessed over 100,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. More than 100,000 CSAM files were found saved across five thumb drives and more than 10,000 CSAM files were found on Tocci’s laptop. Some CSAM files portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or sexual exploitation of a toddler.
Tocci’s laptop also contained extremely disturbing images of violent acts, such as a cat being killed by being put in a blender; a male shooting a female in the head; a dog being beaten to death; severed limbs; as well as images and videos of bestiality. Tocci’s devices also revealed Google searches related to child sexual abuse, such as “countries with legal prostitution under 18.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Amherst Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit 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.
American Health Companies, dba American Health Partners, Agrees to Pay over Two Million Dollars to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Involving a Tennessee Nursing HomeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that American Health Companies, LLC (“AHC”), doing business as American Health Partners (“AHP”), has agreed to pay $2,090,309 to the United States and Tennessee to resolve False Claims Act allegations related to billing Medicare and TennCare for grossly substandard nursing home services from Lewis County Nursing and Rehabilitation, LLC, between 2019 and 2024. During those years, Lewis County Nursing and Rehabilitation did business as AHC Lewis County and operated as a subsidiary of AHP. AHP is a company headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, that provides senior health services and owned nursing homes, including AHP Lewis County, during the relevant years. AHC Lewis County was a 131-bed facility in Hohenwald, Tennessee.
“This settlement is essential to protecting the elderly and disabled residents of our community who depend on quality care,” said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “But it is equally essential to protect the taxpayers who fund these programs. When facilities inflate charges while cutting corners on care, they undermine both quality for the people they serve and the public trust. Strong enforcement sends a clear message that exploiting seniors and the American taxpayer will have real consequences.”
“We’re proud to team up with our federal partners to ensure there is no safe harbor for those who profit from neglect of Tennessee seniors,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. “This settlement is proof that when we work together, providers who fail the vulnerable people they’re supposed to serve will be held accountable.”
“Ensuring that nursing home residents receive safe, appropriate, and dignified care is one of our top priorities,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Kentucky. “The substandard conditions identified at AHC Lewis County represent an unacceptable failure to meet the basic obligations required of facilities that participate in Medicare and TennCare. We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to hold providers accountable when they place residents’ health and safety at risk.”
The United States and Tennessee alleged that AHC Lewis County systematically provided grossly substandard and/or worthless nursing home services that failed to meet the required standards of care in various ways. For example, the United States and Tennessee alleged that AHC Lewis County failed to provide residents with proper wound care, appropriate infection control, and protection from falls. The United States and Tennessee similarly alleged that AHC Lewis County failed to prevent residents from weight loss and loss of their range of motion. The United States and Tennessee also alleged that AHC Lewis County overprescribed antipsychotic medications to residents.
In addition, in June 2023, the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission temporarily suspended admissions to AHC Lewis County due to a survey report that found conditions at the facility to be, or likely to be, detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of residents. Around the end of 2024, AHP sold its nursing homes, and AHC Lewis County now operates under new ownership.
Under the settlement agreement, AHP will pay a total of $2,090,309, plus interest. Of that amount, $1,196,074 goes to the United States, and $894,235 will go to Tennessee.
The civil claims settled by this Settlement Agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The resolution of this matter was the result of an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Bowden McIntyre represented the United States, and Tennessee Assistant Attorney Generals Leslie Williams Fisher and Haylie Robbins represented Tennessee.
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Albion man going to prison for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Norman Kelly, 69, of Albion, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that on October 20, 2023, Kelly arrived at the Port of Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, on a flight from Incheon, South Korea. During an inspection of his baggage, Kelly removed a cellular phone from his pocket, and had a computer bag, which contained a laptop computer, and four USB thumb drives. Due to a lack of eye contact during questioning, inconsistencies in his travel story, and nervous behavior, the devices were authorized to be examined. A Customs and Border Protection officer examined the cell phone, laptop and one of the thumb drives and discovered what appeared to be suspected child pornography. Subsequent investigation determined that between March 12 and September 20, 2023, Kelly used his laptop computer to entice minors to engage in sexually explicit behavior for the purpose of producing images, which he would receive via the internet. On March 12, 2023, Kelly received a sexually explicit image of a female child, approximately 10-12 years old. On July 20, 2023, he received a sexually explicit video file of an infant female, approximately 1.5 to three years old. Kelly possessed approximately 475 image files and 377 video files of child sexual abuse material. Some of the images included depictions of violence against children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. Additional assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit, Michigan.
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Akron Man to Spend More Than 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Meth and Fentanyl While Out on ParoleRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Summit County man has been sentenced to prison for trafficking controlled substances and for having a pistol in his possession while he was out on parole.
Travon Robinson, 32, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 130 months (10.83 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in November of 2025 to the following charges:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Prior conviction of Trafficking in Heroin in 2016
Robinson was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. Due to his previous drug convictions, he was designated as a career offender.
According to court documents, in early 2022 investigators learned that Robinson was trafficking drugs while he was out on parole after serving prison time for a previous drug offense. A parole search of Robinson’s bedroom revealed a grocery bag containing 450 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators also seized several cellphones, cash, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and more than four grams of fentanyl. Robinson was also found to be in possession of a Beretta, 32 caliber pistol and ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority with assistance from the Akron Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio.
12 Previously Removed Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-entry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
CLEVELAND and TOLEDO, Ohio – Federal grand juries returned indictments charging 12 individuals from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico with violating immigration laws. These are separate cases and not related.
The following defendants were charged with illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code 1326. They were found in the Northern District of Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.
- Alonso Diaz-Espinosa, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Feb. 13, 2026. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, (Sandusky County) on March 7.
- Fredy Garcia Rosa, 26, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Aug. 14, 2023. He was found in Elyria (Lorain County) on March 5.
- Santos Antonio De Jesus Gomez, 46, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S on at least two occasions with the most recent being Oct. 26, 2024. He was found near Fremont, Ohio (Sandusky County) on March 7.
- Mario Gregorio-Arias, 49, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least four occasions with the most recent being April 17, 2018. He was found in Norwalk (Huron County) on Feb. 17.
- Cuauhtemoc Hernandez-Marquez, aka Ramon Velarde-Marquez, aka Rafael Partida, aka Ramon C. Velarde, aka Cuatemoc Ramon Velarde-Marguuez, aka Cuatemoc Ramon Velarde-Marques, aka Ramon Velarde, aka Abraham Perez-Rodriguez, 56, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on as least one occasion with the most recent being May 2, 2003. He was found in Oregon, Ohio, (Lucas County) on March 4.
- Candelaria del Rosario Lopez-Bautista, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Nov. 16, 2010. She was found in Sandusky, Ohio (Erie County) on Feb. 20.
- Cesar Mazariegos-Lopez aka Cesar Masariegos-Lopez aka Cesar M. Lopez, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Nov. 16, 2010. He was found in Sandusky, Ohio (Erie County) on Feb. 20.
- Wiliam A. Mendez-Rivera, aka William Rivera-Santos, aka Wuilian Mendes-Santos, 32, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least three occasions with the most recent being April 6, 2016. He was found in Akron (Summit County) on Jan. 10.
- Alan Ramos-Capultitla, 21, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 14, 2026. He was found near Fremont, Ohio (Sandusky County) on March 7.
- Jeyson Rodriguez-Lanza, 35, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being March 15, 2023. He was found in Norwalk, Ohio (Huron County) on Feb. 17.
- Genry Sanchez-Espinoza, 29, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 9, 2018. He was found in Sandusky, Ohio (Erie County) on Feb. 16.
- Carlos Sauceda-Alvarez, 38, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Sept. 23, 2025. He was found near Fremont, Ohio (Sandusky County) on March 7.
The investigations in these cases leading to the indictments were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ava Rotell Dustin, Matthew D. Simko, Frank H. Spryszak, Jennifer King, and Brett S. Hammond for Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
29 March 2026
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegal Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CARLOS RENE MEDINA-AYALA (“MEDINA-AYALA”), age 49, was sentenced on March 12, 2026, after pleading guilty on January 29, 2026, to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on June 2, 2025, MEDINA-AYALA was found to have reentered the United States after being previously deported on or about November 7, 2013. U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced MEDINA-AYALA to an imprisonment term of time served and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. MEDINA-AYALA was also ordered to be transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately following his sentencing for removal to Honduras.
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).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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28 March 2026
Former Postal Employee Charged with Mail TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AHMAD BANKS, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, was charged on March 24, 2026 with mail theft by a United States Postal Employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1709, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, at the time of the offense, AHMAD BANKS was employed as a letter carrier, delivering U.S. mail in Metairie, Louisiana. On or about January 26, 2024, he took a letter from the mail on his delivery route that he was entrusted to deliver that day, intending to remove and keep the contents for himself.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit.
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27 March 2026
“Ghost preparer” pleads guilty for role in tax return schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A local woman has admitted to aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
From 2017 to 2023, Jamie Nevid Wallace owned Donahue Tax Service and operated as a “ghost preparer” to conceal her involvement in the scheme. As such, she made it seem that clients were filing their own returns without the assistance of anyone else. Wallace was required to obtain and use a Provider Tax Identification Number on any returns she prepared but instead concealed her role by creating accounts for her clients using tax preparation software.
Wallace prepared false tax returns that included fraudulent Schedule A deductions and Schedule C business and education credits, which generated refunds her clients should not have received. She also charged fees for those returns.
As part of her plea, she admitted to filing a false 2021 income tax return that included $68,453 in false Schedule A deductions, $36,852 in false Schedule C losses for a business that did not exist and a false education credit showing expenses supposedly paid to a local university. These false entries resulted in $18,075 in tax loss.
Wallace has admitted responsibility for $244,824 in losses to the IRS and has agreed to pay that amount in restitution.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett will impose sentencing June 25. At that time, Wallace faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is prosecuting the case.
Zuni Man Pleads Guilty After Shooting into an Occupied VehicleRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty after firing a shotgun into an occupied vehicle and seriously injuring a passenger.
According to court documents, March 20, 2025, Shane Austin Loretto, 32, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, fired a shotgun at the car John Doe was a passenger in, with intent to do bodily harm. John Doe was hit in the face and neck with multiple pellets and required medical treatment.
Law enforcement tied Loretto to the shooting through witness statements and subsequently located the shotgun and ammunition in a safe inside a shed adjacent to Loretto’s residence. During a subsequent interview, Loretto claimed he had heard about the shooting but did not know where the gunshot came from.
Loretto pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and faces not less than five years and up to life in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement (Loretto).pdfWyoming man sentenced to over 9 years in prison for drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Wyoming man with prior felony convictions who was found in possession of drugs and guns on two separate occasions was sentenced today to 118 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Kristofer Mikal Wright, 38, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on March 20, 2024, Wright had an active warrant for his arrest by Wyoming probation. He was also being investigated for distributing drugs. He was located by the U.S. Marshals Service in Billings and arrested. Wright had been surveilled driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee to a storage unit, so law enforcement searched the vehicle and seized two loaded firearms, ammunition, and 35.2 grams of methamphetamine.
About two months later, on May 31, 2024, Wright was again in Billings with an active warrant for his arrest on his Wyoming case. Law enforcement saw him in the Jeep at a local motel and watched him as he drove around Billings. He parked at a residence and the U.S. Marshals prepared to effect an arrest, but Wright came out of the house and got back in his Jeep. The officers tried to pin Wright’s vehicle to prevent him from leaving but he ignored their commands, started the car, and tried to escape by ramming a broken-down van parked in front of him on the street. He also tried to back into a marked police vehicle. Law enforcement ultimately fired non-lethal, bean bag, shotgun rounds to break Wright’s windows and get him to surrender.
When officers subsequently searched Wright’s Jeep, they found two firearms, ammunition, 253.7 grams of actual methamphetamine, and 90.8 grams of fentanyl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case. The ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
Would-Be Sex Trafficker Sentenced for Attempted Coercion of a Child, Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Young AdultRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Steven Terrell Lewis of El Cajon was sentenced in federal court today to 19.5 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a 14-year-old high school student and attempted sex trafficking by force or coercion of a 22-year-old woman.
At today’s hearing, the adult victim addressed the court, describing the devastating harm human traffickers inflict and how they deliberately target society’s most vulnerable – including children and, in her case, individuals experiencing homelessness. The mother of the minor victim provided a written statement to the court, sayng the defendant’s “predatory behavior” caused “immeasurable trauma.”
Lewis was convicted by a federal jury on May 2, 2025. According to evidence presented at trial, on April 22, 2024, as the 14-year-old victim was walking to a friend’s house after school around 3 p.m. in El Cajon, Lewis used his vehicle to block her path on the sidewalk, exited his vehicle and snatched her cellphone from her hand to get her cellphone number.
Lewis then proceeded to send sexually explicit text messages to the victim before she was able to block his phone number. The next day, on April 23, 2024, Lewis continued texting the victim, except this time from a different phone number through TextFree, a mobile application and web service.
When Lewis identified himself as “Pimpin,” sent a sexually explicit photograph and invited the minor to “go get some money” with him, the minor victim immediately notified a coach at her high school. The El Cajon Police Department and San Diego Sheriff’s Office responded. The case was further investigated by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force.
After Lewis’ attempt to sex traffic the minor victim failed, one week later, on April 28, 2024, he began recruiting the 22-year-old victim through MegaPersonals and sent her to Roosevelt Avenue in National City, known as “the blade,” to work street-based prostitution for his financial benefit. On April 29, 2024, the adult victim was picked up by an undercover National City police officer posing as a commercial sex buyer and was offered resources to leave prostitution. However, Lewis continued to message the adult victim, threatening to kill her if she did not continue to engage in commercial sex for his benefit.
“Sex traffickers prey on the most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This sentence is a strong reminder that federal prosecution awaits those who attempt to traffic human beings for profit.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndzie M. Carter and Derek Ko.
If you believe you or someone you know has had an encounter with Lewis, investigators ask that you contact the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr1349-JES
Steven Terrell Lewis Age: 40 El Cajon, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Coercion/Enticement of a Minor – 18 U.S.C., Section 2422(b)
Maximum penalty: Ten-year mandatory minimum up to life
Attempted Sex Trafficking by Force/Coercion, 18 U.S.C., Section 1591(a)
Maximum penalty: Fifteen-year mandatory minimum up to life
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
Homeland Security Investigations
National City Police Department
El Cajon Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Office
San Diego District Attorney’s Office
The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Special Victims Unit. Formed in April 2025, the SVU is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and child exploitation, civil rights, and labor trafficking. The SVU oversees the Southern District of California liaisons to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and Project Safe Childhood
Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 231 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 231 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 20 to March 26, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes, drug trafficking, numerous DWIs, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Miguel Angel Castro, of Fabens, was arrested on human smuggling charges Tuesday. U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to a sensor activation near San Elizario and allegedly encountered three illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that, during processing, one of the illegal aliens identified two phone numbers in his phone that were used to coordinate with the intended smugglers. Further investigation led the agents to an arranged pickup. The complaint alleges that when the smuggler, Castro, arrived at the agreed upon location and the agents identified themselves, he attempted to flee at a high rate of speed. U.S. Border Patrol agents located Castro at his residence, where he was arrested. The complaint alleges Castro worked with a known smuggler and intended to pick up the illegal aliens for $1,000 and transport them to a stash house in Horizon City. Castro was previously convicted of human smuggling in 2020 and again in 2024. He was sentenced to five months and 21 months in prison, respectively, in those cases.
Francisco Irineo Rodriguez-Cordero, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested and charged with illegal entry after allegedly being found approximately 10 miles east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry near Sierra Blanca. Rodriguez-Cordero has been previously deported four times, the last being on Nov. 24, 2025, through Nogales, Arizona. He also has three prior convictions for DUI, assault, and dangerous drugs.
Mexican national Jesus Manuel Jacquez-Beltran was arrested less than a quarter mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. He was deported for the third time on Jan. 15 through Harlingen. Jacquez-Beltran has been convicted of three prior illegal re-entry charges as well as assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon and aiding and abetting. He now faces a fourth illegal re-entry charge.
Arturo Ortiz, an illegal alien from Mexico, was encountered at the Bandera County Jail, after he was arrested for escape while arrested/confined and possession of a controlled substance. On March 20, he was sentenced to 10 years of probation and transferred to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. Ortiz has been previously convicted of DWI, driving with a suspended license, public lewdness, interfering with emergency request for assistance, and assault on a family member.
In San Antonio on Thursday, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop on a driver identified as Ruben Hernandez. A criminal complaint alleges that assisting HSI agents had information that Hernandez was an illegal alien who was deported in 2010 following an illegal re-entry conviction. The complaint further alleges that a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force Officer questioned Hernandez, leading to a search of Hernandez’s apartment and the discovery of 11 bundles of cocaine amounting to 12.65 kgs. Agents also found an undetermined amount of U.S. currency that Hernandez allegedly claimed to be proceeds from cocaine trafficking. Hernandez is charged with possession with intent to distribute over five kgs of cocaine.
Jesus Elmer Amaya-Machado, an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by the ICE ERO Fugitive Operations Unit in San Antonio on Tuesday. A criminal complaint alleges that, as ICE agents approached Amaya-Machado, he attempted to flee into his residence, entering through a back door, though he eventually exited voluntarily and was taken into ICE custody without incident. Amaya-Machado was last removed from the U.S. in 2013 and has three DWI convictions.
Mexican national Norberto Vasquez-Almanza was arrested by ICE officers after he was pulled over for a traffic stop in Seguin on Tuesday. Vasquez was last removed from the U.S. in 2016, following a conviction for illegal re-entry. His criminal record also includes a conviction for unlawful carrying of a weapon, for which he was sentenced to one year of probation.
Over the weekend, Mexican national Saul Albadaba Arriaga was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Maverick. He was deported in December 2025 for the fourth time, following his sixth conviction for driving under the influence.
Abel Aguilar-Valdez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after being deported for the sixth time on Feb. 20. Three weeks prior to his sixth removal last month, Aguilar-Valdez was convicted of this third DWI and sentenced to four years in prison.
Luis Gutierrez-Aguilar, also a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after being recently removed from the U.S. on Feb. 17 through Brownsville. Since March 26, 2024, Gutierrez-Aguilar has been convicted of multiple felonies, including illegal use of a weapon and burglary of a building.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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West Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Federal Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Jonathan Ray Forrest, 43, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for possessing over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
In June 2024, Forrest was found in possession of 165 grams of methamphetamine, 2.7 pounds of marijuana, 395 grams of mushrooms, 90 Xanax pills, and half a gram of heroin during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Kenton, TN. This was Forrest’s sixth felony drug offense involving his illegal distribution of methamphetamine, and he was on probation for the last of his prior offenses when he committed the instant drug offense.
Following his guilty plea to the one-count indictment, United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Forrest to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Recidivist drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence and death caused by methamphetamine deserve significant punishment, and this sentence does just that."
This case was investigated by members of the West Tennessee Violent Crime & Drug Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Waco Babysitter to Spend Remainder of Life in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Waco man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 960 months in prison for three child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Kevin Duane Pridemore, 41, made at least 50 posts on a child pornography website, leading law enforcement officers to execute a search warrant at his residence on March 24, 2025. An FBI agent reviewed an SD card seized during the search, which revealed a 15-minute video in which Pridemore engaged in sexual activities with a fully nude girl between the ages of five and seven years old. FBI examiners also viewed a series of videos produced in October 2024, which also showed Pridemore sexually abusing a minor female who was approximately five years old at the time.
A complete forensic examination revealed Pridemore possessed approximately 23,728 images and 155 videos of child sexual abuse material. The images included prepubescent images, including infants and toddlers. The FBI also discovered at least four known victims who were sexually abused and recorded by Pridemore at various times when he babysat the victims.
Pridemore was named in a two-count indictment on April 8, 2025. Prosecutors filed a superseding information on Nov. 24, 2025, charging Pridemore with one count of possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors and two counts of production of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all three counts the following day.
U.S. District Judge Alan D. Albright sentenced Pridemore to 360 months for each production charge and 240 months for the possession count, totaling 960 consecutive months in federal prison. Judge Albright also ordered Pridemore pay $207,000 in restitution.
“While nothing makes up for the harm caused by this defendant, the 80-year sentence handed down by Judge Albright highlights the egregious nature of the abuse in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Thanks to the FBI for vigilantly investigating this case. While we unfortunately cannot undo the harm this vile child predator brought to his many young victims and their families, we absolutely hope they find some peace in knowing he will surely spend the rest of his life behind bars and will never again be able to treat a child like he treated the children in this case.”
“The FBI has zero tolerance for those who commit these heinous crimes against children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “This case is particularly egregious and represents a profound abuse of trust, as the defendant exploited hisposition as a babysitter to harm the very children he was entrusted to protect. Those who exploit children online or in our communities will be relentlessly pursued, and the FBI will use every available resource to hold child predators accountable and keep them from ever harming innocent children again.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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.
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Vanderwagen Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Vanderwagen man has been charged in connection with an alleged assault that reportedly left the victim with serious injuries.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2026, Larry Wilbur Begay, 66, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly struck the victim multiple times with a metal workout bar inside a residence in Vanderwagen, New Mexico. The victim then fled to a nearby residence and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
As a result of the assault, the victim suffered serious injuries, including fractures to his right femur, left fibula, right wrist, and maxillary bone, as well as a deep laceration to the left side of his head that required staples.
Begay is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Begay faces up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 132 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 132 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On March 22, Jacob Ross Juri, a citizen of the United States, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 59 pounds of cocaine concealed in a non-factory compartment in the roof of the vehicle the defendant was driving when applying for entry to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
- On March 23, Victoriano Angulo-Estrada, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, a Border Patrol Agent encountered Angulo-Estrada, who was illegally present in the U.S., about 1.5 miles north of the international border, west of the Tecate Port of Entry. He had been previously deported in October 2025 through San Ysidro.
- On March 25, Miguel Rosas Zambrano, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the defendant was the captain of a smuggling boat that was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard about 3.5 miles west of Point Loma with eight undocumented Mexican nationals on board. Also arrested were Daniel Eduardo Guerrero Miranda, Jose Guadalupe Padilla Munoz and Maria Elena Tello Figueroa. They were charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces MS-13 Trial Set to BeginRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is set to begin presenting evidence in the trial involving alleged members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly referred to as MS-13. This phase of the trial is scheduled to begin on March 30, 2026, before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.
As alleged in a 34-count third superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury, Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, aka Molesto; David Arturo Perez-Manchame, aka Walter Melendez, aka Herbi, and aka Catracho; and Joel Vargas-Escobar, aka Momia, are alleged members and associates of MS-13. Charges include murder, attempted murder, and/or kidnapping in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, causing death through the use of a firearm, and aiding and abetting.
The FBI investigated the case.
A Superseding Indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the two-week period ending March 27, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 98 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 6 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 19 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for include theft, aggravated DUI, aggravated assault, use of false immigration documents, aggravated vehicular assault, child sexual assault, domestic violence, alien smuggling, narcotics trafficking and prior immigration offenses.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Illegal Aliens with Prior Felony Convictions and Multiple Deportations Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances today to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Ismael Bernal Olguin and Jaime Adalberto Espinosa-Ramos are both charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for April 10, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Olguin and Espinosa-Ramos are both citizens and nationals of Mexico and were both previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally. On March 9, 2026, Nevada Highway Patrol arrested Olguin for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and False Statement to Obstruct Public Officer. On March 11, 2026, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Espinosa-Ramos for Driving Under the Influence. Olguin and Espinosa-Ramos were both turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody based on immigration detainers, and ICE referred them for Federal prosecution.
Olguin had previously been deported by ICE on two prior occasions; on or about December 11, 2018, and again on March 1, 2022. Olguin has three prior separate felony convictions for Attempt Possession of Stolen Vehicle, Attempt Battery with Substantial Bodily Harm, and Deported Alien Found Unlawfully in the United States, the third being the same offense he is currently charged with.
Espinosa-Ramos had previously been deported by ICE on four prior occasions; on or about March 2, 2006, September 16, 2016, October 22, 2020, and July 24, 2024. Espinosa-Ramos has a prior felony conviction from the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, for Illegal Reentry after Deportation, the same offense he is currently charged with.
If convicted, Olguin faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
If convicted, Espinosa-Ramos faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Ruben Levya made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Two Family Members Federally Indicted in Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A mother and son who are tax return preparers were federally indicted on March 24, 2026, for their roles in filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRS, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
According to the indictment, during the years 2020 through 2024, Jessie Badillo, 60, of Lancaster, Texas, and her son, Manuel Badillo, 37, also of Lancaster, allegedly conspired to file false tax returns through their businesses, JES Financial Service and Manny Financial Services located in DeSoto, Texas. The charges state that the fraudulent tax returns filed by the Badillos sought false refunds by fabricating itemized deductions, such as medical and dental expenses, and/or by fabricating businesses with large losses.In addition to conspiracy to defraud the United States, Jessie Badillo was charged with 40 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns as well as two counts of subscribing to her own false tax returns. Manuel Badillo was charged with 25 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and one count of conspiracy.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the other charges.
“Tax preparers occupy a position of trust in our system. We trust that they will accurately and honestly prepare tax returns. When that trust is violated, through the fictitious creation of deductions and expenses, they don’t just fail their clients, they fail the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This is theft from the honest American taxpayer. The indicted defendants are alleged to have done that, and we will vigorously prosecute this case and other tax cheats in North Texas.”
“During the filing season, it is especially important that taxpayers are able to trust their return preparers,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, of the Dallas Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Jessie and Manuel Badillo allegedly violated that trust in an attempt to line their own pockets. IRS-CI will continue to pursue return preparers who exploit their clients and undermine the tax system.”
IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The IRS has published the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026. Those can be accessed here: Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026.
Three Men Sentenced to Prison in Multimillion Dollar Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Three family members were sentenced today to prison following a jury trial that resulted in convictions for their roles in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. David Hunt was sentenced to 92 months in prison, his son Baylon Hunt was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt was sentenced to 94 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. A fourth family member who was also convicted at trial is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, and another family member orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, Baylon Hunt and the other family member submitted additional fake documents to the IRS including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Even after receiving warning letters to discontinue their fraudulent submissions, they continued filing false returns and other documents with the IRS.
As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators received over $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which they shared and used to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.
All four defendants were convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David Hunt, Burt, and the other family member were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, the defendants were jointly ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Three Drug Dealers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Henry and Carroll CountiesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Danny Trotter, 51, Carla Stout, 38, and Randi Black, 40, have been sentenced for their roles in engaging in a monthslong conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Henry and Carroll counties. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.
Through the utilization of controlled purchases of methamphetamine, traffic stops, physical surveillance, and the execution of search warrants, law enforcement officers were able to determine that Carla Stout was supplying Danny Trotter and Randi Black with hundreds of grams of methamphetamine for redistribution. All three defendants also have a history of committing crimes involving the distribution of methamphetamine.
Following their guilty pleas to conspiring with each other to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced the defendants as follows:
- Danny Trotter - 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release
- Carla Stout - 168 months in prison and five years of supervised release
- Randi Black - 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release
There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Drug trafficking offenses are at the root of some of the gravest problems facing our country. The ‘fruit’ of the drug plague is everywhere; it fills our streets, our jails, our hospitals, our morgues, and our nurseries. Federal law applies in every square inch of this district, and criminal conspiracies that distribute harmful drugs in our rural communities can no longer hide.”
This case was investigated by members of the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Three Accused of Defrauding the Elderly via Gold Bar ScamRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three people accused of involvement in a conspiracy that stole $8 million from elderly victims have been federally charged in St. Louis and arrested.
Raj Chauhan, 33, Monarch Sachdev, 28, and Elon Harper, 27, were each indicted on Feb. 4, 2026, with one count of wire fraud. Chauhan was the final defendant to appear in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, where he pleaded not guilty Friday. All three were arrested in February outside Missouri: Harper was arrested in Maine, Sachdev in Texas and Chauhan in northern Illinois.
The indictment says co-conspirators outside of the U.S. contacted elderly victims via telephone calls and electronic messages and claimed that the victims’ financial accounts had been compromised. Victims were told to liquidate their savings and retirements funds, purchase gold bars and gold coins, and hand the gold over to “government” couriers. The indictment says Chauhan, Sachdev and Harper were couriers and Sachdev also managed the pickups of other couriers, including his co-defendants.
In one example in the indictment, Sachdev instructed Chauhan to pick up gold from an elderly resident of Cedar Hill, Missouri, who had been told that she had erroneously been sent money via PayPal and would have to pay income taxes unless she bought $200,000 in gold. Chauhan also worked as a courier in St. Louis and elsewhere, the indictment says. Harper worked as a courier in locations including Dallas and Lindale, Texas; Orrick, Mo.; Mount Pleasant, S.C.; Bonita Springs, Fla.; and Norman, Okla., the indictment says. Sachdev managed pickups in Houston; Canon City, Colo.; Quincy, Ill. and St. Louis.
Detention motions say Sachdev was personally responsible for retrieving fraud proceeds on at least 65 different occasions, resulting in losses of at least $5.4 million. He also facilitated the pickup of at least $4.2 million in fraud proceeds by others, the motion says. Harper was responsible for at least 20 pickups, it says. The call center where the scam originated is in India, the motion says.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. Restitution is mandatory.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting and provide resources and referrals. Reporting frauds can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission can also be contacted at 877-FTC-HELP and at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
Thibodaux Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that on March 17, 2026, LINEZ GREEN, (“GREEN”), age 32, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment, 4 years of supervised release, 4 years of supervise release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Brandon Long on March 17, 2026.
GREEN previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); § 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, to Distribution of a quantity of a mixture of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(C), and Illegal use of communications facility, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §843(b) and Title 18, U.S.C. §2.
According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least May 4, 2024, GREEN conspired with several individuals to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine throughout the Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting the narcotics to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications. On numerous occasions, GREEN used his cell phone to further this conspiracy and distributed methamphetamine to numerous customers in Thibodaux.
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 United States Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Louisiana State Police, Thibodaux Police Department, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.Texas Fugitive Apprehended and Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for $61M Telemarketing Fraud Scheme Targeting Medicare BeneficiariesRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced Wednesday to 150 months in prison and two years of supervised release for organizing and leading a $61.5 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy in which thousands of Medicare beneficiaries who were the victims of deceptive telemarketing were sent thousands of orthotic braces, foot baths, and genetic tests they did not need.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Robert “Bobby” Leon Smith III, 50, of Archer City, Texas, owned and operated seven durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies based in Florida, Texas, and Maryland through which he submitted millions of dollars in false claims to Medicare for orthotic braces and foot baths that beneficiaries did not need.
Smith also owned a marketing company based in Texas that he used to conduct deceptive telemarketing campaigns that targeted Medicare beneficiaries for medical services they did not need. Working with an offshore call center located in the Philippines, Smith and his co-conspirators peddled medically unnecessary orthotic braces, foot baths, and genetic tests to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. In audio recordings presented at trial, Smith was heard pressuring beneficiaries to accept these products even after the beneficiaries protested that they did not need or want them.
Smith obtained doctors’ orders for these products by paying kickbacks and bribes to illegitimate telemedicine companies. He then sold these doctors’ orders to other medical suppliers that he knew used them to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. In another recording presented at trial, Smith was heard complaining about instances in which he bought doctors’ orders he could not sell, calling the orders “trash” and “junk.” Smith’s former business partner testified that they eventually began using “fake” doctors’ orders that contained forged signatures of doctors who were unaware of the scheme.
After four days of a jury trial, Smith pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of health care fraud. Smith absconded and failed to appear for sentencing. He remained at large for over a month before he was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service. At sentencing, the Court ordered Smith to pay $30,158,608.25 in restitution and to forfeit $9,215,225 as well as real estate located in Texas.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Owen Dunn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Telemedicine Company Owner Pleads Guilty to $46M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a telemedicine company pleaded guilty today to organizing and leading a $46.2 million Medicare fraud conspiracy that spanned more than six years.
According to court documents, Christopher Harwood, 43, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, admitted that he owned and operated a telemedicine company called TelevisitMD. Harwood and his co-conspirators targeted Medicare patients through aggressive telemarketing campaigns, inducing them to accept orthotic braces and genetic tests that they did not need. Harwood paid doctors to approve orders for these braces and genetic tests. These doctors did not follow Medicare’s rules for telemedicine visits, did not have real medical relationships with the Medicare patients, and often signed orders for orthotic braces and genetic tests without any meaningful interaction with the Medicare patients. Harwood then sold the signed doctors’ orders to durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies, laboratories, and marketers who were part of the scheme.
Harwood also owned and operated multiple DME supply companies based in Florida that he used to bill Medicare millions of dollars for orthotic braces that Medicare patients did not want or need. In total, at least $46.2 million in false and fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare as part of Harwood’s scheme. Medicare paid $17.9 million based on these claims, and Harwood personally received more than $10.4 million from the fraud scheme.
Harwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and agreed to pay $17.9 million in restitution. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. Harwood faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Owen Dunn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Prison for Drug Distribution Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Edward Lee Cromartie, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison following his conviction on charges relating to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, this local drug trafficking operation has been dismantled. This substantial prison sentence ensures our community will be safe from this dangerous criminal for many years to come. Our citizens deserve safe, drug-free streets, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who threaten the health and safety of our communities until we send every last peddler of this deadly poison to federal prison.”
Court documents reflect that in July 2025, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Leon County Sheriff’s Office received information regarding the trafficking of cocaine in Leon County. During the investigation, agents conducted undercover drug purchases from Cromartie and his co-defendants, leading to the recovery of more than 167 grams of methamphetamine. Agents also identified a suspected drug stash location for the conspirators and, upon execution of a federal search warrant at a storage unit connected to Cromartie, seized approximately 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with multiple firearms, including a stolen .45 caliber handgun.
“The Panhandle of Florida has been on DEA’s radar for quite some time regarding cocaine and, in particular, methamphetamine trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, DEA Tampa Field Division. “We have made significant arrests and dismantled drug trafficking organizations throughout this region and will continue to do so.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Suburban Chicago Investment Advisor Sentenced to Six and a Half Years in Prison for Swindling ClientsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago investment advisor has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for inducing clients to invest in nonexistent business opportunities.
RALPH ROGERS III held himself out as an entrepreneur and investment advisor. From 2021 to 2023, Rogers fraudulently obtained funds from multiple individuals by falsely promising to invest their money in purported business opportunities, including fiber optic cable installation, computer chip manufacturing for Tesla, and a fitness recovery studio. Instead of investing the funds as promised, Rogers used the money for his own personal benefit, including for travel, hotel rooms, jewelry, apparel, and gym fees. He also made Ponzi-type payments to lull earlier investors.
Rogers carried out his scheme while on court-supervised release following a period of incarceration for a prior federal fraud conviction.
Rogers, also known as “Tres Rogers,” 63, of Batavia, Ill., pleaded guilty in November 2025 to a federal wire fraud charge. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the 78-month prison term and ordered Rogers to pay $238,044.62 in restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Defendant is a serial fraudster who, through both sophisticated and unsophisticated means, pursues every opportunity to victimize any person who comes into his orbit,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin M. Pinkston argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant selects his victims from his immediate environment: his gym, the local bicycle store, the local smoothie shop, the hotel bar where he is a guest, the restaurant where he is dining, the relatives of his romantic partner. He will defraud anyone he can.”
Submariner Smugglers Extradited from Colombia to Face International Cocaine Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
This afternoon, in federal court in Brooklyn, Elkin Armando Alomia Quiñones, Luis Alberto Arboleda Escobar, Diego Luis Obregon Aguirre, Edwin Obregon Castro, Juan Matias Obregon Castro, Rodrigo Obregon Saavedra and Narjel Paredes, all citizens of Colombia, will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho on an indictment charging them with violations of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and international cocaine distribution conspiracy. The seven defendants were extradited yesterday to the Eastern District of New York from Colombia where they were previously arrested in March 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, Associate Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Northeast Region, and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced the extraditions.
“As alleged, the defendants are members of a Colombian transnational maritime drug trafficking organization who sought to clandestinely traffic tons of cocaine on semi-submersible vessels to Mexico, ultimately for distribution in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “With these arrests and extraditions, the defendants’ smuggling scheme has been sunk and holding them accountable in a U.S. courtroom demonstrates the Administration’s resolve through Operation Take Back America and the Homeland Security Task Force to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from these evildoers.”
Mr. Nocella praised the outstanding investigative work of DEA New York’s Task Force, DEA Bogota and HSI New York’s Homeland Security Task Force Cartel Investigations Group. Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to Colombia’s Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación, the Colombian Navy, DEA Puerto Rico, DEA Madrid, HSI Bogota and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico for their substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided significant assistance in this matter.
“The extradition of these seven individuals underscores DEA’s global pursuit to identify and target those responsible for trafficking illicit narcotics destined for the United States,” stated DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino. “Using submersible vessels in a calculated attempt to evade law enforcement doesn’t make you invisible! Whether you attempt to hide beneath the surface or above, the DEA, alongside our domestic and international partners, will relentlessly pursue and defeat those drug trafficking organizations threatening our communities and killing Americans.”
“Today, seven alleged drug smugglers are facing charges in the United Stated after years of unchecked cocaine trafficking. Homeland Security Investigations’ international footprint gives us the ability to track bad actors back to the source and, through our partnerships, bring them to justice,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “These drugs have done untold damage to millions of families across the country. HSI works alongside our law enforcement partners every day to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and stop the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities.”
According to the indictment and court filings, the defendants were members of an international drug trafficking organization (DTO) which conspired to traffic more than five tons of cocaine in self-propelled semi-submersible vessels, like submarines, launched from the Pacific coast of Colombia towards areas controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. The drug trafficking organization conducted a sophisticated maritime drug distribution operation, managing each step of the process. First, members of the conspiracy found investors to finance multi-ton cocaine loads and to finance the construction of semi-submersible vessels. Next, members of the conspiracy built semi-submersible vessels capable of carrying thousands of kilograms of cocaine. The trafficking organization also hired crew members to fill the semi-submersible vessels with cocaine and then transport the cocaine to Mexico. Members of the conspiracy also conducted countersurveillance on the high seas by strategically positioning fishing vessels on the same routes as the semi-submersible vessels. These countersurveillance ships attempted to spot military and law enforcement ships that might intercept the semi-submersible vessels.
On June 27 2023, the Colombian Navy seized approximately 2,312 kilograms of cocaine from a DTO semi-submersible vessel near the Colombian Pacific coast, which, based on a coordinate chart located aboard the vessel, was en route to Mexico (pictured below).
EDNYOn October 7, 2023, the Colombian Navy seized approximately 3,300 kilograms of cocaine from another DTO semi-submersible vessel near the Colombian Pacific coast, which was en route to Mexico (pictured below).
EDNYThe charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New York comprises agents and officers from HSI; the FBI; DEA; the New York City Police Department; IRS Criminal Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Secret Service; with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York leading this prosecution.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lorena Michelen and Katherine P. Onyshko are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
ELKIN ARMANDO ALOMIA QUINONES
Age: 40
ColombiaLUIS ALBERTO ARBOLEDA ESCOBAR
Age: 53
ColombiaDIEGO LUIS OBREGON AGUIRRE
Age: 47
ColombiaEDWIN OBREGON CASTRO
Age: 41
ColombiaJUAN MATIAS OBREGON CASTRO
Age: 49
ColombiaRODRIGO OBREGON SAAVENDRA
Age: 69
ColombiaNARJEL PAREDES
Age: 56
ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-462 (EK)
detention_letter.pdfSouth Hero Man Charged with Mail Theft, Attempted Mail Theft, and Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 12, 2026 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Kevin Manning, 42, of South Hero, Vermont, with three counts of mail theft/attempted mail theft, and one count of possession of stolen mail.
On March 26, 2026, Manning entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment before United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier. Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss had previously ordered Manning be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, the case arises out of an investigation into theft of mail from porches and mailboxes in and around Grand Isle County, Vermont. In mid-November 2025, residents of Grand Isle County began reporting to the Sheriff’s Office that packages that had been shipped to them never arrived, or packages that were shipped to them had been reported delivered, but when the recipients went to retrieve the packages from their porches or mailboxes, the packages were not there. On December 24, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Manning’s residence and recovered multiple items that had been contained in the stolen mail packages. Over an approximate three-month period from November of 2025 to February of 2026, it is alleged that Manning stole hundreds of mailed and shipped items worth thousands of dollars.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Manning is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Manning faces up to 5 years of incarceration on each of the four counts with which he is charged. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Grand Isle Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn. Manning is represented by Federal Public Defender Alejandro Fernandez.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls man convicted of Possession of Ammunition by Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on March 23, 2026.
Joseph Carpenter, 38, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Carpenter was indicted for Possession of Ammunition by Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 2, 2026.
The case arose on February 13, 2025, when law enforcement in Sioux Falls searched a hotel room where Carpenter had been staying and discovered ammunition of various types. Carpenter is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Carpenter was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Sioux City Man with History of Violence Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm Discovered During Domestic Abuse InvestigationRead the Press Release
Issac Rayford, age 32, from Sioux City, was sentenced March 26, 2026, to 4 years in federal prison after an October 21, 2025, guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Drug User, and Domestic Abuse Misdemeanant.
Evidence in the case revealed that on November 2, 2024, Rayford’s girlfriend found his loaded firearm sitting on the toilet bowl as he showered. Scared of what he might do with the gun, she hid the weapon. Rayford discovered it was gone and violently attacked his girlfriend. He threw her to the ground, put his whole-body weight on her face, picked her up and threw her on the floor, put his hands around her neck, and broke her clavicle. When he began searching for the gun elsewhere, she escaped the apartment, and a neighbor called police. Rayford fled the scene on foot prior to officers’ arrival. On November 4, 2024, the girlfriend called law enforcement and reported that she had seen Rayford on her security camera entering her home. Officers arrived and Rayford was taken into custody without further incident.
Rayford’s criminal history includes convictions for two serious assaults, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, disorderly conduct where actually “he grabbed and choked” a female, disorderly conduct where he actually jeopardized a baby and threatened others, interfering with official acts by running from police to avoid arrest, driving while barred or suspended, and failing to appear for court.
Rayford was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 48 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Rayford is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4017.
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Sharon Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Three Decades in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on his conviction of distributing fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton (United States District Court for the District of Columbia) imposed the sentence on Laven Davis, 33. Judge Walton also ordered Davis to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Davis was convicted by a federal jury in October 2025 of distributing fentanyl on or about November 28, 2022, resulting in the serious bodily injury and death of a 43-year-old Hermitage woman. According to information presented to the Court, Davis distributed the fentanyl to the woman despite a request to him earlier that day in which she stated “don’t ever give me any more drugs I’m done with everything.” The woman died early the next morning in her family’s home. Davis was on state parole at the time he distributed the drugs, following his release only months before from a state prison sentence for aggravated assault.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig W. Haller and V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office, Mercer County Coroner’s Office, Hermitage Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Davis.
Producer of Child Sex Abuse Material Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Levelland, Texas man who produced child sexual abuse material was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Camilo Reyes Castillo, 47, pled guilty in October 2025 to seven counts of production of child pornography. He was sentenced on March 26, 2026, to 720 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.According to court documents, in early 2025, agents with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) learned that Castillo was likely producing and trading child sexual abuse material online. DPS investigated Castillo and his online presence and confirmed that he was involved in producing and sharing sexually explicit material involving young boys. In June 2025, DPS executed a search warrant at Castillo’s residence in Levelland. Court documents reflect that Castillo agreed to speak with agents. Castillo claimed he “groped” the two male children over their clothes and recorded one of the children in the shower. Agents searched the contents of Castillo’s cell phone and located approximately 170 photos and videos of child pornography in the deleted folder. Amongst the files were seven videos of child pornography Castillo produced of the two male children he claimed he groped. Date and timestamps from the videos revealed they were produced on March 11, 2025. The videos depicted Castillo sexually abusing two male children, ages 9 and 12. The children were identified and interviewed and described Castillo sexually abusing them.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office (Lubbock Resident Agency) and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Prior felon going to prison on new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Oscar F. Hernandez III, 24, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor following a prior conviction under New York law relating to possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that in December 2022, Hernandez was convicted of Attempted Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child in New York State Court and sentenced to serve six years of probation. On June 18, 2024, Hernandez used Instagram to share two child pornography videos with another Instagram user, who he believed to be a minor. Hernandez used a cellular telephone to upload the videos to Instagram and share them with the other user. On May 14, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Hernandez’s residence, during which law enforcement seized a number of electronic devices, including a cellular telephone, which contained 15 images of child pornography.
The sentencing of the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Multiple Robberies Targeting Armored TrucksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mujahid Davis, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer on two counts of Hobbs Act robbery (Counts One and Five), attempted Hobbs Act robbery (Counts Three and Seven), and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence (Count Six).
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in January, along with Dante Shackleford, 26, also of Philadelphia.
As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, Davis, with others, participated in the following crimes:
- the July 2, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
- the July 15, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
- the August 12, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa.
- the October 3, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4 and faces a maximum possible term of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum of seven years’ imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $1,500,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Eckert and Kwambina Coker.
PhD student arrested, charged with multiple child pornography charges and enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Tristan Bass-Krueger, 32, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production, distribution and possession of child pornography and enticement of a minor. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on February 12, 2026, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a mother that her 14-year-old child (minor Victim 1), had sent and received sexual images to and from an adult male, and may have been having a sexual relationship with the adult male. The mother turned minor Victim 1’s cell phone over to investigators. An initial search of the cell phone revealed a Tinder Account created by minor Victim 1 and a Tinder profile user identifying as “Tristan,” who was messaging with minor Victim 1. The bio of “Tristan’s” account stated: “PhD at UR, love art and literature, good food, travelling and gathering new experiences.” Investigators also discovered conversations between minor Victim 1 and “Tristan” that were sexual in nature. The two then began to message off the Tinder application and through WhatsApp. Subsequent investigation determined that “Tristan” was Bass-Krueger.
The complaint further states that late on the night of February 4, 2026, Bass-Krueger is suspected of picking up minor Victim 1 at home with the two spending approximately five hours together before minor Victim 1 returned home. On February 8, 2026, Bass-Krueger sent minor Victim 1 a message stating: “I really like you an am looking forward to hanging out tomorrow, but tbh I see this relationship ending in heartbreak for you, the age gap just too big to work out long term and I’m risking serious jail time that’ll start to weigh on me more and m.” On February 9, 2026, Bass-Krueger and minor Victim 1 exchanged messages, discussing the fact that someone may have found out about their sexual relations. Bass-Krueger sent a message stating: “If you suspect anything delete all our communication and vids.” Investigators also discovered messages that minor Victim 1 exchanged with a friend, during which minor Victim 1 stated: “I had sex with him . . .” Minor Victim 1 also stated that Bass-Krueger took videos of their encounter. Investigators located the video on minor Victim 1’s phone.
Bass-Krueger was arrested in Atlanta, GA, on March 25, 2026, and made an initial appearance in the Northern District of Georgia. He is being detained and will be returned to the Western District of New York at a later date.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Paroled Murderer Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Being a Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marvin Mutch, 69, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in May 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Mutch’s residence. Inside his residential office, officers seized various electronic devices containing tens of thousands of depictions of the sexual exploitation of children. Some of these images included depictions of the sexual abuse of children as young as 3 or 4 years old. Officers also seized a privately manufactured “ghost gun” containing eight rounds of ammunition from the center console of Mutch’s vehicle parked in the garage.
Mutch is prohibited from possessing ammunition because he is a felon who was convicted in 1975 of murdering a 13-year-old girl. Press reports issued shortly after Riley’s murder indicated that her killer beat her and then drowned her in Alameda Creek in Union City, California. Mutch served approximately 40 years in the California state penal system for this crime before being paroled in 2016.
The Solano County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the investigation with assistance from the FBI Violent Crime Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Sam Stefanki are prosecuting the case.
Mutch is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins on Aug. 28, 2026. Mutch faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on his CSAM conviction and a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on his felon in possession of ammunition conviction. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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.
This case was also 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Norfolk man convicted on federal drug trafficking and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Norfolk man today on charges of maintaining a drug-involved premises to distribute cocaine fentanyl, marijuana, and suboxone; possessing a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Dec. 18, 2025, law enforcement conducting a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation searched the residence of Jamar Edward Gay, 36, in Norfolk. During the search, investigators located a container with crack cocaine, powder cocaine, fentanyl, and suboxone strips in the kitchen. Inside the bedroom, investigators found a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), rendering the firearm capable of automatic fire. Investigators also recovered two other MCDs, marijuana, and Gay’s driver’s license, debit card, and United States Marine Corp identification. Investigators found another firearm in the living room.
Gay has previous convictions for, among other crimes, unlawful wounding in March 2018 and malicious wounding in August 2022. As a previously convicted felon, Gay cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Gay faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison when sentenced on Aug. 2. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On March 18, a federal jury convicted James Edward Sweat on charges of using a drug involved premises, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Sweat faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison when sentenced on July 14.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla and Luke Bresnahan are prosecuting the case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; and the Homeland Security Investigations Norfolk office investigated this case with assistance from the Chesapeake Police Department and the Norfolk Police Department. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threatens the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States.
This case is also 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-5.
Newport Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Threatening to “Shoot up” and “Skin” Black PreschoolersRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Zachary Charles Newell, 26, to two years in federal prison for communicating online threats. Newell threatened to “shoot up” a preschool and murder “black babies” on YouTube. He pleaded guilty to the charges.
“Inmate Newell threatened to become the next school shooter—at a preschool no less. Targeting babies for murder—simply because of the color of their skin—is disgusting and unacceptable in civilized society. The FBI quickly responded, preventing a shooting and brought a dangerous man to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Inmate Newell became obsessed with extremist content on the internet. He posted scores of threatening comments on YouTube directed at racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.
On August 27, he wrote, “I’m gonna shoot up a black preschool. 20 black babies will be shot and then skinned.”
Immediately upon learning of the threat, the FBI identified and arrested Inmate Newell on a federal criminal complaint ensuring he was detained and removed from the ability to carry out his threats. Inmate Newell admitted to posting the threat and ultimately pleaded guilty.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI and the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Erin C. Blondel prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-95-D-BM.
New Orleans Men Indicted for Fentanyl, Heroin Distribution Conspiracy and Drug Trafficking Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On March 19, 2026, YANCY MATIRNE (“MATIRNE”) and ERROL POINTS (“POINTS”), both from New Orleans, were charged on Marchs 19, 2026 in a three-count indictment by a federal grand jury, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, MATIRNE and POINTS conspired and possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana in New Orleans in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
MATIRNE was charged in Count 1 with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), (b)(1)(C) (b)(1)(D) and 846. In Count 2 MATIRNE was charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), (b)(1)(C), (b)(1)(D) and 846. Lastly, in Count 3 MATIRNE was charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i). MATIRNE faces a mandatory minimum sentence for each of the violations in Counts 1, 2, and 3. The sentences imposed in Counts 1 and 2 may be run concurrently but must run consecutively to the §924(c) violation.
POINTS was charged in Count 1 with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), (b)(1)(C) (b)(1)(D) and 846. In Count 2 POINTS was charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), (b)(1)(C), (b)(1)(D) and 846. Based on a prior conviction, POINTS is subject to a sentencing enhancement. POINTS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life as it relates to Counts 1and 2.
U. S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven 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. 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 is a part of the NOLA Safe initiative and 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.
Operation NOLA Safe is a comprehensive, multi-pronged, and data driven law enforcement initiative designed to reduce violent crime in the Greater New Orleans area. This initiative brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to strategically align efforts and deploy targeted enforcement resources where they are most needed and effective.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Arson ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RICKY WILSON (“WILSON”), age 31, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 19, 2026 by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, for his role in a Conspiracy to Commit Arson, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. to five years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, payment of full victim restitution, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Court documents revealed that WILSON purchased a vehicle from a dealership, but later placed three live Molotov cocktails next to vehicles on the dealership’s lot, damaging them. He also fired several shots into other vehicles, as well as the dealership’s offices. No one was injured during the course of these criminal acts.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller handled the prosecution.
Monmouth County Man Convicted of Defrauding Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County man was convicted of defrauding the Social Security Administration following a four-day trial, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Steven D. Stankovits, 57, of Matawan, New Jersey, was convicted by a federal jury on March 5, 2026, of four counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements to the Social Security Administration, all related to his receipt of Disability Insurance Benefits, following a trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In May 2010, Stankovits was found eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits, and received benefits retroactive to 2007. This finding of eligibility was based on lies to the Social Security Administration, including that Stankovits was unable to work, could not comfortably sit for more than 15 minutes, could not bend down to put on his clothes, struggled to lift a carton of milk, and had been forced to give up skiing. Stankovits failed to correct and reiterated these lies through statements and written submissions to the Social Security Administration over the next ten years. As a result, the Social Security Administration paid more than $585,000 in disability benefits.
In fact, Stankovits was a licensed funeral director working at two different funeral homes. Stankovits’s work included gardening, shoveling snow, carrying 160-pound caskets down a flight of stairs, and climbing a ladder onto the roof to install a sign. In addition, Stankovits took long flights to go skiing in Cortina, Italy, Lake Tahoe, and Park City, Utah, and purchased a skiing season pass in Killington, Vermont. All of this conduct was incompatible with Stankovits’s repeated lies to the Social Security Administration for nearly 15 years.
“For nearly 15 years, Steven Stankovits exploited the Social Security Administration’s disability insurance program,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. “By repeatedly lying about his work and physical disability, Stankovits collected more than half a million dollars in fraudulent benefits. This conviction sends a clear message: those who lie to obtain government benefits will be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice.”
“Today’s guilty verdict holds Steven Stankovits accountable for a nearly 15-year scheme that exploited Social Security’s disability insurance program for personal gain. By committing wire fraud and making false statements to the Social Security Administration, he stole funds intended for individuals who truly depend on these benefits,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and pursue those who attempt to defraud Social Security programs and ensure they are brought to justice.”
The wire fraud charges carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. The false statements charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment. Both charges carry a maximum potential fine equal to the greatest of $250,000, twice the gain to the defendant, or twice the loss to the Social Security Administration.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited agents of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Conor Washington, and the Social Security Administration’s New Jersey-based Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit, under the direction of Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, Gilberto Camilo.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli Jacobs and Alison Thompson of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Defense counsel: Charles Alvarez, Esq.
stankovits.indictment.pdfMilford Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA BAILEY, 46, of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 12, 2024, Elizabeth Jordan, after sustained pressure from Bailey, engaged in sexual activity with a minor and livestreamed the activity to Bailey using Facebook messenger. A subsequent search of Bailey’s phone revealed a series of screenshots of Jordan and the minor engaged in sexual activity.
Bailey and Jordan have been detained since August 2024 when they were arrested for related state offenses. On November 3, 2025, they each pleaded guilty in federal court to enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Judge Nagala ordered Bailey to pay $5,000 pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, and $10,000 pursuant to Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
Jordan, 43, of West Haven, is awaiting sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Miami-Area Tax Return Preparers Preliminarily Enjoined from Preparing Returns for OthersRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a preliminary injunction against Miami-area tax return preparer Christopher Brown and Brown’s tax return preparation business Superior Taxes LLC (Defendants).
The court issued the injunction over the defendants’ opposition to the government’s motion, which presented evidence that showed the defendants engaged in a pattern and practice of preparing and filing false returns that understated their customers’ federal income tax liabilities and claimed inflated tax refunds by: (1) claiming incorrect filing statutes, such as “head of household”; (2) fabricating or inflating business losses on Form 1040 Schedule C; (3) falsifying residential energy credits; and (4) fabricating or inflating education credits. Defendants used these schemes to reduce taxable income so that customers could claim the earned income tax credit despite knowing the customers weren’t eligible to claim these deductions and credits.
In addition to finding strong proof that the defendants fabricated deductions and losses, the court determined that the government would face irreparable harm absent a preliminary injunction. The court found Brown’s explanation that he had made a “concerted effort to take more precautions when preparing tax returns” this current tax season was “unavailing” considering the number of “inaccurate returns prepared over several years.”
The injunction bars Brown and Superior Taxes from preparing and filing tax returns for others, working for or having an ownership stake in any tax return preparation business, and advising anyone about the preparation of a tax return and requires Brown and Superior Taxes to post a copy of the preliminary injunction order at every location that they are currently operating for the current tax season.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement.
Attorneys Rachel Iacangelo and Elizabeth Duncan of the Tax Litigation Branch handled this matter.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Department of Justice has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Civil Division, Tax Litigation Branch with details.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Possessing Stolen Firearm and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Ashaad Anthony Turner, 24, a previously convicted felon, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 30 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a stolen, loaded firearm while intending to distribute marijuana in Northwest Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Turner pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2025, before Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan to two counts: unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and unlawful possession with intent to distribute marijuana. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Sooknanan ordered Turner to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2024, Metropolitan Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of a BMW at a gas station in the 900 block of Florida Avenue NW. Turner, who was driving, provided officers with a false name. As he stepped out of the car, he dropped 30 blue round pills that weighed 4.85 grams and contained a detectable amount of heroin. A search of the vehicle and Turner's co-defendant revealed a stolen Sig Sauer P365 9mm pistol, loaded with one round in the chamber and 12 rounds in the magazine. Police also recovered additional quantities of cocaine base and marijuana and packaging materials consistent with drug distribution.
The Sig Sauer pistol had been reported stolen from Saint Mary's County, Maryland.
Turner previously had been convicted in D.C. Superior Court of assault with a dangerous weapon after he chased a man and fired at him, and in Prince George's County Circuit Court of illegal possession of a firearm, making this case his third conviction involving a firearm in the past five years. At the time of his August 2024 arrest, Turner was on probation following the Maryland firearm conviction.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former AUSAs Megan McFadden and John Parron.
25cr129
Maryland Man Arrested for Facilitating Multimillion-Dollar International Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Maryland man was arrested on March 25, 2026, after a federal grand jury indicted him on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a multimillion-dollar romance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Kwame Boahene, 63, and his co-conspirators orchestrated an international romance fraud scheme that defrauded victims across the country, including elderly victims and a victim in Delaware. The cybercriminals created fictitious online personas to develop romantic relationships with the victims. Once trust was established, the scammers convinced the victims to send money for fabricated reasons, such as helping to secure an inheritance or paying for medical expenses.
To advance the fraud, Boahene used bank accounts opened under the names of limited liability companies to receive several million dollars in fraudulent proceeds from the victims. He then transferred the illicit funds through various domestic and international bank accounts to conceal the money’s fraudulent origins.
Boahene is charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Boahene faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each charge. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office’s Wilmington Resident Agency is investigating the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-128.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
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Maryland Convicted Felon Sentenced for Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A St. Mary’s County, Maryland, man is headed to federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Jerod Adam Taylor, 40, of Lexington Park, Maryland, to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, today, in connection with the charge.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Sheriff Steven A. Hall, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2024, officers responded to a reported incident at Taylor’s Lexington Park residence. Upon arrival, an owner of the residence let law enforcement into the house and informed them that Taylor lived in the basement.
Taylor later confirmed to law enforcement that he lived in the basement of the residence for slightly more than three years. When officers searched the area of the basement where Taylor lived, they uncovered at least 10 firearms that he knowingly possessed. Taylor is a convicted felon, so he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Law enforcement also found 69 privately made firearms, more than 1,000 rounds of various caliber ammunition, dozens of machinegun conversion devices, two 3D printers, body armor, and various gun-manufacturing tools.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma and Caroline A. Schechinger who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Lycoming County Man Indicted on Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert E. Confer, Jr., age 37, of Lycoming County, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Confer with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine on October 11, 2025. Confer is also charged with possession of firearms by a prohibited person and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The FBI, Bellefonte Police Department, Lock Haven City Police Department, and the Centre County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most significant offense is life imprisonment and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Los Angeles Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tracy Arnett, 40, of Los Angeles, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to four years and three months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, from May 2023 through March 2024, Arnett, Daniel Hooker, and two additional co-conspirators conducted more than 20 financial transactions that they believed involved laundering the proceeds of cocaine trafficking. Their belief as to the nature of the funds was based on representations of an individual working at the direction of law enforcement. On one occasion in October 2023, Arnett met the individual in a hotel parking lot in Rancho Cordova to obtain $100,000 in cash to launder. In total, Arnett and his co-conspirators received approximately $940,000 in purported drug trafficking proceeds. Of that amount, the conspirators laundered approximately $811,000.
Hooker, 37, of Studio City, California, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced on April 18, 2025, to 27 months in prison. Arnett pleaded guilty on Dec. 13, 2024.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen prosecuted the case.