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9 February 2026
Huntington Man Sentenced for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Donovan Dewayne Pauley, 20, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years of federal probation for possession of a short-barreled shotgun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 22, 2025, Pauley sold a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun to a confidential informant in Huntington for $200. The shotgun has an approximate barrel length of 13 and 15/16 inches. This type of firearm is commonly referred to as a short-barreled shotgun and is required to be registered under the National Firearms Act. As part of his guilty plea, Pauley admitted that the firearm not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-157.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Alante Omar Allen, also known as “Suey,” 33, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 31, 2022, Allen sold approximately 20.5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $1,300 while at a business on U.S. Route 60 in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Allen admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Allen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-159.
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Georgia Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud as Part of a Jury Duty ScamRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Ciara Gay (36, Austell, GA) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. As part of her plea, Gay has agreed to forfeit $19,500, which represents the proceeds of her criminal offense. Her sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, a victim in Sarasota County received a phone call from a scammer who falsely and fraudulently represented himself as a law enforcement officer with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The scammer told the victim she was in contempt of court for missing jury duty and had to pay a fine and instructed the victim to withdraw $19,500 in cash from her bank account and drive to the courthouse in Sarasota County, where a government official would meet her to collect the fine. Gay, a Georgia resident, traveled from Georgia to Sarasota, met the victim in person, and collected the cash from her.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Tampa Division) – Sarasota Resident Agency, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. Assistant United States Attorney James Muench is handling the forfeiture.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Running $9 Million Real Estate Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Matthew Campbell, 43, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a $9 million real estate investment fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, since 2012, Campbell operated two real estate investment companies, Preferred Property LLC and Ampez Rehab Investments LLC, which he used to buy and sell real estate, build, renovate properties, and solicit investor money to fund operations. Starting in 2018, Campbell began using his businesses to conduct a Ponzi scheme. He knowingly made false representations about his company’s finances, the return on investment, and distributions to attract new investors, and then he used the funds to pay returns to earlier investors. Between January 2018 and October 2025, Campbell obtained more than $9.1 million in investor funds that he used in unauthorized ways. At least $2,293,000 in new investor funds went to pay old investors and continue the scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Arelis M. Clemente are prosecuting the case.
Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Campbell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Filing $1.5 Million in False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Marice Curry, 35, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to filing false federal income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in 2023, Curry filed more than 50 false tax returns for businesses claiming more than $1.5 million in fraudulent refunds. He did so by claiming refundable fuel tax credits for the businesses while knowing that they were not entitled to the credits. The credits are supposed to allow businesses to recover excise taxes that they pay on fuel used for nontaxable, off-highway purposes such as farming and fishing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
Curry is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on May 26, 2026. Curry faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Former National Guardsman sentenced for child enticementRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - William Eric Cooper has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to produce sexually explicit images.
“Cooper is a predator who deserves this significant sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through quick and excellent work, our law enforcement partners rescued an exploited child, exposed Cooper’s deviant conduct, and brought a sex offender to justice.”
“William Cooper is a dangerous predator who attempted to exploit a vulnerable child,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “Thanks to swift law enforcement action, we ensured that he will face the full consequences of his horrific actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges and other information presented in court: In February 2025, FBI agents in North Carolina rescued a 15-year-old girl who had been abducted and raped. The FBI’s investigation revealed that, prior to her kidnapping, the minor child and Cooper exchanged more than 1,000 text messages in which Cooper discussed plans to meet the girl for sex and encouraged her to create sexually explicit videos of herself to send to him. After arresting Cooper and searching his home in March 2025, agents found more than 250 images and videos depicting child sex abuse on his cell phone.
At the time of his offense, Cooper was employed by the Georgia National Guard. Following his arrest, he was separated from the military with an Other than Honorable discharge.
William Eric Cooper, 46, of Adairsville, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II to ten years in federal prison, ten years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Cooper was convicted of attempted enticement of a child on August 25, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Hertzberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former La Crosse Mail Carrier Sentenced for Opening and Destroying MailRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ashley Straub, 25, Onalaska, Wisconsin, was sentenced February 5, 2026, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita M. Boor to one year of probation and a $500 fine for opening and destroying mail. Judge Boor also ordered Straub to pay restitution to the known victims.
Straub worked as a mail carrier at the La Crosse Post Office. In February 2025, Straub opened numerous items of mail and stole $350 in cash and several gift cards.
At the sentencing, Judge Boor noted that theft by mail carriers erodes trust in the United States Postal Service. In selecting an appropriate sentence, Judge Boor balanced Straub’s harm to the community with her lack of criminal history.
The charge against Straub was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the La Crosse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Samuel and Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.
Former Driving School Owner Sentenced for RMV Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for bribing a road test examiner to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not pass or, in some cases, even take road tests at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton.
Carlos Cardoso, 72, was sentenced on Feb. 6, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served (one day in prison) to be followed by two years of supervised release with the first six months to be spent in home incarceration. He was also ordered to pay a $5,500 fine. In June 2025, Cardoso pleaded guilty to one count of honest services mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. In May 2024, Cardoso was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Cardoso, the former owner of a driving school, paid cash bribes totaling more than $20,000 to a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not. Some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Commodities Trader Sentenced to 151 Months for Engaging in Multi-Mullion Dollar Wire and Commodities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Chicago man was sentenced to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release for engaging in a wire and commodities fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $4 million to over a dozen victims, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Philip Galles, 59, of Chicago, Illinois, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with wire and commodities fraud. Judge Salas imposed the sentence on February 5, 2026. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Judge Salas remanded Galles to the custody of the U.S. Marshal to begin serving his sentence. Galles was also ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution to victims of the scheme.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Galles, a former commodities trader, defrauded his victims by falsely claiming that he would invest their money in commodity futures through his purported investment company, Tyche Asset Management, based in Chicago, Illinois. As part of the scheme, Galles and those working for him falsely told prospective investors that Tyche had a history of success using proprietary trading strategies, with extraordinary annual rates of return exceeding 100%.
But in reality, Galles made virtually no legitimate investments in commodity futures or otherwise. Galles instead ran Tyche like a Ponzi scheme and used investor money to pay back other investors and to pay his own personal expenses—including high-end clothing, rent on a luxury apartment, and luxury automobiles.
During the investigation, Galles met with an undercover agent in New Jersey purporting to be an investment manager looking to make a large investment. Galles repeatedly lied during those meetings about Tyche and his personal history. Galles falsely claimed that Tyche had annual returns of 336%, raised over $2 billion within 60 days of starting the fund, and had prominent investors, including a Kuwaiti sovereign fund and a well-known owner of a professional sports team. Galles also falsely claimed that he graduated from a prominent university in the Midwest.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the United States Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese in Newark, and the inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation. He also thanked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association for their role in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Michael Koribanics, Esq.
Former California State Correctional Lieutenant Arrested on Charges of Smuggling Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A former California state correctional lieutenant was arrested today on charges of conspiring to smuggle contraband into state prison in exchange for approximately $100,000 in payments from an inmate.
Matthew L. Madsen, 39, of Greenfield, Calif., made his initial appearance in federal district court in San Jose this afternoon.
According to the criminal complaint filed Feb. 4, 2026, and unsealed today, Madsen was employed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2017 to 2025, during which time he primarily worked at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, Calif. Cellular devices are not permitted in California state prisons because they can be used to circumvent the mandatory screening of communications into and out of institutions, and have been used by inmates to plan violent attacks and the smuggling and trafficking of contraband, including narcotics. Accordingly, like all state correctional employees, Madsen was obligated to prevent the introduction of contraband into the prison, confiscate any contraband located in the prison, and report its presence. The complaint alleges that Madsen violated these obligations and smuggled items, including cellular devices and tobacco, into Salinas Valley State Prison at the request of an inmate and in exchange for payments totaling approximately $100,000.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
Madsen was released on bond. He is next scheduled to appear in district court on Feb. 17, 2026, for a status hearing.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the count of honest services fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1346, and 1349. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Pitman is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Floyd County felon sentenced for threatening to assassinate President Trump and murder federal agentsRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Jauan Rashun Porter has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for transmitting threats to kill the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
“Threatening to kill the President of the United States is an abhorrent crime that cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Because the Constitution affords no protection to political violence, we will continue to work closely with our federal partners to identify and prosecute criminals who make such threats.”
“When free speech devolves into threats against the President of the United States or any of our protectees, you can expect the United States Secret Service to bring those criminals to justice,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office, Robert Donovan. “We appreciate the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as well as our local law enforcement partners for their assistance in this case.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 26, 2025, Porter joined a TikTok livestream about President Trump captioned “Alligator Alcatraz,” commenting: “So there’s only one way to make America great and that is putting a bullet in between Trump’s eyes.”
Over the next few minutes, Porter further stated:
- “I’m gonna kill Donald Trump. I’m gonna put a 7.62 bullet inside his forehead.”
- “I’m gonna watch him bleed out and I’m gonna watch him die.”
- “It’ll be on the news . . . his rally is coming up pretty soon and I’m going there and I’m going to put a bullet in his head.”
- “I’mma load up a rifle [and] sit inside . . . an abandoned building . . . and when he approaches the rally . . . I’m gonna put one . . . if not the face then . . . in his chest.”
When asked by the livestream host about federal agents coming to his door, Porter stated, “I’m gonna kill them too . . . and then kill myself[.]”
During the investigation, U.S. Secret Service agents, Floyd County police officers, and State of Georgia probation officers conducted searches of Porter’s apartment and found two pipes, pistol ammunition, and Tannerite (an explosive). They did not locate a gun.
Porter has multiple prior felony convictions in Floyd County, including for terroristic threats and acts in 2018 and 2019, influencing a witness in 2019, and unlawful act of violence in a penal institution in 2023. He is currently on probation for a 2023 conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and battery domestic violence.
Jauan Rashun Porter, 30, of Rome, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II to three years and five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Porter was convicted on October 7, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats. Porter was detained in this case on August 8, 2025.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. The Floyd County Police Department, Floyd County District Attorney’s Office, and Troup County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Floyd County Man Sentenced to 192 Months for Armed Fentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A Martin, Ky., man, Justin Bryant, 35, was sentenced on Monday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 192 months for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to his plea agreement, on December 11, 2023, law enforcement encountered Bryant during a traffic stop in which he possessed 22.76 grams of methamphetamine, 3.57 grams of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, and a loaded handgun, which he admitted he possessed to protect himself from the dangers of drug dealing. Based on multiple prior felony convictions, Bryant was not permitted to possess the firearm. Bryant was arrested but was subsequently released, and continued to engage in drug trafficking. On March 1, 2025, law enforcement encountered Bryant again, and he had in his possession 81.256 grams of methamphetamine.
Under federal law, Bryant must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff John Hunt, Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, KSP, and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble.
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First Week of February Brings over 240 New Immigration Cases to Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 242 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for child sexual assault, violent crimes, DWIs, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, a Mexican national with multiple felonies was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Val Verde. Juan Bernardo Cardenas-Ledesma, who has been deported three times, is charged with illegal re-entry and has previously been convicted of grand theft auto, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, and hit and run resulting in injury or death.
Mexican national Andres Campos-Martinez was detained by ICE after being booked in the Williamson County Jail in November. In March 2020, Campos-Martinez was put on ten years of deferred adjudication after committing the offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child in Travis County. He was removed to Mexico six months later in September 2020. On Tuesday, a motion to revoke his probation was denied by a Travis County district judge.
USBP agents arrested Honduran national Jose Mario David-Sauzo aka Raymundo Martinez near Maverick. David-Sauzo is also charged with illegal re-entry, having been deported five times, the last being in September 2024. His prior felony convictions include possession of a bludgeon and obstruction of justice, burglary of a dwelling with an explosive, and second-degree forgery of a public record.
On Wednesday, Mexican national Juan Gabriel Amezquita-Fabian attempted to enter the U.S. via the pedestrian lane at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry and allegedly presented a counterfeit State of Texas Birth Certificate along with a valid Texas ID card bearing the name, date of birth and photo of a different individual. A criminal complaint alleges Amezquita-Fabian stated he was a U.S. citizen and was returning home to El Paso after visiting family in Juarez, Mexico. Further inspection allegedly led to Amezquita-Fabian admitting to having lived in the U.S. illegally for approximately 30 years and that he paid $600 for the birth certificate and ID card. Amezquita-Fabian has been removed from the U.S. three times, the most recent being Dec. 15, 2025, following his fourth DUI conviction.
An El Paso man with five prior convictions was arrested at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry and charged with alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges that Ronnie Oswaldo Carreon claimed he was the sole occupant of a vehicle that belonged to his sister, he had been living in Mexico, and he was traveling to visit his mother in El Paso. The complaint alleges that an X-ray of the vehicle depicted a person laying down between the back seat and trunk area, and during a secondary inspection, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered a female concealed in the cargo area underneath the floor panel.
Victor Eduardo De La Fuente, who was convicted of conspiracy to transport aliens in 2024, is again charged with alien smuggling after he was arrested Tuesday by USBP agents in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges De La Fuente is the owner of a vehicle depicted in a TikTok video which showed the transfer of individuals from another vehicle to his. The complaint alleges that De La Fuente claims to be a U.S. citizen but lives in Juarez and that he had previously transported 10 illegal aliens for a fee of $100 per alien.
Jesus Emanuel Zendejas-Ovalle, also a Mexican national, was released to ICE Enforcement Removal Operations custody from the Bexar County Jail on Thursday. Zendejas-Ovalle had been serving a three-year sentence after being convicted of felon in possession of a firearm in 2023. He was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2014.
Mexican national Alberto Guebara-Urbina was also released to ICE ERO on Thursday. He was encountered at the Comal County Jail on Sept. 1, 2025, after he was arrested for a DWI. Guebara-Urbina was last removed from the U.S. to Mexico in 2007. In 2003, he was convicted of assault in the first degree and sentenced to five years of confinement.
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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Felon who robbed a Fort Oglethorpe restaurant sentenced to 11 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Mario Merriweather, a repeat offender with a 30-year criminal history, has been sentenced to federal prison for robbing a fast-food restaurant in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and forcing restaurant staff into a walk-in freezer.
“Undeterred by multiple stints in state prison, Merriweather repeatedly terrorized victims who were simply trying to go about their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “His most recent attack on a Burger King restaurant has resulted in a significant sentence that demonstrates that criminals who try to ‘have it their way’ by robbing citizens in this District will be held accountable and removed from the community.”
“No one should ever be terrorized physically or emotionally, like the victims in these violent armed robberies were,” said Mitchell Jackson, Special Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Georgia’s Cartersville office. “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On October 26, 2023, Merriweather entered a Burger King restaurant just two miles south of the Tennessee-Georgia state line and brandished what appeared to be a pistol. He ordered one employee to empty the register and ordered all the employees into a walk-in freezer. One employee used his foot to stop the freezer from locking, and another employee immediately called 911.
One of the employees who escaped from the freezer was lawfully armed and chased Merriweather outside. When Merriweather turned and pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the employee, the employee fired two shots at Merriweather but did not hit him. Merriweather fled but passed out next to his vehicle. Responding officers found Merriweather flat on his back in the road near an air pistol and also recovered a Burger King bag stuffed with cash.
Merriweather has a long history of prior robberies, including convictions for robbing a Wendy’s and a Burger King in 2001, robbing two people in 2005, and robbing two banks in 2013.
Merriweather was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II to 11 years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Merriweather was convicted on charges of interference with interstate commerce by robbery on August 14, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Dual National of China and St. Kitts and Nevis Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Cryptocurrency ScamRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A dual national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis was sentenced in absentia today to the statutory maximum of 240 months in federal prison for his role in an international cryptocurrency investment conspiracy carried out from scam centers in Cambodia.
Daren Li, 42, is a fugitive after cutting off his ankle electronic monitoring device and absconding in December 2025. He was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who will determine restitution at a later date.
Li pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“While technology has made it possible for people to quickly communicate with others who live oceans away, it also has made it easier for criminals to prey on innocent victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “I urge the investing public to use caution and to not talk to strangers…especially ones who solicit money online.”
“As part of an international cryptocurrency investment scam, Daren Li and his co-conspirators laundered over $73 million dollars stolen from American victims,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Court’s sentence reflects the gravity of Li’s conduct, which caused devastating losses to victims throughout our country. The Criminal Division will work with our law enforcement partners around the world to ensure that Li is returned to the United States to serve his full sentence.”
As part of his plea agreement, Li admitted that unindicted members of the conspiracy would contact victims directly through unsolicited social-media interactions, telephone calls and messages, and online dating services. The unindicted co-conspirators would gain the trust of victims by establishing either professional or romantic relationships with them, often communicating by electronic messages sent via end-to-end encrypted applications. These co-conspirators established spoofed domains and websites that resembled legitimate cryptocurrency trading platforms and promote fraudulent cryptocurrency investments to the victims after gaining the victims’ trust.
In some instances, the co-conspirators would induce victims into investing in cryptocurrency through the fraudulent and spoofed investment platforms. In other iterations of the scam, Li’s unindicted co-conspirators misrepresented to victims that they were from a customer service or technology support company and induced victims to send funds via wire transfer or cryptocurrency trading platforms to purportedly remediate a non-existent virus or other false computer-related problem.
As part of his plea agreement, Li admitted that he and his co-conspirators caused at least $73.6 million in victim funds be directly deposited into bank accounts associated with defendant and his co-conspirators, including at least $59.8 million from U.S. shell companies that laundered victim proceeds.
Li further confessed that, to conceal or disguise the nature of the crime, location, source, ownership, and control of the victim funds, he would direct co-conspirators to open U.S. bank accounts established on behalf of shell companies and would monitor the receipt of interstate and international wire transfers of victim funds. Li and other co-conspirators would receive victim funds in financial accounts that they controlled and then monitor the conversion of victim funds to virtual currency.
Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far. Li is the first defendant to be sentenced who was directly involved in the ultimate receipt of victim funds.
The U.S Secret Service (USSS) Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section, and Maxwell Coll and Alexander Gorin of the National Security Division, Trial Attorney Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The sentencing is the latest outcome of the Criminal Division’s continuing work to investigate, disrupt, and bring to justice individuals facilitating scam center operations worldwide, in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. In combating scam centers, the Criminal Division draws on its expertise in countering cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, money laundering, human trafficking, and transnational organized crime. By seizing and forfeiting crime-linked cryptocurrency, dismantling digital infrastructure used by the scammers to target U.S. citizens, and disrupting domestic and international money laundering networks, the Criminal Division and its partners will cut off access to victim proceeds and tools that enable the fraud. As international relationships are critical to address this growing threat, the Criminal Division will draw on its network of International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property prosecutors (ICHIPs) who are strategically posted throughout the world to coordinate with foreign law enforcement partners.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov.
Dominican citizen extradited to the United States from the British Virgin Islands to Face Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – British Virgin Islands authorities extradited Francis Hidalgo-Cedano to the United States to face drug trafficking charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Hidalgo-Cedano was arrested in the British Virgin Islands pursuant to a provisional arrest request by the United States on Nov. 5, 2025, and extradited to Puerto Rico on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
“This extradition is another important step in our fight against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. This prosecution demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners, and the cooperation of international authorities to work together to bring drug traffickers to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to maximize our multi-agency efforts to disrupt and dismantle international drug cartels that smuggle drugs into Puerto Rico and the continental United States.”
On January 28, 2026, the British Virgin Islands extradited Francis Hidalgo-Cedano, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, to the United States to stand trial in the District of Puerto Rico on charges related to the possession, importation, and distribution of cocaine.
According to court documents, in September 2023, law enforcement authorities in Puerto Rico observed a vessel being hauled out of the water by Hidalgo-Cedano and his co-conspirators. Concealed within the floor of the vessel were approximately 258 brick-shaped packages of cocaine with a gross weight of 305.4 kilograms. During the interaction with law enforcement authorities, Hidalgo-Cedano absconded, but left his boating license with law enforcement. British Virgin Islands authorities arrested Hidalgo-Cedano on immigration offenses and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) worked closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and the Department of State to submit a provisional arrest request, in order to ensure the continued detention of Hidalgo-Cedano pending extradition.
On January 12, 2026, following Hidalgo-Cedano’s consent to extradition, the Governor of the British Virgin Islands issued an order granting Hidalgo-Cedano’s extradition to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked closely with the United States Marshals Service and provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Hidalgo-Cedano.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney María Cristina Semanaz Ojeda under the supervision of Chief Myriam Y. Fernández-González and Deputy Chief María L. Montañez-Concepción from the Money Laundering & Transnational Organized Crime Section.
Francis Hidalgo-Cedano is charged with six counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspiracy and importation of cocaine, and conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Des Moines Shooter Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on February 6, 2026, to 87 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Bryan Keith Rainey, Jr., 20, and two co-conspirators fired at least 36 rounds of ammunition at a Des Moines residence occupied by two children and their mother on December 16, 2024. At least 11 rounds hit the house. No one was injured.
Three days later, officers located Rainey in a parking lot and attempted to arrest him. Rainey ran from the police. Once captured, law enforcement located a loaded AR-15 style pistol in Rainey’s pants, which ballistically matched casings from the shooting scene. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rainey’s house that same day and found ammunition and drug-related items.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Rainey will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Rainey’s federal sentence was ordered to run partially consecutively to his state sentence related to the December 16, 2024, shooting.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin M. Herrera prosecuted the case.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Department of Defense Employee Indicted for Moonlighting as a Money Mule and Laundering Millions of Dollars for Overseas ScammersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Samuel D. Marcus, 33, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of illegal monetary transactions, and one count of money laundering – illegal concealment, arising from his alleged role as a money mule for a group of Nigerian-based scammers, in which he received, concealed, and laundered millions of dollars in fraud proceeds.
The indictment alleges that, from approximately July 2023 to December 2025, while employed as a Logistics Specialist with the Department of Defense, the defendant was in direct and regular contact with a group of Nigeria-based fraudsters, who operated under the aliases “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray,” among others. These fraudsters engaged in a variety of wire fraud schemes that targeted victims based in the United States, including romance fraud, cyber fraud, tax fraud, financing fraud, and business email compromise schemes, to which victims lost millions of dollars.
The fraudsters employed a network of money mules in the United States to help launder the fraud proceeds, and instructed victims to transfer funds to financial accounts opened and operated by various money mules, including those controlled by Marcus.
The indictment alleges that, under the direction of fraudsters, the defendant and other money mules conducted a series of rapid financial transactions to convert fraud victim funds deposited into their accounts into cryptocurrency and to move those funds into foreign accounts. Marcus personally deposited and transferred millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained money into and through his personal and business accounts, while fully aware that “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” were scammers who carried out sophisticated fraud schemes. Marcus also affirmatively misled and lied to his financial institutions and law enforcement officers about the laundered funds, to include sending fraudulent invoices to make the transactions appear legitimate.
In fact, the indictment alleges that the defendant continued to work as a money mule for the fraudsters after being informed by FBI agents that the money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people and that his monetary transfers were consistent with money laundering.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $2 million fine.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel S. Dalke.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Convicted Felon from Boston Charged with Leaving a Residential Re-Entry CenterRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been arrested and charged for allegedly leaving a residential re-entry center where he was serving the remainder of his federal sentence for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Tyreek Hall, 23, of Boston, was charged by criminal complaint with escape. Hall remains detained following an initial appearance on Feb. 5, 2026 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley.
According to the charging documents, in May 2024, Hall was sentenced in the District of Massachusetts to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing ammunition while on parole as a convicted felon. In July 2025, Hall was transferred from a correctional institution to a residential re-entry center in Boston to serve the remainder of his confined sentence.
As part of the reentry program, Hall was employed as a “part-time vehicle cleaner.” It is alleged that, at approximately 11 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2025, when Hall returned to the residential re-entry center from work, staff conducted a breathalyzer test as part of their standard security screening. It is alleged that Hall tested positive, refused a subsequent breathalyzer test and refused to submit to a urinalysis test. After his refusals, Hall was allowed to go to his living quarters. It is alleged that, at approximately 11:56 p.m., Hall returned to the front desk and walked out of the front door. Hall did not return to the residential re-entry center and was considered an active escape from federal custody until his apprehension.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts Dennis Matulewicz made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Colombian leader of international drug money laundering organization convictedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Valentina Forero Álvarez has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Forero Álvarez led a sophisticated transnational criminal organization responsible for laundering more than $31 million in illegal narcotics proceeds through the United States financial system.
“Forero Álvarez presided over an international network that exploited our financial system to launder millions of dollars of drug proceeds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Narco-terrorists and their associates who believe they can hide their crimes through complex laundering schemes or residency abroad will be found, brought to the United States, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
“This case demonstrates the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to dismantle transnational criminal organizations that threaten the integrity of our financial system and the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “The successful disruption of this sophisticated money laundering network was the result of outstanding collaboration between HSI, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Together, we will continue to pursue those who seek to profit from illegal narcotics and ensure they are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Valentina Forero Álvarez directed a network of couriers who traveled from Colombia and laundered proceeds of illegal narcotics sales through the United States banking system.
As part of the criminal operation, Forero Álvarez instructed non-citizens—primarily from Colombia—to travel to the United States on tourist visas, conduct multiple pickups of bulk cash in cities across the country, and deposit the money into bank accounts held in the names of shell companies or U.S.-based businesses operating in the unregulated currency exchange market.
The couriers, at the direction of Forero Álvarez and her associates, made counter deposits into bank accounts while in Georgia and at least 14 other states, including Michigan, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Virginia, Massachusetts, Illinois, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.
During the investigation, agents seized more than $4.8 million of suspected drug money. Agents also determined that accounts opened by Forero Álvarez’s couriers received more than $31 million in cash deposits, including approximately $2.9 million deposited in the Northern District of Georgia.
Valentina Forero Álvarez, 33, of Armenia, Colombia, pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026. She remains in federal custody and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg at a later date. Her conviction carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to twice the value of the laundered funds, up to three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of property involved in the offense.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Brown and Nicholas L. Evert are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison and Co-Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Tiwan Robert Bailey was sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for leading a sex trafficking conspiracy that operated in the Charleston and Rand areas of Kanawha County and Carrie Roy was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for her role in the conspiracy.
Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 49, and Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 52, both of Charleston, were found guilty by a federal jury after a five-day trial. Evidence at trial showed that between November 2023 and July 2024, Bailey trafficked four different female victims, including a 17-year-old girl, requiring each to engage in commercial sex acts and provide all the money they received to him. Bailey also obstructed the federal investigation of the sex trafficking conspiracy by seeking to interfere with any potential cooperation and testimony by the minor female victim.
Bailey coerced his adult victims through repeated acts of violence, including sexual assaults and physical beatings. Bailey reinforced this control through threats he issued to his victims in person and through voice messages, texts, and Facebook Messenger. Bailey supplied drugs to the victims suffering from addiction and withheld drugs from them as punishment.
“This defendant inflicted pain, violence, and abuse upon his victims to dehumanize and control them. He raped them. He beat them. He threatened them,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Bailey went beyond exploiting their vulnerabilities with a sustained campaign of terror. Accountability should reflect that reality. Our office agreed with the Sentencing Commission guidelines that Bailey’s egregious crimes warranted life in prison. While this community will be protected from this thug for at least 25 years, in our view this sentence does not fully reflect the gravity of that harm or the years of suffering inflicted by the defendant’s actions.”
Roy aided and abetted Bailey and conspired with him in the trafficking of the minor female. Roy also transported the three adult victims to and from meetings for commercial sex acts and collected money from these acts for Bailey.
Bailey became a fugitive after a warrant for his arrest was issued in the case on July 23, 2024. The United States Marshals Service (USMS) captured Bailey on January 17, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Bailey has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for the manufacture and delivery of narcotics and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base.
The jury found Bailey and Roy guilty of one count each of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor. The jury also found Bailey guilty of three counts of sex trafficking by force or coercion and one count of obstruction of justice.
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Charleston Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work in this case, and the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the West Virginia Fusion Center.
“This case demonstrates the serious harm caused by human trafficking and the deliberate actions of Bailey and Roy to exploit vulnerable individuals, including a minor,” said Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C. “Through close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, HSI conducted a thorough investigation that led to their arrest and conviction. Upholding our mission to protect the public and dismantle criminal organizations, HSI remains committed to pursuing justice for victims and holding offenders accountable.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Jennifer D. Gordon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-118.
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Video of the press conference held on February 9, 2026, to announce the sentencings is available on the YouTube channel of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMRwynjRVU
Bakersfield Defendants Plead Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced that Roy Richard Truitt III, 43, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a minor and being a registered sex offender committing a felony offense involving a minor; and Amber Louise Lowe, 48, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor and receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, between Aug. 28, 2018, and Sept. 2, 2018, Truitt and Lowe conspired to and did sexually exploit a minor victim, producing photographs of the sexual exploitation, which Lowe distributed to Truitt. During the relevant time period, Truitt was required to register as a sex offender in California.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Truitt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, a maximum of 50 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a minor. For committing a felony offense against a minor while a registered sex offender, he faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of 10 years in prison. Lowe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum of up to 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a minor. For receipt and distribution of child pornography, Lowe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of up to 20 years in prison. The actual sentences for each defendant, 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 was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute 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.
Annville Man Sentenced to 30 Months’ Imprisonment for Selling Ghost GunsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Hector Colon, age 35, of Annville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to serve 30 months’ imprisonment, 12 months’ supervised release, and $100 in financial penalties based upon his guilty plea to conspiracy to engage in the business of selling firearms without a license.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, from August 5, 2021 through January 5, 2022, Colon and Samuel Snader sold 28 Privately Made Firearms (PMFs), commonly referred to as ghost guns, and 420 rounds of ammunition without a federal firearms license. Colon negotiated the sales and Snader built the firearms using kits purchased over the internet. The firearms were sold for cash and provided in person by Snader in the parking lot of a Walmart. The Court found that under the circumstances, Colon had a reason to believe the firearms would be possessed by a prohibited person or used in a felony offense and exhibited, “a blind indifference to public safety.” All 28 firearms and ammunition were recovered by law enforcement.
PMFs are firearms, including a frame or receiver, that was completed, assembled, or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer. PMFs may be manufactured using a 3D printing process or any other process and require a serial number or register to be added to legally sell the firearm for livelihood or profit. The licensee must mark PMFs with a unique serial number within seven days or prior to disposition. PMFs are commonly referred to as “ghost guns” because of the difficulty in tracking them. From 2016 to 2021, approximately 45,240 suspected PMFs were recovered by law enforcement from potential crime scenes.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Scott F. Ford prosecuted the case.
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8 February 2026
Jordanian National Illegally in the U.S. Sentenced to Prison for Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A Jordanian man residing in Lucas County has been sentenced to prison for possessing a firearm, which he was prohibited from having due to his status as an unlawful alien.
Husam Al Najjar, 43, was sentenced to 27 months in prison after a federal jury found him guilty in October of being an Unlawful Alien in Possession of a Firearm. The sentence was handed down Feb. 3 by U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary. Al Najjar was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
Evidence introduced at trial showed that the defendant was admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant visitor on Oct. 26, 2014. About four months later, he met a U.S. citizen whom he then married March 12, 2015, in Toledo. However, agents found that Al Najjar overstayed his visa entry conditions when it expired the following month, thus making him eligible for deportation. His wife later submitted forms to U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) for Al Najjar to gain lawful status but those requests were never approved.
According to the original criminal complaint and affidavit filed in the case, agents investigating Al Najjar discovered that he took multiple videos and photos of himself holding or using a variety of firearms that he posted on his social media accounts. While executing a search warrant at his residence, agents seized a Glock Model 45, 9mm pistol.
Al Najjar is subject to a detainer from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will be taken into administrative immigration custody for removal from the United States following the completion of his sentence.
This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
7 February 2026
Abilene Fentanyl Trafficker, 30 others, Sentenced as Part of “Operation Top Shelf”Read the Press Release
A large-scale fentanyl trafficker in Abilene, Texas, was sentenced to life in federal prison this week, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Kurtney Bernard Jones, of Abilene, was convicted in August 2025 by a federal jury in Abilene of two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. On February 5, 2026, United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced Jones to life imprisonment.
“The scale of this drug trafficking organization and this defendant’s leadership of it warrants a life sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners took down a massive fentanyl distribution ring over a 2-year operation. I applaud their collaborative efforts together with the prosecutors in my office in successfully removing these dangerous drugs and those peddling them from the Abilene community.”
“The defendant’s role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed a large quantity of narcotics into Abilene and the surrounding area warrants the life sentence that was imposed in this case,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and protect our communities from the threat of dangerous drugs.”
“This life sentence reflects the seriousness of fentanyl trafficking and our continued commitment to protecting communities from those who profit by distributing deadly drugs,” said DEA Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker. “This case highlights the strength of our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together to hold dangerous traffickers accountable and keep our communities safe.”
Evidence presented in court demonstrated that Kurtney Jones, also known as “KP,” was responsible for distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin in the Abilene area.
Court records show that in December 2023, Jones assumed control of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed drugs in Abilene and the surrounding counties. He formed a relationship with a drug supplier in Dallas, Texas. He organized the transport of a total of 42,000 fentanyl pills, 140 grams of heroin, 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, another 4,600 grams of fentanyl to the Abilene. While running the DTO, Jones threatened rival dealers and trafficked firearms. When arrested, he possessed 452 grams of fentanyl and $225,994.25 in cash. Agents also discovered that Jones possessed a pill press, capsules to make pills, and another 318.95 grams of heroin.
Jones’s prosecution was part of “Operation Top Shelf.” This was a comprehensive narcotics investigation that involved seven separate local and federal law enforcement agencies. Agents performed two separate “takedowns.” The first takedown occurred in February of 2024 and involved more than 80 agents and officers from the 7 collaborating agencies. Court records reflect that over the course of the first takedown operation, agents seized 29 kilograms of methamphetamine, 721 grams of cocaine, 1,370 grams of fentanyl, and 60 firearms. Seventeen methamphetamine and cocaine traffickers were arrested and indicted.
The second takedown occurred in September of 2024. Agents arrested and indicted 12 fentanyl traffickers, including Jones.
After the takedowns, opioid overdose rates fell sharply in Abilene. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/after-takedown-opioid-overdose-rates-fall-abilene.
With Jones’s sentencing this week, all 31 traffickers charged in “Operation Top Shelf” have been sentenced. In total and excluding Jones, the Court sentenced the defendants to 4,328 months, which amounts to over 360 years of federal prison time. Those sentences include:
- Kurtney Bernard Jones: sentenced to life imprisonment for possessing with intent to distribute and distributing fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Rafael Perez: sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Diana Nichole Perez, aka Diana Santana: sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Eddie Ochoa Lomas: sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tylik Ojur Johnson: sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Nathaniel Deal: sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Lisa Ann Beckham: sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Angel Alvarez: sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Orson Rolando Ortegon: sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Joshua Gosson: sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Marquee Anthony Aboso, aka “OC”: sentenced to 175 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Hannah Rai Gongora, aka Hannah Alvarez: sentenced to 172 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Laura Trevino: sentenced to 156 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Alexandrea Delgado: sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Petra Soliz: sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Juan Manuel Oliveros, Jr.: sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Jeremiah Greene, aka “Lil Mexico”: sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Bradley Kirk Gutierrez: sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Jimmy Rangel: sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Gloria Santibanez: sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Jason Eugene DeLeon: sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Steven Lattimore, aka “PNut”: sentenced to 103 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Mckenzee Marie Lane: sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Joseph Brassell: sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for possession to distribute fentanyl.
- Robert Lee Mason: sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Glen Edward Lee, Jr.: sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Maxine Gonzales: sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Christopher Thompson: sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Jacob Lee DeLeon: sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
- Paul Eli Snyder: sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Christopher Anthony Glaze: sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The operation involved agents and officers from DEA Fort Worth, FBI Dallas Field Office - Abilene Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF Dallas, IRS – Criminal Investigations, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Abilene Police Department, and the Callahan County Sheriff’s Office.
This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas handled the prosecution.
6 February 2026
Woman Who Raised, Trained, and Traded Roosters for Illegal Cockfighting Sentenced After Federal ConvictionRead the Press Release
Woman Who Raised, Trained, and Traded Roosters for Illegal Cockfighting Sentenced After Federal Conviction
CONCORD – A Chester woman was sentenced today in federal court for her involvement in illegal cockfighting activities in New Hampshire and North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jennifer Scott, 42, was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $2,500 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone. As a term of her probation, the defendant is prohibited from owning or raising roosters or chickens. In October 2025, Scott pleaded guilty to one count of Attending an Animal Fighting Venture.
According to court documents, the defendant had been using her property in New Hampshire to raise and train roosters for cockfighting. On several occasions, she transported roosters to North Carolina, where she traded them and had them participate in illegal cockfighting events. During a search warrant executed on her property, law enforcement recovered sparring muffs used to train roosters for cockfighting, a sparring aid used to entice roosters to attack the simulated opponent, 76 roosters, 84 hens, 261 juvenile chickens, and an egg incubator.
“The defendant participated in a multistate cockfighting venture and profited from animal cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “The conduct was extensive, involving networks of participants at multiple locations in North Carolina, as well as scores of animals. Today’s sentence stands as a warning to those who participate in and fuel the market for this brutal conduct.”
The investigation was led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Law Enforcement Division, New Hampshire State Police, Massachusetts State Police, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Animal Rescue League of Boston Law Enforcement Division, and the Chester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo prosecuted the case.
Woman Sentenced for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance FraudRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – LaTasha Thomas, age 39, was sentenced in United States District Court to 12 months imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release for one count of mail fraud, and ordered to repay $325,159 in restitution to the United States Department of Agriculture, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Over the course of two years, Latasha Thomas conspired with her daughter Ambrosia Thomas, and other relative Cynthia Thomas, to defraud the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”). Their scheme focused on the unlawful acquisition of Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards, which are issued by the state government to qualifying applicants and loaded monthly with money from SNAP. Legitimate applicants can use their EBT cards to purchase groceries and make ATM withdrawals.
Thomas and her co-conspirators devised a scheme to acquire cards under false pretenses and defraud the program. They created fake Minnesota temporary drivers’ licenses using false names, with each license picturing one of the Thomases. Then, they submitted these fake licenses to Hennepin County in applications for EBT cards. Believing their SNAP allotments could be increased if the purported recipients were confined to bedrest, the Thomases repeatedly claimed in their fraudulent applications to be women experiencing “high risk pregnancy.” They bolstered these claims with fake doctor’s notes they manufactured for the purpose of maximizing their theft of government funds.
In many of the scheme’s fraudulent applications, the Thomases directed the state to send the EBT cards to Cynthia Thomas’s apartment in Roseville. Cynthia lived there under the same false name—Sofia Gold—that appears on one of the scheme’s ill-begotten cards. When law enforcement searched Cynthia’s apartment in Roseville, they encountered her there and found several pieces of mail addressed to pseudonyms used in the scheme. In the inside part of the apartment building’s mailbox—accessible only to building management and mail carriers—law enforcement found notes indicating that mail should be delivered to Cynthia’s apartment for several of the pseudonyms used in the scheme.
The Thomases withdrew government funds from ATMs and used them to make purchases. They also marketed and sold the use of the EBTs to others, arranging for their customers to pick up an EBT card, use an agreed-upon portion of its monthly allotment, return the card, and then pay the conspirators a fee (usually 50-60%) for the privilege. In all, through their scheme the Thomases caused over $325,000 in losses to the SNAP program.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hennepin County Fraud Unit.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Semivan prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 111 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 111 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 February 3, Bulmaro Santiago-Perez, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents found the undocumented defendant hiding in brush about half mile north of the border near the Tecate Port of Entry. He was previously deported in April 2013 through Nogales, Arizona.
- On February 4, Carlos Jhovanny Estrada Perez and Jose Eduardo Corrado-Romo, citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, they are the alleged captain and co-captain, respectively, of a vessel intercepted by Marine Interdiction Agents from Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations transporting unauthorized immigrants. Also arrested and charged were Mexican nationals Josefina Mariano Nava, Ramon Rodriguez-Cuevas and Arturo Sesma Rodriguez, for Attempted Entry After Deportation.
- On February 4, Elvin Maravillas, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found almost 20 pounds of fentanyl hidden in a non-factory compartment in the floor of the defendant’s vehicle as he tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
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 Collects Nearly $200 Million in Criminal and Civil Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida collected $188,113,543 in criminal and civil debts in fiscal year 2025.
Of that amount, $173,471,304.33 was recovered through criminal restitution collections, and $14,642,238.67 was collected in civil actions to enforce debts owed to the U.S. These recoveries reflect the Office’s continued commitment to securing restitution for crime victims and enforcing financial judgments imposed by federal courts.
“Nearly $200 million recovered means real accountability and real results,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “Those funds represent restitution returned to victims and debts collected from people who broke the law. Court orders matter, and in the Southern District of Florida, we enforce them. If you steal or defraud, we will put you in prison and we will come after the money.”
U.S. Attorney’s Offices are responsible for enforcing and collecting restitution judgments owed to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered financial loss or physical injury, as well as civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. While restitution is paid directly to crime victims, criminal fines and assessments are deposited into the Department of Justice’s Crime Victims Fund, which supports federal and state victim compensation and assistance programs. The Office’s collection efforts are carried out through the Financial Litigation Program (FLP).
Significant recoveries in fiscal year 2025 include the following cases:
Issa Asad and Q Link Wireless LLC were convicted of conspiring to defraud the U.S. and committing offenses against the U.S. The defendants were ordered to pay $111,395,396.25 in restitution. To date, the FLP has recovered $108,024,452.04.
Israel Guardarrama was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud and was ordered to pay $1,722,080.27 in restitution. The FLP has recovered $1.4 million by litigating and resolving a civil criminal restitution judgment lien foreclosure action against the defendant’s homestead and rental properties.
Michael Scott Segal was convicted of mail fraud and wire fraud and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $912,570.50. The FLP recovered $409,438.75 of that amount in fiscal year 2025 to fully satisfy the judgment.
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U.S. Attorney Moore Capito and Law Enforcement Officials to Announce Sentences in Sex Trafficking Conspiracy at Monday Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Moore Capito will hold a press conference on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. with law enforcement officials following the sentencing hearings for Tiwan Robert Bailey and Carrie Roy.
Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor, and one count of obstruction of justice. Roy is scheduled to be sentenced on one count each of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiring to commit sex trafficking of a minor. A federal jury convicted Bailey, also known as “Quick,” 49, and Roy, also known as “Carrie Ash,” 52, both of Charleston, on September 29, 2025, following a five-day trial.
*** NOTE: The press conference is contingent upon the completion of the sentencing hearings, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. ***
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: Monday, February 9, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston, Fourth Floor, Suite 4000
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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U.S. Attorney Announces $3.2 Million Settlement with Fashion Company Relating to Improper Receipt of Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Regional Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (“SBA-OIG”), Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, announced today that ALICE + OLIVIA, LLC (“ALICE + OLIVIA”) has agreed to pay $3,200,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying that it was eligible for a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan. Under the settlement approved by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, ALICE + OLIVIA has admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged in the Government’s Complaint, including that it was ineligible to receive the PPP loan due to the total number of individuals it employed.
The PPP, administered by the SBA, was created to assist small businesses nationwide adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In early 2021, the SBA permitted qualifying businesses that received an initial PPP loan to apply for a second PPP loan (a “Second-Draw PPP loan”) if they met certain requirements. For example, when ALICE + OLIVIA applied for a Second-Draw PPP loan in January 2021, a business generally could have no more than 300 employees, including the employees of its domestic and foreign affiliates. ALICE + OLIVIA exceeded this size eligibility requirement.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was established to help businesses weather the extraordinary economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by offering forgivable loans,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “But too many applicants sought and obtained loans that they were never entitled to receive. The women and men of this Office are dedicated to holding actors who attempt to bilk public programs accountable.”
“This settlement reflects our continued commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring that federal relief programs are used as Congress intended,” said SBA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “SBA-OIG will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who misrepresent their eligibility.”
As alleged in the Complaint:
On or about January 21, 2021, ALICE + OLIVIA submitted, through its authorized representative, an application for a Second-Draw PPP loan to a financial institution, and ALICE + OLIVIA was subsequently approved for and received a Second-Draw PPP loan for $2,000,000. On or about February 9, 2022, ALICE + OLIVIA, through its authorized representative, applied for and received full forgiveness of its Second-Draw PPP loan.
ALICE + OLIVIA stated in its Second-Draw PPP loan application that it had 293 employees, when in fact ALICE + OLIVIA (together with its domestic and foreign affiliates) had more than 300 employees. ALICE + OLIVIA also certified, among other things, that it was eligible to receive the Second-Draw PPP loan and that the information provided in its application and supporting documents was true and accurate in all material respects.
When ALICE + OLIVIA later applied for PPP loan forgiveness, it misrepresented in its application that it had only 271 employees at the time of its Second-Draw PPP loan application. ALICE + OLIVIA also certified, once again, that the information provided in its application and supporting documents was true and correct in all material respects.
ALICE + OLIVIA violated the False Claims Act by knowingly presenting and making, or causing to be presented and made, false claims and statements in connection with its submission of its Second-Draw PPP loan application and forgiveness application. Specifically, ALICE + OLIVIA falsely certified its eligibility for the Second-Draw PPP loan because ALICE + OLIVIA (together with its domestic and foreign affiliates) employed more than 300 employees and was thus ineligible for the loan it received.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Salk is in charge of the case.
Two Individuals Charged in Scheme to “Straw Purchase” FirearmsRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted two individuals in a scheme to “straw purchase” firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Habonisun Mynez Chaverst, 28, of Center Point, Alabama, and Keonna Daniella Cephus, 38, of Birmingham, Alabama, with conspiracy to straw purchase firearms and submit false ATF forms 4473. Cephus was also charged with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to the indictment, between October 2024 and November 2024, Chaverst partnered with co-defendant Cephus to purchase six firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee. Cephus, the straw purchaser, falsified documents by specifically stating that she was the actual buyer when in fact she was buying the firearms for Chaverst. On two separate occasions in November 2024, Cephus purchased two .40 caliber Glock 22 pistols, two .40 caliber Glock 23 pistols, and two 9mm Glock 17 pistols from Hoover Tactical Firearms. Cephus used money provided by Chaverst to purchase the firearms.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carson R. Gilbert is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Individuals Charged in Scheme to “Straw Purchase” FirearmsRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted two individuals in a scheme to “straw purchase” firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Habonisun Mynez Chaverst, 28, of Center Point, Alabama, and Keonna Daniella Cephus, 38, of Birmingham, Alabama, with conspiracy to straw purchase firearms and submit false ATF forms 4473. Cephus was also charged with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to the indictment, between October 2024 and November 2024, Chaverst partnered with co-defendant Cephus to purchase six firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee. Cephus, the straw purchaser, falsified documents by specifically stating that she was the actual buyer when in fact she was buying the firearms for Chaverst. On two separate occasions in November 2024, Cephus purchased two .40 caliber Glock 22 pistols, two .40 caliber Glock 23 pistols, and two 9mm Glock 17 pistols from Hoover Tactical Firearms. Cephus used money provided by Chaverst to purchase the firearms.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carson R. Gilbert is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export Weapons to South SudanRead the Press Release
Today, Peter Biar Ajak, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai for the District of Arizona to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ajak’s co-defendant, Abraham Chol Keech, 46, of Utah, was sentenced on Dec. 18, 2025, by Judge Desai to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and Conspiracy to Violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).
“From a suburb of our Nation’s capital, Ajak conspired to export U.S. weaponry to South Sudan, where he planned to lead a coup and install himself in power,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Ajak discussed ways to conceal his conduct, which he knew was illegal, including by misrepresenting financial transactions as attempts to provide humanitarian aid. The National Security Division is committed to prosecuting violations of U.S. export control laws to ensure that U.S. weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.”
“The defendants in this case sought to bypass U.S. export control laws, with Mr. Ajak directing a conspiracy that amassed a $4M arsenal of military-grade weapons intended to effect a coup d'état in South Sudan,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “Thanks to federal prosecutors, agents and investigators from across the spectrum of U.S. government agencies, the plot was thwarted and the defendants were brought to justice, safeguarding our national security interests.”
“By disrupting an attempt to unlawfully export advanced weapons systems, this investigation helped protect U.S. forces from weapons that could potentially be utilized against them on future battlefields,” said John Helsing, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Western Field Office. “As the investigative arm of DoD’s Office of Inspector General, DCIS remains fully committed to safeguarding DoD equities and ensuring that military-grade weapons do not fall into the hands of those who would endanger American service members.”
“The defendants in this investigation knowingly sought to undermine national security by violating U.S. laws related to illegal arms trafficking and the export of weapons,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “As part of HSI’s core mission to investigate illicit transfers of arms to countries in turmoil, these conspirators attempted to destabilize national and international peace and security. HSI and our partners remain committed to pursuing charges against those who violate these laws.”
As defendants admitted in their plea agreements, between at least February 2023 and March 2024, Keech and Ajak sought to illegally purchase and export nearly $4 million worth of export-controlled, military grade weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without the required export licenses. Defendants sought to provide these weapons and ammunition — which included ten Stinger missile systems, two hundred grenade launchers, more than a thousand machine guns and rifles, and over 3.5 million rounds of ammunition — to opposition groups in South Sudan seeking to topple the current South Sudanese government. Defendants planned to install Ajak as the country’s new president after the regime change.
Defendants knew South Sudan was subject to an arms embargo and that exporting weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without a license from the U.S. government would violate U.S. law. To facilitate their smuggling scheme, defendants discussed paying bribes and disguising the weapons as humanitarian aid. Defendants also created a fake invoice to conceal from financial institutions and others the source and purpose of the funds used to purchase and smuggle the illicit arms. As part of their plea agreement, defendants agreed to forfeit nearly $2 million they raised to pay for the weapons, which was seized by the United States.
HSI, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy C. Chang, Raymond K. Woo, M. Bridget Minder, and Joseph F. Bozdech for the District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Leslie C. Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export Weapons to South SudanRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, Peter Biar Ajak, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai for the District of Arizona to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ajak’s co-defendant, Abraham Chol Keech, 46, of Utah, was sentenced on December 18, 2025, by Judge Desai to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and Conspiracy to Violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).
“From a suburb of our Nation’s capital, Ajak conspired to export U.S. weaponry to South Sudan, where he planned to lead a coup and install himself in power,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Ajak discussed ways to conceal his conduct, which he knew was illegal, including by misrepresenting financial transactions as attempts to provide humanitarian aid. The National Security Division is committed to prosecuting violations of U.S. export control laws to ensure that U.S. weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.”
“The defendants in this case sought to bypass U.S. export control laws, with Mr. Ajak directing a conspiracy that amassed a $4M arsenal of military-grade weapons intended to effect a coup d'état in South Sudan,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “Thanks to federal prosecutors, agents and investigators from across the spectrum of U.S. government agencies, the plot was thwarted and the defendants were brought to justice, safeguarding our national security interests.”
“By disrupting an attempt to unlawfully export advanced weapons systems, this investigation helped protect U.S. forces from weapons that could potentially be utilized against them on future battlefields,” said John Helsing, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Western Field Office. “As the investigative arm of DoD’s Office of Inspector General, DCIS remains fully committed to safeguarding DoD equities and ensuring that military-grade weapons do not fall into the hands of those who would endanger American service members.”
“The defendants in this investigation knowingly sought to undermine national security by violating U.S. laws related to illegal arms trafficking and the export of weapons,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of HSI Arizona. “As part of HSI’s core mission to investigate illicit transfers of arms to countries in turmoil, these conspirators attempted to destabilize national and international peace and security. HSI and our partners remain committed to pursuing charges against those who violate these laws.”
As defendants admitted in their plea agreements, between at least February 2023 and March 2024, Keech and Ajak sought to illegally purchase and export nearly $4 million worth of export-controlled, military grade weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without the required export licenses. Defendants sought to provide these weapons and ammunition—which included ten Stinger missile systems, two hundred grenade launchers, more than a thousand machine guns and rifles, and over 3.5 million rounds of ammunition—to opposition groups in South Sudan seeking to topple the current South Sudanese government. Defendants planned to install Ajak as the country’s new president after the regime change.
Defendants knew South Sudan was subject to an arms embargo and that exporting weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without a license from the U.S. government would violate U.S. law. To facilitate their smuggling scheme, defendants discussed paying bribes and disguising the weapons as humanitarian aid. Defendants also created a fake invoice to conceal from financial institutions and others the source and purpose of the funds used to purchase and smuggle the illicit arms. As part of their plea agreement, defendants agreed to forfeit nearly $2 million they raised to pay for the weapons, which was seized by the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy C. Chang, Raymond K. Woo, M. Bridget Minder, and Joseph F. Bozdech of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Leslie C. Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-394
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-022_AJAK
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Third Coconspirator in Fatal Benghazi Attacks in U.S. Custody, Charged in Washington D.C. with Murder and Terrorism CountsRead the Press Release
Zubayar Al-Bakoush, an armed coconspirator in the 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, was charged in an eight-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court on multiple terrorism and murder counts.
Bakoush, who is in federal custody, is expected to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya for the District of Columbia.
“The terrorist attack on our Benghazi Embassy was a dark and tragic day for our nation that robbed us of four American heroes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Now, thanks to our brave federal agents, one of its alleged key participants will be prosecuted in an American courtroom on American soil. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will never rest in our mission to Make America Safe Again and deliver swift, severe justice to our enemies.”
"The FBI and our U.S. government partners have worked tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for the heinous terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of the U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The latest result of our efforts is bringing Zubayar Al-Bakoush to the U.S. to face charges for his alleged role in the attacks against our citizens and our facilities in Libya. You can be assured that no matter how long it takes, or where you are located, the FBI remains steadfast in our duty to see justice served against those who harm our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI for their unrelenting efforts to bring us to where we stand today – this defendant will be prosecuted on U.S. soil.”
“Today’s indictment against Zubayar Al-Bakoush is indicative of President Trump’s resolve to hold accountable anyone who harms Americans, no matter where,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Al-Bakoush is now on U.S. soil, because the FBI and Department of Justice never forgot those Americans who were seemingly forgotten in that outpost in Benghazi, Libya. President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, FBI Director Patel, and I will do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, to pursue justice for the victims and their families.”
“Over thirteen years have passed since the 2012 attack in Libya, and over eight since the last arrest in this case, but the Department of Justice’s resolve has not wavered,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We never forgot those four Americans who were killed in service of our Nation, and we will continue to seek justice for them, their families, and for the United States.”
“In September 2012, Zubayar Al-Bakoush allegedly facilitated the terrorist attack on the United States Mission and Annex in Benghazi in which four Americans – including an ambassador – were murdered in an effort to incite additional violence against our country’s presence in Libya” said James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge of New York Field Office. “This bloody campaign waged unnecessary brutality against Americans and forever altered the lives of the victims’ families. May today’s significant disruption send a clear message: the FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will never cease its tireless pursuit of any terrorist involved in the massacre of our nation’s citizens, regardless of when or where the onslaught occurred.”
The indictment charges Bakoush with:
- Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
- Providing Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
- Murder of an Internationally Protected Person
- Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States (Two Counts)
- Attempted Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States
- Arson and Placing Lives in Jeopardy Within the Special Maritime and Territorial
Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same
- Maliciously Destroying and Injuring Property and Placing Lives in Jeopardy within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same
The charges stem from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and nearby CIA Annex that killed Ambassador Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.
According to the indictment, Bakoush was a member of Ansar Al Sharia (AAS), an Islamist extremist militia in Benghazi, which had the goal of establishing Sharia law in Libya.
On the evening of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of more than 20 heavily armed men – including Bakoush assembled outside the main gate of the U.S Special Mission in Benghazi. They were armed with assault rifles, other firearms, and explosive devices. At about 9:45 p.m., the group of armed men violently breached the main gate of the Mission. Upon entry, the men fanned out across the Mission complex, setting fires to building within the Mission compound.
When the attackers could not gain entry to the secure area of Villa C, the Ambassador’s residence, they set fire to it. Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith suffocated from the thick, black smoke that enveloped the residence. Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) Special Agent Scott Wickland, who had tried to guide Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith to safety, was injured and repeatedly took small arms fire while trying to rescue the two Americans.
The extremist group also attacked the Quick Reaction Force building, which was occupied by local Libyans serving as guards for the Mission.
About 10 p.m., Bakoush entered the Mission compound with other conspirators, and conducted surveillance of the Tactical Operation Center and the Villa. After Bakoush attempted to gain entry to vehicles belonging to Mission staff, he and his co-conspirators temporarily retreated to an area just outside the Mission.
About 11:15 p.m., conspirators assembled outside the southern gate and launched a second violent attack on the Mission using AK-type assault rifles, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades. After 30 minutes, the group entered the compound and plundered the Mission’s office of documents, maps, and computers containing sensitive information about the location of the CIA Annex.
At 12:30 a.m., conspirators attacked the Annex with small arms, assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades.
Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of September 12, 2012, the violence continued at the CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. While defending the Annex, Mr. Woods, Mr. Doherty, DSS Special Agent David Ubben, and CIA security specialist Mark Tiegen were hit by a precision mortar attack, leading to the deaths of Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty. Special Agent Ubben and Mr. Tiegen were seriously wounded but survived.
The Department of Justice previously charged and convicted two leaders in the Benghazi attack on federal terrorism charges and other offenses. Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah was sentenced in June 2018 to 22 years in prison and resentenced in September 2024 to 28 years in prison. Mustafa al-Imam was sentenced in January 2020 to nearly 20 years.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from the Department of War, the CIA and the Department of State. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided additional assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Stockton Man Convicted for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
After a two-day trial, a federal jury found Robert Jordan, 52, of Stockton, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 1, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a silver Infiniti SUV with no license plates that Jordan was driving. In the location where the license plates should have been, the SUV instead had a laminated piece of paper that said “PRIVATE.” During the ensuing traffic stop, Jordan told the officers that he had a pistol in the SUV’s center console. Jordan is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior California felony conviction for attempted murder. The officers searched the center console and found a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver.
Jordan was initially charged in San Joaquin Superior Court. Jordan, who is a member of the so-called “sovereign citizen” movement, began harassing government employees in an attempt to intimidate them into dropping his case. His conduct escalated into threats to file frivolous lawsuits and property liens against members of the court and prosecution team. Eventually, Jordan filed more than $10 million in Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) liens against the prosecutor, the judge, and court staff.
Later, Jordan was indicted on federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. After firing his court-appointed defense attorney, Jordan chose to represent himself. Jordan was advised about potential consequences of filing frivolous liens against federal employees. Apparently undaunted, Jordan’s obstreperous behavior continued: he refused to withdraw the unjust liens he had filed against the state officials, made further UCC filings naming the federal court and federal prosecutors as potential targets of future liens, and attempted to initiate a seven-figure lawsuit against members of the prosecution team.
The Stockton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Charles Campbell are prosecuting the case.
Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Jordan faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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.
Springfield, Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Base in Central VermontRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on February 4, 2026, Joseph Llano, 26, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. Joseph Llano previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine base in Central Vermont.
According to court records, over the course of multiple years, Joseph Llano operated a drug distribution operation in cooperation with his brother, Justin Llano, his uncles, Tanashe Edwards and Edwin Davila, and numerous other co-conspirators, that trafficked cocaine base and fentanyl from Massachusetts to Central Vermont. The group distributed drugs to a large number of customers in Washington, Orange, and Lamoille counties. The defendant recruited individuals in Vermont that would allow their homes to be used as distribution points for controlled substances by individuals from Massachusetts who would travel to Vermont to distribute drugs, and individuals to courier drugs and proceeds from the sale of drugs between Massachusetts and Vermont. During the course of the conspiracy, the courier that Joseph Llano had recruited made approximately 100 trips between the Springfield, Massachusetts area and Central Vermont. On each trip he brought between 50 and 60 grams of cocaine base to Vermont, and at times also brought wax folds of fentanyl. Joseph Llano also operated a social media page where he would interact with drug customers to facilitate the sale of cocaine base and/or fentanyl. On four occasions, law enforcement completed controlled purchases of cocaine base following communications with Joseph Llano’s social media account.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, Barre Town Police Department, Barre City Police Department, Berlin Police Department, and Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Turner. Joseph Llano was represented by David Silver, Esq.
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.
Social Security employee sentenced in multimillion-dollar fraud and identity theft schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A former Social Security employee has been ordered to federal prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to steal government funds, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
David Lam, 46, Pearland, pleaded guilty June 5, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Lam to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about the complex nature of Lam’s scheme and how it involved dozens of fraudulent applications. Lam also used his access to personal data, which was necessary for his actual job duties, to facilitate his embezzlement and theft. Lam was further ordered to pay $3,346,280 in restitution.
Lam was an operations supervisor and claims specialist for the Social Security Administration office in Houston.
As part of his plea, Lam admitted to stealing the personally identifying information of recently deceased men and then using that PII to facilitate fraudulent benefits applications.
Lam worked with various coconspirators – typically, women with children – to file fraudulent survivor benefits applications listing the deceased men as the children’s fathers or stepfathers. If true, this would have entitled the women to receive benefits while raising their children as widows. However, the women had no connection to the men listed on the applications, and the deceased men did not father the children. To facilitate his scheme, Lam would utilize the deceased men’s names, dates of birth and death and Social Security numbers.
He would also instruct the coconspirators to split the stolen funds with him. The women would transfer funds via applications like Zelle, CashApp or Chime.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray prosecuted the case.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 16 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte, has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2026.
Garrett Heck, age 30, was sentenced to sixteen months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Heck was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025.
As a result of a prior conviction, Heck is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status. On May 14, 2025, Heck updated his sex offender registration to reflect his new employment. On May 20, 2025, Heck was no longer working at his registered employment, but he did not update his registration. Heck further did not update his registration after being evicted from his residence on July 7, 2025. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued, and on July 29, 2025, Heck was arrested in Sioux Falls.
This case was brought as a 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. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Heck was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Jorge Monrroy, 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty February 5, 2026, in federal court to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
At the plea hearing, Monrroy admitted that between June 30 and July 2, 2025, he sexually exploited a minor female. Monrroy admitted to providing alcohol to the minor, getting her intoxicated, recording a video of the two having sexual intercourse on the minor child’s phone, and sending the video to himself. Evidence further showed that Monrroy received, possessed, and distributed child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Monrroy remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Monrroy faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4050.
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Seattle Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison Following September 2025 Conviction by Jury for Role in Transnational Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced in federal court to 420 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws in relation to a transnational criminal organization (TCO), United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendant was among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (read the Second Superseding Indictment news release here).
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Bryce Hill, 28. Hill was convicted by a jury following a two-and-a-half-week trial in September 2025.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Hill was a member of the Phoenix-based Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization—a transnational criminal organization responsible for the distribution of millions of fentanyl pills, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and dozens of kilograms of cocaine, from August 2021 to June 2023. The Monarrez TCO provided the drugs to a network of subordinate drug distributors, who redistributed the narcotics throughout the country, including into western Pennsylvania. Hill was intercepted over a federal wiretap obtaining hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and kilograms of fentanyl powder for redistribution.
Additional evidence presented at trial included testimony regarding the execution of a search warrant on January 11, 2023, during which law enforcement seized 27 kilograms of fentanyl pills, multiple firearms, and $387,000 cash from Hill’s apartment, and the seizure of 28 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, three kilograms of cocaine, 48 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 20 firearms (pictured below) from a short-term rental property in Scottsdale, Arizona, on December 25, 2022.
The jury found that, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Hill conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Hill’s sentencing follows those of 32 co-defendants.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the prosecution of Hill. Additional agencies participating in this investigation included the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies, including the Scottsdale, Arizona, Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Salvadoran National Sentenced for Dealing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in East Boston was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on drug distribution charges.
Tony Cartagena-Chacon, 47, was sentenced by United States District Judge Angel Kelley to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence. In October 2025, Cartagena-Chacon pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
During an investigation of the transnational criminal organization 18th Street Gang, Cartagena-Chacon met with a cooperating witness on Feb. 15, 2024 to sell approximately 50 grams of fentanyl powder. During the deal, Cartagena-Chacon emphasized how “pure” his product was, suggesting that the cooperating witness could re-sell the substance for significant profit.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Salt Lake Woman Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment After Embezzling Nearly $1.4M from her Employer in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah woman was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after she used her position to defraud her employer, a Utah based lending services business out of $1,398,014.
Benedicta Okunlola, 32, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on November 18, 2025. In addition to her term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby ordered Okunlola to pay $1,398,014 in restitution, with a lump sum of $5,000 to be paid at or before sentencing.
According to court documents and admissions made at Okunlola’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between 2020 and 2025, Okunlola used her position as a Merchant Growth Specialist to issue 2,343 prepaid gift cards to herself, her online art business, and family members. In her role, she had access to her company’s credit card for marketing promotions and incentives and was the only employee who purchased gift cards from an outside company to offer incentives to commercial customers. The gift cards Okunlola fraudulently purchased for herself and others were kept below the company’s secondary approval thresholds to avoid detection. She spent the gift cards on rent, online shopping, groceries, rideshares, dining out, and trips to South Korea, Japan, South Africa, and Portugal. In total, Okunlola stole $1,398,014 from her employer over the course of four years.
“Okunlola stole from her employer to fund her jet-setting lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “It is our hope that her sentence will serve as deterrent from others thinking about engaging in fraud. By teaming up with our law enforcement partners we will continue to investigate and prosecute these cases.”
“Benedicta Okunlola’s actions were not a mistake or a lapse in judgement. It was a deliberate scheme driven by greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The defendant violated a position of trust and caused real financial harm to her employer. This FBI remains committed to investigating complex financial crimes and holding offenders accountable.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
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Rhode Island Businesswoman Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island woman has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for her leading role in laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars of her then-boyfriend’s fentanyl trafficking money.
Carolina Correa, 35, of Cranston, R.I., was sentenced on Feb. 4, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 42 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Correa was also ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and forfeiture in the amount of $350,000. In July 2025, Correa pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Correa – an entrepreneur, real estate owner and fundraiser – was the leader of a sophisticated multi-state scheme to launder $450,000 in fentanyl trafficking proceeds derived by her then-boyfriend, Jasdrual Perez. In December 2024, Jasdrual Perez was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for his role as the leader of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy responsible for manufacturing and distributing millions of fentanyl pills made to look like oxycodone and Percocet.
In late 2021 to early 2022, Perez enlisted his financially savvy girlfriend Correa to assist him in concealing his drug proceeds. Correa contacted a friend who was opening a marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts and seeking investors. Correa agreed to seek out investors in the dispensary and in exchange, she would get an ownership stake and the title of CFO of the marijuana dispensary.
In January 2022, Correa indicated that she had found “investors” in the marijuana dispensary. Those “investors” included a real estate investor based in North Carolina with whom Correa had a long-time personal, not professional, relationship as well as his associate. Shortly thereafter, Correa enlisted a friend to drive $350,000 in Perez’s drug proceeds from Rhode Island to Correa’s “investors” in North Carolina. Financial records showed that the North Carolina “investors” then wired $350,000 in two transactions, from two separate business accounts, in the amount of $250,000 and $200,000, to a bank account for an attorney for the marijuana dispensary. Those funds were then transferred from the attorney’s account to the marijuana dispensary’s business account.
To further create an appearance of legitimacy for the concealed drug proceeds, Correa used her work email address to communicate with the North Carolina “investors.” She drafted sham loan paperwork and promissory notes for her, the CEO of the marijuana dispensary and the North Carolina “investors” to sign to conceal the true source of the funds. Correa and Perez also facilitated, and bank records confirmed, the laundering of an additional $100,000 of Perez’s drug proceeds into the marijuana dispensary’s bank account through the business bank account of a real estate investment company of one of Perez’s Rhode Island based friends.
Correa used her professional reputation and public image to appear that she was legitimately securing “investors” in the marijuana dispensary while, simultaneously, in intercepted communications, she regularly described the hustle to “clean” Perez’s drug money for her own financial benefit through various financial and real estate transactions.
After the successful movement of $450,000 of Perez’s drug proceeds, the photograph below was posted on her social media account:
“Money launderers protect and strengthen an industry – the drug trafficking industry – that directly harms millions of people. By making drug profits usable, launderers allow drug trafficking organizations to operate like legitimate businesses. To say that money laundering is a victimless crime ignores the reality of the interconnected relationship between launderers and traffickers. As a fentanyl trafficker’s business expands, so too do the rates of drug use, addiction and overdose. Ms. Correa thought she could outsmart the system and law enforcement while she was laundering at least half a million dollars in drug proceeds,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case should serve as a warning to others that our efforts to curb drug addiction doesn’t just involve prosecuting drug dealers, it also involves arresting their financial partners in the trafficking conspiracy.”
“This case shows that fentanyl trafficking is not limited to street-level dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Ms. Correa used her business and fundraising activities to disguise and move hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds, directly supporting a trafficking operation that fuels addiction and death in our communities. The DEA will hold accountable anyone who profits from this poison, no matter how they try to hide it.”
"The capability to launder illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very profit made from the distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains being ‘cleaned’, the traffickers cannot ‘legitimately’ finance their illicit business or spend the money,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “As the role of IRS-CI in narcotics investigations is to follow the money, we are highly skilled at financially disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations. We are proud to provide our financial expertise as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice."
U.S. Attorney Foley, DEA SAC Forget and IRS-CI SAC Demeo and made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigations; Rhode Island State Police; Massachusetts State Police; and the Cranston, Warwick and West Warwick, Rhode Island Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Weinstein and Kunal Pasricha of the Criminal Divisions prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Repeat sex offender convicted at trial of child pornography crimes, including AI-generated child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury found a Vinton County man guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography and AI-generated images of child sexual abuse.
Cody L. Prater, 28, of McArthur, Ohio, was convicted on all four counts of crimes related to his receipt and possession of both child pornography and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.
The verdict was announced Thursday evening following a trial that began on Feb. 2 before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to evidence presented at trial, Prater received and possessed videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of real minors, primarily babies and toddlers. He also used an artificial intelligence text-to-image program to convert his text prompts into photorealistic depictions of child sexual abuse, including nude prepubescent children being mutilated and tortured, bestiality, and children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
“Prater collected vile videos of real babies and toddlers being sexually abused and created other AI-generated obscene material involving children,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “We will continue to crack down on those who victimize children through these horrific materials. I commend the investigators and trial team for their outstanding work.”
“Following a prior conviction for a state child pornography offense, the defendant continued to demonstrate his depravity through his possession and trafficking of images depicting the brutal sexual abuse of both real and photorealistic AI-generated infants and toddlers,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Child sexual abuse material, whether real or AI-generated, causes real harm to real children. As demonstrated by today’s verdict, the Department of Justice will continue to use all available tools to prosecute offenders who create, share, possess, or otherwise illegally engage with such material.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting children from exploitation, whether that abuse is captured in traditional imagery or generated with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,” said HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “This verdict underscores that there is no distinction under the law between child sexual abuse material involving real victims and AI generated depictions of such horrific crimes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to identify offenders, dismantle the networks that enable this abuse, and ensure that those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler Aagard of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are representing the United States in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Repeat Sex Offender Convicted of Child Exploitation Offenses, Including Receiving and Possessing AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a sex offender yesterday of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material and receiving and possessing AI-generated images of child sexual abuse.
Cody L. Prater, 28, of McArthur, Ohio, was convicted of four counts related to his receipt and possession of both child pornography and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. Before trial, Prater challenged his indictment on First Amendment grounds; however, the Court denied his motion, ruling that the possession and receipt of obscene, generative AI material depicting the sexual abuse of children is not constitutionally protected speech.
According to evidence presented at trial, Prater received and possessed videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of real minors, primarily babies and toddlers. He also used an artificial intelligence text-to-image program to convert his text prompts into photorealistic depictions of child sexual abuse, including bestiality, nude prepubescent children being mutilated and tortured, and children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
“Cody Prater created, possessed, and trafficked images depicting the brutal sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, including Artificial Intelligence generated images,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Child sexual abuse material, including that which is AI-generated, causes substantial harm. It further creates depraved and sadistic desires to harm real children. A seminal prosecution goal of the Department of Justice is to protect the innocent. Our children and their families deserve vigorous investigation and prosecution of those who create, share, possess, or otherwise illegally engage with such material.”
“Prater collected vile videos of real babies and toddlers being sexually abused and created other AI-generated obscene material involving children,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will continue to crack down on those who victimize children through these horrific materials. I commend the investigators and trial team for their outstanding work.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting children from exploitation, whether that abuse is captured in traditional imagery or generated with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. “This verdict underscores that there is no distinction under the law between child sexual abuse material involving real victims and AI generated depictions of such horrific crimes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to identify offenders, dismantle the networks that enable this abuse, and ensure that those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
The court has not set Prater’s sentencing yet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on particular charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Detroit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler Aagard for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/
Prison Inmate Sentenced for Receiving K2-Laced Paper in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal prison inmate was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for possessing a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as “K2,” in FMC Devens.
Raymond Gaines, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 18 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. In December 2025, Gaines pleaded guilty. Gaines was charged by complaint in March 2025, along with former state employee Tasha Hammock, who distributed the K2 to Gaines. Gaines was later indicted with possessing contraband, in the form of K2, as a prison inmate, and Tasha Hammock was charged and pleaded guilty.On Jan. 25, 2022, Gaines was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. At the time he committed the offenses, he was on federal judicial supervised release after serving a prison sentence resulting from a 2017 conviction for distributing cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. According to court records, in both prior cases Gaines was alleged to be an associate of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, a street gang in Boston. On Jan. 17, 2025, Gaines received an Executive Grant of Clemency, reducing his federal sentence to five years in prison.
On Aug. 18, 2024, Hammock, while visiting Gaines in prison, surreptitiously passed K2-laced papers to Gaines, which he pocketed. At the time, Hammock was employed with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
As described in court documents, K2 presents a health problem at FMC Devens, where inmates have become sick from smoking paper believed to contain K2, as well as prison staff who have been exposed to the secondary smoke.In January 2025, Hammock was sentenced to three years of probation. The government recommended a sentence of 12 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Postal Employee Indicted for Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey woman was charged by indictment with five counts of wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in unemployment funds while working for the United States Postal Service, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Samantha Jenkins, 45, of North Plainfield, New Jersey, had her arraignment yesterday in Trenton before United States Magistrate Judge Justin T. Quinn.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, for more than a year Jenkins filed weekly certifications with the New Jersey Department of Labor in which she claimed she was not working, and was therefore eligible to receive unemployment benefits. But in reality, Jenkins worked for the USPS as a window/mail clerk. As a result, Jenkins received tens of thousands of dollars in employment benefits she was not entitled to.
During the relevant period, Jenkins’s salary from the USPS and her unemployment benefits were deposited into one of her bank accounts. For 13 months, Jenkins used that bank account to receive both her salary from the USPS and unemployment benefits from the NJDOL. Oftentimes, deposits from both entities were made just days apart from one another.
Each charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modofferi; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Saverio Viggiano, Esq., Newark, New Jersey
Orange County Man Arrested on Federal Indictment Charging Him with Stock Options Trading Swindle of His Family and FriendsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Irvine man was arrested today on a nine-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with running a Ponzi scheme that conned victims – family and friend included – by persuading them to invest in his stock options trading fund, but then using most of the money to pay for personal items, including trying to buy coastal real estate.
Todd Douglas Mulliner, 61, surrendered to law enforcement officials this morning. He is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
Mulliner is charged with four counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Mulliner was the president and CEO of DauVC1, an Irvine-based company, and from July 2018 to March 2021, he falsely represented himself to be an expert investor with a successful system for trading stock options.
Through DauVC1, Mulliner obtained money from investors by soliciting from individuals, usually family, friends, and acquaintances, to buy his company’s shares. At Mulliner’s direction, victim-investors sometimes transferred funds from their retirement accounts. Mulliner told his victims that DauVC1 was a venture capital company engaged in stock options trading, that they were buying an interest in the company, and they would share in the company’s trading profits.
Mulliner provided investors with a share purchase agreement, which outlined the terms of the investment by falsely stating that the victims’ funds would be used only for stock options trading. He further claimed he would receive a 20% commission on trading profits that DauVC1 generated.
To induce additional victims to invest in DauVC1, Mulliner told a series of lies directly and through intermediaries via email, telephone, and in-person conversations. Namely, his proprietary system for trading stock options limited risk to protect investors’ principal, that DauVC1 was producing positive weekly yields, and investor funds would be used to trade in stock options.
In fact, Mulliner’s system for trading stock options resulted in him losing the majority of investors’ principal that he actually traded. He also used most of investors’ funds to pay earlier investors monthly payments based on DauVC1’s purported profits and to repay earlier investors who wanted to withdraw their money from the company.
He lured new investors and prevented current investors from withdrawing their money by emailing fabricated weekly balance statements that showed positive yields and increased balances.
Mulliner also used investor funds to pay family members and the attempted purchase of a beachfront home in Sunset Beach. He also concealed from investors his criminal history, which includes a felony conviction for securities fraud.
In January 2021, Mulliner emailed investors and falsely claimed that, due to an upcoming regulatory rule change, DauVC1 would cease operations and promising investors that their account balances would be disbursed by the following month. Mulliner then made excuses for why he missed his proposed deadline for account balance disbursements. He never paid some investors the promised return on investment and never returned their principal investment.
Law enforcement believes Mulliner caused at least six victims to pay his company approximately $290,000.
In April 2021, Mulliner stole an $8,400 COVID-19 pandemic U.S. Treasury Economic Impact Payment check from the mail and forged the signatures of two victims on the back of the check, endorsing the check to himself as the president of DauVC.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Mulliner would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud count, up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud and mail fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the money laundering count, and a mandatory two-year consecutive prison term for aggravated identity theft.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan G. Adams of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.