Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
22 January 2026
Traditions Health Agrees to Pay $34M to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Relating to Home Health Services Following Self DisclosureRead the Press Release
Traditions Health LLC (Traditions) has agreed to pay $34 million to resolve its civil liability under the False Claims Act for billing medically unnecessary home health claims to Medicare and providing financial benefits to physicians in exchange for referrals. Traditions self-disclosed the conduct at issue to the government.
The settlement resolves allegations that, from 2021 to 2024, Traditions submitted claims to Medicare from its McAlester, Oklahoma, location for home health services that were not medically necessary. It also resolves claims that, between 2019 and 2024, Traditions paid remuneration to physician-medical directors in Oklahoma and Texas who referred Medicare beneficiaries to Traditions for home health services and that this remuneration potentially violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Physician Self-Referral Law.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the provision of remuneration to induce referrals of government health care program business. The Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly known as the Stark Law, prohibits physicians from making referrals for the furnishing of certain designated health services, including home health, payable by Medicare to an entity where the physician has a “financial relationship,” unless the arrangement meets the requirements of a statutory or regulatory exception. Federal law prohibits payment by federal health care programs of medical claims that result from arrangements that violate the Anti-Kickback Statute or the Stark Law.
In connection with its self-disclosure, Traditions took a number of significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government. Following its independent investigation, Traditions provided detailed and thorough written disclosures to the government and cooperated with the government throughout the investigation. Traditions also promptly took remedial actions including removing individuals identified as responsible for the misconduct, improving its compliance program, and providing additional training to its employees.
“Home health care is critical to Medicare patients who are unable to leave their homes for treatment,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna E. Jenny of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “As today’s settlement reflects, when health care providers fail to uphold the rules of the Medicare program, they can mitigate the consequences by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with the government’s investigation, and promptly taking appropriate remedial measures.”
“Billing and receiving payments from Medicare for unnecessary and inappropriate medical care is a practice which cannot and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “The disclosure and settlement agreed to by Traditions Health LLC in this case demonstrates that early mitigation goes a long way towards addressing fraud and mitigating the loss of taxpayer dollars.”
“Preying on vulnerable patients for financial gain is unacceptable,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Providers who engage in kickbacks and false claims will be held accountable. This resolution reinforces OIG’s commitment to protecting patients, preserving program integrity, and safeguarding taxpayer dollars.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and HHS-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Fraud Section Trial Attorney Jonathan Hoerner and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Mitts for the Eastern District of Oklahoma handled this matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Three-Time Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 20 Years for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Stephen Hans Jenkins, a.k.a. BMO, 40, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 246 months in federal prison for transporting child pornography. The prison term will be followed by a lifetime-period of supervised release. Jenkins pleaded guilty to this offense on October 28, 2025.
Jenkins was a long-time family friend of Minors A, B, and C. Eventually, Jenkins began sexually assaulting Minor A. One-night, Minor A was looking at Jenkins’s iPad and found explicit images of Minor B and Minor C. Minor A then reached out to family members for help. Agents ultimately executed a search warrant at Jenkins’s home in Trempealeau County and an analyst found hundreds of sexually explicit images of minors.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that the defendant was in a position of trust for all his victims and used the position to “groom” and exploit them. Judge Conley called the defendant a serial predator who was calculated, manipulative, and a danger to minors.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, it is common for producers of child pornography to groom victims or cultivate a relationship with a child and gradually sexualize the contact over time. The grooming process fosters a false sense of trust and authority over a child to desensitize or break down a child´s resistance to sexual abuse.
“Jenkins is a repeat child sex offender who represents a profound ongoing danger to children,” said Interim U.S. Attorney Elgersma. “Our office is dedicated to prosecuting anyone who creates and circulate depictions of child sexual exploitation and violence.”
Prior to assaulting Minors A, B, and C, Jenkins was convicted of groping a 10-year-old boy and convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
In announcing the sentence, Interim U.S. Attorney Elgersma commended the outstanding efforts and coordination of the FBI, Trempealeau Police Department, Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and the Ogden, Utah, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
TD Bank Insider Pleads Guilty to Facilitating Colombian ATM Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK – A former New Jersey-based employee of TD Bank, N.A., Oscar Marcel Nunez-Flores (“Nunez”), pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes in return for facilitating a money laundering network’s movement of over $26 million to Colombia through TD Bank accounts.
Nunez, 34, of North Plainfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before the Honorable Esther Salas to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and for receipt of bribes by a bank employee. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.
“This case shows how complex money laundering schemes often depend on insiders who are willing to bend—or break—basic safeguards. Our office will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who turn financial institutions into vehicles for large-scale criminal activity.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
“Mr. Nunez afforded his co-conspirators unfettered access to TD Bank, while lining his own pockets in the process, and has been held to account, as will be others who abuse the financial system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva. “The Criminal Division is committed to protecting the security of our financial system and the Bank Integrity Unit is at the vanguard of that critical mission.”
According to court filings and statements in court, beginning in March 2021 and continuing until his arrest in October 2023, Nunez, then a TD Bank employee in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, accepted bribes and leveraged his position to facilitate a money laundering network’s expatriation of over $26 million from the United States to Colombia. Through the course of his scheme, Nunez opened dozens of accounts in the names shell companies with nominee owners. Nunez knew that the purported owners were not actually controlling the accounts and, in fact, often opened the accounts without any customer present whatsoever. The accounts Nunez opened in furtherance of the scheme were collectively issued over 600 debit cards, primarily by Nunez himself. These debit cards were then used to make over 120,000 withdrawals at ATMs throughout Colombia.
Nunez also participated in the conspiracy in other ways. For example, after issuing debit cards to a fraudulent account, he shipped them directly to a co-conspirator in Colombia. Additionally, Nunez registered shell companies in New Jersey and then opened accounts in their names at TD Bank in furtherance of the money laundering scheme. Nunez opened these accounts in exchange for a fee ranging from approximately $500 to $2,500, which was typically paid either in cash or through a peer-to-peer digital payment network.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or three times the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) investigated the case. The Department also thanks the Morristown Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington for their assistance with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
###
Defense counsel: Peter Katz, Esq.
nunez.information.pdfTallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Charles Eric Love, 56, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to transporting child pornography using a means or facility of interstate commerce. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I deeply appreciate the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners who tracked down this disgusting criminal so my office could bring him to justice on behalf of the innocent children who were exploited and sexually abused in the thousand of image and videos of child sexual abuse material that he possessed. These crimes are truly abhorrent and my office will continue to prosecute the predators like this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reflect that on March 19, 2025, detectives with the Tallahassee Police Department received seven cyber tips by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On March 28, 2025, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s Dropbox account, and on April 4, 2025, search warrants were executed at Love’s apartment, house, and office. Multiple electronic devices were seized. A subsequent forensic analysis of the seized devices and online accounts identified over 1,000 of images and video files containing child pornography.
Love faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and up to twenty years’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervision upon release.
The case involved a joint investigation by Tallahassee Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Stromsburg Man Sentenced for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Clinton Epp, 34, of Stromsburg, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 22, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for two counts of attempted production of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Epp to 210 months’ imprisonment on both counts, to be run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Epp’s release from prison, he will begin an 8-year term of supervised release.
Cybertips were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that described a user who had been uploading child pornography to a Google account. The investigation revealed the person responsible was Clinton Epp. A search warrant was executed at Epp’s residence, and 13 electronic devices were seized. Along with locating both images and videos of child pornography, investigators also located videos created by Epp on a Canon Camera and on his Samsung cell phone of two minor children in various stages of undress.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Stamford Man Who Stole More Than $28 Million from Mars, Inc. Sentenced to 63 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PAUL R. STEED, 59, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 63 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for fraud and tax offenses stemming from his theft of more than $28 million from his former employer Mars, Inc.
The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England; and U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately 2011 and 2023, Steed was employed by Mars Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars. Inc. (“Mars”), working remotely from his home in Stamford. Steed served in several positions at the company and last served as Global Price Risk Manager for Mars Wrigley’s Global Cocoa Enterprise. As part of his employment, Steed was responsible for managing Mars Wrigley’s participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Sugar-Containing Products Re-Export Program. In approximately 2016, Steed created a company, MCNA LLC, to mimic an actual Mars entity, Mars Chocolate North America. He then diverted more than $15 million in Mars assets to a bank account he set up in MCNA’s name mainly by directing sugar refineries purchasing Mars’s re-export credits, obtained through the USDA program, to pay MCNA LLC as if it were a legitimate Mars entity.
Mars had an ownership interest in Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (“ICE”), a financial services company that operated financial exchanges and clearing houses, and received quarterly dividends in connection with that ownership. In 2017, Steed directed Computershare Limited (“Computershare”), a company that ICE utilized for stock-related services, to pay MCNA LLC for Mars’s dividends from its ownership shares in ICE. As a result, more than $700,000 in dividend payments were diverted to the MCNA LLC account. In 2023, after Steed had used a fraudulent letter purportedly from the Mars Treasurer authorizing him to trade ICE shares, Steed directed Computershare to sell Mars’s ICE shares entirely. Computershare issued a check in the amount of more than $11.3 million, which Steed deposited into the MCNA LLC account.
In addition, from 2013 through 2020, Steed used a company he owned called Ibera LLC to invoice Mars for services Mars did not receive. Mars paid Ibera LLC more than $700,000 through this scheme.
Steed failed to report and pay taxes on his stolen income on his 2014 through 2023 federal tax returns.
Judge Dooley ordered Steed to pay restitution of $28,410,489 to Mars, Inc., and $10,310,680 in back taxes to the IRS.
The government has seized, and Steed has agreed to forfeit, more than $18 million from bank accounts controlled by Steed, and the government is seeking to forfeit, or alternatively liquidate for restitution, a Greenwich home that Steed purchased with nearly $2.3 million in stolen funds. Steed also sent approximately $2 million to Argentina, where he is a dual citizen, has family ties, and has a family ranch.
“Justice is served by the imposition of this sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “Thanks to the thorough investigative efforts by FBI, IRS-CI, and USDA-OIG special agents, Mr. Steed’s criminal conduct was quickly exposed. These agents not only identified the money that he stole, they successfully seized millions of dollars that will be returned to the victim company.”
“Today’s sentencing is a great example of what happens when the FBI, and our partners at the IRS, USDA-OIG, and the USAO combine to bring our investigative resources to bear on a complex, multi-faceted fraud scheme involving tens of millions of dollars,” said FBI New Haven Special Agent in Charge P.J. O’Brien. “Utilizing forfeiture statutes, expert forensic accounting techniques and court authorized search warrants, investigators recovered millions in embezzled funds and ensured that over nine years of back taxes, totaling millions of dollars, would be paid. The FBI remains committed to working closely with our private sector and government partners to prevent and address waste, fraud, and abuse.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to all those who think that corporate embezzlement is a victimless crime: We will find you and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas Demeo. “Steed utilized his position of trust and authority within the Mars corporation to siphon off millions of dollars for his own personal gain and self-enrichment. Not only did he steal from the Mars Corporation, but he also stole from every American family when he chose to conceal his ill-gotten gains from the IRS resulting in less tax revenue that could be used to enhance public welfare.”
“Mr. Steed exploited an important USDA program intended to support American exporters to market U.S. agricultural products in international commerce for personal fraudulent gain,” said Inspector General John Walk. “The USDA Office of Inspector General is pleased to support the work of our law enforcement partners including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division, U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to help deliver justice and protect taxpayer dollars. I commend USDA OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Charmeka Parker and all our special agents and employees who supported the investigative effort.”
Steed was arrested on March 26, 2025. On September 11, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.
Steed, who is released on a $5 million bond, is required to report to prison on March 5.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick.
Springfield Man Sentenced on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms.
Aaron Wayne Williams, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 104 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by an additional three years of supervised release.
Williams pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on May 27, 2025. Williams has previous felony convictions for domestic assault in the third degree, attempted burglary in the first degree, property damage motivated by discrimination in the second degree, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon.
On Jan. 8, 2025, Springfield, Mo., Police Department officers contacted Williams after observing Williams sleeping in his running vehicle in the parking lot of the Kum & Go located at 2963 East Division Street. Officers observed a Ruger, Mini 14, semiautomatic rifle beside Williams as he slept. Officers woke Williams up and removed him from the vehicle. After a search of the vehicle, officers found three additional firearms on Williams and in the vehicle: a Taurus, G2S, 9mm pistol; an HS Produkt, XD, .40 caliber pistol; and a Star, 9mm pistol. Officers also located suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, loose ammunition, and additional firearm magazines in the vehicle. When law enforcement interviewed Williams, he admitted that he was under the influence of controlled substances when he was contacted by the Springfield Police Department officers.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Spokane man sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Spokane man who trafficked dangerous drugs while possessing firearms was sentenced yesterday to 200 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Thomas Anthony Biesiadecki, 30, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that several sources identified Biesiadecki as their major supplier of fentanyl. Sources stated they purchased thousands of fentanyl pills from him and one source said Biesiadecki would travel to Missoula from Spokane daily from January 2024 through the middle of summer 2024 to deliver fentanyl pills and powder. Another source stated they purchased fentanyl pills and methamphetamine from Biesiadecki in 2024. One source reported Biesiadecki traveled to Missoula and then Butte to trade drugs for firearms.
On May 16, 2025, Biesiadecki’s vehicle was searched in Spokane, Washington. Law enforcement officers located two firearms, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and cash. Biesiadecki was interviewed and admitted to distributing drugs and trading drugs for firearms in the vehicle.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI's Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
XXX
Southwest Georgia Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Meth DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Lee County man, a major methamphetamine distributor connected to two federal drug investigations in Southwest Georgia and a Georgia prison, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
Luis Jose Vanga, 49, of Leesburg, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison to be followed by six years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner on Aug. 5, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Luis Vanga and his associates have been key figures in distributing methamphetamine in Leesburg. With his conviction, a major drug network that fueled addiction and caused death has been dismantled,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Armed drug traffickers in Southwest Georgia and throughout the Middle District of Georgia should be aware that local, state and federal law enforcement are working to find you and ensure you are held accountable for crimes that harm our communities.”
“This 25-year sentence reflects the seriousness of methamphetamine trafficking tied to armed criminal activity,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “When individuals choose to flood our communities with dangerous drugs and use violence to protect their profits, they will be held fully accountable. DEA remains committed to dismantling these networks and removing those who pose a direct threat to public safety.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that methamphetamine trafficking and the violence that results will not be tolerated in Georgia,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI remains committed to working alongside our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to dismantle drug networks that endanger our communities. We will hold those responsible fully accountable, whether they operate on the streets or attempt to continue their crimes from behind prison walls.”
“This sentencing marks the conclusion of multiple investigations into the bulk distribution of controlled substances by several individuals operating throughout the greater Lee County area, which have resulted in lengthy federal prison sentences for every defendant involved,” said Lee County Sheriff Reggie Rachals. “Let these sentences serve as a warning to anyone foolish enough to consider following in their footsteps. We encourage anyone engaged in criminal activity to stay out of, or get out of, Lee County.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Vanga was taken into custody for distributing methamphetamine by the GBI on May 19, 2022, as part of a multi-agency investigation into armed drug trafficking in Lee County, which resulted in the conviction of Shaun Anthony Akins, of Leesburg, who is currently serving a 12-year federal sentence for distributing methamphetamine. For more information about Akins’ federal case, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/lee-county-man-sentenced-12-years-prison-distributing-meth.
Vanga was convicted of distributing illegal drugs at the state level. While Vanga was incarcerated in a Georgia prison, law enforcement learned that he continued to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in coordination with Larry Roger Sparks, Jr., of Albany. As a result of this investigation in this prison-based drug distribution network, Sparks, Jr. was convicted and sentenced to serve 40 years in prison. For more information about Sparks, Jr.’s federal case, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/georgia-man-sentenced-40-years-prison-armed-fentanyl-trafficking.
On May 21, 2025, the DEA and Lee County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal court-authorized search warrant at Vanga’s Leesburg residence. In plain view throughout the home, law enforcement saw methamphetamine, multiple boxes of flip and fold bags used for drug distribution, digital scales and a loaded semiautomatic pistol. Vanga has a lengthy criminal history with prior convictions for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine and possession of hydrocodone.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the GBI and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 20, 2026.
Louis Leroy Butcher, 58, was sentenced to one year and six 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.
Butcher was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025.
Butcher was previously convicted of a federal sex offense. Because of his prior conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. Butcher was aware of his obligation to register and to keep his registration current with officials within the county in which he resided. Nonetheless, from late July through August 2025, Butcher knowingly failed to register and update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.
Butcher was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Shippensburg Man Charged with Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Clayton Wilson, age 25, of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on six counts of drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Wilson distributed crack cocaine in Franklin County on August 27, 2025, September 10, 2025, October 2, 2025 and October 21, 2025. It further alleges that he possessed with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride, and methamphetamine on October 23, 2025. It also alleged that in a separate incident on October 23, 2025, he possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Scott Ford is prosecuting the case.
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 maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Sheriff Martin Cuellar indicted for misappropriating fundsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The current Webb County sheriff and his assistant chief have appeared in federal court for their alleged involvement in a scheme to defraud the Webb County Sheriff’s Office during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Laredo residents Martin Cuellar Jr., 67, and Alejandro Gutierrez, 47, have turned themselves in to authorities and have now made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan in Houston.
A federal grand jury returned the now unsealed five-count indictment Nov. 19, 2025. It alleges that between 2020 and 2022, Cuellar and Gutierrez conspired with others to misappropriate WCSO funds.
According to the indictment, Cuellar, Gutierrez and former assistant chief Ricardo Rodriguez used WCSO staff and resources to run a for-profit disinfecting business during the COVID-19 pandemic. They allegedly opened Disinfect Pro Master in April 2020 and entered into service agreements with local businesses and restaurants despite having no employees or supplies of their own. The indictment alleges WCSO employees handled the company’s day-to-day operations from the sheriff’s office where they picked up schedules and equipment to conduct disinfecting services both on and off the clock with the county.
The charges also allege Disinfect Pro Master secured a $500,000 contract to clean United Independent School District schools in Laredo and completed the work using WCSO staff and resources. For more than two years, the business allegedly operated almost entirely with county employees and supplies, incurring minimal overhead.
Cuellar, Gutierrez and Rodriguez each received approximately $175,000 – one third of the profits, according to the charges. Cuellar allegedly used part of his proceeds to purchase property in Laredo.
If convicted, Cuellar and Gutierrez both face up to 10 years in federal prison, as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Cuellar is additionally charged with money laundering, which carries an additional 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of property involved in the real estate transaction.
Rodriguez, 65, Laredo, previously pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing March 16. He is currently on bond pending that hearing.
FBI - San Antonio and Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation as part of the Laredo Border Corruption Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Winter and Robert Johnson are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Sex Tourist Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Traveling to Colombia to Sexually Exploit MinorsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A sex tourist has been sentenced to life in federal prison for sexually exploiting minors he met while traveling to Colombia.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra imposed the sentence on Manuel Poceiro, 69, of Miami, after pleading guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted production of child pornography, and possession of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
“This defendant traveled overseas to prey on children, recorded their abuse, and tried to hide his crimes behind borders and money transfers,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “A life sentence reflects the gravity of that evil and ensures he will never again have the opportunity to harm a child. Let this sentence send a clear message: those who sexually exploit children, anywhere in the world, will be hunted down, prosecuted, and removed permanently from society.”
According to court records, on Feb. 6, 2024, Poceiro met with an individual he believed would assist him in transporting and laundering money related to narcotics trafficking. During that meeting, Poceiro showed the individual numerous photographs and videos depicting multiple minor victims with whom he had engaged in sexual acts while in Colombia. Some of the images and videos had been recorded by Poceiro himself.
On Feb. 2, 2025, Poceiro arrived at Miami International Airport on a flight from the Dominican Republic. During a secondary inspection, law enforcement officers conducted a cursory search of Poceiro’s cellphone, which revealed dozens of images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Law enforcement later conducted a forensic review of Poceiro’s devices, which identified CSAM involving at least five minor victims.
Court records further show that Poceiro engaged in sexually explicit chat message conversations with a minor victim between the ages of 14 and 16 through a messaging application and solicited explicit material. Records from a money exchange service reflect that Poceiro made several payments to individuals in Colombia on behalf of minor victims because they could not receive the payments directly due to their age.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated the case. HSI Colombia’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit including agents from Colombian National Police’s Directorate of Protection (DIPRO) provided invaluable assistance.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey Pence Tomanelli prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The National Hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence with the National Hotline is confidential, and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously.
To report online child sexual exploitation visit https://report.cybertip.org/ or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in partnership with HSI and other law enforcement agencies.
To learn more about the National Resource Hotline, visit http://www.humantraffickinghotline.org. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking, visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20068.
###
School Consultant Pleads Guilty to Kickback Conspiracy Connected to Covid-Era Programs Designed to Help Schoolchildren Access the InternetRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, school consultant Richard Bernstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with his agreement with others to steer federal funds to school vendors in exchange for a share of the vendors’ profits. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. When sentenced, Bernstein faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Fara Damelin, Inspector General, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), announced the guilty plea.
“Bernstein’s scheme enriched himself and his co-conspirators at the expense of schools and schoolchildren,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Kickback schemes that illegally syphon public funds into private pockets are an insidious form of corruption, and our Office is committed to disrupting and prosecuting such conduct.”
“This case demonstrates the continuing pattern of procurement fraud and kickbacks between consultants and vendors that threaten the integrity of FCC’s ECF and E-Rate programs. The defendant, an active consultant in this industry, used his status to defraud these programs, stated FCC Inspector General Damelin. “We will continue to identify and vigorously investigate bad actors who exploit FCC programs for personal gain to the detriment of students that these programs are meant to serve. I am proud of the outstanding work of our investigative and analytics teams as well as our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office-EDNY, Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, NASA, and the New York City Police Department.
As set forth in the complaint, criminal information, and as discussed in court proceedings, Bernstein was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of E-Rate Consulting, LLC and the president of E-Rate Management Solutions Inc. (together, EMS), both of which are located in Woodmere, New York. EMS offered services to schools in New York and elsewhere related to the E-Rate and Emergency Connectivity Fund (“ECF”) programs.
Both the E-Rate and the ECF programs are operated by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), with oversight from the FCC. The E-Rate program provides discounts to help eligible schools and libraries in the United States obtain affordable telecommunications and internet access. The ECF program provided funding to schools and libraries to assist them in supporting remote learning for students, staff, and library community members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bernstein acted as an agent for schools seeking access to resources under both the E-Rate and ECF programs. Bernstein agreed with vendors to steer the schools he served to work with those vendors; he simultaneously entered into secret side agreements with the vendors to share as much as half of their profits with him. For example, Bernstein provided consulting services to a school located in Nassau County (School #1) in 2021 and 2022. Bernstein connected that school with a vendor (Vendor #1), and School #1 agreed to receive equipment from Vendor #1. Vendor #1 purchased 130 Lenovo Chromebooks and 40 Lenovo laptops for School #1, and sought reimbursement for these purchases from USAC. USAC ultimately paid $68,000 to Vendor #1 on January 28, 2022. A few days later, EMS submitted an invoice to Vendor #1 for $11,500, representing 50% of Vendor #1’s profits for the equipment provided to School #1. Vendor #1 paid EMS $11,5000 on or about February 8, 2022.
In total, EMS received more than $100,000 in kickbacks from vendors funded through the E-Rate and ECF programs. Bernstein has agreed to forfeit $137,576.64. This amount corresponds to the illicit proceeds he received from the scheme.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Special Agent Anthony Cunder and paralegal specialist Daniel Arakawa.
The Defendants:
RICHARD BERNSTEIN
Age: 71
IsraelE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-9 (RER)
Repeat Felon Sentenced for Sexually Abusing a Child Under 12Read the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A repeat felon was sentenced today for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Blake Alan Miller, 42, of Muscogee to 360 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Miller will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Court dockets show that Miller has a lengthy criminal history that spans more than 20 years. In 2016, Miller was arrested and charged in state court on drug-related charges. Shortly after, Miller was indicted and detained in the Eastern District of Oklahoma on federal charges of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, among other charges. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 180 months of imprisonment in 2018. Once he was imprisoned, a minor victim disclosed that Miller sexually abused them from 2011 through 2016, until his arrest. Court records show that Miller sexually abused the child victim and introduced that prepubescent child to pornography. The child told a case worker that they felt safe coming forward once Miller was in prison.
Miller is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC
- Protecting the citizens in the EDNC - Human Trafficking Prevention Training
Previously Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly Six Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Previously Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly Six Years for Illegally
Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition
CONCORD – A Manchester man and previously convicted felon was sentenced today in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Ignacio Hernandez, age 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 70 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2025, Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
“Despite being a convicted felon who cannot legally possess a firearm and despite being on federal supervision for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm, the defendant chose to arm himself with a gun and a loaded high-capacity magazine” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “The public must be protected from repeat offenders who try to get their hands on dangerous weapons.”
“Ignacio Hernandez persisted in criminal activity despite receiving a prior federal prison sentence,” said ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas A. Greco. “Returning him to federal custody protects the community and interrupts his habitual criminality. This case also serves as an excellent illustration of the partnerships ATF enjoys with our local police department counterparts. The Manchester Police Department’s outstanding work was further enhanced by using ATF’s resources to secure a federal prosecution.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2024, the Manchester Police Department received a tip that a man known as “Cali” was on “federal parole” and kept a firearm in the back of his car. The Manchester Police identified “Cali” as Ignacio Hernandez. Hernandez was on supervised release after serving a federal prison sentence for two federal felonies: possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. After obtaining a search warrant, the Manchester Police Department stopped Hernandez while he was driving and searched his car. In the trunk, they found a small black satchel that contained a semiautomatic Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol and an extended magazine loaded with twenty-three .40 caliber rounds of ammunition. As a felon, federal law prohibits the defendant from owning or possessing ammunition or firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The U.S. Probation Office and the Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter prosecuted the case.
Pray man pleads guilty to possession of explosivesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Pray man accused of possessing explosives admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Kadin Hawkeye Lewis, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of unregistered destructive devices. Lewis faces a term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 20, 2026. Lewis was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on September 19, 2022, law enforcement officers were called to investigate reports of a dead body in a travel trailer near Pray, an unincorporated community in Park County, Montana. Law enforcement arrived at the scene and observed a deceased man in a trailer in which Lewis lived, and it appeared the man had died from a gunshot wound to the top of the head. During an authorized search of the trailer, officers located eight Molotov cocktails, complete with bottles, fuel, and wicks, located in a cabinet. Elsewhere throughout the trailer, law enforcement recovered dozens of empty bottles and rags that could be used to assemble additional Molotov cocktails, as well as several journals and other writings belonging to Lewis. In some of the writings, Lewis discussed a plan to make Molotov cocktails and use them as destructive devices.
The Molotov cocktail evidence was ultimately collected and submitted to the FBI Laboratory. Explosives experts determined the fuel inside the bottles was an ignitable liquid, and when ignited, the assembled bottles, rags, and fuel would function as improvised incendiary devices, commonly known as homemade firebombs or Molotov cocktails. A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record found Lewis has never applied for or received permission to possess a destructive device.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes and Benjamin Hargrove prosecuted the case. The FBI and Park County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
XXX
Plano man and woman convicted in Collin County sex trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Plano man and woman have been convicted of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
William McKinnley Garland, 43, of Plano, was found guilty by a jury of coercion and enticement and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
Anastasiya Claire Lyons, 34, of Plano, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
The verdicts were reached on January 22, 2026, following a seven-day trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.
“William Garland and Anastasiya Lyons preyed on vulnerable young women to lure them into their web. Through horrific physical abuse and psychological manipulation, they exploited women into selling their bodies for the benefit of Garland, Lyons, and the other co-conspirators,” said United States Attorney Jay R. Combs. “I urge the public to report known or suspected human trafficking by calling 1-888-373-7888 or texting 233733. I commend the brave victims who stepped forward in this case to report what was happening to them. Only by working together can we end this scourge.”
“William Garland and Anastasia Lyons conviction is the result of years of dedicated work by our detectives, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and it sends a clear message that our community will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals,” said Plano Police Chief Ed Drain. “From high‑risk operations to reviewing massive amounts of evidence, this team’s commitment brought justice to survivors and stopped dangerous offenders. This case was long, complex, and emotionally difficult, but it stopped dangerous offenders and gave survivors a chance to reclaim their lives. The courage of the victims, many of whom had been living in fear for years, is something we will never forget. I am incredibly proud of the men and women of this department and honored to stand alongside professionals who pour their time, skill, and heart into protecting our community.”
“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that often operates in plain sight and may go undetected for months or years. The victims in this case were deceived by false promises of well-paying jobs. Instead, they were physically abused and forced into becoming commercial sex workers,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue to work with our partners to assist victims and hold their traffickers accountable.”
According to evidence introduced at trial, Garland and Lyons ran a sex trafficking operation between 2020 and December 2023 in Plano. A recruiter sought out young women on various social media platforms for the organization. Multiple victims testified that they believed that the role involved modeling or escorting and that they would be eligible to make large sums of money doing so. In fact, the women were recruited to engage in prostitution at various hotels in the Collin County area. Evidence demonstrated that the women were compelled to engage in commercial sex by means of force, including beatings, tasers, shock collars, frigid showers, unwanted tattoos, and acts of humiliation. The women also testified to being afraid of Garland, given his threats of violence toward the women and their family members. Three co-defendants pleaded guilty to federal sex trafficking charges in 2025 and are awaiting sentencing dates.
Robberta Marie Khan, 29, of Euless, pleaded guilty on May 21, 2025, to coercion and enticement and faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing.
Jalen Alexander Bobo, 26, of Dallas, pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing.
Selena Rose McCombs, 25, of North Carolina, pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and is awaiting sentencing and faces up to life in federal prison as sentencing.
Garland and Lyons face up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Plano Police Department and the FBI’s Dallas Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Miller and Chalana Oliver.
###
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Eight and a Half Years in Prison for Violent Center City CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Damon Bell, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 102 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $14,711.27 in restitution by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez for carrying out a carjacking in April 2024.
Bell was charged by indictment with one count of carjacking in October 2024 and pleaded guilty in July of last year.
As detailed in the indictment and other public filings, on April 15, 2024, at approximately 3:20 a.m., the victim was sitting in his car in a surface parking lot at 13th and Vine streets in Center City Philadelphia. The defendant and three other individuals approached the victim, displayed guns, and demanded his keys. The victim tried to drive away, but the offenders’ vehicle blocked him into a spot.
When the victim then heeded the carjackers’ demands and got out of his car, they pistol-whipped him repeatedly in the head. At that point, the victim managed to escape the area on foot. Bell and his co-conspirators split up among the two vehicles, leaving the scene in the victim’s car and the one they had arrived in.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.
Paterson Doctor Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute OpioidsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson, New Jersey, doctor was sentenced to a term of 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute opioids without a legitimate medical reason, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
“Physicians are entrusted with extraordinary power over the lives and health of their patients. When a physician abandons that duty and instead fuels opioid addiction for profit, the damage ripples far beyond a single exam room and into entire communities. This sentence reflects the seriousness of that breach of trust and sends a clear message: medical licenses are not shields for criminal conduct, and doctors who help drive the opioid epidemic will be held accountable.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
Lisa Ferraro, 67, of Hillsdale, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to one count of knowingly and intentionally conspiring and agreeing with others, to distribute oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 to September 23, 2023, Ferraro, who practiced internal medicine in Paterson until her arrest in October 2023, participated in a conspiracy to prescribe oxycodone, an opioid pain medication, to individuals who posed as patients, but whom Ferraro never physically examined or questioned about symptoms to determine whether there was a legitimate medical need for prescribing oxycodone. Over the course of the conspiracy, Ferraro wrote prescriptions for tens of thousands of 30mg oxycodone pills.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
###
Defense counsel: Linda George, Hackensack, NJ
Passaic County Man Sentenced to 144 Months for Fentanyl Analogue Distribution and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County man was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment for his role as a member of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Defendant William Panzera, 53, of North Haledon, New Jersey was previously convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy by a jury in Newark, New Jersey. U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. Eight other defendants have previously pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From approximately January 2014 through September 2020, William Panzera and other members of the drug trafficking organization agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl analogues, MDMA, methylone, and ketamine. Members of the conspiracy placed orders with a source in China and agreed to distribute, and did distribute, the controlled substances and analogues in New Jersey, both in bulk and in the form of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl analogues. In total, they imported over a metric ton of fentanyl related substances and other drugs into the United States. They also sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Panzera to 5 years of supervised release.
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) – Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New Jersey, New York, and Kentucky, HSI in Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of the MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit supported the investigation. The case is being prosecuted jointly by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the United States Department of Justice.
###
Defense counsel: Jeffrey G. Garrigan, Esq.
Panama City Man Indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kendrick R. Parham, 48, of Panama City, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Parham appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for February 23, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
Parham faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Owner of Defunct Prenatal Care Coordination Company Sentenced to 111 Months’ Imprisonment for Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 20, 2026, Precious Cruse (32), was sentenced to 111 months’ incarceration for committing a Healthcare Fraud Scheme through which she stole $780,600.07 from a Medicaid benefit meant to help at-risk pregnant women and women with young children.
On September 22, 2025, a federal jury convicted Cruse of nine counts of healthcare fraud, two counts of false statements related to healthcare matters, two counts of violating the anti-kickback statute, one count of money laundering, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
In announcing the sentence, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper focused on the “significant and extensive” evidence of Cruse’s guilt. Chief Judge Pepper described the evidence as “overwhelming” and noted the significant impact that Cruse’s scheme had on both the taxpayers and the people she was supposed to help. Chief Judge Pepper explained that the significant sentence of incarceration was necessary to account for the seriousness of Cruse’s conduct and to send a message of deterrence to others considering engaging in fraud against hard-working taxpayers.
In addition to the 111-month period of incarceration, Chief Judge Pepper issued a money judgment of forfeiture in the amount of $780,600.07 and ordered Cruse to pay restitution to Medicaid in the same amount.
“The lengthy prison sentence and immediate remand of the defendant into custody are clear messages to anyone who steals from social service programs designed to help our most vulnerable neighbors: we are coming after you and you will be held accountable,” said United States Attorney Brad Schimel. “The investigators from the FBI and prosecutors from the Office of the United States Attorney did amazing work to bring this defendant to justice.”
"Healthcare fraud schemes that exploit federal programs erode public trust and steal from the American people. Precious Cruse defrauded taxpayers and diverted resources that were meant to provide assistance to those who need it most, pregnant women and children,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our partners to combat and prevent healthcare fraud.”The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Kate M. Biebel prosecuted the case.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on X
Omaha Man Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl and FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Doob Tut, 32, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 7, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl analogue and being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Tut to 137 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Tut’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
Beginning in October 2023, a Federal Bureau of Investigation task force began investigating Tut for distributing fentanyl pills in Omaha. Individuals cooperating with law enforcement purchased fentanyl pills from Tut 11 times over a span of nine months. Tut would receive fentanyl pills from other dealers and then immediately sell them to the cooperators. Tut also twice sold firearms: an AR style rifle and a revolver. Tut was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because of a previous felony conviction for robbery in Lancaster County District Court in 2013.
During the investigation, the task force arrested three individuals who were supplying Tut with fentanyl pills. All three pleaded guilty to federal drug and firearm offenses, each receiving sentences between 235- and 300-months’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JOSE EDUARDO SUCHITE-RAMIREZ, 34, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 41 months in federal prison for possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, in December 2024, the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) responded to a call alleging workplace harassment and discovered that Suchite-Ramirez, a convicted felon, had several firearms in his possession. A subsequent search of Suchite-Ramirez’s workplace and company-provided vehicle resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms and ammunition.
On February 5, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Suchite-Ramirez with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Suchite-Ramirez pleaded guilty on June 9, 2025, and admitted he possessed the firearms despite his previous felony convictions. Public record reflects that Suchite-Ramirez has a previous felony conviction in Oklahoma County District Court for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury, and aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, in case number CF-2019-1071.
At the sentencing hearing on January 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Suchite-Ramirez to serve 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the need for deterrence, adding that Suchite-Ramirez’s prior criminal history did not appear to provide sufficient deterrence.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr., prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (OTBA), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of OTBA, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
A Charlotte, North Carolina, man was sentenced today to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a federal civil rights violation after he threatened eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin. Maurice Hopkins, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with federally protected activities on Aug. 19, 2025.
According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, on June 8, 2024, Hopkins threatened eight individuals with a firearm inside a pizza restaurant in Charlotte. When Hopkins first encountered the victims, who were a group of friends getting pizza at the time, he asked if they were American. Hopkins then proceeded to harass the victims calling them terrorists, demanding they speak English, telling them to go back to their country, and making other statements because of the victims’ race, color, religion, and national origin. Court records show that Hopkins made multiple threats, telling the victims, “If you say one more thing I’m going to punch you in the face,” and threatened to “Shoot the place up,” and “kill all of them.” Hopkins then left the restaurant and returned minutes later, walking through the doorway with a loaded AR-15 style rifle. The victims immediately fled through the door in the rear of the restaurant.
With his guilty plea, Hopkins admitted that he threatened the eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin and because they were enjoying the goods, services and facilities of the restaurant.
“This defendant targeted people enjoying a simple night out and threatened them with violence because of their race and national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This was an outrageous act motivated by nothing other than racial bigotry. Today’s sentence makes clear: if you threaten people with violence because of who they are — or where they come from — you will be met with the full force of federal law.”
“You ought to be able to get pizza with your friends without being harassed due to your race or national origin and certainly without being threatened with an AR-15,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “Incidents like this should never happen, but when they do, my office will act swiftly to bring justice.”
Hopkins remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Newport News pair sentenced to prison for firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A mother and son were sentenced to prison on Jan. 20 for their roles in a conspiracy to deal firearms without a license.
According to court documents, Devonte Jermaine Kelley, 24, and Lalita Jane Owens, 45, both of Newport News, used Armslist, an online marketplace for arranging private firearms sales, and other avenues to facilitate and negotiate illegal firearms transactions. During the conspiracy, Kelley was involved in the dealing of 23 firearms with a value of at least $12,117.24. Owens purchased 16 of the 23 firearms before Kelley’s 21st birthday when he could not legally purchase handguns.
Kelley and Owens made false statements on federal forms attesting to being the actual transferees and buyers of the firearms during purchases from licensed firearms dealers. Law enforcement agencies connected several firearms purchased by Kelley and Owens that were seized or used in crimes involving associates of Kelley, some of whom are affiliated with the Walk Down Gang, formerly known as Warwick Lawnz.
Kelley pled guilty on Aug. 21, 2025, and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. Owens pled guilty on Aug. 26, 2025, and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Podlesni and Peter Osyf 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 protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-34.
New York City Man Pleads Guilty to D.C. Swatting and Carjacking IncidentsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thierno Barry, 23, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to the March 2025 swatting of a random Northwest residence and a subsequent carjacking of an elderly couple the same day at Union Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Barry pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, to one count of interstate transport of a stolen vehicle, and to making false alarms and reports before Judge Reggie B. Walton.
According to court documents filed by the Government, at about midnight on March 31, 2025, Barry was being pursued by Virginia State Police when he drove into the District. Barry abandoned the vehicle he was driving in an alley behind 4300 block of Reno Road, NW. Metropolitan Police officers responded to the area at 12:21 a.m., recovered the vehicle, but were unable to locate Barry.
At 1:30 a.m., Barry called 911 and falsely reported to the operator that his ex-husband had shot his wife in the face and chest. He indicated that the shooter had driven away. Barry provided an address on Brandywine Street NW where he claimed the shooting had occurred. At the time Barry made the report, he knew that it was false.
MPD responded to the address of the reported shooting and made contact with the residents of the house, who were asleep when MPD arrived.
Barry remained in the area until 2:30 a.m., then traveled by bus to Union Station. At 3:37 a.m., Barry approached a Buick sedan occupied by an 88-year-old man and an 87-year-old woman who had been stopped directly in front of the station.
Barry approached the driver’s side, then reached into the open window and opened the driver’s side door. Barry ordered the couple out of the car repeatedly, stating “Get out of the car! If you don’t, I’m gonna kill you.” Barry told the victims that he had a gun and held his hand in the pocket of his sweatshirt to imitate a firearm.
The victims told Barry that they could not give him the car because they were on their way to the hospital, but Barry continued to threaten them and demand the car.
With the driver’s door still opened, Barry grabbed hold of the driver’s upper body, physically wrenched him out of the vehicle, and threw him to the ground. Barry stepped over the man and climbed into the driver’s seat. The woman passenger got out of the car. With the doors still open and the man still on the ground, Barry drove away, eventually reaching a gas station in Greenbelt, Maryland. During that drive, images of the car were captured by a speed camera. Barry only stopped driving after the car suffered a flat tire.
The Greenbelt Police Department apprehended Barry, who initially identified himself as with the alias “Usaman Barrie.”
This case was investigated by the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Greenbelt Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the United States Capitol Police.
25cr175
New Orleans Man Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute over 5 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA. – LAMONT WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 50, of New Orleans, was indicted on January 15, 2026, for possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
If convicted, WILLIAMS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least 5 years of supervised release.
According to the indictment, on or about July 4, 2025, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, WILLIAMS, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Louisiana State Police and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
* * *
New London Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle Chinese Goods into the United States to Avoid TariffsRead the Press Release
New London Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle
Chinese Goods into the United States to Avoid Tariffs
CONCORD – A New London man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to smuggle plastic resin from China into the United States in order to evade increased tariffs on Chinese goods, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
David Guimond, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States. Chief U.S. District Judge Samantha D. Elliott scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
“Trade laws and customs duties exist to protect American businesses, workers, and the integrity of our markets,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Schemes that falsify country-of-origin information and evade lawful duties undermine fair competition and take money away from the American taxpayer. This office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from those who attempt to circumvent our trade laws.”
According to the public record, in 2021, Guimond was a shareholder and Chief Operating Officer of Global Plastics and its sister company Marco Polo International, U.S.-based plastic resin distributors. In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri severely disrupted the domestic resin supply, and as a result, Global Plastics and Marco Polo International began importing resin from countries other than the United States, including China. At the time, plastic resin originating from China was subject to an additional tariff rate of 25%. Guimond instructed and agreed with other employees to input manufacturers and countries of origin other than China on paperwork submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in order to avoid the additional tariff rate. Guimond also instructed an employee to repackage plastic resin from bags to boxes that were shipped through Canada to conceal the resin’s country of origin. The conspiracy resulted in at least $497,249 of unpaid tariff duties to CBP.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas and Siji Moore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat are prosecuting the case.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 44 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Gun on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ELBERT LLORRENS, 33, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 44 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that, on February 25, 2024, after a traffic dispute, Llorrens fired a gunshot into an occupied vehicle on Vine Street in New Haven. West Haven Police arrested Llorrens on March 1, 2024, after finding Llorrens in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson, model SD40 VE, .40 caliber pistol. Subsequent analysis of the firearm using the National Integrated Ballistic Identification Network (“NIBIN”) linked it to three separate gunfire incidents, including the Vine Street shooting on February 25, 2024.
In March 2017, Llorrens was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 60 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for committing multiple carjackings and armed robberies, and he was on federal supervised release when he possessed the firearm.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Llorrens has been detained since March 1, 2024. He pleaded guilty to the offense on March 5, 2025.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
Moline Woman Sentenced to 139 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Moline woman was sentenced on January 20, 2026, to 139 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Rianne Len Brinker, 36, embezzled $551,961.66 from her employer, located in Bettendorf, over a three-year period from October 2020 to October 2023. As part of the fraud, Brinker applied for a credit account that reimbursed funds to her personal bank account and opened a credit card using the identifiers of her employer. Brinker also registered a fraudulent business with the Illinois Secretary of State in an attempt to legitimize her theft from her employer.
In 2008, Brinker was convicted of credit union embezzlement in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Brinker was also convicted in Illinois and Iowa for other theft-related offenses.
After completing her term of imprisonment, Brinker will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Brinker was also ordered to pay $534,461.66 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI.
Middlesex County Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Today, a Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for receiving and possessing images and videos depicting child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Jeremy Greenwald, 47, of South Amboy, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to a two-count information charging him with receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2022 through February 2023, Greenwald used an online chat application to communicate with a minor victim located outside of New Jersey. Greenwald persuaded the minor victim to create and send Greenwald images and videos of her engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On multiple occasions, Greenwald directed the minor victim to perform certain sexual acts using items Greenwald had purchased and sent the minor victim to use during the videos, including sex toys and costumes, and Greenwald paid the minor victim a nominal amount for these images and videos. A search of Greenwald’s electronic devices revealed additional videos and images of child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specifically those working on the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
###
Defense counsel: Michael Chazen, Esq., Freehold, New Jersey
Mexican national sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas–An illegal alien has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Luis Emmanuel Quevedo-Vasquez, 30, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on January 22, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on April 2, 2024, Quevedo-Vasquez, a Mexican national illegally in the United States, and Carmen Guadalupe Diaz, 26, of Georgia, were stopped for a traffic violation in Nacogdoches County. During the stop, law enforcement noticed an open container of alcohol and searched the vehicle discovering various illegal drugs including over a kilogram of methamphetamine, almost two kilograms of cocaine, and nearly a kilogram of heroin. During the search, the deputy also located two firearms. It was determined that the pair were transporting the drugs from Texas to Wisconsin.
Diaz admitted to regularly smuggling both humans and narcotics and stated she was being paid $20,000 to transport the load that was intercepted by law enforcement. On January 15, 2026, Diaz was also sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.
###
Mexican National Sentenced to 25 Years for Meth Trafficking, an Illegal Firearm, and for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute, illegally possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported.
Jose Alberto Rodriguez-Landeros (also known as Raul Garcia, Raul Garcia Rodriguez, Saul Dias Gonzalez, Miguel Angel Garcia Perez, Miguel Garcia Perez, Jose Alberto Landeros, Angel Saucedo, Jose M. Rodriguez, Ivan M. Pantoja, Guillermo Gonzalez-Dias), 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 14, 2024, Rodriguez-Landeros pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and one count of illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported.
Based on the written plea agreement, Rodriguez-Landeros admitted to selling methamphetamine to a confidential source on three separate occasions on Oct. 11, 2022, Oct. 21, 2022, and Nov. 22, 2022. On Dec. 13, 2022, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant of the defendant’s residence located in Kansas City, Mo. Officers discovered the following items: a Keltec, Model P-32, .32 caliber pistol; identification documents with various aliases utilized by Rodriguez-Landeros; approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine; approximately 148 grams of powder cocaine; and $9,500 in U.S. currency. Also on Dec. 13, 2022, law enforcement officials arrested the defendant while driving on Indiana Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. During the arrest, officers seized approximately 380 grams of methamphetamine and 75 grams of cocaine found on Rodriguez-Landeros’s person and in his vehicle. Immigration and Customs Enforcement records confirmed that Rodriguez-Landeros was previously deported from the United States on at least three occasions since 2000.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Alberto Ayala-Ordonez, 44, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced on January 9, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Ayala-Ordonez to 180 months’ imprisonment. Ayala-Ordonez also forfeited to the government $7,924 in U.S. currency that was seized during the investigation. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Ayala-Ordonez will serve a five-year term of supervised release.
Ayala-Ordonez was indicted based on his involvement with a Mexico source of supply of methamphetamine known to supply the Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa areas with the drug via a local network of couriers. Ayala-Ordonez was a local courier operating in Nebraska and Iowa who distributed the Mexican source’s drugs.
On October 2, 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled buy of one pound of methamphetamine from Ayala-Ordonez at an Omaha location. After the buy, surveillance officers observed Ayala- Ordonez meet with other co-conspirators who were found in possession of one pound of methamphetamine when stopped shortly after the meet.
On January 19, 2024, a search warrant was conducted on Ayala- Ordonez’s South Omaha residence where approximately 1,140 grams of methamphetamine and $7,924.00 in U.S. Currency were seized. In a post-Miranda interview Ayala- Ordonez admitted to his involvement in drug distribution for a Mexican source.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Mexican Citizen with Green Card Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican citizen residing in Poteet with Permanent Resident status was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today to 108 months in prison for distributing four kilograms of pure methamphetamine on three separate occasions.
According to court documents, Sabino Diaz-Silva, 63, used his ties to Mexico to directly communicate with a Mexican source of supply regarding the importation and distribution of methamphetamine in the United States. On two separate occasions in October 2022, Diaz-Silva sold one kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent. On Dec. 5, 2022, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped Diaz-Silva and found two kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside the trunk of his vehicle.
Diaz-Silva was charged in a federal indictment on Oct. 4, 2023, and taken into federal custody on Dec. 6, 2023. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Diaz-Silva will face deportation to Mexico once his sentence of imprisonment is completed.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The DEA and TX DPS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears 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.
###
Memphis Woman Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs of over $560,000Read the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis woman has been sentenced to federal prison for defrauding two federal programs intended to help people survive the COVID-19 pandemic out of over $560,000. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
Deashley Tabor, 37, was sentenced on January 16, 2026, to 41 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and making false claims against the U.S. Government.
According to information presented in court, Tabor and her co-conspirator defrauded the U.S. Government out of over $560,000 by filing fraudulent applications for unemployment benefits in over 27 different states during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tabor and her co-conspirator also defrauded the federally funded Tennessee Emergency Cash Assistance (ECA) program of approximately $20,000 by creating fake employment termination notices for themselves and others. The ECA program was intended to provide financial assistance to families that had been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic because of lost employment.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Fraudulent schemes and crimes of dishonesty will be exposed and punished. This case represents our commitment to expose COVID-19 benefit fraud well beyond the pandemic, protect the integrity of the employment assistance system, hold offenders accountable for their dishonest criminal conduct, and to recover ill-gotten proceeds on behalf of victimized agencies."
“Deashley Tabor defrauded the U.S. Government and taxpayers in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme that targeted multiple State Workforce agencies, enriching themselves when millions of Americans desperately needed the money,” stated Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “The Office of Inspector General is committed to protecting the integrity of the unemployment insurance program by vigorously pursuing those who commit this type of fraud.”
“These individuals exploited a public health emergency to steal money and resources intended for families in need,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This sentencing underscores HHS-OIG’s unwavering commitment, alongside our law enforcement partners, to protect taxpayer dollars and hold accountable those who defraud programs designed to help during times of crisis.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The case was prosecuted on behalf of the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony R. Arvin.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday for possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Lamiek White, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 147 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2025, White pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
From November 2022 through June 2023, White conspired with others to distribute fentanyl. During a search of White’s Springfield residence in June 2023, approximately 200 grams of fentanyl was found along with a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Massachusetts State Police; the Berkshire, Hampden and Franklin County Sherriff’s Offices; and the Holyoke, Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield and Easthampton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches, Chief of the Springfield Branch 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.
Maryland Man Remains Detained on Charges of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Ivan Cruz Ramirez, 28, of Brandywine, Maryland, was ordered detained pending trial today in U.S. District Court in connection with producing child pornography of a 13-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On Jan. 13, 2026, Cruz Ramirez was charged by complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a child for producing a 26-minute video depicting his rape of the 13-year-old victim. At a Jan. 22, 2026, detention hearing, Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui detained Cruz Ramirez pending trial.
“This case represents the ultimate nightmare for any parent,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “An individual who targets his victim at church, exploits a place meant to protect children – to prey on the most innocent and vulnerable. My office will use every tool available to bring to justice those who exploit our children.”
According to court documents, Cruz Ramirez met the victim at church services when she was twelve-years-old. Cruz Ramirez began texting the victim and told her that he liked her on her first day of school in the eighth grade. Cruz Ramirez sexually abused the victim multiple times in 2025, including vaginally penetrating her. On Nov.17, 2025, Cruz Ramirez recorded a series of videos with the victim, including a 26-minute video depicting vaginal and oral penetration of the victim.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Kelley and Amanda Swanson.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
26mj2
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Snap Benefits Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, Witness Tampering, Other Related Criminal ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Brendyn Andrew, 34, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, pled guilty in federal court to all charges listed in a 10-count superseding indictment, including SNAP benefits fraud, possessing unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, passport fraud, and witness tampering.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Northeast Region, and Special Agent in Charge David Richeson, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Washington Field Office.
In February 2025, a grand jury indicted Andrew for aggravated identity theft, supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits fraud, social security number misuse, and theft of government property. Additionally, in May 2025, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Andrew with additional criminal charges for possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, passport fraud, and tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant. Dominique Collins, 38, of Stafford, Virginia, was named as a co-defendant, in the superseding indictment, for tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant. Ms. Collins is scheduled for trial in April 2026.
According to facts in Andrew’s plea, between February and June 2021, he used the Department of Human Services’ online system to apply for SNAP benefits and obtain EBT cards, later found in his possession, using identities belonging to other individuals. Andrew intentionally misrepresented his identity to obtain those benefits.
In October 2022, during execution of a search warrant, law enforcement officers found Andrew in possession of more than 15 electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards in the names of individuals other than himself. Then, in February 2024, Andrew submitted a United States passport application, stating he was another person, and without legal authority, used the social security number of that person in the application. Andrew obtained the passport for his own use. In March 2025, while detained on the original indictment at the Chesapeake Detention Facility in Baltimore, Maryland, Andrew spoke to Collins on the phone and asked her to try to delete an e-mail account to make the account unavailable for use in an official proceeding.
Andrew faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft, to be imposed consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, up to five years for SNAP benefits fraud, up to five years for misuse of a social security number, and up to 10 years for theft of government property. Additionally, Andrew is facing up to 10 years for possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices and up to 15 years for passport fraud. Andrews also faces up to 20 years for tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended USDA-OIG and DSS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked the Montgomery County Police Department for its investigative assistance and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
# # #
Maryland Man Indicted on Unlawful Transmission and Retention of Classified National Defense Information ChargesRead the Press Release
Today, a federal grand jury indicted a Laurel, Maryland man on five counts of unlawfully transmitting and one count of unlawfully retaining classified national defense information, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 793(e).
"Illegally disclosing classified defense information is a grave crime against America that puts both our national security and the lives of our military heroes at risk," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "This Department of Justice will remain ever-vigilant in protecting the integrity of America's classified intelligence."
“Perez-Lugones allegedly printed and removed classified documents from his workplace on multiple occasions, took them home, and later passed them to a reporter who used the information in news articles,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Protecting our country’s secrets is essential to the safety of our most sensitive intelligence, military, and law enforcement operations. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate everyone who seeks to undermine our national security and hold them accountable.”
“The indictment charges that Perez-Lugones willfully transmitted national defense information to a news reporter, placing our national security at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Protecting sensitive national security information is a core responsibility of the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will pursue accountability when that trust is violated. Putting it simply, risking our national security cannot and will not be tolerated.”
“Today’s indictment sends a clear message to all clearance holders that the FBI and our partners will spare no resource to immediately identify and hold accountable those who violate the law by disclosing classified information without authorization,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “This alleged brazen betrayal posed the threat of exceptionally grave damage to national security, including endangering our warfighters and ongoing military operations.”
Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, 61, a long-time holder of a Top-Secret security clearance who has worked as a government contractor for the past two decades, is charged with the unauthorized transmission and retention of national defense information. Since at least 2002, Perez-Lugones has worked as a system engineer and information technology specialist for a government contractor. In that role, Perez-Lugones worked on contracts for the U.S. Intelligence Community. Perez-Lugones was previously charged by criminal complaint on January 9, 2026, with the unlawful retention of national defense information.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland, and Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Washington Field Office announced the indictment.
According to the indictment, between October 2025 and January 2026, Perez-Lugones repeatedly accessed classified reports, printed or copied the information in these classified reports, and then removed this classified information from the sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) where he worked. Thereafter, Perez-Lugones transmitted the classified national defense information to a reporter (referred to as “Reporter 1” in the indictment), who was not authorized to receive it. In turn, Reporter 1 co-authored and contributed to at least five articles that contained classified information Perez-Lugones provided, resulting in the dissemination of the information to the public.
Perez-Lugones was arrested on Jan. 8, 2026. During the execution of a court-authorized search warrant for his mobile phone, investigators reviewed messages between Perez-Lugones and Reporter 1 discussing the classified information that Perez-Lugones had provided. These messages also showed Perez-Lugones transmitting to Reporter 1 two documents that contained classified national defense information. After sending one such document, Perez-Lugones sent a message stating, “I’m going quiet for a bit . . . just to see if anyone starts asking questions.” Additionally, during the execution of a court-authorized search warrant for Perez-Lugones’s vehicle, investigators recovered a hard-copy document classified at the SECRET level.
If convicted, Perez-Lugones faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of retention and transmission of national defense information. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Thomas Sullivan of the District of Maryland and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Brendan Geary of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Indicted on Unlawful Transmission and Retention of Classified National Defense Information ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a Laurel, Maryland, man today, for allegedly mishandling classified information.
Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, 61, is charged with five counts of unlawfully transmitting and one count of unlawfully retaining classified national defense information. Perez-Lugones was previously charged by criminal complaint with retention of national defense information.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Attorney General Pamela Bondi; FBI Director Kash Patel; Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg; and Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox, FBI – Washington Field Office.
Between October 2025 and January 2026, Perez-Lugones repeatedly accessed classified reports, printed or otherwise copied the information in these classified reports, and removed the printouts and information from the sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) where he worked. He then transmitted the classified national defense information to a reporter (Reporter 1), who is not authorized to receive it.
In turn, Reporter 1 co-authored and contributed to at least five articles that contained classified information Perez-Lugones provided, resulting in the dissemination of the information to the public. On October 31, 2025, November 11, 2025, December 8, 2025, January 6, 2026, and January 9, 2026, Reporter 1 co-authored articles containing classified information from these reports.
"Illegally disclosing classified defense information is a grave crime against America that puts both our national security and the lives of our military heroes at risk," Bondi said. "This Department of Justice will remain ever-vigilant in protecting the integrity of America's classified intelligence."
“Perez-Lugones allegedly printed and removed classified documents from his workplace on multiple occasions, took them home, and later passed them to a reporter who used the information in news articles,” Patel said. “Protecting our country’s secrets is essential to the safety of our most sensitive intelligence, military, and law enforcement operations. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate everyone who seeks to undermine our national security and hold them accountable.”
“The indictment charges that Perez-Lugones willfully transmitted national defense information to a news reporter, placing our national security at risk,” Hayes said. “Protecting sensitive national security information is a core responsibility of the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will pursue accountability when that trust is violated. Putting it simply, risking our national security cannot and will not be tolerated.”
“Today’s indictment sends a clear message to all clearance holders that the FBI and our partners will spare no resource to immediately identify and hold accountable those who violate the law by disclosing classified information without authorization,” Cox said. “This alleged brazen betrayal posed the threat of exceptionally grave damage to national security, including endangering our warfighters and ongoing military operations.”
On January 8, 2026, a federal court authorized search warrants for Perez-Lugones’s Laurel residence and vehicle, along with other locations. During the search, investigators uncovered multiple documents marked as “SECRET.”
They also found a lunch box in his car containing a document marked as “SECRET.” Additionally, while searching Perez-Lugones’s residence, investigators located a document in the basement of the residence also marked as “SECRET.” One or more of these documents are related to national defense.
On several occasions, since at least October 2025, Perez-Lugones navigated and searched databases or repositories containing classified information without authorization, including classified intelligence reports or summaries. Specifically, Perez-Lugones accessed classified intelligence reports, some of which are related to a foreign country, and classified as Top Secret. He took screenshots of the reports and pasted them in Microsoft Word documents and other applications to obscure his unauthorized review and access of this information.
Then on January 8, authorities observed Perez-Lugones looking at national defense information and printing it in his cubicle at his workplace. Agents later found that Perez-Lugones removed his name from headers on documents prior to leaving his workplace.
According to the indictment, the search also revealed that on January 8, Perez-Lugones transmitted photographs of classified documents. Perez-Lugones then wrote to Reporter 1, “I’m going quiet for a bit . . . just to see if anyone starts asking questions,” via an encrypted messaging application.
Since 2002, Perez-Lugones worked as a government contractor in various capacities. Perez-Lugones was working as a systems engineer and information technology specialist for a government contracting company. He possesses a Top-Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information as long as it is essential for performing his job. The Government entrusted Perez-Lugones with access to classified and national defense information since he held a security clearance as a member of the U.S. Navy and as a government contractor.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Perez-Lugones faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of retention and transmission of national defense information. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI Washington Field Office for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Thomas Sullivan, along with Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Brendan Geary, National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Manchester Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzlement and Tax OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARIA HIGGINS, 36, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 34 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for offenses stemming from two embezzlement schemes and related tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from mid-2018 to April 2022, Higgins was employed as a bookkeeper for New England Kitchen & Bath LLC in Glastonbury. Higgins stole from the business by issuing company checks payable to herself, often including the words “commission” or “bonus” in the memo line of the check, and used a signature handstamp of the company’s owner to issue the checks; initiating wire transfers to bank accounts in her name; creating a fictitious supplier and billing the company for fictious expenses; using company debit cards to pay for personal expenses; and overseeing a construction proposal for a legitimate client project, expensing incurred costs of the project through the company, and having the client pay her directly. Higgins stole $504,807 through this scheme.
From February 2023 to April 2024, Higgins was employed as an accounting manager for PVC Solutions, Inc., in Danbury, a company that produces and distributes PVC products. Higgins stole from the company by issuing company checks payable to herself; creating duplicate vendor payment templates to initiate wire transfers to her personal bank account; creating fictitious suppliers to bill the company on her behalf; and paying personal expenses through the company’s bank account. Higgins manipulated the company’s accounting records to conceal her criminal activity. Higgins stole $356,181 through this scheme.
Higgins failed to report approximately $768,650 of her stolen income on her personal federal income tax returns for the 2018 through 2023 tax years, resulting in a loss of $167,831 to the IRS.
Judge Oliver ordered Higgins to pay full restitution to New England Kitchen & Bath, PVC Solutions, Inc., and the IRS.
On September 9, 2025, Higgins pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen money and one count tax evasion.
Higgins, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on February 21.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Dale Patrick Grant, 37, originally from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on January 9, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for failure to register as a sex offender. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Grant to 21 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Grant’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
In January 2020, Grant was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska of sexual abuse of a minor, for which he was sentenced to a term of 48 months’ imprisonment. Because of the 2020 conviction, Grant is required to register as a sex offender, including updating his residential address to reflect any changes, which he acknowledged in writing on his release from federal prison in March 2024 onto supervised release. Despite his duty to register, beginning in late June 2025, Grant failed to update his registered address after leaving his registered residence in Omaha. Grant was later located by law enforcement in August 2025 in Grand Island and taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Man Sentenced for Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Dylan Michael Joseph Hoffman, 34, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on January 7, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for escape from custody. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hoffman to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hoffman’s release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
In August 2021, Hoffman was sentenced to serve 63 months’ imprisonment in the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa following his conviction for prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In February 2025, while serving that custodial sentence, BOP transferred Hoffman to Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center (Dismas) in Omaha, Nebraska. Dismas assigned Hoffman to home confinement at an area residence, but, after Hoffman was ordered to return to Dismas on May 4, 2025, he failed to do so. Hoffman was given multiple opportunities to return to Dismas as directed, but he failed to return and ultimately disabled his BOP electronic location monitoring system. Several days later, the United States Marshals Service was able to locate Hoffman in Council Bluffs and return him to custody.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Lynchburg Man to Serve Four Years for Selling Machine GunsRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A convicted felon who sold a pistol and several rifles, at least two of which were classified as machine guns, was sentenced this week to four years in federal prison.
Les Christopher Burns, 44, of Lynchburg, Va., pled guilty in October 2025 to one count of possessing a machine, one count of possessing two machine guns and a short barrel rifle which were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on September 11, 2024, Burns engaged in a Facebook conversation with an individual regarding the sale of several firearms. At the time, Burns was a convicted felon and subject to an active protective order, both of which prohibited him from legally possessing firearms.
Burns drove to Vinton, Virginia to meet with that individual, at which time he sold him a pistol and three rifles, later identified as a Taurus TH9, 9mm pistol, a Del-Ton Incorporated, model DTI-15, 6.5 mm Grendel caliber rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing, model AM-15, 5.56 mm Nato caliber rifle, and an Anderson Manufacturing, model AM-15, 6.5 mm Grendel caliber rifle.
An ATF firearms expert determined that both 6.5 mm Grendel rifles were built or modified to function as machineguns and the 5.56 mm Nato caliber rifle was built or modified to have a barrel less than 16 inches in length.
None of these rifles, as modified, were registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by the National Firearms Act.
Following a thorough investigation, law enforcement executed arrest and search warrants at Burns’ home on December 10, 2024. Inside his residence, investigators located a Beretta, PX4 Storm 9 mm pistol under Burns’ pillow on his bed, multiple pistol magazines, 9mm ammunition, a Glock pistol slide, a Polymer 80 lower receiver, multiple cell phones, a hard drive, laptop, and a tablet.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Customs Enforcement- Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Special Assistant United States Attorney John Beamer, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Miller prosecuted the case.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 48 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearm Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Shea, age 35, of Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 48 months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley for one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Shea previously pled guilty to conspiring with three co-defendants to traffic at least three firearms from April of 2022 to on or about July 9, 2024, in Luzerne County, and elsewhere. Shea further admitted that as part of the conspiracy, he picked up three firearms from a hotel room occupied by his brother, Justis Shea, after his brother was arrested on an unrelated case. Jeremy Shea then safeguarded those firearms in his house with the intent to transport, transfer, or otherwise dispose of those firearms to others. While his brother was incarcerated, he directed Jeremy Shea to sell or otherwise dispose of the firearms. When investigators executed a search warrant at the Shea’ house in Glen Lyon, they found an American Tactical AR-style rifle with a Bushell mounted optic, a short-barreled AR-style personally-made firearm with an overall length of less than 16 inches, a .22 caliber EIG model E 15 six-shot revolver, AR-style magazines, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia in Jeremy Shea’s bedroom.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
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.
# # #
Louisville Man Sentenced to 15 years for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Jefferson County, Kentucky, man was sentenced this week to 15 years in federal prison after being convicted of multiple drug and firearm offenses.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
On January 21, 2026, Priestlen Mitchell, 33, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for three counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, three counts of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, one count of distribution of controlled substances, one count of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm, and one count of commission of an offense while out on pretrial release in United States District Court.
Between May 7, 2021, and May 8, 2021, Mitchell, a convicted felon, possessed a Century Arms Inc., model Micro Draco, 7.62x39 caliber semiautomatic pistol, an Armalite, model M15A2, 5.56 caliber rifle, and ammunition. Mitchell also possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone.
On January 26, 2023, Mitchell possessed a Mossberg, O.F. & Sons, Incorporated, model 500, 12-guage shotgun and ammunition. He also possessed with the intent to distribute marijuana.
On February 2, 2024, Mitchell Glock, model 19x, 9-millimeter pistol, an AR style short-barreled rifle, a Ruger, model Five Seven, 5.7x28 caliber pistol, a Girsan, model Regard MC, 9-millimeter pistol, and ammunition. Mitchell also possessed with the intent to distribute heroin, MDMA, psilocybin (mushrooms), hydrocodone, oxycodone, alprazolam, and marijuana. Mitchell also distributed fentanyl on that same day. At the time Mitchell committed these offenses he was on pretrial release in federal court for the previous offenses.
At the time Mitchell possessed the firearms, he was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On July 15, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Mitchell was convicted of burglary in the third degree.
On August 16, 2012, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Mitchell was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On February 23, 2012, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Mitchell was convicted of burglary in the third degree.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Mitchell is a dangerous person, plain and simple. He received a substantial sentence because he continually demonstrated by his conduct that he has no respect for the judicial system or our citizens. The Western District of Kentucky is better because Mitchell will not see the light of day for 15 years.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The ATF and KSP investigated the case with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Dahl and Emily Lantz are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.
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.
###