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9 January 2026
Martin County Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Chason Reed Peck (37, Palm City) has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Peck faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud charge and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the money laundering counts. As part of his guilty plea, Peck has agreed to forfeit $300,000, which are funds traceable as proceeds of the offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on February 3, 2017, Peck applied for and received business financing from Deere & Company (“John Deere”). On February 16, 2020, Peck applied for a $300,000 total credit limit on his John Deere credit. Peck hand-wrote the financial application and gave it to a representative of an agricultural store in Ocala to submit on his behalf. The application, however, contained false information that greatly overstated Peck’s assets. For instance, Peck claimed his cash assets were approximately $3 million. He also claimed to have 1,500 of acres of farming land. In reality, Peck’s cash assets were approximately $6,000, and he was only farming about 60 acres. Based on the fraudulent information he submitted, Peck obtained the increased credit line along with lines of ‘liquid credit” (business loans). Peck then used the increased credit line to make three payments towards debts he already had with his employer. Those payments totaled $274,673.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of A Stolen Firearm by A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Alberto, age 38, of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 8, 2025, to 120 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Alberto was convicted on May 7, 2025, following a three-day jury trial. The evidence presented at trial established that on August 12, 2021, Alberto was found asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle stopped at a stop sign, with his foot on the brake and a line of cars stopped behind him. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and ultimately discovered a stolen firearm in the glove compartment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department (WBPD), and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah R. Lloyd and James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Louisville Man Sentenced to 25 years for Methamphetamine and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Jefferson County, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison after being convicted of multiple drug and firearm offenses in a week-long trial in September.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents Stephen Piercy was sentenced to 25 years followed by 10 years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at trial, from January 1, 2021, through August 29, 2023, Piercy, conspired with other individuals to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Piercy was further convicted of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine on 5 dates from March through July of 2023; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on two dates; possessing with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine on August 29, 2023; and possessing a firearm with the knowledge that he was prohibited from doing so due having been previously convicted of a felony. At sentencing, Piercy was held responsible for a total of 1.32 kilograms of methamphetamine either distributed or possessed with the intent to distribute. The jury also found that Piercy had previously been convicted of the following serious drug felony.
On October 3, 2008, in Jefferson County Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky, Piercy was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Methamphetamine has been plaguing our communities for too long. With our law enforcement partners, we are committed to pursuing and aggressively prosecuting substantial drug traffickers like Stephen Piercy. I hope Piercy’s trial conviction and resulting substantial 25-year sentence acts as a deterrent to other drug dealers.”
“Drug traffickers who push highly addictive drugs such as methamphetamine onto our streets have no place in our society,” stated Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “FBI Louisville sees the devastating impacts these substances have on the communities in which we live, and we will continue to use every available resource to identify, disrupt, and dismantle dangerous drug trafficking networks.”
“This sentence shows what we can accomplish when LMPD and our federal partners work together. Drug traffickers who fuel violence in our city will face serious consequences, and we will continue joining forces to protect Louisville’s neighborhoods,” stated Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI and LMPD investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua R. Porter and Erwin Roberts are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Aaron Cooper.
This conviction is a 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).
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Leader of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Involving Attempted Murder and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston area man pleaded guilty today to his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Anthony Centeio, a/k/a “Wheezy,” 37 of Boston and Rehoboth, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2026 Centeio was among 22 defendants charged in May 2023.
Centeio was identified as a leader of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear and enhance its reputation. Members of Cameron Street have tattoos or wear clothing signifying their membership in the gang. Members post videos or use social media applications to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes committed by the gang as well as to denigrate rivals, in particular NOB (Norton, Onley and Barry Streets), known more generally as Wendover. Cameron Street members possess, carry and use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds.As part of his role in the Cameron Street enterprise, Centeio and another Cameron Street member, Daronde Bethea, a/k/a “Freeze,” committed an attempted murder with a firearm of an NOB/Wendover gang member in Dorchester in June 2018. Bethea was sentenced to nearly 24 years in prison for his role in Cameron Street, including the attempted murder in June 2024:
Between February 2021 and March 2022, law enforcement recorded controlled purchases of a firearm from Centeio, as well as purchases of over 500 grams of cocaine and cocaine base from Centeio directly or through his cousin and co-defendant Michael Lopes. Lopes was sentenced to more than four years in prison in May 2024:
During an April 2022 search of Centeio’s home in Rehoboth, $25,760 in cash, a Glock .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, 21 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, clothing and jewelry associated with Cameron Street was recovered. Centeio was encountered at Lopes’ residence in Pawtucket, where hundreds of grams of cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine, packaging materials for street level sales and cash were seized:
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Jared A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lakanwal Newly Indicted in Shooting of Guardsmen Near White House that Killed Sarah BeckstromRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, with an array of offenses in the ambush-style shooting near the White House on November 26 that killed National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The Indictment adds two new counts of assault with intent to kill for additional victims, R.R. and E.S., two National Guard majors who subdued Lakanwal at the scene.
In addition, the Indictment charges Lakanwal with first degree murder while armed (premeditated), assault with intent to kill while armed, transportation of a firearm & ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony; and four counts of possession of a firearm during crime of violence or dangerous offense.
“We are vigorously pursuing the prosecution of Lakanwal,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Nothing is off the table, and we will continue to weigh additional charges.”
According to court documents, Lakanwal allegedly drove his Toyota Prius from his home in Washington state to the District of Columbia. On the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 26, at about 2:13 p.m., Lakanwal opened fire without provocation at 17th and I Streets, NW, near the Farragut West Metro Station, shooting Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head. Two nearby majors in the National Guard responded immediately and subdued the suspect.
At the scene, investigators recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had been reported stolen in Seattle, Washington, in 2023.
Ms. Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries on Thanksgiving, November 27. National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically injured in the ambush.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Kyle Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Woman Causing Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on January 2, 2026.
Vinnie Sonny Makes Good, 37, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $328.02 in restitution.
Makes Good was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 10, 2025.
In March 2023, Makes Good assaulted his dating partner inside a vehicle near Kyle. He then threw her out of the vehicle and assaulted her by kicking and punching her. The victim sustained injuries to her face, torso, and legs, and further sustained a broken pinky finger.
In October 2023, Makes Good assaulted the same partner causing her to sustain a 3 mm left tentorial subdural hematoma as well as fractures to vertebra in her back. She was initially transported to Indian Health Services Hospital in Pine Ridge and then on to Monument Health in Rapid City for further care.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandating certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Makes Good was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kauai Woman Sentenced to 36 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Trish Leila Henderson, 46, of Kauai, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 36 months in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court records, Henderson was part of a conspiracy that was acquiring controlled substances through the U.S. mail and was engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine on Kauai. In total, Henderson was held responsible for over 22 pounds of methamphetamine.
Henderson is one of eleven defendants charged in three separate indictments for crimes related to the operation of a trans-Pacific drug trafficking network, nine of whom have pled guilty with the remaining awaiting trial. The overall investigation yielded seizures of more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine, several kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, eight firearms, ammunition, and over $150,000 in cash.
At sentencing, Judge Kobayashi commented that Henderson had shown strong mitigating circumstances, including her drug treatment and her efforts to rebuild her community following the harm she had caused in distributing methamphetamine on Kauai.
Henderson is the third defendant in a nine-defendant indictment to be sentenced. Her coconspirators, including those charged in other indictments, have been sentenced as follows:
- On April 30, 2025, in one of the related cases charged by separate indictment, Shawn Pauahi Santana was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to distributing methamphetamine.
- On December 10, 2025, Faith Michelle Nelson was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- On December 16, 2025, Francis Anthony Abergas, Jr., was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a felony.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu Police Departments, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret C. Nammar is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Secures $325,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Iowa Landlord and Property ManagerRead the Press Release
Note: View settlement here. The quote has also been updated slightly.
The Justice Department announced today that the owner and property manager of residential rental properties in Davenport, Iowa, have agreed to pay $325,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the property manager sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in January 2025, alleges that for more than two decades, property manager Kurt Williams sexually harassed female tenants at various rental dwellings throughout Davenport. The suit alleges that Williams’ conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances to female tenants, exposing his genitals to female tenants, requesting sex or sex acts from female tenants in exchange for tangible housing benefits like reductions in rent, and taking adverse housing actions, such as initiating evictions or refusing to make repairs, against female tenants who objected to or refused his sexual advances.
“A home should be a place of security and comfort, not fear,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold property managers and landlords accountable when they prey on vulnerable tenants by sexually harassing them.”
“Housing should not be a tool used for exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Waterman for the Southern District of Iowa. “Our office will vigorously uphold the Fair Housing Act to protect tenants’ dignity, safety, and equal access to housing.”
“Kurt Williams exploited his authority as a landlord for sexual gain, victimizing our most vulnerable community members,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “Sexual misconduct in housing is not a misunderstanding — it is an abuse of power that turns shelter into leverage, and nobody should ever have to trade their safety for a place to live. HUD OIG will continue to work with the US Attorney’s Office to hold housing providers accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit also names as a defendant Gearhead Properties LC, the owner of the rental dwellings where the sexual harassment occurred. The lawsuit alleges that this defendant is vicariously liable for the sexual harassment committed by their agent, Kurt Williams. HUD OIG participated in the investigation that uncovered the evidence leading to the lawsuit.
Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the defendants must pay $315,000 to tenants who were harmed by Williams’ harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The settlement agreement permanently bars Williams from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment and permanently bars Williams from managing residential rental properties.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $17 million for victims of such harassment.
Jury Convicts Savannah Man for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Savannah, GA: A Savannah man has been found guilty at trial for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person following an incident that occurred in February 2024.
Benjamin Michael Greene, 39, of Savannah, was convicted following a one-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia announced Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
As described at trial, on February 12, 2024, while a man was putting air in the tires of his vehicle on Augusta Avenue, Greene jumped into the driver’s seat and took off with the vehicle. Officers with the Savannah Police Department were in the area and immediately responded. Greene led officers on a vehicle pursuit before wrecking the vehicle into a telephone pole. Greene then exited the wrecked vehicle, leading officers on a foot pursuit. A K-9 officer with the Savannah Police Department was able to apprehend Greene. Officers then had to wrestle the firearm out of Greene’s hands. Officers located an additional firearm and controlled substances on the scene. Greene was prohibited from possessing firearms because of previous felony convictions in the Superior Court of Chatham County.
“Our commitment to removing firearms from the hands of convicted felons is unwavering. I would like to especially recognize K-9 Zulu, whose work directly led to the safe recovery of this firearm” said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney.
"The successful outcome of this case underscores the vital partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Together, we are making significant strides in combating gun violence and ensuring that our communities remain safe,” said ATF RAC Robert Davis.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case was investigated by the Savannah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Assistant United States Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
For any questions, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tanisha Wooding, 46, of Huntington, was sentenced on Monday, January 5, 2026, to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $101,204.31 in restitution for theft of government money. Wooding fraudulently obtained $91,664 in COVID-19 loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for her personal use.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about July 26, 2020, through on or about June 10, 2021, Wooding knowingly defrauded and obtained money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program authorized by the CARES Act. Wooding applied for and received four PPP loans totaling $81,664, falsely claiming on each application that the loan was for a business to cover payroll and other allowable expenses. Wooding listed an insurance agency on two of the applications, a carpet cleaning business on the third and a tax service on the fourth. Wooding also applied for and received a $10,000 EIDL program loan, falsely claiming the money was for an insurance business where she employed 10 people.
As part of her guilty plea, Wooding admitted that she did not own or operate any such businesses and had no payroll or other eligible business expenses during that time. The proceeds from each fraudulently obtained loan were deposited in Wooding’s personal bank account in West Virginia. Wooding admitted that she made dozens of cash withdrawals and mobile payment and digital wallet service transfers to spend loan proceeds for personal use.
The CARES Act made forgivable PPP relief loans available to adversely impacted eligible businesses and authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer D. Gordon and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman prosecuted the case.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-122.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Earl Michael Myers, also known as “Mike,” 45, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, to distribution of cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 25, 2025, Myers sold a quantity of crack in exchange for $170, a Taurus model Public Defender Judge .410-gauge/.45-caliber LC revolver in exchange for $400, and a Smith & Wesson model SD9VE 9mm pistol in exchange for $600 to a confidential informant. As part of his guilty plea, Myers admitted to conducting the transaction at his Huntington residence and to arranging it on June 22, 2025, when he showed the confidential informant the two firearms and discussed the different amounts of crack he could sell and at what prices. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the 3.5 grams of controlled substance Myers sold to the confidential informant contained 1.5 grams of crack.
Myers is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for distribution of cocaine base and a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,250,000.
Myers is among several individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they conspired to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and methamphetamine in the Huntington area from at least in and around March 2025 to in and around August 2025. Co-defendant Erin Leigh Keeney, 41, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on December 15, 2025, to distribution of carfentanil and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2026. Two other individuals were indicted separately as a result of the same investigation including Donovan Dewayne Pauley, 20, of Huntington, who pleaded guilty on October 27, 2025, to possession of a short-barreled shotgun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-161.
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Hunterdon County Man Indicted on Possession of Videos and Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Hunterdon County man was arraigned after being indicted on a charge of possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
David Tuytjens, 70, of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count Indictment with possession of child pornography. Yesterday, he was arraigned before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court and entered a plea of not guilty. Tuytjens was initially charged by complaint on the same offense in April 2025.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In December 2024, officers from the New Jersey State Parole Board visited Tuytjens’ residence and discovered various electronic devices, including a 64 gigabyte MicroSD storage card inside of a laptop. Officers conducted their visit because Tuytjens is prohibited from possessing, among other things, Internet-capable devices as an individual under Community Supervision for Life due to a prior State conviction for aggravated sexual assault. An examination of the storage card contents revealed at least 800 images and 30 video files containing child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”). A review of the CSAM has revealed images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, images portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler.
Due to Tuytjens’ prior convictions, including a federal conviction for possession of child pornography, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge also carries with it a maximum $250,000 fine.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in the Newark Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charge contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Carlos Diaz-Cobo, Esq.
tuytjens.indictment.pdfHouston straw purchasing ring charged with smuggling firearms to North KoreaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Seven people have been charged for their alleged roles in a firearms trafficking scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The indictment alleges Chinese national Shenghua Wen, 39, whose U.S. visa expired in 2013, served as the ringleader. He has now made his appearance in Houston federal court.
Also charged are Chinese nationals Sifu Zhao, 24, Yiyang Wu, 40, and Mingtong Tan, 27, who all resided in Houston; Jin Yang, 60, Ontario, California; Max Mingze Li, 36, Houston; and Richard Arredondo, 51, a U.S. citizen who resided in Mexicali, Mexico.
According to the indictment returned Oct. 8, 2025, Wen and his girlfriend, Yang, purchased a gun store and directed the purchase of specific firearms and their sale to straw purchasers, such as Zhao, Tan, Wu, Mingze Li, and Arredondo. Wu also allegedly recruited one straw purchaser into the ring and transported pistols to a second Houston gun dealer for sale to others.
Between 2023 and 2024, the group obtained approximately 170 firearms and several thousand rounds of ammunition that were destined for North Korea, according to the indictment.
The charges allege Wen recruited Zhao and Tan to act as straw purchasers. They, along with Mingze Li and Arredondo, allegedly bought firearms on Wen’s behalf. Some of the firearms were later transported to another Houston firearms dealer for resale to members of the ring, according to the charges.
Wen and Yang are charged with conspiracy and conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking which carry respective terms of five and 15 years in prison, upon conviction. Wen could also receive an additional five years if convicted on any of the seven counts of aiding and abetting false statements to a federal firearms licensee.
Mingze Li, Arrendondo, Wu, Zhao and Tan each face one count of conspiracy and varying counts of aiding and abetting false statements to a federal firearms licensee with possible five-year maximum terms of imprisonment on all counts, upon conviction.
All charges also carry as possible punishment a maximum $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Honduran national with felony criminal history sentenced for latest illegal entryRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Honduran national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Castro Orellana pleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Orellana to serve 54 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, and with a current removal order, he is expected to be immediately removed from the United States after serving his sentence. At his sentencing hearing, the court heard that Orellana had been illegally entering and re-entering the country for the past 20 years.
Orellana’s criminal history includes felony convictions for domestic violence, evading arrest and illegal reentry. He was first removed in 2012 and returned unlawfully two times. He was removed again in 2022 but was arrested in July following his release from state custody for his fourth domestic violence conviction.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Hermon Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hermon man pleaded guilty on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court records, on November 20, 2024, Bangor Police Department officers responded to a location near Benjamin’s bar in Bangor in response to a report of an assault with a firearm. A witness stated that she saw Todd Whitman, 38, with a firearm and that Whitman had fired the firearm twice. At the scene, officers observed a revolver on the passenger seat of Whitman’s vehicle. Officers obtained a state search warrant for the vehicle and seized the previously observed revolver as well as a pistol. During an interview with law enforcement, Whitman admitted to possessing both firearms. Whitman is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of multiple prior felony convictions.
Whitman faces a term of imprisonment of at least 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Bangor Police Department.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Heavily armed drug dealer and illegal alien sentenced to federal prison for trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Michael Dwayne Banks and Victor Valente-Reynoso, an illegal alien, have each been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for possessing illegal drugs with intent to distribute and possessing firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes.
“Our community is safer thanks to the agents and prosecutors who removed thousands of deadly fentanyl pills, nearly a half-dozen firearms, and two dangerous drug dealers from the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The significant punishment imposed on these pill peddling poison pushers should serve as a warning to other criminals who threaten our public safety and welfare by trafficking fentanyl in north Georgia.”
“Fentanyl is one of the most lethal drugs our country has ever faced,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “When traffickers choose to deal this poison while carrying firearms, they amplify the threat to our neighborhoods and to law enforcement. This federal sentence removes a dangerous individual from our streets.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 23, 2022, Victor Valente Reynoso, an illegal alien from Mexico, sold 536 fentanyl pills outside a gas station in Clayton County, Georgia. Following that deal, Reynoso and his conspirators arranged to sell 5,000 fentanyl pills at a church parking lot in Fulton County, Georgia. Law enforcement foiled the drug deal and arrested Reynoso, in possession of 4,000 fentanyl pills and 1,000 fake Xanax pills, as well as Banks, who was armed with a loaded handgun to protect the deal.
Agents later searched Banks’s residence and recovered more fake Xanax pills, blue fentanyl pills, oxycodone, cocaine, and several large bags of marijuana there. Agents also found another loaded handgun and three rifles, including a short barrel machine gun.
On January 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones sentenced Michael Dwayne Banks, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 13 years, eight months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Banks was convicted of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on October 9, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
On July 12, 2023, Judge Jones sentenced Victor Valente-Reynoso, 27, of Acapulco, Mexico, to 10 years and 10 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Valente-Reynoso was convicted of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on January 31, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwayne Brown, Jr. and Phyllis Clerk, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebeca Ojeda and Miguel Acosta, prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Georgia State Patrol, and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Serve More Than Two Decades in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – GUSTAVO GORDILLO, 42, of Guatemala, has been sentenced to serve 292 months in federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
In July 2020, public record reflects that Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) investigators received a cyber tip after files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were uploaded to a Google Photos account. The investigation revealed that the individual who uploaded the files, later determined to be Gordillo, lived in Oklahoma City. The investigation also revealed that Gordillo had communicated with and sent CSAM to multiple children. One child, who lived out of state, produced CSAM of herself at Gordillo's direction and sent the CSAM to Gordillo.
On January 29, 2025, Gordillo was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations and OCPD. Public record reflects that Gordillo previously entered the United States on a temporary visa, but that visa had expired.
On February 20, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Gordillo with production of child pornography. Gordillo pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025, and admitted he used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing CSAM.
At a sentencing hearing on January 7, 2026, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Gordillo to serve 292 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the history and characteristics of the defendant and the need to protect the public from Gordillo, noting that he was a sexual predator who sought out young girls for the purpose of creating child pornography.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Guatemalan National Charged with Biting ICE Officer During Traffic StopRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has charged a Guatemalan national with assaulting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) officer, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Antonio Juan-Juan, 30, with forcibly assaulting a federal officer. According to court documents, Juan-Juan bit an ICE officer during a traffic stop in DeKalb County.
ICE conducted the investigation, along with the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the charged offense is eight years imprisonment.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Greenbrier County Man Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Rajesh N. Patel, 51, of Ronceverte, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation and fined $10,000 for knowingly transporting an illegal alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2020 through at least September 2024, Aakash Prakash Makwana, 30, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, was employed at a Fairlea business owned and operated by Patel. Makwana assisted with running the daily business during the time period. As part of their guilty pleas, Patel admitted that he agreed to hire Makwana knowing that Makwana was living in the United States illegally after his immigration visa expired.
Patel further admitted that he drove Makwana to and from work and other locations because Makwana did not own a vehicle. Patel also admitted that he did not collect or pay over to the United States government any payroll taxes from Makwana’s gross pay, and paid Makwana’s rent and supplied him with groceries during most of the time Makwana was employed at the business.
Makwana was sentenced to two years in prison on October 8, 2025, after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft. Makwana admitted that he committed the offense as part of a scheme to marry a United States citizen to evade U.S. immigration laws. In or around August 2021, Makwana conspired with others to marry a U.S. citizen so he could apply for Lawful Permanent Residence status, also known as obtaining a Green Card. The marriage fraud scheme was not successful.
As part of his guilty plea, Patel admitted that he knew of the marriage fraud conspiracy and aided and abetted it by making cash payments to Makwana’s co-conspirators. Kalee Ann Huff, 28, of Fairbury, Illinois, admitted to marrying Makwana as part of the conspiracy and was sentenced on June 12, 2025, to five years of federal probation for marriage fraud and perjury. Huff’s brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, admitted to helping to arrange the fake marriage and to pressuring Huff to take part. Sanchez, 34, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced to five years of federal probation on May 28, 2025, for participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy.
Patel’s wife, Avanibahen Patel, 44, of Ronceverte, pleaded guilty on September 4, 2025, to unlawful employment of aliens and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:25-cr-136.
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Georgia Inmates Found Guilty in Nationwide Jury Duty Call SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – Two Georgia inmates involved in a nationwide call scheme exhorting unsuspecting citizens to pay off fines to avoid arrest and prosecution were found guilty of their crimes in federal court tonight.
Joey Amour Jackson aka “Apes---,” and Lance Riddle aka “C-Port,” both of Calhoun State Prison, were found guilty of all counts charged by indictment: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on Jan. 9, following a five-day trial that began on Jan. 5, before Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands in Albany. The defendants face a maximum 30 years in prison for wire fraud and a maximum of 20 years in prison for money laundering, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine per count. A sentencing date will be scheduled by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Centered out of Calhoun State Prison in Georgia, inmates and co-conspirators outside prison walls participated in a nationwide scheme to extract money from citizens by threatening them with arrest and other penalties for missing jury duty,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This scheme went even further by coercing personal photos from some female victims, resulting in threats of rape and other violence against them by inmates. Law enforcement is dedicated to identifying and apprehending those who exploit the goodwill of our citizens, ensuring they face the maximum consequences permitted by law.”
“Not even prison cells prevented these criminals from harming dozens of innocent people. Hopefully, this verdict will bring some level of comfort to the victims and prevent others from falling for similar scams,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in not only addressing these types of inmate-based crimes but also in preventing inmates access to contraband cell phones that provide the means to do so much harm to the unsuspecting public.”
According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, FBI agents in Columbus, Georgia, received information from various law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. regarding reports of wire fraud by Georgia inmates, including from local law enforcement in Colorado, Florida, Virginia, Nevada, California and Ohio. Agents discovered that inmates at Calhoun State Prison, including Jackson and Riddle, were using contraband cellular telephones and advanced electronic techniques such as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to contact victims from a number that mirrored the numbers of their local police departments.
The victims were told they had one or more warrants for their arrest due to missing jury duty. The defendants, posing as police officers, informed the victims that the warrants would be cleared through payment of a bond over the phone and, if not paid, the victims would immediately be arrested. The victims were also informed they were under a “gag” order and couldn’t speak about their warrants until the bond was paid, or they would be immediately arrested. The victims were almost always instructed to purchase gift cards and read the numbers off the back of the cards to the defendants, although wire transfers were sometimes made. Once the bond was paid, the victims were instructed to drive to their local police department to verify their signature on the bond.
Many female victims were told that, because of supposed heightened courthouse security, they needed to go to a local Target store, enter a restroom, undress and record themselves performing a self-conducted cavity search before verifying their signature. Some victims subsequently received lewd and sexually explicit messages, including photos of male genitalia and violent threats. The scheme primarily targeted female professionals with prominent online profiles, though a small number of male victims were also identified.
The inmates impersonated both fictitious individuals and real law enforcement officers from the victims’ local jurisdictions. They worked with co-conspirators outside prison who managed the financial accounts for the group. The stolen proceeds were used to pay off personal debts such as house and vehicle loans, as well as to purchase drugs.
The scheme resulted in more than $464,920 in documented losses from 119 victims nationwide, though the true number of victims is likely much higher. Many cases go unreported, are not fully investigated or are concealed by victims who are too embarrassed to come forward.
The case was investigated by the FBI Atlanta’s Columbus Resident Agency and prosecuted by Criminal Chief Leah McEwen.
General Contractor Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former owner of JMS Contracting, a general contracting business based in South Boston and Quincy, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for concealing business income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
John Michael Sacco, 54, formerly of Quincy, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release. Sacco was also ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $3,059,887.
Sacco managed construction projects under the name JMS Contracting. From 2014 through 2021, Sacco received over $9 million from JMS’s customers. Rather than depositing JMS’s gross receipts into business bank accounts, Sacco cashed most checks from customers, used proceeds to purchase supplies and pay subcontractors in cash and retained remaining cash to pay personal expenses. Sacco failed to issue required tax forms to subcontractors and failed to file required forms with the IRS with respect to amounts that JMS paid to its subcontractors. By not reporting JMS’s actual receipts on tax returns that he filed for certain years and by filing no tax returns in other years, Sacco underreported his personal income tax obligations, causing a loss to the IRS of over $3 million.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Gary Man Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Carlos Alvarez Morin, 36 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to possessing ammunition as an illegal alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Morin was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Morin, an illegal alien, discharged twenty rounds of ammunition using an AK-47 rifle from his backyard in a residential area, all while intoxicated.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Gainesville Man Indicted on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – DaMorie Lamontay Miles, 19, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful transfer or possession of a machine gun, and one count of receipt, possession, transfer, or production of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Miles appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on January 7, 2026 in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for February 11, 2026, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
If convicted on all counts, Miles faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
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.
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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Metropolitan Police Department Officer Sentenced to 27 Years for Sex Trafficking MinorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 years in prison in connection with recruiting minor girls to engage in commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Barnhill, a former Metropolitan Police Department officer, pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to sex trafficking of a minor, In addition to the 27-year prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Barnhill to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay restitution of $10,000.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division.
“This former officer trafficked children on the streets of D.C. and at a strip club in Maryland. Then, after serving a seven-year sentence in prison, he resumed sex trafficking teen girls,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Barnhill now has 27 years to think over what he did, and we won’t have to worry about his sex trafficking again.”
"While serving as a police officer over a decade ago, Barnhill preyed on underage girls. He took explicit photos of them and even forced one victim to work as a prostitute," said the FBI’s Davis. "Upon his release from prison, he resumed trafficking minors for sex. He also forced his victims to find other vulnerable girls for him to exploit. As today's sentencing demonstrates, the FBI will use every tool at our disposal to put habitual child predators in prison where they belong."
According to court documents, between April 2024 and April 2025, Barnhill recruited girls under the age of 18 to engage in commercial sex acts. Barnhill collected over $10,000 in profits from one of the minor girls whom he exploited in commercial sex. Barnhill also used his victims to find additional minor girls to victimize, by forcing them to work in commercial sex.
In April 2024, Barnhill recruited a girl to work for him knowing that she was 15-years old and had run away from home. Barnhill had the girl audition for him using the stripper pole he had installed in his basement. He told her she could make money dancing at a strip club in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and would earn additional cash by having sex with men in private VIP rooms at the club. Barnhill transported her to the strip club and back multiple times a week.
In the fall of 2024, Barnhill paid another 15-year-old girl to recruit other minor girls – all under the age of 18 -- to work for him as commercial sex workers. The girl invited the other minors to her house, where Barnhill would pick them up and drive them to a street in the District known for its commercial sex activity. Barnhill’s iCloud account included text messages with at least 10 other identified minor girls discussing working at “the club” and “VIP rooms.”
Barnhill, a former officer in the Seventh District, previously was sentenced in October 2014 to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and possession of child pornography in connection with recruiting two children to work in commercial sex for him. By 2024, Barnhill resumed sex trafficking teenage girls under the moniker "Nico."
This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
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.
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Former Executive from Marlborough Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former accounting and real estate executive in Sudbury pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a multi-year scheme to cheat the Internal Revenue Service by getting paid more than $1.6 million in compensation and fringe benefits under the table, all while lying to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income to avoid paying restitution he owed to victims of an earlier fraud scheme.
Stephen L. Hochberg, 77, of Marlborough, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to obstruction of justice. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2026. Hochberg was charged in December 2025.
Hochberg and Charles D. Katz agreed in as early as 2014 to cheat the IRS. They agreed that Hochberg, who served as the Director of Corporate Services at Katz’s accounting firm and as Chief Operating Officer at Katz’s real estate firm, would be paid significant compensation off the books so that Hochberg would have tax-free income and so that Katz’s firms – CD Katz LLC and Gebsco Realty Corporation – would owe less employment taxes. Over time, Katz paid Hochberg’s family, provided rent-free housing to Hochberg’s ex-wife, paid college tuition for his children and paid personal expenses that Hochberg and his ex-wife charged on corporate credit cards.
All told, Katz paid Hochberg at least $1,668,487 in unreported income and avoided taxes of at least $835,105.
In 2008, Hochberg was convicted of eight counts of wire fraud and nine counts of securities fraud, for which he was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,791,500 to his victims. In addition to his and Katz’s tax scheme, Hochberg lied to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income from Katz’s firms and obstructed the collection of restitution Hochberg owed to victims.
Katz was charged and agreed to plead guilty in October 2025. The Court accepted his plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 2, 2026.
The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Corporate Executive Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today that PAUL JORGENSEN pled guilty to committing securities fraud in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme to trade in stock and options of Doximity based on inside information in advance of the company’s quarterly earnings calls. JORGENSEN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
“Paul Jorgensen repeatedly used Doximity’s confidential information to trade in advance of the company’s quarterly earnings calls, earning himself more than $2.5 million in illegal profits,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Corporate executives should be working for the benefit of the companies and shareholders they serve, not scheming to line their own pockets by trading on inside information. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect our financial markets and prosecute those who misuse non-public information.”
“Paul Jorgensen repeatedly leveraged nonpublic information to conduct illegal trades from an unauthorized personal account, garnering millions of dollars in illicit proceeds,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The defendant’s actions greatly exploited his position of trust for his own personal gain, even as he learned he was likely to be terminated from the company. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s commitment to protect companies from internal executives who prioritize personal wealth over their duty to company shareholders.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information and statements made in public court proceedings:
JORGENSEN engaged in a scheme to reap illegal profits by trading on material non-public information regarding Doximity, a publicly traded company, in violation of the duties of trust and confidence owed to the company and its shareholders.
Doximity is an online networking service for medical professionals that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “DOCS.” JORGENSEN joined Doximity in 2017 and became Chief Revenue Officer in 2022. As a senior executive at Doximity, JORGENSEN had access to confidential information about Doximity’s financial outlook, performance, and earnings results, and owed a duty of trust and confidence to the company. Doximity restricted its employees from trading in the lead-up to the company’s quarterly earnings calls, and from engaging in options trading. Doximity further required all employees to hold their Doximity shares in company-monitored brokerage accounts.
In July 2022, as Chief Revenue Officer, JORGENSEN became aware that Doximity’s add-on sales to clients, referred to as “upsells,” had declined over the previous quarter. On July 28, 2022, JORGENSEN attended a Board meeting in advance of the upcoming earnings call in which the company’s negative results were discussed. Following the Board meeting, JORGENSEN texted a close family member that he was “[n]ot selling [his] DOCS shares” because he had “non-public confidential info and it’s just not right to sell.” Two days later, however, after JORGENSEN learned that he had been reassigned to a sales role at the company, JORGENSEN texted the same family member that he “decided to sell [his] DOCS shares” because he needed to “protect us first and foremost.” The following day, JORGENSEN sold 61,162 shares of Doximity that he secretly held in a personal brokerage account.
During the company’s quarterly earnings call on August 4, 2022, Doximity publicly announced its negative results regarding upsells and lowered its annual guidance by six percent. Doximity’s share price fell by approximately seven percent, and JORGENSEN avoided losses of more than $300,000.
In 2023, JORGENSEN again traded based on Doximity’s confidential information. In July 2023, JORGENSEN became aware that Doximity’s upsells had continued to decline over the previous quarter. In addition, on July 13, 2023, JORGENSEN learned that he was being terminated as part of a larger round of layoffs, and that the layoffs would be announced on the company’s upcoming quarterly earnings call. In advance of the earnings call, JORGENSEN sold 15,000 shares of Doximity stock, earning $114,000 in illicit profits, and 1,300 call options, earning an additional $200,000 in illicit profits. JORGENSEN also purchased 4,700 put options using his personal brokerage account.
During the company’s quarterly earnings call on August 8, 2023, Doximity publicly announced its company layoffs and negative results regarding upsells and lowered its annual guidance by eight to nine percent. Doximity’s share price fell by approximately 23 percent. Following the earnings call, JORGENSEN closed out his put position, earning nearly two million dollars in illicit profits. JORGENSEN was terminated from Doximity in August 2023.
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JORGENSEN, 53, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty to two counts of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. JORGENSEN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Failla on May 21, 2026.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Rothman is in charge of the prosecution.
Felon on Supervised Release Sentenced in Possessing and Firing PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bruce R. Hart, 31, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 34 months in federal prison for his unlawful possession of a loaded pistol and a 28-round capacity magazine while he was on supervised release for a Maryland robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hart pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2025, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and to endangerment with a firearm in a public place. In addition to the 34-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Hart to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Oct. 26, 2024, about 9:45 p.m., Hart was with two other men on the 1800 block of Wiltberger St., NW, when he fired one round from a handgun into the air. The incident was captured on surveillance camera. The men then ran north on Wiltberger St.
A police officer later spotted Hart on the 1900 block of 7th Street about one block away from the shooting. At 10:43 p.m., the officer attempted to stop Hart. Hart fled, running through traffic across Florida Avenue. Officers apprehended Hart after a brief pursuit on Bohrer Street NW, and recovered a loaded firearm equipped with a large capacity magazine tucked into the waistband of his pants.
Hart has a prior felony conviction for robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for which he was sentenced on Nov. 29, 2023, to 10 years imprisonment, with nine years and six months suspended, and a three-year term of supervised probation.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Brendan M. Horan. - 24cr528
Surveillance image showing a muzzle flash as Hart discharged a firearm on the 1800 block of Wiltberger Street NW
The firearm, magazine, and ammunition recovered from Hart’s waistband following his arrest.
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Fall River County Man Sentenced to more than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Fall River County, who was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 2, 2026.
Shawn Lant, 40, was sentenced to 12 years 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.
Lant was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025.
This conviction stemmed from Lant’s involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in Rapid City, South Dakota, and in the Pine Ridge Reservation. During this conspiracy, Colorado codefendants supplied Lant and others with significant quantities of methamphetamine that was distributed in South Dakota. Lant was involved in distributing 5-15 kilograms of methamphetamine while part of this criminal enterprise.
“As long as these drug dealers continue to bring methamphetamine and other poisons into our communities, we will continue to do everything we can to track, investigate, arrest, and indict these criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “I’m grateful for the collective efforts of all our Safe Trails task force officers and law enforcement partners across the state in helping to keep our communities safe.”
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Lant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
District of Arizona Charges 112 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan. 3 through Jan. 9, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 112 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 62 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 38 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 8 cases against 12 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Jose Antonio Martinez-Alarcon. Martinez-Alarcon was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 5, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on April 8, 2014, after being convicted of Conspiracy to Possess Dangerous Drugs for Sale (Methamphetamine), a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Martinez-Alarcon was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. 26-6002MJ, Phoenix.
United States v. Luis Alberto Diaz-Galdamez and Placido Geronimo Gonzales-Carmona. Diaz-Galdamez and Gonzales-Carmona were charged with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, Jan.7, 2026. As charged in the complaint, Border Patrol agents using camera technology observed a group of suspected illegal aliens cross the international border near Douglas, Arizona. Agents responded and saw a vehicle pulling away from the last known location of the aliens. Agents followed and initiated a vehicle stop at which point the vehicle failed to yield. Agents pursued and, ultimately, used a vehicle immobilization device to stop the vehicle. Galdamez was the driver, and Gonzales was the front seat passenger. Two illegal aliens were discovered in the back seat of the vehicle. 26-MJ-07065-JEM, Tucson.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-004_Jan 9 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Denton men get lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas –Two Denton men have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Clayton Willis Caddell, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 181 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on January 9, 2026.
Robert Alfonso Cazarin, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to156 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on January 9, 2026.
According to information presented in court, from at least 2022, Caddell and Cazarin conspired with others to distribute illegal drugs, including methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; and Denton County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Defendant Sentenced for Role in Alien Smuggling and Kidnapping SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Texas man, who conspired with others to kidnap, transport, and hold multiple victims at gunpoint for ransom that culminated in a deadly 2023 shootout in a quiet, Charlottesville neighborhood, was sentenced today in federal court as part of Operation Take Back America.
Ricardo Franco Ordaz, 26, of Cedar Creek, Texas, was sentenced today to 220 months in prison. Ordaz pled guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of transporting an alien resulting in death.
“These criminals exploited lawless Biden-era open border polices to kidnap and ransom vulnerable women at gunpoint for cold cash,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “This district will continue to attach the highest priority to combatting human trafficking, transnational criminal organizations, violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and other threats to the Western District of Virginia.”
“Today's sentencing reflects the seriousness of crimes that inflicted profound fear and trauma on multiple victims who were kidnapped, held at gunpoint, and extorted for financial gain,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck. “These criminals deliberately targeted individuals they believed to be especially vulnerable, subjecting them to extreme cruelty. HSI is committed to protecting victims and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our communities. We are grateful for the outstanding partnership with our local and federal law enforcement agencies, whose collaboration was critical in bringing these dangerous offenders to justice.”
Jordan Perez, 21, of Lockhart, Texas, pled guilty in July for his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced later this year.
According to court documents, in early January 2023, Ordaz, Perez, and other co-conspirators who had ties to transnational criminal organizations, kidnapped multiple victims and held them for ransom, knowing these individuals had entered the United States illegally.
As part of the scheme, Ordaz arranged to transport victims from an area near the United States-Mexico border and bring them to a stash house near Austin, Texas. Once there, Ordaz, and others, held the victims against their will and under armed guard, then called and messaged the victims’ families and friends demanding cash ransom in exchange for their release.
Ordaz exchanged one of the victims in Texas for $5,000 cash, and on January 8, 2023, at Ordaz’s direction, Perez and a co-conspirator transported another victim to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they arranged to exchange that victim for $10,000 in cash.
During the exchange, when it was revealed that the full $10,000 ransom was not available, an argument and shootout ensued, during which Perez, and another coconspirator, brandished firearms, and instigated a shooting that resulted in the death of one of the kidnappers and the serious wounding of Perez.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel 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).
Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg investigated the case with assistance from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, and HSI Austin, Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.
Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in U.S. Marine’s DeathRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Nameer Mohammad Atta was sentenced in federal court today to 20 years in prison for distributing the fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of a 26-year-old active-duty lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps on May 21, 2020.
When handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro told the defendant he “needs to take accountability for his actions.” Judge Montenegro also highlighted the “devastation caused by the defendant’s conduct” by profiting from his prolific sales of fentanyl.
A jury convicted Atta after a two-day trial in September 2022.
According to evidence presented at trial, Atta sold counterfeit “M30” pills in April and May 2020 to the Marine, identified in court records as C.M.R., knowing that these pills were counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained illicit fentanyl. Atta used social media to market and arrange sales of these pills, referring to them as the “most trusted” in San Diego, and in text messages as the “most trusted” and “most potent” in the area. Atta referred to these pills as “M30s,” “Percs” and “Perc30s,” nicknames for fentanyl-laced pills. Atta’s final sale to C.M.R. occurred on May 20, 2020. C.M.R. died from an overdose the next day.
“The defendant’s decision to sell fentanyl resulted in the tragic loss of a young United States Marine,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “When a dealer chooses to distribute a poison they know can kill, the consequences should be measured in decades, not years. This sentence reflects the gravity of that loss and the value of the life that was taken.”
“This was a selfish, deliberate act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “The defendant chose to market deadly fentanyl pills on social media, fully aware of the risk, and a young Marine is dead as a result. We will continue to hold accountable those who use market this deadly poison and show complete disregard for human life.”
“Those who ruthlessly disregard others’ safety by distributing fentanyl for personal gain must be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Payne of the NCIS Marine Corps West Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to aggressively investigating any individual or entity complicit in the illicit distribution of substances that pose significant threats to the readiness and security of Department of the Navy personnel, families, and local communities.”
“HSI remains steadfast in its collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that individuals who distribute lethal doses of fentanyl are held fully accountable for their actions,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “This sentence underscores the gravity of fentanyl distribution, the impact it has in our communities, and HSI’s commitment to pursuing those responsible for distributing the deadly drug.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Sutton. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Owen Roth and J’me K. Forrest contributed significantly to the case.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21-cr-1289-RBM
Nameer Mohammad Atta Age: 25 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S. Code, Sections 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(C)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison, with mandatory minimum 20 years in custody
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
Dauphin County Man Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Reginald Hopkins, age 49, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted on January 8, 2026, of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition as an armed career criminal following a three-day trial before United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the case involved the execution of a search warrant on February 19, 2021, at Hopkins’ apartment, resulting in the seizure of three firearms (an Astra Constable 9mm handgun, a Hi-Point CF380 .380 handgun, and a S&W M&P 9 Shield 9mm handgun), several magazines, and 9 mm and .380 ammunition. One of the magazines was a high-capacity drum magazine that was loaded with 39 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Hopkins was home alone when law enforcement executed the search warrant, and the firearms were sitting in plain sight next to his bed and near a chair in the living area.
The jury further found that four of Hopkins’ prior drug-trafficking convictions were crimes that occurred on separate occasions, which exposes him to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act, including a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment.
The matter was investigated by the Harrisburg Police Bureau’s Street Crimes Unit and the Community Policing Unit, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera and Deputy Criminal Chief Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case.
The maximum penalty for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition offense is up to life imprisonment, a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 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.
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Dauphin County Man Convicted of Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dwayne Cavanaugh, age 56, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a three-day trial before Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for receiving and possessing child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cavanaugh possessed child pornography on January 21, 2024. This offense occurred while Cavanaugh was on supervised release for a prior 2010 conviction for receipt of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. U.S. Probation Officers found an unmonitored cell phone in Cavanaugh’s vehicle that contained child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen W. Dukes and Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 15 years of 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.
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Couple Pleads Guilty to Stealing Millions in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A couple formerly living in Midland, N.C., has pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than one million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds by defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Tatiana Vazquez, 39, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy affecting a financial institution and conspiracy to defraud the government. Marquise Highsmith, 41, pleaded guilty to the same charges on October 7, 2025.
Joel Weaver, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Southeast Field Division, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents, from May 2020 to January 2022, Highsmith, Vazquez, and their co-conspirators submitted multiple fraudulent applications to financial institutions and to the SBA to obtain loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The defendants submitted applications for several purported businesses that they or other co-conspirators controlled. These applications contained fraudulent information related to the businesses’ tax filings, number of employees, and other fabricated financial information. As a result, Highsmith and Vazquez personally received more than $450,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. After receiving the funds, the defendants filed loan forgiveness applications that also contained misrepresentations, and as a result some of the loans were subsequently forgiven.
In addition, from July 2022 to February 2023, Highsmith and Vazquez engaged in a separate but related conspiracy to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds through other federal programs administered by the IRS, including the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program and the Sick Leave and Family Leave Credit (SFLC) program. The ERC and SFLC programs enabled certain businesses to receive federal tax credit for employment taxes or wages, a certain portion of which were refundable. The defendants and their coconspirators defrauded the IRS by preparing and filing fraudulent forms that falsely claimed millions of dollars in tax credits and other corresponding tax refunds. As a result, the defendants and their coconspirators improperly received more than $1 million in COVID-19 related tax refunds.
Both Vasquez and Highsmith are released on bond. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked TIGTA and IRS-CI for leading the investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison on Multiple Weapons Charges Following High Speed Chase After Fleeing ArrestRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Bryan Odell Hunter, 36, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday to ten years in federal prison on charges of possession of ammunition by a felon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a machinegun, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek. Hunter previously pled guilty to the charges.
“Holding dangerous offenders like Hunter accountable for their actions is a high priority of our office,” said Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney. “We will continue to seek stiff sentences for felons who use guns and put both citizens and our law enforcement community at risk with their dangerous actions.”
On October 14, 2023, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers responded to a shots-fired call in the Nissan stadium parking lot, in Nashville. The shooter, later identified as Hunter, fired multiple shots close in proximity to two people in the parking lot. The victims reported that they were waiting for friends when a gray Altima driven by Hunter drove erratically into the parking lot, nearly hit a tree and the curb. When one of the victims asked if the defendant was alright, he stated, “no disrespect, motherfuckers,” and fired two shots into the air. The victims hid behind a car, while Hunter left the lot and drove onto Korean Veterans Bridge. About five to ten minutes later, Hunter drove back into the parking lot and toward the victims. The victims went to a nearby Exxon station and called the police. When MNPD officers arrived, they recovered two .45 caliber shell casings from the parking lot, where the victims said Hunter was when he fired.
When Hunter saw the officers, he fled. Officers pursued him through multiple counties at speeds up to 125 miles per hour. Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) deputies joined the pursuit and attempted to deploy spike strips. Hunter swerved around them, nearly striking a deputy. RCSO deputies terminated the pursuit at the Coffee County line, at which point Hunter drove into Coffee County, turned around, and headed back into Rutherford County. The RCSO deputies set up spike strips again, and this time they succeeded in spiking the Altima. Hunter then crashed the car near Exit 89 on I-24 West. When he got out of the car, he refused to comply with the commands given by police for him to get on the ground. As a result, an officer deployed his taser, after which Hunter was placed into custody.
When officers searched the stolen Altima, they found a Star model Firestar caliber .45 pistol, an Anderson Manufacturing model AM-15 caliber .223 rifle, three 20-round caliber 5.56x45 magazines, a full 50 round box of Winchester .45 caliber ammunition, a full 50 round box of Federal 9mm caliber ammunition, 10 rounds of .45 caliber hollow point ammunition, one round of 9mm caliber hollow point ammunition, and one rifle sight. Officers also found a pocketknife on the floor of the patrol car when they arrived at the jail in Nashville. Later while being booked, officers found a machinegun conversion switch, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch,” in the defendant’s sock.
Before these events, Hunter had been convicted of four felonies in Davidson County, Tennessee, including Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled over .5 Grams of Schedule II Controlled Substance and Reckless Endangerment; Reckless Endangerment; Attempted Especially Aggravated Robbery; and Aggravated Assault and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens prosecuted the case.
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Chesapeake man sentenced to over six years in prison after attempting to receive three kilos of cocaineRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced yesterday to six years and four months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Nov. 1, 2024, law enforcement intercepted a parcel, shipped from California, containing over three kilograms of cocaine. Investigators performed a controlled delivery of the parcel to the intended address in Portsmouth, and the parcel was retrieved by Kevin Russell Beasley, 51. Beasley was immediately taken into custody.
“Illegal narcotics and firearms are a dangerous combination that fuels violence and puts entire communities at risk,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA). “Removing drugs and weapons from our streets saves lives and makes communities safer. EDVA will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute narcotics trafficking and firearms crimes.”
“Drug dealers who use our commercial delivery systems to funnel poison into our cities will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice,” said Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C. “This case reflects Homeland Security Investigations’ core mission to dismantle criminal organizations, protect public safety, and safeguard our communities. Through proactive enforcement and strong law enforcement partnerships, our agents intercepted a major narcotics shipment, seized illegal drugs and cash, and removed a dangerous felon from the streets. HSI Washington, D.C. remains fully committed to the relentless pursuit of criminal networks and ensuring those who traffic drugs and threaten the safety of Americans face the full extent of the law.”
“Virginia State Police is proud to work with our federal and local partners to take dangerous drugs and drug traffickers off of Virginia’s streets,” said Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police. “The safety of the public is our top priority, and we are grateful for the combined efforts that went into securing this conviction."
During a search of Beasley’s residence, investigators discovered approximately 14 kilograms of marijuana; 84.44 grams of cocaine; 786.5 grams of psychedelic mushrooms containing psilocyn/psilocybin; 182 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) vape pen cartridges; 85.52 grams of marijuana wax; 10 boxes of sandwich bags; a bill-money counting machine; approximately $35,000 in cash; two cellphones; and a loaded firearm.
In 2016, Beasley used the mail to receive marijuana for distribution. Chesapeake Police arrested Beasley after he loaded a parcel containing marijuana into his car following a controlled delivery of the parcel to a residence in Chesapeake. During a search of Beasley’s Portsmouth residence, investigators recovered two firearms and over 200 additional grams of marijuana. Following his arrest, Beasley warned his co-conspirators by text message. Beasley was convicted of distribution/possession with intent to distribute marijuana and obstruct justice in Chesapeake and possession with intent to distribute marijuana in Portsmouth. As a convicted felon, Beasley cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
The Virginia Beach Police Department provided significant assistance in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell 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. 2:25-cr-95.
Cartel Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A member of the Jalisco New Generacion Cartel (“CJNG”) has been sentenced to life in federal prison for fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Juan Francisco Castaneda, also known as “Pariente,” 44, to life in prison. In October 2025, after two days of trial testimony, Castaneda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and distribution of fentanyl. These crimes occurred in the Birmingham and Homewood area.
According to the evidence presented at trial and Castenada’s guilty plea, Castaneda ran his drug trafficking and money laundering organization with the use of contraband phones while he was serving multiple life sentences for murder at the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Bullock Correctional facility. Castaneda used a network of couriers and local businesses as “fronts,” from which he arranged fentanyl distribution and collected drug proceeds. Undercover operations revealed that Castaneda was laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars to CJNG sources in Mexico through these couriers and businesses.
According to Court documents, Castaneda previously pleaded guilty to a 2008 multi-victim homicide in Shelby County, in which five individuals were murdered over a cartel debt. Evidence at sentencing revealed that Castaneda also threatened to kill co-defendants during the course of the investigation and “feed them to the dogs,” and that he was responsible for the movement of over 19 kilograms of fentanyl throughout the District during the time period of the investigation. As part of sentencing, Castaneda also had a $700,000 money judgment entered against him.
The DEA and HSI investigated the case, along with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service, United States Marshals Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Hoover Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, Bessemer Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Corrections, and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Carson Gilbert are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Alabama HSTF comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Internal Revenue Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
Billings woman sentenced to over 11 years in prison on methamphetamine chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Billings woman who trafficked methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 136 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Raven Michelle Volkomener, 43, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on May 4, 2024, law enforcement received reports of a car driving erratically south towards Billings on Highway 87. Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) identified the vehicle roughly five miles from Billings, observed it commit a traffic infraction, and pulled it over.
Law enforcement asked the driver to step out of the car and she was identified as Volkomener. She had an outstanding felony arrest warrant. She was taken into custody and that same day law enforcement, pursuant to a search warrant, searched the vehicle. Among other items discovered in the vehicle were four packages of suspected methamphetamine located in a backpack in the back seat. The methamphetamine was later analyzed and found to contain over 1,700 grams of pure meth.
Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for the Volkomener’s cell phone and found text messages from at least February 2023 to May 4, 2024, between Volkomener and a co-defendant talking about a trip by Volkomener to Great Falls in May 2024 to collect methamphetamine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Montana Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations 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.
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Berkeley County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Oxycontin, Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Levi Phillip Miles, 48, of Goose Creek, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycontin, and distribution of fentanyl.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Miles regularly distributed what he believed were prescription pain pills to a South Carolina man from at least January 2022 until the man’s fatal overdose on Jan. 2, 2023. By the summer of 2022, Miles could no longer obtain legitimate prescription pain pills from his suppliers. Nevertheless, in December 2022, the victim continued to request pain pills. Miles’ final distribution of pills to the victim occurred on Jan. 1, 2023. The victim was found dead in his home on Jan. 2, 2023. An autopsy of the victim revealed the presence of fentanyl in his system, and subsequent investigation revealed that the fentanyl was present in the pills the victim received from Miles on Jan. 1. As part of his guilty plea, Miles agreed not to contest the fact that the victim’s death was caused by the controlled substances that were distributed by Miles.
Miles faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $1 million, restitution, and at least three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Miles after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mark Anderson Staples, 53, of Beckley, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Staples admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and crack in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Staples participated in the DTO conspiracy between April and May 2024. Staples obtained methamphetamine from other individuals that he distributed to customers and provided to co-conspirators for further distribution. Staples provided at least 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine as part of the DTO conspiracy.
Staples is among 12 defendants indicted on charges alleging they conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. The remaining defendants pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate offenses in lieu of the offenses charged in the indictment.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department..
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and Former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Scott Keyes, 37, of Beckley, was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2024 and January 2025, Keyes conspired with his wife, Leann Marie Keyes, to sell drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. As part of his guilty plea, Justin Scott Keyes admitted that he and his wife sold a total of 12.34 grams of fentanyl on four occasions during the time period, each time to a confidential informant. He further admitted that he conducted the hand-to-hand sales at the Beckley residence where he lived with his wife, and that his wife communicated with the confidential informant about each sale beforehand.
On January 29, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Keyes’ residence and seized a Ruger model EC9s 9mm pistol and a Taurus model G3c 9mm pistol. Justin Scott Keyes admitted that the seized firearms belonged to him and that he had traded drugs for them.
Leann Marie Keyes, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-73.
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Arthur, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 8 years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced on January 9, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.
Wesley Ham, 32, from Arthur, Iowa, pled guilty on August 20, 2025, to receipt of child pornography. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that between March 2022, and September 2023, Ham received and possessed more than 94 images and 79 videos of child pornography. A forensic review of Ham’s computer and phone showed he possessed 370 images and 99 videos of child pornography, some of which included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct. Ham admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography. Ham also admitted to distributing child pornography in a state of Iowa case in 2022. In connection with his 2022 case, Ham admitted to lingering around coffee shops and other public spaces in attempts to generate encounters with minor children and admitted to being on bike trails in residential areas in hopes of finding people in their houses to secretly watch them.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ham was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Ham must also pay $10,500 in restitution to the victims in this case. Ham remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (Cyber Crime Bureau) and the Ida County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3017. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
A Junction City Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Covid Relief FundsRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—The owner of three businesses pleaded guilty yesterday for stealing more than $487,386.75 in federal funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jodi Aliece Jennings, 50, of Junction City, Oregon, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and January 2022, Jennings applied for and obtained six Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Advance and submitted three fraudulent forgiveness applications for Meridian Redevelopment, J Jenn Enterprises Inc., and J2 Investments. Jennings falsely claimed each company was in business and paid payroll prior to and during the pandemic. Jennings used these loans on personal expenses.
In total, Jennings stole no less than $487,386.75, including the EIDL advance and principal, interest, and SBA paid lender fees on the PPPs.
On June 15, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Jennings with nine counts of wire fraud.
Jennings faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on April 22, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Jennings has agreed to pay restitution to the SBA.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
45-Year-Old Man Arrested on Murder ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Niwatilagu Long, 45, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 44-year-old D.C. resident Melvin Saunders in the early morning of December 19, 2025, in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Long was arrested yesterday at the D.C. Superior Court after the completion of a preliminary hearing for an assault with a deadly weapon-gun case where he was charged with both pistol whipping and stabbing another victim, Donald Cook, on January 3, 2026.
Long will made his initial appearance today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Magistrate Judge Dorsey G. Jones, II found probable cause for second-degree murder while armed and held the defendant pending a preliminary hearing on January 20, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Rainey Brandt in Courtroom 201.
According to the affidavit in support of Long’s arrest, Saunders, and several other people were present in an apartment at the North Capitol Commons, John and Jill Ker Conway residence in the 1000 block of North Capitol Street, NE, when Long claimed to be a member of the “Crips” and accused the victim of being a member of the “Bloods” before shooting Saunders, execution style in his left temple. Long left the scene on foot and discarded some of his clothing to alter his appearance and evade detection by law enforcement.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marybeth Manfreda.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
8 January 2026
‘Mayor’ of Homeless Camp Sentenced for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute near a school and illegally possessing a firearm to further his drug distribution.
Ricky Lee Myers, also known as “The Mayor,” 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to more than 10 years in prison followed by six years of supervised release.
On May 21, 2025, Myers pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Oct. 23, 2024, Myers was inside the residential structure that he built in a homeless camp located on a dirt road extending from East 23rd St. roughly between Vine St. and Highland Avenue, in Kansas City, Missouri, when federal agents executed a search warrant there. This area is within 1,000 feet of a school. In Myers’ residence, agents located a bag with approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine along with a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Year in Review: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Cracked Down on Crime While Implementing Significant New Policies and Initiatives in Productive 2025Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — The United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago increased its caseload to crack down on crime in 2025 while implementing significant new policies and initiatives that have strengthened the Office for continued success now and in the future, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today.
Federal criminal indictments in all program areas in the Northern District of Illinois in 2025 were up 34% (429 versus 320) compared to last year. The number of defendants charged in all program areas in 2025 was up 38% (571 versus 414) compared to last year. The increase was particularly notable in federal firearm indictments brought under ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, with those indictments up 122% (51 versus 23) compared to last year. Child exploitation indictments were also up 45% (29 versus 20) compared to last year.
“I am proud to report that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois had a productive and robust year in 2025,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who began serving as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025. “I walked in and found an Office that was facing hard times, as had widely been reported. I knew that thoughtful and meaningful changes would be needed to move the direction of the Office,” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued. “As such, from my first days in the Office, I made it a top priority to sit down for candid, one-on-one discussions with every single Assistant U.S. Attorney to ask for their perspective on what was working, what wasn’t working, where change was needed, and how I could best support each of them,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I also met with all staff in the Office and further sat down with nearly every federal agency enforcement head in Chicagoland, as well as many state and local partners to ask the same types of questions. In addition, I conducted an objective, thorough, top-down review of nearly all our policies, procedures, and practices. What I learned from this massive undertaking was both eye opening and deeply informative—especially as an alum who served almost eight years in the Office.”
Against this backdrop, throughout the year, U.S. Attorney Boutros implemented numerous policy, procedural, and structural changes aimed at aligning resources with need, deploying resources for maximum effectiveness, forging deep partnerships with law enforcement stakeholders, and empowering prosecutors to bring many more impactful indictments in critical program areas. From an external perspective, among the policy changes he implemented, U.S. Attorney Boutros in June expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city. The expansion represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation. In August, U.S. Attorney Boutros created a Healthcare Fraud Section within the Office’s Criminal Division dedicated to the prosecution of healthcare fraud, which is among the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities and the first time the Office has had such a Section. Since U.S. Attorney Boutros began serving in his position, the Office has charged nearly $2 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the district and transnationally.
“There is no shortage of serious federal crimes in Chicago, whether in the areas of violence, fraud, drug or firearm trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, corruption, corporate crime, or any of the other myriad federal crimes that are committed in our District daily. As United States Attorney, I have been—and will remain—sharply focused on working closely with our various law enforcement partners to accept more and more of their cases for federal criminal prosecution, and once cases come through our doors, making sure our prosecutors have what they need to see worthy cases through charges and case disposition. The people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve our tireless and unflinching efforts to hold accountable those who break the law. As we embark on 2026, we will continue to work hard to investigate and prosecute an increasing number of significant cases that make a real difference in the lives of our citizens.”
The increased caseload and significant changes occurred during a year that saw the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and the simultaneous largest-ever enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois—commonly referred to as “Operation Midway Blitz”—a U.S. immigration enforcement operation launched in September by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The U.S. Attorney’s Office and numerous federal law enforcement agencies dedicated a substantial amount of resources in support of the surge, which lasted for months and required substantial preparation in advance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and much of the federal government also was subject to a hiring freeze in 2025.
“The stepped-up results we have been able to achieve came during a busy and historic year in our District, and at a time when our Office was down some 50 prosecutors, many of whom left the government in early 2025 after accepting a government-wide offer of early retirement,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Looking ahead, I am energized by the fact that we are hiring dozens of new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal and Civil Divisions. Many of our new hires will come with significant experience, including substantial federal and/or state prosecutorial experience from across the country and will be able to hit the ground running. In addition to the hiring surge we are experiencing, I intend to implement numerous other changes in 2026 to build on the significant success we have already achieved in 2025, and to further increase efficiency, productivity, performance, and impact while ensuring fairness and integrity in all our matters and practices.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), to investigate and prosecute federal crimes. State and local partners in this effort include the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, and many other police departments and prosecutors’ offices throughout northern Illinois.
Examples of the many significant cases prosecuted in 2025 are featured below:
National Security / Terrorism
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man on Terrorism and Arson Charges for Lighting Train Passenger on Fire and Setting Chicago City Hall Ablaze Days Earlier
Lawrence Reed was indicted on terrorism and arson charges for allegedly lighting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train and setting fire to Chicago City Hall three days earlier. It is the first time in our District’s history that a terrorism charge has been filed in connection with a crime on a Chicago mass transit system.
Man Charged with Making a Threat to Kill President Trump
Trent Schneider allegedly posted a video of himself stating that he would kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.
Chicago Man Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS
Ashraf Al Safoo was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media.
Drug Trafficking / Cartels / Transnational Criminal Organizations
Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Sons of “El Chapo” and Heads of Sinaloa Cartel—Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago
The two brothers, who along with two other brothers are collectively known as “the Chapitos,” admitted that they assumed their father’s leadership role atop the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016. Joaquin and Ovidio Guzman Lopez admitted in plea agreements that they conspired to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals into the United States from Mexico. Joaquin Guzman Lopez also admitted to arranging and participating in violence and corruption to carry out the enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.
Alleged Boss of Violent Sinaloa Cartel Faction Indicted in Chicago on Narcoterrorism, Drug, and Firearm Charges
Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, also known as “El Musico,” allegedly oversaw the importation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
Six Defendants Indicted in Federal Drug Trafficking Investigation Involving Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Sales in Chicago
A superseding indictment accuses the six defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Chicago. Two of the defendants are charged with firearm offenses for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns.
Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Fentanyl and 25 Firearms from Suburban Chicago Residences and Storage Unit; Two Individuals Arrested
Federal law enforcement arrested two individuals after seizing multiple kilograms of fentanyl and 25 firearms from their suburban Chicago residences and storage unit.
Five Defendants Charged in Federal Investigation Targeting Fentanyl Sales in Chicago
The indictment accuses four of the defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, meth, and heroin. Three defendants are charged with illegally possessing firearms, including handguns equipped with a “switch” device, making them capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Laundering Money for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization
David Berger received more than $300,000 in cash from the cartel for arranging private jet travel for drug traffickers to transport illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico.
Violent Crime / Gangs / Firearms
Federal Indictment Charges Three Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders and Carjackings
Three alleged members or associates of a Chicago street gang were charged with conspiring to commit multiple murders and carjackings in the city and suburbs.
Five Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearm Charges for Allegedly Trafficking Firearms in Chicago
The defendants allegedly conspired to deal firearms without a license. The cases in Chicago are part of a larger, multi-district investigation that previously resulted in charges in the District of Colorado (click here to read a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado).
Federal Prison Inmate Sentenced to Life Term for Murdering Fellow Inmate Due to His Religious Faith
Brandon Simonson beat another inmate because he was Jewish. Simonson wanted to gain recognition and membership in a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Members and Associates of Violent Chicago Street Gang for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving 13 Murders
The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago.
Chicago Street Gang Member Sentenced to 34 Years for Murdering a Man and Threatening a Witness
Diontae Harper committed murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang on the South Side of Chicago.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Machine Gun in Chicago Park
The Glock handgun allegedly possessed by Eddie Arguelles was equipped with a conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch” or “auto sear,” allowing the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Street Gang Leader of Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders
Labar Spann was a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang, which terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, and drug dealing.
Federal Judge Sentences Man to More than Seven Years for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Carrier
Richard Thompson displayed a handgun and took the carrier’s USPS-issued Arrow Key. At the time of the robbery, Thompson was on pre-trial release for an unrelated criminal charge in state court.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Firearm Offenses
Kiar Evans fired shots through a window of a vehicle while attempting to get inside. He later carjacked another vehicle after pointing a gun at the driver.
Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official
An alleged ranking member of a Chicago street gang was charged with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Assaulting Federal Employee Outside Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago
The alleged assault occurred on a weekday afternoon as the victim, who is employed by the federal judiciary, was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building. Joshua Rowell approached the victim from behind and allegedly punched her on the side of her face, sending her stumbling into the street.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Felony Possession of a Dangerous Weapon During Standoff in Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago
Mario Santoyo allegedly put a knife to his throat and threatened to hurt himself in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building, causing a nine-and-a-half-hour standoff. Federal law enforcement used non-lethal force to take Santoyo into custody.
Child Exploitation / Human Trafficking
Chicago Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children
Armando Torres used social media to contact and persuade young girls, most of whom were younger than ten years old, to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
Rockford Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges
Alex Ledoux allegedly possessed images of child pornography on an electronic device. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Multiple Children
Richard Barnett falsely claimed to be 12 or 13 years old when he contacted young girls online and requested—and sometimes demanded—that they send him sexually explicit images of themselves.
Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Child He Met Online
Andrew Boltz enticed a Chicago-area girl into sending him sexually explicit images of herself. Boltz instructed the girl on what type of explicit conduct should be portrayed in the images.
Public Corruption
Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison After Corruption Conviction
Michael J. Madigan used his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after a nearly 11-week trial resulting in his conviction.
Consultant Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Conspiring to Falsify Records and Evade Internal Controls at Commonwealth Edison as Part of Scheme to Bribe Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan
Michael McClain and three others were convicted of conspiracy and other charges related to a bribery scheme. The other defendants included former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who was sentenced to two years; former ComEd Vice President John Hooker, who was sentenced to 18 months, and ComEd’s former outside lobbyist Jay Doherty, who was sentenced to a year.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Suburban Chicago Police Chief of Bribery and Obstruction of Justice
John Kosmowski, formerly the Chief of Police in Summit, Ill., accepted a bribe from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license.
City of Chicago Employee Indicted on Federal Tax Fraud Charges
Eric Sanders, a City of Chicago Department of Aviation employee who oversaw snow-removal operations at O’Hare International Airport, was indicted for allegedly accepting payments from a snow removal company and directing the money to nominees to conceal the payments and avoid paying taxes.
Former Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Three Others Indicted in Alleged Kickback Scheme
Devon Horton allegedly steered school district contracts to companies created by three friends and then received kickbacks from the contracts. Horton also allegedly engaged in an embezzlement scheme by improperly using a school district credit card.
Immigration
Undocumented Immigrant Charged with Illegally Re-Entering United States After Multiple Deportations
Salvador Guerrero-Lopez was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2004, 2011, and 2021 after criminal convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in California and narcotics distribution in Arkansas. Guerrero-Lopez was found to be in the U.S. in 2025.
Foreign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation
Santos Vasquez-Ortiz, who was deported from the United States in 2008, was allegedly unlawfully present in the U.S. when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill. He was later convicted of the offense in state court.
Undocumented Immigrant Sentenced to More than a Year in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation
Luis Chavez was deported from the United States to his native Mexico in 2015 after being convicted of firearm and attempted burglary offenses in Kankakee County, Ill. He was later found to be present in Kankakee County and was taken into federal custody.
Healthcare Fraud
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against 324 Individuals, Including 13 in Northern District of Illinois
The 13 defendants charged in the Northern District of Illinois allegedly participated in fraud schemes involving more than $1.83 billion billed to government programs and private health insurers. The schemes caused the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare, and other insurers to pay more than $865 million in fraudulent reimbursements.
Suburban Chicago Man Indicted on Federal Healthcare Fraud Charges
Shawn Bashir allegedly created fictitious therapy companies and then used them to submit more than $17.3 million in fraudulent claims to a private insurer.
Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare Fraud
Clarence W. Brown III allegedly billed a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services. Brown allegedly used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s.
Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims
The civil settlement resolved allegations that Walgreens illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and then sought payment for many of those prescriptions from Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act.
Financial Fraud
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Obtains Forfeiture of $214 Million in Proceeds from Alleged “Pump and Dump” Investment Fraud Scheme
The fraud scheme allegedly involved individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and falsely promising significant returns from investments in a certain company. The misleading promotion and subsequent coordinated trading by the defendants caused the stock price to artificially rise, at which point the defendants allegedly sold thousands of shares and made millions of dollars in profits. Federal law enforcement seized approximately $214 million in alleged fraud proceeds, allowing the government to return money to victim investors.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Orchestrating $14 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud
Robert Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that his purported digital asset, known as Meta-1 Coin, was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold.
Founder of Chicago Cryptocurrency Company Indicted in Alleged $10 Million Money Laundering Conspiracy
Firas Isa allegedly knowingly allowed criminals to use his cash-to-cryptocurrency exchange business to launder at least $10 million in proceeds from wire fraud and narcotics offenses.
U.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Alleged Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Graciela Venegas allegedly pocketed $51,776 in augmented work comp benefits to which she was not entitled.
West Columbia Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Stephen Todd Greene, 55, of West Columbia, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, producing child sexual abuse material, and coercion/enticement of a minor and aiding/abetting.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Greene initiated an online relationship with a woman in Brazil that had access to two minor females, one was 8 years old, and the other was 2 years old. Greene solicited child sexual abuse images and videos of the minors for his own sexual gratification, which he directed via livestream. He later had cameras installed in one of the child’s bedrooms, which provided him with 24/7 remote access to the child.
Subsequently, in July 2024, Greene travelled to Brazil and sexually abused one of the minor victims on several occasions. He further admitted to prior sexual abuse of at least one child in South Carolina. Upon his arrest, FBI obtained and searched his devices, which contained over 250 images and 100 videos of child sexual abuse material.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Greene to 480 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 15-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Brazilian Federal Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein prosecuted the case.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
Waipahu Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Paying Adults to Sexually Abuse Children During Livestreamed Internet VideosRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Robert Silva, 52, of Waipahu, Hawaii, was sentenced on Tuesday to 30 years in federal prison (the statutory maximum) followed by a 20-year term of supervised release for producing child pornography. He must also now register as a sex offender. Silva pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in September 2025.
As part of his guilty plea, Silva admitted that on multiple occasions in 2018 and 2019, he paid adults in the Philippines to sexually abuse children there during live internet video streams. While in Hawaii, Silva created recordings of these video streams, which show him directing the adults to abuse the children, ranging from ages three to thirteen, in real time. Silva would “tip” the adults, sometimes as little as fifty cents, to engage in specific sex acts with the children.
At sentencing, Senior U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor highlighted the egregious nature of the defendant’s conduct, which involved the sexual exploitation of young children from economically marginalized communities abroad. Judge Gillmor expressed concern that Silva continued to minimize the severity of his role in the offense after he argued he did not himself commit a “hands on” offense.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Eucker and Rebecca A. Perlmutter prosecuted the case.
Utah Brothers Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Money Laundering Crimes that Involved the Distribution of “Bath Salts” in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - One of two brothers that led a large drug trafficking organization was sentenced on January 7, 2026, to 96 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Mountazar Altalibi, 36, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was sentenced nearly a month after his brother, Jaafar Altalibi, 44, of Salt Lake County was sentenced to the same sentence, for a combined 16 years’ imprisonment.
The two sentences, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart, comes after Mountazar and Jaafar distributed Alpha-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone, commonly referred to as “Alpha PHP,” or “bath salts,” out of two Utah businesses for several years and made hundreds of thousands of dollars from their drug trafficking crimes. The two brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP), and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to their terms of imprisonment, and supervised release, the court ordered the defendants to forfeit millions of dollars in assets including multiple residential and commercial properties, vehicles, businesses, jewelry, and other high-end personal property.
According to court documents and statements made at the Altalibi brothers’ change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in May 2020 through August 17, 2022, Mountazar and Jaafar Altalibi, imported and received “bath salts” from a foreign supplier and sold them to others for profit. The Altalibi brothers distributed the “bath salts” to each other and coconspirators, many of whom have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced, who then redistributed the “bath salts” on behalf of the Altalibi brothers. See prior press release: Alleged Drug Trafficking Ring Leader and Utah Business Owner Behind Bars Following Massive Narcotics Bust.
Mountazar and Jaafar Altalibi further admitted that between November 2011 and August 2022, they assisted in the money laundering of drug proceeds by receiving cash from customers and supplying them with “bath salts.” The Altalibi brothers then used the proceeds of the distribution of the “bath salts” to reinvest in their distribution network by acquiring more “bath salts,” and to finance their lifestyle and homes. Jaafar also paid for and supplied his business, Smokers Haven, with the drug proceeds.
“Protecting our communities and prosecuting drug traffickers is a priority of this administration and my office,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Criminals who import and distribute bath salts or any other type of illegal and deadly substance will be held accountable.”
“The DEA and the Salt Lake City Metro Narcotics Task (MNTF) will continue to investigate any person or organization selling illegal substances that cause harm,” said Miguel Chino, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division Salt Lake Office. “It doesn’t matter whether it is bath salts, methamphetamine, or cocaine – the DEA and MNTF will continue to track down and arrest drug traffickers, and seize illegal controlled substances and narcotics proceeds.”
The case was investigated jointly by the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force, made up of officers from the DEA, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake/Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, West Valley City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Special assistance was provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Utah Department of Public Safety, Tooele Police Department, Sandy Police Department, South Jordan Police Department, Murray Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, Park City Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
United States Attorneys Seth Nielsen, and Vernon G. Stejskal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. United States Attorney Travis Elder litigated the forfeiture case.