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6 January 2026
Stockton Firearms Trafficker Who Sold Guns, Including Two Machineguns, Sentenced to 77 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rayshawn Williams, 20, of Stockton was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to six years and five months in prison for illegally dealing in firearms and possessing machine guns, United States Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between May and July 2024, Williams sold 10 firearms to a confidential informant in illegal deals conducted on the streets in exchange for cash. Of the ten firearms sold to the informant, two of them were Glock pistols with machinegun conversion devices, popularly known as “switches,” that allow the Glock pistols to fire in a fully-automatic mode.
Williams pleaded guilty on Aug. 26, 2025. While sentencing Williams, Judge Mendez observed that Williams had boasted about his involvement with a burglary of a jewelry store in Oakland, that he was affiliated with a violent street gang, and that, despite his young age, Williams had already amassed a substantial criminal history.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Stockton Field Office for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Stockton Police Department Crime Gun Intelligence Center. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Zulkar Khan are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Spiro Resident Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jessica Marie Campbell, age 44, of Spiro, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 8, 2025, Campbell pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 7, 2023, Campbell sold a baggie containing approximately 117 grams of a crystalline substance which later tested positive for methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Campbell will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan W. Howanitz and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Somali National Sentenced After Impersonating Deceased Mother to Obtain over $25,000 in Social Security FundsRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Muna Abdi, 36, a Somali national living in Millcreek, Utah, was sentenced today to 12 months’ probation and ordered to pay $25,638.61 in restitution. She was sentenced for impersonating her deceased mother in order to keep Social Security benefits flowing to her mother’s account, even though her mother died in 2021 and was no longer entitled to Social Security benefits.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, comes after Abdi pleaded guilty to conversion of government funds on September 29, 2025.
According to court documents, from November 1, 2021, to about June 30, 2024, Abdi converted funds from the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) for her own benefit. The SSA, who was not aware of Abdi’s mother’s death, continued to disperse funds to her Social Security account, to which Abdi had access. For over three years, Abdi fraudulently withdrew at least $25,638.61 in government funds. She admitted to withdrawing the funds regularly through cash-back purchases and ATM withdrawals. She further admitted to impersonating her deceased mother in correspondences with the SSA and in person at the SSA field office.
“For years, Ms. Abdi stole funds intended for qualifying disabled and retired individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to ensure justice is done when individuals defraud government programs putting critical benefit funds at risk.”
“Ms. Abdi wrongfully converted her late mother’s Supplemental Security Income payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for personal gain,” said John McLeod, Special Agent-in-Charge of the SSA Office of the Inspector General, Cooperative Disability Investigations – Western Field Division. “I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their collaboration in holding her accountable and reinforcing that Social Security fraud will not be tolerated.”
The case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit (SSA-CDIU) in Salt Lake City.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
Social Media Agitator Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Harm Federal Agent's WifeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Anthony Noto pleaded guilty today to knowingly transmitting a threat to injure the wife of a federal deportation officer.
“Threatening to harm a federal agent’s spouse, child, or other loved one is inexcusable, outrageous, and illegal” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through swift and aggressive prosecution, my office will bring to justice anyone who commits or threatens violence against federal agents and their families.”
“Threatening law enforcement officers or their families will not be tolerated,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to hold accountable those who threaten violence against law enforcement officers and anyone connected to them.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: After an individual posted to Instagram identifying information for a federal deportation officer and the officer’s wife, Anthony Noto commented under a picture of the officer’s wife, “Anybody wanna test the sites [sic] on their new A-R? There’s a pretty good target right there!” “A-R” refers to a semiautomatic rifle.
Sentencing for Noto, 63, of Ronkonkoma, New York, is scheduled for April 16, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. Noto was previously indicted on September 23, 2025.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Eric White are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Sidney Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Sidney man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to one count of receiving child pornography.
According to court records, in 2019 Jeremy Grignon, 29, used social media platforms to receive videos of child pornography over the internet using his home computer and cellular phone. He received some of the videos from minors themselves.
Grignon faces from five to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. 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.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Seminole County Resident Sentenced to 51 Months for ArsonRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robby Dewayne Tiger, age 41, of Seminole County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for one count of Arson in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Seminole Lighthorse Police, and the Seminole Police Department.
On June 4, 2025, Tiger pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 7, 2024, Tiger purposefully lit a fire in a Seminole residence, lit a second fire when the first fire burned out, then exited the residence to watch it burn. Law enforcement arriving on the scene discovered the house engulfed in flames and Tiger watching from nearby with a lighter in his pocket.
The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Tiger will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Robeson County Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – On December 11, 2025, a federal judge sentenced a Maxton man to 14 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine and methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lloyd Kinston Locklear, Jr., age 36, pleaded guilty on April 9, 2024.
“Drug dealers who flood our communities with dangerous drugs that put families and children at risk. They don’t care who they kill. We will not tolerate it,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This criminal chose drugs, guns, and chaos over the safety of kids in our neighborhoods. Spending the next 14 years in in prison ensures he can no longer threaten our families or poison our communities. We will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who sells dugs that kills our kids. Good riddance.”
According to the court documents and other information presented in court, investigators with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office learned in January 2022 that Locklear was selling drugs. On January 26, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled purchase of approximately 3.7 grams of cocaine from Locklear. Officers executed a search warrant at Locklear’s residence the following day. When officers arrived, Locklear turned tail and scurried away, but they arrested him shortly afterward.
During the execution of the search warrant and arrest of Locklear, law enforcement located and seized large amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, alprazolam, marijuana, and a firearm. On November 2, 2022, officers arrested Locklear again and conducted a search incident to that arrest, seizing additional amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine. State judges released Locklear on bond.
On January 20, 2023, a Robeson County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped Locklear in his car on Interstate 95 after observing him fail to maintain his lane. Deputies determined that Locklear had a pending federal arrest warrant and attempted to take him into custody. Locklear fought the officers, resisting arrest. The officer tazed Locklear and had to shoot at him. Thankfully, officers ultimately subdued Locklear before he could kill them, and detained him pending federal prosecution.
The ATF, Maxton Police Department, and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office performed excellent work investigating this case as a team.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 7:22-CR-00141-M-BM.
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Registered sex offender from Maryland sentenced to 24 years in prison after attempting to meet a minor for sexRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and commission of a sex offense by an individual required to register as a sex offender.
“Johnny Duran’s crimes are abhorrent, and today’s sentence ensures that he cannot continue to prey on children,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA). “Thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, this child predator has been removed from our communities. EDVA will pursue offenders with the full force of federal law.”
“As part of a Northern Virginia-Washington, DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation, the U.S. Secret Service remains committed to investigating crimes that exploit innocent children,” said William Mancino, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We are grateful for all those involved in this case and for the work that was done to ensure a dangerous predator was brought to justice.”
According to court documents, on April 23, 2025, Johnny Daniel Duran, 47, of Hagerstown, used a social media messaging app to contact another user whom he believed to be a 14-year-old boy in Loudoun County. Duran, a convicted sex offender on federal probation, immediately began discussing sexual topics with the other user, who in reality was an undercover law enforcement officer. The sexual conversations continued the following night, and after learning that the user’s mother would be working that night, Duran arranged to meet him at a Taco Bell for sex. Duran described the sexual activities in which he expected to engage and repeatedly confirmed that he knew the user was 14 years old.
When Duran arrived at the Taco Bell, law enforcement approached him and found him in possession of multiple cellphones, including a secret phone that was unknown to the U.S. Probation Office and still displayed the messages between the defendant and the other user. The phone was found to contain approximately 1,700 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers. Duran also brought with him a backpack containing multiple sex toys, lubricant, and a whip.
At the time he committed this offense, Duran was required to register as a sex offender according to federal law. Duran was previously convicted in 2006 in Maryland state court for distribution of child pornography. In 2013, he was convicted in the District of Maryland for possession of child sexual abuse material.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 1:25-cr-226.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine and for Violating ParoleRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy committed while he was out on release after serving a prison sentence for a previous drug offense.
Deion Thompson, 39, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in July 2025 to the following charges:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
In addition to the sentence on the drug charges, he was also ordered to serve two years of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release, which he had been serving as a result of a 2014 conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin. Judge Barker imposed the sentences Jan. 5.
According to court documents, from about April 1 to July 12, 2023, Thompson and a co-conspirator knowingly conspired to traffic fentanyl, cocaine base (crack), and cocaine throughout the Greater Cleveland region. Federal agents executed search warrants at three residences related to the conspiracy and discovered numerous plastic bags containing several types of controlled substances. Among the drugs seized were more than 500 fentanyl pills, five pounds of methamphetamine, over one kilogram of fentanyl analogues, one kilogram of cocaine, and 28 grams of crack cocaine. Agents also seized five loaded handguns, a rifle, a shotgun, and related ammunition. Drug paraphernalia such as blenders, scales, pill presses and cutting agents were also found. Additionally, more than $19,000 in cash and a motorcycle were also seized.
Co-defendant Murray Foster, 38, also of Cleveland, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug conspiracy and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI Cleveland Division.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.
Port Arthur man sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Port Arthur man has been sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Paris Lynn Bennette, 55, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on January 6, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in 2024, local law enforcement received information that Bennette was distributing illegal drugs in the Eastern District of Texas. On July 30, 2024, Bennette was observed speeding by local law enforcement and a traffic stop was initiated. Bennette attempted to evade the officers by fleeing on foot before being apprehended a short distance away. A police canine indicated the presence of narcotics in Bennette’s vehicle, and a search was conducted resulting in the discovery of a gallon-sized bag in the vehicle containing approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking of FedEx Truck, Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ronald Byrd, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for his role in the armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022 and related offenses.
Byrd and co-defendant Saikeen Dixon, 33, also of Philadelphia, were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023. In June of this year, both were convicted at trial of carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In addition, Byrd was convicted at trial of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After trial, Byrd also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge.
Judge Weilheimer sentenced Dixon last month to more than 12 years in prison.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.
A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.
After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.
J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.
D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.
After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.
At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.
Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.
After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.
“The defendant was willing to get his shipment of cocaine by any means necessary, stalking and carjacking a FedEx truck at gunpoint on a busy Philly street,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He did all of this in broad daylight — while on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction. Ronald Byrd is clearly a danger to our community with zero regard for the law. This sentence both holds him accountable and makes the city safer.”
“This defendant’s conduct placed Philadelphia residents at risk,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s result was made possible by the tireless efforts of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Together, we remain resolute in disrupting violent criminal activity, preventing further harm, and delivering justice for the victims and communities affected by violence.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Fentanyl and Cocaine, Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mario Fernandez Nunez, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for drug trafficking and gun offenses.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in May of last year to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine; three counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
As detailed in court filings and hearings, from November 2023 through February 2024, Nunez conspired with co-defendant Yercy Fernandez Salcedo and others to distribute fentanyl. Typically, Salcedo arranged drug sales over the phone and then sent defendant Nunez to meet the buyer with the narcotics and collect the money.
As part of the drug trafficking conspiracy, Salcedo arranged to have Nunez live at and manage the stash house, located on the 4700 block of Worth Street in Philadelphia. A federal search warrant executed at the property in February 2024 recovered six firearms, tens of thousands of packets of fentanyl, a kilogram of cocaine, packaging materials, and paraphernalia.
Salcedo pleaded guilty in July to drug trafficking and gun offenses and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shayna Gannone.
Own Every Dollar Gang Leader Sentenced to 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that JESUS ZAPATA, a/k/a “Jeezy,” a/k/a “Hendrix,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken to 17 years in prison for his role as “Duarte,” or leader, of the violent gang Own Every Dollar (“OED”).
“This case reflects our efforts to dismantle violent gangs, with today’s sentence reinforcing that accountability reaches gang leaders, like Jesus Zapata, who directed and ordered violence that harmed New Yorkers and their quality of life,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
ZAPATA served as the “Duarte” of the violent OED gang, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. The prosecution in this case has involved the convictions of 22 members of OED for five murders, more than 10 attempted murders, multiple robberies, and the control and operation of an extensive drug trafficking network that sold large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine. ZAPATA is being held responsible for committing and ordering a number of violent acts on Rikers Island, including three slashings in 2021, as well as for trafficking narcotics.
ZAPATA is the 21st defendant to be sentenced in the case, and the 11th defendant to be sentenced to a prison term of 10 or more years.
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In addition to the prison term, ZAPATA, 36, of New York, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, the New York State Police, and the NYPD Task Force Officers assigned to this Office for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexandra Messiter are in charge of the prosecution.
Nine Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteño Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury has indicted nine South Bay men for taking part in a racketeering conspiracy to promote the aims of the Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteños (SAP Norteños) street gang by engaging in multiple crimes, including 11 murders, 14 attempted murders, drug and gun distribution, and other related offenses.
The superseding indictment, filed Dec. 18, 2025, and unsealed today, charges nine defendants, Gustavo Garcia, aka “Tatis,” 26; Lorenzo Garcia Jr., aka “Chito,” 32; Bertin Medrano, aka “Dre,” 32; Jesus Saldana aka “D Rose,” 22; Oscar Benitez aka “Sideshow,” 27; Carlos Gutierrez aka “Black Carlos,” 19; Jesus Avalos Fernandez aka “Chuchin,” 27; Jose Aguilera aka “Jay,” 26; and Marco Sanchez aka “Cooks,” 29, each with one count of racketeering conspiracy. Eleven defendants, including Gustavo Garcia, Lorenzo Garcia, and Medrano, were originally indicted in April 2024. Saldana was arrested this morning in a coordinated law enforcement operation and was arraigned in federal district court this afternoon. The other defendants were already in federal or state custody.
“For more than a decade, this gang has terrorized the residents of the Acosta Plaza townhomes and East Salinas more broadly. The violent criminal activity that defendants have been charged with is appalling and unacceptable. We will not stop until the residents of this community feel safe and secure in their homes,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “I want to thank Homeland Security Investigations and the Salinas Police Department for their excellent work and collaboration.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to investigating, and bringing to justice, dangerous criminal gangs threatening our communities. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to dismantle these groups and disrupt their illicit and violent enterprises,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeff Brannigan.
According to the superseding indictment, the SAP Norteños are a street gang that originated in a Salinas townhome complex by the same name. The group is now recognized as a clique within the larger collection of Norteño criminal street gangs. Members of the street gang work together to carry out crimes for the benefit of the street gang, its members, the larger Norteño organization, and the Nuestra Familia prison gang. Crimes are perpetrated by gang members to protect and uphold its power, territory, and profits, and gang members are expected to engage in shootings, robberies, drug sales, and other criminal conduct to gain entry into, and improve a member’s status in, the gang. Once in the gang, attempting to leave is not permitted; the punishment for attempting to leave is death.
The superseding indictment lists more than four dozen criminal acts that the defendants are alleged to have committed, including murders and attempted murders between July 2014 and April 2024 of perceived rival gang members, transient individuals, and former gang members. Defendants are also alleged to have engaged in multiple other crimes, including the robberies of individuals at gunpoint, the firebombing of a Salinas apartment, the distribution of drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, firearms trafficking, and numerous shootings.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine for racketeering conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c).
In addition, the indictment alleges that special sentencing factors apply to Lorenzo Garcia for his role in the July 19, 2014, murder of a person identified in the indictment as “Victim-1” and Saldana for his role in the January 23, 2023, attempted murder of two people identified as “Victim-2” and “Victim-3.” If convicted, Lorenzo Garcia and Saldana each face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
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.
Assistant United States Attorneys George Hageman and Jared Buszin are prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Salinas Police Department, with assistance from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
SAP Norteños Superseding Indictment
Niagara County convicted sex offender facing new charges of having sex with a minorRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a six-count indictment charging Joshua Mahley, 42, of Gasport, NY, with interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct, transportation of a minor, penalties for registered sex offenders, and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. McCarthy, who is handling the case, stated according to the indictment, in December 2010, Mahley was convicted in Orleans County Court of Rape in the Second Degree, Sexual Intercourse by Person 18 or More with Person Less than 15, and Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, and is a registered sex offender in New York State. On three separate occasions in June, July, and August 2025, Mahley traveled across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor victim. In September 2025, Mahley transported the minor victim across state lines to engage in sexual activity. In addition, on September 8, 2025, Mahley possessed visual depictions, namely obscene computer and AI generated images, depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Attempted Arson in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Johnny Lee Vann, age 48, was sentenced to 83 months in prison for one count of Attempted Arson in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 1, 2025, Vann pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 4, 2025, Vann positioned a haybale beneath a neighbor’s trailer and ignited the bale. One of the residents smelled smoke, chased Vann away, and removed and extinguished the bale.
The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Vann will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Mitchell Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Mitchell, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on January 5, 2026.
Mark Stephen Gullings, age 44, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Once released from federal prison, Gullings must register as a sex offender.
Gullings was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from Gullings using his cell phone in October 2022 to take surreptitious photos of a minor female living in his home and under his care while she was in the bathroom. Gullings would put his phone under the bathroom door or over the shower curtain to take pictures of the juvenile’s genital area for his own sexual gratification.
This case was investigated by the Brandon Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Gullings was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced on Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Juan Mendez-Morales, 43, to time served (approximately 70 days). Mendez-Morales pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025.
According to court records, on October 22, 2025, Mendez-Morales was stopped by police for speeding. When a United States Border Patrol Agent arrived, Mendez-Morales admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico and had no immigration documents allowing him to be in the U.S. Mendez-Morales was previously removed from the country in October 2013 under an order from an immigration judge.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case.
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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Mexican Alien Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Jonathan Tadeo-Neri, a 31-year-old Mexican alien, to over 11 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine. Tadeo-Neri pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025.
“This Mexican alien came to our community and sold large quantities of methamphetamine. He chose to sneak into North Carolina illegally from Mexico to sell poison that kills children and our families just to feed his greedy lust for more money. This illegal alien can fester for more than a decade in federal prison before he is immediately deported from the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “If you slink into the United States illegally to sell dangerous drugs, we will hunt you down, prosecute you, imprison you, and deport you.”
According to the court documents and other information presented in court, this investigation began in January 2023, when a confidential source contacted DEA agents regarding a methamphetamine dealer in the Raleigh area. DEA identified the drug dealer as Tadeo-Neri and conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from him. On January 9, 2023, Tadeo-Neri agreed to sell drugs and delivered 83.22 grams (94% pure) of methamphetamine.
On January 27, 2023, DEA conducted a second controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Tadeo-Neri. Tadeo-Neri sent the same courier to deliver 981.9 grams (97% pure) of methamphetamine. Tadeo-Neri is a Mexican illegal alien, who slinked into the United States without permission. The United States will deport him as soon as he has completed his prison sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case. The DEA and Raleigh Police Department investigated the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:24-CR-00298-D-RJ.
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Member of Drug Trafficking Organization Known as “Getting Money Brothers" Found Guilty by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte convicted Kareem Hicks, 45, and a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) known as “Getting Money Brothers” (GMB), of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Kyle D. Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI in North Carolina and South Carolina, James C. Barnacle, Jr. Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
Four other individuals have pleaded guilty in connection with this case and are awaiting sentencing. Mandella Quinshawn Wolfe, 36, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base. His brother, Campton Conway Wolfe, 39, pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine. Whynell Jason Rodriguez, 41, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base. And Dwight LaQuelle Hallman, 42, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to evidence presented at trial, filed court documents, and witness testimony, from 2023 to 2025, GMB was a DTO that distributed large amounts of cocaine, cocaine base, and other narcotics in the greater Charlotte area, as well as operated multiple drug houses. During the course of the two years GMB operated, information obtained by investigators indicated the DTO had dealt more than 50 kilograms of cocaine and crack. Investigators ultimately seized more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, six kilograms of cocaine, and a kilogram of fentanyl. The interdiction of the group also led to the seizure of more than 30 firearms from various individuals.
Trial evidence established that, on March 18, 2024, Hicks travelled to Charlotte from New Jersey to purchase a large amount of cocaine from Wolfe. Following his meeting with Wolfe, officers executed a federal search warrant and located approximately 200 grams of cocaine in Hick’s suitcase.
“This case wasn’t just about one defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “It was about dismantling an entire drug trafficking organization that flooded our community with dangerous drugs and weapons. Our office is committed to pursuing drug traffickers from the street level to the top of the organization and working with our law enforcement partners to shut them down completely.”
“This verdict sends a clear message: Homeland Security Investigations, alongside our law enforcement partners, will not tolerate criminal organizations that endanger our communities with drugs and violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Burns. “Through coordinated investigations and strong partnerships, we are committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks and keeping dangerous narcotics and firearms off our streets.”
After the verdict, Hicks was remanded into custody. At sentencing, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI, the FBI, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mason City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Charles Robinson, 44, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, after a September 2, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Between at least May 2023 and continuing through September 2024, Robinson was involved in an ongoing methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa, where law enforcement documented Robinson actively engaged in drug trafficking. Robinson has an extensive criminal history, including numerous assault and domestic abuse-related convictions.
Robinson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Robinson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3032.
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Maryland man sentenced to over three years in prison for auto-theft conspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for conspiring to steal vehicles from airport parking facilities.
According to court documents, on six occasions from Jan. 4, 2023, to April 5, 2024, Tyrese McKinnon, 25, of Temple Hills, and a co-conspirator entered parking lots at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Virginia and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland and stole vehicles. McKinnon and his co-conspirator would take the vehicles from the parking lots and transport them across state lines. On one occasion, they used a credit card that they found inside the stolen vehicle.
McKinnon was incarcerated on state charges during his car theft spree. He was released from jail on March 1, 2024, and stole the fifth vehicle just 12 days after he was released.
“Tyrese McKinnon has shown a complete disregard for the law, repeatedly stealing vehicles even after prior convictions,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This sentence makes clear that chronic offenders who victimize Americans will be held fully accountable in federal court.”
“This case represents the success of law enforcement partnerships to hold Mr. McKinnon and his co-conspirator accountable for their criminal behavior,” said Special Agent in Charge Hanna Porterfield of the NCIS Washington, D.C. Field Office. “NCIS is unwavering in its commitment to protect and serve our Navy and Marine Corps families and the communities in which they live.”
"During a 15-month crime spree, McKinnon conspired to steal half a dozen vehicles and transport them across state lines — undeterred by a brief stint in jail," said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. "Let his yearslong sentence serve as a warning to other thieves: Auto theft is not a game. It is a crime that the FBI and our partners investigate as part of our duty to protect our fellow community members and their property."
The combined value of the vehicles stolen by McKinnon is between $150,000 and $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Amzallag prosecuted the case.
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. 1:25-cr-260.
This release was edited on Jan. 13, 2026, to include a quote from the FBI.
Manderson Man Sentenced to 1 Year and a Day in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Manderson, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 2, 2026.
Victor Afraid Of Hawk, age 41, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Afraid Of Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 29, 2025.
Based upon his 2006 federal conviction for Abusive Sexual Contact, Afraid Of Hawk is required to register as a sex offender for life. He last updated his address on September 26, 2024, at Manderson. He then began living in Rapid City in November 2024. Afraid of Hawk had over 175 contacts with the Rapid City Police between November 2024 and July 2025 but never updated his address. Afraid Of Hawk was aware of his obligations to register and knowingly failed to do so.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth handled the prosecution.
Afraid Of Hawk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Justice Department Sues Arizona and Connecticut for Failure to Produce Voter RollsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has filed federal lawsuits against the States of Arizona and Connecticut for failure to produce their full voter registration lists upon request. This brings the Justice Department’s nationwide total to 23 states and the District of Columbia.
“This Department of Justice has now sued 23 states for failing to provide voter roll data and will continue filing lawsuits to protect American elections,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Accurate voter rolls are the foundation of election integrity, and any state that fails to meet this basic obligation of transparency can expect to see us in court.”
“Accurate voter rolls are essential to ensuring that American citizens’ votes count only once, and only with other eligible voters,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to safeguarding fair and free elections, and will hold states accountable when they refuse to respect our federal elections laws.”
According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
Jury Convicts Seven Defendants in 2023 Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jaelen Jordan, 20, and Warren Montgomery, 21, both of Washington, D.C., and Bryon Gillum, 20, Isaiah Flowers, 20, Jahkai Goff, 21, Taj Giles, 20, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey, 20, all of Prince George’s County, MD, were found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges pertaining to three armed carjackings on February 27, 2023, April 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The jury deliberated for approximately four days before finding the defendants guilty of multiple charges including armed carjacking.
“Stop lusting over other people’s cars and keep your hands to yourself unless you want to spend the next 15 years eating cold sandwiches in a correctional facility with likeminded lusters,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Specifically, the jury found Goff guilty of armed carjacking, armed robbery, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, armed carjacking.
The jury found Flowers guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, receiving stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, for his role in the February 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, armed carjackings.
The jury found Ellis-Bey guilty of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, armed carjacking, armed robbery, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, armed carjacking.
The jury found Montgomery guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his role in the April 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, armed carjackings.
The jury found Giles guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, receiving stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his role in the February 27, 2023, and April 27, 2023, armed carjackings.
The jury found Jordan guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robberies, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and three counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, April 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, armed carjackings.
The jury found Gillum guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robberies, and two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, and April 27, 2023, armed carjackings.
The jury also found that the May 16, 2023, carjacking was committed against a senior citizen.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 27, 2023, Goff, Flowers, Ellis-Bey, Giles, and Gillum carjacked the victim at gunpoint in the Dupont Circle area. The defendants used a Dodge Charger, carjacked in Maryland the day before, to commit this carjacking. After the carjacking, the victim’s vehicle, a 2013 Porsche Cayenne was brought to an apartment building parking garage in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Jordan subsequently sold the victim’s Porsche from that parking garage on March 1, 2023.
On April 27, 2023, Montgomery, Giles, Jordan, and Gillum carjacked another victim at gunpoint at the intersection of 8th and K Street NE. After the carjacking, the victim’s vehicle, a BMW X6, was brought back to the same apartment building parking garage in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Jordan subsequently sold the victim’s BMW to undercover police officers on April 27, 2023.
Finally, on May 16, 2023, Flowers, Montgomery, and Jordan carjacked a senior citizen at gunpoint in his driveway in the 600 block of Butternut Street NW. After the carjacking, the victim’s vehicle, a Porsche Cayenne GTS, was brought back to the same apartment building parking garage in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Jordan subsequently offered to sell the victim’s Porsche to undercover police officers on May 17, 2023.
Jordan was arrested on May 17, 2023, and the remaining defendants were arrested between October and December of 2023 as law enforcement identified them.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department. She also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Evans and Emily Clarke who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Awards over $477,000 to the Louisiana Department of JusticeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has awarded $477,943 to the Louisiana Department of Justice (LA DOJ) to support the Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force by providing training and technical assistance to affiliate agencies and supporting LA DOJ investigator positions to conduct proactive and reactive investigations of technology-facilitated crimes against children. LA ICAC Task Force computer forensic examiners and investigators will attend training regarding digital forensic examinations and cell phone investigations, as well as conferences such as the Dallas Crimes Against Children Conference and the National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation. Funding will enable the LA ICAC to focus its efforts on investigations, forensics, prosecution, capacity building and public education. The Louisiana ICAC Task Force will continue to combat technology-facilitated child exploitation by identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting child sexual predators.
United States Attorney Wall stated, “President Trump and the Department of Justice have made protecting our children a top priority. I am excited to see these resources awarded to Attorney General Murrill’s ICAC Task Force. Clearly her team is making a real difference on a daily basis to protect the children of Louisiana from child predators and our office will continue to support those prosecutions in any way possible.”
“As part of our continuing effort to combat the exploitation of children in the State of Louisiana, we are thankful to once again be awarded grant funding from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,” stated Attorney General Liz Murrill. “This grant is vital to the continued growth of the Louisiana ICAC Task Force and ensures our ability to bring to justice those who seek to harm the children of Louisiana.”
For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ersy Gregorio Umanzor Lopez, a/k/a Ersy Gregorio Umanzor, a/k/a Ersy G. Umanzor, age 33, a Honduran national unlawfully present in Bryan County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The Indictment alleged that on November 17, 2025, Lopez, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on October 20, 2017, on September 8, 2017, and on January 12, 2018.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Lopez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Hernando County Man Arrested for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Richard Joseph Edstrom (40, Hernando) on an indictment charging him with possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Edstrom faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between March 2024 and October 2025, Edstrom possessed and accessed material that contained child sexual abuse material.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
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 Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Hartford Man Who Defrauded Amazon Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TERRELL KIMBLE, 45, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for defrauding Amazon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kimble was employed by Amazon as a Regional Fleet Specialist and an Area Manager, based in Connecticut. Amazon operated an employee reward program called Peak, administered through a procurement portal called Coupa. Coupa allowed certain employees, including Area Managers, to reward other employees on their work team for superior performance by ordering an item from Amazon for the employee at no cost. Between approximately July 2021 and December 2022, Kimble placed more than 200 Coupa orders fraudulently representing that they were to reward employee performance, but had the products, mainly high-end electronic goods, delivered to his mother’s residence for his own use. The electronic items included Apple iPad Pro, Apple AirPods Pro, and Apple Watch devices, and Nintendo Switches.
Judge Williams ordered Kimble to pay $167,115.69 in restitution to Amazon.
Kimble was arrested on August 15, 2024. On June 30, 2025, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
Kimble’s criminal history includes 14 prior convictions.
Kimble, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 20.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force, with the assistance of the Windsor, West Hartford, and Hartford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
Hardee County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Daniel Juarez (39, Hardee County) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine. Juarez was found guilty on September 29, 2025, after a stipulated facts bench trial.
According to court documents, on March 15, 2024, Juarez sold a pound and a half of methamphetamine to an undercover DEA agent. Juarez had a previous conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell in Hardee County Circuit Court in 2020.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
Haitian Nationals Charged with Unlawfully Smuggling Firearms from United StatesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Francesca Charles, 28, a U.S. citizen residing in Florida; Jacques Pierre, 32; and his brother, Jeff Pierre, 34, both citizens of Haiti residing in FL, with conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, smuggling goods from the United States, and unlawfully shipping firearms. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, in February 2025, officials in the Dominican Republic seized 18 rifles, 5 handguns, firearms magazines, over 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer from inside a container that had been shipped from Miami, Florida. The shipping container was destined for Haiti. The firearms and ammunition were not listed on the shipping manifest, which instead listed household goods. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as well as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), learned that the defendants were the purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms seized from the shipping container.
Throughout the investigation, agents learned that the defendants purchased at least 46 firearms between May 2024 and February 2025, most of which were the same make and model as the firearms recovered in the Dominican Republic. Thirty-seven of those firearms were purchased between August 9, 2024, and February 10, 2025. Agents also obtained records that Jacques Pierre purchased two Barrett .50-caliber rifles, which are heavy-duty military-style weapons that are typically mounted to the tops of vehicles and used in furtherance of violence by gangs and cartels. One of the Barrett rifles was recovered in the aforementioned shipment in February 2025.
Travel and shipping records showed that the co-conspirators would facilitate a shipment to Haiti shortly after purchasing a large number of firearms, then would travel to Haiti around the time the shipment was scheduled to arrive in Haiti. Travel records also showed that the defendants traveled to the Dominican Republic three days before the shipping container was intercepted.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and HSI with assistance from U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.
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.
Grand jury indicts Ohio woman on meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Celina Serva aka Ce Ce, 26, of Akron, OH, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on March 28, 2025, the DEA, the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force began investigating the sale and distribution of narcotics in the Town of Ellicott. The investigation included surveillance and controlled purchases of narcotics. On April 3, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in Ellicott, seizing multiple controlled substances, a shotgun, and a large quantity of cash. Subsequent investigation identified Serva as the source of supply. Later in the day on April 3, investigators arrested Serva as she attempted to deliver methamphetamine to the residence. She was found with a total of 975 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine in her possession.
Serva was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and released on conditions.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, under the direction of Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone, and the Ellicott Police Department, under the direction of Chief Daniel Ingrao.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Four Non-Profits Agree to Pay over $3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that it has reached civil settlement agreements with four different non-profit organizations to resolve allegations that the organizations violated the False Claims Act when they applied for and received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).
Our Office has entered into settlement agreements with the following organizations to resolve allegations that they falsely certified eligibility for PPP loans.
League of United Latin American Citizens (the “LULAC”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that bills itself as the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States. In 2020, LULAC applied for and received a first draw PPP loan in the amount of $122,644 and later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. In 2021, LULAC applied for and received a second draw PPP loan in the amount of $41,710 and later sought and received forgiveness of that loan as well. LULAC has agreed to pay $312,272.60 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining two PPP loans for which it was not eligible.
National Bureau of Asian Research (the “Bureau”) is a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that described its mission as a “research institution” that “helps decision-makers better understand Asia and craft concrete, actionable policy” and referred to itself as “the nation’s Asia policy think tank.” In early 2021, the Bureau applied for a “second draw” PPP loan in the amount of $411,111 and subsequently applied for and received complete forgiveness of that loan. After an analysis of the Bureau’s ability to pay pursuant to a settlement, the Bureau agreed to pay $475,000, plus interest, to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a PPP loan for which it was not eligible.
National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (“NCPERS”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit trade association working on behalf of public sector retirement systems. In 2020, NCPERS applied for and received a first draw PPP loan in the amount of $143,412 and later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. In 2021, NCPERS applied for and received a second draw PPP loan in the amount of $118,052 and later sought and received forgiveness of that loan as well. NCPERS has agreed to pay $457,562 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining two PPP loans for which it was not eligible.
Prosperity Now is a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that describes its mission as seeking “policy change at all levels of Government” and engages in public policy research, advocacy, and lobbying. In early 2021, Prosperity Now applied for a “second draw” PPP loan in the amount of $1,532,800 and subsequently applied for and received complete forgiveness of that loan. After an analysis of Prosperity Now’s ability to pay pursuant to a settlement, Prosperity Now agreed to pay $2,081,523.15, plus interest, to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a PPP loan for which it was not eligible.
The forgoing organizations were allegedly not eligible for the identified PPP loans based on the statutes and regulations governing the loan program. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES Act”) was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the PPP, the CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in potentially forgivable loans to small businesses and other entities struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the pandemic, but the Act also contained important limitations on loan eligibility. For example, the CARES Act permitted certain nonprofit organizations to obtain PPP loans, but organizations organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code were never eligible for such loans. Similarly, Congress prohibited from “second draw” PPP loans those entities primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including those entities organized for research or for engaging in public policy advocacy or political strategy or publicly referring to themselves as “think tanks.” The non-profit organizations that entered settlement agreements with our Office were alleged to have falsely certified their eligibility for the PPP loans.
The civil settlements resulted from investigations by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy C. Hurley. The United States Attorney further wishes to commend attorneys Caitlin J. Kelly and Kandace Zelaya of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for their assistance in the investigations.
Tips and complaint regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the civil settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Former Austin ISD Elementary Teacher Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A former elementary school teacher pleaded guilty in a federal court in Austin today to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, a digital forensic analysis of seized devices determined that Carl David Innmon, 51, possessed more than 16,000 files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a laptop computer and an additional 349,728 files depicting CSAM on an external hard drive. Thousands of the images possessed by Innmon involved prepubescent minors under the age of 12.
Innmon was a fifth-grade teacher in the Austin Independent School District at the time of his April 2025 arrest and had previously worked as a substitute teacher at approximately 20 other schools within the district. He faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Forest Lake Man Indicted with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Damien William Quinn, also known as Ryan William Shattuck, age 34, of Forest Lake, Minnesota, was arraigned on an indictment charging Quinn with four counts of Production of Child Pornography, two counts of Attempted Production of Child Pornography, one count of Receipt of Child Pornography, and five counts of Cyberstalking, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Mr. Quinn was ordered detained pending trial.
Damien Quinn owned multiple pseudonymous Snapchat and Instagram accounts that he used to “catfish” minor victims in order to receive sexually explicit photographs and videos. Quinn used these accounts to cyberstalk women who attended North Branch High School with him, claiming he had nude photos of them and sharing nude photos of one victim. Quinn also modified at least one photograph of a victim to make the victim appear nude. To date, law enforcement has identified eleven total victims of Quinn; six minors and five adults.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Forest Lake Police Department and the Eden Prairie Police Department.
Investigators believe there may be other victims relevant to this investigation. If you attended North Branch High School in North Branch, Minnesota, and have experienced suspicious online behavior from a known or unknown account, or if your child has reported being contacted online by an unknown account seeking sexually explicit material, contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fifteen-Time Violent Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Quartez Rashad Goodman, a multi-convicted felon and domestic abuser who robbed two women at gunpoint, discharged a pistol near a playground after beating a dog, and engaged police in an armed standoff in a southwest Atlanta park, has been sentenced to federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
“While on state probation for another felon-in-possession offense, Goodman repeatedly fired a gun in a city park and used that weapon to rob two women, frighten parkgoers, and threaten police officers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The brave men and women of the Atlanta Police Department who apprehended Goodman performed their duty admirably. But because Goodman was undeterred by the state criminal justice system, federal prosecution was necessary to remove this repeat offender from the community and protect the public.”
“Guns in the wrong hands are just plain wrong and will not be tolerated,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “So much trauma and damage has stemmed from the actions of one person. I commend the responding officers for stopping a very dangerous situation.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that violent, repeat offenders who endanger our neighborhoods will be held accountable,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. “This federal sentence removes a dangerous individual from our community. Our priority is protecting the community and keeping dangerous individuals off our streets through strong partnerships with our law enforcement partners.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On May 21, 2024, more than a dozen police officers responded to D.H. Stanton Park in Atlanta, Georgia, where witnesses reported that a shirtless individual later identified as Quartez Rashad Goodman was beating a dog and fired a gun in the park. Additional officers arrived and located Goodman near a splash pad with a pistol in his hand. Although he threatened the officers when first encountered, Goodman ultimately tossed his weapon and was apprehended while officers tried to render lifesaving aid to the dog, who had been fatally shot.
Before officers arrived, Goodman assaulted two women who had been bicycling on the Beltline Trail near the park. Goodman approached the women while brandishing a firearm, demanded that one of the women give him everything she had, and stole that woman’s bicycle as she fled from Goodman.
Goodman has a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple convictions for violence against women, violence against law enforcement, weapon possession, and drug trafficking:
- Between 2008 and 2013, Goodman was convicted of selling cocaine, stealing a car and leading deputies on a high-speed chase that resulted in a crash, possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, receiving stolen property, obstructing law enforcement, and using a brick to smash the windows of a woman’s car.
- In 2013, Goodman struck a police officer with handcuffs, choked another officer, hit a third officer in the mouth, fought two others, intentionally hurt his grandfather, and punched another man in the face. Goodman was convicted of five counts of obstructing law enforcement officers by violence, three counts of battery, and one count of family violence battery.
- In 2015, while on probation, Goodman was convicted of battering a woman. A year later, Goodman pled guilty to battering the same woman again. According to the indictment in that case, Goodman struck the woman on the head with a nail gun, dragged her by the hair, pushed her face into the mud, threatened to kill her, and bit her.
- In July 2019, Goodman chased after an ex-girlfriend, stomped on her, pulled her hair, and pointed a gun at her head. When another man intervened, Goodman charged at him with a gun. Goodman was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, battery, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.
Prior to 2024, Goodman had been prosecuted by local authorities exclusively, and he had never served more than one year of confinement for any of his 15 prior felony convictions. Most of his Fulton County Superior Court sentences were probated, suspended, or commuted to time served. By contrast, all federal sentences must be served without the possibility of parole.
U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty sentenced Quartez Rashad Goodman, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Goodman was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 24, 2025, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Atlanta Police Department. The Georgia Department of Community Supervision provided valuable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Hertzberg prosecuted the case himself.
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.
Dominican National Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Dominican national was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for his role in a Massachusetts-Maine fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Alexis De Leon, 30, to 60 months in prison. De Leon pleaded guilty on March 11, 2025.
According to court records, De Leon and coconspirators worked together to transport kilograms of fentanyl from Massachusetts to Maine for distribution. The investigation initially showed that an individual known locally only as “Leon Leon” was using a Facebook account and other means to contact associates and customers in Maine and arrange for drug distribution. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed evidence that De Leon was responsible for operating that Facebook page and arranged monitored purchases of fentanyl from “Leon Leon.” The DEA ultimately coordinated a traffic stop in June 2024, with the assistance of Maine State Police, during which De Leon was found in possession of a large quantity of fentanyl enroute to Bangor. The court found that De Leon was responsible for distributing over 20 kilograms of fentanyl in Maine. Co-defendants Ramon De Leon and Mandi Ford have also pleaded guilty in this case and are pending sentencing.
The DEA investigated this case, with the assistance of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Maine State Police.
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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District Man Sentenced to 16-Year Prison Term for Firing into Crowd with His Three AccomplicesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Outland, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for gunning down a crowd of people in Washington DC, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Outland pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the second degree while armed in April 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Danya Dayson ordered Outland to serve the prison term on January 6, 2026. Co-defendant Bobby Gupton was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison for the same incident.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 28, 2023, in the vicinity of 748 19th Street NE, Washington D.C., co-defendants Bobby Gupton and James Outland, along with two other individuals, ran, in unison, towards a crowd located at a nearby intersection and each began discharging their firearms into the crowd. After discharging their respective firearms, all shooters fled the scene together. An innocent bystander, Ms. Tavonayna Glenn, sustained one gunshot wound to the chest, causing her death. Outland was arrested almost one year after the homicide and was in possession of a rifle-like firearm with 47 rounds of ammunition at the time of his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alyssa Schroeder, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shauna Payyappilly and Daniel Seidel who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Denver Bank Robber Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Simon Meza, 45, Denver, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison, and three years of supervised release after being convicted at trial in September 2025 on two counts of bank robbery. Meza previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in the same matter.
According to the facts presented at trial and to the Court at sentencing, on September 20, 2023, Meza entered the Huntington Bank at 18520 E. Green Valley Ranch Blvd in Denver and robbed the bank by demanding money from the teller. Meza took the money and fled. Eight days later, on September 28, 2023, Meza robbed the PNC Bank on West 32nd Avenue in Denver by, again, demanding money from the teller. Meza took the money, which contained a GPS tracker, and fled. Law enforcement officers were quickly able to track the GPS device to a rented truck traveling near the bank. Denver Police officers tried to arrest Meza in the truck, but Meza led officers on a high-speed chase. During the chase, Meza leaned out of the truck and fired one round from his Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun, striking the pursuing police vehicle in the front bumper. The chase ended when Meza caused a four-car accident at 44th Avenue and Harlan Street in Wheat Ridge. Meza then fled from the vehicle and was chased and arrested by Denver Police. Officers found the stolen money and loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber firearm in the truck.
“This conviction and sentence should send a clear message to anyone considering robbing a bank in Colorado,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “Bank robbery is a serious crime with serious penalties that you will pay. Colorado is safer with this repeat offender serving a lengthy sentence in federal prison.”
“Here we have a previous offender who could have taken advantage of state and federal opportunities to rehabilitate himself. Instead, he robbed two banks and fired on the officer who gave chase when he fled. Clearly the community is safer with this defendant back behind bars,” said Marvin Massey, Acting Special Agent In Charge of FBI Denver. “The FBI Denver Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task force will continue to work with our local partners to get violent offenders like this off the streets.”
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office, the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, and the Denver Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Dunn and Thomas Minser handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:23-cr-00446-RMR
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ohagee Curry, a/k/a “Gee”, 28, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners were relentless in their investigation of this large drug trafficking operation, and it paid off with the dismantling of that network through this successful prosecution. My office continues to aggressively prosecute these crimes to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug traffickers flooding our communities with deadly drugs.”
Curry was one of 14 defendants charged in three different indictments. He was at the center of a methamphetamine distribution organization operating in Cantonment, Pensacola, and Beulah, Florida, that was uncovered by a multi-year investigation conducted by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The defendant obtained packages of methamphetamine from California via the U.S. Mail and by courier from Alabama. He then provided the illegal drugs to others for distribution throughout the Panhandle. Law enforcement seized multiple packages from the mail which contained high purty methamphetamine.
“This successful investigation was the result of great teamwork between our agents and law enforcement partners,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Bobbitt, DEA Miami Field Division. “We will not stop until these criminals are brought to justice.”
“This case highlights the power of strong collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement,” said Sheriff B. Johnson, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. “Together, we are committed to removing dangerous drugs from our communities.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Walter Narramore.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
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.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man has been sentenced for committing child sexual exploitation crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie Axon sentenced Benjamin Ross Norris, 44, of Pinson, Alabama, to 240 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Norris was also ordered to pay $30,500 in restitution to the child victims of his crimes. Norris previously pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement, on May 28, 2022, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received four CyberTipline Reports (CyberTips) from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding two internet accounts that were being used to transmit child sexual abuse material. Both accounts were associated with Norris. On July 22, 2022, state search warrants were obtained for Norris’s residence in Pinson, Alabama, and another location associated with Norris in Trussville, Alabama. Multiple electronic devices were seized from the properties. The two internet accounts listed in the CyberTips were found on Norris’s cell phone. The forensic examination of his electronic devices revealed a total of 179 files of child pornography. At the time of this investigation, Norris had a prior conviction for possession of child pornography.
FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Homewood Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Leann White and Lee Gilmer prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, a federal jury in Charlotte found Mitchell Clydero Patterson, 38, of Spring Lake, N.C., guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Sheriff Eddie Cathey of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
“Felons are prohibited from carrying firearms for a reason,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Defendants like Patterson wreak havoc on our communities when they continually resort to gun violence and shoot innocent people in the process. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these repeat offenders.”
“The danger of a prohibited individual in possession of a firearm cannot be understated,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “ATF and our local, state and federal partners are committed to keeping firearms out of the hands of those who should not have them.”
Sheriff Cathey said, "The outstanding work of our deputies and our law enforcement partners made it clear that criminals cannot outrun accountability in Union County. We will not tolerate violent offenders bringing illegal guns into our communities, and we will pursue anyone who thinks they can evade justice by crossing into Union County.”
According to filed documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on July 23, 2024, Patterson was involved in an argument in front of a Charlotte-based business. Patterson left but soon returned and fired several shots striking a bystander’s vehicle.
Later, on August 14, 2024, Patterson was involved in another altercation at a take-out restaurant in Charlotte. Following that altercation, Patterson left but returned a short time later and fired several shots striking a young woman in the leg.
The following day, on August 15, 2024, CMPD officers followed Patterson into Union County. Deputies with the Union County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Patterson’s vehicle, who traveled at a high rate of speed. While fleeing in his vehicle, Patterson threw a bag out of the window before crashing. Deputies recovered and searched the bag thrown from Patterson’s car and found a stolen Smith & Wesson model SD0, 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol. Lab analysis connected the stolen firearm to the evidence from the July 23rd shooting.
Patterson remains in federal custody. At sentencing, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Coal County Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kevin Carter Kieckhefer, age 36, of Tupelo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to46 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Coal County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On June 30, 2025, Kieckhefer pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 19, 2023, deputies discovered Kieckhefer knowingly in possession of 25 rounds of .223 ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Kieckhefer will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Charlotte Man Sentenced to Prison for Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Wynn A.D. Charlebois, 55, of Charlotte, was sentenced to six years in prison today for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that caused millions of dollars in losses, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge David Norton also ordered Charlebois to serve two years of supervised release and to pay more than $5.7 million in restitution.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making this announcement.
According to court records, from 2015 to 2022, Charlebois used companies he owned and controlled, including WC Private, Wilcox Hybrid, Damon Investments, and others, to perpetrate a multi-million-dollar fraudulent investment scheme. Charlebois used his past employment at a reputable hedge fund to con his victims into trusting him with their hard-earned savings, falsely promising their money would be invested in risk-free investments, subscription agreements, and loans. Contrary to Charlebois’s claims, instead of investing the victims’ money as promised, he used the funds to make Ponzi-style payments and on personal expenditures. Court documents show that Charlebois continued to solicit additional funds even after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought an enforcement action against him.
Charlebois defrauded more than 40 victims around the country, including friends, family, fellow church members, veterans, and retirees. The victims, some of whom were in or nearing retirement, sustained approximately $6 million in losses, and as a result have suffered substantially. In explaining the sentence imposed, Judge Norton emphasized, among other things, the “devastating effect” that Charlebois’s fraud had on his victims, both financially and emotionally.
“Those who lie and cheat others out of money will eventually be caught and face the full force of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “As this case shows, fraud carries serious consequences, including significant prison time.”
“Those who seek to maximize profits by misleading investors should expect to pay a heavy price,” said Inspector in Charge Hopkins. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to work alongside our law-enforcement partners to protect the integrity of our financial markets and bring to justice trusted insiders who abuse their position.”
On July 31, 2023, Charlebois pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He will be ordered to report to a federal facility upon designation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and USPIS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
California woman sentenced for attempted smuggling of illegal individualRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A California woman who attempted to smuggle a citizen of Great Britain into the United States was sentenced today to 6 months of probation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Tracy Routh Lautenslager, 54, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of conspiracy to bring aliens into the United States at a location other than a designated port of entry.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on April 1, 2025, a vehicle entered the United States through the Roosville, Montana Port of Entry. The vehicle was operated by the Lautenslager, a United States citizen. She was admitted to the United States and proceeded to the Swisher Lake area near Lake Koocanusa. The United States Border Patrol encountered her driving around the area.
Around that same time, the Border Patrol was alerted to a lone male walking across the international boundary line from Canada to the United States. They responded and searched for the man but were unable to locate him and believed he returned to Canada.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) apprehended the man after they found him walking around and seemingly lost. They escorted him to the Roosville, British Columbia (BC) Port of Entry to be identified and processed. The man, Lautenslager’s husband, was identified as a citizen of Great Britain who does not have any lawful status in the United States.
On suspicions of smuggling, Lautenslager was denied entry back to Canada and returned to the United States, where she was interviewed by law enforcement. She disclosed she and her husband planned to circumvent the immigration process and avoid the point of entry because he did not have legal status in the United States. She said the plan was to drop him off at a location on the Canadian side of the border, drive into the United States, and then pick him up. She admitted what she attempted to do was wrong.
Lautenslager’s cellular phone was collected and searched. The phone contained text messages between her and her husband discussing logistics as the conspiracy was unfolding.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Stack prosecuted the case. The U.S. Border Patrol 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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Convicted Child Sexual Abuser from Mexico Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marco Olavarrieta-Beranza, also known as “Marco Leonardo Olavarrieta,” 45, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry into the United States. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This sexual predator was previously deported after committing a heinous sex crime against a minor, and I applaud the excellent work of our federal law enforcement partners who continue to follow through on the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the criminal aliens who have violated our nation’s laws and threaten our communities. My office has zero tolerance for criminal activity of any kind, and we will aggressively prosecute offenders like this defendant to keep our communities safe and our border secure.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant was deported from the United States in 2019 after being convicted of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of fourteen and attempted sexual abuse of a minor under the age of twelve. He illegally returned to the United States and was found in Escambia County, Florida, in November 2025. He now faces up to twenty years in prison followed by removal from the United States.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Brooke DiSalvo is prosecuting the case.
Olavarrieta-Beranza’s sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2026, at 10:30 am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Bryan County Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert Vernon Hardage, Jr., age 47, of Kenefic, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 1, 2025, Hardage pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 11, 2024, law enforcement discovered Hardage knowingly in possession of one round of 12-gauge ammunition and 17 rounds of .300 Blackout caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. Hardage also possessed an unregistered 12-gauge, break open shotgun.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Hardage will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Broken Bow Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jerry Wayne Shomo, a/k/a Jerry Wayne Shomo, Jr., a/k/a Jerry Wayne Shomo, Junior, age 47, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
On May 5, 2025, Shomo pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 9, 2024, a trooper conducting a routine traffic stop pulled Shomo over in Broken Bow. Shomo ran from his vehicle, was apprehended following a short foot chase, and confessed to having an AR-15 in the vehicle. At the time of the traffic stop, Shomo had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of more than one year in prison.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Shomo will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.
Brian Cole Jr. Charged in Indictment in Planting Explosive Devices Outside the RNC and DNC on Jan. 5, 2021Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brian J. Cole, Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was charged in a federal indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in the planting of two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on January 5, 2021, at the headquarters of both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee in Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The federal indictment, which supersedes a prior federal indictment returned during the holidays by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury, charges Cole with interstate transportation of explosives and with malicious attempt to use explosives.
Joining in the announcement were U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
“Given that Cole crossed state lines and targeted the political leadership of both parties for which there is an inherent crime of federal jurisdiction, handling this in federal court is most proper,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The FBI and my office worked around the clock to ensure that this defendant is charged with the right crimes for his dangerous acts.”
On January 6, 2021, law enforcement discovered the IEDs near the DNC and RNC headquarters in Washington, D.C., both in close proximity to the U.S. Capitol. The same day Congress convened to certify the results of the 2020 election, and U.S. lawmakers were assembled nearby to carry out that constitutional duty.
Neither device detonated, and the U.S. Capitol Police were able to carry out a “render safe procedure” on the IEDs without incident.
According to a complaint filed on Dec. 3, 2025, Cole purchased multiple components consistent with those used to manufacture the two IEDs during 2019 and 2020, at several retailers in northern Virginia.
At approximately 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, multiple law enforcement agencies received reports of a suspected IEDs near the headquarters of the RNC in Washington, D.C. About 1:15 p.m. the same day, a second suspected IED was reported just a few blocks away near the headquarters of the DNC.
Video surveillance determined that the same individual placed the devices on the evening of January 5, 2021. The suspect had been wearing dark pants, a grey hooded sweatshirt, dark gloves, Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes, and a facemask that obscured the person’s face. The video showed the individual adjusting eyeglasses and carrying a backpack.
On January 5, 2021, about 7:10 p.m., Cole’s Nissan Sentra was observed driving past a License Plate Reader at the South Capitol Street exit from I-395 South, which is less than one-half mile from the location where the individual who placed the devices was first observed on foot near North Carolina and New Jersey Avenues, SE.
Cell phone records further show that Cole’s cell phone communicated with cell towers in the area of the RNC and DNC on January 5, 2021, between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. The FBI’s Cellular Analysis and Survey Team determined that the location of Cole’s cell phone during this period corresponded with the path of the suspect identified by the FBI through analysis of video from that day.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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coleb_indictment_26cr1_20260106pdf.pdfBigfork man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for cyberstalkingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Bigfork man who threatened and harassed his victim through text messages was sentenced today to 46 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jeremiah Daniel Starr, 25, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of cyberstalking.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
“Protecting victims from harassment and stalking in this highly technical age is a growing concern, particularly in cases like this, where the defendant caused emotional distress to the victim for many years and even discharged a firearm at one point as part of his elaborate ruse. I want to thank the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff in our office, and our partners at the FBI, for their hard work on this case.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
“The defendant exploited the anonymity of the internet to harass and intimidate the victim, inflicting lasting fear and emotional harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. “This case reflects the FBI’s extensive and persistent investigative efforts to protect the victim and hold the offender fully accountable.”
The government alleged in court documents that Jane Doe received threatening and harassing text messages from an unknown sender for almost three years. The culprit was not a stranger. Rather, it was Jane Doe’s “best friend,” Jeremiah Starr. When sending the messages by his cellular telephone, Starr masked his identity by using more than 50 unique phone numbers and a NordVPN, which required the FBI to analyze over 1,100 distinct IP addresses.
On February 9, 2025, Starr used a firearm during the offense. Jane Doe was sleeping, and Starr pretended to “return” fire at individuals Starr alleged shot into Jane Doe’s apartment. None of that was true. Instead, Starr used a firearm to shoot rounds into the apartment and shot rounds outside the apartment as well. Starr lied about the shooting to harass Jane Doe and make her continue to think she was in danger. Jane Doe told investigators Starr’s harassment was unbearable and caused her significant emotional distress.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
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