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6 January 2026
Big Island Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Vernon Santiago, 45, of Mountain View, Hawaii, pled guilty yesterday in federal court to possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and an unlawful user of controlled substances. Sentencing is set for April 22, 2026 before United States District Judge Jill Otake.
According to court records, Santiago has a prior federal felony conviction from 2005 for unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition as an unlawful user of controlled substances, for which he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. In January 2024, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Santiago’s residence. After law enforcement announced their presence, Santiago jumped out of a window while carrying a backpack and fled. He then threw the backpack into bushes in an attempt to conceal it from law enforcement. The backpack contained two firearms, a stolen Colt Government Model .45 caliber pistol and a Ruger P85 9mm pistol, along with ammunition and magazines.
Santiago faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a three-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hawaii Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Belmont Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Belmont man was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for three counts of possessing child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced John Haynes, 28, to 120 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Haynes pleaded guilty on August 5, 2024.
According to court records, between March 2022 and November 2023, Haynes possessed child pornography he had downloaded from the internet on four separate cell phones. Some of the images depicted prepubescent children under the age of 12. He was subject to enhanced penalties due to a prior state conviction for sexual misconduct with a child under 14.
The FBI 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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Angelina County man sentenced for $9 million fraud schemeRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Lufkin man has been sentenced for federal violations related to a fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Matthew Jess Thrash, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on January 6, 2026. Thrash was also ordered to pay restitution of $8,100,024.
According to information presented in court, in December 2020, law enforcement received a report of suspected fraud. An investigation revealed Thrash obtained over $9 million from over 100 victims through fraudulent means, including sports related investment schemes; a Las Vegas cannabis store scheme; and loans from victims. Thrash also fraudulently obtained money by applying for COVID relief loans to which he was not entitled, including a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The PPP was a Small Business Administration program that provided forgivable loans to qualifying entities. Thrash did not invest or use the fraudulently obtained funds for the intended purposes. Instead, he used the money to gamble, pay personal expenses, and to repay other victims to avoid detection.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Lufkin Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety in Lufkin, and the Lufkin Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Gaston.
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5 January 2026
U.S. Attorney’s Office Observes National Human Trafficking Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
In recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming affirms its continued commitment to work with federal, state, and local partners to combat human trafficking, protecting vulnerable victims, supporting survivors, and preventing the proliferation of these horrific crimes.
“Whether it’s forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking, human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for profit, and it has no place in today’s society,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith “We remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting traffickers within the borders of Wyoming.”
The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to bringing human traffickers to justice, dismantling human trafficking enterprises, and protecting human trafficking survivors.
Human Trafficking Prevention Month serves as an annual reminder of the importance of the fight against the abhorrent crime of human trafficking, but the Justice Department’s work continues every day of the year to combat this vicious crime, bring human traffickers to justice, and protect those at risk of falling prey to these unconscionable crimes of cruelty, exploitation, and greed.
Since passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, nearly a quarter of a century ago, the Department of Justice has served on the front lines of our nation’s fight against human trafficking in all its forms.
Today, we commemorate National Human Trafficking Prevention Month by redoubling our commitment to continue that fight.
Anyone who has information about a potential human trafficking situation or a person who may be experiencing human trafficking should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
Information on the Justice Department’s work to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking
Teledyne Electronic Safety Products Agrees to Pay $1.5M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving the Sale of Non-Conforming Parts to the Department of DefenseRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced that Teledyne RISI Inc., also known as Teledyne Electronic Safety Products (Teledyne ESP), an aerospace and defense electronics company based in Chatsworth, California, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by supplying aircraft parts to the military that did not meet contract specifications.
The settlement resolves allegations that Teledyne ESP, as a subcontractor for U.S. Navy contracts, knowingly caused false claims to be submitted to the U.S. Navy in connection with its manufacture of Digital Recovery Sequencer (DRS) units containing a microelectronic part that did not conform with the specifications reviewed and approved by the Navy. DRS units were a component of ejection seat systems used by various types of military aircraft. Teledyne ESP allegedly obtained the non-conforming parts from a third-party broker that was neither an Original Equipment Manufacturer nor an authorized re-seller of the part. The DRS units with the alleged non-conforming part were delivered to the Navy between November 2011 and June 2012 and installed as part of ejection seat systems in military aircraft.
“Our military aviators rely on defense supply chains to provide them with equipment that they can depend on, even in the most difficult conditions,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who supply equipment to the U.S. military that does not conform to the contract specifications.”
“Our military should not only expect the correct, conforming parts for the equipment they need to serve and defend our country, they deserve that proper equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to support this multi-agency investigation to protect our servicemembers from risks introduced by non-conforming parts in our military supply chains.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General (OIG), remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD supply chain,” said Special Agent-in-Charge John E. Helsing of the DoD-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “Non-conforming parts in the DoD supply chain presents a risk to our warfighters and threaten our Nation’s security.”
“The Air Force Office of Special Investigations remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the warfighter by rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse in the defense supply chain,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Southeast Field Office. “Today’s $1.5 million settlement demonstrates that AFOSI, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our Department of Justice, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Air Force Materiel Command partners, will aggressively pursue and hold accountable any contractor that fails to meet contract requirements that protect the safety and readiness of U.S. military personnel.”
In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Teledyne ESP took a number of significant steps entitling them to credit for cooperation with the government’s investigation, including identifying witnesses and facilitating their interviews; and providing investigative updates to the United States and other customers, including through the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program. Teledyne ESP received credit under the Department of Justice’s guidelines in Justice Manual § 4-4.112 for taking cooperation into account in cases involving False Claims Act allegations.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, DCIS, AF OSI, and the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office, Procurement Fraud Division. This matter was handled by Fraud Section attorney Richard W. Hagner and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Leventis for the District of South Carolina.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Syrian Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social SecurityRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Syrian man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge stemming from his theft of thousands of dollars of Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Rodriguez, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
Samer Succar, a naturalized United States citizen who resides in his native country of Syria, entered a guilty plea this morning, before United States District Judge Gershwin A. Drain, to one count of Theft of Government Funds.
According to court records, the monies were paid out by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to Succar in his capacity as Representative Payee for his mother’s SSI benefits. Under the provisions of the Social Security Act, Succar was required to notify the SSA of any changes that may affect his mother’s eligibility for SSI, including whether she left the United States for a full calendar month or 30 consecutive days. Instead, for more than twenty years, Succar knowingly and intentionally concealed from and made false statements to the SSA about his mother’s foreign travel and residency, in order to obtain her SSI benefits. Specifically, Succar provided that he and his mother resided together at homes located in Michigan, when in fact, neither he nor his mother had resided in the United States since at least September 2022 and September 2003, respectively.
“This thief lied about himself and his mother so that he could live in Syria on the back of the hardworking American taxpayer. Americans fund Social Security for our benefit. And Americans are sick and tired of people like this ripping off our country,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said.
“By hiding his mother’s relocation outside the United States, Samer Succar knowingly continued to collect SSI benefits he was not entitled to receive,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Rodriguez, SSA OIG, Chicago Field Division. “This was a calculated deception, and those who abuse programs designed to support vulnerable individuals will be held accountable.”
Succar entered into a plea agreement, as a part of which he agreed to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration in the amount of $190,825.00. A sentencing hearing has been set for April 22, 2026, at 11 am.
This case was investigated by special agents of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Corinne M. Lambert.
Research Company to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Charles River Laboratories, Inc. (CRL), successor by merger to Explora Biolabs Holdings, Inc., has agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that Explora engaged in the unlawful manufacturing and distribution of controlled substances between 2019 and 2022 in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). CRL also entered into a separate agreement with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that contains provisions to ensure the company’s compliance with the CSA over the next three years.
Explora, a provider of contract vivarium research services, was previously registered with the DEA for its facilities in South San Francisco and San Diego. Both facilities held Researcher registrations, which generally do not authorize the manufacture or distribution of controlled substances.
The United States alleges that Explora nevertheless engaged in those activities at its South San Francisco and San Diego facilities without the appropriate registration. Based on its investigation, the United States contends that Explora unlawfully manufactured and distributed controlled substances in at least 178 instances, in violation of provisions of the CSA that closely regulate the manufacture, distribution, dispensation, importation, and exportation of controlled substances, and that Explora also violated multiple recordkeeping requirements of the CSA.
The United States alleges that CRL has successor liability for Explora’s violations of the CSA, but does not allege that CRL itself violated the CSA.
“Entities that exceed the scope of their DEA license can expect heightened investigative scrutiny and severe civil penalties,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “This Office remains committed to working with the DEA to ensure that registrants who do not comply with the Controlled Substances Act are held accountable.”
“We expect companies utilizing a DEA researcher registration to adhere to the parameters of its permitted practices. This case shows that we will aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate the scope of their lawful activities. Research is not an excuse to violate the law,” said San Francisco Division DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “Explora’s violations of the Act were on over 150 separate occasions. The DEA is committed to protecting our communities and ensuring lawful scientific research.”
“DEA registrants play a critical role in protecting the public and that responsibility starts with strict compliance to the Code of Federal Regulations,” said San Diego Division DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “When or if a company chooses to ignore these obligations, it puts communities at risk and undermines the safeguards designed to keep the public safe. DEA holds registrants accountable and in turn, expects them to keep the public safe.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pyle handled this matter for the government. The investigation and settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, and DEA Diversion Investigators in San Francisco and San Diego.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Pilot Mountain Woman Sentenced for Bank EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Pilot Mountain woman was sentenced today to 21 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for bank embezzlement, announced Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
Sarah Wilson, aka Sarah Cannoy, age 28, pleaded guilty on August 4, 2025, to three counts of embezzlement by a bank employee. In addition to prison time and supervised release, Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. also ordered Wilson to pay restitution totaling $150,450.
According to court documents, Wilson was a teller at the Pilot Mountain branch of First Citizens Bank when, from December 2023 through May 2024, she stole $150,450 in cash from her teller drawer. To hide her theft, she entered numerous fraudulent transactions into the Bank’s computer system – fraudulent buy/sell transactions associated with the bank’s vault and fraudulent withdrawal transactions from the accounts of two elderly customers, then 89-years old and 90-years old, with whom Wilson was familiar. When the 89-year-old customer asked Wilson about the suspicious account activity, she told him the account looked fine. By then, Wilson’s fraudulent entries had effectively depleted his savings and certificate of deposit accounts by $59,700. She moved on to the 90-year-old customer’s certificate of deposit account, effectively depleting it by $42,650. An audit in late May 2024 revealed an imbalance with Wilson’s teller drawer. The bank launched an investigation and discovered the extent of Wilson’s criminal conduct. The bank terminated Wilson and made the customers whole.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine.
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Ocala Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jean-Marie Lubin Celestin, 31, of Ocala, Florida, was sentenced to serve eight years and six months in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners are committed to eradicating drug traffickers from our communities, and my office will continue to back up excellent investigations like this one with successful prosecutions to send these peddlers of poisonous drugs to federal prison. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe streets and drug-free communities, and that is exactly what we will deliver.”
According to court records, the defendant previously supplied pounds of methamphetamine to a drug trafficker operating in the area of Crawfordville, Florida. Law enforcement conducted an investigation wherein the defendant delivered approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, resulting in both his arrest and seizure of the narcotics. The defendant had prior state convictions in Florida, Georgia, and Missouri, and had only been released from the Florida Department of Corrections 15 months prior to his arrest in this case.
“This sentence sends a clear message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated in Wakulla County,” said Sheriff Jared F. Miller. “Methamphetamine destroys lives, families, and entire communities. I commend our Deputies and our federal partners for their hard work on this case and thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for holding this offender accountable. Working together, we will continue to target those who bring dangerous drugs into our community and do everything possible to keep Wakulla County safe.”
“Methamphetamine is a poison that destroys lives and tears at the fabric of our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingengo. “This recidivist criminal repeatedly chose personal gain and profit by pushing these dangerous narcotics into our neighborhoods, putting countless lives at risk, and contributing to the cycle of addiction and crime. Alongside our partners, we’re committed to protecting the public and holding those who traffic in these deadly substances accountable.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody and Former Assistant United States Attorney Harley W. Ferguson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The 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.
Natrona Heights Felon Charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Myles Daryl Johnson, 44, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about December 11, 2025, Johnson, as a convicted felon, possessed firearms and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tarentum Borough Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man charged federally for vandalizing Vice President Vance’s Cincinnati home, assaulting federal officerRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The man who allegedly vandalized Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home now faces several federal charges related to the incident.
William D. DeFoor, 26, is charged by criminal complaint with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.
According to an affidavit filed this afternoon in support of the criminal complaint, around midnight, United States Secret Service (USSS) agents observed DeFoor running along the front fence of the protected residence. DeFoor allegedly breached the property line at the driveway and attempted to break the driver’s side window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle blocking the driveway entrance. DeFoor was armed with a hammer.
DeFoor allegedly refused law enforcement commands to stop and drop the weapon. Charging documents state DeFoor ignored all commands and began to use the hammer to break glass windows across the front of the protected residence. DeFoor’s hammer strikes also caused damage to the enhanced security assets on each window owned by the United States government and valued at more than $28,000.
The defendant allegedly attempted to flee on foot and was detained by USSS agents and Cincinnati police officers.
Causing more than $1,000 in damage to United States property and engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds are each federal crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Rees, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, and Cincinnati Police Acting Chief Adam Hennie announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Littleton Man Indicted for Filing $3 Million in False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Anthony Dattilo, 34, of Littleton, was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of wire fraud, three counts of false claims, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
According to the indictment, Dattilo devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from the United States Department of Treasury, namely the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), by making false statements on tax returns which he filed with the IRS. Those false returns caused the IRS to refund Dattilo more than $3 million.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Neff.
Case Number: 25-cr-00345-SKC
La Motte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sending Threatening Text Messages and Possessing an Unregistered Short-Barreled Rifle and SilencerRead the Press Release
A man who sent multiple threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend and who possessed an unregistered short-barreled rifle and silencer was sentenced today to five years in federal prison.
Steven Michael Conroy, age 34, from La Motte, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 9, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.
In a plea agreement, Conroy admitted that, following a child support hearing on July 19, 2024, he sent threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend. In some of the messages, Conroy said that he wanted to “pay the child support in lead and flesh,” he told her that her “days are numbered,” and he threatened to shoot her if he ever saw her again. In another text message, Conroy sent her a photograph of himself with a gun. Later that same day, as Conroy was driving towards his ex‑girlfriend’s home in Minnesota, Conroy sent additional threatening text messages to her, including that he would be seeing her and her “bodyguard police officer very soon” and asking if the officer’s “plates are rated for level 4.” On July 22, 2024, officers searched Conroy’s home in La Motte, Iowa. During the search, officers found multiple firearms, including a short-barreled rifle that was not properly registered to Conroy. An unregistered homemade silencer was attached to the short‑barreled rifle.
Conroy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Conroy was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Conroy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Jackson County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa State Patrol, the Sabula, Iowa, Police Department, and the Winona County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1036.
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Justice Department Sues to Revoke Naturalized Citizenship of Individual Facing a War Crimes Arrest Warrant in BosniaRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Sead Miljkovic also known as Sead Dukic, who hid his true identity to come to the United States in 1996 and, ultimately, to naturalize as a U.S. citizen in 2007. Among other facts, Miljkovic failed to disclose to immigration authorities that he had used more than one name and had listed more than one date and place of birth, more than one name for his father, and more than one woman as his wife in his various applications.
Miljkovic is a former member of the security forces of the short-lived Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB), who was subject to an arrest warrant issued by a court in Bosnia for war crimes against civilians when the U.S. Government granted him naturalized citizenship.
“This Administration will not permit aliens to come to this country and hide their past to acquire the precious gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Decades might pass, but when we find you, we will take action.”
The warrant, issued on Jan. 23, 2007, led to an INTERPOL Red Notice alleging that, on June 18, 1994, and while acting as a member of the APZB security forces, Miljkovic physically mistreated civilians who were opposed to the APZB government. According to the Red Notice, Miljkovic and accomplices beat twelve civilians with wooden bats and locked them in a morgue for five days without access to light or water. Miljkovic has not yet appeared before a Bosnian court on these charges.
This case is being civilly prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, after investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Former Doctor Sentenced for Stealing Identity to Apply for Medical JobsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Monday sentenced a former doctor who sought medical employment using a stolen identity to 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Angela K. Boston sought employment on the medical staff of the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority in Oklahoma in April of 2023 by stealing the identity of a St. Louis doctor. Boston submitted forged diplomas with the doctor’s name and a forged State of Missouri medical license with her application. The victim then discovered that Boston had sought employment elsewhere using her name and personal information.
Boston was indicted as Angela Williams but has since married.
In a sentencing memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll wrote that the doctor victimized by Boston was the same doctor whose identity she had previously misused to illegally obtain controlled substances. Carroll said Boston spent years victimizing someone who has done nothing wrong.
Boston, now 40 and living in Kansas, pleaded guilty in 2020 to a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery. She admitted using her own prescription pad to write and sign numerous prescriptions for controlled substances using other persons’ names, including prescriptions for the painkillers hydrocodone and oxycodone. Williams then posed as a patient to fill the prescriptions. She also fraudulently used another doctor’s prescription pad, name, and Drug Enforcement Administration number to write herself additional controlled substance prescriptions.
“When a fraudster steals the identity of a physician to secure medical employment, the integrity of our health care system and the safety and well-being of patients are put at risk,” stated Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to thoroughly investigate health care fraud to protect taxpayer-funded health care programs and the many millions of Americans who depend on them.”
Williams pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October to one count of identity theft.
The HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Case Related to Seizure of over 12 Pounds of Methamphetamine in KalamazooRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Brandon Lemar Baines, 36, from Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over 12 pounds of methamphetamine.
According to court records, on January 23, 2025, officers with the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), a multijurisdictional narcotics enforcement team working in the Kalamazoo County area, stopped a van carrying over 12 pounds of methamphetamine as it returned from Detroit to Kalamazoo. The van was driven by Baines and investigators found the methamphetamine on the front passenger seat floorboard where co-defendant, Kerriem Ishmael Steveson, Jr., 30, from Kalamazoo, was sitting. On December 8, 2025, Stevenson was sentenced to over 15 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
KVET investigators had been monitoring Baines’ and Stevenson’s drug trafficking for months prior to the traffic stop. In the early morning of January 23, 2025, investigators also executed warrants at two Kalamazoo residences associated with the defendants and seized over 200 grams of fentanyl, a firearm, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia.
At the time of the traffic stop, Baines was on parole with the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) after serving a 54-month sentence for methamphetamine trafficking and a firearm offense and was released from prison less than a year before being caught with over 12 pounds of methamphetamine and over 200 grams of fentanyl.
A third defendant, Johnnie Montico McAllister, 30, from Kalamazoo, was also in the van at the time of the traffic stop. In his waistband, McAllister, a felon, possessed a loaded Glock 9mm pistol. He too was on parole with MDOC at the time of the offense after serving a seven-year sentence for armed robbery. McAllister was charged and convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to nearly three years in prison.
“Armed drug traffickers are destroying our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney VerHey. “My office will focus its resources on combatting those who threaten public safety by flooding our streets with guns and drugs.” “Those who have not learned their lessons from the state criminal justice system will face significant consequences in federal court as we continue to work closely with our exceptional state and local partners including KVET.”
“The DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, will be unwavering and relentless in our mission to dismantle the violent drug trafficking organizations that are poisoning our communities and threatening the safety of the American people. We will pursue them wherever they operate and bring every available resource to bear until these networks are dismantled,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon.
“The distribution of drugs continues to devastate our community by fueling addiction, crime, and long-term harm to families and neighborhoods. This investigation and conviction is just one example of how the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety continues to prioritize our community’s safety. I am thankful for the continued collaboration between our department and our federal law enforcement partners, who work to disrupt trafficking networks, protect residents, and stop the spread of this dangerous substance,” said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Assistant Chief David Juday
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and KVET. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vito S. Solitro.
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).
Federal Charges Filed Against Man for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor in PensacolaRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher W. Glover, 47, of Simms, Alabama, has been indicted in federal court on charges of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, and Traveling in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
At a detention hearing in federal court in Pensacola, evidence was presented that Glover communicated with who he believed to be a 14-year-old female and offered to pay her hundreds of dollars in return for sexual acts. It is alleged that Glover then traveled from Alabama, where he worked for the Baldwin County School District, to Pensacola to meet with the minor. The purported minor, however, was an undercover law enforcement officer. When Glover reached Pensacola to engage in the sexual acts with the minor, he was taken into custody. Glover remains detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending trial.
Glover is scheduled for trial before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on February 17, 2026.
If convicted, Glover faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ up to life imprisonment to be followed by supervised release and registration as a sexual offender.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Dominican Drug Supplier Operating from Abroad Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Dominican Drug Supplier Operating from Abroad Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy
CONCORD – A Dominican man pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Starlin Alexander Valdez De Los Santos, 35, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for April 16, 2026.
According to the charging documents, pleadings and statements made in court, during the course of the conspiracy, the defendant operated a significant drug distribution network, which involved coordination of suppliers and local distributors over an extended period and utilized sophisticated communication methods to avoid detection, all while residing outside the United States. The years-long investigation into the defendant’s activities resulted in the total seizure of more than 750 grams of fentanyl during eight undercover purchase operations in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl carries a sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years’ incarceration, not less than 4 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Hudson Police Department provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic assisted in securing the arrest and extradition of Valdez De Los Santos from the Dominican Republic. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
District of Arizona Charges 135 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Dec. 27 through Jan. 2, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 135 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 75 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 52 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 8 cases against 8 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Nolberto Erasmo Bojorquez-Chaparro. Bojorquez-Chaparro was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien, Dec. 29, 2025. According to the complaint, a Border Patrol agent received coordinates from an air unit of what appeared to be footprints for a group of five individuals. The Border Patrol agent located the footprints traveling south from the coordinates and followed the footprints to five subjects concealed in bushes and wearing camouflage clothing and carpet booties. Immigration checks confirmed that the five individuals were citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents determined Bojorquez-Chaparro was guiding the group through the desert. 25-02214MJ, Phoenix.
United States v. Omar Luna-Silva. Luna-Silva was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 1, 2026. Luna-Silva was previously removed from the United States on May 16, 2013, after being convicted of Possession of Dangerous Drugs for Sale, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Luna-Silva was sentenced to three years of probation. 26-3000MJ, Phoenix.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-001_January 5 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Dallas man sentenced for violent convenience store robberiesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Dallas man has been sentenced to federal prison for a violent crime spree in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Victor Heredia, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on January 5, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on November 6, 2023, Heredia robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store on N. Josey Lane in Carrollton. During the robbery, Heredia discharged a firearm into the ceiling of the store. The next day, Heredia robbed a 7-Eleven on E. Rosemead Parkway in Carrollton at gunpoint.
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 FBI and the Carrollton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Cuban National Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero, age 54, has been charged by indictment with two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon and one count of Assault on a Federal Officer, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
On the morning of December 21, 2025, ICE deportation officers attempted to arrest Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rodriguez Romero is a citizen of Cuba and subject to removal. Uniformed ICE agents initiated a traffic stop of Rodriguez. Rodriguez refused to obey commands and attempted to flee in his car. While fleeing, Rodriguez accelerated his car towards ICE officers who were on foot. Rodriguez sped away but soon hit two parked cars and lost control of his vehicle. ICE officers attempted to apprehend Rodriguez Romero a second time. Rodriguez Romero again accelerated his car towards officers, one of whom fired his weapon towards Rodriguez Romero. Rodriguez Romero struck one officer while trying to flee during this second attempt. When ICE officers apprehended Rodriguez Romero, he bit one of the officers, drawing blood. Two ICE officers were transported to the hospital, suffering from bruised ribs, a dislocated finger, and a bite wound.
Rodriguez Romero is detained pending a detention hearing. If convicted, he faces up to twenty years in prison on the charge of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Syngen Kanassatega 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.
Cleveland, MS Repeat Offender Sentenced for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Aberdeen, MS – A Cleveland man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for distribution of cocaine.
According to court documents, Anthony Williams, a/k/a “Big Ant”, 45, of was convicted of sale and distribution of cocaine. Williams was sentenced as a career offender having been previously convicted of two prior felony drug trafficking crimes.
Senior U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Williams to 151 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
“This defendant is a repeat offender who chose to continue to commit crimes in this district, and now he is paying the price,” stated U.S. Attorney Scott Leary. “We will continue to work with our partners to remove career criminals from our communities.”
“The distribution of illegal drugs that poison and destroy our communities will not be tolerated in Mississippi,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to dismantling drug trafficking operations and holding offenders accountable. The FBI would like to thank the DEA and the Cleveland Police Department for their partnership and commitment in apprehending offenders. The message is clear: if you distribute drugs in our communities, you will be apprehended and brought to justice.”
“Through the historic collaboration of the Homeland Security Task Force, we have removed a career drug trafficker from the streets of north Mississippi,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer, New Orleans Division. “This prosecution represents our unwavering commitment under Executive Order 14159 to protect our communities from the criminal elements that drive violence and exploit our borders.”
The FBI, Cleveland Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad M. Doleac prosecuted the case.
This operation and conviction 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 tin 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 Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, DEA and Cleveland Police Department with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Cleveland Man Charged in Postal Worker RobberyRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A Cuyahoga County man has been charged by criminal complaint with robbing a United States Postal Service (USPS) carrier while on her route.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and affidavit, on Dec. 29, a USPS letter carrier was robbed at gunpoint while delivering mail on West Long Street in Akron. The victim reported that several individuals wearing dark clothing and masks approached her and—under the threat of violence—demanded that she give them the postal keys. The assailants then stole several items, including her USPS satchel, multiple pieces of mail, and the postal vehicle keys before fleeing in a getaway car.
Later that afternoon, the getaway car was traced by police to a location on Kinsman Road in Cleveland, where a traffic stop was attempted. The driver, later identified as Delshawn Durval Legg, 19, of Cleveland, drove away from police at a high rate of speed and then fled on foot. Legg was subsequently apprehended following the deployment of a K9 unit. A second unidentified individual who was inside the car, remains at large. Investigators later learned that the getaway car was reported stolen from the Great Lakes Honda dealership in Akron earlier that day.
If convicted, Legg faces up to 10 years in prison for robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States; and using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Cleveland Field Office with assistance from the Akron Police Department, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cleveland Division of Police.
The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Rolph for the Northern District of Ohio.
The USPIS is the federal law enforcement arm of the postal service with jurisdiction for investigating crimes against postal carriers and crimes involving the U.S. Mail. Anyone having information about blue collection box thefts, or thefts or attempted thefts of mail carriers or mail, should contact USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. All information will be kept confidential.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Charlotte Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dominique Dunlap, 30, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of stolen mail, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison sentence, Dunlap was ordered to pay $1,650,921.70 as restitution.
Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) which oversees North Carolina, Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which overseas Charlotte, and Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
Dunlap’s wife and co-conspirator, Kiara Padgett, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and is awaiting sentencing. Dunlap’s other co-conspirator, Terrell Alexander Hager, Jr., was sentenced to three years in prison in connection to the scheme.
“I am sick and tired of checks being stolen from the mail,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson, “particularly where it is done internally by an employee. We will aggressively prosecute these cases to put an end to this crime.”
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from August 2021 to November 2022, Dunlap conspired with Padgett, Hager, and others to execute a scheme involving stolen checks. Padgett was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and used her position as a postal carrier to steal incoming and outgoing checks of businesses and individuals. Acting as an intermediary, Dunlap sold the stolen checks to Hager and other individuals. Court documents show that the total face value of checks stolen from Padgett’s postal routes was over $8.8 million.
On September 15, 2023, Dunlap pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of possession of stolen mail.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Adam L. Mildred Sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of IndianaRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Today, the Hon. Adam L. Mildred was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady. U.S. Attorney Mildred was nominated by President Donald J. Trump and then confirmed by the Senate on December 18, 2025.
U.S. Attorney (USA) Mildred is a native of Fort Wayne and a life-long Hoosier. After graduating from Concordia Lutheran High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Ball State University and his Juris Doctor from IU’s Maurer School of Law. Mr. Mildred then spent his entire career as a professional prosecutor. Over 28 years of service in Allen and Noble Counties, he prosecuted and tried over 200 cases, including homicides, armed robberies, drug crimes, and other serious felonies. He also served in several leadership roles, including two years of service as Chief Deputy of the Noble County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Over his decades of service, USA Mildred has lent his talents to numerous other institutions in Fort Wayne and beyond. Until recently, he served as an Executive Board Member on the Indiana Association of Certified Accident Investigators. He has served as an Adjunct Criminal Law and Procedure Instructor at the Fort Wayne Police Department and Northeast Indiana Public Safety Academy. And he has long served in leadership roles in various civic groups.
“It is an honor to assume the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said USA Mildred. “During my time as a state prosecutor, I saw firsthand the kind of devastation that crime can cause our communities. I am humbled that President Trump and the U.S. Senate have placed their trust in me to use the powers of federal law enforcement to bring to justice anyone who would prey on our fellow Hoosiers. During my watch, this office will work closely with its state, local, and federal partners to prosecute any and all cartel members, terrorists, drug dealers, child sexual predators, immigration offenders, or violent criminals who violate federal law. I am confident that our efforts will protect the public safety, uphold the rule of law, and ensure that all citizens’ civil rights are safeguarded. My thanks go out to everyone who worked to give me this opportunity, and especially my family.”
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2 January 2026
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 72 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 72 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On December 29, Kara Elizabeth Pasco, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 35 packages of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl concealed in the quarter panels, floors and back driver seat of her vehicle as she tried to cross into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On December 27, Carlos Mata, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents found Mata hiding in the bushes in an area north of the border near Otay Mesa. The defendant was previously deported in November 2025.
- On December 28, Francisco Javier Hernandez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents encountered Hernandez and other undocumented immigrants hiding in thick brush near the border to evade the agents. The agents determined that Hernandez was guiding the others.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Thirty-Four Illegal Aliens Convicted of Immigration, False Document OffensesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, PENSACOLA, & TALLAHASSEE – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced today that thirty-four illegal aliens were recently convicted of federal crimes, including thirty-one previously deported aliens convicted for illegal reentry into the United States. One of those previously deported illegal aliens was also convicted of false document crimes.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “We are a nation of laws, and my office is firmly committed to enforcing those laws by aggressively prosecuting violations. The Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America delivers on the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will not tolerate those who violate our nation’s laws, and we will deploy the full resources of the federal government to keep our borders secure and our communities safe.”
According to court records, thirty-one defendants had each been previously removed due to being unlawfully present in the country and thereafter illegally reentered without seeking the necessary permission or approval from the United States. The illegal aliens convicted since September 2025 include:
- Jose Victor Aguilar Zelaya, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in July 2010. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on March 5, 2025.
- Elin Itay Martinez-Lemus a/k/a Carlos Mauricio Arita-Lemus, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in December 2011 and August 2012. He was encountered in Escambia County on March 15, 2025.
- Joel Nahum Sanchez Montoya, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in October 2006. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on May 6, 2025.
- Omar Jimenez-Salinas, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in June 2014. He was encountered in Escambia County on May 29, 2025.
- Narciso Oswaldo Moreno-Zepeda, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in June 2014. He was encountered in Escambia County on June 26, 2025.
- Eusebio Lizardi-Bautista, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in February 2014. He was encountered in Escambia County on July 7, 2025.
- Ivan Reyes-Andrade, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in August 2011 and April 2015. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on August 1, 2025.
- Orlando Raudales-Banegas, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in August 2010. He was encountered in Okaloosa County in August of 2025.
- Salvador Rodriguez-Rojas, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in October 2015 and November 2016. He was encountered in Escambia County on August 23, 2025.
- Denis Arnaldo Mendoz-Martinez, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in April 2012, February 2016, December 2018, and October 2019. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on September 2, 2025.
- Marin Mendez Vasquez, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in September 2007, November 2008, and July 2010. He was encountered in Alachua County on September 5, 2025.
- Pedro Lopez Calderon, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in January 2010, March 2017, and March 2018 and November 2016. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on September 16, 2025.
- Darwin Noe Ramirez-Guillen, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in October 2014. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on September 23, 2025.
- Jonathan Callejas-Callejas, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in July 2018. He was encountered in Escambia County on September 25, 2025.
- Jose Bernardino Varillas-Morales, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in December 2019 and January 2020. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on September 26, 2025.
- Mateo Linares-Aparicio, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in September 2014. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on September 29, 2025.
- Selvin Ramos Vasquez, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in April 2015 and July 2015. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on October 3, 2025.
- Jose Gilberto Vasquez Martinez, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in December 2010, November 2011, and February 2024. He was encountered in Leon County on October 8, 2025.
- Agustin Bello Rodriguez, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in April 2021. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on October 8, 2025.
- Marvin Arenas-Beltran, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in February 2017. He was encountered in Leon County on October 9, 2025.
- Bulfrano Tamayo-Rodriguez, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in August 2006 and April 2015. He was encountered in Leon County on October 9, 2025.
- German Aleman, a citizen of El Salvador, who was previously removed in September 2009, August 2011, and January 2013. He was encountered in Leon County on October 9, 2025.
- Jose Del Carmen Perez-Gomez, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in May 2022. He was encountered in Escambia County on October 14, 2025.
- Eduardo Ramirez-Francisco, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in March 2019. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on October 16, 2025.
- Edin Francisco Trinidad-Moradel, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in February 2019. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on October 16, 2025.
- Yunior Johel Vasquez-Garcia, a citizen of Honduras, who was previously removed in January 2016. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on October 25, 2025.
- Alberto Reyes-Monroy, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in October 2016. He was encountered in Bay County on October 29, 2025.
- Jose Alvarado Lopez, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in June and August 2019. He was encountered in Bay County on October 29, 2025.
- Basilio Coxcahua-Arohua, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in January 2015 and twice in March 2018. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on October 29, 2025.
- Roberto Rios-Narvaez, a Mexican national, who was previously removed in December 2010. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on November 6, 2025.
Four aliens were also convicted of false document crimes. They included:
- Celso Javier Melgar, a citizen of Panama.
- Luis Maldonado, a citizen of Guatemala.
- Gustavo Adolfo Ramirez-Guillen, a citizen of Honduras.
- Flavio Bernardo-Padilla, a Mexican national. Bernardo-Padilla was also convicted of illegal reentry based on his unlawful return after his prior removal in November 2018.
“The enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws is essential to maintaining the integrity of our borders and the rule of law,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations acting Field Office Director Kelei Walker. “Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
“Bringing to justice those who not only reenter the United States illegally after they have been previously deported, but also commit document fraud, is critical to protecting the integrity of our nation’s legal and financial systems,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “The enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws relies on thorough investigation and strong partnerships, and these convictions demonstrate our commitment to holding accountable those who take their violations to the next level by attempting to deceive authorities with false documents.”
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, with assistance from several state and local partners. Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke A. DiSalvo, Jessica S. Etherton, Alicia H. Forbes, Adam Hapner, Eric Mountin, Walter Narramore, Christopher C. Patterson, Joseph Ravelo, Jeffrey M. Tharp, and Former Assistant United States Attorneys Harley W. Ferguson and Jenna H. Callahan prosecuted the cases.
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.
Final weeks of 2025 bring another 401 individuals facing charges in border security-related mattersRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 399 cases have been filed related to border enforcement efforts in the Southern District of Texas from Dec. 19 - Jan 2, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The cases include 19 people allegedly engaged in human smuggling. Charges were also filed against 146 individuals accused of illegal entry and 230 others who allegedly reentered the country after prior removal. Many already have felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other cases include allegations regarding firearms and other immigration crimes.
Several of those charged with felony reentry include men from the countries of Mexico, Honduras and Cuba - two that authorities had just allegedly removed from the United States less than one month before their apprehension. Charges allege Cuban national Armando David Naranjo-Alemany and Melvin Antonio Ramos-Avila, a Honduran national, had been removed Nov. 28, and Nov. 25, 2025, respectively. However, according to their criminal complaints, authorities discovered both men unlawfully in the South Texas area in the final weeks of December. Other individuals allegedly found in the country illegally were Ruben Jimenez-Garcia, Jose Raul Sotelo and German Garza-Velez, all of Mexico. Even though all had allegedly been previously removed from the United States, criminal complaints indicate they were back in the country illegally. Each man has a criminal history that includes convictions either related to controlled substances, such as methamphetamine or cocaine, burglary or illegal reentry, according to the charges.
Similarly, authorities also allegedly discovered a Mexican female in the Donna area with no permission to be there. Charges allege Eva Aidee Rodriguez-Rivera had been removed previously and was sentenced to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
If convicted of the illegal reentry charges, all face up to 20 years in federal prison.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Federal Judge Sentences Elizabeth City Career Offender After Trial ConvictionRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A U.S. Federal Judge sentenced Charles Lamont Gregory, III, a 36-year-old man from Elizabeth City to 14 years in prison after a jury convicted him on all counts related to an August 2022 traffic stop. Officers found a bag of crack and a gun hidden in his car, just four months after his release from a 12-year state prison sentence for armed robbery. The federal jury found him guilty on June 10, 2025.
“Career criminals will not escape justice when federal prosecutors team up with local police departments such as the fine men and women of the Elizabeth City Police Department,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Let me be clear: if you continue committing crimes, especially after being punished repeatedly by the State with no deterrent effect, we will find you, we will convict you at trial, we will lock you up, and we will keep our cities safe from unrepentant repeat offenders like Gregory.”
“We will continue to arrest individuals who insist on selling poison in our community. We want to put you on notice: if you choose to commit crimes in Elizabeth City, we will arrest you and collaborate with our federal partners to prosecute you at the federal level,” said Elizabeth City Police Chief Eddie Graham, Jr.
“There is an absolute connection between drug dealing and gun violence in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “A firearm in the hands of a drug dealer and felon is a serious danger, and ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything possible to apprehend those that pose these threats to our communities.”
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Gregory was driving a car with expired tags in the early morning hours of August 7, 2022. An Elizabeth City Police Officer on patrol spotted the car and stopped it. Gregory delayed stopping, making several turns, the last of which was into a gas station parking lot. As Gregory finally turned into the gas station, the officer saw him throw a yellow bag out of the window. Officers retrieved the bag and discovered eight individually wrapped baggies of lab-confirmed crack cocaine. Each baggie containing about 1.5 grams and packaged for easy distribution. Officers also located a loaded gun in the vehicle's glove compartment. After a two-day trial, a federal jury convicted Gregory of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with the intent to distribute crack, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Jermaine Sellers prosecuted the case. The Elizabeth City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 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 No. 2:23-CR-00014.
FBI Disrupts Alleged New Year’s Eve Attack, Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced that a Mint Hill, North Carolina man that allegedly planned to use knives and hammers to execute a deadly New Year’s Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The criminal complaint was filed on Dec. 31, 2025, and was unsealed today after Christian Sturdivant, 18, appeared in federal court in Charlotte.
“This successful collaboration between federal and local law enforcement saved American lives from a horrific terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice remains vigilant in our pursuit of evil ISIS sympathizers — anyone plotting to commit such depraved attacks will face the full force of the law.”
“The accused allegedly wanted to be a soldier for ISIS and made plans to commit a violent attack on New Year’s Eve in support of that terrorist group, but the FBI and our partners put a stop to that,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “It is essential to work closely with our law enforcement partners and to quickly share information about potential threats, as demonstrated in this case. The message from the FBI is clear — anyone who supports ISIS or other terrorist groups cannot hide and will be held accountable in our justice system.”
“As alleged, Sturdivant aspired to become a ‘martyr’ for ISIS and was in the final stages of planning a mass-casualty attack on New Year’s Eve. Notes recovered from his home appear to reflect intent to harm as many people as possible and terrorize the Nation,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “We commend the extraordinary work of our partners in neutralizing this threat.”
“Americans deserve to celebrate New Year’s Eve without worrying about their personal safety,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “That is why we worked non-stop to thwart this alleged violent terrorist attack. I am proud of the work done here and thankful for the time spent by law enforcement away from their families during the holidays to ensure public safety.”
“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people, and this case demonstrates our dedication to do everything we can to protect the residents of North Carolina,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “We worked closely with the Department of Justice, NYPD, Mint Hill Police Department, and our FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force partners to investigate and disrupt this serious threat of a violent attack. We will never stop working to hold people accountable who seek to harm and terrorize our community.”
“Christian Sturdivant allegedly swore allegiance to an international terrorist organization and plotted deadly attacks in its name,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “But the New York City Police Department has a long reach, and our undercover cybersecurity investigators once again identified threats of extremist behavior and thwarted them before they could be carried out. Public safety knows no borders, and we will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and hold accountable anyone who seeks to spread fear and violence.”
“Now more than ever, partnerships between law enforcement agencies are paramount,” said Chief Joseph Hatley of the Mint Hill Police Department. “This disruption is a testament to all involved, working as one to thwart an attack and hold accountable anyone planning such a horrific act of violence against our community.”
According to allegations in the arrest affidavit, on Dec. 18, 2025, the FBI in Charlotte received information that an individual later identified as Sturdivant was making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. In early December 2025, Sturdivant posted an image depicting two miniature figurines of Jesus with the on-screen text that read, “May Allah curse the cross worshipers.” The post is allegedly consistent with ISIS’s rhetoric calling for the extermination of all non-believers, including Christians, Jews, and Muslims who do not agree with ISIS’s extreme ideology.
Sturdivant’s social media post in early December 2025The criminal complaint alleges that on or about Dec. 12, 2025, Sturdivant began communicating with an online covert employee, or “OC,” whom Sturdivant thought was an ISIS member. Sturdivant told the OC, “I will do jihad soon,” and proclaimed he was “a soldier of the state,” meaning ISIS. On Dec. 14, 2025, Sturdivant allegedly sent an online message to the OC with an image of two hammers and a knife. This is significant because an article in the 2016 issue of ISIS’s propaganda magazine promoted the use of knives to conduct terror attacks in western countries. The same article inspired actual attacks in other countries. Later, Sturdivant told the OC that he planned to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina. Sturdivant also told the OC about his plans to purchase a firearm to use along with the knives during the attack, according to the arrest affidavit.
Dec. 14, 2025, Sturdivant’s online message to undercover law enforcement with image of two hammers and a knifeIn addition, on Dec. 19, 2025, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC a voice recording of Sturdivant pledging “Bayat,” a loyalty oath to ISIS.
On Dec. 29, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Sturdivant’s residence, where they discovered handwritten documents, one of which was titled “New Years Attack 2026.” The document listed items such as a vest, mask, tactical gloves, and two knives allegedly to be used in the attack. It also described a goal of stabbing as many civilians as possible, with the total number of victims to be as high as 20 to 21. The note also included a section labeled as “martyrdom op,” that described a plan to attack police responding to the site of the attack so Sturdivant would die a martyr.
Handwritten document titled “New Years Attack 2026”The complaint alleges that Sturdivant lived with a relative, who secured knives and hammers away so Sturdivant could not use them for harm. Yet, law enforcement seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a blue hammer, a wooden handled hammer, and two butcher knives which appeared hidden underneath the defendant’s bed. These items appear to be the same as the ones depicted in the online message Sturdivant previously sent to the OC.
Items seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom on Dec. 29, 2025, pursuant to a federal search warrantLaw enforcement also seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a list of targets, as well as tactical gloves and a vest, acquired as part of the defendant’s planned attack.
Additional items seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom acquired for the alleged planned attackSturdivant remains in federal custody. If convicted, Sturdivant faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine the ultimate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the assistance of the NYPD, additional FBI Field Offices, and the Mint Hill Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Gleason for the Western District of North Carolina and DOJ Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The charges against the defendant are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
FBI Disrupts Alleged New Year's Even Attack, Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Mint Hill man that allegedly planned to use knives and hammers to execute a deadly New Year’s Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal complaint was filed on December 31, 2025, and was unsealed today after Christian Sturdivant, 18, appeared in federal court in Charlotte.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
“This successful collaboration between federal and local law enforcement saved American lives from a horrific terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice remains vigilant in our pursuit of evil ISIS sympathizers — anyone plotting to commit such depraved attacks will face the full force of the law.”
“The accused allegedly wanted to be a soldier for ISIS and made plans to commit a violent attack on New Year’s Eve in support of that terrorist group, but the FBI and our partners put a stop to that,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “It is essential to work closely with our law enforcement partners and to quickly share information about potential threats, as demonstrated in this case. The message from the FBI is clear—anyone who supports ISIS or other terrorist groups cannot hide and will be held accountable in our justice system.”
"As alleged, Sturdivant aspired to become a ‘martyr’ for ISIS and was in the final stages of planning a mass-casualty attack on New Year’s Eve. Notes recovered from his home appear to reflect intent to harm as many people as possible and terrorize the Nation,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “We commend the extraordinary work of our partners in neutralizing this threat.”
“Americans deserve to celebrate New Year’s Eve without worrying about their personal safety,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “That is why we worked non-stop to thwart this alleged violent terrorist attack. I am proud of the work done here and thankful for the time spent by law enforcement away from their families during the holidays to ensure public safety.”
“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people, and this case demonstrates our dedication to do everything we can to protect the residents of North Carolina. We worked closely with the Department of Justice, NYPD, Mint Hill Police Department, and our FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force partners to investigate and disrupt this serious threat of a violent attack. We will never stop working to hold people accountable who seek to harm and terrorize our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Barnacle.
“Christian Sturdivant allegedly swore allegiance to an international terrorist organization and plotted deadly attacks in its name,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “But the New York City Police Department has a long reach, and our undercover cybersecurity investigators once again identified threats of extremist behavior and thwarted them before they could be carried out. Public safety knows no borders, and we will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and hold accountable anyone who seeks to spread fear and violence.”
“Now more than ever, partnerships between law enforcement agencies are paramount,” said Chief Joseph Hatley of the Mint Hill Police Department. “This disruption is a testament to all involved, working as one to thwart an attack and hold accountable anyone planning such a horrific act of violence against our community.”
According to allegations in the arrest affidavit, on December 18, 2025, the FBI in Charlotte received information that an individual later identified as Sturdivant was making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. In early December 2025, Sturdivant posted an image depicting two miniature figurines of Jesus with the on-screen text that read, “May Allah curse the cross worshipers.” The post is allegedly consistent with ISIS’s rhetoric calling for the extermination of all non-believers, including Christians, Jews, and Muslims who do not agree with ISIS’s extreme ideology.
Sturdivant’s social media post in early December 2025
The criminal complaint alleges that on or about December 12, 2025, Sturdivant began communicating with an online covert employee, or “OC,” whom Sturdivant thought was an ISIS member. Sturdivant told the OC, “I will do jihad soon,” and proclaimed he was “a soldier of the state,” meaning ISIS. On December 14, 2025, Sturdivant allegedly sent an online message to the OC with an image of two hammers and a knife. This is significant because an article in the 2016 issue of ISIS’s propaganda magazine promoted the use of knives to conduct terror attacks in western countries. The same article inspired actual attacks in other countries. Later, Sturdivant told the OC that he planned to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina. Sturdivant also told the OC about his plans to purchase a firearm to use along with the knives during the attack, according to the arrest affidavit.
December 14, 2025, Sturdivant’s online message to undercover law enforcement with image
of two hammers and a knife
In addition, on December 19, 2025, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC a voice recording of Sturdivant pledging “Bayat,” a loyalty oath to ISIS.
On December 29, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Sturdivant’s residence, where they discovered handwritten documents, one of which was titled “New Years Attack 2026.” The document listed items such as a vest, mask, tactical gloves, and two knives allegedly to be used in the attack. It also described a goal of stabbing as many civilians as possible, with the total number of victims to be as high as 20 to 21. The note also included a section labeled as “martyrdom op,” that described a plan to attack police responding to the site of the attack so Sturdivant would die a martyr.
Handwritten document titled “New Years Attack 2026”
The complaints alleges that Sturdivant lived with a relative, who secured knives and hammers away so Sturdivant could not use them for harm. Yet, law enforcement seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a blue hammer, a wooden handled hammer, and two butcher knives which appeared hidden underneath the defendant’s bed. These items appear to be the same as the ones depicted in the online message Sturdivant previously sent to the OC.
Items seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom on December 29, 2025,
pursuant to a federal search warrant
Law enforcement also seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a list of targets, as well as tactical gloves and a vest, acquired as part of the defendant’s planned attack.
Additional items seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom acquired
for the alleged planned attack
Sturdivant remains in federal custody. If convicted, Sturdivant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine the ultimate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the assistance of the NYPD, additional FBI Field Offices, the FBI Counterterrorism Division, and the Mint Hill Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Gleason for the Western District of North Carolina and DOJ Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat with the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The charges against the defendant are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eleven Indictments Returned in December for Previously Deported Illegal Aliens Identified in Recent Immigration Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA and TALLAHASSEE – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced that 11 previously deported illegal aliens have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States.
Juan Ramos Salgado, 49, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported in 2012. Trial is set for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Edgar Castaneda-Herrera, 45, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2006 and 2008. Plea and sentencing are set for January 14, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
Erlin Adonay Hernandez-Navas, 37, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in November 2025, after previously being deported three times in 2008, 2009 and 2014.
Carlos Sanchez-Mendez, 35, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported three times in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Plea and sentencing are set for January 14, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
Allan Josue Sanchez-Lozano, 28, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in November 2025, after previously being deported in 2016. Trial is set for February 17, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
Leobardo Gomez-Lopez, 41, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in November 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2016 and 2017. Plea and sentencing are set for January 22, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Jose Alberto Orozco-Sanchez, 45, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2019. Trial is set for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Nicolas Jorge-Garcia, 41, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported five times, including in 2007, three times in 2012, and again in 2015. Trial is set for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Andres Martin Valdivia Moran, 43, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in December 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2017 and 2019. Trial is set for February 17, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
Carlos H. Solorsano Castellanos, 35, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in December 2025, after previously being deported in 2014. Plea and sentencing are set for January 22, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Kevin A. Perez-Portillo, 31, of El Salvador, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in December 2025, after previously being deported in 2017. Trial is set for February 17, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Orozco-Sanchez and Valdivia Moran both face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine pursuant to allegations of prior convictions qualifying for an increased maximum sentence.
The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations with assistance from the
Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, the Valparaiso Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica S. Etherton, Christopher C. Patterson, Walter E. Narramore, Alicia H. Forbes and Brooke DiSalvo are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
31 December 2025
Two-Time Felon Sentenced to Two Decades in Federal Prison for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who formerly operated a used appliance business in Marion, Iowa, was sentenced on December 30, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison.
Cordell Maleec Mayfield, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 15, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
The evidence at trial showed that Mayfield had a gun with an obliterated serial number in his Marion business on September 19, 2024, when Marion police arrived late in the evening to perform a welfare check. The welfare check came after a 911 call to Marion Police to have officers check on a child who was with Mayfield at his business. Officers saw the gun in Mayfield’s hand and later found it in a search. Evidence further showed that a few months before the firearm seizure, Mayfield stated in a recording that he preferred guns with obliterated serial numbers.
At sentencing, the evidence showed Mayfield’s very lengthy criminal history started at age 10 and continued into adulthood with numerous drug-related and violent offenses. The sentencing judge noted that Mayfield’s criminal conduct occurred while he was under supervision and while incarcerated, including within the last month while awaiting sentencing by possessing weapons and fighting.
Mayfield was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Mayfield was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, fined $2,000, and ordered to forfeit the firearm seized from him. He must also pay special assessments of $200 and serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Mayfield is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Ashley Corkery and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Marion Iowa Police Department, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-00094.
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Seven Unlawful Entrants Apprehended on Northern Border, Including Smuggler of Minor ChildRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that the United States Border Patrol apprehended seven unlawful entrants on the Canadian Border between December 23 and December 25, 2025.
Joneyker Rafael Ramos Guillen, 20, of Venezuela, has been charged by criminal complaint with bringing aliens to the United States who lacked official authorization to enter, including Byron Guillermo Gonzabay Giron, 47, of Ecuador, Lixia Nong, 23, of China, Zhongyue Xiang, 62, of Portugal, and a 17-year-old unaccompanied minor from Brazil. Gonzabay Giron, Nong, and Xiang were all charged by criminal complaint with illegal entry into the United States. According to court records, Border Patrol detected an unlawful entry at approximately 7:00 am on December 23, 2025. A Border Patrol agent responded to the area, and from signs in the snow, determined approximately 5 people had traveled southbound. The responding agent followed the trail and discovered a group of people in the trees walking toward the village of North Troy. When directed to stop, the group instead scattered and fled. Over the next hour, Border Patrol agents tracked and pursued the five people, apprehending Ramos Guillen, Gonzabay Giron, Nong, Xiang, and the unaccompanied minor.
Two additional unlawful crossings occurred on December 25, 2025. Shortly after midnight on December 25, 2025, Benjamin Paul Sheldon Schooner, 35, of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada crossed the international border on foot in front of the Haskell Library in Derby Line, Vermont. At approximately 6:45 pm, Abelardo Gamboa-Penaloza, 30, of Mexico, crossed the international border on foot near Lee Street in Derby Line, Vermont. Both Schooner and Gamboa-Penaloza were charged by criminal complaint with illegal entry into the United States.
On December 29, 2025, defendants Guillen and Schooner appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that both defendants be held pending detention hearings. Defendants Gonzabay Giron and Gamboa-Penaloza appeared before Judge Doyle on December 30, 2025, pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to time-served. Nong and Xiang are scheduled for initial appearances on December 31, 2025.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Nong, Xiang, and Schooner all face up to 6 months in prison if convicted. Ramos Guillen faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt, Katherine H. Flynn, and David H. Golubock. Ramos Guillen, Schooner, and Gamboa-Penaloza are all represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Xiang is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq. Nong is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Oklahoma Woman Charged with Sexual Abuse Crimes Against a Northeast Wisconsin MinorRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 23, 2025, Randi L. Cook (age: 24) of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was charged in a criminal complaint with interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, production of child pornography, and coercing or enticing a minor for unlawful sexual activity, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a), 2422(b), and 2423(b).
According to the criminal complaint, between November 7, 2025, and December 16, 2025, Cook began communicating with a Northeast Wisconsin minor and convinced the child to send sexually explicit images of the minor’s genitalia via the internet. Cook also travelled to the Eastern District of Wisconsin on more than one occasion and sexually abused the minor at a hotel and a short-term rental property.
If convicted of interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, Cook faces up to 30 years of imprisonment. If Cook is convicted of the production of child pornography charge, she faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years of imprisonment. If convicted of coercion and enticement, Cook will face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life of imprisonment. Each charge also carries up to a $250,000 fine and a minimum of 5 years and up to life of supervised release. A conviction of any of the three charges would also require Cook to register as a sexual offender.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Massachusetts Men Sentenced to 60 Months for Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 29, 2025, Geison Reynoso, 27, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. His co-conspirator Davon Lee, 26, also of Springfield, was previously given the same sentence by Judge Reiss on October 16, 2025. Both men previously pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court records, from 2023 until April 25, 2024, Reynoso and Lee engaged in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base in Rutland County, Vermont. In February 2024, law enforcement seized two backpacks belonging to the pair containing two firearms, U.S. currency, and a large quantity of cocaine and cocaine base. On April 25, 2024, Reynoso and Lee were arrested after a traffic stop and search of their vehicle resulted in the seizure of three more firearms, U.S. currency, and a large quantity of controlled substances. Reynoso and Lee both admitted to conspiring to traffic controlled substances and possessing firearms in furtherance of that conspiracy in their plea agreements. In addition to the sentences imposed against Reynoso and Lee, Judge Reiss ordered the forfeiture of $17,147 and five handguns.
First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Rutland City Police Department, the Rutland Town Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wendy Fuller and David Golubock. Geison Reynoso was represented by Matthew Hart, Esq. Davon Lee was represented by Peter Langrock, Esq.
Lowcountry Firefighter Arraigned Following Child Sexual Exploitation IndictmentRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A Lowcountry firefighter accused of the sexual exploitation of a child has been arraigned in federal court. A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against John Lewis Cottrell III, 46, of Johns Island, for sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to the unsealed complaint affidavit, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cottrell’s residence on Oct. 3. During the execution of that warrant, law enforcement located child sexual abuse material as well as hidden cameras that had been used to create child sexual abuse material of minor victims.
Cottrell faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker on Dec. 30 and remains detained at this time.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Orville is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Investiture Ceremony Held for U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Federal, state, and local leaders gathered on December 12, 2025, at the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami to mark the formal investiture of Jason A. Reding Quiñones as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. The ceremony marked his ceremonial assumption of office as the chief federal law enforcement officer for one of the nation’s busiest, most complex, and most diverse judicial districts.
The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks by the Honorable Cecilia M. Altonaga, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Additional remarks were delivered by Major General David P. Garfield of the United States Air Force; the Honorable Christine Hernandez, Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida; and the Honorable James Uthmeier, Attorney General of Florida. Chief Judge Altonaga then administered the oath of office to U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones.
During the ceremony, the Honorable Ariana Fajardo Orshan, Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, presented the state flag in recognition of U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones’s service on the state bench. City of Miami Commissioner Rafael “Ralph” Rosado also presented a city proclamation honoring the occasion.
In his remarks, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones reflected on his Miami upbringing, his family’s journey to the United States, and more than two decades of military service in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. He expressed gratitude to President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pamela Bondi for their trust and confidence, and to the United States Senate for its confirmation. He reaffirmed his commitment to public service and to the mission of the Office.
“Our mission is simple,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “Protect Americans. Restore impartial justice. Defend the rule of law. That mission demands leadership, discipline, and the will to act with clarity and courage. The Southern District of Florida will meet this moment, working shoulder to shoulder with our federal, state, and local partners, and pursuing justice the right way: professionally, with integrity, and without fear or favor.”
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones emphasized the Office’s focus on violent crime, fentanyl trafficking, human smuggling, child exploitation, public corruption, cybercrime, and threats to national security. He also highlighted recent organizational reforms designed to modernize operations, strengthen training, and ensure mission-focused prosecution aligned with the realities of South Florida.
Jason A. Reding Quiñones was sworn in as U.S. Attorney on August 13, 2025, following his nomination by President Trump and confirmation by the United States Senate. He is the first U.S. Attorney confirmed during President Trump’s second administration, and his oath of office was administered by Attorney General Bondi.
As U.S. Attorney, Reding Quiñones leads more than 500 attorneys and professional staff across offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, and Key West. The Office prosecutes federal criminal offenses, represents the United States in civil litigation, and enforces federal civil laws throughout the Southern District of Florida.
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Illinois Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced December 30, 2025, to more than four years in federal prison.
Brandon Hentz, age 37, from Galena, Illinois, received the prison term after a July 25, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
On January 12, 2025, an officer with the Dubuque Police Department stopped a car that Hentz was driving for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, officers located marijuana, pills, and a loaded gun in the car. Hentz was prohibited from possessing firearms based on two prior felony convictions.
Hentz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hentz was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
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.
Hentz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1026.
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Gainesville Man Charged for Possession of a Firearm with a Removed Serial NumberRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Devon Oliver, 18, of Gainesville, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with possession of a firearm with a removed serial number. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Oliver appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on December 23, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for January 28, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
If convicted, Oliver faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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 available 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.
Felon to Federal Prison for Carrying Stolen Firearm in a Rideshare CarRead the Press Release
A man who was previously sentenced in state court for obstruction of justice based on his involvement with a murder was sentenced on December 29, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison. Marshawn Ladarius Jeffries, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 5, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information from the plea and sentencing showed that on February 28, 2025, Jeffries was a passenger in a rideshare car when the driver was pulled over for a nonworking taillight. Officers smelled marijuana coming from the car and had Jeffries step out. Officers patted Jeffries down after noticing that he seemed nervous and as if he was trying to conceal his waistband. An officer located a 9mm pistol equipped with a high-capacity magazine in Jeffries’s waistband. The firearm had been previously reported stolen. Earlier that month, on February 2, 2025, Jeffries led police officers on a high-speed chase before he crashed his car into the wall of an apartment building.
In sentencing Jeffries, Chief Judge C.J. Williams noted that this was Jeffries’s fifth criminal involvement with a gun and that he was a real and present danger to the community. Jeffries was previously convicted of obstruction of justice for his involvement in a murder that took place at a home in Cedar Rapids in June 2020. Jeffries’s associate shot and killed the victim. Jeffries was also carrying a gun on the night of the murder. After Jeffries’s associate killed the victim, Jeffries fled with the murderer, disposed of clothing, and made false denials to police officers.
Jeffries was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Jeffries was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jeffries is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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
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 case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-0038.
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Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a gun was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison. Nathan Lee Armstrong, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 13, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In October 2024, police searched Armstrong’s home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during a theft investigation. While searching his bedroom, officers found a gun with a loaded magazine. Armstrong admitted to using methamphetamine the day before police searched his home. Armstrong was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction for intent to manufacture/deliver methamphetamine.
Armstrong was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Armstrong was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Armstrong is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-00021.
Federally Convicted Felon Sentenced to Additional Prison for Escaping from CustodyRead the Press Release
A previously convicted drug trafficker who escaped from a halfway house was sentenced on December 30, 2025, to a year in federal prison.
Paul Dean White, age 35, from Center Point, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 16, 2025, guilty plea to escape from custody.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that White was convicted in August 2019 for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Overall, White was involved in trafficking more than 18 kilograms of ice methamphetamine. White was eventually sentenced to 126 months in federal prison.
In August 2025, White was completing his prison sentence at a halfway house in Waterloo, Iowa. White left the facility with permission, but did not return at the scheduled time. Staff contacted White. White told staff that he was not coming back and would rather go back to prison than be in the halfway house. A week later, the United States Marshals Service arrested White.
White was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. White was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. White is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-2049.
Ecuadorian National Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw today announced that JOSE ISRAEL TENESACA MEJIA, 21, a citizen of Ecuador residing in West Haven, has been charged with federal child exploitation offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on April 29, 2025, the Stamford Police Department secured an arrest warrant charging Tenesaca Mejia with felony risk of injury and interfering with an officer. Tenesaca Mejia subsequently fled Connecticut with a 14-year-old girl (the “minor victim”). On October 28, 2025, the FBI in New Haven contacted the FBI in Minneapolis and relayed information about Tenesaca Mejia’s active arrest warrant, and that his iPhone had been tracked to a specific location in Minneapolis. Investigators surveilled the vicinity of the location, identified both Tenesaca Mejia and the minor victim, and arrested Tenesaca Mejia.
It is further alleged that preliminary analysis of Tenesaca Mejia’s iPhone revealed videos and images of Tenesaca Mejia engaged in sexual conduct with the minor victim. Investigators also identified numerous images and videos of suspected child pornography that Tenesaca Mejia had downloaded using the Telegram app.
On December 5, 2025, Tenesaca Mejia was charged by federal criminal complaint with sexual exploitation of children, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and with possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Tenesaca Mejia has been detained since his arrest. He appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by FBI New Haven, FBI Minneapolis, the Stamford Police Department, and the Hennepin County (Minn.) Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Minnesota and the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Stamford/Norwalk for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Convicted Felon from Mexico Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A twice convicted felon who was previously deported eight times from the United States was sentenced on December 30, 2025, to more than a year in federal prison.
Odilon Fuentes-Avila, age 43, from Mexico City, Mexico, received the prison term after a September 18, 2025, guilty plea to illegal reentry into the United States.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Fuentes-Avila, a Mexican citizen, was removed from the United States after a 2009 conviction for illegally entering the country. At some point, he reentered the country without permission. In 2020, he was convicted of two drug-related felony offenses and two driving while impaired offenses in Minnesota. He was then removed again in January 2020. Overall, he has been ordered removed from the country eight times. At some point after January 2020, he again reentered the United States without permission. On August 1, 2025, ICE agents found Fuentes-Avila in a county jail in Iowa after he was arrested on a warrant from Minnesota.
Fuentes-Avila was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. White was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Fuentes-Avila is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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 case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-1037.
Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud Conspiracy for Alleged $4.8 Million in Unfinished Custom Home ProjectsRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth business owner who received nearly $5 million from local customers for unfinished custom home building and remodeling projects pled guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy charge yesterday, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Court records reflect that Christopher Judge and his wife, Raquelle Judge, both of Fort Worth, Texas, were managing members of Judge DFW LLC (“Judge DFW”), a Texas limited liability company. Each defendant admitted that from approximately August 2020 to January 2023, through Judge DFW, they conspired to defraud consumers by purporting to offer custom architecture, construction, and interior design/décor services that they never completed. They also falsely represented that Christopher Judge was an architect. As part of the fraud scheme, victims received below-market bids from Judge DFW and executed design and build contracts for the work. The defendants then started construction projects and accepted multiple installment payments from victims but never completed those projects, often leaving victims without a completed residence. Plea documents reflect that the defendants defrauded over 40 victims residing in six Northern District of Texas counties, involving at least 24 different construction projects. Court records also show that the defendants commingled victims’ installment payments in the primary Judge DFW operating account, frequently using individual victim installment payments for unrelated construction projects. The alleged loss amount totaled approximately $4.8 million.
Yesterday, Christopher Judge pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces up to twenty years in federal prison. Raquelle Judge pled guilty on December 17, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud that subjects her to a maximum of five years in federal prison. They also face monetary penalties, restitution, and terms of supervised release. Sentencing for Raquelle Judge is scheduled for April 14, 2026. Sentencing for Christopher Judge is scheduled for May 12, 2026. Both sentencing hearings will occur before United States District Judge Terry R. Means.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Euless Police Department conducted the investigation, with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark McDonald and Laura Montes prosecuted the case.
Brunswick County Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Material CrimesRead the Press Release
NCDPSWILMINGTON, N.C. – A Shallotte man was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“These child predators hurt our children, causing lifelong damage to our communities. This case highlights the critical partnership between federal, state, and local agencies in protecting children,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will continue to work together to bring child sex offenders to justice and prevent further harm.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Department of Homeland Security and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office investigated Scott Anthony Lewis, 65. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a Cyber Tip from Dropbox, reporting that one of its users had uploaded child sexual abuse material to their platform. Law enforcement traced the IP address from that DropBox account to Lewis.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Lewis’ residence, and seized digital devices being seized that contained child sexual abuse materials. Lewis had previously served in the U.S. Navy but had left the service in 2018. Since then, he had been working as a self-employed licensed electrician. Lewis, a previously registered sex offender, was on supervised probation for incest at the time of his arrest. At the time he downloaded some of the images located on his device he was out on bond for the incest charge to which he later entered a guilty plea.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case, and the Department of Homeland Security and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office 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 no. 7:24-CR-100-M-BM.
Apopka Woman Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud by Defrauding Elderly Victim by Phone and EmailRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Xin Liu, 40, of Apopka, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Liu appeared for her arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on December 23, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for January 28, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
If convicted, Liu faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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 available 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.
2025 Year in ReviewRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (USAO-SDFL) closes 2025 having delivered decisive results across the full spectrum of federal enforcement — disrupting transnational drug trafficking organizations, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars through fraud prosecutions and civil resolutions, dismantling corruption schemes, and protecting the public from violent crime, exploitation, and national security threats.
Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the Office pursued complex, high-impact cases that safeguarded communities, protected vulnerable victims, preserved the integrity of public institutions, and reinforced the rule of law. These outcomes were made possible through close coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners throughout South Florida and across the nation.
“2025 was a year of results,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “Our Office focused on the cases that mattered most — those that threatened public safety, exploited the vulnerable, corrupted our systems, or undermined trust in the rule of law. Together with our law enforcement partners, we delivered accountability and made South Florida safer. That momentum will continue.”
Key Accomplishments in 2025
Disrupting Drug Trafficking and Transnational Criminal Organizations
USAO-SDFL led and supported major prosecutions targeting international narcotics trafficking networks operating throughout South Florida. These efforts included large-scale conspiracy indictments involving cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and emerging synthetic opioids; maritime drug trafficking prosecutions; and cases involving firearms trafficking tied to narcotics operations. Numerous defendants received lengthy federal prison sentences, and substantial quantities of drugs, weapons, and illicit proceeds were seized.
Combating Health Care Fraud and Pharmaceutical Crimes
The Office played a central role in nationwide and district-level health care fraud enforcement, charging dozens of defendants responsible for billions in intended losses to Medicare and other federal programs. Prosecutors secured convictions and significant civil resolutions involving fraudulent billing, kickbacks, diverted and adulterated pharmaceuticals, and schemes that endangered patient safety. Millions of dollars in criminal forfeiture and restitution were ordered to recover funds for taxpayers and victims.
Tackling Financial Crime, Corruption, and International Bribery
USAO-SDFL aggressively pursued complex financial crimes, including Ponzi schemes, investment fraud, money laundering conspiracies, and public corruption. The Office brought and litigated high-profile cases involving domestic and international defendants, including enforcement actions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), resulting in substantial penalties, forfeitures, and corporate accountability. These prosecutions reinforced that financial crime — whether local or global — will be met with sustained federal enforcement.
Protecting the Public from Violence, Extremism, and Exploitation
The Office secured convictions and sentences in cases involving violent offenders, hate-motivated threats, firearms crimes, human smuggling, sex trafficking, and child exploitation. Prosecutors obtained life sentences and decades-long prison terms for defendants who preyed on children, trafficked human beings, or posed credible threats to public safety. USAO-SDFL also worked closely with law enforcement partners to locate and apprehend dangerous fugitives and escapees.
Safeguarding National Security and Immigration Integrity
USAO-SDFL pursued cases involving immigration fraud, identity theft, sanctions evasion, and illicit foreign revenue generation. These prosecutions protected the integrity of U.S. borders, national security interests, and lawful immigration processes.
Community Engagement and Interagency Leadership
Beyond the courtroom, the Office strengthened partnerships with local governments, law enforcement agencies, and community stakeholders on issues ranging from public safety and environmental protection to airport and port security. The year also marked significant leadership milestones, including the investiture of U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and continued collaboration with courts and partner agencies throughout the district.
Looking Ahead
As 2026 approaches, the USAO-SDFL remains committed to its mission: to protect Americans, restore impartial justice, and defend the rule of law — without fear or favor.
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16-Year-Old Arrested on First Degree Murder ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keyonte Johnson, 16, of Washington, D.C., was arrested yesterday and charged as an adult with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 20-year-old D.C. resident Roy Bennett, Jr., on the evening of December 5, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Johnson made his initial court appearance in the District of Columbia before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond, who found probable cause that Johnson committed the offense of premeditated first-degree murder while armed and ordered that Johnson be held without bond pending trial.
“This is yet another example of the out-of-control underage crime plaguing the district” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “President Trump is right – it is time to put an end to this predictable violence and time to lower the age of accountability so that I can start prosecuting these young criminals before they commit murder.”
According to court documents, on December 5, 2025, Johnson, the victim, and several other people were present in an apartment near Union Market in Northeast D.C. that was being used as a recording studio. As the victim was standing at the microphone, Johnson, who was seated behind him on a sofa, began shooting Bennett, striking him seven times, including twice in the back of the head and twice in the chest. As Johnson fled the scene, he threatened to kill a potential witness if they said anything about the murder.
During the execution of a Maryland search warrant where Johnson was arrested, investigators recovered five magazines, one fully loaded, a box of 10mm ammunition, several iron rifle sights, rifle ammunition, an empty red dot sight box and various clothing items consistent with what was worn by Johnson during the murder.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi.
Johnson will next appear on January 14, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom 203 before Judge Michael Ryan for a preliminary hearing.
These charges are merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.