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19 December 2025
Las Vegas Man Sentenced for Racketeering Related Violence and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Robert Padilla was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating a retaliatory killing tied to a violent prison gang and for using violence and intimidation to protect an ongoing drug trafficking operation.
There is no parole in the federal system. As a result, a sentence of lifetime incarceration is served without parole.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Padilla, 48, was an associate of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM), a prison-based gang whose members and associates engaged in murder, drug trafficking, intimidation, and retaliation against perceived informants to preserve the gang’s power, territory, and profits. SNM functioned as an ongoing criminal enterprise that affected interstate commerce and enforced loyalty through violence, including assaults and killings.
The evidence showed that Padilla led a drug trafficking organization supplying cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances in and around Las Vegas, New Mexico. In July 2019, Padilla facilitated and participated in the killing of L.L., a former SNM leader who was cooperating with federal authorities and served as a witness in a racketeering prosecution. The murder was carried out to retaliate against L.L. for providing information to law enforcement and to maintain Padilla’s position and standing related to the SNM enterprise. The killing occurred while Padilla was actively engaged in large scale drug trafficking.
After the murder, Padilla continued efforts to obstruct justice and protect the enterprise. While incarcerated, Padilla disclosed details of the killing to another inmate and discussed plans to harm additional individuals he believed were cooperating with law enforcement. When that inmate attempted to cooperate with federal authorities, Padilla directed other inmates to assault him at a New Mexico correctional facility. Surveillance footage corroborated the coordinated attack.
Padilla was charged in a third superseding indictment with multiple federal offenses, including Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering murder, retaliating against a witness or informant, killing while engaged in drug trafficking, firearm offenses resulting in death, witness tampering, drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of contraband in prison. The case proceeded to a jury trial in December 2023. After hearing the evidence, the jury convicted Padilla on all counts charged.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office Violent Gang Task Force (VGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Albuquerque District Office, New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Corrections Department, Las Vegas Police Department and Department of Public Safety’s State Laboratory. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.
Lakeland Tax Preparer Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington has sentenced George Tucker, Jr. to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,354,757.64, the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and restitution in the amount of $15,028,309.89 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tucker entered a guilty plea on December 2, 2024.
According to court documents, beginning in March 2021, and continuing through February 2024, Tucker engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS. Tucker prepared or assisted in the preparation of 316 false and fraudulent tax returns for 196 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The tax returns contained falsified Schedules A, B, 1, and 3, as well as fraudulent Forms W-2G, which contained fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses, and federal tax withholding amounts (based on the fake gambling winnings). The false tax returns requested substantial refunds from the IRS that the taxpayers were not legally entitled to receive.
The total intended tax loss from the tax returns Tucker prepared was $59,941,751. The actual loss totaled $15,028,309.89, which the IRS paid out to taxpayers, including Tucker, either as tax refunds or credits applied to prior debts. Tucker personally profited $1,354,757.64 in the form of payments from his taxpayer-clients or refunds he received directly from the IRS. Tucker used the fraud proceeds to enrich himself, including buying expensive jewelry.
"These defendants spent their days looking for ways to cheat. Those who deliberately exploit our tax system for personal gain will face serious consequences," said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation Florida Field Office. "These prosecutions reflect the dedication of our agents to protecting honest taxpayers and upholding justice for all Americans."
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Peresie and Ross Roberts.
Kipnuk man indicted for child pornography offensesRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment this week charging a Kipnuk man with multiple child pornography offenses. This case is one of three cases charged in Alaska through Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.
According to court documents, between Aug. 11 to 13, 2025, Petngalria Paul, aka “Garrett,” 28, distributed, received and possessed child sexual abuse materials within Alaska.
Paul is charged with one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement as part of Operation Relentless Justice. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case, as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers. If anyone has information concerning Paul’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone using the name “Petngalria Paul” or “Garrett Paul” in person or online, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ibad Jafri are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Kingwood woman sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Kingwood convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Ashley Nicole Ponce, 36, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 19, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on October 30, 2024, law enforcement responded to a domestic disturbance call involving a man and a woman at a Corrigan convenience store. As a result, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle linked to the disturbance, and a search of the vehicle revealed drugs, including methamphetamine, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and a firearm. Ponce admitted to owning the drugs and firearm. Further investigation revealed Ponce was a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and Corrigan Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Gaston.
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Kansas businessman & employee indicted for PPP fraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two Kansas men for allegedly defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) by submitting false information on applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
According to court documents, Joseph Campbell, 61, of Olathe and John Duncan, 65, of Topeka are both charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy.
Campbell was also indicted on six counts of money laundering, six counts of making a false statement in a loan application, and two counts of making a false statement.
Campbell, as owner of multiple businesses, and Duncan, as Campbell’s employee, are accused of submitting false information to receive approximately $273,000 in PPP loan proceeds and approximately $1,761,100 in EIDL loan proceeds then allegedly utilizing the funds in an unauthorized manner including for personal benefit.
IRS - Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Jorge Armando Chavez-Sanchez, 38, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien convicted of a felony. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
Manuel De Jesus Chavez-Suarez, 48, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Jordan C. Davis, 44, of Kansas City, Missouri, was indicted on one count of escape from custody. The U.S. Marshal Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
Manuel Humberto Marquez-Bencomo, 52, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Justice Department announces results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“Child sex predators inflict profound and irreparable harm on their victims,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This office is unwavering in its commitment to bringing child predators to justice. We will always prioritize cases involving the abuse of minors and pursue offenders with the full force of federal law.”
"Sexual exploitation of children involves devastating crimes that exploit vulnerable members of communities nationwide, including those in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia,” said FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox. “Operation Relentless Justice is an example of the work our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force does every day. We will continue to focus on rescuing and supporting victims and investigating and prosecuting offenders.”
“Operation Relentless Justice makes one thing clear: if you target children, we will find you, and we will put you in prison," said Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. "Protecting children is a top priority for FBI Norfolk, and alongside our Richmond and Washington Field Offices and our state and local partners, we will aggressively pursue and hold predators accountable.”
Four defendants were arrested and charged in the Eastern District of Virginia. John Joseph Chanel, 36, of Sterling, is charged with receipt and distribution of CSAM. Michael David Seeds, 27, of Chantilly, is charged with sexual exploitation of a child and attempted sexual exploitation of a child. William Dana Holcomb, 69, of Hampton, is charged with receipt and distribution of CSAM. Malachi Morgan Thomas, 23, of Woodbridge, is charged with sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, and possession of CSAM.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, Texas, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), as well as a police officer from Raleigh, North Carolina, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and has previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online to include the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Files Denaturalization Complaint against Bosnian War Persecutor Who Fraudulently Obtained U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Kemal Mrndzic, who failed to disclose during his immigration proceedings that he served as a guard at the notorious Čelebići prison camp during the Bosnian War. At Čelebići, prison guards subjected Bosnian-Serbs to beatings, torture, sexual assault, starvation, and murder.
“The allegations in this complaint demonstrate the value this Administration places upon both the integrity of its naturalization process and, more importantly, ensuring that those who persecute others based on protected bases, especially in war time, do not reap the benefits of refuge in the United States by gaming America’s immigration process,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
In October 2024, a federal jury found Mrndzic guilty of several criminal fraud and misrepresentation counts relating to his successful efforts to obtain a naturalization certificate and a U.S. passport. The jury’s guilty verdict established that Mrndzic falsified and misrepresented information material to his naturalization eligibility.
Among other facts, Mrndzic failed to disclose to immigration authorities the nature and timing of his military service during the Bosnian War. Specifically, he failed to disclose that he persecuted Bosnian-Serb inmates as a prison guard at Čelebići. Mrndzic’s 2024 conviction established his ineligibility to naturalize, as the Justice Department alleges in the naturalization revocation complaint.
This case is being civilly prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, after extensive investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and criminal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless Justice 205 Child Victims Located and 293 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown, Including 4 in the Eastern District of MichiganRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“There is a special place in Hell waiting for the predators who hurt our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon. “In the meantime, we will work with our compatriots to stop these evil criminals.”
“FBI Detroit will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to exploit our children, regardless of their profession or status in society,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “As part of the FBI’s national initiative, Operation Relentless Justice, FBI Detroit’s Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes (SEMTEC) Task Force investigated and arrested individuals who allegedly produced, distributed or were in possession of child pornography. FBI Detroit will not tolerate the exploitation of children in any form, and I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for its strong partnership. We will never stop protecting our children and will do everything we can under federal law to hold offenders accountable.”
The following cases were charged in the Eastern District of Michigan:
FBI executed search warrants at the Detroit home of Jeremy Tacon, a psychologist, and Joshua Ronnebaum, an attorney. The FBI seized numerous media storage devices from the residence containing child pornography and which contained discussions between the men expressing their sexual interest in children. The arrest of Tacon and Ronnebaum led the FBI to Lincoln Erickson, a doctor, who also had child pornography on his phone. On December 16, Tacon and Ronnebaum were charged in a nine-count indictment with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. On December 17, Erickson was charged with receipt of child pornography. The three men have been detained pending trial.
On December 16, 2025, FBI agents arrested Kevin Howard, 28 of Westland, after receiving information that he was using the Kik application to distribute child sexually abusive material of infant and toddler aged children to other users. Howard has been charged with distribution of child pornography and is currently in custody awaiting a detention hearing.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including 5 from the Eastern District of Michigan, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders, including 5 from the Eastern District of Michigan.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
205 Child Victims Located and 293 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown, Including Nine in the Southern District of Alabama
December 19, 2025 – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“Together with our law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue justice on behalf of victims relentlessly,” said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello. “Safeguarding children and preventing future harm remain top priorities. Offenders who have violated the law will be held accountable.”
"Operation Relentless Justice is a testament to the seamless collaboration between our federal, state, and local partners who worked tirelessly to bring these individuals to justice,” said FBI Mobile Special Agent in Charge Sara Jones. “By combining our resources and expertise, we are sending a clear message that there is no corner of the world where predators can hide. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to keep our community’s children safe."
Nine offenders were arrested in the Southern District of Alabama, and three have been federally indicted by the Grand Jury.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including three from the Southern District of Alabama, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Earlier today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in more than 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“Protecting our children is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Gregory W. Kehoe. “We will work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who target, exploit, and violate our children. In addition to our enforcement efforts, our office will continue to engage and educate communities on specific strategies to prevent these heinous crimes.”
“Protecting children and preventing exploitation are central to the FBI mission,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “The FBI is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners every day to safeguard our communities and stop predators.”
“Investigative operations like this are a testament to the work our special agents and analysts do day in and day out to protect the innocent from predators,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “Crimes against children are among the FBI’s highest priorities, and we will continue working relentlessly to identify the predators and rescue the victims.”
Middle District of Florida Cases
Fort Myers
U.S. v. James Gregory Ford - Enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and transfer of obscene matter to a minor.
U.S. v. Jeremiah Victor Jacobs - Distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Jacksonville
U.S. v. Alec Lyle Higginbotham - Attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
U.S. v. Justin Charles Brown - Production and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Orlando
U.S. v. Chase Dean Suriano – Receipt and possession of child sex abuse material.
Tampa
U.S. v. Richard Plummer - Distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material and escape.
U.S. v. Christopher Michael Barnes - Possession of child sexual abuse material.
U.S. v. Justin Travis Garner - Possession of child sexual abuse material.
U.S. v. Joel Reynolds – Production, distribution, and possession of child sex abuse material.
U.S. v. Jeremiah Kelsene Smith – Attempted production of child sex abuse material and transfer of obscene material to a minor.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material and online enticement of minors.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains dogged and unyielding in our efforts to protect Hawaii’s keiki and seek justice against those who have harmed them,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Together with our partners at the FBI, we will continue to hunt down child predators and eradicate the scourge of child exploitation in our community.”
“The FBI, united with our partners, continues in the fight to protect our children – and that fight is not over,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Our ongoing collaboration across the whole of government underscores our collective commitment to aggressively pursue child predators and take them off the board.”
In the District of Hawaii, three individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including:
- Rumaldo Valdez, who was charged by an information with possession of child pornography following an investigation into his participation in “Greggy’s Cult,” an online group that produced and distributed child sex abuse material and engaged in other forms of exploitation and harassment of minor an adult victims. The defendant pled guilty on October 24 and is awaiting sentencing.
- Elias David, who was charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography, based on videos investigators uncovered of the defendant engaged in sexual conduct with a minor victim whom he coached in volleyball.
- German Zboron, who was charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine following what began as an investigation into a string of sex crimes.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including 2 from the District of Hawaii, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders, including 1 from the District of Hawaii.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“Our office is unwavering in its commitment to prosecuting crimes against children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory M. Gilmore. “The prevention and prosecution of the sexual abuse and exploitation of children is a critical part of our mission to keep our community safe. We are grateful for our partnership with the FBI in pursuing these important cases.”
“During this operational time frame, FBI Springfield made multiple arrests in the Southern and Central District of Illinois,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge, Christopher J.S. Johnson. “These operations are successful due to a combination of local and state partnerships, the relentless work of our investigative bodies, and the commitment we have to keeping our local neighborhoods safe.”
In the Central District of Illinois, a federal grand jury this month returned an indictment against Daniel Brannan, 47, of Jacksonville, Illinois, charging him with trafficking in and possessing child pornography.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD’s mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
In the District of Kansas, two individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including:
• Diana V. Brown, 46, of Topeka was indicted on four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor – production of child pornography and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child pornography.
• Reese Connor Pack, 25, of Ohio and formerly of Ottawa, Kansas, was arrested on a fugitive warrant after being previously indicted on two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of sexual exploitation of a child – receipt of child pornography, and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child pornography.
“We have to protect the most vulnerable in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We will not stop pursuing justice for our children and fighting to end the scourge of child exploitation. This work will continue to be a major priority of my office.”
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including two from the District of Kansas and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders, including two from the District of Kansas.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY - The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
According to the criminal complaint, Van Laurence Barker, 33, was charged with one count of attempted online enticement of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled for arraignment before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on January 13, 2026. If convicted, Barker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Yannelli, of the U.S. Attorney’s Louisville Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
“Barker’s arrest reflects the FBI’s exceptional work in protecting the most vulnerable victims of our communities—our children,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky. “This is work that the FBI prioritizes day-in-and-day-out, and is highlighted through the success of Operation Relentless Justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands shoulder to shoulder with the FBI and all of our law enforcement partners across the Commonwealth to ensure that people like Van Laurence Barker are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office stated, "FBI Louisville, along with our law enforcement partners throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, will not stand by while the children of our state are preyed upon by predators. These child predators and the crimes they commit will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. This effort, while highlighted under Operation Relentless Justice, remains a constant priority for the FBI and we will continue to hold these criminals accountable.”
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including one from the Western District of Kentucky, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders, including one from the Western District of Kentucky.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
205 Child Victims Located and 293 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown, Including 1 in the Western District of Michigan
December 19, 2025 – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
In the Western District of Michigan, Robert Mark, age 59, of Whitehall, was charged by criminal complaint with sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography. The complaint alleges that Mark was the leader of an all-girl Scouting America troop. After people complained that Mark was surreptitiously taking pictures or videos of scouts at troop events, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant at his home. They found sexually explicit videos of scouts on Mark’s phone that he had recorded using hidden cameras in his bathroom during troop events that he hosted at his home. If convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor, Robert faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years.
“Operation Relentless Justice demonstrates the FBI’s firm commitment to protecting children from those who violate positions of trust and exploit them,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The defendant allegedly used his role as a Scout Leader to target young girls, which is deeply troubling and violates the trust our community puts in its youth leaders. I want to thank our FBI Grand Rapids WEBCHEX Task Force, the Michigan State Police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their partnership in this case. FBI Detroit will never waver in pursuing anyone who violates children and use every means possible to hold them accountable.”
“I commend the FBI for acting quickly to investigate these allegations,” said Timothy VerHey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. “The conduct outlined in the court documents will not be tolerated, especially when it is done by someone who has promised to watch over the children of others.”
Others arrested under Operation Relentless Justice are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including 7 from the Western District of Michigan, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
A complaint and an indictment are merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
John A. Sarcone III, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, stated: “Operation Relentless Justice reflects our tireless commitment to keeping our children safe. I am proud of the work of the prosecutors in my Office and the men and women of the FBI, who are truly relentless in their pursuit of justice on behalf of the most vulnerable and precious members of our communities. We will remain steadfast in getting every single child predator off the streets and behind bars.”
Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albany Field Office, stated: “Operation Relentless Justice was a huge success thanks to the strong partnerships on our Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force. Working together, we removed eight dangerous predators from our communities. Six were charged federally and two were charged by New York State. And we won’t stop there. The FBI will continue to leverage our law enforcement partners to use every resource at our disposal to identify, investigate, and bring to justice any predator seeking to harm our most vulnerable.”
In the Northern District of New York, those arrested and charged, in separate cases, are:
- Thomas J. Meehan, age 36, of Valatie, New York, who is alleged to have been selling child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting victims less than 13 years old over the internet for at least two years. Numerous images and videos of CSAM were also found on the defendant’s cell phone. Meehan faces at least 5 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.
- David McMurray, age 42, of Utica, New York, who was previously convicted in federal court for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and a term of 20 years of post-release supervision. As alleged, on September 2, 2025, while McMurray was still on supervision for his prior conviction, the United States Probation Office conducted a search of McMurray’s residence in Utica, New York and recovered a cell phone McMurray was not authorized to possess. A subsequent search of the phone by FBI revealed that McMurray had used it to search for and access with intent to view CSAM online. McMurray faces at least 10 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Adrian S. LaRochelle are prosecuting the case.
- Vincent Lee Evans, age 45, of Rensselaer, New York, who allegedly possessed approximately 2,400 images and 150 videos of CSAM on a cell phone while on supervision in connection with his prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography. Evans faces at least 10 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney A.J. Vickey is prosecuting the case.
- David Wickham, age 37, of Blossvale, New York, who allegedly used various social media applications to distribute and receive CSAM and was a member of group chats dedicated to exchanging CSAM depicting very young children. CSAM files were also found on Wickham’s cell phone. Wickham faces at least 5 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis is prosecuting the case.
- Mark Porto, age 58, of Albany, New York, who allegedly received CSAM depicting pre-pubescent minors via the Internet between October 2022 and February 2023. Porto faces at least 5 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney A.J. Vickey is prosecuting the case.
- James Winston III, age 27, of Utica, New York, who allegedly possessed a cell telephone that contained numerous CSAM files. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle is prosecuting the case.
Those arrested throughout the country are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of CSAM; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing CSAM, as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including 8 from the Northern District of New York.
The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Indictments and complaints are merely allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
- Thomas J. Meehan, age 36, of Valatie, New York, who is alleged to have been selling child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting victims less than 13 years old over the internet for at least two years. Numerous images and videos of CSAM were also found on the defendant’s cell phone. Meehan faces at least 5 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
205 Child Victims Located and 293 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown, Including One in the Western District of Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“Those who exploit children cause immeasurable damage to victims and families,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “These crimes inflict lasting trauma and undermine the safety of our communities. Through close collaboration with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, we remain committed to protecting children, supporting victims, and pursuing justice for those harmed by these offenses.”
"The FBI in Oklahoma will continue to aggressively pursue those involved in exploiting our children," said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. "I am proud of our work, and the work of our partners to hold perpetrators of any crime against a child accountable. The work is not done. As long as there are criminals harming or exploiting children, the FBI will be there working to put them in prison where they belong."
CHRISTIAN NATHANIEL RAFFORD, 40, of Midwest City, has been charged with possession of and accessing with intent to view material containing child pornography and receipt of child pornography. If found guilty, Rafford faces no less than five, and up to 40 years in federal prison, and fines of up to $250,000 for each charge.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including two from the Western District of Oklahoma.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“My office and our partners at the FBI are working every day to unmask child predators, prosecute them to the fullest extent, and get justice for their victims,” said United States Attorney David Metcalf. “Protecting children from sexual exploitation will always be a top priority.”
“The men and women of FBI Philadelphia work every day to protect and support children across the communities we serve,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Operation Relentless Justice underscores our unwavering commitment to combatting child exploitation, one of the most heinous offenses we investigate. Alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to pursue those who prey on our most vulnerable and bring them to justice.”
In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, two defendants have been charged under Operation Relentless Justice.
Sean Gallagher, 31, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Derek Weaver, 29, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt of child pornography.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, Texas, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a police officer from Raleigh, North Carolina, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful nationwide operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
The charges and allegations contained in indictments and criminal complaints are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
Sioux Falls, S.D. – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice demonstrates the power of coordinated federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement working together to safeguard children,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons for the District of South Dakota. “We’re grateful to Attorney General Bondi for leading this expansive effort to sweep up these worst of the worst child sex abuse offenders.”
“We have no higher calling than protecting our children. The extraordinary efforts of Operation Relentless Justice underscore our tireless commitment to defending children from exploitation and abuse, particularly vulnerable children on tribal lands," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI will continue to leverage our full strength, along with our federal, state, tribal, and local partners, to ensure heinous predators are punished, innocent victims are given justice, and all children can grow up in safety.”Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking.
Those arrested include Donovan He Crow, a resident of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, who is the subject of a superseding indictment filed in the District of South Dakota. He Crow is alleged to be a repeat sex offender who is most recently alleged to have committed Abusive Sexual Contact with a child in violation of federal law. If convicted, He Crow would face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison.
Some of the other alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“This operation highlights the tremendous collaboration of our federal, state, and local law enforcement to remove those who prey on children from our streets,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. “We are proud to work alongside these agents and officers in the pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims in our District.”
“FBI Dallas has worked with our law enforcement partners this year to apprehend hundreds of suspected child predators through multiple arrest operations. Operation Relentless Justice is another example of our commitment to holding offenders accountable and protecting the most vulnerable in our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
In the Northern District of Texas, five individuals were arrested and charged as part of Operation Relentless Justice, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould and FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. Those individuals include:
Ruben Reyes Tijerina III, 26, of Levelland, Texas, arrested and charged with one count of Production of Child Pornography. If convicted, Tijerina faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. The FBI Dallas Field Office (Lubbock RA), FBI St. Louis, St. Charles City (Missouri) Police Department, and Levelland Police Department handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.
James Childress, 40, of Chicago, Illinois, arrested and charged with one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor, which carries a penalty of imprisonment ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment; two counts of Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, carrying a maximum of 10 years in federal prison; one count of Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography, for which Childress faces a minimum of 15 years and maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment; one count of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, which carries a sentence of 5 years to 20 years’ imprisonment, and one count of Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, with a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, if convicted. The investigation was handled by the FBI Dallas Field Office (Lubbock RA), FBI Chicago, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.
Marcus Xavier Anguiano, 30, and Maddie Rhea Anguiano, 28, of Lubbock, Texas, arrested and charged with one count of Conspiracy to Produce and Attempt to Produce Child Pornography; one count of Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography; a second count charging only Marcus Anguiano of Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography; and one count of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. The Anguianos face sentences ranging from 15 years to 30 years on all counts except the receipt charge, which carries a penalty of five to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted. The FBI Dallas Field Office (Lubbock RA), Air Force Office of Special Investigations (Mountain Home Air Force Base), Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Lubbock Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Wolfforth Police Department handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.
Kai Isaiah Ranaglia-Nelson, 25, of Abilene, Texas, arrested and charged with Production of Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender. At the time of the offense, Ranaglia-Nelson was serving a probation sentence for a 2020 Arizona conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years in federal prison, in addition to a consecutive ten years’ imprisonment for committing the offense as a registered sex offender. FBI Dallas Field Office (Abilene RA), the Abilene Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Ohlhausen is prosecuting the case.
Like those charged in the Northern District of Texas, others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Lubbock, Texas, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as mentioned above, as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, North Carolina, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including seven from the Northern District of Texas, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
On December 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Burlington, Vermont, returned an indictment charging Nathanael Akin, 34, of Bennington, Vermont, with one count of attempted enticement of a minor to produce child sexual abuse material. After first being charged by complaint, Akin was ordered detained pending further proceedings on December 12, 2025. According to court records, Akin communicated online with an FBI undercover operator (“UC”), requesting sexual contact with the UC’s fictitious 10-year-old daughter. Akin also communicated directly with the purported daughter online, and asked the girl to produce and send him images of her genitalia.
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.
This effort follows two other successful nation-wide operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Judge Sentences Virginia Man for Kidnapping and Strangling His Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Adam Ahmed, 38, of Chantilly, Virginia, was sentenced today to six years in prison for kidnapping his former girlfriend related to an incident that began in Manassas, Virginia on May 10, 2024, and ended in Northeast Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Ahmed was convicted by a jury on June 12, 2025, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, Ahmed was also sentenced to 42 months for strangulation, 28 months on each of two counts of felony threats, and 180 days for assault, all to run concurrently.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 9, 2024, Ahmed was arrested in Virginia on multiple warrants for protective order violations and assault charges against his former girlfriend. The next day, on May 10, 2024, the victim got into Ahmed’s car outside her home in Manassas, Virginia, believing that they would sit in her building parking lot and talk about their relationship. Instead, the defendant took off, driving erratically. Ahmed told the victim that they were both “going to die tonight,” and that if she was going to charge him with abduction, he was going to do it. The defendant drove onto I-66 and took the victim into the District, where he repeatedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her.
After several hours of terrorizing the victim, Ahmed told her that he was going to drive her somewhere no one would find her. When he stopped the car, he climbed over her and strangled her with both hands until she could not breathe. While strangling her, he bit her, putting his whole mouth over hers. He started driving again, eventually stopping at a Shell gas station on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue in Northeast. At one point, Ahmed walked away from the car, and the victim tried to escape; however, Ahmed picked her up and forced her back into the car. A passerby on the street saw the defendant hitting the victim and turned into the gas station parking lot, rescuing the victim and calling 911.
During the course of trial two expert witnesses spoke about the unique dangers inherit in strangulation, and violence in intimate partner violence relationships, respectively. Strangulation is widely recognized as one of the most lethal forms of intimate partner violence, as a major strangulation study in San Diego found surviving domestic violence “victims are much more likely to die later if their abuser has strangled them.” The study also noted that “…..the odds of becoming a victim of attempted homicide increased by 700%, and the odds of becoming a homicide victim increased by 800%, among women who had been strangled by their partner.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section has charged well over 100 acts of felony strangulation since the D.C. Council created it as a criminal offense under D.C. Code 22-404.04, which went into effect in July of 2023.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives at the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scannell; Victim Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington and Tonya Jones; Supervisor Leif Hickling of the Trial Graphics Unit; Paralegal Specialists Cynthia Muhammad and Veronica Yale; Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Han and Dan Lenerz; Victim/Witness Advocate ShaDonna Brooks-Ferere; Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Swanson, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Trisha Jhunjhnuwala.
Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Machine Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that, JAHBRELL PRICE (“PRICE”), age 25, of Marrero, Louisiana was sentenced on December 4, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, after previously pleading guilty to the two-count indictment pending against him. Count 1 charged PRICE with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(3). Count 2 charged PRICE with possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
PRICE was sentenced to a total term of 33 months’ imprisonment, consisting of 12 months as to Count One and 33 months as to Count Two, with the terms to be served concurrently. PRICE was further sentenced to three (3) years of supervised release, consisting of one (1) year as to Count One and three (3) years as to Count Two, to be served concurrently as well as a $125 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to documents, on January 7, 2024, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives located PRICE at a motel at 6751 Westbank Expressway, in Marrero, where he was arrested on an outstanding Orleans Parish warrant. Detectives secured a search warrant for PRICE’s hotel room and located twenty (20) bottles of promethazine (9,460 ml), $1,375.00 in United States currency, and a Glock model 45 nine-millimeter handgun with an external and visible machine gun conversion device attached to the rear of the slide.
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.
Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit .
Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison for trafficking meth and cocaineRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Groves man has been sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Darrus Dugas, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on December 19, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in May 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Dugas’ Groves residence because of reported drug activity. The search resulted in the discovery of various illegal narcotics, including methamphetamine and cocaine, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and over $13k in cash. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Dugas and Alvaro Montrell Bethea.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Prison for Role in Drive-By Shooting on I-95Read the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger has sentenced Briyhon Johnson (24, Jacksonville) to 14 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, aiding and abetting the commission of a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Johnson entered a guilty plea in August 2025.
According to court documents, Johnson served as an armed distributor for a Jacksonville-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated and led by Nathaniel Hatcher, III. Hatcher’s DTO trafficked bulk marijuana from northern California to Jacksonville by smuggling the drugs on commercial airlines, shipping it through the U.S. mail system, and transporting it by vehicle across state lines. Once the marijuana arrived in Jacksonville, Johnson and other DTO members transported the marijuana to various short-term rental homes throughout Jacksonville. Johnson and other members of the DTO carried and possessed firearms at these residences to protect themselves, their drugs, and their drug proceeds during the drug sales. In addition to trafficking, transporting, smuggling, and selling marijuana, Johnson was also responsible for carrying out violence on behalf of the DTO.
On September 18, 2023, Hatcher, James Toney, and other DTO members arranged a drug transaction with subjects they had met that evening in Jacksonville. The drug transaction failed when the other subjects never provided the promised marijuana, and instead, stole approximately $45,000 in cash from Hatcher and Toney. After the failed drug transaction, Hatcher contacted a former police officer who illegally accessed law enforcement databases to provide Hatcher with the names and home addresses of the subjects who had stolen the money. For nearly a month, Johnson and other DTO members tracked, surveilled, and cyber-stalked the other subjects and their family members.
On October 15, 2023, Johnson and Toney traveled to the Jacksonville International Airport, broke into a rental car lot, and stole two vehicles with the intention of using one in the planned retaliation. The theft had been coordinated by Johnson and Toney through text messages. Two days later, Toney traveled to the Duval County courthouse for a scheduled court date in an unrelated pending criminal matter. Toney and other DTO members knew that one of the subjects from the September 18 drug transaction also had court that day for a separate criminal matter. After court concluded, Hatcher and other DTO members surveilled as the subject exited the Duval County courthouse, accompanied by a female subject, and enter his vehicle.
Toney traveled to meet with Johnson, who provided Toney with a firearm. Johnson, Toney, Hatcher, and Tavarius Blue were operating multiple vehicles, including a red sedan and a gray SUV, and followed the subject’s car from downtown Jacksonville to I-95. Darion Jerido was driving a separate sedan, acting as the lookout for the others and to keep pace of the subject’s sedan. Johnson was driving the red car, with Toney traveling in the passenger seat. Blue was driving the gray SUV, with Hatcher traveling in passenger seat. At approximately 11:20 a.m., during the pursuit along I-95 South, the red and the gray vehicles boxed the subject’s sedan into the left lane of traffic. Toney and Hatcher discharged dozens of rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition at the subject’s sedan. According to witness interviews, Johnson and Toney were both wearing masks. Following the shooting, the red and gray vehicles fled the scene.
Deputies from the St. Johns County Sheriffs’ Office and emergency medical personnel quickly arrived on scene. The driver of the sedan, who was the male subject from the courthouse, sustained one gunshot wound but survived and was air-lifted to a trauma unit. The passenger, the female subject from the courthouse, did not sustain any gunshot wounds but did suffer injuries from broken glass. She was transported to a nearby hospital. The sedan sustained gunshots to the passenger side, the rear, the front and hood, the front windshield, the interior, and the engine block. Deputies recovered approximately 25 spent 7.62 caliber shell casings. According to ballistics analysis, two different firearms were used during the shooting.
In related court proceedings, Nathaniel Hatcher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, conspiracy to commit money laundering, committing a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Hatcher faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life plus 45 years, in prison. Hatcher has also agreed to forfeit over $2 million, which represents illicit proceeds derived from drug trafficking. See chart below for status of remaining co-conspirators.
Status of Hatcher DTO Co-conspirators
Name
Status
Al’Donta EasterlingSentenced to 10 years in federal prisonYaquasia DelCarmenSentenced to 8 years in federal prisonDesmond MaxwellPleaded guilty to straw-purchasing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces up to 25 years in federal prisonJavon DavisPleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prisonTavarius BluePleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, aiding and abetting the commission of a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and aiding and abetting the discharging of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life plus 65 years, in federal prisonDarion JeridoPleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and aiding and abetting the commission of a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense and faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 65 years’ imprisonmentJames ToneyPleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, committing a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Toney faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prisonThis was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.
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.
Jackson Woman Sentenced in Federal Court for SNAP Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, MS – A Jackson woman was sentenced last week in federal court to five years’ probation for stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford nutritious food.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nya Irving, also known as Nya Carter, 25, unlawfully acquired and used SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits in October and November 2023. Irving was a Customer Service Representative for Conduent from September 26, 2022, to November 20, 2023.Irving used her position to access and obtain SNAP and TANF benefits belonging to recipients throughout the United States, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and Tennessee without authorization.
Irving also provided EBT card data to her friend, Velton Taylor Williams, Jr., who was sentenced in September to five years’ probation for his role in the scheme. Irving and Williams used the stolen SNAP and TANF benefits for their personal gain. Irving obtained $41,587.87 in SNAP and $975.19 in TANF benefits without authorization. TANF benefits are intended for low-income families with children under the age of 18. Williams and Irving were both ordered to pay restitution.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Wilkins of the United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General made the announcement.
The United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
Fraudster Who Submitted over $365,000 in Fake COVID Unemployment Benefits Applications Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
NCDOCWILMINGTON, N.C. – A Pitt County woman pleaded guilty to defrauding the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security (NCDES) by submitting false pandemic unemployment benefits (UI) applications intended for more than $365,000 in federal benefits. Yolanda Baker, age 51, faces up to ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine when a federal judge sentences her later this year. She will also be ordered to repay a forfeiture money judgment of $368,022.00.
“This kind of fraud steals resources from North Carolinian citizens who needed real help during a national emergency,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Our office will continue holding accountable those who used the pandemic as an opportunity for personal gain. We will protect taxpayer dollars and ensure that criminals who exploit public programs face serious consequences.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, from in or about May 2020 to June 2021, Baker carried out a scheme to defraud NCDES UI program by submitting sixty-five fraudulent UI applications. She falsely represented the employment status of the listed applicants and provided fraudulent supporting documents. After the applications were approved, the funds were deposited into accounts Baker controlled.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case, and the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General is investigating 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. 4:25-CR-31-M.
Former veterans shelter executive sentenced to 42 months for grant fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 59-year-old Brenham resident has been ordered to federal prison for misappropriating thousands in federal grant funding, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Clifford Wayne Robertson pleaded guilty Sept. 5.
Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Robertson to serve 42 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court cited Robertson’s criminal history, including prior convictions for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Robertson served as the former executive director and CEO of a nonprofit organization that operated a homeless shelter for veterans. In that role, he misappropriated federal grant funds awarded to Castle Cares Community Ministry Inc., doing business as The Warrior’s Refuge.
Between February and April 2020, Robertson submitted multiple applications for federal assistance to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labor on behalf of The Warrior’s Refuge. As a result, the organization received approximately $1.3 million from the VA and $500,000 from the DOL.
As part of his plea, Robertson admitted he knowingly embezzled grant funds for unallowable personal expenses. He also acknowledged using funds for counseling services he never provided to veterans, resulting in a loss of $180,216.96.
Robertson was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The VA-Office of the Inspector General, DOL-OIG and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh prosecuted the case.
Former United States Postal Carrier Pleads Guilty to TheftRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Delvenia Renee Mitchell (54, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to theft of government of property, over $1,000. Mitchell faces up to 10 years in prison and payment of restitution. No sentencing date has been set.
According to court documents, in 2023, Mitchell worked as a postal carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Investigation by the USPS – Office of Inspector General determined that Mitchell, using her assigned USPS gas card, made multiple gas purchases in Jacksonville and elsewhere that were outside of her delivery area and beyond the fuel capacity for her assigned USPS vehicles. Video evidence obtained in the investigation showed Mitchell using her assigned gas card to purchase gas for other vehicles.
This case was investigated by United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Former State Senator Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to attempting to cover up a sham job offer from his sister’s company.
Tran, 50, of Fitchburg, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making a false statement before U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by the Court. In June 2024, Tran was indicted along with his sister, Tuyet T. Martin.
Tran was convicted by a federal jury in September 2024 for fraudulent collection of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and his willful omission of consulting and rental income from his tax returns in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He is currently serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison for those convictions.
As part of an ongoing investigation into unemployment benefits and tax fraud schemes federal law enforcement interviewed Tran at his residence while executing a federal search warrant. During the interview, Tran was asked about a letter that he provided to unemployment agency officials when his benefits were briefly suspended and he was attempting to have benefits reinstated. Tran made material misrepresentations to the federal law enforcement agents about the letter, including that his sister and co-defendant, Tuyet Martin, had authored the letter when she was not the sole author of the letter and Tran had revised it before it was finalized and submitted to unemployment officials. Tran also told federal law enforcement agents that his sister’s signature appeared on the letter when in fact Tran had signed the letter, not his sister.
The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud, Northeast Region; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former New York Doctor Sentenced for Receiving KickbacksRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York doctor has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for receiving kickbacks in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
Dr. Vishnudat Seodat, 76, of Mattituck, N.Y. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton on Dec. 17, 2025 to two years of supervised release, one year of which will be served in home confinement. Seodat was also ordered to pay a fine of $50,000, forfeiture in the amount of $52,100 and $342,876 in restitution. In December 2024, Seodat pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Seodat was charged in December 2024.
Seodat, an internist in Long Island, N.Y., was a licensed medical doctor in the State of New York for approximately 36 years. From approximately June 2013 through June 2019, Seodat conspired with others, including a principal for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to order hundreds of medically unnecessary TCD scans in exchange for kickbacks. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Seodat and his alleged co-conspirators used false diagnoses to order the unnecessary brain scans, for which a co-conspirator would submit claims to Medicare and other insurance companies, including private insurance companies, on behalf of the medical diagnostic company for payment. In exchange, Seodat was paid cash kickbacks of approximately $100 per test. The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $1 million to Medicare and private insurance companies.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former McCreary County Assistant Principal Sentenced for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Strunk, Ky., man, and former Assistant Principal of McCreary County High School, Aaron Anderson, 52, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 120 months in prison, for attempting to persuade a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity online.
According to court documents, in August 2023, Anderson was the McCreary County High School Assistant Principal, an began communicating with the minor victim via Microsoft Teams on the victim’s school-issued Chromebook. Anderson and the victim spoke daily on Teams, and Anderson engaged in a pattern of grooming via the Teams messages that included terms of endearment, offers of gifts, and frequent praise to the minor victim. The grooming messages were part of the enticement as they were intended to flatter her, build intimacy, and create a sense of obligation. Furthermore, in his plea agreement, Anderson admitted to enticing the victim to engage in sexual contact in his office.
Under federal law, Anderson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Former Ketchikan church elder indicted for child exploitation offensesRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment this week charging a former Ketchikan church elder with sexually exploiting a child outside the U.S. and with possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). This case is one of three cases charged in Alaska through Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.
According to court documents, between March and November 2019, Dwight Chris John, 74, induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct while outside the U.S. in order to produce visual depictions of such conduct. The indictment alleges that John intended to and did transport those visual depictions back to the U.S.
The indictment further alleges that beginning on Nov. 1, 2019, and continuing through May 16, 2024, John knowingly possessed CSAM in Alaska. The CSAM allegedly involved a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
John is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children outside the U.S. and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted of both counts, he faces up to 50 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement as part of Operation Relentless Justice. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Juneau Resident Agency is investigating the case, with assistance from the Ketchikan Police Department, as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. If anyone has information concerning John’s alleged actions, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Reed and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Former Eastside real estate broker convicted of real estate investment fraud scheme that stole more than $2 million from Washington victimsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former real estate professional who operated a real estate investment fund was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and tax fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Tamara King, aka Tamara Waln, 56, of Toledo, Ohio, previously resided in Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington. The jury also convicted King of eight counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, and three counts of filing a false tax return after an 8-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated for five hours before reaching the guilty verdict. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez scheduled sentencing for March 20, 2026.
King’s co-defendant Paul Waln, 60, now of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to the wire fraud conspiracy in June 2025 and was sentenced to 33 months in prison on October 31, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, between August 2009 and December 2013, Waln solicited investments in a real estate fund called Halcyon. Twenty-two victims, most of whom were Seattle residents, invested $2.25 million in the fund. Waln told investors their funds would be pooled to purchase and renovate an apartment building in West Seattle and then used for other real estate projects. Investors were required to leave their money in the investment pool for ten years. Waln said that at the end of the 10-year period, Waln would return the investment principal and earnings, which he estimated amount to a 20 percent annual return. Waln was entitled to receive a 1% fee for managing the investment fund.
In 2013, Waln married King, who was also a real estate agent. Waln and King then jointly managed the investment fund. Between February 2014 and December 2018, they conspired to misappropriate money from the fund to pay their personal expenses. The pair secretly transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time from the fund to their management company and then transferred the money to King’s personal accounts. In some instances, they wrote secret memos characterizing these transfers as “loans,” but the money was never repaid. Investors were never told about the “loans.”
Under the terms of the investment, Waln and King were required to distribute the investment funds to investors in 2019. But by the end of 2018, they had misappropriated all the money. In December 2018, Waln sent investors a letter falsely claiming that the fund’s general contractor had been diagnosed with cancer. Waln told investors that this would result in a two-to-three-year delay before he would be able to return investors’ money. The contractor in question never had a cancer diagnosis.
Finally, in October 2019, King informed the investors that all the money was gone, and the investment had failed. All the remaining investors lost their entire investments.
In addition, King failed to report over $1.6 million in income over three tax years. For those three tax years, King reported $188,116 in total income, when she actually received $1.85 million.
At trial, King blamed Waln for the misappropriation, claiming Waln told her the “loans” were allowed. Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson told the jurors that the couple acted as a team. Waln “brought the money in the front door and King stole it out the back. … She took $50,000 for an 8 and a half carat diamond ring and more than $120,000 for her Tesla.” Prosecutors noted that King transferred investor money to accounts she controlled so that she could buy what she wanted with the investors’ money. In all investors lost $2.4 million. “She blindly drained every last dollar,” Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang told jurors.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud are punishable by up to twenty years in prison. Money laundering is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Filing a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Jehiel Baer.
Court exhibitFentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Narcotics Conspiracy, PPP and Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Teron Deandre McNeil, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in federal prison for his role in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that smuggled tens of thousands of fentanyl pills from California to the D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
McNeil, aka “Wild Boy,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered McNeil to serve five years of supervised release.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The impetus for this investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death-resulting case,[1] law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.
According to court documents, McNeil entered into the conspiracy after he was introduced to a Los Angeles-based drug trafficker, who was a distributor of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. McNeil traveled to Southern California to purchase the fake oxycodone from the L.A. supplier and returned to the District with the drugs. McNeil and his co-conspirators employed two primary methods to transport the pills to the District: they smuggled them in luggage or carry-on items on airline flights, or they shipped the pills utilizing the U.S. Postal Service and commercial mail carriers
On December 7, 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted a package mailed from Carson, California, addressed to John Turner in Southeast D.C. The parcel contained more than 1,000 blue pills, weighing approximately 122 grams in aggregate. The pills tested positive for fentanyl analogue. Payment records reveal that McNeil sent two payments to the L.A.-based drug trafficker via Apple Pay in the weeks preceding and following the interdiction. Further, call records for McNeil revealed that he called the L.A.-based drug trafficker about 30 times from December 5-8, 2021, including after the package was seized.
When he would successfully transported fentanyl-laced pills back to the District, McNeil redistributed them for profit.
After entering into the narcotics conspiracy, McNeil fraudulently applied for and unlawfully received $11,151 unemployment insurance funds from California and $33,236 in unemployment from Maryland.
McNeil also fraudulently applied for and received a $20,833 forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. His co-conspirators received more than $83,300 in PPP loans.
DEFENDANT
AGE
LOCATION
CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
28
Santa Fe Springs, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
22
Washington, D.C.Sentenced on Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.Charles Jeffrey Taylor22
Washington, D.C.Sentenced July 25, 2025, to 98 months for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Raymond Nava, Jr.21
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced Sep. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Ulises Aldaz29
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Max Alexander Carias Torres28
Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”35
Washington, D.C.Sentenced Dec. 19, 2025 to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and for two counts of wire fraud.Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
23
Washington, D.C.Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Marcus Orlando Brown30
Washington, D.C.Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Columbian Thomas, aka "Cruddy Murda”27
Washington, D.C.Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden35
Washington, D.C.Sentenced April 29, 2024, to 45 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
24
Temple Hills, MarylandSentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
21
Alexandria, VirginiaSentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
31
Alexandria, VirginiaPleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
30
Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty Aug. 25, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”40
Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
35
Glen Allen, VirginiaConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
29
Alexandria, VirginiaSentenced to 110 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Paul Alejandro Felix26
Glendale,
California
Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
28
Cudahy,
California
Pleaded guilty May 2, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”27
San Diego,
California
Pleaded guilty Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Raul Pacheco Ramirez31
Long Beach,
California
Sentenced Nov.26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Giovani Alejandro Briones31
Victorville, CaliforniaPleaded guilty Feb. 20, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Alfredo Rodriguez Gonzalez27
Rosarito, MexicoPleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.These prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The investigation had additional support from the DEA’s Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Divisions, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie of the Violence Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
23cr073
[1] https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/brother-and-sister-sentenced-drug-conspiracy-involving-fentanyl-sale
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Laundering Money for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a man of laundering illicit cash proceeds from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.
DAVID BERGER, 41, of Chicago, was found guilty of all three counts against him, including two counts of money laundering and one count of illegally structuring financial transactions. The jury returned its verdicts on Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The convictions are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for May 12, 2026.
Evidence at trial revealed that from 2018 to 2021, the Mexico-based drug trafficking organization transported cocaine in wholesale quantities from Mexico to sell in various U.S. cities, including Chicago. Members of the organization then transported millions of dollars in drug proceeds to the U.S. border and into Mexico. One of the ways they transported the money was on privately chartered jets, which were booked and paid for on their behalf by intermediaries, including Berger.
Berger received more than $300,000 in cash drug proceeds from the organization to pay for the bookings and cover his fee. Berger deposited the proceeds in automated teller machines in ways that were intended to avoid federal currency-reporting requirements.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Hanna Helwig.
Fall River Man Convicted of Drug Distribution Resulting in Death of a Minor and the Sale of Drugs and Machineguns on Telegram AppRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to drug distribution resulting in the death of a minor, as well as multiple other charges filed this week associated with his sale of drugs, machineguns and firearm parts on the Telegram app.
Benjamin Hunt, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl, MDMA, MDA, Ketamine and LSD resulting in death; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; two counts of unlawful transfer and possession of a machinegun; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and cocaine.
U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2026. Hunt was arrested and charged in August 2024 on drug and firearm charges and has remained in federal custody while the investigation continued. Hunt was recently charged with additional crimes, including drug distribution resulting in the death of a minor, and he pled guilty to those crimes yesterday. Under the terms of Hunt’s guilty plea, at sentencing, the court will sentence Hunt to between 20 years and 25 years in federal custody.
From at least 2022 through 2024, Benjamin Hunt operated an online marketplace on the Telegram application through which he advertised and sold large quantities of controlled substances and firearms to customers across the United States. Hunt controlled multiple Telegram accounts and used the platform to conduct drug and weapons transactions while concealing his identity and seeking payment primarily in cryptocurrency.
Through his Telegram marketplace, Hunt offered for sale numerous dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, ketamine and counterfeit pharmaceutical pills made to resemble oxycodone but containing fentanyl. Hunt also advertised firearms and firearm components, including privately made firearms (“ghost guns”) and machinegun conversion devices (“switches”), some of which he manufactured himself using 3-D printing technology. Hunt typically required payment via Bitcoin, though in some instances accepted CashApp, and then shipped the contraband through the U.S. Postal Service, either directly or through suppliers.
In February, May, and June 2024, Hunt sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer, including quantities exceeding 40 grams of fentanyl. During one of these transactions, Hunt simultaneously sold a privately made Glock-style firearm and multiple machinegun conversion devices along with an extended magazine and 3D printed brass knuckles.
In August 2024, Hunt mailed an additional package containing approximately 1,600 fentanyl pills to undercover law enforcement in exchange for cryptocurrency. Law enforcement intercepted multiple packages being sent to or from Hunt, including one package sent by him that contained a smoke grenade and one package sent to an address associated with him that contained 13 switches or machinegun conversion devices.
A search at Hunt’s residence resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and ketamine, as well as an arsenal of firearms and firearm components, including dozens of privately made firearms, machinegun conversion devices, silencers, extended magazines, large quantities of ammunition and 3-D printers used to manufacture firearm parts. In total, approximately 95 firearms and related items were seized.
Law enforcement in Massachusetts learned about an overdose death of a 17-year-old minor in May 2023 in Indiana. Investigators uncovered evidence of Hunt having communicated with the victim through the Telegram app and offering various drugs for sale. The minor purchased multiple drugs from Hunt. Hunt sought payment in Bitcoin, but when the minor did not have access to Bitcoin, Hunt agreed to receive payment via Cashapp. Hunt then mailed drugs to the minor in Indiana through the U.S. mail. Messages between Hunt and the minor in the hours leading to the minor’s death were uncovered, including messages discussing the minor’s consumption of drugs that had been supplied by Hunt. The drugs distributed by Hunt—including fentanyl, MDMA, MDA, ketamine and LSD—were determined to be the but-for cause of the minor’s death, which was ruled an acute mixed drug intoxication. As part of his plea, Hunt admitted that his distribution of these drugs resulted in the minor victim’s death.
“This defendant made a business out of selling poisonous drugs and flooding our communities with illegal guns – and a 17-year-old victim paid for it with his life,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “By exploiting online platforms to sell lethal drugs and guns, the defendant showed a complete disregard for human life and public safety. This guilty plea makes clear that those who deal in death and violence, whether on the street or through online encrypted apps, will be held fully accountable.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling drug trafficking organizations and individuals like Mr. Hunt who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl, MDMA, Ketamine and LSD,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “DEA’s top priority is combatting the drug epidemic by working with our local, county, state, and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes deadly drugs, including if it’s online or out of state. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in Massachusetts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“Hunt’s entire livelihood was derived from endangering the public. Hunt’s drug enterprise killed a customer. Hunt manufactured and distributed 3D printed machine gun conversion devices, capable of spraying bullets across neighborhoods. This case highlights the collaboration of law enforcement agencies and the United States Attorney’s Office to target and disrupt threats to the safety of our community. Individuals manufacturing and distributing machine gun conversion devices are a priority for the Department of Justice and will remain so,” said Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division.
“Mr. Hunt’s guilty plea today highlights the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to dismantle any criminal syndicate that uses the U.S. Mail to traffic illicit firearms or narcotics. Removing dangerous items from the U.S. Mail is one of our highest priorities as these items pose a significant risk to Postal Service employees and the customers they serve. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively pursue and investigate anyone who attempts to use the mail to encourage gun violence and ongoing drug use in our communities. I commend our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts for their shared dedication on this outcome,” said Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
The charge of distribution of Fentanyl, MDMA, MDA, Ketamine and LSD resulting in death provides for a sentence of at least 20 years and up to life in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl each provide a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of unlawful transfer and possession of a machinegun each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley, DEA SAC Forget, ATF SAC Greco, USPIS Acting INC Bucciarelli, New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody and Fairhaven Police Chief Daniel Dorgan made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Attleboro, Fall River, Norton, Scituate and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Ellicottville man going to prison for enticing travel to engage in sexual activityRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Anthony Burris, 35, of Ellicottville, NY, who was convicted of two counts of enticing travel to engage in sexual activity, was sentenced to serve 90 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that between January and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced Victim 1, a woman suffering from drug addiction, to perform commercial sex acts. He did so by threatening the use of physical violence, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Burris, who knew Victim 1 was physically addicted to controlled substances, also provided transportation, housing, a cellular phone, and food to Victim 1, who was homeless during this time. In exchange, Victim 1 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to Burris, who posted online advertisements on Skipthegames.com, which contained sexually suggestive photographs of Victim 1. Burris then transported Victim 1 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including to Pennsylvania, to engage in these commercial sex acts.
Between June 2020, and March 11, 2021, Burris coerced a second victim (Victim 2) to perform commercial sex acts, once again threatening physical violence, and providing money for the purchase of controlled substances, and by supplying, and at times withholding, quantities of controlled substances. Like Victim 1, Burris knew Victim 2 was physically addicted to controlled substances and homeless. Victim 2 performed commercial sex acts and gave the proceeds to the defendant. Burris also posted ads for Victim 2 on Skipthegames.com and transported Victim 2 to various locations in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, including Pennsylvania, to perform commercial sex acts.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James B. Quattrone, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin, and the Millcreek, PA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Carter Mook.
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Elementary School Teacher Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – An elementary school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of sexual exploitation of children and distribution and possession of child pornography, announced Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz, Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Division (HSI).
Charged was Martin Daryl Waskowski, 38, of Royal Oak.
According to court records, on December 3, 2025, Waskowski was traveling from Canada back to the United States when he was stopped by Customs and Border Protection inspections at a border crossing in Vermont. Waskowski’s digital devices, including a cell phone and a laptop, were reviewed by HSI agents and found to contain suspected child pornography. A subsequent search warrant was executed at Waskowski’s home in Royal Oak, Michigan where numerous electronic items were seized by law enforcement which contained numerous files of child pornography, including very young children being sexually assaulted by adults. Further investigation revealed that Waskowski had allegedly attempted to produce child pornography by video-recording via spy camera a minor victim in a restroom.
Waskowski is also facing federal charges for child exploitation offenses in Vermont. He is currently in custody awaiting a detention hearing set for December 22 in federal court in Detroit.
“These alleged crimes are disgusting,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon. “It is a parent’s worst nightmare to have a predator teaching our children. I am thankful for the men and women who find and prosecute these evil people.”
“HSI will continue to prioritize the safety and security of children in our communities especially when offenders occupy positions of public trust,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz. “This investigation was only made possible through cooperation and collaboration with agents from HSI Burlington and officers from Customs and Border Protection. We encourage anyone with additional information on this case to please to contact investigators at the tipline below.”
If you have any information that may be relevant to this investigation, please contact
HSI-Waskowski-Investigation@hsi.dhs.gov
The Homeland Security Investigations Detroit and Burlington offices investigated this case with significant assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent. The burden is on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
East Lyme Business Owner Sentenced for Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANALIA MOUNTZOURES, 49, of East Lyme, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to three years of probation for a tax offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mountzoures operated Mountzoures Cleaning, a business with approximately 10 employees that provided cleaning services to more than 200 commercial and residential clients in southeastern Connecticut. During the 2018 through 2023 tax years, Mountzoures often paid her employees in cash, did not report their wages to the state or federal government, did not file required IRS forms related to her employees, did not issue W-2 forms, did not withhold employee taxes as required, and did not pay federal employment taxes and withholding. She also provided her tax return preparer with false information that resulted in personal tax returns that significantly underreported her gross receipts, income, and taxes due and owing.
As an example, Mountzoures’ 2023 tax return reported gross receipts of $12,095 and total taxes before credits as $1,450. In fact, Mountzoures’ gross receipts were approximately $628,072 and the tax due was approximately $96,650.
Judge Dooley ordered Mountzoures to pay restitution of $380,167.60 to the IRS.
On April 23, 2025, Mountzoures pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting a false tax return.
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills Resulting in a Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Pasqual Perez Duckett, 41, of Newberry, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old Columbia woman.
In July 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, in collaboration with the City of Columbia Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff's Department, initiated an investigation into Duckett after receiving credible information about his involvement in distributing large quantities of counterfeit prescription pills, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine throughout Richland and Newberry Counties.
The investigation revealed that Duckett had ordered approximately 125 kilograms of pill binder to be shipped to his residence, which he then used to manufacture thousands of counterfeit pills. These pills were falsely marketed as Percocet and Oxycodone but were laced with fentanyl.
On August 30, 2023, Duckett distributed a counterfeit pill to a 28-year-old woman from Columbia, who believed the pill to be Percocet. After ingesting the pill, the victim was found dead the following morning by her mother. Toxicology and autopsy reports confirmed that the cause of death was acute fentanyl toxicity.
After learning that the pill he distributed caused the victim’s death, Duckett took steps to distance himself from the incident, including checking out of a hotel the following day, deleting text messages from his phone, and moving his vehicle in an apparent attempt to establish an alibi. Despite this knowledge, Duckett continued to distribute fentanyl-laced pills, falsely marketed as Percocet, on at least three separate occasions after learning of the victim's death.
“Fentanyl continues to plague our communities, showing up in illicit substances and counterfeit pills,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We are fighting this evil head on with our law enforcement partners and hope this sentence brings a measure of peace and closure to our victim’s family and loved ones.”
“This sentence reflects the devastating reality of fentanyl trafficking,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “A life was lost because of this defendant’s actions, and no punishment can ever undo that harm. Today’s sentencing holds the offender accountable and sends a clear message that those who profit from distributing this deadly poison will face severe consequences.”
“Those who put fentanyl on our streets should be treated as murderers; it’s no different than shooting someone,” said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. “They know these drugs kill people and continue to do it.”
“I have witnessed first-hand the devastatingly harmful and lethal effects of fentanyl and opioids," said Columbia Police Chief William H. "Skip" Holbrook. "This sentencing is another example of law enforcement working together to arrest and prosecute opioid traffickers and distributors who have zero regard for the sanctity of life or the harm being inflicted in our communities.”
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Pasqual Perez Duckett to 240 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision and ordered restitution to the victim’s family to cover funeral costs. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the City of Columbia Police Department, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.
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Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man unlawfully residing in Lawrence has pleaded guilty to money laundering, false use of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft.
Juan Carlos Lugo Gonzalez, a/k/a “Josue Cabrera,” 45, pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2025 to one count of money laundering, one count of false use of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 26, 2026. Lugo Gonzalez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed.
Beginning at least as early as 2020, an investigation began into Lugo Gonzalez and others for laundering proceeds of drug trafficking. In August 2023, following a series of communications with undercover law enforcement, Lugo Gonzalez arranged and carried out the delivery of approximately $109,715 in drug proceeds to an undercover agent in Lawrence. During the exchange, Lugo Gonzalez confirmed his identity using a prearranged token and discussed his involvement in trafficking multiple drugs – claiming control over drug activity in the Lawrence area.
Additionally, in June 2023, Lugo Gonzalez used a Social Security number assigned to another individual to apply for and obtain a Massachusetts ID.
The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. The charge of misuse of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of $25,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence in prison to be served consecutively to a sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and John O. Wray of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Dominican National Indicted for Emergency Rental Assistance COVID-19 Relief Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national lawfully residing in Worcester has been indicted for using other peoples’ identities – including a deceased individual – to fraudulently obtain $137,100 in emergency rental assistance funds intended to provide housing assistance for individuals unable to pay rent due to financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Felix Mercedes-Castillo, 35, was indicted on five counts of theft of government money and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The defendant is currently serving a state prison sentence for unrelated offenses and will appear in federal court in Worcester at a later date.
In 2021, Congress established the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to provide financial assistance to eligible low-income households to cover the costs of rent and rental arrears during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court records, between October 2021 and August 2022, Mercedes-Castillo allegedly enriched himself by engaging in a scheme to fraudulently obtain ERAP funds. Specifically, it is alleged that Mercedes-Castillo used the identities of other individuals to apply for ERAP funding. In the applications, Mercedes-Castillo allegedly claimed that the applicants were landlords and tenants of rental properties in Massachusetts, and that the applicants were in need of ERAP funds, when in fact the applicants were neither landlords nor tenants, nor in need of ERAP funding. Mercedes-Castillo allegedly included in the ERAP applications, copies of the applicants’ identifying records, including social security cards.
According to the indictment, one of the individuals whom Mercedes-Castillo falsely claimed was a landlord and who was owed rent, was a person who had been deceased for more than a year. Allegedly, as a result of the misrepresentations in the ERAP applications, ERAP checks were issued and made payable to the applicants, and Mercedes-Castillo collected the checks in the mail and retained the funds.
The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, forfeiture and restitution. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Massachusetts Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dodge City, Kansas, Man Sentenced for Possessing More than Eight Pounds of CocaineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Dodge City, Kansas, man was sentenced for possessing more than eight pounds of cocaine that he knowingly transported from Texas to the Northern District of Oklahoma, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Alejandro Aldave, 37, for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Judge Hill ordered Aldave to serve 120 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release.
In April 2025, law enforcement became aware that Aldave was distributing large amounts of cocaine out of a home in Tulsa. After receiving a search warrant, an agent installed a tracking device on Aldave’s vehicle. His vehicle was tracked from Tulsa to Odessa, Texas. After staying in Odessa for less than twenty minutes, Aldave’s vehicle headed back to Tulsa.
During a traffic stop in Tulsa, Aldave admitted to Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Troopers also smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, Troopers found marijuana vape pens and a hidden compartment with four one-kilogram bundles of cocaine. After arresting Aldave, agents executed a search warrant at his home in Tulsa. Agents found a firearm, ammunition, more than 700 grams of cocaine, and more than 3,000 counterfeit Xanax pills that contained a synthetic opioid commonly known as U-47700.
Data provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) shows that nearly 70% of all drug poisonings and overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, and that U-47700 has been linked to at least 46 confirmed overdose deaths. The DEA notes that U-47700 is frequently pressed into pill format and marketed as a wide variety of prescription opioids.
Aldave has two prior convictions related to the distribution and possession of illicit drugs. Court documents show that he has never served time for those convictions. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McConney prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced in Armed Carjacking at Northeast Washington D.C. Gas StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Terrell Edmondson, 19, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison in connection with an October 2024 armed carjacking in Northeast Washington that was documented by multiple surveillance cameras and by evidence that Edmondson posted to his own Instagram account, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Edmondson pleaded guilty on August 13 before Judge Beryl A. Howell to a count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the 84-month prison sentence, Judge Howell ordered Edmondson to serve five years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Michael Sullivan of the U.S. Capitol Police.
According to court records, on Oct. 4, 2024, about 2:15 a.m., MPD officers responded to a report of an armed carjacking on the 5700 block of Eads Street NE. The victim was at a gas station when a blue Mercedes pulled up next to him. Two masked and armed gunman, one of whom was identified as Edmondson, got out of the Mercedes and demanded the victim’s 2006 Infiniti M35X. One of the gunmen pointed a firearm at the victim’s face. The two gunmen fled with the Infiniti. At about 3:05 a.m. Edmondson posted a video to his Instagram account of the carjacked Infiniti and the Mercedes.
Later that same day, MPD notified U.S. Capitol Police that the carjacked Infiniti was driving recklessly through heavy traffic near Capitol grounds. U.S. Capitol Police spotted and pursued the Infiniti before it crashed into another vehicle. Edmondson then fled from the Infiniti toward the recreation fields northeast of RFK stadium where he was detained. 24cr486
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand for the District of Columbia.
Surveillance photo taken at the gas station during the carjacking of the Infiniti.
Surveillance photo of Terrell Edmondson as he exits the back seat of a blue Mercedes at the gas station where the carjacking took place.
The wreckage of the carjacking Infiniti in a photo taken later the on the day of the carjacking.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to Strangling Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 31-year-old man, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to strangling his 26-year-old romantic partner and mother of his child, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The man, who is not identified here to protect the privacy of the victim, pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of strangulation. According to the government’s evidence, on Thanksgiving Day (November 28, 2025), the defendant assaulted his romantic partner by placing her in a chokehold while she was holding their 1-year-old child. The assault caused the victim to urinate on herself and lose consciousness. The defendant was arrested the same day and has been in custody ever since. A Superior Court judge released the defendant today over the government’s objection pending sentencing, which is set for February 20, 2026.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia B. Hinerfeld and Michael Weinberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Detroit Man Sentenced for Leading Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Robinson-Brown, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 150 months in federal prison for his leadership role in a drug trafficking operation in Monongalia County, announced United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement had received several complaints about suspected drug activity at an apartment complex in Morgantown. Investigators determined Robinson-Brown was transporting large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Detroit to Monongalia County, using local residents to then distribute the narcotics.
Robinson-Brown has a criminal history that includes convictions for cocaine and heroin distribution and the unlawful possession of a firearm.
Robinson-Brown will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Department of Justice Files Statement of Interest Supporting Competition Among Real Estate BrokeragesRead the Press Release
Today, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the case of Davis et al. v. Hanna Holdings Inc. The lawsuit, brought by homebuyers, alleges that real-estate brokerages and their trade association, the National Association of Realtors, entered into anticompetitive agreements that inflated broker commissions and raised home prices for Americans. The statement of interest explains that competition among real-estate brokerages is critical for protecting American homebuyers and that trade association rules are subject to antitrust scrutiny in a number of ways.
“Purchasing a home is the single biggest purchase most Americans make in a lifetime,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s soaring housing prices make competition in real estate brokerage more important than ever. Antitrust laws are key to safeguarding competition, which reduces prices and improves services for homebuyers.”
Americans spend about a third of their budgets on housing and housing-related costs. Yet real-estate broker commissions in the United States have remained at 5% to 6% for decades — two to three times more than that in other developed economies. Trade association rules that artificially inflate broker commissions and increase the burden on American consumers must be closely scrutinized by antitrust laws.
U.S. courts have long recognized that trade associations violate the antitrust laws when they unreasonably restrict competition among their members. While taking no position on the ultimate disposition of the case, the statement of interest explains that competition among real-estate brokerages is critical for protecting American homebuyers and that the antitrust laws provide a remedy when real-estate brokers agree to stop competing with one another — whatever form that agreement takes. When plaintiffs challenge trade association rules that embody an agreement among competitors, the rules are subject to a challenge under Section 1 of the Sherman Act. In addition, the statement of interest explains that association rules are not automatically exempt from the per se rule prohibiting horizontal price fixing.
The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws.
Clay County Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing A Firearm from A Licensed Gun DealerRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Eric Joel Valdez (24, Clay County) pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). Valdez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victim. Sentencing is set for March 18, 2026. Valdez appeared in federal court on September 30, 2025, on a writ from state prison in New Jersey. He is serving a 10-year prison sentence for two armed robberies involving the firearm stolen from the FFL in Florida.
According to court documents, on November 11, 2022, Valdez entered Orange Park Gun & Pawn in Clay County and requested to see a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol. As he examined the pistol, he suddenly ran out the front door of the business and fled the area in a sedan style car. Using street cameras and surveillance footage from the area, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) identified Valdez as the individual who stole the pistol. On November 18, 2022, the Perth Amboy Police Department (PAPD) in Perth Amboy, New Jersey conducted a stop of a car driven by Valdez, as part of an armed robbery investigation. After obtaining a search warrant for the car, the PAPD located in the car the stolen Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, loaded with eleven rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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.