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3 December 2025
Madison Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jontrae Larsen, 24, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Larsen pleaded guilty to this charge on September 11, 2025.
On January 6, 2024, witnesses to a vehicle crash observed Larsen flee from one of the vehicles involved in the collision. Law enforcement eventually found Larsen and a Glock 17, Gen 5 handgun equipped with an extended magazine and loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber. The firearm was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Larsen’s DNA was recovered on multiple parts of the firearm, and law enforcement also found evidence of Larsen’s gun possession on his phone.
A machinegun conversion device is an illegal after-market device that converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully functioning machinegun. A handgun with a machinegun conversion device is extremely dangerous, even for experienced firearms users, because it is difficult to control and is capable of firing 50 rounds in four seconds with a single pull of the trigger.
Larsen has a prior state conviction for first degree recklessly endangering safety. As a convicted felon, Larsen is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson expressed disappointment that Larsen returned to criminal behavior so soon after he was released from state prison, and he attributed Larsen’s return to crime to negative social influences and a lack of maturity. Judge Peterson found Larsen’s possession of a machinegun particularly concerning due to Larsen’s history of impulsive decisions, terrible judgment, and substance abuse. Judge Peterson said a substantial sentence was also warranted given the automatic firing capacity of the firearm.
The charge against Larsen was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala prosecuted this case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Kansas City Woman Pleads Guilty to Preparing and Filing False Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to preparing and filing false income tax returns for others.
Tanisha Spencer, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill Morris to aiding in the preparation of a false tax return.
According to court documents, Spencer prepared income tax returns for pay for persons who contacted her via Facebook. She prepared the income tax returns at 4300 Bellefontaine, Kansas City, Missouri, and the returns were electronically filed with the Internal Revenue Service in Kansas City, Missouri. The Federal income tax returns prepared by Spencer included fraudulent Sick Leave and Family Leave credits, illegitimate fuel tax credits, and fraudulently inflated federal tax withholdings. By including these and other fraudulent items on the client’s tax returns, Spencer was able to manufacture substantial refunds to her clients that they would not have been entitled to if the returns had been accurately prepared. Spencer electronically filed returns and charged her clients a return preparation fee of between $500 and $14,840 per return. The 156 returns that Spencer prepared claimed $4,047,531 in refunds, of which the IRS paid out $689,872.
Under federal statutes, Spencer is subject to a sentence of up to 3 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to COVID FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man pled guilty today to wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain a $312,500 Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan, guaranteed by the United States Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
Jarrell Curne, 36, was the owner of a Missouri limited liability company called Hustle Ova Everything Entertainment (Hustle). On May 13, 2020, Curne submitted a $312,500 PPP loan application to U.S. Bank on behalf of Hustle. In the loan application, Curne falsely stated that, in 2019, Hustle had an annual payroll of $1.5 million and 100 employees. In reality, Hustle had no eligible employees or payroll whatsoever.
Based on the fraudulent representations Curne made in the Hustle PPP loan application, on May 15, 2020, U.S. Bank transferred $312,500 to a bank account controlled by Curne in the name of Hustle. In furtherance of his wire-fraud scheme and in an effort for the Small Business Administration to forgive the Hustle PPP loan, Curne falsely certified that the loan proceeds were used for permissible business purposes under the PPP. In reality, the funds were used by Curne for personal expenses.
Under federal statutes, Curne is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on a set of advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul S. Becker and James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Jury finds Lame Deer man guilty of assaulting federal officers on the Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Lame Deer man who assaulted federal officers on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, Caleb Raymond Carter, 39, was found guilty of two counts of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, and one count of use of a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence. Carter faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release for the assaults and a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, consecutive to the sentence imposed for the assaults, a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release for the firearm charge.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set for a later date. Carter will remain detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial John Does 1 and 2 are federal law enforcement officers employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. On the date of the alleged offense, both were in uniform and were working their scheduled shifts on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
On May 2, 2025, John Doe 1 responded to a 911 call in Lame Deer. The caller, Jane Doe, advised Carter was drunk and was yelling at her mother, causing her to fear for her mother’s safety. By the time Doe 1 responded, the disturbance had subsided. Doe 1 contacted Jane Doe and her brother and confirmed they were safe. He instructed Jane Doe to call 911 again if there were any other issues. He cleared the residence.
Later the same day, Jane Doe called 911 again to report Carter had woken up and was “yelling around.” Again, Jane Doe expressed concern for her family’s physical safety. She also advised Carter may be armed with a firearm. John Does 1 and 2 responded to the residence in separate, marked patrol vehicles. Both officers activated their emergency lights and parked at the northeast corner of the property.
They approached a camper trailer on the property that Carter had been using as a bedroom but no one responded to their knock on the door or their announcement that they were BIA police.
John Doe 1 proceeded to the nearby residence and was greeted at the door by Jane Doe’s brother. As he was speaking with the brother, Doe 1 heard a loud bang that he immediately recognized as a gunshot. Both Doe 1 and Doe 2 drew their duty weapons and retreated from the door. They advised dispatch that shots had been fired and commanded the occupants of the camper to exit. Eventually, Carter and his wife emerged from the trailer with their hands raised and both were taken into custody.
Law enforcement searched and photographed the camper trailer, noting a hole in the door consistent with a gun shot. They seized a 20-gauge shotgun in an overheard cabinet across from the door of the camper and observed a spent shell casing stuck inside the chamber. They also located and seized a box of 20-gauge ammunition from a kitchen cabinet.
During an interview with law enforcement, Carter claimed he had had “issues” with law enforcement entering onto the property in the past, and had posted a “No Trespassing” sign on the gate in an effort to deter them from doing so. He admitted he watched John Doe 1 access the property the first time and said he locked a gate after the officer left.
Carter also said he had been sitting inside for approximately five minutes when the officers arrived for the second time. He claimed he saw the camper “light up,” and then heard a knock at his door, followed by the sound of someone trying to open it. By that point, “it was too late:” Carter had retrieved his shotgun and pointed it at the door. He said the gun accidentally discharged when he pointed it at the door.
An FBI analyst examined the firearm and determined it functioned normally and would not have discharged when handled in the manner described by Carter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the BIA.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Jury convicts illegal alien who distributed cocaine and machine guns from homeRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old Mexican national who unlawfully resided in Laredo has been convicted of unlawful possession of a machine gun and drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours and 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts on all 12 counts as charged against Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo following a less than three-day trial.
The jury heard that Garcia-Guajardo and Fernando Patino Jr., also an illegal alien, sold firearms and cocaine out of a residential home in Laredo. The firearms included several machine guns.
Testimony revealed details of the undercover operation which began with the sale of a pistol. At that time, Garcia-Guajardo had indicated he and Patino could also offer drugs for sale.
On Jan. 2, Patino and Garcia-Guajardo sold the first of two machine guns - a model 22 Glock equipped with a conversion device. In the following weeks, they arranged additional sales involving cocaine and other firearms. In total, Patino and Garcia-Guajardo sold 10 firearms.
The jury heard the pair used the sale of cocaine and firearms to negotiate future deals. Testimony revealed that during one transaction, they told a buyer that “because you are paying full price on the snow, we will cut you a deal on the Glock.”
Evidence also showed Garcia-Guajardo and Patino not only sold firearms but fired them indiscriminately in their neighborhood and conducted extensive drug trafficking.
On Jan. 31, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the 3000 block of Monterrey Street in Laredo. At that time, they found Garcia-Guajardo along with Jose Guadalupe Hernandez-Garza, a 26-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, as well as scales, cash in various denominations, multiple firearms and crack cocaine stored near items belonging to young children.
Garcia-Guajardo had been ordered removed from the United States on two occasions, most recently in July 2024. As an illegal alien, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
Visting U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle presided over trial and has set sentencing for March 5.
Garcia-Guajardo faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years and up to life in federal prison. He could also be ordered to pay a $250,000 maximum fine.
Patino, 33, pleaded guilty prior to trial and is pending sentencing.
Both Patino and Garcia-Guajardo have been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Hernandez-Garza admitted to being an alien illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition and has been ordered to prison.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Laredo Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Anti-Gang Unit – Laredo Center and Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Tory R. Sailer and Brandon Scott Bowling are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Johnstown Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing Fentanyl and CrackRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Che Rose, 39, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Superseding Indictment before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan on December 2, 2025.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2024 through in and around June 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Rose conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl and cocaine base in the form commonly known as “crack.”
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for April 1, 2026. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Laurel Highlands Resident Agency’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Cambria County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Rose.
Jefferson County Woman Charged with ArsonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Jefferson County woman for setting fire to an apartment unit, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Shun’derrika Kimberly Peoples, 20, of Birmingham, Alabama, with arson. The incident occurred at The Union at Cooper Hill apartment complex on August 25, 2025.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Jasper man sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –A Jasper man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
David Anthony Piepenburg, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on December 1, 2025.
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2019, Piepenburg conspired with others to distribute and possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Rattan.
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Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Illegal GunRead the Press Release
On December 1, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Ryan Miller, 40, most recently residing in Pilot Mound, Iowa, was sentenced. On June 27, 2025, Miller pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Miller was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2017, this conviction prohibits him from possessing a firearm.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from January 2024 through April 27, 2024, Miller and others conspired to distribute at least ½ pound of methamphetamine and more than 1700 fentanyl pills. On April 21, 2024, Miller and two others were headed to Colorado to pick up more methamphetamine and to sell fentanyl pills. They attempted to elude law enforcement in a high-speed vehicle chase during which Miller threw two pop cans containing fentanyl pills from the vehicle. In an attempt to distract the police, Miller’s two co-defendants made “false” 911 calls. Later on the same date, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Miller’s residence and seized a small amount of methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and a loaded .22 caliber Beretta handgun.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Miller was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Miller remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Ida and Sac County Sheriff’s Offices, the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Indiana Man Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana following a High-Speed PursuitRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Hammond, In., man has been charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana in Daviess County, Missouri.
Nickolas J Burch, 36, was charged and had his initial appearance yesterday in a two-count criminal complaint. Burch was charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, on Nov. 15, 2025, a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper was conducting routine patrol on I-35 northbound in Daviess County. He observed a black sport utility vehicle (SUV) overtaking his vehicle from the rear at 103 miles per hour. After the MSHP Trooper attempted to stop the SUV, it attempted to flee at a high rate of speed, ultimately reaching 128 miles per hour before crashing into a field.
Immediately after the crash the driver, later identified as Burch, exited the vehicle and fled on foot, carrying a red duffle bag over his shoulder. After a foot pursuit and resistance by Burch, law enforcement was ultimately able to take Burch into custody.
A red duffle bag was recovered from the field, which was dropped by Burch during the pursuit. and searched. Law enforcement located $205,950 in United States Currency.
A second duffel bag was in the second row of the SUV which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine and 18 pounds of marijuana.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Daviess County, Missouri Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Illegal alien and Atlanta man face federal charges after massive seizures of methamphetamine concealed in fruit shipmentsRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, an illegal alien from Mexico who previously served time in federal prison, and Nelson Enrique Sorto face federal drug charges related to a recent seizure of a combined 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in blackberry shipments at locations in Southeast Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia.
“These repeat offenders, including an illegal alien, allegedly attempted to conceal and traffic an enormous quantity of deadly methamphetamine in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We are thankful for the quick action of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who apprehended these individuals and stopped nearly 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine from hitting the streets.”
“The FBI will never waver in our commitment to disrupt traffickers and prevent their dangerous drugs from reaching our streets, no matter where they try to hide them," said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Thanks to the quick response and dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners, these repeat offenders will be held responsible for their crimes.”
“This indictment serves as a clear message that drug trafficking has no place in our communities. It shows what can be accomplished when law enforcement works together with determination and purpose. We remain committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to pursue and disrupt the plans of those who threaten our communities through drug trafficking,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“These arrests and the confiscation of this massive amount of methamphetamine represent a major disruption to the criminals who traffic this dangerous poison in our communities,” said Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators worked tirelessly in this case to hold accountable those who threaten the well-being of people in our county and communities across Georgia. I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork displayed by our investigators and our state and federal partners.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On November 20, 2025, law enforcement surveilled a cold storage warehouse in Fulton County, Georgia, and observed three refrigerated box trucks parked outside. Agents followed one of the trucks as it traveled in tandem with an SUV, driven by Sorto, to a residence in southeast Atlanta. Sorto then opened the rear door of the truck and examined the storage area and its contents. Shortly after midnight, Sorto departed in the SUV with two passengers. Georgia State Patrol troopers initiated a traffic stop on the SUV and located two firearms and several containers of blackberries in the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the box truck parked outside the Atlanta residence, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents assisted by the FBI recovered approximately 924 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in pallets of blackberries.
At the same time, another team of federal agents and sheriff’s deputies followed a second box truck from the cold storage facility to a gas station in Gainesville. Solorio-Alvarado arrived, picked up the box truck driver, and departed the gas station. After a K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics, agents searched the abandoned box truck and recovered approximately 661 pounds of methamphetamine hidden amongst pallets of blackberries. Solorio-Alvarado was later arrested at his Gainesville residence as he attempted to flee from the back of the home. Inside the home, deputies found keys to the abandoned truck.
The investigation revealed that Solorio-Alvarado, an illegal alien from Mexico, has a prior federal conviction for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Solorio-Alvarado served 17 years of imprisonment for those offenses. Law enforcement also learned that Sorto is currently on probation for a 2024 conviction for possession of methamphetamine in Hall County, Georgia.
Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, 44, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 2, 2025, on charges of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nelson Enrique Sorto, 36, of Atlanta, Ga., was charged in a criminal complaint on December 1, 2025, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment and criminal complaint only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Georgia State Patrol, and the Hall County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Keen and Dwayne Brown, Jr. are prosecuting the cases.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
These prosecutions are also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Mauricio Morales-Gonzalez, 24, of Mexico, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity after previously pleading guilty in federal court. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, this criminal alien was stopped as he attempted to sexually exploit and victimize a minor child. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these disgusting sex offenders to ensure the most vulnerable members of our community are kept safe.”
Court documents reflect that between April 10, 2025, and April 12, 2025, detectives of the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, participated in a joint undercover operation in Leon County focused on identifying individuals using the Internet to exploit children in a sexual manner. During the operation, investigators identified Morales-Gonzalez, an adult male who was soliciting minors for sex through an online website. Morales-Gonzalez, who is in the country illegally, believed he was going to be engaging in sexual activity with a minor when he drove to a meeting location where he was met by law enforcement and immediately arrested.
“This sentence sends a clear message that anyone who attempts to entice a minor into sexual activity will face serious consequences,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas G. Ingegno. “This criminal alien sought to exploit a child, and thanks to the swift, coordinated work of law enforcement, that danger was stopped. Protecting minors from predatory conduct remains one of our highest priorities, and this outcome reflects our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our children.”
Morales-Gonzalez’s imprisonment will be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face an additional period of incarceration. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Hunt County woman sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –A Quinlan woman has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Rosalind Horton, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on December 1, 2025.
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2020, Horton conspired with others to distribute and possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Rattan.
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Honolulu Man Who Trafficked Illegally-Caught Hawaiian Tropical Fish Sentenced to Probation and Home DetentionRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Shane Takasane, 43, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A. S. Park to three years of probation for selling illegally-caught Hawaiian yellow tang and kole tang, in violation of the Lacey Act. Takasane pled guilty to those charges on August 6, 2025. Takasane’s conditions of probation included 45 days of home confinement, 50 hours of community service to an organization focused on improving the marine environment, and the payment of $10,100 in restitution to the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources.
As part of his guilty plea, Takasane admitted that in June through August 2023, Takasane arranged with divers to obtain Hawaiian yellow tang and kole tang, which the defendant sold to a buyer on the U.S. Mainland without the required commercial fish license. Takasane also admitted as part of his plea agreement that on multiple occasions between July 2023 and June 2024, he imported snakehead fish, which are considered injurious to domestic wildlife, and Asian arowanas, which are protected by the Endangered Species Act, in violation of federal law.
“The protection of Hawaii’s wildlife is a critical component in preserving the unique and beautiful marine environment that draws so many to our islands,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We will continue to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FBI, and other agencies to aggressively investigate, arrest, and convict those who seek to profit by violating the laws and regulations that safeguard Hawaii’s precious ocean wildlife.”
“The illegal trade of native Hawaiian marine species threatens fragile coral reef ecosystems, while the smuggling of injurious species poses serious risks to our nation’s wildlife and habitats,” said Douglas Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “We thank the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their strong partnership in enforcing the laws that protect our nation’s most vulnerable wildlife and ecosystems.”
The investigation was conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese prosecuted the case.
Herkimer County Felon Sentenced to 88 Months for Possessing and Intending to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Michael Austin, age 47, of Frankfort, New York, was sentenced today to 88 months’ imprisonment for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing two firearms as a felon. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Austin admitted that between April 2024 and August 2024, he sold approximately 13 ounces of cocaine to one customer over the course of 7 transactions, and on August 15, 2024, he possessed an additional 78 grams of cocaine at his residence, which he intended to distribute to others. Austin further admitted that on July 26, 2024, he illicitly sold two handguns to that same customer despite having been convicted in federal court of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base in 2010. He was sentenced to 67 months’ imprisonment for that offense.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated: “Michael Austin didn’t learn his lesson after already spending years in federal prison. He continued to endanger the residents of Herkimer County by illegally peddling drugs and firearms. Today’s sentence sends the message to him and other would-be traffickers of drugs and firearms that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue dangerous criminals to keep our communities safe.”
Special Agent in Charge DiGirolamo said: “Illegal firearms in the hands of convicted felons, combined with drug trafficking, create a cycle of danger that threatens every layer of our community. ATF and our law enforcement partners remain committed to stopping that cycle of violence. This sentencing reflects the power of collaboration—ATF NY Syracuse Field Office, DEA, New York State Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office NDNY and the New Hartford Police Department working together to safeguard our communities.”
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also imposed a 6-year term of post-release supervision.
ATF investigated the case, with assistance from DEA, NYSP Special Investigations Unit-Marcy, and the New Hartford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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Hammond Man Sentenced to 96 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Fernando Porras Jr., 64 years old, of Hammond, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine and cocaine, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Porras Jr. was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on January 22, 2024, Porras Jr. sold methamphetamine and cocaine at a gas station in Gary, Indiana. He also sold methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine on several occasions in Dolton, Illinois, and Gary, from May 2023 and March 2024. Porras Jr. has a prior conviction for dealing in LSD.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lake County Combined Task Force - Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Toth.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Resisting Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Guatemalan national living in Rhode Island was sentenced today in federal court in Rhode Island for resisting federal law enforcement officers as they attempted to execute an immigration arrest warrant, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Cristian Aroldo Pineda Diaz, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to time served. Pineda Diaz pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025, to resisting a lawful arrest by federal officers.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2025, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers and other supporting federal agents observed Pineda Diaz in the vicinity of College Street and Benefit Street in downtown Providence and attempted to execute the arrest warrant. Pineda Diaz refused verbal commands, attempted to flee, collided with a federal agent, and resisted efforts to gain control of his limbs, stiffening his body and concealing his arms under his body.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys G. Michael Seaman and Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Georgia Businessman Sentenced in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Georgia businessman was sentenced yesterday to eight years in prison for his role in a nearly five-year long scheme to bribe Honduran government officials and to launder money to secure business for a Georgia-based manufacturer of law enforcement uniforms and accessories. He was also ordered to forfeit over $2 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Carl Alan Zaglin, 70, of Marietta, Georgia, agreed to pay bribes to Honduran officials in order to obtain and retain business with Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso para la Administración del Fondo de Protección y Seguridad Poblacional (TASA), a Honduran governmental entity that procured goods for the Honduran National Police.
“Bribery is theft from the public,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant tried to buy influence, rig contracts, and corrupt a foreign government for his own gain. Today’s sentence makes clear that when you bribe public officials, anywhere in the world, you answer for it in an American courtroom.”
The trial evidence showed that, between March 2015 and November 2019, Zaglin, the owner and CEO of Atlanco LLC (Atlanco), orchestrated the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to Honduran officials — including former TASA Executive Director Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno and former TASA Titular Director Juan Ramon Molina — in order to secure contracts with TASA worth more than $10 million. The bribes were paid through Aldo Nestor Marchena, a third-party intermediary then residing in Boca Raton, Florida, who received $2.5 million in payments of sham invoices authorized by Zaglin. In exchange for the bribes, Cosenza and other Honduran government officials assisted Zaglin, Marchena, and others in obtaining contracts for the sale of uniforms and other goods for the Honduran National Police and securing payment on the contracts.
Zaglin was convicted after trial in September 2025. Marchena, Cosenza, and Molina all previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Marchena was sentenced to 84 months in prison for his role in the scheme in November 2025. Cosenza and Molina are awaiting sentencing.
The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Belize, Colombia, and Spain provided assistance with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Peter L. Cooch and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
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Georgia Businessman Sentenced in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A Georgia businessman was sentenced yesterday to eight years in prison for his role in a nearly five-year long scheme to bribe Honduran government officials and to launder money to secure business for a Georgia-based manufacturer of law enforcement uniforms and accessories. He was also ordered to forfeit over $2 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Carl Alan Zaglin, 70, of Marietta, Georgia, agreed to pay bribes to Honduran officials in order to obtain and retain business with Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso para la Administración del Fondo de Protección y Seguridad Poblacional (TASA), a Honduran governmental entity that procured goods for the Honduran National Police.
The trial evidence showed that, between March 2015 and November 2019, Zaglin, the owner and CEO of Atlanco LLC (Atlanco), orchestrated the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to Honduran officials — including former TASA Executive Director Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno and former TASA Titular Director Juan Ramon Molina — in order to secure contracts with TASA worth more than $10 million. The bribes were paid through Aldo Nestor Marchena, a third-party intermediary then residing in Boca Raton, Florida, who received $2.5 million in payments of sham invoices authorized by Zaglin. In exchange for the bribes, Cosenza and other Honduran government officials assisted Zaglin, Marchena, and others in obtaining contracts for the sale of uniforms and other goods for the Honduran National Police and securing payment on the contracts.
Zaglin was convicted after trial in September 2025. Marchena, Cosenza, and Molina all previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Marchena was sentenced to 84 months in prison for his role in the scheme in November 2025. Cosenza and Molina are awaiting sentencing.
The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Belize, Colombia, and Spain provided assistance with the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Peter L. Cooch and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Gainesville woman sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –A Gainesville woman has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jennifer Dawn York, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on December 1, 2025.
According to information presented in court, from January to September 2023, York conspired with others to distribute and possess 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas. This case centered on a scheme that exploited the nation’s mail system by the defendants’ use of the US Postal Service to transport large amounts of methamphetamine.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Cooke County Sheriff’s Office, and Gainesville Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Erlandson.
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Gainesville Felon Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – William Blas Hernandez, 28, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty to three federal offenses: (1) possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; (2) carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime; and (3) possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I commend the excellent work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to stop this serial felon from continuing to peddle deadly drugs in our community. My office has zero tolerance for these types of repeat offenders who endanger our communities with their brazen disregard for the law, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to ensure criminals like this defendant are kept off our streets.”
Court documents reflect that law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the defendant’s vehicle because he was speeding, and his vehicle matched the description from a 911 caller who reported other criminal conduct. During the traffic stop, officers established probable cause to search the vehicle. There, they found the defendant’s backpack with a loaded pistol, over 50 grams of methamphetamine in a variety of forms, and other drug-distribution paraphernalia. The defendant was recently released from a prison sentence for eight prior felony convictions.
Hernandez now faces a minimum of ten years and up to life in federal prison. Following his release, he will be on supervised release for at least four years.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at 10:00 am in Gainesville, Florida, before Chief United States District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Former Student Doctor Sentenced for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A former student doctor was sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing and possessing child sex abuse material.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, between June 2020, and February 2024, Kevin Weiss, 29, produced child sexual abuse imagery of a minor victim. Further, between December 2023, and March 2024, Weiss possessed child sex abuse material involving prepubescent minors.
Weiss pled guilty to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Weiss will be subject to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Ryan G. McRae, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
The Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the New Mexico State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Former President of the Allen Firefighters Association sentenced to federal prison for fraudRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – The former president of the Allen Firefighters Association has been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jeremy Painkin, 42, of Frisco, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard Schell on December 3, 2025. Painkin was also ordered to pay over $108,000 in restitution.
According to information presented in court, Painkin was the president of the Allen Professional Firefighters Association from 2017 until he resigned in October 2023 following an investigation into the finances of the organization. The investigation revealed that Painkin made multiple personal purchases with the funds of the organization under his control. The purchases included expensive clothing, travel, tickets to various venues, fuel, food, and purchases from on-line retailers. Following discovery of the purchases, Painkin attempted to conceal the purchases through false statements to various members of the organization.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Tatum.
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Former Physician Who Ran Calabasas Clinic Sentenced to 2 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Ketamine to Actor Matthew PerryRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former physician from Santa Monica was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for repeatedly selling vials of ketamine to actor and author Matthew Perry despite knowing Perry’s well-documented history of drug addiction and that Perry’s personal assistant was administering the drug without medical training or supervision.
Salvador Plasencia, 44, a.k.a. “Dr. P,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who also fined him $5,600 and ordered him immediately remanded to federal custody.
Plasencia pleaded guilty on July 23 to four counts of distribution of ketamine. He surrendered his California medical license in September 2025.
Plasencia was a physician who owned and operated a Calabasas-based urgent-care clinic called Malibu Canyon Urgent Care LLC. As a medical doctor, Plasencia knew that ketamine was a controlled substance and an anesthetic that is used to treat – without the approval of the United States Food and Drug Administration – depression and other psychiatric conditions.
At all relevant times, Plasencia knew about potential risks associated with ketamine, including sedation, psychiatric events, abuse and misuse by patients, among others. As his treatment notes reflected, Plasencia also believed that patients “should be monitored by [a] physician when undergoing treatment as a safety Measure,” according to court documents.
On September 30, 2023, Plasencia was introduced to Perry by one of his own patients who stated that Perry was a “high profile person” who was seeking ketamine and was willing to pay “cash and lots of thousands” for ketamine treatment, according to Plasencia’s plea agreement.
“Rather than do what was best for Mr. Perry – someone who had struggled with addiction for most of his life – [Plasencia] sought to exploit Perry’s medical vulnerability for profit,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Indeed, the day [Plasencia] met Perry he made his profit motive known, telling a co-conspirator: ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay’ and ‘let’s find out.’”
The same day Plasencia met Perry, he contacted Mark Chavez, 55, then a licensed San Diego physician. Plasencia that day drove to Costa Mesa and purchased from Chavez $795 in ketamine vials and tablets, syringes, and gloves. Plasencia then drove to Perry’s home in Los Angeles, injected Perry with ketamine, and left at least one vial of ketamine to Kenneth Iwamasa, 60, of Toluca Lake, Perry’s personal assistant. Iwamasa paid Plasencia $4,500.
During the following weeks, Plasencia again purchased ketamine from Chavez and administered the drug to Perry multiple times at Perry’s home and once in a Long Beach parking lot while in the backseat of Perry’s vehicle.
During one ketamine treatment at Perry’s home, Perry’s blood pressure spiked causing him to freeze up. Notwithstanding Perry’s reaction, Plasencia left additional vials of ketamine with Iwamasa, knowing that Iwamasa would inject the ketamine into the victim.
From September 30, 2023, to October 12, 2023, Plasencia distributed 20 vials and multiple tablets of ketamine and syringes to Iwamasa and Perry, knowing that his conduct fell below the proper standard of medical care and that the ketamine transfers were not for a legitimate medical purpose. As prosecutors argued in their sentencing memorandum, Plasencia charged a total of $57,000 for these efforts, even though the going price of ketamine was only approximately $15 per vial.
Plasencia later placed an order for 10 vials of ketamine through a licensed pharmaceutical company using his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license. After receiving the ketamine, on October 27, 2023, he sent the following text message to Iwamasa: “I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up on the meanwhile. I am not sure when you guys plan to resume but in case its when im out of town this weekend I have left supplies with a nurse of mine ...I can always let her know the plan.”
Perry fatally overdosed on ketamine the following day. Plasencia did not provide the ketamine that caused his death.
After Perry’s overdose and in response to a subpoena issued by the DEA to Plasencia, Plasencia falsified purported treatment notes and an invoice for Perry, which prosecutors argued were designed to cover up that he had been illegally selling vials of ketamine to Iwamasa. Among other things, Plasencia provided fraudulent notes that claimed on October 7, 2023, Perry was “scheduled to meet for a treatment session but was not present,” when, in fact, as Plasencia knew, the only person he was schedule to meet on that day was Iwamasa, at midnight, at a public street corner outside of a bar in Santa Monica, to sell Iwamasa vials of ketamine, to be administered to Perry without any health care professional present.
Chavez and Iwamasa pleaded guilty last year to federal drug charges and are scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2025, and January 14, 2026, respectively.
Two other defendants charged in connection with Perry’s death – Erik Fleming, 56, of Hawthorne, and Jasveen Sangha, 42, a.k.a. “Ketamine Queen,” of North Hollywood, also pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and await sentencing on January 7, 2026, and February 25, 2026, respectively.
The Los Angeles Police Department, the DEA, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the National Security Division and Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Former Loveland, Colorado, Police Department Officer Found Guilty of a Civil Rights Violation for Sexual Assault of a MinorRead the Press Release
DENVER - Following a trial that lasted more than two weeks, a jury returned a guilty verdict for Dylan Miller, 30, who faced a civil rights charge for sexually assaulting a minor while he was on duty as a police officer with the Loveland Police Department in Colorado.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Miller was on duty as a Loveland Police Department officer the evening of August 3, 2023, through the early morning of August 4, 2023. Miller contacted the victim and her friend in North Lake Park and told the victim’s friend to leave. Miller then guided the victim to a more secluded area of the park, where he sexually assaulted her. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Marv Massey of the FBI’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service took Miller into custody following the jury’s verdict. Miller faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the civil rights offense. Sentencing will be set for early 2026.
The FBI’s Denver Field Office, Loveland Resident Agency and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with cooperation from the Loveland Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorney Sarah E. Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Former Loveland, Colorado, Police Department Officer Found Guilty of a Civil Rights Violation for Sexual Assault of a MinorRead the Press Release
Following a trial that lasted more than two weeks, a jury returned a guilty verdict for Dylan Miller, 30, who faced a civil rights charge for sexually assaulting a minor while he was on duty as a police officer with the Loveland Police Department in Colorado.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Miller was on duty as a Loveland Police Department officer the evening of Aug. 3, 2023, through the early morning of Aug. 4, 2023. Miller contacted the victim and her friend in North Lake Park and told the victim’s friend to leave. Miller then guided the victim to a more secluded area of the park, where he sexually assaulted her.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Marv Massey of the FBI’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service took Miller into custody following the jury’s verdict. Miller faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the civil rights offense. Sentencing will be set for early 2026.
The FBI’s Denver Field Office, Loveland Resident Agency and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with cooperation from the Loveland Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia L. Riewerts for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorney Sarah E. Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Former DOE Engineer Settles Claims of Secretly Working Air Force Contractor Jobs While on Federal PayrollRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney's Office announced that it has reached a settlement with a former Department of Energy (DOE) engineer to resolve allegations that he secretly worked for Air Force contractors while holding his full-time DOE position.
Jose A. Nieves was employed as an engineer at DOE's Sandia Field Office. Between April 2021 and September 2021, he allegedly took a second job with Air Force contractor Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) while still working full-time at DOE. After leaving PAE, he allegedly secured another position with Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) from September 2021 through July 2022, again while maintaining his DOE job.
The government's investigation revealed that Nieves allegedly lied to get these contractor positions. He reportedly told PAE he had retired from DOE when applying for that job. Later, when applying to ASRC, he allegedly claimed his DOE employment had ended. In reality, he kept working at DOE during both contractor jobs.
To maintain the deception, Nieves allegedly submitted false timesheets to both employers during his dual employment. Investigators found he filed 19 fraudulent timesheets with PAE, 24 with ASRC, and 33 with DOE, claiming to work full-time hours at both jobs simultaneously. This scheme allegedly allowed him to collect two government paychecks for overlapping work hours.
The Air Force contractors paid Nieves based on these false timesheets and then sought reimbursement from the government, resulting in improper payments of taxpayer funds. Under the settlement agreement, Nieves will pay the United States $165,000, which includes $156,799.22 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General supported the Government’s investigation. The government’s investigations were led by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Cunniff and Auditors Phillip Stella and Julie Chappell and criminal investigators from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
View the Settlement Agreement (Nieves).pdfFelon Who Defrauded Credit Unions in the Midwest Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A seven-time felon who, along with another person, used fake military IDs and passports to steal money from credit unions was sentenced on December 1, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Jeffrey Blake Palmer, age 44, from Davenport, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 27, 2025, guilty plea to one count of financial institution fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from June 22, 2021, through September 30, 2021, Palmer and his coconspirator, Maegen Fortin, used stolen personal information, such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers, to apply for checking accounts, saving accounts, credit cards, lines of credit, and loans from credit unions. Palmer and Fortin provided false documents and IDs, including fraudulent United States passports, military IDs, state driver’s licenses, and employment documents, to the credit unions with their applications. In one instance in June 2021, Palmer and Fortin used assumed names and stolen personal identifiers to open a joint account at a credit union in Cedar Rapids. They applied for two auto loans totaling more than $57,000 from the credit union. Based on their fraudulent applications, the credit union deposited the loan proceeds into an account under their control.
Palmer has a long criminal history that includes seven prior adult felony convictions. On August 4, 2023, Fortin was sentenced to 93 months’ imprisonment on charges related to this scheme.
Palmer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Palmer was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $253,572.26 in restitution to victims of the offense. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Palmer is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-113.
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Falls Church man found guilty of receipt and possession of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Falls Church man on a charge of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He previously pled guilty to receipt of CSAM in the same case and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Sept. 27, 2023, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at the residence of David Martinov Traub, 45. Investigators seized several items of digital media, including a desktop computer and an external hard drive. Traub had searched for, downloaded, and possessed CSAM and had collected over 10,000 images and videos, including 30 known victims identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Traub faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026, in addition to the previously imposed sentence for receipt of CSAM. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. announced the verdict.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Withers and Lauren Halper are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1: 25-CR-25.
Eagle River man sentenced to 20 years for child exploitation offensesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Eagle River man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to 20 years in prison and will spend the rest of his life on supervised release for attempting to coerce a minor, and for receiving, distributing and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, on Sept. 25, 2023, Michael Koetter, 30, sent a message to a commercial sex worker in Alaska, asking about finding girls under the age of 12 who had “rates,” which is described as prices for sex acts or sexually explicit images. Koetter’s intention with this request was to access a minor for the purpose of coercing them to engage in sexual activity. The sex worker reported the conversation to law enforcement.
The FBI executed a search warrant on Koetter’s person, vehicle and residence, and discovered multiple digital devices containing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and conversations of child sexual abuse. The FBI seized a thumb drive that contained a file folder with roughly 72 subfolders holding over 1,400 files, many of which contained images and videos depicting child sexual abuse involving pre-pubescent minors as young as toddlers.
The thumb drive also contained two text files, one of which was labeled “Manifesto.txt,” where he described himself as a “hardcore child rapist” with a mission “to rape and molest as many children as [he] can before [he] die[s].”
The investigation determined that Koetter was convicted of possessing child pornography in Indiana in 2019, before he moved to Alaska “for a fresh start.”
Koetter pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
“Mr. Koetter is a recidivist sex offender who made the mistake of moving to Alaska and seeking another child to exploit. Now, he will spend the next 20 years behind bars and the rest of his life on supervised release,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “I want to thank the witness who came forward to report Mr. Koetter’s perversity, as that report and the hard work of our law enforcement partners has prevented the defendant from harming another child for the next 20 years.”
“Koetter, a repeat sex offender, committed disturbing child exploitation crimes across jurisdictions, and with a broader plan to continue sexually exploiting and traumatizing as many young children as he could,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This investigation and sentencing represent the FBI’s commitment to ensuring sadistic child predators like Koetter are held accountable and removed from our communities. Our children are undeniably safer with him behind bars.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Drug Dealers who Caused Fentanyl Overdose Death of Mille Lacs Man Sentenced to 21 Years and 10 YearsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Two defendants who distributed fentanyl in Minnesota, resulting in the death of a man on the Mille Lacs Reservation, have been sentenced to lengthy sentences in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Dimitric Timopkin Wilson, 48, was sentenced to 261 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, and Allen Lee Goodwin, 51, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release.
According to evidence presented at Wilson’s May 2025 trial, Wilson, a drug dealer, obtained fentanyl from a source in Detroit, Michigan, and distributed it in Wisconsin and Minnesota to lower-level traffickers, including Goodwin. In July 2023, Goodwin sold fentanyl to a 38-year-old man living on the Mille Lacs Reservation. The next morning, the victim injected the fentanyl and died minutes later. Additionally, in October 2023, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper pulled Wilson over for a traffic stop. During the stop, the trooper found hundreds of grams of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and crack cocaine hidden in a compartment of Wilson’s car and arrested Wilson. Finally, less than a year after being indicted, and while on pretrial release, Wilson sold fentanyl to a police informant.
A jury convicted Wilson of one count each of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release. This was Wilson’s second federal drug conviction, as he was convicted in 2008 in the Eastern District of Michigan for conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In October 2025, U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Wilson to a total of 261 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and distributing fentanyl while on pretrial release. Judge Frank specifically found that the death of the Mille Lacs man was a foreseeable result of Wilson’s fentanyl trafficking and that Wilson therefore bore responsibility for the man’s death. The sentences run consecutively, and the total sentence to 261 months in prison is well above the sentencing guidelines range.
Goodwin pled guilty in a separate proceeding to distributing fentanyl resulting in death. On December 3, 2025, Judge Frank sentenced Goodwin to 120 months’ imprisonment and 4 years’ supervised release. Judge Frank noted the “devastation that fentanyl is having” on Minnesota’s communities and said that in his decades as a state and federal judge, he had “seen nothing quite like it.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, the East Central Drug Task Force, the Sawyer County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Lac Courte Oreilles (Wisconsin) Tribal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Campbell Warner and Allen A. Slaughter, Jr., prosecuted the case.
Dorchester County Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Gun During a Summerville ShootoutRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Gordon “Rudy” Connell, 28, of Summerville, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Connell has numerous felony convictions, including for illegally possessing firearms (including sawed off shotguns), theft, and violent assaults. Since Connell turned 18, he has been arrested on 53 warrants in 20 incidents with 24 convictions. He was on probation at the time of this crime.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Connell was arrested in Laurens County on Sept. 9, 2023, for stealing a motorcycle. After the arrest, he sold his motorcycle to Timothy Lattimer to raise money for bond. When Connell posted bond and was released from jail, he demanded that Lattimer return the motorcycle. Lattimer refused. Days later on Sept. 15, Connell stole the motorcycle back from Lattimer’s yard.
That night, Lattimer drove to where Connell was staying and saw him working on the motorcycle. Surveillance videos recovered from the residence by Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office detectives showed that Lattimer drove down the driveway where Connell approached him in his car. Both exchanged threats and Lattimer drove off and returned later with a firearm. Connell, who was again working on the motorcycle, approached Lattimer, who had begun backing away toward the street. Connell pulled out a gun from his waistband and pointed the gun at Lattimer.
The two exchanged gun fire, and Connell ran from the scene. One of Lattimer’s shots hit another person in the yard, severely injuring her. Detectives recovered spent shell casings from the crime scene. Lattimer was arrested and a 9mm pistol was recovered. Lattimer was convicted and is currently incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Arrest warrants were also issued for Connell. On Sept. 18, 2023, Connell was spotted by Dorchester County Sheriff’s deputies riding a white motorcycle and attempted to arrest him. Connell fled. Deputies found the white motorcycle in a ditch behind a business with a loaded 9mm handgun strapped to the handlebar. Connell was found hiding inside the business and was arrested.
“Career criminals, like Connell, propel violence into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Law enforcement is working together at every level to identify, investigate and prosecute offenders who continue to break the law and put others in danger. Thank you to our partners at ATF and Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office for seeing this investigation through.”
“Repeat offenders often become bolder criminals and bigger threats to the community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “This case illustrates that fact. ATF is dedicated to working closely with the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners to lessen community violence by taking habitual criminals off our streets. This always increases public safety in our neighborhoods.”
“This case shows how local and federal partners have been working closely together to protect the people of Dorchester County,” said Dorchester County Sheriff Sam Richardson. “This was a dangerous, relentless offender, and our streets are safer with him serving a federal sentence. Connell is well known to police, and his criminal record speaks for itself. We are grateful to ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their commitment to justice and accountability on behalf of our citizens.”
United States District David C. Norton sentenced Connell to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell is prosecuting the case.
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December Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the December Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Roy C Adams. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Adams, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-455
Andres Avila Pineda; Anthony Avila. Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms. Andres, 48, a Mexican national, and Anthony, 22, of Houston, Texas, are charged with conspiring with others to transport firearms knowing that possession would constitute a felony. Andres is further charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Dowdell and Kenneth Elmore are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-460
Jose Cruz-Cordova. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Cruz-Cordova, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Oct. 2019. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-461
Adrian Parker Gaines. Production of Child Pornography. Gaines, 38, of Grove, is charged with using a minor child to produce a video depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-454
Nieves Norberto Garcia-Rodriguez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Garcia-Rodriguez, 44, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2010 and Dec. 2015. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-462
Leonel Longoria-Quirino. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Longoria-Quirino, 32, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Oct. 2017. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-459
Waymer Emeterio Orozco-Orozco. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Orozco-Orozco, 27, a Guatemalan national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. He is additionally charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed in Jan. 2019. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-453
Sequoyah Blake Tanner. Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. Tanner, 23, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with driving a motor vehicle after consuming marijuana and alcohol, and killing Zion Joseph Sier. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-452
Rovin Alexail Vasquez-Cinto. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Vasquez-Cinto, 27, a Guatemalan national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-451
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Multiple ChildrenRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of multiple children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona.
Graham Daniel Ash, 42, of Pinson, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Annemarie Axon to an 11-count superseding indictment that included three counts of sexual exploitation of children, two counts of transportation of child pornography, three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of possession of child pornography, one count of aggravated sexual abuse with a child, and one count related to penalties for registered sex offenders. Ash was previously convicted of electronic solicitation of a child in Jefferson County, Alabama, in 2022.
According to court documents, beginning in August 2023, Ash shared images and videos of child sexual abuse material in his online correspondence with an undercover FBI agent with the District of Columbia Field Office. A federal search warrant was subsequently executed on Ash’s residence in Pinson, Alabama. Agents recovered a laptop and two smashed cell phones from Ash’s residence.
Following the search warrant, FBI Agents in the District of Columbia and Northern District of Alabama continued their investigation into Ash. Search warrants for Ash’s online accounts and the forensic examination of his seized devices revealed evidence of other crimes that Ash committed in the Northern District of Alabama between March and October 2023 that involved minor victims located throughout the United States. In his communications with these children, Ash repeatedly asked for child sexual abuse material (CSAM), received CSAM, and used and directed children to perform sexually explicit acts for him. Ash also traveled out of state for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with one of the children. Ash was charged with crimes in the superseding indictment filed in the Northern District of Alabama.
Ash was also charged in an indictment in the District of Columbia with distribution of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor. Ash pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced in April 2025, to 216 months in federal prison.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office, Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) Unit, and FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. Other federal and state law enforcement agencies in Missouri, Texas, California, Connecticut, West Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Florida, Indiana, New York, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Colorado, and Maryland were instrumental in identifying and locating minor victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Kidnapper Sentenced to 75 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Delaware – Julianne E. Murray, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that, on November 25, 2025, Tonnaire McNair-Matthews, 26, was sentenced to a total of 900 months—or 75 years—in federal prison for six offenses, including kidnapping, carjacking, robbery, and related firearms offenses. McNair-Matthews was convicted on all counts after a trial in July 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly pronounced the sentence.
According to court records and evidence presented at the four-day trial, McNair-Matthews conspired with David Hinson, 23, Michael Caldwell, 21, and Mahkiya Powell, 20, to rear-end unsuspecting drivers with a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee and then rob the drivers when they got out to inspect their vehicles for damage. After three unsuccessful attempts, McNair-Matthews rear-ended the victim’s vehicle. When the victim got out, McNair-Matthews abducted her at gunpoint, forcing her back into the passenger seat of her own vehicle.
McNair-Matthews then drove the victim, against her will, from Delaware into Pennsylvania. During the ride, McNair-Matthews demanded the PIN code for the victim’s bank cards, forced her to disrobe, and digitally penetrated her against her will. McNair-Matthews then stopped the vehicle and forcibly raped the victim at gunpoint. Ultimately, McNair-Matthews abandoned the victim in Pennsylvania. He drove her vehicle back to Delaware, where he visited various convenience stores and used her stolen bank cards and PIN code to withdraw money from ATMs.
McNair-Matthews then reunited with Hinson, Powell, and Caldwell in Wilmington. Once there, he provided his co-conspirators with the victim’s bank cards and PIN, as well as the firearm he had used in the carjacking and rape. Hinson, Powell, and Caldwell then cleaned the victim’s car and stole her purse. After McNair-Matthews changed clothes in an attempt to evade detection, the four men met up at a Wilmington gas station, where law enforcement located them. As soon as law enforcement arrived, McNair-Matthews and Powell fled, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase in the stolen Jeep. McNair-Matthews and Powell temporarily evaded capture, but McNair-Matthews was found in Maryland just three days later.
“This was a calculated, predatory attack that shattered an innocent woman’s sense of safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Murray. “The Court’s sentence delivers justice for a survivor who showed extraordinary courage. Moreover, it sends a clear message that those who terrorize our communities with violence, intimidation, and exploitation will be pursued, prosecuted, and held fully accountable. Finally, I commend the vigilant work of the FBI, the Delaware State Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police for swiftly bringing the defendant to justice.”
“This lengthy sentence of 75 years reflects the gravity of the atrocious crimes Tonnaire McNair-Matthews committed,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “He created a living nightmare for an innocent woman who was simply driving to work one morning. McNair-Matthews ruthlessly attacked, kidnapped, and raped her. He and his co-conspirators then continued their crime spree, putting even more people in harm’s way by fleeing from the quick-responding law enforcement officers who caught up with them. McNair-Matthews repeatedly showed he has no consideration or regard for others’ safety. No doubt, our Delaware citizens are safer today with him behind bars where he can no longer inflict violence and pain on others.”
“The Delaware State Police appreciates the collaborative efforts of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the dedicated work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Delaware Department of Justice in securing a meaningful sentence for this violent crime,” said Colonel William D. Crotty, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police. “This case demonstrates our shared commitment to thoroughly investigate violent crimes, support victims, and safeguard the people of Delaware.”
“The Pennsylvania State Police Troop K, Media Station is pleased with the result of the sentencing hearing and that justice was served on behalf of the victim,” said Captain Jon Sunderlin of the Pennsylvania State Police. “This investigation was an excellent example of local, state, and federal agencies working together.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force, the Delaware State Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Wilmington Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Delaware Department of Justice. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Pierce and Samuel S. Frey, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Dunn.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.
Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JATNIEL MORALES GONZALEZ, 28, of Ponce, Puerto Rico, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified Joseph Giovanni Soto as the leader of a cocaine trafficking operation that involved the shipment of parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, as well as addresses in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts. The organization used “runners” to pick up the parcels from the drop addresses and deliver them to Soto’s residence in Bloomfield and the residence of Soto’s uncle, Ramon Soto, in New Britain. Typically, Ramon Soto, at Joseph Soto’s direction, then delivered the cocaine to individuals in the Bronx, New York, and elsewhere, in return for payment.
During the investigation, task force members intercepted and seized 10 suspicious parcels, each of which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and identified approximately 280 suspicious parcels likely containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been delivered to the various drop addresses.
Joseph Giovanni Soto was arrested on May 1, 2023. In August 2023, investigators saw a reemergence of suspicious parcels coming from Puerto Rico to the New Britain and Meriden areas, and then to a Waterbury address where Morales Gonzalez was living. Investigators determined that Morales Gonzalez and Soto had worked together prior to Soto’s arrest, and that Morales Gonzalez had assumed control of the Connecticut side of the cocaine trafficking network after Soto’s arrest. Investigators identified several new drop addresses for suspicious parcels and observed Morales Gonzalez and others retrieving the parcels and bringing them to Morales Gonzalez’s residence before they were ultimately delivered to the Bronx. During this part of the investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified 98 additional suspicious parcels and seized and searched four of them. Each of the searched packages contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine.
On June 26, 2024, a court-authorized search of Morales Gonzalez’s residence revealed approximately two kilograms of cocaine, a loaded handgun, and a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 Shield firearm, and two drug ledgers.
On September 2, 2025, Morales Gonzales pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine. Released on a $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on January 21.
Joseph Giovanni Soto pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on May 9, 2025, was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. Ramon Soto pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on January 8, 2025, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.
Brian Martinez Rivera, 29, of Torrington, and Luis Torres Ortiz, 24, of New Britain, have also pleaded guilty to charges related to their involvement in this conspiracy and await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Konstantin Lantsman.
Chicago Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago man has been arrested and charged with allegedly sexually exploiting a 14-year-old minor victim from Massachusetts.
Joshua Rogers, 30, of Chicago, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of children. Roger was arrested this morning in Chicago and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, in July 2025, local law enforcement in Brookline were notified of an individual purporting to be a 17-year-old boy named ‘John’ – allegedly later identified as Rogers – engaging in sexually explicit communications with a 14-year-old female minor victim via Snapchat. A review of cell phone data allegedly revealed numerous explicit communications from Rogers in which he allegedly coerced the minor to engage in sexually explicit acts – many of which he demanded be documented by photo or video. It is further alleged that, in his communications, Rogers discussed kidnapping the minor or the minor running away.
The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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 of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Chief Jennifer Paster of the Brookline Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Checotah Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Joshua Darrin Breshears, age 33, of Checotah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine, punishable by ten years to life in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
The Indictment alleged that on or about May 31, 2024, Breshears knowingly and intentionally distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A United States District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Breshears will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to 35 years in federal prison.
Cordarryl Cortez Smith, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 3, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.
In March 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Smith twice. One of the purchases occurred within 1,000 feet of a school. On March 22, 2023, officers stopped Smith’s car as it was returning to Cedar Rapids. Although the car belonged to Smith, Smith’s brother and another individual were driving it. Smith was in a separate car also on the way back to Cedar Rapids. In the trunk of Smith’s car, officers located approximately an ounce of cocaine and approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine. In November 2023, in Cedar Rapids, officers again purchased cocaine from Smith multiple times.
Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Smith was sentenced to 420 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the
Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-28.
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Cedar Rapids Felon with a Gun Sentenced to over 7 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who possessed a gun while on supervised release was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Marcus Dejohn Wallace, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 11, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at trial showed that on September 5, 2024, Wallace led officers on a high-speed car chase through Cedar Rapids before pulling over in a residential neighborhood and running from officers. As he ran, he threw a loaded gun, which hit a nearby roof before landing in the grass. Police officers using a K-9 caught Wallace. Officers found the loaded gun, which was missing a magazine. Officers later found the missing magazine in the path Wallace had run. Wallace was on supervised release at the time he possessed the gun because of a prior federal conviction for distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.
Wallace was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wallace was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment, plus 18 months’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release, for a total of 88 months’ imprisonment. Wallace must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wallace is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra T. Hake, Shawn Wehde, and Dan Tvedt, and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-90.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Career offender sentenced to 16 years in prison for being armed while trafficking methRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk drug trafficker was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Aug. 7, 2024, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of narcotics from Johnathan David Bell, 36, during which he distributed 111.19 grams of methamphetamine and 1.19 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture.
On August 16, 2024, detectives observed Bell walking through the parking lot of a hotel in Norfolk carrying two backpacks. Bell placed the one backpack inside a vehicle and left with the other backpack. Bell later returned to and entered the vehicle. Detectives approached Bell at the vehicle and detained him. Detectives screened the vehicle with a narcotics dog. After the dog alerted to the odor of narcotics, detectives conducted a search and located the black backpack Bell was previously carrying. Inside the backpack were 386.49 grams of methamphetamine, 1.3657 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, drug paraphernalia, a digital scale, and a loaded handgun.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-30.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearms and NarcoticsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Terrance Josiah Fasold, 32, of Pensacola, Florida was sentenced to 10 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our brave state and federal law enforcement partners are on the front lines every day fighting to keep our communities safe from violent, drug dealing criminals, and my office will continue to back up their efforts with successful prosecutions like this one to keep dangerous felons off our streets. Operation Take Back America is a promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will deploy the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the scourge of deadly drugs and criminal violence.”
According to court records, deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office were investigating vehicle burglaries involving stolen firearms. On October 29, 2024, deputies attempted to make contact with the defendant in a Penscaola hotel parking lot. The defendant fled on foot and discarded a bag containing a large amount of fentanyl under a parked vehicle. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s hotel room and located more fentanyl, as well as methamphetamine, cocaine, multiple firearms, and ammunition.
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
CEO of Fresno-based Health Care Company Arrested at San Francisco Airport for an Alleged $7 Million Scheme to Defraud the Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
The CEO of a Fresno-based home health care company was arrested at San Francisco International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Nigeria. He is charged in a criminal complaint alleging that he fraudulently obtained more than $7 million in payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs for services that were never actually rendered, including care purportedly rendered to veterans weeks after they had died, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between December 2019 and July 2024, Cashmir Chinedu Luke, believed to be 66, of Antioch, operated Four Corners Health LLC. That entity provided unskilled in-home nursing and day-to-day care for elderly VA beneficiaries under the Veterans Community Care Program. Four Corners provided services in Fresno, Tulare, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, San Francisco, and Contra Costa Counties. Luke engaged in a five-year scheme to bill the VA for hours of care that were not actually rendered to veterans. Luke caused Four Corners to submit approximately 10,000 individual false claims of care provided that caused the VA, through its third-party benefits administrator, to reimburse Four Corners $7 million for duplicate claims for care actually provided, claims for days caretakers were not present with veterans, claims for hours of care beyond those actually worked by caretakers, and claims of care for veterans who were actually dead.
Luke served as the sole owner and billing representative for Four Corners and actively deceived the VA’s third-party benefits administrator as it attempted to recover some of the fraudulently paid reimbursements. This allowed the Four Corners billing scheme to continue. Luke personally profited from the scheme as the sole owner of the bank account that received the reimbursement payments. Luke spent reimbursement payments immediately after being paid by the VA, either by spending lavishly on personal expenses or by promptly transferring the funds across a network of bank accounts throughout Asia and Africa.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Luke faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Belgrade woman pleads guilty to harboring illegal individualsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - A Belgrade woman accused of harboring illegal individuals admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Eustolia Casarreal-Morales, 56, pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens. Casarreal-Morales faces up to 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release for each illegal alien involved in the offense.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 8, 2026, in Missoula, Montana. Casarreal-Morales was released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2023, law enforcement debriefed two sources who described how they were smuggled into the United States from Mexico. Once here, these individuals explained they were eventually smuggled to Montana and provided jobs. They identified individuals in the Bozeman area who were involved in their smuggling. The investigation revealed Casarreal-Morales was in contact with at least one of the key smugglers identified by the sources of information listed above.
Beginning in May 2025 law enforcement identified a residence in Belgrade suspected of housing illegal aliens. Through investigative steps, law enforcement secured a search warrant for the residence and executed it on August 12, 2025. Twelve individuals who were in the United States illegally were discovered inside the residence, as was Casarreal-Morales. Also discovered were payments ledgers, false identification documents, and documents relating to Casarreal-Morales, and other materials. Casarreal-Morales provided a brief statement at the scene, indicating she was aware the individuals in the house were not legally in the United States and that was wrong.
Some of the 12 individuals were interviewed. They explained how, depending on the individual, they initially entered the United States through a proper visa that since expired or were smuggled into the United States. They outlined how they were then smuggled or made their way to the residence in Belgrade for the purpose of securing work. They indicated they paid monthly rent to Casarreal-Morales to live at that house.
Additional interviews outlined how the individuals came to the United States and ended up working in the Belgrade area while paying Casarreal-Morales rent. At least two of those witnesses indicated Casarreal-Morales knew the smuggler referenced above. Critically, three of those witnesses also outlined how she sold them fake identification documents.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Battle Ground, Washington Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Battle Ground, Washington woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Megan Farra, 39, pleaded guilty on December 2, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute various schedule IV-controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute various schedule IV-controlled substances. She is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2026. The sentences imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Farra was part of a drug-distribution network that included several co-conspirators working for a drug organization based overseas. Members of the group in the United States received bulk shipments of pills from their international source, repacked the drugs into smaller quantities, and mailed them to buyers throughout the U.S. In return, they were paid for their role in facilitating the distribution scheme. The conspiracy was responsible for the importation and distribution of tens of thousands of pills containing schedule IV-controlled substances as well as non-controlled prescription drugs.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Armed repeat illegal alien handed five-year prison sentence for human smuggling and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 38-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for his part in a human smuggling event that occurred earlier this year, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Alejandro Ramirez-Carranza, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty May 8, to transporting and bringing an alien into the United States as well as illegal reentry and being an alien in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now imposed a 60-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, Ramirez-Carranza is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court enhanced his sentence for organizing the smuggling event, brandishing a firearm and creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.
Mexican citizen Issac Azuara-Vasquez, 40, entered a plea April 10 to the same smuggling-related charges and to selling a firearm to Ramirez-Carranza. He was previously sentenced to 54 months. He could also lose his status as a lawful permanent resident and face removal proceedings. He also received sentencing enhancements for brandishing a firearm and for recklessly creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another person.
On Feb. 12, authorities were conducting surveillance in an area of the border known for its high volume of alien, drug and weapon smuggling. There, agents heard a boat crossing Rio Grande from Mexico. After hearing an individual in Spanish telling people to run, law enforcement saw a truck Azuara-Vasquez was driving heading toward the river. The truck stopped by the river’s edge, and several individuals ran from the brush and climbed into the truck bed.
Ramirez-Carranza, who was standing near the pickup, retrieved an AR-15-type rifle from the vehicle and began to run towards the rear of the truck bed, ignoring multiple commands to stop and drop the weapon.
The investigation ultimately revealed Ramirez-Carranza was a river guide and had conspired with Azuara-Vasquez to transport and smuggle the aliens apprehended in the truck bed. One smuggled person indicated Ramirez-Carranza brought him across the Rio Grande River by boat and that his relatives were paying for him to be brought into the United States.
Ramirez-Carranza has felony convictions for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and illegal reentry after deportation. He was last removed from the United States in September 2009.
Both have been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Arizona Man Sentenced for Assaulting BabyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 96 months in prison for the assault of a one-month-old child.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, in October 2022, Logan Nelson, 22, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted a one-month-old baby multiple times. As a result of the final incident on October 15, 2022, the baby suffered an ulna fracture on their left arm and multiple other fractures in the legs and ribs.
Nelson subsequently pled guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Upon his release from prison, Nelson will be subject to three years of supervised release.
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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee and Mark Probasco are prosecuting the case.
Andrew Norris Zack Sentenced for his Role in the Murder of Rosenda StrongRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that Andrew Norris Zack, age 43, of Wapato, Washington, was sentenced to 40 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release by Chief United States District Court Judge Stanley A. Bastian. Zack pled guilty to Accessory After the Fact for his role in the 2018 murder of Rosenda Strong and to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in a separate matter from 2019.
According to court documents and information presented at sentencing, Jedidah Iesha Moreno shot and killed Rosenda Strong on or about October 5, 2018, following an argument at a residence, known as the House of Souls in Wapato, Washington. Following the murder, Moreno asked for help disposing of Strong’s body. Zack and Jamaal Antwan Pimms assisted Moreno by rolling Strong’s body into a freezer. The freezer, and other appliances, were loaded onto the back of a truck. The body, still inside the freezer, was then dumped by Zack and others near M&R Towing, which is off Highway 97 in Toppenish, Washington.
On July 4, 2019, approximately nine months after Strong’s tragic death, a citizen discovered human remains, which later were identified through dental records as belonging to Strong.
In the 2019 Felon in Possession matter, Zack was found to have been in possession of a loaded Ruger .22 revolver following the execution of a search warrant on a residence in September, 2019.
“Rosenda Strong was ruthlessly murdered. This Defendant was part of trying to keep that murder silenced” stated US Attorney Pete Serrano. “Working alongside our state and tribal partners we were able to keep Rosenda’s voice alive and ensure that her family’s requests for justice were also heard. While this outcome will not bring Rosenda back to life, I hope it allows justice to stand as part of her memory. I’d like to thank our law enforcement partner agencies and the people in my office for their hard work and dedication in bringing this important case to tell Rosenda Strong’s story.”
“More than seven years after this senseless murder, another defendant is being sentenced for helping to conceal the crime in an attempt to evade justice," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "The FBI and our partners are committed to combatting violent crime on tribal lands and throughout the entire state of Washington, and we are dedicated to pursuing justice for victims and their grieving families and communities no matter how long it takes.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Yakama Nation. It was prosecuted by presented for prosecution by the Yakama Nation Police Department and the investigation was assisted by the Yakima County Sheriff’s Department and the Washington State Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas J. Hanlon and Michael D. Murphy.
Jamaal Antwan Pimms pleaded guilty to Misprision of a Felony in this case and was sentenced to 26 months in prison on May 28, 2025. Remaining Co- Defendants are pending sentencing.
1:23-cr-02027-SAB
1:21-cr-20208-SABAnchorage man sentenced to 30 years for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing and producing child pornography of multiple minors known to him, including images of his hands-on sexual abuse of one of the minors.
According to court documents, in 2017, Richard Dougherty, 43, began sexually abusing a minor under the age of 16. Dougherty took photos and videos of the sexual abuse, creating child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).
Between January 2003 and April 2023, Dougherty possessed, accessed with intent to view, received and distributed CSAM. Some of the CSAM Dougherty distributed were visual depictions, including video, of him sexually abusing the minor victim.
Throughout the course of the investigation, the defendant knowingly possessed over 600 images of CSAM.
On May 27, 2025, Dougherty pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
“Mr. Dougherty’s crimes are despicable and perverse. This 30-year sentence ensures that the public and Alaska’s children are protected from his deviancy for the maximum number of years permitted under the law,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman. “I want to commend the survivors for showing extraordinary strength. I also want to thank U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Alaska State Troopers for their diligent investigative work that helped bring this case to justice. We will continue to work together to hold accountable predators who target our children.”
“The exploitation of children is one of the most reprehensible crimes that we encounter,” said Alaska State Troopers Colonel Maurice Hughes. “The Alaska State Troopers will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect Alaskans, keep our children safe, and hold offenders accountable.”
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Alaska State Troopers investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Alleged Drug Dealer Charged for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Crimes in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A Salt Lake County man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for drug and firearm crimes after he allegedly attempted to sell fentanyl pills during a controlled buy in Murray, Utah.
Richard Daniel Garcia, 36, of, Murray, Utah, was charged by complaint on November 19, 2025.
According to court documents, on November 17, 2025, agents assigned to the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force (MNTF) and Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) conducted an operation involving the controlled purchase of fentanyl pills. During the controlled purchase, after confirming the sale of fentanyl, agents arrested Garcia. Agents seized a Springfield Hellcast 9mm handgun and 1,032 grams of fentanyl. The weight of the fentanyl pills possessed by Garcia was approximately 10,000 individual pills.
Garcia is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. His initial appearance on the indictment is December 4, 2025, at 1:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force (MNTF) and Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF).
Special Assistant United States Attorney Alex Westenskow of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The case was investigated by agents and officers of the HSTF Salt Lake and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.