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24 November 2025
Massachusetts Man Charged and Detained in Ongoing Elder Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A citizen of India currently residing in Dorchester, MA on a student visa has been ordered detained on a federal criminal complaint for his alleged role in a conspiracy targeting Rhode Island seniors, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Samyag Uday Doshi, 25, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amy E. Moses on November 17, 2025 for his initial appearance following his arrest. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. It is alleged that he participated in a scheme that caused a Rhode Island resident to turn over $54,000 in cash, with an attempted loss amount totaling more than $385,000.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, law enforcement received a call for service regarding a Newport resident who was suspected to be the victim of an elder abuse financial fraud scam. The individual received a voicemail on his cellular phone regarding a phony purchase and was instructed to call a telephone number provided to him to address the issue. When he called the number, scammers falsely told him that he was speaking with a federal official and was under investigation for a myriad of charges, including money laundering. The scammers represented that they could assist the individual through the investigation.
Over the course of approximately three weeks, scammers directed the individual to make multiple cash withdrawals of tens of thousands of dollars and to then mail the funds out of state or provide the funds to “couriers,” whom he met in person in Rhode Island. The individual also made multiple inquiries about purchasing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold bars. These inquiries are believed to have been directed by members of the conspiracy.
On November 17, 2025, the scammers attempted to arrange for the victim to deliver an additional $45,000 in cash. The victim contacted law enforcement, who surveilled the delivery as it was made, as is alleged, to Doshi, who was arrested at the meet spot.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Taylor A. Dean.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Providence and the Newport Police Department, with assistance from HSI-Chicago.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Rhode Island comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Intelligence & Analysis, and Rhode Island Police Departments in Warwick, Newport, Providence, East Providence, and Lincoln, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island.
Maryland Woman and Federal Inmate Charged with Contraband OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an Indictment was returned by a grand jury charging Alita Stewart, age 51, with providing contraband to an inmate and Hugh Berry, age 41, with possession of contraband by an inmate.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the Indictment alleges that on or about August 17, 2025, at the Federal Correctional Institution-Schuylkill in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Stewart, a Maryland residence, provided and attempted to provide Hugh Berry, a federal inmate, with a purple bundle containing a mixture or substance containing marijuana.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Juan Carlos Puente, 47, of Clinton, Maryland, pled guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
As detailed in the plea agreement, between approximately October 1, 2021, and April 22, 2022, Puente enticed a minor victim, who resided in the Dominican Republic, to engage in unlawful sexual activity and produce child sexual abuse material. Specifically, through Facebook messages, Puente enticed the minor victim to perform sexual acts on herself and to send videos of her engaging in the requested sexually explicit conduct in exchange for money. The messages also show Puente sending money transfer ID numbers to the minor victim and saying he sent money to her on multiple occasions.
On January 9, 2024, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Puente’s Clinton residence. Law enforcement seized electronic devices and other evidence from his residence pursuant to the search warrant. Forensic review of the devices uncovered visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
As part of his plea agreement, Puente must register as a sex offender in places where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Puente is facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a statutory maximum of 50 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis scheduled sentencing for Monday, January 26, at 10 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, and the Prince George's County Police Department for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy, and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for String of Dollar General RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A U.S. Federal Judge sentenced a Scotland Neck man, Achontay Malik Cotten, 22, to 11 years in federal prison for multiple armed robberies.
“Armed robbers terrorize employees and patrons alike, endangering the community,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Thanks to the quick and coordinated response, our local and federal law enforcement partners caught this criminal, so he faced the music. Our office remains committed to removing violent offenders from our communities and neighborhoods and keeping North Carolina families safe.”
“This 11-year federal prison sentence sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they can get away with committing a violent crime in North Carolina. You will be caught and held accountable. Thanks to the quick response of our partners at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, this armed robbery spree ended without anyone being hurt. The FBI is committed to crushing violent crime and these powerful partnerships are achieving real results to protect our communities,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
“We are grateful and thankful for our continued partnership with our U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove violent offenders from our communities,” said Edgecombe County Sheriff Clee Atkinson. “We will continue working with our citizens and our local, state, and community partners to make this area a safe place to live and play.”
“We value our partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in addressing violent crime in Franklin County. Our goal is focused on removing violent criminals from our communities and keeping our citizens safe,” said Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, prior to October 11, 2023, Cotten and his gang robbed several Dollar General stores in Franklin County. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office guarded different Dollar General locations throughout the evening. Around 9:50 p.m., deputies at the Dollar General on NC 561 Highway in Louisburg spotted three suspects robbing the store.
As deputies moved in, the suspects sped off in a nearby getaway car, leading deputies on a high-speed chase through multiple counties. During the pursuit, one of the vehicle’s passengers fired several shots at pursuing deputies. The car eventually stopped, and four suspects ran off into nearby woods. Law enforcement quickly located and apprehended Cotten, who later admitted to driving the getaway car.
Investigators also linked Cotten to other armed robberies of Dollar General stores in Franklin County, including on October 8 and October 10, 2023, when armed criminals held employees at gunpoint before fleeing with stolen proceeds.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case. The FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force, the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-213-M-BM-1.
Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-Entering the United States as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Julio Cesar Moreno-Anaya, age 47, who was living in Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.
At the plea hearing, Moreno admitted illegally re-entering the United States without permission, and having a previous felony theft conviction from 2016 in Hidalgo County, Texas. On September 15, 2025, Moreno-Anaya was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moreno-Anaya remains in custody pending sentencing. Moreno faces a possible sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03047. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Maine Man Charged with Trafficking Multiple Kilos of Cocaine Delivered in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Maine man who allegedly supplied multiple kilos of cocaine that were trafficked into Rhode Island appeared in federal court in Rhode Island on November 18, 2025, and was arraigned on an indictment issued by the Grand Jury. He was ordered detained, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Evert Delgado-Menjivar, 31, arrested at his Westbrook, ME, home on September 9, 2025, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and distribution of cocaine, and two counts of distribution of cocaine 500 grams or more.
Court documents reflect that in July 2025, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned of a person looking to sell multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine. In August of 2025, a co-defendant is alleged to have distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine on Delgado-Menjivar’s behalf.
A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The sentence imposed in this matter will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.
The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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.
Madison Man Sentenced to Six Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Terrance Moore III, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on November 21, 2025, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. Moore pled guilty to this charge on September 3, 2025.
On July 8, 2024, Madison police officers were monitoring an impromptu street party just off the Capitol Square in downtown Madison. Officers looked inside Moore’s parked car and saw an AR-style rifle sticking out from under the front passenger seat. Moore was arrested and during a search of the vehicle, officers also found a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, marijuana, and oxycodone pills in a backpack on the driver’s seat. Moore’s DNA was later identified on the handgun. At the time, Moore was on state probation for three prior illegal firearms possession cases. Moore is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm because of these, and other prior felony convictions.
At Moore’s sentencing, Judge Conley expressed serious concern that this was Moore’s fourth time in front of a court for possessing a firearm as a felon. Judge Conley found that a significant sentence was necessary given Moore’s prior criminal history.
The charge against Moore was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mother and Son Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine from Arizona to FloridaRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kanethia Tremeka Steele, 51, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Her son and codefendant, Kenneth Steele, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison for the same charge. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to dismantle this drug trafficking enterprise that had flooded our communities with deadly drugs. This is yet another successful prosecution by my office in fulfillment of the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug traffickers who have peddled poison on our streets for far too long. Substantial prison time awaits these offenders and any others who try to traffic drugs in the Northern District of Florida.”
Court documents reflect that over a three-year period Kanethia Steele obtained kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Arizona-based drug suppliers on behalf of drug traffickers operating in the counties of Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy. In addition to her packaging the methamphetamine, Steele enlisted the assistance of her son, Kenneth, to transport multi-kilogram shipments of methamphetamine secreted in luggage on commercial flights from Phoenix, Arizona to Orlando, Florida. At the direction of his mother, Kenneth Steele made three flights, transporting over 40 pounds of methamphetamine that was distributed in North Florida.
“Putting this mother and son enterprise out of business will make communities safer,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “These illicit substances—particularly methamphetamine—have the ability to destroy families.”
The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Former Assistant United States Attorney Corey Smith and Assistant United States Attorney Jason Coody.
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.
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ladarrius Rasheed Martin, 38, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to distribution and receipt of child pornography, and interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners work tirelessly to identify and intercept predators like this defendant who seek to exploit and victimize our children, and I deeply appreciate their efforts that led to this successful prosecution. My office will continue to prosecute such offenders to the fullest extent of the law to keep our children safe.”
Court records reflect that the defendant frequently travelled from Mississippi to Pensacola, Florida, to engage in sexual activity with a minor from September 2023 to June 2024. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained social media records of messages exchanged between the defendant and the minor victim. The records confirmed the exchange of child pornography as well as communications demonstrating the defendant’s regular travel from Mississippi to Pensacola to engage in sexual acts with a minor.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Martin faces up to 70 years imprisonment, a lifetime supervised release, and up to a $750,000 fine, and restitution.
The plea was the result of an investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit theU.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.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Carlos Dominguez Lopez, 36, a Mexican national residing in Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to false statement in application and use of passport and aggravated identity theft. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This defendant tried to lie, cheat, and steal his way into unlawfully remaining in our country, but thanks to the outstanding work by our federal law enforcement partners he will face justice before being swiftly deported. My office remains committed to aggressively enforcing our immigration laws with as many successful prosecutions as it takes to ensure our border is secure and our communities are safe from criminal aliens.”
Court documents reflect that in July of 2022, the defendant purported to be another individual and executed a United States passport application at the Escambia County Clerk of Court Office. The defendant provided a birth certificate and identification card in the other individual’s name, without that person’s permission. After the false statements were made, a United States passport was issued to the defendant.
Lopez faces up to ten years of imprisonment and two years’ imprisonment as a minimum mandatory sentence consecutive.
The case involved an investigation by the United States Department of State. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at 11:00am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Marianna Man Pleads Guilty to Introducing Marijuana into Tallahassee Federal Detention CenterRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Bertram Williams, 50, of Marianna, Florida pleaded guilty in federal court to introducing contraband into the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at Tallahassee. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I want to commend the outstanding work by our federal law enforcement partners to stop this offender before he could bring illegal contraband into the federal prison where he was already serving a criminal sentence. Thanks to this successful prosecution by my office, he will now have an extended stay behind bars.”
According to court records, the defendant is currently incarcerated at FDC Tallahassee. On April 13, 2025, after the defendant had a visitation session, Bureau of Prison (BOP) staff searched him. While searching the defendant’s left boot, BOP staff discovered two, cylinder shaped, plastic tubs that were in the cut fingertips of a latex glove. Inside one cylinder, staff discovered marijuana. In the second cylinder, staff discovered a rolled-up piece of paper saturated in a substance, which field tested positive for synthetic marijuana. The substances were also tested at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement laboratory, which confirmed the substance contained marijuana.
Williams faces up to five years’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release when he is sentenced.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric W. Welch.
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 theU.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.
Luzerne County Clothing Store Owner Sentenced to over 20 Years of Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 21, 2025, United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced James Rodriguez, Jr. a/k/a “Mack Mulla,” age 33, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to 242 months’ imprisonment for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on June 24, 2025, a jury convicted Rodriguz on nine counts of a superseding indictment charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl and 8.5 kilograms of marijuana between January 2021 and January 2022. During the conspiracy, Rodriguez operated Mulla Fashion, a clothing store, which included a recording studio, located on Scott Street in Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez used the store as a front to sell fentanyl and marijuana to users and other street level drug dealers. In January 2021, Rodriguez travelled to Mexico to meet with MS-13 gang members, who supplied him with kilograms of fentanyl for distribution. Rodriguez also kept a stash house in Wilkes-Barre Township for storage of drugs. On January 20, 2022, a search warrant was executed at this stash house and law enforcement seized 159 grams of fentanyl, 400 grams of marijuana, two handguns and a shotgun. Law enforcement also seized 800 grams of marijuana, 37 grams of fentanyl, a ballistics vest, and a handgun from Mulla Fashion.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Kingston Police Department and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Kyle Moreno prosecuted the case.
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Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kody D. Harless, 27, of Tomahawk, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 15, 2023, Harless received approximately 4.75 grams of fentanyl from an individual in Huntington. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Harless was traveling following the transaction and located and seized the fentanyl. As part of his guilty plea, Harless admitted that he obtained the seized fentanyl after arranging to purchase it beforehand, and that he intended to distribute some of it.
Harless also admitted to additional criminal conduct. Harless participated in a conspiracy to receive fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution. Harless admitted that he took part in the conspiracy from at least July 2023 to in and around November 2023, received methamphetamine and fentanyl on a regular basis from others in the Huntington area, and transported the controlled substances to Kentucky where he distributed them.
Harless is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Harless is among 27 individuals indicted on charges alleging they participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area. Harless and another co-defendant pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment. Twenty-three defendants pleaded guilty in the main indictment. Charges against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-7.
Justice Department Surge to Indian Country to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes Yields ResultsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced results from its six-month surge of FBI assets across the country to address violent crime in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing or murdered Indigenous persons.
The FBI sent 64 personnel, rotating in 30–90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period to support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI worked in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. This operation was the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date.
“These dedicated efforts by FBI agents, together with the BIA and our tribal law enforcement partners, have solved crimes, protected victims of violence, and brought much needed safety and security to communities in Indian country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will never forget the crime victims whose cases remain unsolved, and we will continue our pursuit until justice is served.”
“One of the biggest problems tribal communities face is the vast amount of land to account for, requiring significant resources to crush violent crime,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As FBI Director, I’m committed to surging personnel to these areas and working hand-in-hand with Tribal partners. Operation Not Forgotten is a major step forward in giving these communities the justice that they deserve.”
FBI personnel were assisted by 36 personnel from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (BIA MMU). Combined, those personnel provided investigative and intelligence support by assisting in over 330 investigations. BIA MMU also provided technical support and expertise through ground-penetrating radar, underwater cameras, and sonar searches. Operation Not Forgotten contributed to the success of the FBI’s Indian Country program. In FY25 alone, the FBI’s Indian Country initiatives accomplished the following: 1260 individuals charged, 1123 arrests, 304 weapons recovered, and 458 child victims identified or located.
Some of those defendants charged by U.S. Attorney’s Offices include the following:
Three people were indicted on federal charges after a previously unsolved murder in New Mexico in 2020. Austin Begay, 31, was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Zachariah Shorty, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Two more suspects, Jaymes Fage, 38, and Joshua Watkins, 40, were also charged with crimes related to concealing the murder. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Renaldo Descheny, 43, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence for his allegedly strangling and striking Jane Doe in the face with a firearm. He will remain in custody pending trial. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Armondo Paul, 25, was arrested after officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a stabbing at a Shiprock residence. Upon arrival, officers found the victim deceased with a neck wound believed to be from a bladed weapon. Paul is charged with second-degree murder and will remain in custody pending trial. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Keanu Lee, 33, was arrested after being charged with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, one count of kidnapping, and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. (FBI-Albuquerque/District of New Mexico)
Additionally, the following are some examples of defendants convicted in relation to crimes investigated during this operation:
Marvin Albert Wauneka, 40, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for causing a high-speed drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation that killed two passengers and seriously injured another. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Antoine Scott, 28, was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In June 2023, Scott approached a truck on the Warm Springs reservation and began punching the passenger through the window. The passenger suffered a head injury as well as a hand injury requiring stitches. Scott pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and prohibited possession of a firearm. (FBI Portland/USAO District of Oregon)
Indian Country faces persistent levels of violent crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.
Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 760 cases in the past three years. Combined, these operations resulted in 249 arrests, 235 subjects charged, 109 subjects convicted, and services were provided to nearly 2,000 victims and victim family members.
Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and community coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.
Justice Department Requires RealPage to End the Sharing of Competitively Sensitive Information and Alignment of Pricing Among CompetitorsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a proposed settlement today to resolve the United States’ claims against RealPage Inc. as part of its ongoing enforcement against algorithmic coordination, information sharing, and other anticompetitive practices in rental housing markets across the country. The proposed settlement would help restore free market competition in rental markets for millions of American renters.
“Competing companies must make independent pricing decisions, and with the rise of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools, we will remain at the forefront of vigorous antitrust enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
RealPage is a provider of commercial revenue management software and services for the conventional multifamily rental housing industry. As alleged in Plaintiffs’ complaint, RealPage’s revenue management software has relied on nonpublic, competitively sensitive information shared by landlords to set rental prices. RealPage’s software has also included features designed to limit rental price decreases and otherwise align pricing among competitors. In addition, RealPage has hosted meetings attended by competing property management companies where competitively sensitive information was shared.
If approved by the court, the proposed consent judgment would require RealPage to:
- Cease having its software use competitors’ nonpublic, competitively sensitive information to determine rental prices in runtime operation;
- Cease using active lease data for purposes of training the models underlying the software, limiting model training to historic or backward-looking nonpublic data that has been aged for at least 12 months;
- Not use models that determine geographic effects narrower than at a state level, which is broader than the markets alleged in the complaint;
- Remove or redesign features that limited price decreases or aligned pricing between competing users of the software;
- Cease conducting market surveys to collect competitively sensitive information;
- Refrain from discussing market analyses or trends based on nonpublic data, or pricing strategies, in RealPage meetings relating to revenue management software;
- Accept a court-appointed monitor to ensure compliance with the terms of the consent judgment; and
- Cooperate in the United States’ lawsuit against property management companies that have used its software.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any interested person should submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days following the publication to Danielle Hauck, Acting Chief, Technology and Digital Platforms Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 7050, Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
RealPage is a provider of revenue management software and services headquartered in Richardson, Texas.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Second-Degree Murder for Shooting, Stabbing, and Beating Man in Capitol HillRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On November 21, 2025, a Superior Court jury returned guilty verdicts for Julius Worthy, 42, on charges of second-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and related offenses stemming from the homicide of Orlando Galloway and the attack of Shaquia Lewis on April 2, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for January 30, 2026. Worthy faces a maximum sentence of 95 years in prison for the crimes.
In April of 2023, Worthy lived with Galloway in a one-bedroom apartment in the Capitol Hill area. The evening of the homicide, Worthy returned home and began arguing with Galloway over $20. As Galloway pleaded with Worthy that he would pay him the money, Worthy pulled out a firearm and shot eight times into the apartment, six of which struck Galloway. Worthy then grabbed a kitchen knife from the dishrack and stabbed Galloway five times in the neck. Worthy beat Galloway in the face repeatedly with the firearm, causing a piece of the frame to break off. Worthy then turned to Lewis and stabbed her multiple times while strangling her, causing her to lose consciousness.
Worthy remained in the apartment for over an hour with Galloway’s body and Lewis, calling multiple people on his phone to ask for help “cleaning up this mess,” adding that he was “killing two people.” When Lewis tried to escape through the front door, Worthy attacked her again, stabbing her with a pair of scissors. A neighbor across the street heard Lewis screaming, saw Worthy attacking Lewis, and called 911. Officers arrived shortly thereafter, and Worthy fled out the back door. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Worthy texted multiple individuals in the hours after the homicide, including stating, “I killed two people.”
Law enforcement arrested Worthy the following day, April 3, 2023, and he remained in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Lawrence and Molly Smith prosecuted the case.
Inmate at Wyatt Detention Facility Indicted on Multiple Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An inmate housed at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 19, 2025, on charges alleging that, while incarcerated, he possessed contraband and multiple controlled substances with the intent to distribute, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Brian Slutzkin “aka” Lello Brian Bongiorno, age 41, is charged with possessing contraband in prison (controlled substances) and with possession of those controlled substances with the intent to distribute them to others.
According to charging documents, a search of Slutzkin allegedly revealed that he had a sock hidden on his person that contained seven balloons crafted out of latex gloves. Examination of the contents of the balloons showed that they contained distributable quantities of a powder containing fentanyl, pills containing oxycodone hydrochloride and acetaminophen, strips containing buprenorphine and naloxone, and marijuana.
A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility.
Indiana Laboratory Company Agrees to Pay More Than $9 Million to Settle Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Patients Choice Laboratories (“PCL”), a diagnostic laboratory headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, has agreed to pay the United States $9,620,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”). The government alleges that PCL knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for respiratory pathogen panels (“RPPs”) that were either medically unnecessary or obtained through kickbacks. PCL also paid commissions to independent sales representatives and marketing firms (“1099 representatives”) based on the volume or value of referrals.
Specifically, the United States alleges that on November 20, 2020, PCL entered into a Marketing Services Agreement (“MSA”) with a purported infection prevention company (“the Company”), agreeing to pay $5,000 per month in exchange for “marketing and management services” in long-term care facilities. In reality, according to the United States, the MSA served as a pretext for paying the company for laboratory test referrals, which PCL then billed to Medicare.
The United States further alleges that PCL paid the Company to perform services in long-term care facilities, including specimen collection for infectious disease testing. The Company swabbed residents for COVID-19, and PCL used the same specimens to conduct and bill Medicare for medically unnecessary RPPs. In some cases, PCL billed for RPPs without performing any COVID-19 tests at all.
Between December 1, 2020, and May 11, 2022, PCL paid the Company approximately $1.86 million in exchange for RPP referrals. During that time, PCL billed Medicare for thousands of RPPs conducted at 43 long-term care facilities nationwide, receiving over $6 million in reimbursement.
Additionally, from January 1 to March 31, 2021, PCL contracted with 1099 representatives to promote its laboratory tests to health care providers. The United States alleges that these individuals were not bona fide employees. PCL paid them a percentage of the revenue generated from testing they facilitated. The representatives helped arrange referrals and orders for tests billed to Medicare in violation of the AKS. PCL’s commission payments to these representatives totaled at least $372,000.
“Kickback arrangements that drive unnecessary testing waste taxpayer dollars and undermine the integrity of our healthcare system,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This settlement reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to profit at the expense of federal healthcare programs and the patients they serve.”
“Providing impermissible compensation to induce patient referrals that then lead to medically unnecessary diagnostic tests is simply unacceptable,” said Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “We’re committed to taking the necessary actions to protect patients and taxpayer-funded government health programs.”
“Wasteful spending fueled by kickback arrangements undermines the public’s confidence in our health care system and depletes valuable resources that should be used to improve patient care,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the HHS-OIG Chicago Regional Office. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to identify and investigate alleged violations of federal law.”
“Entities who submit false Medicare claims destroy public trust in federal health care programs and divert taxpayer-funded resources away from vulnerable citizens who truly need them,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the HHS-OIG. “We are unwavering in our dedication to safeguarding the integrity of the Medicare trust fund and the services provided to enrollees.”
“Companies that submit false claims undermine public trust and divert critical resources away from legitimate care,” said Timothy J. O’Malley, special agent in charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement and government partners to hold accountable those who seek to profit through fraud or deception.”
The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Kelly McAuliffe and Asha Natarajan of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tarra DeShields, District of Maryland, and Adriana Figueroa, Southern District of Indiana, who jointly handled this case. The litigation team received investigative support from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States’ settlement in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Illegal alien arrested for smuggling 51 illegal aliens in refrigerated produce trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old Honduran national has been charged with smuggling more than four dozen people in a refrigerated tractor-trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Greibein Alexis Pinot-Duarte is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga Nov. 25 at 9:30 a.m.
On Nov. 22, Pinot-Duarte allegedly drove a refrigerated tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Freer where authorities noticed his nervous behavior. The charges allege a K-9 alerted to the presence of humans or narcotics at the rear doors.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement discovered the temperature inside the trailer was 55 degrees and held numerous boxes of produce, according to the complaint. They also allegedly observed the silhouette of a person through a plywood compartment under the boxes.
The charges allege a subsequent search revealed 51 illegal aliens, including two juveniles, concealed in the cramped, hidden compartment. Many of the individuals did not have jackets or means to stay warm and complained of numbed or cramped limbs due to the tight space, according to the complaint.
The compartment was small and allegedly allowed only one person to exit at a time. Each produce box weighed approximately 30-40 pounds, preventing anyone from escaping, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Pinot-Duarte faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Illegal Mexican National with Five Prior Removals Caught with 50,000 Fentanyl Pills Hidden in Child’s ToyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Mexican national made his initial appearance in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 17 after law enforcement recovered more than 50,000 fentanyl pills concealed inside a child’s toy.
According to the complaint affidavit, officers approached a vehicle driven by Guillermo Higuera German, 37. During a consensual encounter, a certified narcotics K-9 conducted an open-air sniff and alerted to narcotics.
A search of the vehicle followed. Officers found several boxes and a Sesame Street-style school bus toy packed with thousands of fentanyl pills that weighed about five kilograms. The investigation also determined that Higuera German was illegally in the U.S. and had been deported five times.
Higuera German is again subject to removal.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
The DEA Miami Field Division and Fort Lauderdale Police Department are investigating, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on potential immigration offenses.
About the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section
This case is being prosecuted by the newly formed Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats.
BICE Deputy Chief Jeremy Fugate is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-mj-06666.
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Illegal Immigrant from Honduras Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry into U.S.Read the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Nelson Deras-Pineda, 43, an illegal immigrant from Honduras with a history of driving under the influence and fleeing the scenes of traffic accidents, as well as entering the United States without authorization, was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously removed alien.
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia will work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold accountable those individuals who flout the immigration laws of the United States,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today.
According to court documents, Deras-Pineda was arrested in June 2025 by the Roanoke City Police Department on felony DUI charges, his third DUI arrest in the last 10 years. Roanoke City officers contacted Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington to conduct an Immigration Alien Query. At that time, it was determined that Deras-Pineda was in the United States illegally having previously entered the country in January 2003 and May 2006. He was subsequently removed following each of those illegal entries.
Deras-Pineda again reentered the United States, illegally and without authorization, at an unknown date following his 2006 removal.
Deras-Pineda has prior state convictions for fleeing the scene of an accident, driving without a license, and three DUIs.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, investigated the case for the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to Time Served in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Honduran national was sentenced today to four months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Rigoberto Rubi-Guevara, 38, was an occupant of a vehicle stopped by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office on September 12, 2025, for a traffic violation. Mobile County deputies suspected that Rubi-Guevara was not a United States citizen, so they contacted law enforcement personnel with U.S. Border Patrol. A Border Patrol agent was able to determine that Rubi-Guevara had previously been removed from the United States in 2011.
At sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock imposed a time-served sentence of incarceration and a one-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Upon his release from prison, Rubi-Guevara is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Rubi-Guevara was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Hutchins III prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Craig Hatfield, also known as “Bobby,” 48, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for carrying a firearm during and in relation to the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 11, 2025, Hatfield sold a SCCY 9mm pistol and approximately 4.5 grams of heroin to a confidential informant in exchange for $340. Hatfield admitted to conducting the transaction, which occurred at his Huntington residence, and to arranging it beforehand.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-45.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Scott Burd, 59, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2025, Burd sold approximately 29 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $1,000. As part of his guilty plea, Burd admitted that his co-defendant, Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, arranged the transaction beforehand and met with the confidential informant at Burd’s Huntington residence, where Burd distributed the fentanyl to the confidential informant.
Burd is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025, to distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-103.
Habitual Domestic Violence Offender Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Assaulting His Intimate Partner on the Spokane ReservationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on November 6, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Idris Haith, age 47, of Wellpinit, Washington, to 30 months in prison for Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender in Indian Country. Judge Rice also ordered that, following imprisonment, Haith must serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on September 26, 2024, Haith’s intimate partner, a Native American woman with whom Haith shares several children in common, called 911 emergency response and reported that Haith struck her, choked her, and threatened to kill her at a residence on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The victim said she confronted Haith about cheating on her and they both became mad and aggressive. The victim said Haith hit her face then began to strangle her. Law enforcement officers on scene observed the victim had scratches on the left side of her neck and blood on the left side of her lips.
Haith’s conduct is part of a pattern of assaulting the same victim. Haith has been convicted twice before for assaulting the same victim. The prior convictions occurred in the Spokane Municipal Court in 2012 and 2014. A person is considered a “habitual offender” within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 117 if, like Haith, he or she has two prior, separate, and final convictions in other court proceedings for assaults against an intimate partner.
“The Spokane Tribal Police Department commends the outstanding work of our team and the strong collaboration we share with neighboring jurisdictions. The Spokane Tribe remains firmly committed to thoroughly investigating and effectively assisting in the prosecution of crimes committed by non-Natives in Indian Country. We take all allegations of domestic violence and other serious assaults against Native American women with the utmost seriousness.” Stated Clint G. Kieffer, Chief of Police for the Spokane Tribal Police Department. “The Spokane Tribal Police Department will continue to pursue every case to the fullest extent of the law to safeguard the safety and well-being of our community.”
“This significant sentence reflects the serious nature of the offender’s ongoing pattern of abuse. Domestic violence is rarely a single event – more often is arises as repeated violations of trust, safety, and basic human dignity, as happened here. When individuals continue to harm their partners or family members despite prior intervention, stronger judicial action becomes necessary. Domestic violence and intimate partner abuse will continue to be a priority for this Office and I am grateful for our tribal partners, the FBI, and the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office for their tireless pursuit of justice for victims of these offenses.”
“Mr. Haith not only has a history of domestic violence, but those assaults have repeatedly been directed at the same victim,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Even worse, that person is his partner and mother of his children. The FBI and our partners are committed to combatting violent crime in Washington state, including on tribal lands, to keep our families and communities safe.”
The case was investigated by the Spokane Tribal Police Department, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis.
2:24-cr-00179-TORGuatemalan Citizen with History of Domestic Abuse Assault to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Yoan Mateo-Cardona, 24, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 20, 2025, to 15 months’ imprisonment in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing on July 14, 2025, Mateo-Cardona admitted he was a citizen of Guatemala and had been previously removed from the United States on one previous occasion in 2022. Mateo-Cardona further admitted that his status as an illegal alien and domestic violence abuser prohibited him from possessing firearms. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on November 7, 2024, Sioux City Police officers were called to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino parking lot after security observed an individual displaying a firearm. Security footage confirmed Mateo-Cardona was the individual with the gun, and he was arrested for public intoxication and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse perpetrator. Mateo-Cardona had previously been convicted of being an alien present without admission or parole, operating while intoxicated, domestic abuse assault, and possession of a controlled substance.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mateo-Cardona was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 1 year of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Mateo-Cardona remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino security staff and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4088. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Group of Pennsylvania-Based Car Companies Settle Matter Alleging Receipt of Improper CARES Act LoansRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. – Five companies based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by taking Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to which they were not entitled, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
In April 2020, Fred Beans Holdings, Inc.; Auto Express Enterprises, Inc.; Autorent of Doylestown Inc.; McCafferty Autorent Inc.; and Noble Advertising, Inc. (together, “the Defendants”) each applied for and received approximately $973,395 in PPP loans. Under the eligibility rules in effect at the time, businesses with more than 500 employees, inclusive of their affiliates, were not eligible for PPP loans. In their respective loan applications, the Defendants certified that they were eligible for their loans. However, the Defendants were ineligible for their loans because, inclusive of their affiliates, they had more than 500 employees. After receiving their PPP loans, Defendants sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loans plus interest that had accrued.
Defendants fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, Defendants will pay the United States $1,427,869. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $142,786 as the share.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Forsyth v. Fred Beans Holdings, Inc., et al., 25-2324 (D.N.J.).
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Counsel for Ulma Form Works, Inc.: Denise Branch, Esq., Raleigh, NC
Counsel for Relator Aidan Forsyth: Eric Jaso, Esq., Montclair, NJ
fbp.agreement.pdfGeorgia Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Norcross, Georgia, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating a federal firearms law, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
Michael Allen Barnes, 42, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV to a one-count Indictment charging Barnes with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on April 11, 2024, law enforcement arrested Barnes in downtown Pittsburgh on an outstanding Georgia arrest warrant. From the waistband of the defendant’s pants, law enforcement recovered a chambered pistol which was loaded with approximately nine rounds of ammunition. Barnes was previously convicted of burglary in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Stickman scheduled Barnes’ sentencing for March 30, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Barnes.
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.
Four Individuals Plead Guilty to Conspiracies to Misappropriate Funds of Non-Profit Organization Serving the HomelessRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal court in Brooklyn, Luis Camarena pleaded guilty to a conspiracy kickback scheme. Camarena received revenue from contracts to install surveillance cameras at homeless shelters run by a non-profit organization (the “Organization”). He conspired to pay a portion of that revenue to the employees of the Organization who authorized the payments to his business. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. When sentenced, Camarena faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Camarena is the fourth and final defendant to plead guilty in this case. Earlier this month, Camarena’s co-defendants Gary DSilva, Jonathan Velazquez, and Pradeep Nigam each pleaded guilty to the same or similar charges. DSilva and Velazquez were employees of the Organization, who authorized payments to Camarena and to Nigam, whose businesses provided security cameras and information-technology services, respectively, to the Organization. DSilva, Velazquez, and Nigam each also face up to five years’ imprisonment at their respective sentencings. The defendants have also agreed as part of their pleas to pay a total of $1,025,647.78 in restitution to the Organization.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the guilty pleas.
“Camerena’s schemes enriched himself, DSilva, and Velazquez at the expense of the non-profit Organization, showing glaring disrespect towards the honest work of others,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office remains committed to seeking justice for all victims of bribery and kickback schemes and prosecuting those who perpetrate such offenses.”
“These four defendants enriched themselves at the expense of a City-funded nonprofit; two employees of the organization pocketed kickbacks in exchange for steering contracts worth millions to the businesses of two co-conspirators,” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber. “With today’s guilty plea, all four defendants have now acknowledged their involvement in a scheme to steal funds intended to support City programs. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for their continued partnership and commitment to protect public funds.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment and discussed in court proceedings and other documents, DSilva and Velazquez were employed in the Management Information Systems department of the Organization, which is based in Brooklyn. The Organization supplied a number of services to indigent New Yorkers, including administering multiple homeless shelters. DSilva and Velazquez, as part of their work for the Organization, were responsible for soliciting vendors to complete various projects involving information technology and approving payments to those vendors.
DSilva and Velazquez entered into two separate schemes to enrich themselves at the expense of the Organization. In the first scheme, they agreed to steer contracts for the installation of surveillance cameras at homeless shelters operated by the Organization to Camarena’s business in exchange for a share of the profits. Neither DSilva nor Velazquez ever disclosed their secret interest in Camarena’s business to the Organization. In the second, DSilva and Velazquez entered into a similar agreement with Nigam, in which DSilva and Velazquez received a share of the profits from Nigam’s business in exchange for authorizing payments from the Organization to that business. In one instance, DSilva, using a personal email account, sent to Nigam an invoice for Nigam’s business to submit to the Organization. As part of the conspiracy, Nigam regularly sent money to companies in the names of relatives of DSilva and Velazquez.
In total, DSilva and Velazquez authorized approximately $1.6 million in payments from the Organization to Camarena’s business and approximately $1.9 million from the Organization to Nigam’s business during the operation of the schemes. As part of the pleas, DSilva and Velazquez each agreed to forfeit approximately $714,000; Nigam agreed to forfeit approximately $413,000; and Camarena agreed to forfeit approximately $224,000. These figures correspond to the illicit proceeds received by the defendants from the schemes.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Turner Buford and Laura Zuckerwise are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Johnson Peow.
The Defendants:
GARY DSILVA (also known as “Pankaj Dsilva”)
Age: 47
Manalapan, NJJONATHAN VELAZQUEZ
Age: 55
Massapequa Park, NYLUIS A. CAMARENA
Age: 58
Bronx, NYPRADEEP NIGAM
Age: 63
Edison, NJE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-471 (S-1) (HG)
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced November 20, 2025, to 15 years in federal prison.
Loren Craig, age 52, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 14, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, Craig admitted that from August to September 2023, he and others came to an agreement to distribute over 14 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Following an investigation, law enforcement became aware Craig was a distributor of methamphetamine. On September 29, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and located methamphetamine, two firearms, and drug-distribution items.
Craig was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Craig was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Craig 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 Patrick Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dodge 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-03004. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Sentenced to 30 Months for Possessing A Firearm as an Unlawful Drug UserRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Bryan Byers (58, Jacksonville) to 30 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user. Bryan Byers pleaded guilty on July 10, 2025.
According to court documents, a convicted felon was arrested with a Taurus 9mm pistol, which police learned had been purchased by Byers. The felon indicated that he got the firearm from Byers in exchange for crack cocaine, and that the sale was facilitated by a sex worker who would often set up deals where Byers would sell firearms to drug dealers in exchange for drugs. Law enforcement reviewed text messages between Byers and the sex worker, which demonstrated that Byers had been selling his prescription drugs, agreeing to sell firearms in exchange for drugs, and paying for sex work with money or drugs.
On April 2, 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at Byers’ residence and seized multiple firearms, including a Marlin .22 caliber rifle; a Norinco 7.62 x 39mm rifle with a large capacity magazine; a Palmetto State Arms 9mm pistol; two firearm frame/receivers; multiple rounds of assorted ammunition; and used crack (cocaine) pipes. The day after agents executed the search warrant and seized the firearms, Byers went to a licensed firearms dealer in Jacksonville and attempted to purchase another firearm. However, agents arrested Byers before he was able to make the purchase.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
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.
Former Omro Alderman Enters Guilty Plea to Charge of Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 21, 2025, Jason A. Reeves (age: 44) of Omro, Wisconsin, pled guilty to a charge of receipt of child pornography stemming from his online conduct in April of 2025, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
Reeves faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years of incarceration. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. He will be sentenced before federal District Court Judge Byron B. Conway on February 20, 2026.
According to documents filed with the court, a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) was sent to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. That tip was then forwarded to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office based on the IP address associated with the CyberTip. The tip alleged the distribution of child pornography on October 16, 2024. Law enforcement continued its investigation and on April 29, 2025, they executed a search warrant at Reeves’ residence, which resulted in the recovery of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Foreign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A foreign national residing in Illinois has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported.
SANTOS VASQUEZ-ORTIZ, a native of Guatemala, was unlawfully present in the United States when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill. He was later convicted of the offense in state court. Vasquez-Ortiz had been deported from the United States in 2008 and did not receive authorization from the U.S. government to return.
Vasquez-Ortiz, 41, pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Rockford to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the two-year federal prison sentence on Nov. 17, 2025.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, age 24, to 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for his role in the $300 million Feeding Our Future case, the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Nur was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514.
As demonstrated at trial, Nur and his co-defendants stole more than $47 million in program funds by claiming to serve 18 million meals to kids at more than 30 food distribution sites. The scheme originated out of Empire Cuisine & Market, a small storefront halal market in Shakopee. Empire Cuisine enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in April 2020—during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and within weeks of registering the company with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Nur and his co-conspirators immediately opened several federal child nutrition program sites and began claiming—falsely—to be serving meals to thousands of children per day. These claims were fraudulent. As the Court heard repeatedly at trial, no meals at all were served at many of the Empire Cuisine “sites.” Many of their purported food “sites” were nothing more than parking lots or vacant commercial spaces. Indeed, at some of the sites, it was instead the Shakopee Public Schools who were actually serving meals to kids on a daily basis.
Nur played a key role in the fraud scheme. He created and submitted the bulk of the fraudulent meal counts and invoices that he and his co-conspirators used to support their fraudulent claims. Nur also created and submitted fraudulent rosters purporting to list the names of children receiving meals at their fraudulent meal sites. But, as the Court saw, the rosters were fraudulent, filled with the names of fake children.
Nur and his co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of their fraud scheme using a series of shell companies both in the United States and Kenya. Nur helped distribute millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds among their money laundering entities. Nur also set up his own shell company—Nur Consulting LLC—that he used to receive and launder his share of the fraud proceeds by disguising them as “consulting” and similar payments. In all, Nur used Nur Consulting to receive more than $900,000 in fraud proceeds.
Nur spent his fraud proceeds freely. Using the taxpayer money meant for needy kids, he purchased a 2021 Dodge Ram pickup truck for $64,000. Six weeks later, he purchased a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe for $35,000. Nur used fraud proceeds to take a honeymoon to the Maldives, where he stayed in a private villa. He also spent $30,000 in fraud proceeds to purchase jewelry in Dubai.
Finally, as the jury heard at trial, Nur used some of his fraud proceeds to fraudulently obtain a college degree. In 2021, Nur enrolled in Herzing University, an online college with campuses in St. Louis Park and other locations around the country. Nur paid $12,000 to a company called PayMeToDoYourHomework.com to take his courses for him and complete all homework assignments and exams. They guaranteed him an A or B in each course.
Nur paid the company approximately $5,000 to take all his Fall 2021 courses for him. In January 2022, he paid another $6,000 to have the company take all his Spring 2022 semester courses. He made these payments via Nur Consulting, the shell company he created to receive and launder his fraud proceeds. Nur appears to have gotten his money’s worth. Nur received a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Herzing University in August 2022. Despite having graduated from Shakopee High School in 2019 with only a 1.75 GPA, Herzing University records show that Nur “earned” his bachelor’s degree in less than 3 years with a 3.42 GPA.
In June 2024, at the conclusion of his 7-week trial, Nur and others attempted to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash in exchange for a not guilty verdict. Nur and four others were indicted in a separate federal case for the juror bribery scheme. Nur has pled guilty in the juror bribery case and is pending sentencing in that case before United States District Judge David S. Doty. Today’s sentence does not reflect Nur’s attempt to bribe a juror; he will face an additional sentence in that case at a later date.
In imposing the 10-year sentence, Judge Brasel told Nur, “It is so disappointing and so disheartening that where others saw a crisis and rushed to help, you saw money and rushed to steal.” She called that choice “mindboggling.” Judge Brasel explained that “this fraud conspiracy was both and at once elaborate and blatant,” and that Nur made the choice to steal again and again.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Federal Inmate at USP Canaan Convicted of Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bryant Wilson, a federal prisoner, was convicted on November 18, 2025, of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a prohibited weapon in prison following a two-day jury trial before Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Wilson was an inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan in Waymart, Pennsylvania. On November 28, 2021, Wilson was walking in one of the housing units within the prison when another inmate started a fight with him. Wilson quickly grabbed a seven-inch shank out his pocket and began attacking the other inmate. Over the approximately one-minute fight, Wilson stabbed the other inmate at least 15 times about his upper body, causing severe damage to the inmate’s vital organs. The inmate died of sharp force injuries within minutes of the attack.
Wilson claimed he was acting in self-defense. The prison video of the fight, however, depicted Wilson chasing the other inmate with a shank and stabbing him several times as the other inmate repeatedly tried to get away from him.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Prisons, Special Investigative Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle A. Moreno and Gerard T. Donahue prosecuted the case.
Upon conviction, Wilson faces a maximum penalty of twenty years’ imprisonment. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Fairbanks man charged with trafficking firearms, cocaine, and with possessing a machinegun during a drug trafficking crimeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging a Fairbanks man with illegally trafficking firearms, distributing cocaine, and with carrying a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of AlaskaAccording to court documents, from September 2024 to August 2025, Mason Lanon, 22, willfully engaged in the business of dealing firearms while not being a licensed firearms dealer.
The indictment also alleges that on Aug. 7, 2025, Lanon distributed cocaine and possessed a pistol with a Glock-type machinegun conversion device in furtherance of trafficking the cocaine.
Lanon is charged with one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of carrying a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime. Lanon is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Nov. 25, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces 30 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division, Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes and Chief Ron Dupee of the Fairbanks Police Department made the announcement.
The ATF Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers and Fairbanks Police Department are investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA Anchorage Field Office. If anyone has any information regarding Lanon’s alleged firearms dealing, please contact the ATF at (907) 921-6131.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fort Walton Beach Felon Sentenced to More Than Twelve Years in Prison for Possessing a MacHine GunRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Louis Terrell Jones, 42, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was sentenced to twelve and a half years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a machine gun. 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 by our state law enforcement partner, with support from the ATF, this violent felon has been taken off our streets. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to keep our communities safe.”
In November 2024, an Escambia County Sherriff’s Office deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by the defendant. During the stop, the vehicle was searched, and the deputy found a Glock 9 millimeter pistol with a machine gun conversion device attached to it. The defendant is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including aggravated assault by threat with a firearm.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sherriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.
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.
Erie Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Shawn Geer, 49, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about July 2, 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Geer possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for March 24, 2026. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 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 Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Geer.
Convicted Felon Who Shot at Vehicles on Highway Pleads Guilty to Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Anil Dabydeen, 40, of Charlotte, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon for shooting at vehicles on I-485, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in this announcement.
According to court documents and today’s court hearing, on January 8, 2025, at 3:49 p.m., CMPD officers were dispatched to I-485 at the South Tryon Street exit for a reported shooting. Court documents show that CMPD received several 911 calls describing a male operating a white Honda sedan on the highway who was shooting at passing vehicles. Law enforcement arrived on the scene and located two victims who had been struck by gunfire. The victims told the officers that they were traveling south on I-485 when their vehicle was struck by gunfire. While on the scene, the officers reviewed a video shot by a witness. The video showed a white sedan stopped on the side of the highway, and an individual, later identified as Dabydeen, walking around the vehicle brandishing a firearm and pointing it at passing vehicles.
Court records show that, while the officers were investigating the incident, they observed a white Honda sedan traveling south at a high rate of speed. The officers recognized the vehicle as the one observed during the shooting and began to pursue the vehicle. After a brief pursuit, Dabydeen stopped the vehicle, and he was taken into custody. Officers recovered from Dabydeen a live round of 9mm ammunition, and a Taurus, Model G3c, 9mm pistol that had been reported stolen. Dabydeen has a prior felony conviction for 1st Degree Manslaughter in New York, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
“The violent shootings in Charlotte have gotten out of hand,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Where we can, the federal government will step in and put the most violent offenders behind bars.”
Dabydeen remains in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
The ATF and CMPD led the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Mar’keise Bates (31, Jacksonville) to nine years and two months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bates pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025.
According to court documents, police were dispatched to the River City Inn on March 3, 2025, in response to a disturbance. A hotel employee reported she had asked Bates to leave the hotel. Despite that, Bates returned with what appeared to be a gun in his waistband. The employee then saw another individual running while saying that Bates had pulled a gun on him. Police obtained surveillance video, which showed Bates holding a gun and pointing it at another person before running off. After viewing the surveillance video, police apprehended Bates and recovered the firearm he possessed, a Beretta M9 9mm semi-automatic pistol, in one of the hotel rooms. Prior to this, Bates was convicted of multiple felonies, including felony battery, robbery, aggravated battery upon a pregnant female, and sale of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
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.
Convicted Attempted Arsonist Sentenced to Federal Prison After Illegally Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Jairo Eliu Aguilar-Lopez, 54, of El Salvador, to 15 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for illegally reentering the United States after he was deported on two separate occasions.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Field Office Director Jeremy Bacon, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office.
Aguilar-Lopez is an El Salvadorian national who first entered the United States in February 2019. According to immigration records, law enforcement removed him from the United States on May 9, 2019. But then on March 12, 2020, Aguilar-Lopez reentered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. Authorities removed him again on April 3, 2020.
Later, Aguilar-Lopez reentered the United States. Aguilar-Lopez had not obtained permission to reenter the U.S. Then, on August 16, 2024, Aguilar-Lopez pled guilty to first degree attempted arson in Baltimore, Maryland. Evidence presented during sentencing in the federal case included a video of Aguilar-Lopez dousing the victim’s home in gasoline. Additionally, the government presented records showing that he threatened to set the victim’s home on fire if she did not leave Baltimore.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised ICE-ERO for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Co-Founder of Paycheck Protection Program Lender Service Provider Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for $63M COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A co-founder of a lender service provider was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Friday, November 21, 2025, for participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $63 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The defendant was also ordered to pay over $63 million in restitution.
According to evidence presented at trial, Stephanie Hockridge, also known as Stephanie Reis, 42, of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and previously of Arizona, co-founded Blueacorn in April 2020, purportedly to assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans. To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation and bank statements. Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.
As part of the scheme, Hockridge and others offered a personalized service to their clients called “VIPPP” to help potential borrowers complete PPP loan applications. Hockridge recruited co-conspirators to work as VIPPP referral agents and coach borrowers on how to submit false PPP loan applications. To get more kickbacks from borrowers and a higher percentage of lender fees from the SBA, Hockridge and her co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications that they knew contained materially false information. In total, Hockridge and her coconspirators processed over $63 million in fraudulent PPP loans.
On June 20, a jury found Hockridge guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas; Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don Daley of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Western Region; Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
“These defendants exploited a national crisis to enrich themselves in this multimillion-dollar, taxpayer-funded fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice those individuals who steal taxpayer dollars and undermine our federal programs through fraud and deceit.”
“The defendant used deceptive practices to exploit a government program for her own personal gain. This program was meant to protect small businesses and promote economic stabilization in a critical time of need,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The public can rest assured that the FBI is committed to holding accountable those who attempt to defraud the United States government and steal opportunities from honest, hardworking business owners.”
IRS-CI, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board-CFPB Office of Inspector General, SBA OIG, and FBI investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Philip Trout of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section; Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Chinese National Pleads Guilty to South Florida Gift Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Chinese national pleaded guilty on Sept. 23 in Fort Pierce federal court for participating in a fraud scheme targeting grocery stores across South Florida, including St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties.
According to court records, between Jan. 14 and Dec. 17, 2024, Cao Yuan Liu, 22, and a co-conspirator traveled to grocery stores throughout Florida and tampered with gift cards. Investigators discovered cards in which the packaging had been carefully opened, serial numbers and PINs exposed or removed, and the packaging resealed to appear intact. Once unsuspecting customers purchased and activated the compromised cards, Liu and his co-conspirator illicitly accessed the funds for their own use.
“Gift card fraud schemes like this prey on unsuspecting consumers and erode trust in our everyday retail systems,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Liu’s conviction sends a clear message: those who tamper with gift cards and steal from innocent consumers will be held accountable. Our Office is committed to protecting South Florida communities from these sophisticated fraud operations and ensuring justice for those affected.”
Surveillance footage captured Liu and his co-conspirator leaving multiple stores in a black Bentley SUV with a New York license plate. On Dec. 17, 2024, law enforcement located Liu and his co-conspirator, executed a search warrant at their shared Jensen Beach apartment, and recovered multiple tampered gift cards. Six days later, after seizing the Bentley SUV, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the vehicle and located additional gift cards linked to the scheme.
In total, investigators have identified approximately 42 grocery stores across Florida that were targeted.
Liu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. He faces up to five years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger is prosecuting this case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-14043.
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Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago chiropractor has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for billing a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services.
CLARENCE W. BROWN III owned and operated Dr. CB3 Wellness, Inc. and Apex Integrated Medical Center, Ltd., both in Chicago. From 2016 to 2020, Brown submitted more than 6,000 fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Brown knew were not actually provided to patients. Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided when Brown was on international vacations or while his medical license was suspended.
Brown’s fraud scheme defrauded BCBS out of nearly $2.1 million. Brown used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s.
In 2024, a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Brown, 49, of Chicago, on all nine healthcare fraud counts against him. Last week, on Nov. 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge John F. Kness sentenced Brown to five years and ten months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $2,088,884 in restitution to BCBS.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Defendant was motivated by greed,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Andréa L. Campbell argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant made the calculated decision to engage in a three-and-half-year fraud that benefited him and his lofty aspirations.”
Canadian National Sentenced to Prison After Being Caught with 90 Pounds of MDMARead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A Canadian citizen has been sentenced to prison after admitting to having possession of 90 pounds of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or ecstasy, a Schedule I controlled substance that is typically used as a party drug and intended for distribution.
Dontavius Forbes, 27, was sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Judge Helmick imposed the sentence Nov. 21. Forbes will be deported to Canada upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court documents, on Aug. 7, 2024, a U.S. Border Patrol agent observed a compact sport utility vehicle with Canadian license plates parked in a service plaza parking lot near the interstate 80/90 Ohio turnpike in Sandusky County. After further investigation, the agent proceeded to have an encounter with Forbes who was the driver of the vehicle. During a consensual search of the SUV, agents observed what appeared to be modifications to a section of the cargo area. Agents discovered two hidden compartments packed with vacuum sealed packages of suspected illegal drugs. A field test of one of the packages tested positive for MDMA. Agents also seized nearly $3,000 in U.S. currency from the vehicle.
The remaining packages recovered from the vehicle were submitted to a forensic laboratory for analysis which confirmed the accuracy of the field test indicating the presence of MDMA.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
California Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a San Jacinto, California man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025.
Darrel Devorce, 56, was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Devorce was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025.
“Devorce is a longtime meth dealer responsible for shipping that poison into South Dakota since at least 2018,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “He will now be separated from the rest of society for most of the rest of his life.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to be part of a task force that is dedicated to dismantling criminal organizations that pose a threat to the safety of our local communities,” said Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “Devorce’s 400-month prison sentence is a reflection of that dedication and our determination to use our financial expertise to help get dangerous people off our streets.”
Through an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, investigators learned that Darrel Devorce was responsible for running a large methamphetamine trafficking organization for approximately five years. Devorce began sourcing methamphetamine to co-conspirators in Sioux Falls around 2018 and continued to do so into 2023. During Devorce’s involvement in the conspiracy, he arranged for methamphetamine from California to be delivered to co-conspirators in South Dakota. Devorce directed others to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds from the methamphetamine conspiracy using CashApp, Western Union and Zelle. The money transfers were designed to conceal the source of the proceeds of the methamphetamine conspiracy and Devorce’s involvement in the conspiracy.
In addition to Devorce, multiple other individuals from California and South Dakota were involved in the conspiracy, and to date over ten of them have been charged and convicted in federal court. Devorce was the leader of the group responsible for souring the drugs and directing the movement of money.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Devorce was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Buffalo man going to prison on child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alexander J. Weidner, 35, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve five years in prison and 35 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that on February 28, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at Weidner’s residence as a result of child pornography uploaded to Snapchat and Instagram accounts, both associated with Weidner. Investigators seized two cellular telephones, which contained approximately 4,843 images and 371 videos of child pornography. Some of the images depicted minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, on two occasions, Weidner used the Session application to upload and share a video file containing child pornography with another Session user.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Buffalo man going to prison for illegally possessing postal keysRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Fortino Pilier, 28, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of a postal service key, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison and three years’ supervised release by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that on October 23, 2024, Pilier was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over by Erie County Sheriff’s deputies. During the traffic stop, Pilier fled from the vehicle and deputies pursued and arrested him. After he was arrested, Pilier was searched, and two United States Postal arrow keys were found in his pocket. An arrow key can be used to open authorized mail receptacles owned by the Postal Service. Pilier admitted that he planned to use the arrow keys to unlawfully access mail receptacles.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward.
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Brooklyn Park Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Counts of Online Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Charles Anthony Forame, IV, 33, of Brooklyn Park, Maryland, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for child sexual exploitation charges.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Jaymi Sterling, State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County; Anthony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County; Robert H. Harvey, State’s Attorney for Calvert County; Anne Colt Leitess, State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel; Sheriff Steven A. Hall, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office; Sheriff Troy D. Berry, Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO); Sheriff Ricky Cox, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police (AACOPD).
According to the guilty plea, Forame used his Snapchat account to meet teenage girls online. Forame then coerced the victims to provide him with explicit images, or in some instances, sexual acts in person. Forame falsely told the girls he was 19 to get them to interact with him. He often promised to provide vapes or marijuana in exchange for explicit images or sex acts. If the victims attempted to end the arrangement, Forame threatened to expose their images. The victims, ages 13-16, were middle-school and high-school students. Forame admitted to engaging in this conduct with nine victims from September 2023, until his arrest in May 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI, AACOPD, CCSO, St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office, Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, and Calvert County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 121 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking, Acting United States Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Soauib Butcher, 31, of Brooklyn, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Judge Farbiarz imposed the sentence on November 7, 2025, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In August 2019, Butcher met the victim at a train station and brought her to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where, from August 2019 to January 2020, the victim stayed with Butcher and a co-conspirator in a series of motel rooms. The co-conspirator posted advertisements depicting the victim on escort websites and, together with Butcher, arranged for customers to come to the motels to have sex with the victim in exchange for money.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Butcher to five years of supervised release.
“Soauib Butcher supported himself, for several months, on the daily sexual exploitation of a minor. This sentence sends a message that this Office is committed to protecting children from sexual predators.”
- Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba
“Sexual exploitation is demeaning, damaging and puts already vulnerable minors in extremely unsafe circumstances,” Stefanie Roddy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Newark, said. “Butcher profited off of the arrangement he had with this victim. The FBI and its partners work tirelessly so that these minors get the protection they deserve from predators."
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation.
This investigation was conducted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Katherine M. Romano, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
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Defense counsel: Patrick Joyce, Esq., Maplewood, NJ