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21 November 2025
CNMI Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Human Smuggling Operation between Saipan and GuamRead the Press Release
Saipan, M.P. – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that the following individuals were sentenced this week by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §1324(a)(1)(A)(v)(I):
Steven Villagomez Pangelinan – age 58, sentenced on November 20, 2025, to 30 months incarceration, two years of supervised release, 100 hours community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee;
William J. Cabrera, Jr. – age 44, sentenced on November 19, 2025, to 21 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, 100 hours community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee;
Steven Chris Tomokane – age 55, Sentenced on November 19, 2025, to six months imprisonment, six months home detention, 3 years of supervised release, 100 hours community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee; and
Kenneth Hocog Pangelinan – age 39, sentenced on November 19, 2025, to 37 days incarceration, three years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and $100 assessment fee.
On June 22, 2023, Steven Pangelinan led two boats—a 25-foot Boston Whaler and an 18-foot McKee Craft—on a 120-mile, overnight trip from Saipan to Guam to smuggle 21 Chinese nationals, each of whom paid about $4,500 to avoid airport immigration checks by Customs and Border Protection. Guam authorities spotted the vessels dropping off the passengers and alerted CNMI law enforcement, which intercepted the boats and their four-person crew on their return.
Pangelinan led an organized human-smuggling operation responsible for numerous prior trips. He owned the boats, captained one during the voyage, and earned at least $80,000 from this single run. A third vessel, a 31-foot Fountain, was also linked to his smuggling activities, and all three boats will be forfeited to the federal government.
William Cabrera served as Pangelinan’s primary accomplice and captained the second boat in this and previous smuggling trips. Steven Tomokane and Kenneth Pangelinan were crew members on each boat. Tomokane, a mechanic, also stored Pangelinan’s vessels at his home. Steven Tomokane is a boat mechanic who allowed Steven Pangelinan to store vessels used for human smuggling at his residence. Steven Tomokane and Kenneth Pangelinan both served as crew members for Steven Pangelinan and William Cabrera on the June 22, 2023, voyage to transport 21 Chinese nationals to Guam.
“The defendants facilitated illegal migration and risked the lives of many for their own financial gain,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Their conduct was part of a concerning trend involving the abuse of the CNMI visa waiver program, among other provisions of our immigration laws. We will combat this activity at every opportunity. I applaud the work of Guam and CNMI law enforcement in support of federal immigration enforcement.”
“This sentencing underscores Homeland Security Investigations’ unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals for profit while undermining the integrity of our immigration system,” said Lucia Cabral-DeArmas, HSI Honolulu. “The defendants in this case endangered lives and violated the law in their attempt to smuggle individuals into Guam. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect our borders and hold those who engage in human smuggling accountable.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance from the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the CNMI Department of Public Safety.
Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Flores, Jr. prosecuted the case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Bronson Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kashone Demetrious Bing, 21, of Bronson, Florida, was sentenced to 71 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our brave state and federal law enforcement partners work hard every day to keep our communities safe. Thanks to this successful prosecution, we are able to keep another dangerous, violent felon off our streets and take another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant had a loaded firearm in his lap when law enforcement executed an arrest warrant at his residence. The defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of two felonies, including aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, permanent disability or permanent disfigurement.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
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.
Arizona CEO Sentenced to 14 years in Prison for Embezzling $33-Million Dollars from Tribal Healthcare ProviderRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Kevin Lamorris McKenzie, 49, of Tucson, was sentenced on October 16, 2025, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 14 years in prison, to be served concurrently with an additional 5-year prison sentence. McKenzie previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Embezzlement from an Indian Tribal Organization.
From 2015 through 2023, McKenzie, first as Chief Operating Officer and then as CEO of Apache Behavioral Health Services (ABHS), engaged in a scheme to defraud millions of dollars from ABHS and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. McKenzie used two contracts as a front to funnel money from ABHS to himself. Under the first contract, ABHS paid over $35 million to Helping Everyday Youth (HEDY). Thereafter, based on a secret agreement with McKenzie, HEDY funneled approximately $16 million in fraudulent proceeds to a shell company McKenzie controlled. McKenzie concealed this backdoor financial arrangement from ABHS. McKenzie conducted significant efforts to hide his scheme through financial transactions conducted through his shell company. He also attempted to corruptly persuade a witness to lie to investigators.
From 2018 through 2023, McKenzie, also as CEO for ABHS, entered phony referral contracts with his co-defendant Corina Martinez. These contracts were used to fraudulently funnel ABHS money through Evolved Health Care Inc. (EHI), a company controlled by Martinez. Under the contracts, EHI would refer qualified employees to ABHS in exchange for compensation. However, EHI never referred any employees to ABHS. Using the phony agreements, McKenzie caused ABHS to pay approximately $16.5 million to EHI. Portions of the fraudulent proceeds were split amongst McKenzie and Martinez. Martinez gave McKenzie large sums of cash, paid $800,000 of his personal credit card bills, and purchased other luxury items: including a $128,000 Rolls Royce Ghost and a $928,000 home for McKenzie’s family. EHI did not perform any services for ABHS.
As part of his sentence, McKenzie was ordered to pay $33,155,701 in restitution to ABHS. He was also ordered to forfeit various real estate properties; 2013 Rolls Royce; 1966 Ford Galaxie; 2018 Land Rover Range Rover; 2018 Utility Trailer; a 2021 Cadillac Escalade and $55,000 in U.S. currency. McKenzie also agreed to apply over $364,447 that had been seized in a related case toward the restitution judgment.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-02258-SHR-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-164_McKenzie# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
20 November 2025
Woodbury Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for “Deliberate, Persistent Sextortion Scheme"Read the Press Release
ST. PAUL, MINN. – Timothy Lennard Gebhart, age 38, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 360 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for production and attempted production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and interstate communications with intent to extort, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
For more than two years, from July 2021 until September 2023, Gebhart executed a massive “sextortion” scheme designed to victimize minor children. Gebhart used online platforms including Instagram and Snapchat to target minor children as young as twelve years old. Gebhart used aliases—including 66 different Snapchat aliases—to pose as a teenager or someone much younger than his true age. Gebhart befriended his victims. Gebhart then convinced his victims to send him sexually explicit videos and photos. He also sought out sexual encounters with his victims.
After Gebhart obtained the sexually explicit materials from the children, he would threaten to distribute those photos and videos to the classmates, friends, and family members of his victims unless his victims provided him with more sexually explicit materials. Gebhart would also send his child victims disturbing videos depicting gruesome and violent deaths to shock them into compliance. Gebhart’s threats to the children often included hateful language.
In sentencing Gebhart to a term of 30 years in prison, U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell called this a “deliberate, persistent sextortion scheme.”
The case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Woodbury Police Department, and the Indiana State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen prosecuted the case.
Wister Resident Sentenced to Life for 2023 MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kendall Lee Forrester, age 36, of Wister, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of life in prison for one count of First Degree Murder in Indian Country, and 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Heavener Police.
On February 27, 2025, a federal jury found Forrester guilty of the charges at trial. According to investigators, on October 31, 2023, Forrester shot and killed the victim with a single gunshot to the head at a LeFlore County residence within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation. Family members reported the victim missing after a receiving a suspicious text message from the victim’s cell phone and discovering the victim’s wallet, keys, and cell phone left behind at home after Forrester had told family members that he and the victim were out hunting. The victim’s body was discovered hours later, wrapped in plastic sheeting, stored in a chest that had been loaded into the victim’s SUV. Officers conducting a traffic stop on Forrester discovered a 9mm handgun, a magazine containing 9 rounds of ammunition, and a trash bag of freshly laundered clothes and towels in his car. A latent print on the plastic sheeting from the chest was a match to prints taken from Forrester.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Forrester will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Dean Burris represented the United States.
Watertown Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Watertown, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025.
Gokoh Frank Brown, age 29, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, 20 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Brown must register as a sex offender once released from federal prison.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. He was found guilty following a jury trial on May 21, 2025.
From January to August 2023, Brown, 27 years old at the time, repeatedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old household member while living on the Lake Traverse Reservation.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Law Enforcement, and the DCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Brown was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Wapato Man Sentenced to 405 Months Incarceration for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on November 18, 2025, Jason Alexander Logie, age 36, of Wapato, Washington, was sentenced to 405 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release by Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Logie was convicted of Second Degree Murder following a jury trial and guilty verdict August 20, 2025.
According to court documents and information presented at trial, while driving under the influence of alcohol, Logie crossed the center line on North Track Road within the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation on the afternoon of September 9, 2023, striking an on-coming vehicle in its own lane of travel. The driver of the vehicle died as a result of the collision. At the time of the collision, Logie was subject to a deferred sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol from the Yakama Nation Tribal Court based upon a December 2022 arrest and was on conditions of release issued by Yakima County District Court for another DUI charge from a September 2022 incident. Logie had several previous convictions for alcohol-related driving as well as completing two separate deferred sentences for similar crimes. He was also subject to an arrest warrant for DUI, Second Offense, issued in 2018 by the city of Lawrence, Kansas.
At sentencing, Logie requested a sentence of 66 months in prison. Prosecutors requested a sentence of 405 months in prison. In pronouncing a sentence of 405 months, Chief Judge Bastian noted Logie’s history of DUI prosecutions and that he had over twenty-one failures to appear and several failures to comply before multiple courts.
United States Attorney Pete Serrano stated, “One of my top priorities as U.S. Attorney is to continue to strengthen our relationship with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. Partnering with these agencies strengthens our prosecution of cases like this, where a repeat offender will be held accountable for his careless actions that cost an innocent victim their life. Repeat offenders like this are a direct threat to our communities and I am thankful for the efforts of our Tribal, state and federal partners to bring justice to this victim and their family.”
This case was investigated and presented for prosecution by the Yakama Nation Police Department and the investigation was assisted by the Yakima County Sheriff’s Department and the Washington State Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Murphy and Courtney R. Pratten.
1:24-cr-02059-SABViolent Extremist Network “764” Member Facing Federal Indictment for Sexual Exploitation, Coercion and Enticement of Minors, CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Erik Lee Madison, 20, of Halethorpe, Maryland, with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of coercion and enticement of a child, and one count of cyberstalking. Law enforcement arrested Madison pursuant to a criminal complaint on November 6, 2025.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACOPD); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to the indictment, and the affidavit filed in support of the previous criminal complaint, Madison was a member and associate of “764,” a criminal organization of Nihilistic Violent Extremists. Members of “764” use known online social media communications platforms as mediums to support the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sex abuse material with vulnerable, juvenile populations. These individuals often conduct coordinated extortions of teenagers, blackmailing the victims to comply with the group’s demands. The indictment alleges that between November 2024 and September 2025, Madison persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced three minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Madison illegally interacted the minors to produce and transmit a visual depiction of the sexually explicit conduct and to engage in prohibited sexual conduct. Additionally, the indictment alleges Madison committed cyberstalking against one of the minor victims.
If convicted, Madison faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment for each of the three counts of coercion and enticement of a child, and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for cyberstalking.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan previously ordered Madison to be detained pending trial.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
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, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
The Justice Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI and the FBI’s March 2025 public service announcement.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, AACOPD, and the BCPD for their work in the investigation.
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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U.S. Citizens and Chinese Nationals Arrested for Exporting Artificial Intelligence Technology to ChinaRead the Press Release
Two U.S. citizens and two nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)—all residing in the United States—have been charged with a conspiracy to illegally export cutting-edge NVIDIA Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which have artificial intelligence (AI) applications, to the PRC, announced Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg for the Justice Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida.
Those arrested include Hon Ning Ho, aka “Mathew Ho,” a U.S. citizen born in Hong Kong, 34, residing in Tampa, Florida; Brian Curtis Raymond, U.S. citizen, 46, Huntsville, Alabama; Cham Li, aka “Tony Li,” PRC national, 38, San Leandro, California, and Jing Chen, aka “Harry Chen,” PRC national on F-1 nonimmigrant student visa, 45, Tampa, Florida. On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Ho and Chen were arrested and appeared in court in the Middle District of Florida, while Raymond was arrested and appeared in the Northern District of Alabama. Li was also arrested yesterday and is scheduled to appear today in the Northern District of California.
“The indictment unsealed yesterday alleges a deliberate and deceptive effort to transship controlled NVIDIA GPUs to China by falsifying paperwork, creating fake contracts, and misleading U.S. authorities,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The National Security Division is committed to disrupting these kinds of black markets of sensitive U.S. technologies and holding accountable those who participate in this illicit trade.”
“As demonstrated by this indictment, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida is firmly committed to safeguarding our country’s national security,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Thanks to the dedicated investigative work by our law enforcement partners, these defendants who wrongfully exported this sensitive technology are facing justice.”
According to the indictment, the PRC seeks to become the world leader in AI by 2030 and seeks to use AI for its military modernization efforts and in connection with the design and testing of weapons of mass destruction and deployment of advanced AI surveillance tools. The PRC seeks cutting-edge U.S. technology in furtherance of that goal, including NVIDIA GPUs. To protect U.S. national security, beginning in October 2022, the Department of Commerce implemented new license requirements for the export of these technologies to the PRC.
As alleged, from September 2023 to November 2025, Ho, Raymond, Li, and Chen conspired to violate these critical U.S. export controls, by illegally exporting advanced GPUs to the PRC through Malaysia and Thailand. In furtherance of the conspiracy, the conspirators used Janford Realtor, LLC—a Tampa, Florida-based company owned and controlled by Ho and Li—as a front to purchase and then illegally export controlled GPUs to the PRC. Despite its name, Janford Realtor, LLC, was never involved in any real estate transactions. Raymond, though his Alabama-based electronics company, supplied NVIDIA GPUs to Ho and others for illegal export to the PRC as part of the conspiracy.
As further alleged in the indictment, the conspiracy encompassed four separate exports of NVIDIA GPUs to the PRC. The first and second exports resulted in 400 NVIDIA A100 GPUs being exported to the PRC between October 2024 and January 2025. The third and fourth exports to the PRC were disrupted by law enforcement and therefore not completed. These attempted exports related to ten Hewlett Packard Enterprises supercomputers containing NVIDIA H100 GPUs and 50 separate NVIDIA H200 GPUs.
Despite knowing that licenses were required to export these items to the PRC, none of the conspirators ever sought or obtained a license for any of these exports. Instead, they lied about the intended destination of the GPUs to evade U.S. export controls. The indictment further alleges that the conspirators received over $3.89 million in wire transfers from the PRC to fund this unlawful scheme.
As set forth in the indictment, the United States will also seek forfeiture of 50 NVIDIA H200 GPUs, which are property constituting an item or technology that was intended to be exported unlawfully.
The chart below summarizes the charges against each defendant:
Name and NationalityAge and ResidenceChargesMax. Term of ImprisonmentHon Ning Ho, aka “Mathew Ho,” U.S. citizen born in Hong Kong34, Tampa, FLConspiracy to violate Export Control Reform Act (ECRA),
ECRA violations (4 counts),
smuggling (3 counts),
conspiracy to commit money laundering, and
money laundering (9 counts)
20 years per ECRA violation; 10 years per smuggling count; and 20 years per money laundering countBrian Curtis Raymond, U.S. citizen46, Huntsville, ALConspiracy to violate Export Control Reform Act (ECRA),
ECRA violations (2 counts),
smuggling (1 count),
conspiracy to commit money laundering, and
money laundering (7 counts)
20 years per ECRA violation; 10 years per smuggling count; and 20 years per money laundering countCham Li, aka “Tony Li,” PRC national38, San Leandro, CAConspiracy to violate Export Control Reform Act (ECRA),
ECRA violations (1 count),
smuggling (1 count), and
conspiracy to commit money laundering
20 years per ECRA violation; 10 years per smuggling count; and 20 years per money laundering countJing Chen, aka “Harry Chen,” PRC national on F-1 nonimmigrant student visa45, Tampa, FLConspiracy to violate Export Control Reform Act (ECRA),
ECRA violations (1 count),
smuggling (1 count), and
conspiracy to commit money laundering
20 years per ECRA violation; 10 years per smuggling count; and 20 years per money laundering countThis case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph K. Ruddy and Lindsey N. Schmidt of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Immigration Sentencings During Lapse in Federal AppropriationsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Throughout the 43-day lapse in government funding, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky continued to advance the Department of Justice’s mission in priority enforcement areas, including immigration enforcement. Below are highlights of sentencings that the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured in connection with several immigration-related cases prosecuted during the recent lapse in federal appropriations.
Tuesday, October 7
A Mexican national, David Gomez-Rodriguez, 44, illegally residing in Pulaski County, was sentenced to 14 months for illegal reentry into the United States. According to his plea agreement, he was removed from the U.S. on August 19, 2022, and on December 6, 2024, he was encountered again in [location] without having sought or received permission to return to the United States. Prior to his first removal in August 2022, Gomez-Rodriguez had a felony conviction for rape in Nelson County, Kentucky.
Thursday, October 9
A Guatemalan national, Juan Esteban Mejia-Ajpop, illegally residing in Newport, Ky., was sentenced to 26 months for aggravated identity theft and use of false identification documents to obtain employment. According to his plea agreement, on two occasions in October 2023 and April 2024, the defendant presented a fraudulent California identification card and a forged Social Security card to secure employment. The information on the forged cards corresponded to another person who is a United States citizen.
A Guatemalan national, Bernabe Domingo-Aguilar, illegally residing in Newport, Ky., was sentenced to 60 months for illegal reentry into the United States after having been convicted of a felony. Domingo-Aguilar had been removed from the United States four prior times, most recently in 2019. Three of the previous removals followed criminal charges. In 2022, Domingo-Aguilar was unlawfully present in the U.S. when he committed rape on a minor in Kentucky.
Tuesday, October 14
A Mexican national, Antonio Balderas-Arellano, 25,, was sentenced to 21 months for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, the defendant was found on February 21, 2025, in Scott County after previously being deported to Mexico in November 2023 from Atlanta.
Monday, October 20
A Mexican national, Javier Perez-Ruiz, 37, illegally residing in Louisville, Ky., was sentenced to time served (approximately 124 days) for illegal reentry into the United States after being found in Scott County. According to his plea agreement, Perez-Ruiz was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in August 2012 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, was sentenced to 13 months, and was deported on March 5, 2013.
Tuesday, October 28
A Honduran national, Jose Hernandez Garcia, 25, illegally residing in Corbin, Ky., was sentenced for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. According to his plea agreement, the defendant was traffic-stopped for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. A search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded firearm in the backseat next to an open beer bottle. Garcia did not have legal status to be in the United States.
Thursday, October 30
A Mexican national, Miguel Ruiz Sanchez, illegally residing in Shelby County, Ky., was sentenced to 12 months for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, Sanchez had previously been deported from the U.S. on four different occasions - March 2011, April 2012, April 2014, and February 2017 – and had a felony conviction prior to those removals.
Tuesday, November 4
A Mexican national, Esain Benitez Alcantara, 36, was sentenced to 30 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. According to his plea agreement, on June 14, 2024, Lexington Police Department officers responded to a shots fired call and found Benitez Alcantara in possession of a loaded firearm, 13 live rounds of ammunition, and a quantity of cash indicative of drug trafficking. A search of the vehicle found 32 grams of methamphetamine. Benitez Alcantara admitted that he was an undocumented alien, prohibited from possessing a firearm and that he possessed the methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 94 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 94 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On November 17, Yuvitza ORDONEZ-MARTINEZ and Alexa GARCIA-VALENZUELA, both United States citizens, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, ORDONEZ-MARTINEZ and GARCIA-VALENZUELA, arrived in a vehicle at the Interstate 8 Border Patrol Checkpoint in Pine Valley, California. At pre-primary inspection, a K9 Border Patrol Agent alerted that the vehicle’s occupants may have been involved in alien or controlled substances smuggling. Following Border Patrol Agent’s search of the vehicle, agents discovered 23 bundles of white crystalline substance (weighting 71.80 kilograms total).
- On November 18, Viviana SERRANO, a United States citizen, was arrested for bringing an illegal alien to the United States for the purpose of financial gain. According to a complaint, SERRANO applied for admission into the United States from Mexico via the Tecate, California Port of entry as the sole visible occupant of her vehicle. Upon inspection of the vehicle, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered one adult male and one minor male concealed within the trunk of the vehicle. Both male occupants were citizens of Mexico without legal authorization to lawfully enter the United States. SERRANO admitted to knowledge of the smuggling attempt and stated she was going to receive $2,000 USD for her smuggling services.
- On November 19, Abraham Francisco LOPEZ Guitimea was arrested and charged with attempting to bring in illegal aliens for financial gain. According to a complaint, the San Diego U.S. Border Patrol Marine Unit was conducting a pro-active patrol, when they observed a suspicious vessel. After intercepting the suspicious vessel, U.S. Border Patrol Agents conducted an immigration inspection on the vessel’s driver and 16 passengers, who were later identified as non-U.S. citizens. LOPEZ admitted to being captain of the vessel and stated that he was going to earn $1,000 USD per individual successfully smuggled into the United States. The other individuals were arrested and charged with various immigration related offenses.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On November 18, Ahumada Alcaraz, a Mexican national who was previously deported 16 times, was convicted by a jury of Attempted Reentry of Removed Alien. Alcaraz first administrative deportation was from August 27, 2008.
- On November 19, Mikah Alexandria DOTY, who was convicted of knowingly transporting aliens without legal status within the United States, was sentenced in federal court to 12 months in custody.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney: 73 Defendants Sentenced During Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey is applauding the work of his office during the government shutdown in the Northern District of West Virginia.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners continued the important work of Operation Take Back America, removing drug dealers, firearms offenders, and those who commit crimes against children, from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey.
During the 43-day lapse in government appropriations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office facilitated more than 70 sentences, secured dozens of guilty pleas, indicted 17 matters, and successfully litigated a trial.
Notable sentences involving drug trafficking include:
- Desmond Davis, 35, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison.
- Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, 53, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to 280 months.
- Malik Summers, 51, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 240 months.
- Odell Epps, 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 130 months in prison.
- Frank Brown, 36, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 120 months in prison.
- Gary Duane Cool, 41, of Monterville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 188 months.
- Emmanuel Gibson, 34, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced to 151 months in prison.
- Theresa Lipkey, 44, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 84 months in prison.
- Corey Coffman Kneeland, 35, of Wardensville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 121 months.
- Jennifer Ann Howell, 46, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced to 90 months.
- Matthew David Viands, 33, of Summit Point, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months.
- Mauricio Alvarado-Flores, 39, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 71 months in prison.
- Alexis Alvarado, 38, of Ranson, West Virginia, was sentenced to 60 months.
- Rahim Duncan, 31, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison.
- Crystal Lynn Blakenship, 40, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced to 97 months.
- Randy Jones, 42, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 136 months in prison.
- Kimberly Goins, 44, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months.
- Rebecca Keiper, 38, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison.
Prison sentences were secured for those violating firearms laws, to include:
- Bryan Davis, 39, of Williamsport, Maryland, was sentenced to 188 months in prison.
- Alexander Dignazio, 23, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison.
- Garrett Deberry, 28, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 160 months in prison.
The office also secured sentences for those who violated child pornography laws:
- Oliver Matheny, age 51, of Maidsville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 300 months in prison.
- David Cicalese, 44, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months.
- Joshua Michael Humphrey, 43, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced to 88 months in prison.
- Elliot Stache, 37, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
The sentences were presided by Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh, U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh, and U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey.
The cases were a 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's Office Details Criminal Sentencings Amid Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA- During the lapse in appropriations between October 1 and November 12, 2025, the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office remained committed to ensuring that our fellow Hoosiers were safe, and our law enforcement capacity remained fully active. U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler is pleased to publicly acknowledge the efforts made and the outstanding work done notwithstanding the burdens of the longest government shutdown in history.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler also wishes to specifically acknowledge the dedication of the Federal Judges of the Southern District of Indiana, their staff, the Clerk and her staff, as well as the Marshalls Service during this time as well.
During this period, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continued essential public safety operations, resulting in charges against 41 defendants across multiple categories of criminal conduct.
The criminal case summaries below highlight this commitment to justice and accountability, representing just a portion of the 30 total criminal sentencings secured during the 43‑day shutdown. Although these sentencings occurred during the lapse, they were not published at the time due to the government shutdown. They are now being released following the resumption of normal operations.
For more information on individual cases, full press releases are available through the links below or on our website at Justice.gov/usao-sdin/news-and-press-releases.
INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION:
U.S. v. Kimberly Dumes. Dumes, 43, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to wire fraud for submitting three fraudulent CARES Act loan applications between 2020 and 2021, which netted her $51,664. She falsely claimed to own businesses to secure EIDL and PPP funds, despite having no employees or actual operations. During this time, Dumes was employed with the U.S. Postal Service.
- U.S. v. Mitchell Gibson. Gibson, 40, an inmate at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex, was sentenced to an additional 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for fatally torturing his cellmate in 2020. Already serving 45 years for brutally assaulting his pregnant wife, Gibson’s history of violent abuse extended to multiple victims, reflecting a long-standing pattern of cruelty.
- U.S. v. Desha Morris. Morris, 39, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $335,589 in restitution after pleading guilty to mail and benefits fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, she used fake identities and forged documents to steal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, continuing a long history of forgery and identity theft. Morris carried out her scheme by creating fake identities with forged documents, impersonating applicants, and renting multiple addresses to receive EBT cards, which she then sold for cash or used herself.
- U.S. v. Michael Martinez. Martinez, 30, of Camby, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material. In May 2024, investigators linked him to the Kik account “the_goose_boi,” which had uploaded 28 illicit files and contained disturbing messages expressing sexual interest in minors. Martinez was already on probation for a 2020 conviction involving child sexual abuse material and exploitation when he committed the new offenses.
EVANSVILLE DIVISION:
U.S. v. Samuel Kirkwood. Kirkwood, 36, of Evansville, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and lifetime supervised release after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. Investigators found explicit images on his cell phones, including one he admitted to creating by photographing a 10‑year‑old girl in his care.
- U.S. v. Anita Perez. Perez, 51, of Sellersburg, Indiana, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $2 million in restitution after pleading guilty to preparing fraudulent tax returns. From 2021 to 2023, she operated her business, ChuliTodo, where she filed 463 false returns on behalf of clients. These returns included fabricated business losses and inflated deductions, leading taxpayers to receive refunds they weren’t entitled to. Her schemes caused a tax loss of more than $1.5 million to the IRS.
U.S. v. Uchechukwu Gideon Eze. Eze, 46, of Nigeria, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $182,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to wire fraud. In 2023, Eze and overseas co-conspirators carried out a business email compromise scheme that tricked a Clark County, Indiana company into sending payments to a fraudulent account he controlled. He quickly drained the funds for personal purchases, fled the country, and was later arrested while attempting to re-enter the U.S. The fraud devastated the victim business, forcing its owners to refinance property, extend credit, and delay retirement plans.
- U.S. v. Dennis Carter and Kyle Wade Owens. Carter, 47, and Owens, 36, of Evansville, were sentenced to 20 months and 13 months in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to producing counterfeit U.S. currency. Between January and March 2025, the pair created at least 30 fake $100 bills by altering genuine $10 notes with printing equipment and chemicals. They used the counterfeit bills at numerous businesses in Indiana and Kentucky, receiving real currency as change.
U.S. Attorney Capito Commends Office and Law Enforcement Partners for Many Successes During Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The criminal justice mission of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia was undeterred during the recent federal government shutdown, with the office securing 25 guilty pleas, nine grand jury indictments, and 31 sentencings during that time, United States Attorney Moore Capito said.
“The Assistant United States Attorneys and the staff in this office did not skip a beat,” Capito said. “They were coming to work without being paid and ensured that justice was done and that the people of West Virginia were safe.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office continued to prosecute criminal cases during the shutdown. More than a dozen criminal cases were brought under Operation Take Back America and involve drug trafficking, firearms, and immigration crimes. Other cases were brought under the Project Safe Childhood initiative and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.
Criminal cases that proceeded during the shutdown include:
- On November 6, 2025, Timothy Ray Gravley, 42, of Logan County, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and his brother Jessie Joe Gravley II, 43, of Logan County, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and quantities of fentanyl and heroin.
- Michael David Barker, 48, of Foster, was sentenced on November 10, 2025, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,448,571.85 in restitution for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Barker admitted to a scheme to defraud the Boone County Schools system by more than $3.4 million while employed as the maintenance director.
- Gregory Neal Hager, 40, of Madison, pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025, to possession of child pornography.
- Paul Charles Clement, 43, of Hillsboro, pleaded guilty on October 28, 2025, to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after relocating from Virginia to West Virginia.
- Dennis Eugene West, 57, of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on October 9, 2025, as an individual and on behalf of his trucking business Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC, each for negligent discharge of pollutants into United States waters. West was hauling alkyl dimethylamine in a tractor trailer on August 24, 2022, when he crashed onthe West Virginia Turnpike while crossing Skitter Creek Bridge in Fayette County. The crash spilled the pollutants onto the bridge and into Paint Creek.
- Three Mexican citizens living illegally in West Virginia pleaded guilty to immigration crimes: Alfredo Galaviz-Galaviz, also known as “Alfredo Galaviz”, 28, Bruno Lisandro Pastrano Lopez, 39, and Lazaro Morales-Lauro, 52. They and a fourth Mexican citizen who pleaded guilty earlier to an immigration crime, Federico Montalvo Salas, 22, were sentenced to time served and transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) administrative custody for removal proceedings.
- Timothy Lane Crowder, 44, of Huntington, was sentenced on November 3, 2025, to five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $24,525.33 in restitution for unlawful receipt of gratuities. Crowder admitted to receiving approximately $24,525.33 from disability benefits awarded to veterans while he was a salaried employee of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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. Press releases for hearings that occurred during the shutdown are also being posted on the website as they become available.
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Two Individuals Charged with Arson Inside a Local BusinessRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted two individuals for starting a fire inside a business, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Lillian Jayne Colburn, 26, and Mercutio Terrell Southall, 41, both of Birmingham, Alabama, with arson and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists in connection with the arson. The arson occurred at the Walmart Supercenter located on Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood, Alabama on August 25, 2025.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department and the Irondale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Tulsa Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Demarrio Lee Hannah, aka Demario Hannah, aka Mario Hannah, age 37, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
On May 13, 2025, Hannah pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 22, 2024, law enforcement conducting a routine traffic stop on an SUV traveling north on Highway 69 near Atoka, Oklahoma, discovered Hannah in possession of a loaded Taurus G3 semi-automatic pistol. At the time of the stop, Hannah had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Hannah will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Three Indicted in Connection with Seizure of 99 Kilograms of Cocaine in Massachusetts, New York and Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three Massachusetts men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with the seizure of approximately 99 kilograms of cocaine in Revere, Mass.; Colton, N.Y.; and San Juan, P.R.
Joel Betances, 43, of Revere; Noel Betances, 42, of Chelsea; and Reylin Segura, 31, of Boston, were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Joel Betances and Noel Betances were also charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Noel Betances was charged with distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine. Segura was also charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The defendants will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Noel Betances and Segura were previously arrested and charged by complaint in August 2025. Joel Betances was arrested in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 19, 2025.
According to court records, in 2023, an investigation began into packages sent from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts that were suspected to contain narcotics. One such package intercepted in Puerto Rico in June 2023, allegedly contained five kilograms of cocaine. Between June 2023 and September 2023, it is alleged that Noel Betances and Joel Betances were observed picking up additional suspected cocaine packages from locations in Chelsea, Revere and Boston, and delivering them to different location – including a residence in Revere.
It is further alleged that approximately two years later, on July 26, 2025, Joel Betances supplied an individual with 25 kilograms of cocaine to be transported to New York. The cocaine was subsequently seized from a vehicle in Colton, N.Y.
Additionally, it is alleged that on Aug. 12, 2025, Betances was observed exiting a residence in Revere with a box, which he transferred to Segura in exchange for a plastic bag. The box was allegedly later found to contain four kilograms of cocaine and the bag allegedly contained approximately $58,000 in bundled cash. A subsequent search of the Revere residence resulted in the seizure of an additional 65 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $341,780 cash.
The value of the cocaine seized in the case is estimated to be at least $1.4 million.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving five kilograms or more of cocaine) and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and up to life and a fine of $10 million. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving 500 grams or more of cocaine), distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and up to life and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere Police Department, the Boston Police Department and the Worcester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Convicted and Deported Felons Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that three foreign nationals have been recently charged with illegally reentering the U.S. after being previously deported.
On November 10, 2025, FREDDY ALEXANDER MORALES TEJADA, 24, a citizen of El Salvador residing in Vernon, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2023, Morales Tejada was convicted and sentenced in Connecticut Superior Court of carrying a pistol without a permit and failure to appear in the first degree. In February 2024, he was deported to El Salvador. Morales Tejada unlawfully reentered the U.S. and was found in South Windsor on May 19, 2025, when he was arrested for engaging in a police pursuit, reckless driving, operating motor vehicle without license, and illegal operation of motor vehicle under suspension. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven on February 25, 2026, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He has been detained since his federal arrest on October 23, 2025.
On November 3, 2025, IOAN ALIN ZELE, also known as Ioan Kanalos and Filippo Gaudenzi, 24, a citizen of Romania, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2023, Zele was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California of bank fraud and unlawful use of unauthorized access devices for his involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain food stamp benefits by using skimming devices to clone other people’s food stamp (electronic benefits transfer) cards and then using those cloned cards to withdraw food stamp benefits. He was sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment for the offense, and was removed to Romania in June 2024. Zele unlawfully reentered the U.S. and, in December 2024, was arrested by Connecticut State Police under the name Ioan Kanalos and charged with computer crime third degree, fraudulent use of auto teller (ATM) card, larceny fourth degree, identity theft third degree, and illegal use of scanning device. Zele pleaded guilty in Connecticut Superior Court and, after completing his state sentence, was arrested on October 2, 2025, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with illegally reentering the U.S. He has been detained since his arrest and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden on February 24, 2026, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
On October 15, 2025, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging CARLOS CABRERA-ZARUMA, 45, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Danbury, with illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2008, Cabrera-Zaruma was convicted and sentenced in Connecticut Superior Court of sexual assault in the second degree against a victim under the age of 16, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was deported to Ecuador in September 2010. Cabrera-Zaruma subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. and returned to Connecticut. He has been detained since his arrest on October 7, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These matters are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The cases against Morales Tejada and Cabrera-Zaruma are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj. N. Patel, and the case against Zele is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis L. Beyerlein.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Three Accused of Armed Robbery of St. Louis Fast Food RestaurantRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men were indicted Wednesday and accused of participating in the armed robbery of a St. Louis fast food restaurant in September.
Reuel Clower, 43, and Michael Upchurch, 41, both of St. Louis, and Carlos D. Nelson, 23, of Belleville, Ill., now face one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Clower and Upchurch were also indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that the men robbed a restaurant in the 600 block of North Kingshighway Boulevard on September 24. A motion seeking to have Nelson held in jail until trial says the robbers searched restaurant employees for items of value and then forced them to the ground before stealing cash from the register.
All three have been in custody since November 5.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging California Laws Providing In-State Tuition, Scholarships, and Subsidized Loans for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, The United States is challenging California laws providing in-state tuition, scholarships, and subsidized loans for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates, scholarships, or subsidies, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal immigrants with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law.
“California is illegally discriminating against American students and families by offering exclusive tuition benefits for non-citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This marks our third lawsuit against California in one week — we will continue bringing litigation against California until the state ceases its flagrant disregard for federal law.”
The Department of Justice’s complaint is filed in the Eastern District of California against the State of California, Governor Newsom, the State Attorney General, and the Regents of the University of California, the Board of Trustees of the California State University, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges seeking to enjoin the State from enforcing the California laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements.
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of California laws that requires colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain California residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin California from enforcing its so-called “California Dream Act” which affords scholarships and subsidized loans to illegal aliens.
This lawsuit follows two executive orders signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment: “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” and “Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens.” This lawsuit also follows similar tuition lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Minnesota.
Texas Man Sentenced for Traveling for Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Tomball, Texas, man, Emre Nathaniel Baluken, 24, was sentenced on October 6 by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to 240 months in prison, for online enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and traveling for sex with a minor.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2024, Baluken drove from Tomball, Texas, to Winchester, Ky., to pick up a minor, with whom he had been communicating online for several months using X and Instagram, intending to return with the minor to Texas. After eventually being detained by law enforcement, Baluken admitted that for several months he had exchanged sexually explicit videos and photos of the victim over X and Instagram.
Under federal law, Baluken must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Texas Man Arrested for Allegedly Trafficking More than 20 Pounds of Fentanyl-Cocaine MixtureRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Brownsville man was arrested in Waco on criminal charges related to his alleged possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing fentanyl.
According to court documents, Jaime Vanegas, 28, was the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle that was pulled over in a traffic stop by a Texas Department of Public Safety (TX DPS) trooper on Nov. 11. After a canine alerted to the presence of narcotics and during a probable cause search of the vehicle, the TX DPS trooper allegedly located a trap door under the center console of the vehicle and recovered 10 plastic wrapped brick-shaped packages containing a white powdery substance. A criminal complaint alleges that the total weight of the substance and packaging was approximately 24 pounds, and that the substance tested positive for a mixture for fentanyl and cocaine. An additional search of Vanegas’s electronic devices allegedly revealed images of bundled bulk cash, the interior and exterior of the hidden trap door discovered by the DPS trooper, narcotics, and packages consistent with the plastic wrapped packages the trooper found inside the compartment.
Vanegas made his initial appearance in federal court on Nov. 19 and is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. If convicted, he faces 10 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 Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas the announcement.
TX DPS is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Blanton is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint 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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Texas Businessman Admits $1.9 Million COVID Test Kit FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Texas businessman on Thursday admitted fraudulently obtaining $1.9 million from Medicare for COVID-19 test kits.
Companies owned by Rashid Naqvi, 52, of the Houston area, obtained $1,974,479 through the scheme, which lasted from roughly March 2023 to at least October of 2023. As part of his guilty plea in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud, Naqvi admitted fraudulently submitting thousands of claims to Medicare for the kits.
Naqvi operated two laboratories that he used to submit claims to Medicare: Elite Diagnostics Inc. in the Eastern District of Missouri and Astro Diagnostics Inc. in Texas. Naqvi obtained patients’ Medicare numbers and identifiers without their knowledge or consent by paying $488,435 in kickbacks to co-conspirators. He used that information to submit claims to Medicare for test kits that were then sent to patients who had not requested them. Naqvi’s labs billed Medicare a total of 22,898 times for the kits during the scheme. Neither Naqvi nor his labs had any direct contact or relationship with the Medicare patients who were the subject of the claims. Some of the reimbursement claims were for patients who had died before receiving the kits.
Naqvi continued his scheme even after patients called to say that they had not requested the test kits. During subsequent audits by Medicare investigators, Naqvi tried to conceal his scheme by producing false records to investigators, including documents which falsely represented that the Medicare patients authorized the kits. He also hid the kickbacks from investigators.
Naqvi is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2026. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Man Convicted by Federal Jury of Transporting a Minor Across State Lines to Engage in SexRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A federal jury convicted a Tennessee man this week of three counts of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sex.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Terry Dewayne Macon met a Mississippi teen online in July of 2024. Over the next month, Macon drove from Tennessee to Mississippi on three occasions where he picked up the minor and returned with her to Tennessee. Macon later admitted that he had engaged in sex acts with the minor. At the time of the transport and sex acts, Macon was 27 years old, and the female was 14 years old.
On August 28, 2024, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Abduction Response Team located the minor with Macon at a residence in Grand Junction, Tennessee and returned her safely home. The jury considered the testimony of the minor and her mother, as well as two Task Force Officers with the FBI. Macon was found guilty on all counts of transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He will be sentenced for these offenses by Chief United States District Judge Debra M. Brown on a later date.
Macon was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time of the offenses. At a revocation proceeding held following the verdict, Judge Brown sentenced Macon to 24 months for the violations of release, which will run concurrent to the future sentence imposed in the sex offense case.
U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary of the Northern District of Mississippi and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement concerning the jury’s guilty verdict.
The FBI Jackson Field Office and the Corinth Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Nashville, Jackson Resident Agency and other local investigative agencies in the State of Tennessee.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Addison and Parker King are prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Torrey Taylor (45, Tampa) to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Taylor pleaded guilty on August 28, 2025.
According to court records, Taylor conspired with his co-defendant, Temeko Evans, to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Between February 11 and March 26, 2025, detectives from the Tampa Police Department conducted a series of controlled purchases from Evans and Taylor to include approximately two ounces of crack cocaine and two ounces of methamphetamine.
Evans pleaded guilty on October 2, 2025, and her case is scheduled for sentencing on December 18, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
Stamford Man Indicted for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, and Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw today announced that RICK MARRO, 44, most recently residing in Stamford, has been charged by indictment with child exploitation offenses.
As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, law enforcement began investigating Marro in August 2023 after a 16-year-old male victim reported that he had been sexually exploited by Marro. The victim reported that he met Marro on a dating application, and they then began communicating on Snapchat in April 2023. The victim indicated that they met in person at Marro’s house on multiple occasions, and two of the encounters were sexual in nature. The victim reported that Marro gave him “poppers,” that Marro was “into” asphyxiation, and, on one occasion, Marro strangled him and he passed out “for a minute or two.” A law enforcement review of the victim’s Snapchat account showed that Marro sent him videos that Marro had recorded of them engaged in sexual activity. He also sent the victim a video depicting Marro choking him.
It is further alleged that law enforcement subsequently seized and searched Marro’s cell phone. During the examination of Marro’s phone, law enforcement located the same videos that he recorded and sent the victim showing them engaged in sexual activity. Investigators also located text messages that Marro had sent to another individual in which Marro stated that he “choked [the victim] all the way to unconscious today by accident.”
Marro was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on January 18, 2024. On October 15, 2025, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Marro with production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; receipt and distribution of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Marro was arraigned on November 6, 2025, and pleaded not guilty. He has been detained since his arrest, and a trial in this matter is scheduled for August 2026.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com
South Carolina Man and Trucking Business Plead Guilty to Contamination of Paint Creek Resulting from 2022 West Virginia Turnpike CrashRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dennis Eugene West, 57, of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on October 9, 2025, as an individual and on behalf of his trucking business Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC, each for negligent discharge of pollutants into United States waters.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 24, 2022, West was driving a tractor trailer in the northbound lane of Interstate 77 when he crashed while crossing Skitter Creek Bridge in Fayette County. Numerous totes containing alkyl dimethylamine that West was hauling ruptured as a result of the crash, and the pollutants spilled onto the bridge and ultimately discharged into Paint Creek. The discharge of the pollutants into Paint Creek, a tributary of the Kanawha River, continued until August 25, 2025, and caused adverse impacts on the aquatic life of the creek including the killing of several species of fish.
As part of his guilty plea, West admitted that he operated the tractor trailer under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Law enforcement determined that West’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was more an 0.08 percent. West Virginia law prohibits any person from operating a commercial motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.04 percent or more. West further admitted that did not have a permit issued pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act to discharge pollutants, including alkyl dimethylamine, into Paint Creek or any other water in West Virginia.
West and Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC are scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2026. West faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine. Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC faces a maximum penalty of up to five years of federal probation and a $200,000 fine. West and Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC also owe restitution of up to $1,654,654.01
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Lastra are prosecuting the case.
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. 2:25-cr-175.
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Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025.
John Michael Law, age 42, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Law was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025.
On April 3, 2023, Sioux Falls police officers encountered Law during a traffic stop. Officers discovered that Law was in possession of a .380 pistol and approximately two grams of methamphetamine. Law was previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and was not lawfully permitted to possess a firearm because of that conviction and because he was an illegal user of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Law was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Todd Babb, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty November 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea hearing showed that Babb was previously convicted of two prior felony drug offenses, one in Iowa District Court and another in Federal Court. Babb admitted that between 2018 and August 2024, he and others conspired to distribute more than 1500 grams of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. During a search of Babb’s residence, law enforcement seized over $3,000 and ¼ pound of methamphetamine which Babb intended to distribute to others. Approximately one pound of methamphetamine was also seized from a vehicle outside Babb’s residence.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Babb remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Babb faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4068. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sharon Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Grenade Detonating FusesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal explosives laws and has been sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Paul Lyn Graves, 47.
Graves, a convicted felon, admitted to illegally possessing explosive materials. According to information presented to the Court, in January 2022, Graves began working at a manufacturer of military equipment despite his previous felony conviction. In April 2022, he was tasked with assembling the detonators on M213 grenade detonating fuses. These fuses contained Royal Demolition eXplosives, which are explosive materials under federal law.
On April 14, 2022, members of the Pennsylvania State Police executed a search warrant at Graves’ residence and recovered three M213 grenade detonating fuses that were between the detonator assembly step and the sealing step, the same assembly state that Graves was tasked with completing.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Bissoon referenced the inherently dangerous nature of the offense and Graves’ prior conviction.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Graves.
Seattle man convicted of trafficking fentanyl while armedRead the Press Release
Seattle – A jury in U.S. District Court in Seattle today convicted 34-year-old Seattle resident Leon Henderson of three counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leon Henderson was arrested by Seattle Police in January, May, and September 2023. Each time Henderson had more than a thousand fentanyl pills, and on two of the arrests he had loaded firearms. The jury deliberated about five hours before reaching the guilty verdict following a three-day trial. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.
In the trial’s opening statement Assistant United States Attorney Jin Kim described how “Leon Henderson on the streets in his car was essentially a mobile office, from which he was selling drugs.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, on January 25, 2023, Henderson was contacted at his car, parked outside the Park Plaza Motel on Aurora. He had $2770 cash in his pocket. When the car was searched, law enforcement found around 600 grams methamphetamine, 1,700 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of fentanyl powder, and a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat. Henderson’s DNA was on the pistol and on a second gun found in a bag with the narcotics.
On May 5, 2023, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Henderson was contacted by Seattle Police and was found to have about 7,000 fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash.
And finally on September 13, 2023, Henderson was arrested in Ballard near a homeless encampment. Henderson possessed a backpack with nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills.
In closing argument Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Manca noted that in the Ballard arrest police observed people coming and going to Henderson’s car window to purchase fentanyl pills “like he was selling coffee out of a drive-through.”
Henderson faces a mandatory minimum 20 years for the crimes of conviction. Ten years for the drug possession counts and a consecutive five years for each of the drug-related firearm counts.
Henderson was also found to illegally possess the firearms due to his previous felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police and the FBI as part of an emphasis on crime in the North Aurora area. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives provided key assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca, Jin Kim, and Carolyn Forstein.
Sarasota Man Indicted for Perpetrating an Investment Fraud Scheme in Southwest FloridaRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Brent Adam Seaman (51, Sarasota) with five counts of wire fraud, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of making a false tax return. If convicted, Seaman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count, up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering count, and a maximum penalty of 3 years for each count of making a false tax return.
According to the indictment, from approximately June 2019 to November 2022, Seaman was a resident of Naples, Florida and operated multiple Florida LLCs collectively referred to as “Accanito.” Seaman falsely perpetrated an investment fraud scheme representing himself as a successful investor, currency trader, and entrepreneur. As a part of the scheme, the indictment alleges that he falsely promised guaranteed rates of return on investments to investors, caused investors to lose substantial portions of their investments, and used investor funds to repay other investors.
The indictment further alleges that Seaman used investor funds for luxury and personal items. He is charged with laundering money to pay personal rent, purchase a Ferrari, buy jewelry, and charter a private jet. Seaman is also charged with underreporting his income on his 2019 and 2020 federal tax returns.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan and Trial Attorney Timothy J. Coley of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
IndictmentSan Antonio Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding COVID Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $492,841.78 in restitution for wire fraud.
According to court documents, Leticia Arceneaux, 48, worked full time from home as a human resources supervisor for an agency within the Department of Energy. Beginning in or around August 2020 and continuing through on or around April 2022, Arceneaux unlawfully enriched herself by applying for and receiving Covid relief loans in the amount to $480,100 and converting the funds to her own personal use.
In August 2020, Arceneaux submitted an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application on behalf of a volleyball club, claiming she needed the EIDL proceeds to continue operating the volleyball club. Later that month, the Small Business Administration funded an EIDL in the amount of $149,900 to Arceneaux. Instead of using the EIDL funds for volleyball related expenses, Arceneaux utilized the funds for her own personal expenses, including a golf cart and the installation of a swimming pool at her primary residence.
In May 2021, Arceneaux submitted a loan modification request to the SBA seeking additional funds for the volleyball club. Relying on Arceneaux’s false representations, the SBA disbursed $91,000 on or about Aug. 9, 2021. On Aug. 11, 2021, Arceneaux transferred approximately $31,000 of the EIDL funds from the volleyball club’s business account to her personal account.
In April 2022, Arceneaux applied for a second loan modification seeking additional funds to operate the volleyball club. Relying again on the false representations, the SBA disbursed $239,100 to Arceneaux on or about April 29, 2022. Arceneaux converted the funds for personal use, using approximately $72,000 of EIDL funds to pay down personal credit card debt.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Department of Energy Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Playton prosecuted the case.
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Ryan Raybould Named United States Attorney for the Northern District of TexasRead the Press Release
Dallas, Texas – Ryan R. Raybould was named the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas on November 17, 2025, by United States Attorney General Pam Bondi. His appointment this week follows President Donald Trump’s nomination of Mr. Raybould on October 21, 2025, to serve a four-year term in this role. The President’s nomination of Mr. Raybould is currently pending United States Senate confirmation.
Mr. Raybould is now the chief federal law enforcement officer for the district, which covers 96,000 square miles and a population of approximately eight million, including those in Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock, Abilene, San Angelo, Wichita Falls, and surrounding areas. Mr. Raybould oversees roughly 220 attorneys and staff across five division offices and is responsible for all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States government in the region.
“The opportunity to serve in this role is an honor and a privilege,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I look forward to continuing the tremendous work of those in my Office, partnered with our Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, in pursuing justice and restoring safety to our communities in the Northern District of Texas.”
Before his tenure as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Mr. Raybould was a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis in the Government, Regulatory, and Internal Investigations Practice Group.
Mr. Raybould previously served as a federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice for almost seven years, including as Deputy Chief of the White Collar and Public Corruption Unit in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Raybould investigated and tried cases involving public corruption, tax fraud, securities fraud, cybercrime, national security, violent crime, money laundering and other white-collar crimes.
Mr. Raybould also served as Chief Counsel to former Assistant Majority Leader and U.S. Senator John Cornyn. As Chief Counsel to Senator Cornyn, Mr. Raybould helped draft and negotiate numerous pieces of legislation that became law on national security, government accountability and drug diversion control. Mr. Raybould also advised Sen. Cornyn’s work on the Judiciary Committee and the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control.
After receiving his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School, Mr. Raybould clerked for Chief United States District Judge Reed O'Connor of the Northern District of Texas. Mr. Raybould is a graduate of Yale University.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was sentenced today to ten years in prison and lifetime supervised release for his role in an online forum that worked to sexually exploit dozens of minor victims.
According to court documents, Steven Glenn Christiansen, 69, of Fort Collins, Colorado used a mobile messaging application with end-to-end encryption to access “invite only” group chats in which users exchanged images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The members used these groups to share livestreams and save files on third party platforms, typically of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct at the members’ behest. Christiansen communicated directly with other users to request and exchange CSAM. After executing a residential search warrant at his residence, several digital devices were seized containing images and videos of CSAM, and the defendant admitted to possessing thousands of images.
Christiansen pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography. He was previously convicted in the state of Colorado in March 2000 for sexually assaulting a child.
Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Marvin Massey of the FBI Denver Field Office made the announcement.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A Colorado man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for his role in an online forum that worked to sexually exploit dozens of minor victims.
According to court documents, Steven Glenn Christiansen, 69, of Fort Collins, Colorado used a mobile messaging application with end-to-end encryption to access “invite only” group chats in which users exchanged images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The members used these groups to share livestreams and save files on third party platforms, typically of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct at the members’ behest. Christiansen communicated directly with other users to request and exchange CSAM. After executing a residential search warrant at the defendant’s residence, several digital devices were seized containing images and videos of CSAM, and the defendant admitted to possessing thousands of images.
Christiansen pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography. He was previously convicted in the state of Colorado in March 2000 for sexually assaulting a child.
Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Marvin Massey of the FBI Denver Field Office made the announcement.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025.
Demitre Ecoffey, 31, was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Ecoffey was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, Ecoffey was purchasing pound quantities of methamphetamine and selling it to others throughout Rapid City and the Pine Ridge reservation. During his involvement in the drug conspiracy, Ecoffey engaged in dangerous conduct such as high-speed chases through Rapid City and the Pine Ridge reservation, destruction of evidence, and possessing multiple firearms.
“Strong detective work and collaboration by all levels of law enforcement in the state have ensured that our citizens in western South Dakota will be protected from this dangerous individual for the next quarter century or so,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA), the FBI, Rapid City Police Department and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Ecoffey was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ramah Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting into Vehicle Occupied by Three VictimsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Ramah man pleaded guilty to firing multiple rifle shots into a vehicle occupied by three people after a near-collision.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, a vehicle driven by John Doe swerved to avoid a collision with a blue Jeep driven by Leon Garcia, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. After the near-miss, John Doe followed Garcia to a residence on the Ramah Navajo Reservation in Cibola County. When the vehicles stopped, Garcia exited his Jeep armed with a rifle, brandished and pointed the firearm at John Doe, Jane Doe 1, and Jane Doe 2, and fired multiple shots into the vehicle with intent to do bodily harm. Garcia continued shooting as the victims attempted to turn around and again as they drove away.
Garcia pleaded guilty to three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. At sentencing, Garcia faces not less than seven years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Garcia will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
Pseudo-job seeker caught with over 40 kilograms of methamphetamineRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A U.S. citizen residing in Reynosa, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
On April 25, Marco Antonio Rodriguez, 20, approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint driving a Ford Escape. He claimed he was heading to Corpus Christi to look for work. However, law enforcement noticed he did not have any personal items or tools in the vehicle.
An x-ray scan then revealed anomalies in the rear quarter panels. Authorities discovered aftermarket compartments on both sides of the vehicle that held 90 black bundles of methamphetamine wrapped in clear cellophane.
The drugs weighed 47.5 kilograms with a 99% purity level.
As part of his plea, Rodriguez admitted he had picked up the vehicle from a residence in Reynosa the day before traveling to the port of entry. Rodriguez knew he was transporting the drugs and planned to drop the vehicle off for unloading in Corpus Christi.
U.S. District Judge Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 11, 2026. At that time, Rodriguez faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.
Previously Removed Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Kilogram Quantities of Methamphetamine and Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Hector Hernandez Orozco, 30, of Mexico, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and illegal reentry charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and the plea hearing, on April 3, 2025, Hernandez Orozco sold approximately two pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. Court records also show that Hernandez Orozco had been previously removed from the United States on November 20, 2016, near Del Rio, Texas, and again on November 30, 2016, near Hidalgo, Texas.
Hernandez Orozco pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. The illegal reentry offense carries a maximum term of two years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Portsmouth men sentenced to prison for federal firearms chargesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Portsmouth men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in trafficking firearms.
According to court documents, from June 2024 through September 2024, law enforcement conducted six controlled purchases of firearms and heroin from Rolondo Lavar Moody, 45. During the controlled buy of a rifle on Aug. 9, 2024, Kievon Anthony Whitehurst, 30, transferred the rifle to Moody, who then sold it.
Whitehurst had been convicted previously of reckless handling of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, and discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. Moody had been convicted previously of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute heroin, assault, assault and battery, assault and battery of a family member, attempted malicious wounding, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As previously convicted felons, Whitehurst and Moody cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
On April 8, Moody pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and trafficking in firearms. On Sept. 4, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
On July 29, Whitehurst pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced today to two years and six months in prison.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-50.
Pocahontas County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Charles Clement, 43, of Hillsboro, pleaded guilty on October 28, 2025, to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after relocating from Virginia to West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about March 8, 2024, through in or around December 2024, Clement resided in the Ronceverte area of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, after relocating from Virginia. Clement knew he was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction on two felony counts of carnal knowledge of a child 13 to 15 years old in Botetourt County, Virginia, Circuit Court on December 2, 2002.
Clement is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the West Virginia State Police.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
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. 5:25-cr-89.
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Pinehill Man Charged with Sexually Abusing MinorsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinehill man has been indicted on federal charges for sexually abusing two minors over a seven-year period.
According to court documents, between February 2017, and February 2023, TJ James, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual acts with two minor victims.
James is charged with four counts of sexual abuse, one count of abusive sexual contact and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, James faces no less than 30 years and up to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pinedale Woman Charged with Murder in Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinedale woman has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly shooting and killing a man.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2025, Mabelene Grey, 45, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, intentionally shot and killed John Doe.
Grey is charged with second degree murder and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and will remain on conditions of release until trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Grey faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pike County Man Indicted for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonny Contreras, age 36, of Pike County, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on or about January 14, 2025, Contreras possessed an AR-15 style rifle with a barrel of less than 16 inches in length that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and the Pike County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years’ 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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Physician Convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud MedicareRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DR. MARION LEE (“LEE”), age 62, of Cordele, Georgia, pled guilty on October 8, 2025 to conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare approximately $24 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing, and to pay and receive kickbacks.
According to court documents, LEE, co-owner of and medical advisor to Luminus Diagnostics, a diagnostic laboratory located in Tifton, Georgia, conspired with others to procure orders for genetic testing in exchange for kickbacks, including orders acquired through purported telemedicine. To ensure the false and fraudulent claims would be paid, LEE and his co-conspirators designed the genetic testing order forms to be “dummy proof”—with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-the-box panels—and frequently billed the tests through another laboratory in the Eastern District of Louisiana where co-conspirators thought the claims were more likely to be approved. The co-conspirators concealed these claims via a sham contract, among other deceptive means. LEE and his co-conspirators caused the submission of over $24 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing, and Medicare paid approximately $4 million based on those claims. Under the terms of LEE’s plea agreement, LEE agreed to over $4 million in restitution owed to Medicare.
The Honorable Lance M. Africk set sentencing for March 18, 2026.
At sentencing, the maximum penalty LEE may receive is five years of imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution.
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Physician Convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud MedicareRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DR. MARION LEE (“LEE”), age 62, of Cordele, Georgia, pled guilty on October 8, 2025 to conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare approximately $24 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing, and to pay and receive kickbacks.
According to court documents, LEE, co-owner of and medical advisor to Luminus Diagnostics, a diagnostic laboratory located in Tifton, Georgia, conspired with others to procure orders for genetic testing in exchange for kickbacks, including orders acquired through purported telemedicine. To ensure the false and fraudulent claims would be paid, LEE and his co-conspirators designed the genetic testing order forms to be “dummy proof”—with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-the-box panels—and frequently billed the tests through another laboratory in the Eastern District of Louisiana where co-conspirators thought the claims were more likely to be approved. The co-conspirators concealed these claims via a sham contract, among other deceptive means. LEE and his co-conspirators caused the submission of over $24 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing, and Medicare paid approximately $4 million based on those claims. Under the terms of LEE’s plea agreement, LEE agreed to over $4 million in restitution owed to Medicare.
The Honorable Lance M. Africk set sentencing for March 18, 2026.
At sentencing, the maximum penalty LEE may receive is five years of imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution.
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Perry Man Returned to Federal Prison for Possession of Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – David Alan Miles, 31, of Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our brave state and federal law enforcement partners deserve recognition and gratitude for their tireless commitment to keeping serial offenders like this defendant off our streets. My office will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute these crimes in fulfillment of the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals who have victimized our communities for far too long.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant was arrested on February 7, 2025, after initially fleeing from law enforcement in a high-speed pursuit, eluding law enforcement on foot, and then pretending to have been the victim of a carjacking. A canine team from Taylor Correctional Institution responded to help track the “carjacker,” leading law enforcement to the defendant’s mothers’ house. The defendant eventually admitted to law enforcement that he had fled from the traffic stop because he had a rifle in the vehicle with him and knew he was not allowed to possess firearms. The defendant is a seven-time convicted felon, who had previously served federal prison time for possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun and sale of a firearm to a convicted felon.
The defendant’s prison sentence will be followed by two years of supervised release.
“This case is a perfect example of how reckless decisions and poor choices have real consequences,” said Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett. “If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. Thanks to the quick action of our investigator and the teamwork between local and federal law enforcement, along with our DOC K-9 partners, a convicted felon with a firearm was safely apprehended and is now facing the consequences of his actions.”
The case involved an investigation by the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Perry Police Department and the Florida Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
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.
Pensacola Woman Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Khristine N. Harper, 42, of Pensacola, pled guilty in federal court to twenty counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns and one count of identity theft. The guilty plea was 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 federal law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle this offender’s sophisticated fraud scheme. Defrauding the federal government victimizes every taxpaying citizen, and my office will aggressively pursue criminal prosecutions of fraudsters to ensure they are held accountable to the full extent of the law for their crimes.”
Court documents reflect that between 2018 and 2024, Harper routinely prepared and filed fraudulent income tax returns for her clients by listing false amounts for various deductions, credits, and other items that were never provided to her by those clients. After Harper became aware in July 2023 that the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation was investigating her, she changed the name of her tax preparation business from Kings Tax Service to Echelon Tax. She also obtained a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) in another person’s name without permission and filed her clients’ 2023 returns using that fraudulently obtained PTIN. For just the twenty specific returns listed in the indictment that were the basis of the counts to which Harper pled guilty, Harper caused over $103,000 in tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service.
Sentencing is currently set for December 17, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
The conviction was the result of a joint investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
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.
Orange County Staffing Company Owner Arrested on Federal Indictment Charging Her with Masterminding $90 Million Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County staffing company owner and three other defendants were arrested today on an eight-count federal indictment alleging they cheated the IRS out of more than $90 million and defrauded numerous clients by failing to pay employment taxes withheld from the wages of temporary workers – many of them illegal immigrants – and used the unpaid taxes to fund their luxurious lifestyles. Some of the defendants documented their extravagant lifestyles on Instagram and other social media.
Lorena Padilla, 49, of Villa Park, the case’s lead defendant, is charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and six counts of failure to account for and pay over employment taxes. She is expected to make her initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
Also arrested and scheduled for arraignment today in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles are:
- Selina Medina Preciado, 30, of Whittier, Padilla’s daughter;
- Carlos Padilla, 40, of Chino, Lorena Padilla’s brother; and
- Pablo Araque, 55, of Downey.
Two other defendants charged – Melanie Medina, 31, of Yorba Linda, who also is Lorena Padilla’s daughter; and Susana Cardenas, 45, of Long Beach – are expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks. Law enforcement is looking for defendant Janine J. Garcia, 39, a.k.a. “Janette Ortega,” of Seal Beach.
Lorena Padilla controlled several businesses based in Los Angeles and Riverside counties: Platinum Staffing in Montebello, Payroll Staffing Solutions Inc. in Industry, Three Star Global Inc. in Corona, and Next Level Staffing in Maywood. These companies provided workers and human resources services to client businesses in various industries in the Los Angeles area. For all temporary workers staffed with clients, the companies claimed to provide payroll tracking, paycheck preparation and distribution, the withholding and payment of payroll taxes to federal and state authorities, the preparation and filing of quarterly federal employment tax returns, and the maintenance of valid workers’ compensation insurance.
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on November 13, from January 2012 to September 2024, the defendants defrauded the staffing companies’ customers, the IRS, and California’s Employment Development Department (EDD), the California state agency responsible for collecting California employment taxes.
To secure business for the companies, the defendants lied to potential customers that the companies would handle all employment taxes and workers’ compensation insurance on all temporary workers that the companies provided. In fact, the defendants caused the staffing companies to continuously fail to pay all applicable federal and state employment taxes. From January 2018 to 2023, the defendants paid workers’ compensation insurance premiums on only a small percentage of the staffing companies’ payroll.
To conceal their failure to report employee wages and taxes and pay employment taxes, Padilla, Garcia, Medina, and Preciado caused Next Level Staffing to hire large numbers of illegal aliens as temporary workers. The defendants anticipated the illegal immigrants would be less likely to file federal income tax returns and be less likely to alert the IRS to Next Level’s ongoing failure to account for and pay over employment taxes.
From 2020 to 2025 alone, the defendants collectively understated the staffing companies’ federal employment taxes by more than $44 million. Total losses to the United States Treasury from this scheme exceed $90 million.
Lorena Padilla and several other defendants used the ill-gotten gains for personal expenses and purchases, including a $3 million ranch in Riverside; a $2.5 million home in Whittier; a $3.5 million home in Yorba Linda; rental properties in Ontario and Corona; luxury family vacations in Hawaii, Tokyo, Paris, Dubai, Italy, and Aspen, Colorado; musical acts to perform at a joint birthday party for Preciado and Medina in October 2021; and luxury cars, such as Lamborghinis and Rolls-Royces.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the money laundering conspiracy, and up to five years in federal prison for each failure to pay employment tax count.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Tax Division are prosecuting this case.