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24 October 2025
Two Defendants Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Abdullah At Taqi was convicted by a jury on all three counts of an indictment charging him and co-defendant Mohammad David Hashimi with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and conspiring to launder money. Previously, on October 6, 2025, as jury selection was scheduled to begin, Hashimi pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl to all counts of the indictment. The defendants collectively sent thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency and wire transfers to a self-proclaimed ISIS member. When they are sentenced, each defendant faces up to 60 years’ imprisonment.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Todd Blanche, United States Deputy Attorney General; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the convictions.
“The defendants used Bitcoin, PayPal and GoFundMe to fund ISIS’s deadly mission,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “ISIS relies on supporters, like the defendants, to sponsor its terrorist aims, which is why our Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to disrupt that pipeline and prosecute those who provide material support to terrorist organizations and their evildoers.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force for their outstanding work on the case.
“An exceptional team uncovered the defendants’ use of electronic currency to bankroll an abhorrent organization that harbors deep-seated animosity toward America,” stated Deputy Attorney General Blanche. “Their intent was to procure weapons for terrorism and now their actions will result in incarceration. Justice has been served.”
“Today, a federal jury convicted Abdullah At Taqi for conspiring to fund ISIS, a terrorist organization that has unleashed terror and unimaginable brutality across the globe,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security Eisenberg. “Taqi conspired to support the group and its atrocities by funneling cryptocurrency to ISIS fighters, hoping they would establish a stronghold in the Middle East from which the group could destabilize the entire region. This conviction reflects the Department’s commitment to holding accountable those who knowingly finance terrorism.”“Abdullah At Taqi and Mohammed Hashimi knowingly donated thousands of dollars to an ISIS member through various cryptocurrency exchanges, wire transfers, and purported humanitarian fundraisers,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The defendants’ actions potentially facilitated the purchase of explosives and ammunition by a designated terrorist organization. May today’s conviction emphasize the FBI’s stout determination to cease all funding of terrorists to ensure their malevolent ideologies are never brought to fruition.”
“The NYPD will stop at nothing to protect New Yorkers from the dangers of ISIS and terrorists who seek to harm our country,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “These defendants used a variety of online platforms in an attempt to covertly send thousands of dollars to ISIS members to purchase weapons. Today’s conviction demonstrates the NYPD’s expertise and commitment to rooting out terrorism and the importance of our partnership with the U.S Attorney’s Office and the FBI to stop these dangerous individuals.”
As proven at trial, At Taqi sent 15 separate Bitcoin transactions to Osama Obeida, also known as Osama Abu Obayda (Obeida), a self-proclaimed ISIS member, over the course of nearly a year. In conversations with an online confidential source (CHS-1), At Taqi stated that he used cryptocurrency to send money “unnoticed” through a “brother,” meaning an ISIS supporter who he spoke to on an encrypted communications platform. At Taqi confirmed that the “brother” was “from Dawlah,” referring to ISIS. The ”brother” in question was Obeida, whom At Taqi introduced to CHS-1.
Obeida confided to CHS-1 that he had known At Taqi for two years and that At Taqi regularly sent money to Obeida. Obeida sent CHS-1 a photograph of an ISIS flag and weapons, annotated with CHS-1’s online screenname and the date, to prove that the photograph was recent and authentic, and that donations to Obeida were used to buy weapons for ISIS fighters.
Other messages show Obeida instructing At Taqi to delete messages and change his IP address.
Hashimi was a member of a group chat for ISIS supporters (Group Chat-1) on an encrypted platform. In early April 2021, members of Group Chat‑1 discussed posting links that purported to be raising funds for humanitarian causes, but from which the money would actually be diverted to help the “mujahideen,” an Arabic term used by ISIS supporters to refer to ISIS fighters. A co-conspirator posted a Bitcoin address, and another member of Group Chat-1 posted a link to a PayPal campaign, both of which were controlled by Obeida. In response, Hashimi told people to be careful sending links because they could be detected and arrested by law enforcement.
Through a combination of Bitcoin, PayPal, and GoFundMe, the defendants transferred thousands of dollars to Obeida, the person whom At Taqi identified as being “from Dawlah,” a reference to ISIS. At Taqi, Hashimi, and a third co-defendant, Seema Rahman, along with co-conspirator Khalilullah Yousuf, contributed more than $24,000 to Obeida’s Bitcoin address, with Yousuf contributing $20,347.89, At Taqi contributing $2,769.35, and Rahman contributing $927.51. The four co-conspirators also sent more than $1,000 to the PayPal account associated with Obeida, with Rahman contributing approximately $550, At Taqi contributing approximately $695, and Hashimi contributing $55. In addition, both Yousuf and Rahman created multiple GoFundMe fundraising campaigns purporting to collect money for charitable causes. Hashimi contributed $364 and At Taqi contributed $200 through the Yousuf-created GoFundMe campaigns, while Rahman raised approximately $10,000 through the GoFundMe campaigns that she created, and then wired the proceeds, approximately $10,024, to individuals connected to Obeida via Western Union.
Rahman pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and is awaiting sentencing. Yousuf was arrested and prosecuted in Canada.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise, Nina C. Gupta, and Gilbert M. Rein are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Alicia Cook of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialist Magdalena St. Surin.
The Defendants:
MOHAMMAD DAVID HASHIMI
Age: 38
Potomac Falls, VirginiaABDULLAH AT TAQI
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkSEEMA RAHMAN
Age: 28
Edison, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-553 (ENV)
Two Defendants Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Abdullah At Taqi, 26, of Queens, was convicted by a jury on all counts of an indictment charging him and co-defendant Mohamad David Hashimi with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and conspiring to launder money. Previously, on Oct. 6, as jury selection was scheduled to begin, Hashimi pleaded guilty to all counts of the indictment.
“An exceptional team uncovered the defendants’ use of electronic currency to bankroll an abhorrent organization that harbors deep-seated animosity toward America,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their intent was to procure weapons for terrorism and now their actions will result in incarceration. Justice has been served.”
“Today, a federal jury convicted Abdullah At Taqi for conspiring to fund ISIS, a terrorist organization that has unleashed terror and unimaginable brutality across the globe,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Taqi conspired to support the group and its atrocities by funneling cryptocurrency to ISIS fighters, hoping they would establish a stronghold in the Middle East from which the group could destabilize the entire region. This conviction reflects the Department’s commitment to holding accountable those who knowingly finance terrorism.”
“The defendants used Bitcoin, PayPal and GoFundMe to fund ISIS’s deadly mission,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “ISIS relies on supporters, like the defendants, to sponsor its terrorist aims, which is why our office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to disrupt that pipeline and prosecute those who provide material support to terrorist organizations and their evildoers.”
As proven at trial, At Taqi sent 15 separate Bitcoin transactions to Osama Obeida, also known as Osama Abu Obayda (Obeida), a self-proclaimed ISIS member, over the course of nearly a year. In conversations with an online confidential source (CHS‑1), At Taqi stated that he used cryptocurrency to send money “unnoticed” through a “brother,” meaning an ISIS supporter, he spoke to on an encrypted communications platform. At Taqi confirmed that the “brother” was “from Dawlah,” referring to ISIS.
In later conversations, At Taqi told CHS-1 that he had gotten back in touch with the “brother” through whom he had been sending cryptocurrency and assured CHS-1 that the brother was “from Dawlah.” The brother with whom At Taqi was communicating was Obeida. In introducing CHS-1 to Obeida, At Taqi informed CHS-1 that he had confirmed CHS-1 was trustworthy to the “brother,” Obeida, and at the same time, he vouched for the “brother” to CHS-1, indicating that he had vouched for each individual’s support for ISIS.
Obeida confided to CHS-1 that he had known At Taqi for two years and that At Taqi regularly sent money to Obeida. Obeida sent CHS-1 the below photograph of an ISIS flag and weapons with CHS-1’s online screenname and the date, to prove that the photograph was real, just taken, and that the money given to Obeida from people like the defendant was used to buy weapons for ISIS fighters.
Other messages show Obeida instructing At Taqi to delete messages and change his IP address.
Hashimi was a member of a group chat for ISIS supporters (Group Chat-1) on an encrypted platform. In early April 2021, members of Group Chat‑1 discussed posting links that purported to be raising funds for humanitarian causes, but from which the money would actually be diverted to help the “mujahideen,” an Arabic term used by ISIS supporters to refer to ISIS fighters. A co-conspirator posted a Bitcoin address, and another member of Group Chat-1 posted a link to a PayPal campaign, both of which were controlled by Obeida. In response, Hashimi told people to be careful sending links because they could be detected and arrested by law enforcement.
Through a combination of Bitcoin, PayPal, and GoFundMe, the defendants transferred thousands of dollars to Obeida, the person At Taqi identified as being “from Dawlah,” a reference to ISIS. At Taqi, Hashimi, and a third co-defendant, Seema Rahman, along with co-conspirator Khalilullah Yousuf, contributed more than $24,000 to Obeida’s Bitcoin address, with Yousuf contributing $20,347.89, At Taqi contributing $2,769.35, and Rahman contributing $927.51. The four co-conspirators also sent more than $1,000 to the PayPal account associated with Obeida, with Rahman contributing approximately $550, At Taqi contributing approximately $480, and Hashimi contributing $55. In addition, both Yousuf and Rahman created multiple GoFundMe fundraising campaigns purporting to collect money for charitable causes. Hashimi contributed $364 and At Taqi contributed $200 through the Yousuf-created GoFundMe campaigns, while Rahman raised approximately $10,000 through the GoFundMe campaigns that she created, and then wired the proceeds, approximately $10,024, to individuals connected to Obeida via Western Union.
At sentencing, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison.
Rahman pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and is awaiting sentencing. Yousuf was arrested and prosecuted in Canada.
The FBI New York Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nina C. Gupta, Gilbert M. Rein, and Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Alicia Cook of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialist Magdalena St. Surin.
Two Cuban Nationals Charged with Several Counts of Sex and Labor TraffickingRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Two Cuban nationals living in Tulsa are charged with several counts of sex and labor trafficking crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Oscar Alejandro Laborde Ricardo, 24, and his wife, Yenney Muir Naranjo, 24, of Cuba, are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking; Sex Trafficking; Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor; Forced Labor; and Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering. Laborde is additionally charged with Document Servitude.
Court records show that law enforcement received a tip from a concerned citizen that a local exotic dancer was a possible victim of human trafficking in July. When law enforcement met with the victim, she told officers that Laborde promised an opportunity to work in the United States in exchange for $50,000 fee.
Once in the United States, Laborde took the victim’s Cuban passport and birth certificate. She was required to live with the defendants until her “debt” was paid in full, and they also charged her for rent and food. Laborde allegedly forced the victim to work as an exotic dancer. The victim told officers that she was forced to give her earnings to Laborde and Muir to work off her “debt.”
Court documents allege that the victim was required to cook and clean the house and was not paid for this housework. The victim was further forced to engage in a commercial sex act and was allegedly assaulted by Muir, while Laborde watched.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and John Brasher are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint and indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If you are a victim of trafficking, you can get help by calling 1-888-373-7888, texting 233733, or chatting with someone at humantraffickinghotline.org. If you suspect that someone is being trafficked, you can call 1-866-347-2423 or complete the web form.
Providence Man Sentenced in Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man who admitted to participating in a conspiracy to defraud banks by creating and depositing tens-of-thousands of dollars’ worth of fraudulent checks has been sentenced to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Jarrod Smith, 44, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 24 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith pleaded guilty on February 18, 2025, to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. In addition, Smith admitted to violations of his current term of supervised released, and was sentenced to serve 12 months of incarceration, to run concurrently.
Smith engaged in a fraud scheme that used information from stolen checks, primarily business checks, to create counterfeit checks that were then deposited into bank accounts of individuals that he or other members of the conspiracy recruited and enticed, often via social media. Shortly after the checks were deposited, Smith or another member of the conspiracy withdrew the proceeds from the bank accounts. As part of the conspiracy, the person’s whose bank account was used was also paid for the use of their bank account.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Lowell, Taylor Dean, and Denise Barton.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Portland Woman Charged with Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Temika Gardner, 40, of Portland, made her first appearance in federal court today after being charged by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, on October 23, 2025, Gardner was near the vehicle of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officers after they made a lawful arrest. After an escape attempt, officers were able to gain control of the arrestee. As they were escorting the arrestee back, Gardner placed her hands on officers multiple times to impede their movement. Gardner struck one officer in the face, grabbing ahold of his face covering and throwing it to the ground. She swung at a second officer at least two times, knocking off his sunglasses. While officers were focusing on the arrestee, Gardner pulled the face mask of a third officer with enough force to pull him back. Gardner was arrested after she swung at a fourth officer, striking the left side of his jaw.
Gardner made her first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was ordered released pending further court proceedings.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Owner of Money Service Business Unlawfully Residing in the United States Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Launder Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— The owner and operator of La Popular, a money service business with locations in Oregon and Washington, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to launder drug trafficking proceeds.
Brenda Lili Barrera Orantes, 40, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
According to court documents, Barerra Orantes operated La Popular stores in Hillsboro, Beaverton, Woodburn, Odell and Canby, Oregon, as well as in Vancouver, Washington. From August 1, 2024, through November 1, 2024, La Popular stores sent over $4.2 million dollars in wire transfers to places in Mexico. During this same time period, Barrera Orantes and other co-conspirators accepted $49,500 in cash represented as drug proceeds and laundered the funds through La Popular stores. Barrera Orantes charged a ten percent commission to help launder the money. Barrera Orantes admitted that when she wired these funds she used false sender information, structured wire transfers into smaller amounts, and used different La Popular stores to help conceal the drug proceeds.
On April 16, 2025, investigators executed federal search warrants at Barrera Orantes’ Beaverton residence and three La Popular stores in Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Vancouver and arrested Barrera Orantes. During the warrants, agents seized $316,542 in cash, a 2021 Cadillac Escalade, jewelry, and high-end clothing.
On May 13, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 23-count indictment charging Barrera Orantes with money laundering and conspiracy, failure to file a currency transaction report, and failure to file a suspicious activity report.
Barrera Orantes pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. She also agreed to forfeit her Beaverton residence and all the seized property involved in her money laundering offense.
Barrera Orantes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on January 21, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team. It is being prosecuted by Christopher L. Cardani and Julia Jarrett, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States were sentenced to 17 and 22 years in federal prison following a multi-agency drug investigation that uncovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and multiple loaded firearms at an Albuquerque residence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between August 2022 and December 2023, Martin Aispuro-Lopez, 27, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States, sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to an undercover DEA agent on three occasions. On December 12, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Lopez's residence in southwest Albuquerque and arrested him. Agents recovered four loaded firearms and large quantities of narcotics throughout the residence, including cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
Loaded Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 multi-caliber rifle Loaded Hi-Point Model 4095 .40 S&W carbine Methamphetamine FentanylAt the same residence, agents encountered Victor Manuel Felix-Ramirez, 24, a Mexican national who was illegally present in the United States following two prior removals in 2019. Agents located Ramirez's two firearms, one of which was loaded and equipped with a machine gun conversion device, and fentanyl pills. Ramirez admitted participating in Lopez's drug trafficking activities. At sentencing, the Government introduced evidence of Ramirez's ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, including items that identified him as a "veteran" of the "Culiacanazo" (a.k.a. "Black Thursday") battle between the Sinaloa Cartel and Mexican authorities.
Fully automatic 9mm Glock 17 Culiacanazo Veteran, Oct. 17, 2019, & caricature of Ovidio Guzmán a.k.a. “El Raton”Lopez pled guilty to three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Ramirez, who the sentencing judge to referred to as a "trusted soldier" for the organization, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison. Upon their release from prison, both men will be subject to deportation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division investigated this case with from Homeland Security Investigations El Paso and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Nichols is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department to Monitor Polling Sites in California, New JerseyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced that it will monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.
The Department, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The Department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.
“Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.”
“The Department of Justice will do everything necessary to protect the votes of eligible American citizens, ensuring our elections are safe and secure,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “Transparent election processes and election monitoring are critical tools for safeguarding our elections and ensuring public trust in the integrity of our elections.”
“Our democracy depends on free and fair elections,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “We will work tirelessly to uphold and protect the integrity of the election process.”
“Election protection means making sure every eligible voter can participate freely and every lawful vote is counted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba of the District of New Jersey. “Our office is committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to ensure transparency, security, and public confidence in the election process.”
At this time, the Department will monitor the following jurisdictions:
- Passaic County, New Jersey
- Kern County, California
- Riverside County, California
- Fresno County, California
- Orange County, California
- Los Angeles County, California
At Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s direction, this effort will be overseen by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. The Division will deploy Civil Rights personnel who will coordinate with U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
This initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors to ensure that elections proceed with a high degree of security.
From now and up to Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws.
If you would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at VEM@usdoj.gov, and the Civil Rights Division will determine whether monitoring is warranted.
Houston man receives 25-year sentence for violent kidnapping and carjacking of elderly victimRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
HOUSTON - A Houston man has been ordered to federal prison after choking a 73-year-old woman as he attempted to steal her car after which he kicked her until she rolled into a local bayou, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Talib Smith, 21, pleaded guilty June 6.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now sentenced Smith to a total of 300 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard about the trauma the victim suffered the night of the kidnapping and the lasting impact it has had on her life. The court also heard that Smith recorded himself during the kidnapping and posted the video of him fleeing to social media.
On May 16, 2023, Smith broke into the Houston home of the elderly victim through a window to get the keys to her vehicle which was parked in her driveway. Once inside, he blindfolded her and tied her feet and hands, then demanded money and the keys. Smith choked her with an electrical cord, assaulted her and stuffed a cloth into her mouth to keep her from screaming or getting help.
Smith then carried the victim to her car and put her in the trunk when she began to lose consciousness. Believing she had died, he later removed her from the trunk and kicked her several times, causing her to roll into a nearby bayou. The victim climbed out and made it to a nearby apartment where the owner called law enforcement.
The victim had multiple injuries to her face, neck and head.
Authorities located the stolen vehicle at a gas station. Smith fled before eventually abandoning the car and fleeing on foot. Upon his arrest, he had the victim’s cash, phone and safety deposit box key.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prison facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation with the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Jenkins Stotts prosecuted the case.
Honduran Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Importing Child Pornography Through Eagle PassRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Honduran national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio Thursday to 10 years in prison for attempting to import child sexual abuse material into the United States.
According to court documents, Nolber Rolando Rosales-Rosales, 32, arrived at the Camino Real International Bridge, No. 2, in Eagle Pass on Oct. 7, 2024. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer referred him to Secondary Inspection, where a basic search was conducted on his cell phone. During the search, a CBP officer observed several suggestive images of young girls and Rosales-Rosales admitted to possessing child pornography via a Telegram account. Further investigation into the account resulted in the discovery of six videos depicting child sexual abuse material.
Rosales-Rosales was indicted on Nov. 6, 2024, on one count of use of visual depiction of sexually explicit depictions of a minor for importation into the United States, one count of transportation of sexually explicit depictions of a minor, and one count of possession and access with intent to view child prepubescent pornography. He pleaded guilty to the importation charge on April 2. U.S. District Judge Ernest Gonzalez presided over the court proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Fleming, Nallely Duarte, and Daisy Gonzales 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).
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Federal Jury Found Bartlesville Man Guilty of Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, a federal jury convicted a Bartlesville man of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
According to court documents, Dylan Ray Alexander, 32, was indicted in February 2025, followed by a superseding indictment in March 2025. Evidence presented at trial showed that on February 2, 2025, Bartlesville Police officers were dispatched in reference to a 911 call of an injured man in the street.
When officers located the victim, Kevin Holden, he was lying on the road with a gunshot wound to his stomach, holding keys in his hands. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Witnesses testified that they heard Alexander arguing with a man, followed by a loud “pop.” Alexander was seen fleeing the scene after the shooting and discarded the handgun he used. Officers found the discarded firearm and Alexander the following day.
Upon questioning by detectives, Alexander claimed that he acted in self-defense because the victim attacked him with a knife. A detective later found a box knife folded and locked closed in the victim’s jeans.
Court records and additional evidence presented at trial show that Alexander was previously convicted of two felonies. He pleaded guilty to possessing a controlled substance and assault and battery on a police officer.
Despite six defense eyewitnesses testifying in support of Alexander’s self-defense claim, the jury unanimously rejected this defense and convicted him of involuntary manslaughter as a lesser included offense of second-degree murder. Alexander was acquitted of Using, Carrying, Brandishing, or Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation and was released on bond until sentencing is scheduled.
The FBI, Bartlesville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Nowata County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Tara Heign prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a three-day trial, a federal jury found Demarcus Williams, 33, of Memphis, guilty of one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and made a special finding that Williams had previously been convicted of three violent felonies on different occasions. As a result, Williams faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and being an armed career criminal (ACC). United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on July 26, 2023, an officer with the Memphis Police Department conducted a traffic stop, and they discovered a loaded Taurus .40 caliber pistol under the driver’s seat that Demarcus Williams occupied.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to the community, and in this case, Williams was a violent offender who possessed a firearm despite his prior felony conviction history. There is a consequence for such criminal behavior, and we will aggressively enforce federal law to remove dangerous offenders from the community and uphold the rule of law."
Sentencing is set on January 29, 2026 before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a coordinated 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.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum and Jermal Blanchard, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates
Des Moines Man Charged with Wire Fraud, Following 2019 Mail Fraud ConvictionRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned an 11 count indictment on October 16, 2025, charging a Des Moines man with wire fraud.
As alleged in the Indictment, Martin James Tirrell, 65, ran a scheme to defraud multiple individuals between February 2024 and January 2025. Tirrell’s scheme involved obtaining money from individuals that he claimed would be used to buy tickets to high-demand sports and concert events and resold at a profit. Instead, Tirrell used a majority of the funds for gambling and personal expenses, repaying loans, and paying other investors for earlier payments. In total, investors provided Tirrell several million dollars and the victim investors sustained a combined loss exceeding $1.5 million.
Tirrell was on federal supervised release for a 2019 mail fraud conviction. Tirrell was released from his 41-month prison sentence in January 2023.
Tirrell made his initial court appearance on October 20, 2025, before a United States Magistrate Judge of the United State District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Trial was set for December 1, 2025. Tirrell will remain detained in federal custody pending further proceedings.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Buffalo man sentenced for conspiring to steal mail and possession of a Postal Service keyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Antonio Jones, Jr., 25, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail theft and possession of postal service key, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation, to include six months home detention, by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that on October 2, 2024, Jones conspired with Eric Michael Robinson and Lamor Runell Bolden to steal mail from mail receptacles in Cheektowaga, NY. In addition, the defendants also possessed a key used to open authorized mail receptacles. Jones drove with Robinson and Bolden to a mail facility in Cheektowaga at approximately 1:00 a.m. on October 2, 2024. Robinson drove and Jones and Bolden were passengers. Robinson parked the car behind a row of blue collection mailboxes outside the postal facility, Jones and Bolden got out of the car, and Jones opened the mailboxes with the stolen key and stole mail from the mailboxes while Bolden stood watch. The two then got back into the car and Robinson drove away. A short time later, their car was stopped by law enforcement. At the time the car was stopped, various opened and unopened pieces of mail were found inside. Jones admits that he and his co-conspirators used the stolen key to open mailboxes at other locations around the Western District of New York.
Eric Michael Robinson was previously convicted and also sentenced to serve two years’ probation, to include six months home detention. Lamor Runell Bolden was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons.
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33 Alleged Members of Violent Kensington Drug Trafficking Organization Charged in 41-Count IndictmentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – At a news conference this afternoon, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced a historic indictment against a violent drug trafficking organization operating in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. The indictment charges 33 alleged members of the Weymouth Street Drug Trafficking Organization with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and dozens of related offenses.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf discussed the case alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs, and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, and assisting federal and state law enforcement partners.
The indictment alleges that, from about January 2016 through October 2025, the Weymouth Street Drug Trafficking Organization (“Weymouth DTO”) distributed fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine on the 3100 block of Weymouth Street, one of the most prolific drug blocks in the city, functioning as an open-air drug market where illegal narcotics are sold every day and at all hours. While that block is the nucleus of the group’s alleged activity, their area of operations has extended to include the corner of F Street and Clementine Street, the corner of E Street and Wishart Street, and 3000 Potter Street.
The indictment further alleges that the Weymouth DTO uses violence to enforce its territory, including shootings, murder, and physical assaults. Members of the Weymouth DTO retaliate against witnesses that the DTO believes provide information to law enforcement and commit violent acts against members of rival drug trafficking organizations.
As alleged in the indictment, the Weymouth DTO is headed by Jose Antonio Morales Nieves, aka “Flaco,” 45, of Luquillo, Puerto Rico, who authorizes other members of the Weymouth DTO to sell drugs on his block in exchange for “rent.” Morales Nieves helps protect the members of the DTO through the threat of violent acts, performed either by himself or his associates, against others who have caused the Weymouth DTO harm or attempted to sell controlled substances in the DTO’s territory.
The indictment alleges that Ramon Roman-Montanez, aka “Viejo,” 40, of Philadelphia, is a leader of the Weymouth DTO and manages the street-level operations. He is responsible for organizing the drug shift schedule, which establishes roles and shifts for who in the Weymouth DTO will be responsible for selling drugs at what times and on what days, managing proceeds, and obtaining more controlled substances.
As alleged, Nancy Rios-Valentin, 33, also of Philadelphia, is another leader of the Weymouth DTO responsible for organizing the drug shift schedule, as well as managing and maintaining drug proceeds.
A list of all defendants and the charges against them is below.
Twenty-four defendants were arrested in coordinated operations today. Eight defendants were already in state or federal custody, and one remains at large.
“Drug traffickers who poison our communities and enforce their territory through violence will face the full force of federal law,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Working alongside our state and local partners, the Department of Justice will continue to dismantle these criminal networks, hold violent offenders accountable, and restore safety to neighborhoods that have suffered for far too long. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Metcalf, the FBI, and every prosecutor and agent whose dedication made today’s action possible.”
“This indictment is, by defendant, the largest federal case of this century prosecuted by our office and it attacks the very heart of the opioid crisis in the neighborhoods of Kensington,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We are committed to returning these neighborhoods to their residents and reclaiming them from drug dealers who profit from the misery of others.”
“Today, even more criminals are off the streets because of the diligent work of the FBI and our partners,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Over 30 people have been charged for their alleged role in drug trafficking and dozens of other offenses. These individuals were charged with distributing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine on one of the most prolific drug blocks in Philadelphia. They were members of a violent drug trafficking organization and used violence to enforce their territory and sell drugs that poison our city streets and community. The FBI will continue our work to put an end to drug trafficking and violence in our cities.”
“There is no question our streets are safer today because of the tireless dedication and diligence of numerous federal, state, and local partners, but our work is not done,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners at every level, will continue to serve our citizens by pursuing the dangerous offenders who shatter our communities’ sense of safety, security, and quality of life.”
“Today’s actions were the culmination of a deliberate, patient, and highly coordinated investigation into a violent criminal enterprise operating on and around Weymouth Street in Kensington,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “This group pumped fentanyl into a community already hurting, and they used violence to protect their business. Thank you to our state and federal partners who continue to show up in Philadelphia not as visitors but as teammates: FBI Director Patel, U.S. Attorney Metcalf, FBI Philly SAC Jacobs and his team, the DEA, the Attorney General’s Office, and to our own DC Jim Kelly and the men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department's Narcotics Bureau who did the hard work to get us here. This is One Philly in action - exactly the model Mayor Parker has demanded from day one: not turf battles, not silos, but agencies standing shoulder-to-shoulder around a single mission: protecting the people of this city.”
This case is part of PSN Recon, a criminal intelligence program launched this year by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in which the federal and state law enforcement community work together to identify the most violent and dangerous actors in the city of Philadelphia. PSN Recon builds on the original mission of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) initiative, to collaboratively address violence in partnership with state and local enforcement officials. Learn more about PSN Recon here.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Solow and Jason Grenell.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
23 October 2025
U.S. Attorney Urges Mainers to Dispose of Unused Prescription Medications During Take Back Day on SaturdayRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: United States Attorney Andrew B. Benson joined the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in announcing that DEA will be conducting its National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, October 25. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs.
For 16 years, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans safely dispose of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—to prevent drug misuse and abuse. Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at nearly 4,500 drop-off locations nationwide.
In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 19.8 million pounds (10,000 tons) of medication from circulation since its inception. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
“I urge all Mainers to take advantage of Drug Take Back Day,” said U.S. Attorney Benson. “Leftover prescription drugs can be abused, stolen or resold. Taking a few minutes to properly dispose of medications you no longer need can save a life.”
For more information and to find a collection site near you, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration and Law Enforcement Partners Team up for the 29th National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— On Saturday, October 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in collaboration with nearly 4,000 law enforcement partners across the United States, will host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day at locations across the country. DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs.
For sixteen years, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans safely dispose of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—to prevent drug misuse and abuse.
Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at nearly 4,500 drop-off locations nationwide.
What: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
When: Saturday, October 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Where: 18 collection sites in Oregon
“Take Back Day provides a safe and anonymous way to properly dispose of expired or unused prescription medications,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Unused prescription medication in the home pose serious risks of misuse, addiction, and overdose. We encourage all community members to participate and help reduce the potential for abuse and addiction in our communities.”
“All too often, drug abuse starts with prescription pills in the family medicine cabinet,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day offers an easy way to rid your home of these unwanted and potentially dangerous medicines before they can harm your children or grandchildren. Drop off your unneeded medicine this Saturday and take a step to keep your family safe from drug harm.”
In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 19.8 million pounds (10,000 tons) of medication from circulation since its inception.
Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
For more information and to find a collection site near you, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.
Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Scheme in New HampshireRead the Press Release
Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Scheme in New Hampshire
CONCORD – A Florida man pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud for causing psychotherapy sessions to be fraudulently billed to New Hampshire Medicaid.
According to court documents, Erik X. Alonso, 55, of Miami, Florida, was previously convicted in 2015 of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and related offenses in the Southern District of Florida. The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), maintained an Exclusion List that identified individuals who could not receive payment from federal health care programs, including Medicaid. As a result of his conviction, Alonso, a psychotherapist, was placed on the Exclusion List.
According to court documents, in March 2022, Alonso began working for a telehealth mental health provider based in New Hampshire, through which he provided services billed to New Hampshire Medicaid patients despite knowing he was on the Exclusion List. Alonso also caused the provider to submit claims to New Hampshire Medicaid for counseling services that were not provided as represented, including in instances in which Alonso requested – and later received – a patient’s assistance with personal tasks like preparing a presidential pardon for Alonso’s 2015 health care fraud conviction and various medical licensure documents. As a result of the scheme, Alonso admitted that he caused New Hampshire Medicaid to pay approximately $173,998.83 based on false and fraudulent claims.
Alonso pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years 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 Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire, Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of HHS-OIG, and Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks of the FBI Boston Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and the FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell, John W. Howard, and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo of the District of New Hampshire are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Robbing the Same City Business at Gunpoint TwiceRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Nasir Butler, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted today at trial of two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence, arising from his armed robberies of the same city business twice in three weeks.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January of this year. Prior to his trial, Butler pleaded guilty to Count Five of the indictment, possession of a firearm by a felon.
As proven at trial, on September 20, 2024, and again on October 11, 2024, Butler contacted a business located on the 1200 block of Bridge Street under the pretext of making an appointment. On both dates, after arriving at the establishment, he pointed a gun at employees, demanded money, and left with cash belonging to the business.
The defendant will be sentenced on a date to be determined and faces a maximum possible term of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Izabella Babchinetskaya and Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Pakistani National Sentenced to 40 Years for Transporting Iranian-Made Advanced Conventional WeaponsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A Pakistani national was sentenced on Oct. 16 to 40 years in prison for charges relating to his transportation of Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry.
On June 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted Muhammad Pahlawan of conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, providing material support and resources to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ weapons of mass destruction program, conspiring to and indeed transporting explosive devices to the Houthis knowing those explosives would be used to cause harm and threatening his crew.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on the night of Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East, boarded an unflagged dhow, a small vessel, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. The U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including Pahlawan.
During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team located and seized Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry, including ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces during the time of the charged conspiracy against merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. During the interdiction, Pahlawan lied to the boarding team, instructed other crewmembers to lie, and eventually threatened the lives of the crewmembers and their families. Two Navy SEALs — Christopher Chambers and Nathan Gage Ingram — lost their lives during the interdiction.
Pahlawan’s January 2024 trip was part of a larger operation. From in or around August 2023 through in or around January 2024, Pahlawan worked with two Iranian brothers, Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle materials from Iran to other recipients including the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. Pahlawan completed multiple smuggling voyages, coordinated and funded by Shahab and Yunus, by traveling with cargo from Iran to the coast of Somalia and transporting that cargo to another vessel for a nighttime ship-to-ship transfer. Pahlawan worked with Shahab and Yunus to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages, received specific coordinates from them for the ship-to-ship transfers, and received multiple payments from them for his role in the smuggling operation.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John Eisenberg; U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. Former Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor Danya Atiyeh supported the case.
Pakistani National Sentenced to 40 Years for Transporting Iranian-Made Advanced Conventional WeaponsRead the Press Release
A Pakistani national was sentenced on Oct. 16 to 40 years in prison for charges relating to his transportation of Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry.
On June 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted Muhammad Pahlawan of conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, providing material support and resources to Iran’s weapons of mass destruction program, providing material support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ weapons of mass destruction program, conspiring to and indeed transporting explosive devices to the Houthis knowing those explosives would be used to cause harm and threatening his crew.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on the night of Jan. 11, 2024, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER, including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East, boarded an unflagged dhow, a small vessel, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. The U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel, including Pahlawan.
During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team located and seized Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry, including ballistic missile components, anti-ship cruise missile components, and a warhead. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces during the time of the charged conspiracy against merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. During the interdiction, Pahlawan lied to the boarding team, instructed other crewmembers to lie, and eventually threatened the lives of the crewmembers and their families. Two Navy SEALs — Christopher Chambers and Nathan Gage Ingram — lost their lives during the interdiction.
Pahlawan’s January 2024 trip was part of a larger operation. From in or around August 2023 through in or around January 2024, Pahlawan worked with two Iranian brothers, Shahab Mir’kazei (Shahab), and Yunus Mir’kazei (Yunus), affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to smuggle materials from Iran to other recipients including the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. Pahlawan completed multiple smuggling voyages, coordinated and funded by Shahab and Yunus, by traveling with cargo from Iran to the coast of Somalia and transporting that cargo to another vessel for a nighttime ship-to-ship transfer. Pahlawan worked with Shahab and Yunus to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages, received specific coordinates from them for the ship-to-ship transfers, and received multiple payments from them for his role in the smuggling operation.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John Eisenberg; U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division; and Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Joseph N. Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case. Former Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor Danya Atiyeh supported the case.
Niagara Falls man going to prison for more than 10 years on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Edward Rollie, 49, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on August 28, 2024, investigators executed search warrants associated with Rollie at a Spruce Avenue residence in Niagara Falls, where Rollie’s son resides. They recovered approximately 594 grams of fentanyl, approximately 683 grams of cocaine, and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. In July 2002, Rollie was convicted of a federal felony drug charge in the Western District of Pennsylvania and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. The investigation also included controlled purchases of fentanyl from Rollie.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Nick Ligammari, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
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Lane County Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Coercing and Sexually Exploiting Children in Oregon, New York, and FloridaRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— A Eugene, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for using social media platforms, including Snapchat and Instagram, to exploit and coerce children in Oregon, New York, and Florida.
Vincent Alan Elder, 32, was sentenced to 288 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to each of his three victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Elder used social media to meet and communicate with three identified minors in 2022 and 2023. He sent online payments to encourage a minor victim in Florida to make and send nude photos. To obtain the same from a minor victim in Oregon, he sent vape pens, food delivery orders, and left bags of cash near the victim’s house. When a minor victim in New York tried to cease contact with him, Elder threatened to tell the victim’s mother or even involve that victim’s younger sibling—an act known as sextortion.
After learning of the allegations, in November 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed search warrants for Elder’s person, devices, and motel room. On December 1, 2023, the FBI arrested Elder. A search of his devices showed chats with some of the minor victims, the Oregon victim’s personal information, and nude images of the Florida victim.
“I am thankful for the brave victims who came forward, and I am grateful to the law enforcement agencies who helped bring this dangerous predator to justice,” said United States Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “We will continue to seek significant prison sentences for anyone who targets our communities’ children.”
“Investigating crimes against children is some of the most important work we do at the FBI,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. “The crimes committed in this instance were egregious, and we moved swiftly to stop the predatory behavior. Even one child subjected to such abuse is one too many, and we continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to find instances of abuse and protect our communities.”
On January 18, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a seven-count indictment charging Elder with Using a Minor to Produce a Visual Depiction of Sexually Explicit Conduct and Attempt, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Attempt, and Possession of Child Pornography.
On July 29, 2025, Elder pleaded guilty to two counts of Using a Minor to Produce a Visual Depiction of Sexually Explicit Conduct with regard to the New York and Florida victims and one count of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor with regard to the Oregon victim.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Springfield Police Department and the Eugene Police Department. It was prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought in collaboration with 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Correctional Officer and Two Co-Conspirators Sentenced to Prison for Scheme to Smuggle Contraband into Philadelphia Industrial Correctional CenterRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Breyanna Cornish, 30, Jawayne Brown, 41, and Ahmad Nasir, aka Hussain Abdussamad, 44, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have been sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert, in connection with a scheme to smuggle contraband — including drugs, phones, chargers, cigarettes, and knives — into the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (“PICC”) from April 2021 through July 2021.
Judge Pappert sentenced Cornish this morning to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Brown was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison, a $2,500 fine, and three years of supervised release. Nasir was sentenced earlier this month to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The defendants were charged by indictment in August 2024.
All three pleaded guilty earlier this year, Nasir to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Cornish pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and one count of federal program bribery.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendants, Nasir, who was then detained pre-trial at PICC, worked with Brown, who was not incarcerated, Cornish, who was then a PICC correctional officer (“C.O.”) employed by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (“PDP”), and several other associates to purchase and assemble contraband.
Cornish then smuggled the contraband into PICC, where Nasir sold the contraband to other inmates for a profit. Nasir then instructed associates to pay Cornish for her role smuggling the contraband into the prison and Brown for his work purchasing and assembling the packages.
On July 10, 2021, PDP conducted a search of the cell Nasir shared with another inmate. In a compartment in the ceiling behind a light fixture, officers recovered 19 cellphones, 20 cellphone chargers, one rapid charger, two super glues, two screwdrivers, one roll of tape, three hunting knives, one Ziploc bag containing the synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as K2, one Ziploc bag of tobacco, one alprazolam pill, and at least 110 packets of Suboxone.
Following the search of the cell, officers conducted a search of Nasir and his cellmate, and recovered a cellphone from each of them. Text messages and WhatsApp messages extracted from the phone recovered from Nasir’s person revealed that from June 19, 2021, to July 6, 2021, C.O. Cornish, Nasir, and Brown discussed via text specific contraband items to be acquired, the delivery of contraband packages, and payments for the items and to co-conspirators. Nasir simultaneously sent messages to multiple inmates about the purchase and delivery of contraband.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Former Bank Employee Charged with Stealing More Than $125,000 from Elderly Customer with DementiaRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A former employee of Santander Bank has been charged in federal court for allegedly stealing more than $125,000 from the bank account of a 78-year-old customer with dementia, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Carlos Bras, 41 of East Providence, appeared in federal court on October 23, 2025 and charged by way of criminal complaint with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Bras was employed by Santander Bank at the time of the offense and had access to customer financial accounts. In May 2023, Bras allegedly accessed the account of the 78-year-old victim, who resided in an assisted living facility and had a court-appointed conservator in Massachusetts.
According to charging documents, Bras is alleged to have enabled online banking access to the victim’s account, ordered checks sent to an address in Fall River and his own residence, and ordered a debit card for his personal use. It is also alleged that he conducted numerous unauthorized transactions to his wife’s account, and several large wire transfers to a Portuguese bank account in her name.
The charging documents also allege the following: Santander Bank investigators confronted Bras, who initially denied knowing the victim but later claimed he had assisted him with in-branch transactions. Bank security footage showed that the individuals in Bras’ office at the time of the transfers were not the victim. Bras also did not disclose that his wife was the recipient of the wire transfers until confronted.
The case was referred to Seekonk Police Department and subsequently picked up by the United States Secret Service. Through the federal investigation, a contract purporting for the sale of a property in Portugal was discovered, allegedly signed by Bras and the victim. The victim’s conservator stated he was unaware of any such real estate contract, that the signature on the document did not match the victims, and that the address listed for the victim was incorrect.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Seekonk Police Department.
Final human smuggler extradited from Guatemala for 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 41-year-old Guatemalan national is set to make his initial appearance in U.S. federal court on charges stemming from a crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Authorities arrested Daniel Zavala Ramos aka Dany ZR in Boquerón, Guatemala, Aug. 7 pursuant to a U.S. extradition request, and he was surrendered to U.S. authorities Oct. 21. He is now expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo at 9:30 a.m.
The extradition is the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extradition marks yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
Also charged are Tomas Quino Canil, 37, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino aka Osvaldo ZQ, 25, Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, and Alberto Marcario Chitic aka Alberto De Jesus, 32, who were all taken into custody in Guatemala Dec. 9, 2024. U.S. authorities arrested Jorge Agapito Ventura aka Jorge Ventura, George Ventura or El Raitero, 33, at his residence in Cleveland, Texas, the same day. All are now in federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
All six are charged with conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injuries and resulting in death.
According to court documents, from October 2021 to February 2023, all six worked with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of illegal aliens from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States. They allegedly recruited them, collected payment and arranged travel by foot, microbuses, cattle trucks and tractor-trailers.
In some instances, the scheme allegedly involved the smuggling of unaccompanied minors. According to the charges, they also provided illegal aliens with scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. The indictment further alleges some of the individuals they recruited died or suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash.
If convicted, all face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s – Homeland Security Investigations’ Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. conducted the joint investigation with HSI offices in Guatemala and Mexico with substantial assistance of HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit and HSI offices in Houston and Laredo, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, Operation Sentinel, Border Patrol, Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. Guatemalan and Mexican prosecutors, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Mary Lou Castillo are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.
The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 420 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 370 U.S. convictions; more than 315 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the DOJ 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Final Human Smuggler Extradited from Guatemala for 2021 Mass Casualty Event in Chiapas, MexicoRead the Press Release
A 41-year-old Guatemalan national is set to make his initial appearance in U.S. federal court on charges stemming from a crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more, the Justice Department announced today.
Authorities arrested Daniel Zavala Ramos aka Dany ZR in Boquerón, Guatemala, Aug. 7 pursuant to a U.S. extradition request and he was surrendered to U.S. authorities Oct. 21. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo this morning.
The extradition is the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extradition marks yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
Also charged are Tomas Quino Canil, 37, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino aka Osvaldo ZQ, 25, Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, and Alberto Marcario Chitic aka Alberto De Jesus, 32, who were all taken into custody in Guatemala Dec. 9, 2024. U.S. authorities arrested Jorge Agapito Ventura aka Jorge Ventura, George Ventura or El Raitero, 33, at his residence in Cleveland, Texas, the same day. All are now in federal custody pending further criminal proceedings.
All six are charged with conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injuries and resulting in death.
According to court documents, from October 2021 to February 2023, all six worked with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of illegal aliens from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States. They allegedly recruited them, collected payment and arranged travel by foot, microbuses, cattle trucks and tractor-trailers.
In some instances, the scheme allegedly involved the smuggling of unaccompanied minors. According to the charges, they also provided illegal aliens with scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. The indictment further alleges some of the individuals they recruited died or suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash.
If convicted, all face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s – Homeland Security Investigations’ Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. conducted the joint investigation with HSI offices in Guatemala and Mexico with substantial assistance of HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit and HSI offices in Houston and Laredo, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, Operation Sentinel, Border Patrol, Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. Guatemalan and Mexican prosecutors, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Mary Lou Castillo are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.
The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 420 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 370 U.S. convictions; more than 315 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the DOJ 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Set for October 25, 2025Read the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Ron Parsons is highlighting an important opportunity for all of us to help protect lives and prevent drug abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will take place this Saturday, October 25. This biannual event will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 2:00 p.m. at multiple, convenient sites across the State of South Dakota. Its purpose is to give everyone a discreet, safe, and easy way to rid their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, and unused prescription drugs.
“Too often, unused prescription drugs, including opioids and other addictive pain medications, find their way into the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “That’s dangerous and often tragic. This is the perfect opportunity for people to clean out their medicine cabinets and drop off – completely anonymously – old or unused prescription drugs so they can be safely destroyed. We encourage the public to help make our communities cleaner and safer by participating in the DEA’s Drug Take Back Day.”
Unused medications can pose a public safety risk, particularly to vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses from these drugs. This program offers a safe, easy and effective way for everyone to do their part. On the last National Take Back Day, held in April of this year, more than 310 tons of prescription drugs were collected and destroyed.
Sheriff’s offices, police departments, and federal, state, and tribal agencies across South Dakota are participating in this important work. More information, including addresses and maps to collection sites near you, can be found here: www.DEATakeBack.com.
Current and Former National Basketball Association Players and Four Other Individuals Charged in Widespread Sports Betting and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging six defendants — Eric Earnest, also known as “Spook,” Marves Fairley, also known as “Vez,” “Vezino,” and “Vezino Locks”, Shane Hennen, also known as “Sugar,” Damon Jones, also known as “D Jones,” and “Dee Jones,” Deniro Laster, also known as “Niro,” “Payso,” and “Peso,” and Terry Rozier, also known as “Scary Terry” and “Chum” — with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged roles in a scheme to use inside information from National Basketball Association (NBA) players and coaches to profit from illegal betting activity.
The defendants, who are located across the country, will be arraigned at a future date in the Eastern District of New York.
Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Kash Patel, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office; and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, using private locker room and medical information to enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This was a sophisticated conspiracy involving athletes, coaches, and intermediaries who exploited confidential information for profit. Insider betting schemes erode the integrity of American sports, and this Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office for their invaluable assistance in the investigation.
“Today the FBI arrested six people, including current and former NBA players, for their alleged role in illegal sports betting and money laundering conspiracy – the result of a sweeping investigation conducted by outstanding FBI professionals and partners. Using private information and positions of power to rig sports gambling outcomes is not only illegal, but destroys the integrity of the game and will never be tolerated. We will continue following the money to ensure gambling operations of all kinds stay within the law and bring to justice those who take advantage of innocent victims,” stated FBI Director Patel.
“Former and current NBA players and coaches, including Terry Rozier, Damon Jones and additional co-conspirators, allegedly informed the defendants and others of confidential information relating to upcoming NBA games and player performances, such as pre-release medical information and a player’s intention to alter their upcoming game performance, which favored certain bettors within their inner social circle,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This alleged collusion resulted in the defendants secretly pocketing their lavish winnings and corrupting NBA games. The FBI will never turn a blind eye to any insider betting scheme within sporting industries – regardless of title or professional affiliation – to protect its integrity and afford all participants a fair chance to win big.
“Rigging a professional basketball game for personal profit is as immoral as it is illegal,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This investigation exposed a gambling ring built around the NBA, where players and associates allegedly used inside information and even faked injuries to fraudulently manipulate bets on games. The fact that some players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to ensure these bets paid out is an offense to every player and fan. Thanks to the incredible work of the NYPD detectives and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this illegal sports betting operation has been benched for good.”
As set forth in the indictment, between December 2022 and March 2024, the defendants and their associates obtained and misused non-public information about upcoming NBA games to place fraudulent sports wagers for profit and then laundered the proceeds.
The conspirators allegedly obtained insider information from several NBA players and coaches, including Rozier and Jones, and distributed that information through a network of bettors. These bettors placed wagers through online sportsbooks and retail betting outlets, falsely representing that their wagers complied with the betting companies’ rules—which included, as relevant here, not betting on non-public information or using straw bettors—while concealing that their wagers were based on confidential team information. Some of the co-conspirators’ activities alleged in the indictment are described below: March 23, 2023 – Charlotte Hornets Game
As alleged, Rozier, then an active player for the Hornets, tipped off longtime friend Laster that Rozier planned to leave the game early due to a purported injury. Rozier provided this information to Laster for the purpose of enabling Laster to place wagers based on this information. Laster, Fairley, and Hennen, among others, used that confidential information to place and direct more than $200,000 in wagers predicting Rozier’s “under” statistics (i.e., that Rozier would underperform). Rozier exited the game after nine minutes, and many of the bets paid off, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profits. Laster collected the cash and drove through the night to Rozier’s house, where together they counted the profits together.
March 24, 2023 – Portland Trail Blazers Game
As alleged, Earnest received, and then passed on, insider information from a longtime friend, an NBA coach at the time, that several of the Blazers’ top players would sit out a game against the Chicago Bulls. Before that information became public, Fairley and his associates wagered over $100,000 against the Blazers. When the lineup change was later confirmed, betting lines shifted dramatically and the group’s early bets yielded major winnings.
April 6, 2023 – Orlando Magic Game
As alleged, Fairley profited from a tip obtained through an inside connection to a then Orlando Magic player. A co-conspirator leveraged a relationship with the Magic player to learn that several of the team’s top players would sit out a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers—information that had not yet been made public. The co-conspirator relayed the tip to Fairley, who placed an approximately $11,000 bet that the Cavaliers would outperform the point spread. When the lineup change was later confirmed and the Cavaliers went on to beat the Magic by 24 points, Fairley and the co-conspirator pocketed the winnings.
February 9, 2023 and January 15, 2024 – Los Angeles Lakers Games
As alleged, former NBA player and coach Jones shared and sold insider information on numerous occasions about undisclosed information relating to NBA games, such as lineup decisions and pre-release medical information, to his co-conspirators, who then placed significant wagers based on the tips. For example, on February 9, 2023 and January 15, 2024, respectively, Jones provided insider information to co-conspirators about pre-release medical information concerning star players on the Los Angeles Lakers for the purpose of enabling the co-conspirators to place wagers based on this information.
January 26, 2024 and March 20, 2024 – Toronto Raptors Games
As alleged, Jontay Porter, who was then an NBA player with the Toronto Raptors, informed co-conspirator Long Phi Pham and others that he would prematurely exit the games he was scheduled to play on January 26, 2024 and March 20, 2024, due to purported injuries. Porter agreed to exit the games early so that Pham and others could place bets on this non-public information. Pham, in turn, provided this information to Hennen, who also provided the information to Fairley. Subsequently, Hennen placed bets on Porter’s unders, or underperformance, in connection with the games through a network of straw bettors. When Porter exited both games early, numerous of the fraudulent wagers were successful.
Porter and Pham, among others, have previously pleaded guilty in connection with their participation in the scheme related to these two games.
* * * * *
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy count and 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub, David Berman and Kaitlin Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Liam McNett and Timothy Migliaro.
The Defendants:
ERIC EARNEST (also known as “Spook”)
Age: 53
Missouri
MARVES FAIRLEY (also known as “Vez,” “Vezino,” and “Vezino Locks”)
Age: 33
Mississippi
SHANE HENNEN (also known as “Sugar”)
Age: 31
Nevada
DAMON JONES (also known as “D Jones” and “Dee Jones”)
Age: 49
CaliforniaDENIRO LASTER (also known as “Niro,” “Payso,” and “Peso”)
Age: 30
Ohio
TERRY ROZIER (also known as “Scary Terry” and “Chum”)
Age: 31
FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-323 (LDH)
Convicted felon sentenced to over 15 years for restaurant robberyRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Houston resident and documented gang member has been ordered to federal prison for striking a manager with a gun at a local food establishment during a robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett found Kelvin Patton guilty of interference with commerce through robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence following a one-day bench trial that occurred Nov. 5, 2024.
The court has now handed Patton an 89-month term of imprisonment for the robbery. He also received 96 months for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 185-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Patton’s lengthy history of repeatedly committing felony offenses, even while on court supervision. In handing down the sentence, Judge Bennett noted Patton was on a path that will lead to one of two places - him spending the rest of his life in prison or his early death.
From 2019 to 2022, Patton committed multiple felonies, including robbery, vehicle theft and unlawful possession of firearms and body armor. In each instance, he was released on bond.
Shortly following the release on the weapons charge, Patton followed a Denny’s manager from a bank to the restaurant on Hillcroft Ave. in Houston. Surveillance video captured Patton striking the manager in the head with a firearm and stealing a bank bag before fleeing in a car.
Later, someone observed Patton looking into vehicles outside a bank. Patton followed the person as they left. However, authorities identified him and took him into custody.
At trial, the defense argued the robbery was outside federal jurisdiction. The court did not believe those claims and found Patton guilty as charged.
As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
Patton will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet prosecuted the case.
City Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Violent Carjacking in Northeast PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Brian Amerman, aka “BD” and “Fat,” 21, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 144 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and $2,500 in restitution by United States District Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro for his role in a violent armed carjacking in Northeast Philadelphia.
The defendant was charged by indictment in February 2024 and pleaded guilty in April of this year to one count of carjacking and aiding and abetting, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
As detailed in court filings, shortly before 1 a.m. on May 12, 2023, Victim 1 parked their Nissan Murano next to a standalone ATM in the parking lot of a shopping plaza located in the 6500 block of Roosevelt Boulevard. Victim 1 got out of the car and began using the ATM. As Victim 1 did so, Amerman and a second individual got out of a nearby car and approached Victim 1.
Amerman, armed with a black and tan semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine, shoved the gun in Victim 1’s face and then hit Victim 1 in the head with the gun. Amerman and the second individual demanded Victim 1’s car keys, and Victim 1 provided their keys and wallet to the carjackers. The second individual drove away in Victim 1’s Nissan Murano. Amerman returned to the vehicle that he had come from and he and the driver fled the scene.
Just over an hour later, Amerman and two other individuals in a grey Honda Accord arrived at a BP gas station in Oxford Circle, Pa., approximately 1.2 miles away from the ATM referenced above. Amerman and the driver entered the gas station, where charges attempted on Victim 1’s bank card were declined twice. Nine days later, on May 21, 2023, Philadelphia police recovered the license plate from Victim 1’s Nissan Murano inside the trunk of a crashed grey Honda Accord that appeared consistent with the Honda Accord observed at the BP station.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Amerman’s Instagram account, which contained photos and videos of himself, including a photo from the day before the carjacking of Amerman posing with a black and tan semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine, consistent with the one used during the carjacking, and a video of him the day after the carjacking pointing a black and tan semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine at the camera, also consistent with the one used during the carjacking. The account also contained photos and videos of himself close in time to the carjacking wearing clothing consistent with what he wore when he committed the crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Meghan A. Farley and Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Baltimore City Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Duane Watts, 46, and Donna Jones, 59, both of Baltimore, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in connection with an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty pleas with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also authorized increased UI benefits.
According to both guilty pleas, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through at least May 2021, Watts, Jones, and other co-conspirators, engaged in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, in connection with an UI fraud scheme.
Specifically, Watts and Jones obtained the personal identifiable information (PII) of identity theft victims and used the PII to cause false and fraudulent claims. The co-conspirators then submitted the fraudulent claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) for UI.
Watts and Jones, along with their co-conspirators, used the UI benefits, which were designated to assist unemployed or underemployed persons due to the COVID-19 national emergency, for their own personal enrichment.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and FBI, along with Bank of America – Detection and Complex Investigations Fraud Rings and Analytics, for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John D’Amico, who prosecuted the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for her valuable assistance.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. Strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts that use prosecutor-led and data-analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Armed Felon Arrested After Shooting Federal Officer During Execution of Search Warrant and Sixteen-Hour Armed StandoffRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Robert Morris, 49, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint yesterday with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on October 22, 2025, federal agents arrested Morris at his residence in Honolulu, Hawaii. The arrest followed a 16-hour armed standoff that began the morning of October 21 after federal law enforcement attempted to execute a federal search warrant at Morris’s residence. Before federal law enforcement could enter the residence, Morris fired several shots from inside the residence, striking and injuring a DEA Task Force Officer. Federal law enforcement fired shots into the residence during the exchange. Following the gunfire, Morris refused to exit the residence and engaged in a standoff with law enforcement, while broadcasting a Facebook Live stream from inside the residence. After approximately sixteen hours, Morris surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody. Law enforcement located a .40 caliber firearm inside the residence, which Morris subsequently admitted he used during the shootout.
If convicted of the charged offenses, Morris faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for assaulting a federal officer, 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, as well as a mandatory minimum of 25 years, and a maximum of life, for using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence to run consecutive to any other sentence, along with potential fines.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Honolulu Police Department, and Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Albanese.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
31 Defendants, Including Members and Associates of Organized Crime Families and National Basketball Association Coach Chauncey Billups, Charged in Schemes to Rig Illegal Poker GamesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a seven-count indictment was unsealed charging 31 defendants in criminal schemes to rig illegal poker games at various locations in New York City, East Hampton, New York, and throughout the United States. This morning, 31 defendants were arrested in 11 states, including members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra (LCN); Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA); and Damon Jones, also known as “Dee,” a former NBA player with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. The defendants will make initial court appearances this afternoon at federal courthouses throughout the United States, including the Eastern District of New York.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Kash Patel, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office (FBI); Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and Phoebe S. Sorial, Executive Director, New York Waterfront Commission, announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, members and associates of organized crime families fixed illegal poker games as part of a highly sophisticated and lucrative fraud scheme to cheat victims out of millions of dollars and conspired with others to perpetrate their frauds,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Well-known former NBA players and former professional athletes, acted as ‘Face Cards’ to lure unsuspecting victims to high-stakes poker games, where they were then at the mercy of concealed technology, including rigged shuffling machines and specially designed contacts lenses and sunglasses to read the backs of playing cards, which ensured that the victims would lose big. Today’s indictment and arrests sounds the final buzzer for these cheaters.”
Mr. Nocella also thanked Homeland Security Investigations Newark for their valuable contribution to the case.
“Today over 30 people were arrested and charged for their alleged roles in criminal schemes to rig illegal poker games to win large amounts of money. These individuals used technology and deceit to scam innocent victims out of millions of dollars – eventually funneling money to La Cosa Nostra and enriching one of the most notorious criminal networks in the world,” stated FBI Director Patel. “This investigation spanned 9 states and FBI offices, and I want to thank the men and women of the FBI for their tremendous work and dedication rooting out those actors responsible. This FBI will never stop following the money to pursue and find those who break our laws.”“Using the allure of high-stakes winnings and the promise to play alongside well-known professional athletes, these defendants allegedly defrauded unwitting victims out of tens of millions of dollars and established a financial pipeline to La Cosa Nostra,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families. Our office maintains its aggressive pursuit of any Italian organized crime operating in our jurisdiction and will continue to stem all unlawful revenue streams fueling their illicit activity.”
“With the alleged involvement of three La Cosa Nostra crime families, an NBA head coach and Hall of Famer, as well as other current and former professional athletes, the investigative work that culminated with this morning’s operation are reminiscent of a Hollywood movie. But this was not luck, and it was not theatrics,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel. “Over four years ago, HSI New York uncovered the operation and worked tirelessly with HSI Newark, the FBI, the New York Waterfront Commission, and the NYPD to expose crimes that defrauded victims of at least $7 million dollars and included violent robberies. I commend all agencies and personnel involved in today’s sweeping arrests, which should serve as a testament to our relentless, evidence-driven and unified effort.”“For years, these individuals allegedly hosted illegal poker games where they used sophisticated technology and enlisted current and former NBA players to cheat people out of millions of dollars,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This complex scheme was so far reaching that it included members from four of the organized crime families, and when people refused to pay because they were cheated, these defendants did what organized crime has always done: they used threats, intimidation, and violence. I want to thank the incredible team at the NYPD that worked diligently on this case, and our partners in the FBI, HSI, and the U.S Attorney’s Office for their collaboration in shutting down this illegal gambling ring.”
“Today’s indictment represents a concerted effort to combat traditional organized crime, which continues to plague our communities,” stated Waterfront Commission Executive Director Sorial. “The arrests of members from three La Cosa Nostra crime families is a stark reminder that they are not averse to working together to advance their sophisticated schemes when it serves their interest. Disruption of their illegal gambling proceeds weakens their grip on our region, particularly in the Port of New York where they have long held influence. The New York Waterfront Commission, in close coordination with its federal, state and local law enforcement partners, remains unwavering in its commitment to dismantle these criminal enterprises by severing the illicit revenue streams that sustain them.”
As alleged in the indictment, beginning as early as 2019, the defendants engaged in a series of schemes to use wireless cheating technology to rig illegal poker games (most commonly, Texas Hold’em) in the Eastern District of New York and across the United States. Co-conspirators in the scheme included game organizers, who arranged for unwitting victims to play in underground illegal poker games that were secretly rigged; suppliers of the rigged cheating technology; former professional athletes, who were enlisted as “Face Cards” in the scheme to entice the victims’ participation in the games; cheating teams who worked together using the cheating technology to defraud the victims; money launderers; and members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families of LCN, who backed games in the New York area and took a percentage of the crime proceeds from those games. LCN members and associates had a foothold in the rigged poker scheme because they had preexisting control over “straight” (i.e., non-rigged) illegal poker games in New York City, where some of the rigged poker games also occurred: one that was hosted principally at Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, that was on record with the Bonanno family (the “Lexington Avenue Game”); and a second that was hosted principally at Washington Place in Manhattan, that was on record with the Gambino family (the “Washington Place Game”). As part of the schemes, some of the charged defendants and other co-conspirators also committed acts of violence, including the robbery and extortions charged in the indictment.
In a typical legitimate poker game, a dealer uses a shuffling machine to shuffle the cards randomly before dealing them to all the players in a particular order. As set forth in the indictment, the rigged games used altered shuffling machines that contained hidden technology allowing the machines to read all the cards in the deck. Because the cards were always dealt in a particular order to the players at the table, the machines could determine which player would have the winning hand. This information was transmitted to an off-site member of the conspiracy, who then transmitted that information via cellphone back to a member of the conspiracy who was playing at the table, referred to as the “Quarterback” or “Driver.” The Quarterback then secretly signaled this information (usually by prearranged signals like touching certain chips or other items on the table) to other co-conspirators playing at the table, who were also participants in the scheme. Collectively, the Quarterback and other players in on the scheme (i.e., the cheating team) used this information to win poker games against unwitting victims, who sometimes lost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. The defendants used other cheating technology as well, such as a chip tray analyzer (essentially, a poker chip tray that also secretly read all cards using hidden cameras), an x-ray table that could read cards face down on the table, and special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards.
The defendants and their co-conspirators bet accordingly to ensure that the unsuspecting victims lost money. Through the rigged poker schemes, the defendants caused losses to victims of at least $7 million.
As alleged, members of the conspiracy fulfilled different roles to ensure the schemes’ success. The defendants Tony Goodson, Shane Hennen, Curtis Meeks, and Robert Stroud supplied the cheating technology. The defendants Ammar Awawdeh, Saul Becher, John Gallo, Zhen Hu, Stroud, and Seth Trustman organized the rigged games. Members of the cheating teams included the defendants Nelson Alvarez, Louis Apicella, Chauncey Billups, Eric Earnest, Marco Garzon, Jamie Gilet, Tony Goodson, Kenny Han, Hennen, Horatio Hu, Damon Jones, John Mazzola, Nicholas Minucci, Michael Renzulli, Angelo Ruggiero, Jr., Stroud, Trustman, and Sophia Wei. In addition, the defendant Anthony Shnayderman, among others, laundered the proceeds of the schemes. For example, game organizers sometimes directed victims to send money via bank wires to shell companies controlled by Shnayderman, who then transferred money (either in cash or cryptocurrency), less a money laundering fee, back to the game organizers.
As alleged in the indictment, the Bonanno, Genovese, and Gambino organized crime families of LCN backed the Lexington Avenue Game and the Washington Place Game and received a portion of the criminal proceeds from both the “straight” illegal poker games and rigged games run by the organizers of those games. In particular, Becher, Zhen Hu, and Trustman—the organizers of the Lexington Avenue Game—were required to make payments to defendants Ernest Aiello, Julius Ziliani, and Thomas Gelardo of the Bonanno family for the games (rigged or “straight”) that they operated. Similarly, Awawdeh and John Gallo—organizers of the Washington Place Game—were required to make payments to the defendants Lee Fama, Joseph Lanni, and Ruggiero of the Gambino family and to the defendant Matthew Daddino of the Genovese crime for the games (rigged or “straight”) that they operated. For a period in 2023, the two games merged and were jointly operated. During that period, all three organized crime families received proceeds from the rigged and illegal poker games.
As charged in the indictment, members of the conspiracy committed violent acts, including assault, extortions, and robbery, in furtherance of the schemes to ensure the repayment of debts and continued success of the operation. Between November 2022 and February 2023, Gelardo, Zhen Hu and Ziliani extorted John Doe #5 to secure the repayment of a gambling debt. Among other things, Zhen Hu and Gelardo both punched the victim to get him to pay back the debt. In September 2023 and October 2023, Becher, Zhen Hu and Trustman extorted another victim by threatening him to pay back a debt from illegal poker games. On September 7, 2023, Awawdeh, Hoti, Mazzola, Minucci, and Stroud arranged and committed a gunpoint robbery of a co-conspirator to steal a rigged shuffler machine that the defendants wanted to use.
Bettors who were defrauded in the rigged games may be victims under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act. If you believe you were a victim of the scheme, please contact 1-800-CALLFBI.
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael W. Gibaldi, Irisa Chen, and Sean M. Sherman are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists John Schneider and Marlane Bosler. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Castiglione of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
ERNEST AIELLO
Age: 46
Wantagh, New YorkNELSON ALVAREZ (also known as “Spanish g”)
Age: 53
Uniondale, New YorkLOUIS APICELLA (also known as “Lou Ap”)
Age: 50
New Rochelle, New YorkAMMAR AWAWDEH (also known as “Flapper Poker” and “Flappy”)
Age: 34
Brooklyn, New YorkSAUL BECHER
Age: 45
Bronx, New YorkCHAUNCEY BILLUPS
Age: 49
Lake Oswego, OregonMATTHEW DADDINO (also known as “Matty” and “The Wrestler”)
Age: 43
Franklin Square, New YorkERIC EARNEST (also known as “Spook”)
Age: 53
St. Louis, MissouriLEE FAMA
Age: 57
Brooklyn, New YorkJOHN GALLO
Age: 53
Brooklyn, New YorkMARCO GARZON
Age: 39
Elizabeth, New JerseyTHOMAS GELARDO (also known as “Juice”)
Age: 42
Scarsdale, New YorkJAMIE GILET
Age: 40
Jericho, New YorkTONY GOODSON (also known as “Black Tony”)
Age: 52
Forsyth, GeorgiaKENNY HAN
Age: 40
Queens, New YorkSHANE HENNEN (also known as “Sugar”)
Age: 40
Las Vegas, NevadaOSMAN HOTI (also known as “Albanian Bruce”) and “Big Bruce”)
Age: 44
Ridgefield Park, New JerseyHORATIO HU (also known as “H”)
Age: 37
Queens, New YorkZHEN HU (also known as “Jonathan Chan,” “Jonathan Hu,” “Scruli,” and “Stanley”)
Age: 37
Brooklyn, New YorkDAMON JONES (also known as “Dee Jones”)
Age: 49
Houston, TexasJOSEPH LANNI
Age: 54
Staten Island, New YorkJOHN MAZZOLA (also known as “John South”)
Age: 43
Gray, GeorgiaCURTIS MEEKS (also known as “Curt”)
Age: 41
Elgin, TexasNICHOLAS MINUCCI
Age: 39
East Northport, New YorkMICHAEL RENZULLI
Age: 42
Islip, New YorkANGELO RUGGIERO, JR.
Age: 53
Howard Beach, New YorkANTHONY SHNAYDERMAN (also known as “Doc”)
Age: 39
Brooklyn, New YorkROBERT STROUD (also known as “Black Rob”)
Age: 67
Louisville, KentuckySETH TRUSTMAN
Age: 43
Queens, New YorkSOPHIA WEI (also known as “Pookie”)
Age: 40
Queens, New YorkJULIUS ZILIANI (also known as “Jay”
Age: 54
Wayne, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 25-CR-314 (JMA)
22 October 2025
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Law Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Team up for the 29th National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey is encouraging residents to participate in this weekend’s Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration will host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, October 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at locations across the Northern District of West Virginia and the country. DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs.
“While drug overdose deaths are down nearly 40% in West Virginia, there’s still work to do. Every death is a significant loss,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey. “Lives lost are someone’s sister, brother, father, mother. Disposing of prescription drugs safely is an important preventative step.”
For sixteen years, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans safely dispose of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—to prevent drug misuse and abuse.
Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at nearly 4,500 drop-off locations nationwide.
In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 19.8 million pounds (10,000 tons) of medication from circulation since its inception.
Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
For more information and to find a collection site near you, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.
Two Philadelphia Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Pizza Shop Arson That Resulted in the Death of PFD Firefighter Lt. Sean WilliamsonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Al-Ashraf Khalil, 32, and Isaam Jaghama, 32, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe for the June 18, 2022, arson fire at a Fairhill pizza shop, which resulted in the death of Philadelphia Fire Department Lieutenant Sean Williamson and injuries to five other first responders inside the building when it collapsed.
Khalil was sentenced to 40 years in prison and Jaghama to 25 years in prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution to the city of Philadelphia for medical expenses for the injured first responders and the funeral of Lt. Williamson.
Khalil and Jaghama were charged by superseding indictment in August 2023. In November of 2024, a federal jury convicted the defendants on one count each of conspiracy to commit malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce, and one count each of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce. Khalil was also found guilty of one count of wire fraud and one count of using fire in furtherance of the commission of that wire fraud.
Khalil was the owner of the property at 300 West Indiana Avenue, which housed both apartments and the pizza shop. As proven at trial, in the early hours of June 18, 2022, he and Jaghama set a fire inside the building so that Khalil could profit by filing an insurance claim related to the fire. The day of the fire, Khalil signed paperwork authorizing an insurance adjuster to file a more than $400,000 insurance claim on his behalf.
“Lt. Williamson lost his life as a result of Khalil and Jaghama’s greed,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This is a tragedy that didn’t have to happen. Our thoughts today are with the Williamson family and everyone at the Philadelphia Fire Department — while we can never make them whole, we’re gratified that the men responsible for such an indelible loss have now been brought to justice.”
“This case is a warning to those who would use fire and endanger lives for personal gain,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF is dedicated to investigating and bringing arsonists like Khalil and Jaghama to justice. They now face decades in federal prison for their deadly crime. From our ATF Philadelphia Arson & Explosives Task Force and ATF National Response Team experts to our partners with the Philadelphia Fire and Police Departments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and more, the resources to prevent and prosecute crimes like this are profound.”
“It is difficult to believe that more than three years have passed since we lost Lt. Sean Williamson,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson. “His tragic and senseless death robbed his family of a beloved partner, father, brother and son, and robbed this City of a dedicated, respected and highly skilled firefighter. We are grateful to the law enforcement officers, attorneys, and partner agencies who worked tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.”
This case was investigated by ATF Philadelphia and the ATF’s National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections. Special thanks are given to the United States Marshals Service for their assistance in the international apprehension of Al-Ashraf Khalil.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda R. Reinitz and Michael Miller.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
The Justice Department Announces Agreement with University of VirginiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an agreement with the University of Virginia (“UVA”) that will protect UVA’s students, faculty, and employees from violations of federal civil rights laws, including from discrimination based on race, sex, or national origin.
As part of the agreement, the University of Virginia agrees to be bound by the Department of Justice’s “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination,” ensuring that UVA does not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in its university programming, admissions, hiring, or other activities. UVA will provide relevant information and data to the Department of Justice on a quarterly basis through 2028. The President of UVA will personally certify each quarter that UVA is in compliance with the agreement. The Department will pause its pending investigations into the university’s admissions policies and other civil rights concerns. The United States shall treat UVA as eligible for future grants and awards. If UVA completes its planned reforms prohibiting DEI at the university, the Department will close its investigations against UVA.
“This notable agreement with the University of Virginia will protect students and faculty from unlawful discrimination, ensuring that equal opportunity and fairness are restored,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “We appreciate the progress that the university has made in combatting antisemitism and racial bias, and other American universities should be on alert that the Justice Department will ensure that our federal civil rights laws are enforced for every American, without exception.”
Stilwell Residents Sentenced for Child Exploitation and NeglectRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Samuel Shane Allgood, age 37, and Shannon Rae Scraper, age 45, both of Stilwell, Oklahoma, were sentenced in federal district court.
Allgood was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction.
Scraper was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 20, 2025, Allgood and Scraper pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, Allgood coerced the victim into engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. Investigators also established that Scraper willfully and maliciously failed to provide the child, who was in her care, with adequate nurturance and affection, supervision, or appropriate caretakers, and failed to protect the child from sexual acts and materials.
The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
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 hearings. Allgood and Scraper will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Zachary Thomas Carson, a/k/a Zach Thomas Carson, age 36, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the District 27 Drug Task Force, the Stilwell Police Department, and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.
On June 10, 2025, Carson pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on April 21, 2025, law enforcement officers conducting a traffic stop discovered Carson in possession of 255 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, one round of .22 caliber hornet ammunition, one spent casing, and two rifle magazines containing 40 rounds of ammunition. At the time of the stop, Carson had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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).
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. Carson 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 Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Multi-Million-Dollar Catalytic Converter Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island for participating in a conspiracy to steal and sell hundreds of dollars’ worth of stolen catalytic converters, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Luis Aceituno, 27, pleaded guilty today to charges of interstate transportation of stolen property and filing false tax returns. He will be sentenced on January 22, 2026. The sentences imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to charging documents, in January 2022, the Cranston Police Department began tracking patterns surrounding the thefts of catalytic converters. A criminal group was later identified as allegedly being responsible for more than 7,000 stolen catalytic converters in Southern New England and in the greater Boston area, valued at more than $2.4 million.
Charging documents reflect that from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Aceituno and other defendants, Kuron Mitchell, 25, and Alberto Rivera, 25, canvassed neighborhoods and parking lots in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in search of unoccupied vehicles from which they could steal catalytic converters. It is alleged that many of the stolen catalytic converters were sold to a Providence company (identified in court documents as Company 1) that recycles catalytic converters. Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500.
An FBI analysis of Company 1’s databases seized during a court-authorized search of the business in February 2023, and a review of a database maintained by Rhode Island Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Identification, revealed that from 2021 to 2022, Aceituno allegedly sold 2128 catalytic converters to Company 1 and received $699,735.
In addition to his participation in the conspiracy to steal and sell catalytic converters, it is further alleged that Luis Aceituno failed to disclose to the IRS income derived from the sale of catalytic converters in tax years 2021 and 2022. It is alleged that for tax years 2021 and 2022, Aceituno failed to report a total of $699,735 in income and failed to pay a total of $199,908 due to the IRS.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Cranston Police Department, Providence Police Department, IRS-Criminal Investigations, United States Marshal Service, National Insurance Crime Bureau, Newport Police Department, Fitchburg State University Police, Watertown Police Department, Canton Police Department, Attleboro Police Department, Fall River Police Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs- Office of Inspector General-Criminal Investigations Division.
Post Falls Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – A federal grand jury in Coeur d’Alene returned an indictment today charging Zachary Dean Perpinan, 26, with Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, U.S. Attorney Bart Davis announced today.
According to court records, the investigation began with a Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), undercover operation on the dark web. During the operation, investigators identified an individual who was posting images of child sexual abuse material on the dark web. In some online postings, the individual wrote that the child was five years old, and in other posts, the individual wrote that the child was six years old. Investigators traced the source of the images to the Defendant’s residence in Post Falls, Idaho.
Working alongside the Post Falls Police Department, HSI executed a federal search warrant at the Defendant’s residence on October 10, 2025. They found the Defendant and a six-year-old girl at the residence. Law enforcement removed the Defendant and arrested him. They also seized multiple electronic devices from the Defendant’s residence and determined that they contained numerous child sexual abuse materials, including several images and videos of the six-year-old child.
If convicted, Perpinan faces a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child, a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 20 years in prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, and a maximum of 20 years in prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse materials. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the excellent work of the Post Falls Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, which led to the charges.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Portland Woman Charged with Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement Officer Near Local ICE OfficeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland woman made her first appearance in federal court yesterday after allegedly assaulting a federal officer near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Lisa Miyamoto, 56, has been charged by criminal complaint with the felony offense of assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, on October 19, 2025, federal officers deployed outside the gates of the ICE facility to clear the vehicle entrance for vehicles to exit the facility. Miyamoto forcefully struck an officer with a wooden tambourine and was arrested by officers.
Since June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office has charged 36 defendants with federal crimes for offenses committed near ICE facilities, including assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and depredation of government property.
Miyamoto made her first appearance in federal court yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was released on conditions pending further court proceedings.
Felony assault of a federal officer is punishable by up to eight years in federal prison.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Portland Resident Charged with Damaging Federal PropertyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging a Portland resident with damaging cameras affixed to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building on June 12, 2025.
Alistair Sidener, 20, made an initial appearance in federal court last Friday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Sidener was released on conditions pending further court proceedings.
Depredation of federal property in an amount exceeding $1,000 is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Since June 13, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 37 defendants with offenses committed near ICE facilities, including assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and depredation of government property.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Tax Preparer Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns for Clients and HimselfRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James J. Sirleaf, 65, of Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, one year of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $219,622, and an $1,800 special assessment by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond, for engaging in a multi-year scheme to assist clients with filing false income tax returns to fraudulently increase their refund amounts, and filing false personal income tax returns for himself.
In April 2023, Sirleaf was charged by indictment with 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns and three counts of filing false personal income tax returns. He pleaded guilty to all charges in May of this year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, at the time of the charged conduct, Sirleaf was the sole owner and operator of Metro Financial Services Inc., a tax preparation business in Philadelphia. Sirleaf prepared false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Forms 1040, or U.S. Individual Tax Returns, for client taxpayers for at least tax years 2016 through 2019.
Sirleaf included falsities on the tax returns — including false deductions, fabricated business expenses, and/or false dependent information — resulting in tax calculations lower than what the clients actually owed.
In addition, Sirleaf filed false returns for himself for tax years 2017 through 2019, failing to fully report his income, which resulted in an additional tax loss to the IRS.
In total, Sirleaf caused a tax loss to the IRS of $219,622.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Castilla Geiger.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
October 25th Is National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson today announced that Saturday, October 25, 2025, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies across the district to provide free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at designated collection sites from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
“Something as simple as clearing out a medicine cabinet can save a life,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “We don’t often think about how unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an opportunity to protect our loved ones, prevent drug misuse, and keep our communities safe by taking a few minutes to drop off unused, unwanted, or expired medications. We all need to do our part to stem the tide of the prescription drug abuse epidemic and a simple action like clearing out our medicine cabinets can make a big difference.”
For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily and safely dispose of medications that are old, unwanted, or no longer needed. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as is the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Prescription medications stored in home cabinets can become highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
Take-back events ensure the safe and responsible disposal of unwanted prescription medications.
Last year, the DEA collected over 1.3 million pounds (649 tons) of prescription drugs nationwide. Since its inception, the program has removed more than 9,910 tons of medication from circulation. The DEA hopes to surpass that total amount during this October’s take-back event.
To find a nearby collection site, visit www.DEATakeBack.com. Beyond Take Back Day, the public can safely dispose of unneeded medications year-round at more than 13,000 pharmacies, hospitals, police departments, and businesses participating in ongoing disposal programs.
Mother and Daughter Charged with Forced LaborRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Luz Maria Peña Lopez, 55, and her daughter, Tatiana Correa Peña, 36, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, with forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor, announced Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow. Peña Lopez was also charged with document servitude, and Peña Lopez’s husband, Enrique Gutierrez Rivera, 54, a municipal police officer in Carolina, Puerto Rico, was charged with misprision of a felony related to his knowledge, failure to report, and concealment of his co-defendants’ misuse of the victim’s Social Security benefits. The three defendants were placed under arrest early this morning.
According to the indictment, defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña used physical beatings, physical restraint, threats of violence, document servitude, isolation, denial of basic hygiene and medical care, and the provision of drugs and/or unprescribed medication to force the victim—an intellectually disabled adult woman—to panhandle for money, engage in criminal and fraudulent activities for their financial benefit, and perform domestic labor in their shared residence. Defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña also converted the victim’s monthly Social Security disability benefits for their own personal use.
“The Justice Department condemns the appalling abuse and forced labor inflicted on this disabled victim, as alleged in this indictment, and we are committed to ensuring the perpetrators face the full consequences of the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
The indictment specifically notes that as part of their coercive scheme to compel the victim’s labor, defendants Peña Lopez and Correa Peña threatened the victim with violence and death; physically beat the victim, sometimes using objects such as belts, broomsticks, and cables; restricted the victim’s ability to leave the residence by forcing her to sleep in a space formerly used to house goats and roosters, at times locking her inside overnight; and used the victim’s Social Security disability benefits for their own personal use, denying those funds to the victim for even basic hygiene items such as clothes, toothbrushes, deodorant, and sanitary pads.
The maximum penalty for the offense of forced labor is 20 years in federal prison. The maximum penalty for misprision of a felony is three years.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Alverez and Trial Attorney Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Anyone who believes they may have relevant information to share about this case is asked to contact the FBI Field Office at 1-787-987-6500.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Manchester Man Indicted for Unlicensed Firearms Dealing and Defrauding His EmployerRead the Press Release
Manchester Man Indicted for Unlicensed Firearms Dealing and Defrauding His Employer
CONCORD – A Manchester man was indicted for dealing firearms without a license and defrauding his employer, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Patrick Goulet, 34, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and one count of dealing in firearms without a license.
According to the indictment, Goulet worked for a New Hampshire-based firearms manufacturer which offered its employees the opportunity to purchase a limited number of firearms and firearms accessories at a large discount. Employees could also gift the discount to a friend or family member. However, the manufacturer prohibited its employees from selling or otherwise using the discount for personal profit.
Goulet used social media platforms such as Facebook to locate persons interested in buying discounted firearms. Goulet charged his customers for access to the discounted firearms. Because Goulet quickly used up his own allotted number of discounted purchases, he used the names and company identification numbers of his co-workers to fulfill order requests. Between August 2021 and June 2024 alone, Goulet facilitated the sale of several hundred discounted firearms and firearms accessories.
The charging statute for wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of twice the gross gain or loss. The charging statute for firearms dealing without a license provides a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Foreign National Indicted for Stealing Millions from Elderly Victims by Posing as A Federal AgentRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A 23-year-old Indian citizen and resident of Waxhaw, N.C., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Charlotte for his role in a fraud conspiracy to steal millions from elderly victims, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal indictment was returned on October 22, 2025, and charges Shubh Ketankumar Patel with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and false impersonation of an employee or officer of the United States.
Steven Gutierrez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Sheriff Alan Norman of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the bill of indictment, from 2023 to May 2024, Patel and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud victims by posing as federal agents or other investigators. Patel and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted mostly elderly victims and tricked them into handing over substantial portions of their financial savings for supposed safekeeping, or to avoid arrest and prosecution on made-up charges. It is alleged that Patel and his co-conspirators regularly targeted older adults across the United States, including in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.
The indictment alleges that one of Patel’s roles in the conspiracy was to collect cash from victims. As such, on multiple occasions during the conspiracy, Patel drove to a victim’s residence purporting to be a federal agent and obtained cash from a victim in a face-to-face transaction. Over the course of the scheme, Patel and his co-conspirators defrauded multiple individuals of more than $2 million.
The charges against the defendant are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Patel faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy offense and three years in prison for impersonating an officer of the United States. A federal district court judge will determine Patel’s ultimate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Secret Service and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Federal grand jury indicts prior felon on gun chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Paul Kozlyuk, 39, of Brockport, NY, with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously complaint, Kozlyuk is president and owner of Ameritrans Group Inc. in Brockport, NY, a for-hire interstate motor carrier. In February 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, Monroe County Sherrif’s Office, and Internal Revenue Service, began investigating Kozlyuk and Ameritrans for violations of federal tax laws, the transportation of stolen goods across state lines, and fraud involving the DOT. On September 10, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Kozlyuk’s home and Ameritrans’ offices in Brockport. Investigators recovered eight firearms, to include seven rifles and a pistol, and ammunition.
In November 2018, Kozlyuk was sentenced to serve 27 months in prison after being convicted of defrauding several small businesses in connection with his former business, the Marketview Heights Garage. As a result, Kozlyuk is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Kozlyuk was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held without bail.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis, and the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, under the direction Special Agent in Charge, Brian Gallagher, Northeast Region.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Indictment Charges Charlotte Man for Light Rail Fatal Attack of Iryna ZarutskaRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On October 22, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment, charging Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr., 34, with committing an act of violence causing death on a railroad carrier and mass transportation system, for the fatal attack of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail system, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Brown was initially charged via a federal criminal complaint on September 9, 2025.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in filed court documents, on August 22, 2025, Brown stabbed Iryna Zarutska on the Lynx Blue Line light rail. Surveillance footage showed the victim entering the light rail car and sitting down in the row in front of Brown. Approximately four minutes later, Brown pulled a knife from his pocket and unfolded it before striking the victim three times from behind, killing her. Following the attack, it is alleged that Brown walked away from the victim. Responding officers located Brown on the light rail platform.
Brown is charged with one count of violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison or death. The indictment includes a Notice of Special Findings which could permit the United States to seek the death penalty. The Justice Department has not yet announced whether it will seek the death penalty.
The State also has pending charges against Brown for first degree murder.
The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Cervantes and Edward R. Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
The charges against Brown are allegations and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.