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14 October 2025
Romanian National Set to Plead Guilty for Participation in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Claudiu Pesteleu is set to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on October 16, 2025, at 1:30 pm.
Pesteleu, 43, a Romanian national illegally present in the United States, participated in a nationwide fraud scheme involving businesses that were impersonated through false websites. These fake websites would cause victims to wire money—believing they were purchasing real products, such as cars and equipment. The funds would then be wired to the bank accounts of shell companies, which had been organized with fake foreign passports and identity documents.
Pesteleu's participation in this scheme lasted from May 2023 through June 2024. His specific role was to assist co-conspirators in obtaining and then concealing these fraudulently obtained funds. For example, Pesteleu obtained false identity documents and then organized businesses under the names of these false identities. The shell companies and alias that Pesteleu used in this scheme included Zammer Equipment LLC (under the alias Matthias Zammer), Super Exotic Deals LLC (Samuel Der Saar), Premier E. Liquidators LLC (Fred Laport), Adler Pre Owned LLC (Boris Adler), and Bittman Motors LLC (Fritz Bittman). Pesteleu also used the additional alias of Thomas Muller. After creating these shell companies, Pesteleu then opened bank accounts using the names of these shell companies and his false identities. Consumers would then be instructed to wire funds to these accounts—mistakenly believing they were making real purchases. A total of approximately $1,800,000.00 in fraudulently obtained funds was sent by various consumers to bank accounts that Pesteleu controlled. Once these funds entered these bank accounts, Pesteleu then engaged in numerous financial transactions with these funds in order to make it difficult for law enforcement officials to discover this scheme and to seize these funds.
If you believe you were a victim of Pesteleu, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations tipline at 866-347-2423.
If you are a victim or potential victim and would like to attend the plea hearing on October 16, 2025, at 1:30 pm or have questions, please contact Victim Specialist Jacquie Gutierrez at (575) 522-2304 before the date of the hearing for more information.
The Homeland Security Investigations Deming investigated this case with assistance from the Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Las Cruces Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case.
Roger Ver Admits to Misconduct and Enters into Deferred Prosecution AgreementRead the Press Release
Note: View the motion to dismiss and deferred prosecution agreement.
Roger Ver, an early bitcoin investor known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department to resolve federal tax charges brought against him. Under the agreement, Ver has paid the IRS nearly $50 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest stemming from his willful failure to properly report his bitcoin holdings on tax returns when he expatriated from the United States in 2014. Today, the government has moved to dismiss the indictment against him.
The following is according to the deferred prosecution agreement: Starting in 2011, Ver began acquiring bitcoins. Over the years, he avidly promoted them, even obtaining the moniker “Bitcoin Jesus.” In March 2014, Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship after obtaining citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis, a process known as expatriation. Due to his net worth, Ver was required to file certain expatriation-related tax returns and to pay taxes on the capital gains on his world-wide assets, including his bitcoins.
In the agreement, Ver admitted that when he filed these returns in May 2016, he did not report all his bitcoins and pay the required capital gains tax on their constructive sale. Ver admitted that his failure to report capital gains from all these bitcoins caused a loss to the United States of $16,864,105. Ver admitted that the understatement of tax caused by his failure to report ownership of all his bitcoins was willful, which is legally defined as the intentional violation of a known legal duty. Accordingly, Ver admitted he owed the maximum penalty available under 26 U.S.C. § 6663 of more than $12 million, as well as interest on the taxes and penalties.
Associate Deputy Attorney General Ketan D. Bhirud of the Justice Department’s Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Acting United States Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California; and Kareem Carter, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
“We are pleased that Mr. Ver has taken responsibility for his past misconduct and satisfied his obligations to the American public. This resolution sends a clear message: whether you deal in dollars or digital assets, you must file accurate tax returns and pay what you owe,” said Associate Deputy Attorney General Ketan D. Bhirud.
“Mr. Ver is accepting responsibility for his actions and has agreed to pay a substantial penalty,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Every person, whether you’re a millionaire or not, is required by law to pay taxes and we will not hesitate to hold anyone accountable.”
“Today’s resolution demonstrates that there are consequences for those who intentionally conceal their assets and evade their tax obligations,” said Kareem Carter, Executive Special Agent in Charge. “No matter how sophisticated the technology or the asset, IRS-CI will continue to follow the money, ensure compliance, and protect the integrity of our tax system.”
The Cyber Crimes Unit of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Washington, D.C. Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Peter J. Anthony of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James. C. Hughes of the Central District of California prosecuted the case.
Plaster’s union member sentenced for defrauding health care planRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Toby Weatherbee, 49, of Pike, NY, who was convicted of theft or embezzlement in connection with health care, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation and pay restitution totaling $44,012 by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that between April 2019, and October 2022, in the Western District of New York, Weatherbee was a member of Plaster’s Local Union #9, which maintained a health care benefit program designed to reimburse union members for legitimate and valid out of pocket medical expenses. In May 2021, Weatherbee submitted a fraudulent invoice from Dansville Dental Professionals, LLP., in the amount of $6,720.00 to the health and welfare fund, converting for his own use funds belonging to the health and welfare fund. In total, between April 2019, and October 2022, Weatherbee submitted a total of 12 fraudulent invoices totaling $44, 012.
The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration.
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Nicaraguan Citizen Indicted After Law Enforcement Seize 104,000 Blue Fentanyl Pills in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Nicaraguan citizen, living in the United States illegally, was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug crimes after he allegedly trafficked approximately 104,000 blue M30 fentanyl pills that tested positive for fentanyl and weighed 23 pounds total.
Hector Luis Castillo-Reyes, 33, an undocumented Nicaraguan citizen living in Denver, Colorado, was charged on October 14, 2025. According to court documents, on this date, a San Juan County Deputy Sheriff stopped Castillo-Reyes for a traffic violation. A K9 alerted to the odor of illegal narcotics and the vehicle was searched. Law enforcement found 104,000 blue M30 pills that weighed 23 pounds and field-tested positive for fentanyl. Castillo-Reyes, the sole occupant in the vehicle, was taken into custody.
Castillo-Reyes is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment was October 30, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. A two-day jury trial is scheduled for January 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 2B 206 in St. George.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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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*This press release was posted November 14, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in 2022 Lehigh Valley Plane Crash That Killed Student Pilot, and Dozens of Additional ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Philip McPherson II, 37, of Riverside, New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to involuntary manslaughter, in connection with a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot.
The defendant, who was charged by second superseding indictment in April of this year, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
As detailed in court filings, on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off as the pilot-in-command of a Piper-28-140 aircraft from Queen City Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with student pilot K.K. Shortly after takeoff, McPherson crashed the plane, killing K.K.
As further detailed, McPherson acted with gross negligence because he knew that he was not competent to safely fly an aircraft as the pilot-in-command. Specifically, McPherson knew that: (1) he was not competent to safely operate the aircraft because he had two prior accidents and almost a third; (2) he failed his September 29, 2021, reexamination for his pilot’s certificate for a lack of demonstrated competence; (3) he voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate on October 7, 2021, acknowledging his lack of competence; and (4) he allowed his Temporary Airman Certificate to expire on November 8, 2021, thus further acknowledging his inability to demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) his competence to fly safely.
McPherson also admitted to illegally serving as the pilot-in-command of an aircraft with passengers while not possessing an FAA pilot’s certificate permitting him to do so. These flights occurred between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27 and faces a maximum possible term of 153 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $10,750,000 fine and a $4,300 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Federal Aviation Administration, and Salisbury Township (Pa.) Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Moore Capito Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Southern District of West VirginiaRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Moore Capito is now the chief law enforcement officer for the Southern District of West Virginia. President Donald J. Trump nominated Capito on June 30, 2025, and the United States Senate confirmed his nomination on October 7, 2025. Capito was sworn in by the Honorable Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk in a private ceremony on Friday, October 10, 2025.
“I am grateful to President Trump and the United States Senate for the opportunity to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia,” Capito said. “President Trump is a consequential leader whose bold initiatives are reshaping the course of our nation. His unwavering commitment to restoring law and order, securing our communities, and reasserting America’s strength at home and abroad marks a pivotal moment in our history. Like so many West Virginians, I share President Trump’s commitment to law and order. Last week, I took an oath to lead this talented office. I have devoted my days since to ensuring that I understand our district’s pulse. I can now say with confidence, together with our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will protect our communities with strength and strive every day to make West Virginia the safest place to live, work, and raise a family.”
The United States Attorney’s Office oversees the prosecution of federal criminal offenses and the litigation of civil matters in which the United States has a legal interest in the 23 counties within the Southern District of West Virginia. As United States Attorney, Capito leads a staff of 37 attorneys and 40 non-attorney personnel located in offices in Charleston, Huntington, and Beckley.
Capito has substantial experience in corporate and energy law, including all phases of complex corporate, commercial, and real estate transactions. Prior to taking office, Capito practiced law with the Babst Calland law firm. Capito represented publicly traded and privately held clients in corporate mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures as well as business structuring, governance, commercial contracts, and real estate transactions. Capito also advised and counseled companies in navigating the complex legal landscape of emerging technologies, including data center development.
Capito previously served in the West Virginia Legislature, where he was elected to four terms in the House of Delegates representing the 35th District in Kanawha County. As a legislator, Capito served as Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary among other committee assignments and leadership positions.
Capito earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Duke University and his law degree from Washington and Lee University.
As a lifelong West Virginian, Capito and his wife Liberty are proud to raise their family in the Mountain State.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Maryland Man Charged with Mailing Threatening Communications to Jewish Institutions and Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Maryland, was charged by information with 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, arising from numerous threats sent to Jewish organizations and entities.
These charges follow Seferlis’ arrest in June on a criminal complaint and warrant in connection with such threats.
As alleged in the information, from at least March 2024 through at least June 2025, the defendant used the United States mail to transmit at least 40 letters and at least two postcards to more than 25 Jewish organizations and entities located in multiple jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, synagogues, Jewish museums, Jewish community centers, Jewish schools, Jewish non-profit organizations, and a Jewish delicatessen. In many of these letters and postcards, defendant Seferlis threatened to destroy physical buildings and/or to injure individuals.
Specifically, the information alleges that Seferlis caused the U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) to deliver threatening communications to these institutions on or about the following dates:
Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
Jewish Institution 2, an entity in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(April 4, 2024; July 29, 2024; January 18, 2025; March 5, 2025; May 7, 2025; May 9, 2025)
Jewish Institution 3, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
(January 18, 2025)
Jewish Institution 4, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
(February 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 5, an entity in Fairfax, Virginia
(February 7, 2025)
Jewish Institution 6, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
(March 2025)
Jewish Institution 7, an entity in Rockville, Maryland
(May 12, 2025)
Jewish Institution 8, an entity in Washington, D.C.
(May 29, 2025; June 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 9, an entity in Washington, D.C.
(June 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 10, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
(June 3, 2025)
Each alleged communication listed above contained a threat to injure the occupants of the receiving institution.
The information further alleges that the defendant, by threat of force, intentionally obstructed and attempted to obstruct congregants and other attendees in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs, by threatening to harm the occupants of:
Jewish Institution 1, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(March 6, 2024; January 24, 2025)
Jewish Institution 11, a synagogue in Rockville, Maryland
(January 25, 2025)
Jewish Institution 12, a synagogue in Falls Church, Virginia
(January 31, 2025)
Jewish Institution 13, a synagogue in Gaithersburg, Maryland
(February 3, 2025)
Jewish Institution 14, a synagogue in Washington, D.C.
(February 10, 2025)
Jewish Institution 15, a synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland
(March 2025)
Jewish Institution 16, a synagogue in Brookline, Massachusetts
(June 3, 2025)
Further, the alleged offenses against Jewish Institution 12, Jewish Institution 13, Jewish Institution 14, and Jewish Institution 15 included the threatened use of a dangerous weapon, fire, or explosives.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 207 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $5,650,000 fine.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia, with assistance from FBI Baltimore, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s Greenbelt office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff.
The charges and allegations contained in the information are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Marshall County Resident Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ashley Nicole Castleberry-Miller, age 31, of Kingston, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, to be followed by three years of Supervised Release.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole Police Department.
On April 3, 2025, Castleberry-Miller pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on April 20, 2024, Castleberry-Miller unlawfully killed the victim when she failed to devote full time and attention to driving, drove left of the center line of the roadway while driving without due caution, and operated a motor vehicle under the influence of an intoxicating substance other than alcohol. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole 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 hearing. Castleberry-Miller 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 Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Lehigh County Man Sentenced for Obtaining, Distributing Misbranded Drugs to Allentown-Area Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Francis Matos, 51, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to two years’ probation and a $5,000 fine by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
Matos was charged by information in April of this year and pleaded guilty in May.
As detailed in court filings, beginning in or about May 2022, Matos arranged to have others purchase pharmaceutical drugs in the Dominican Republic and mail them to him and other individuals in Allentown and elsewhere. These drugs included tablets containing sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. At other times, Matos purchased and obtained pharmaceutical drugs in the United States, at locations outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and transported them or had them delivered to his residence.
The defendant and others then delivered and sold the pharmaceutical drugs to customers, typically small convenience stores located within the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Neither Matos nor his business, Suplidora America, ever had a license to obtain, hold, or dispense pharmaceutical drugs. Further, Matos did not require his customers to provide a prescription to obtain pharmaceutical drugs from him or his business, even though many of the drugs that he and his associates dispensed required such a prescription.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Boscia.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Homicide convict sent to federal prison after illegal aliens found crammed in trunk and on floorboard of compact carRead 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.
LAREDO, Texas – A 57-year-old Rio Bravo man has been ordered to federal prison for human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Antonio Pena pleaded guilty May 6.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Pena to serve 63 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how Pena has remained a decades-long danger to others in the community. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the breadth of his criminal history, which includes a homicide conviction, the risk of substantial bodily injury or death he imposed on the two illegal aliens crammed into his trunk and attacks made to other inmates while Pena awaited sentencing.
On Feb. 14, Pena was driving a black Chevrolet Cruz that appeared heavily weighted down and sagging in the rear. He pulled into a gas station, claiming he was “just getting gas.” When law enforcement approached him, he appeared nervous, stuttered and clutched his phone while insisting there was no one else in the car. Law enforcement also noticed he was holding just a single key without any other personalized keys attached.
A subsequent search revealed one person lying on the floorboard and two more crammed in the trunk. Authorities determined all three were citizens of Mexico and in the United States illegally.
One illegal alien admitted he had waded across the Rio Grande and was awaiting transport to Atlanta when Pena arrived. He saw two others already hidden in the trunk when Pena instructed him to lie on the floorboard.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tae W. Chon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Fort Gibson Resident Sentenced for Second Degree Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that David Allen Lee, age 44, of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 384 months in prison for one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, to be followed by 5 years of Supervised Release.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On June 5, 2025, Lee was found guilty of the charge by a federal jury at trial. According to investigators, on July 2, 2024, Lee stabbed a Tahlequah resident in the chest with a knife at the victim’s residence. Lee waited to call 911 for several hours after the victim’s death and barricaded himself inside the residence before finally surrendering to police. The crime occurred in Cherokee 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 hearing. Lee will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.
Former IT Technician Sentenced for Stealing Coworker's Personal Data and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An IT Technician was sentenced today for possessing child pornography and obtaining personal and intimate photographs of co-workers and their families, as well as collecting data to access their personal information online, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. Circuit Judge Gustavo A. Gelpi, Jr., sentenced Chad Henry Davis, 32, for three counts of Obtaining Information by Computer from a Protected Computer, Possession of Fifteen or More Unauthorized Access Devices, Possession of Child Pornography, and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. Judge Gelpi ordered Davis to serve 87 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Davis will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Court documents show the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip. Investigators found that Davis possessed at least 12 images and two videos that showed minor children being sexually abused. They further discovered personal and intimate photos that did not belong to Davis. When officers executed a federal warrant at his home, they found that Davis abused his access as an IT Technician and accessed his co-worker’s computers remotely.
Davis admitted to accessing and saving private photos of former co-workers that contained sensitive pictures of family members, including images of adults and one pubic area of a minor. He further admitted to collecting more than 500 usernames and passwords for personal banking, financial, medical, educational, and social media accounts that belonged to his co-workers.
Davis will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Early Cryptocurrency Investor Known as ‘Bitcoin Jesus’ Admits to Misconduct and Enters into Deferred Prosecution AgreementRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Roger Ver, an early bitcoin investor known as “Bitcoin Jesus,” entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department to resolve federal tax charges brought against him.
Under the agreement, Ver has paid the IRS nearly $50 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest stemming from his willful failure to properly report his bitcoin holdings on tax returns when he expatriated from the United States in 2014.
Today, the government has moved to dismiss the indictment against him.
The following is according to the deferred prosecution agreement: Starting in 2011, Ver began acquiring bitcoins. Over the years, he avidly promoted them, even obtaining the moniker “Bitcoin Jesus.” In March 2014, Ver renounced his U.S. citizenship after obtaining citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis, a process known as expatriation. Due to his net worth, Ver was required to file certain expatriation-related tax returns and to pay taxes on the capital gains on his world-wide assets, including his bitcoins.
In the agreement, Ver admitted that when he filed these returns in May 2016, he did not report all his bitcoins and pay the required capital gains tax on their constructive sale. Ver admitted that his failure to report capital gains from all these bitcoins caused a loss to the United States of $16,864,105. Ver admitted that the understatement of tax caused by his failure to report ownership of all his bitcoins was willful, which is legally defined as the intentional violation of a known legal duty. Accordingly, Ver admitted he owed the maximum penalty of more than $12 million, as well as interest on the taxes and penalties.
“Mr. Ver is accepting responsibility for his actions and has agreed to pay a substantial penalty,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Every person, whether you’re a millionaire or not, is required by law to pay taxes and we will not hesitate to hold anyone accountable.”
“We are pleased that Mr. Ver has taken responsibility for his past misconduct and satisfied his obligations to the American public. This resolution sends a clear message: whether you deal in dollars or digital assets, you must file accurate tax returns and pay what you owe,” said Associate Deputy Attorney General Ketan D. Bhirud.
“Today’s resolution demonstrates that there are consequences for those who intentionally conceal their assets and evade their tax obligations,” said Kareem Carter, Executive Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “No matter how sophisticated the technology or the asset, IRS-CI will continue to follow the money, ensure compliance, and protect the integrity of our tax system.”
The Cyber Crimes Unit of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Washington, D.C. Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section, and Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Peter J. Anthony of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Dover Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Stalking Three Women for Multiple YearsRead the Press Release
Dover Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for
Stalking Three Women for Multiple Years
CONCORD – A Dover man was sentenced on October 14, 2025 in federal court in Concord for stalking three women he was in intimate relationships with over a period of five years by using anonymous phone numbers and email accounts to create a fictious stalker, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jason Subirana, age 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to 41 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a $15,000 fine, and ordered to pay $12,110.82 in restitution. Subirana pleaded guilty to three counts of cyberstalking on May 20, 2025.
“For five years, this defendant weaponized personal relationships to inflict fear, humiliation, and emotional harm on his victims,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Cyberstalking is not a crime that happens only online—it causes lasting damage in the real world. This sentence holds the defendant accountable for his campaign of intimidation and demonstrates our commitment to protecting victims from those who misuse technology to harass and control others.”
“What Jason Subirana did was simply outrageous and now he’ll pay a hefty price for his crimes,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Mr. Subirana engaged in a five-year cyberstalking campaign during which he betrayed the trust of his victims and inflicted significant and lasting emotional harm. This sentence holds him accountable for using today’s technology in such a despicable way.”
Between November 2016 - December 2021, the defendant stalked three women he was in close personal relationships with. He used more than 50 anonymous phone numbers, provided by TextNow, and anonymous email accounts to send over 650 harassing messages to the three victims from a fictious stalker. He attempted to manipulate his victims and cause emotional distress.
In addition to sending harassing communications to the victims, the defendant also sent himself harassing messages from the fictious stalker using anonymous accounts. The defendant collected compromising information about the victims and then sent the compromising information to himself under the guise that he received it from “the stalker.” The defendant then actively distanced himself from “the stalker” by accusing innocent individuals of being his victim’s “stalker.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S Attorney John Kennedy prosecuted the case.
Compounding Pharmacy Owner Sent Back to PrisonRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Jenks man was sentenced today for failing to abide by the terms of his supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Christopher R. Parks, 65, to 15 months imprisonment, followed by 21 months of supervised release.
In October 2023, court records show that Parks was convicted of Conspiracy to Offer and Pay Health Care Kickbacks and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release. The Court ordered Parks to pay more than $6.4 million in restitution and make monthly payments of at least $1,000 or 10% of net income, whichever is greater.
In April 2025, the U.S. Probation and Service Office (Probation) petitioned the court for a summons to compel Parks to come before the court. The petition alleges that Parks failed to make several payments. Court records show that Parks has paid only $8,450 toward his restitution since his release in January 2024.
During the investigation, Probation discovered that Parks failed to disclose several checking accounts and businesses.
He also engaged in efforts to obtain loans and/or credit and transferred assets to his family without first consulting with the Probation Office.Court records show that from March 2024 through June 2025, more than $560,000 was deposited and withdrawn from these accounts. Of the withdrawals, more than $320,000 was withdrawn in cash. Despite knowing he was facing additional prison time for noncompliance, court documents show that Parks continued to mislead Probation.
Parks will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Probation and Service Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Whipple prosecuted the case.
Chinese National Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Sell Oxycodone on the DarknetRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Zhengchang Huang, aka “chinodrug,” Chihwei Lim, and Yang Yong, 34, a Chinese national who had been legally residing in Kent, Washington, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine by United States District Judge Michael M. Baylson for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Judge Baylson also ordered the forfeiture of nearly 200 Bitcoins, worth approximately $22 million as of today, deemed to constitute or derive from the proceeds of Huang’s criminal conduct.
The defendant was charged by indictment in April 2024 and pleaded guilty this February.
As detailed in court filings and statements, Huang led a conspiracy to operate as the drug vendor “chinodrug” from the U.S. and abroad. Through the darknet, encrypted peer to peer communications, and other means, Huang and his co-conspirators in Asia and the United States sold millions of dollars of Schedule II controlled substances, primarily oxycodone, to U.S. buyers. The drugs were smuggled in from China using Huang’s large international network. They were later advertised and sold on the dark web.
These illegal narcotics were shipped via U.S. mail to customers in multiple states, including the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in exchange for virtual currency. Evidence in the case indicates that, from 2018 through early 2025, the “chinodrug” organization shipped more than 15,000 suspected opioid parcels from Washington State to U.S. customers across the country, generating millions in illicit revenue.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.
Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced-Labor Scam Compounds Engaged in Cryptocurrency Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY - An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Chen Zhi, also known as “Vincent,” the founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group (Prince Group), a multinational business conglomerate based in Cambodia, with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for directing Prince Group’s operation of forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia. Individuals held against their will in the compounds engaged in cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, known as “pig butchering” scams, that stole billions of dollars from victims in the United States and around the world. The defendant is at large.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department’s National Security Division also filed today a civil forfeiture complaint against approximately 127,271 bitcoin, currently worth approximately $15 billion, that are proceeds and instrumentalities of the defendant’s fraud and money laundering schemes, and were previously stored in unhosted cryptocurrency wallets whose private keys the defendant had in his possession. Those funds (the Defendant Cryptocurrency) are presently in the custody of the U.S. government. The complaint is the largest forfeiture action in the history of the Department of Justice.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi; Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Frank A Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA New York), and William Ferrari , Deputy Assistant Director, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Office of Investigations, announced the indictment and forfeiture action.
“Today’s action represents one of the most significant strikes ever against the global scourge of human trafficking and cyber-enabled financial fraud,” stated Attorney General Bondi. "By dismantling a criminal empire built on forced labor and deception, we are sending a clear message that the United States will use every tool at its disposal to defend victims, recover stolen assets, and bring to justice those who exploit the vulnerable for profit. We are grateful for the hard work of Director Patel and the men and women of the FBI.”
“As alleged, the defendant directed one of the largest investment fraud operations in history, fueling an illicit industry that is reaching epidemic proportions,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Prince Group’s investment scams have caused billions of dollars in losses and untold misery to victims around the world, including here in New York, on the backs of individuals who have been trafficked and forced to work against their will. This historic indictment and forfeiture complaint send a strong message to fraudsters everywhere that we will pursue you no matter where you are, no matter who you are, and no matter your insidious methods, and we will never stop fighting for victims.”
“As alleged, the defendant was the mastermind behind a sprawling cyber-fraud empire operating under the Prince Group umbrella, a criminal enterprise built on human suffering. Trafficked workers were confined in prison-like compounds and forced to carry out online scams on an industrial scale, preying on thousands worldwide, including many here in the United States,” stated Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg. “This indictment and historic forfeiture, the largest in Department history, reflect our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to ensure such crimes do not pay.”
“Chen Zhi, the chairman of Prince Group, a transnational criminal organization, allegedly orchestrated an international cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme and labor trafficking network to steal billions of dollars from thousands of victims,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Zhi allegedly victimized countless individuals: forcing thousands to serve as trapped accomplices and targeting countless others for their wallets. By leveraging his co-conspirators and political influence, this alleged operation plagued all corners of the globe and evaded law enforcement detection for years. Today’s indictment and historical forfeiture action demonstrates the FBI’s relentless determination to eradicate all unlawful revenue streams fueling criminal activity no matter where they are in the world.
“Once again, we see the tremendous success of DEA’s Trident Initiative, an initiative built with our federal law enforcement partners to target and dismantle sophisticated criminal networks and their leadership, operating across the globe,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “This investigation exposes a staggering level of fraud, corruption, and criminal greed that allowed billions of dollars in illicit funds to flow through global financial systems, leaving behind a trail of victims. It also highlights how transnational criminal organizations continue to evolve, leveraging cryptocurrency and other digital assets to move their money and mask their crimes. Money laundering isn’t a victimless crime, it fuels drug trade, funds violence, and undermines the rule of law. The DEA remains committed to tracing every dollar, following every transaction, and bringing those who abuse our financial networks to justice.”
“This case is a powerful example of the DSS global footprint and our ability to collaborate seamlessly with both U.S. and international law enforcement on complex, multi-jurisdictional fraud schemes,” stated DSS Deputy Assistant Director Ferrari. “Every day, DSS and our partners around the world are conducting investigations just like this, disrupting transnational criminal networks and protecting U.S. interests abroad.”
As alleged in the indictment and forfeiture complaint, since approximately 2015, the defendant has been the founder and chairman of Prince Group, a Cambodian corporate conglomerate that operates dozens of business entities in more than 30 countries. Prince Group is ostensibly focused on real estate development, financial services, and consumer services. However, in secret, the defendant and his top executives grew Prince Group into one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organizations. Under the defendant’s direction, Prince Group made enormous profits operating scam compounds across Cambodia that perpetrated fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.
To perpetrate these schemes, malicious actors contacted unwitting victims through messaging or social media applications and convinced them to transfer cryptocurrency to specified accounts based on false promises that the funds would be invested and generate profits. In reality, the funds were stolen from the victims and laundered for the benefit of the perpetrators. The scam perpetrators often built relationships with their victims over time, earning their trust before stealing their funds.
Prince Group’s schemes targeted victims around the world, including in the United States, with assistance from local networks working on Prince Group’s behalf. One such network operated in Brooklyn, New York and facilitated the fraudulent transfer and laundering of millions of dollars on behalf of Prince Group from over 250 victims in New York and across the country.
Prince Group carried out these schemes by trafficking hundreds of workers and forcing them to work in compounds in Cambodia and execute the scams, often under the threat of violence. The compounds housed vast dormitories surrounded by high walls and barbed wire, and functioned as violent forced labor camps. The defendant was directly involved in managing the scam compounds and maintained records associated with each one, including ledgers tracking profits and which fraudulent schemes were run out of which rooms. The defendant also maintained documents describing and depicting “phone farms” at the compounds: automated call centers that used thousands of phones and millions of mobile telephone numbers to facilitate the various fraudulent schemes. The defendant was directly involved in using violence against the individuals within the forced labor camps and possessed images of Prince Group’s violent methods, including photographs depicting beatings and other methods of torture. The defendant communicated directly with his subordinates about beating individuals who “caused trouble,” in one case specifying that the victims should not be “beaten to death.”
In furtherance of these schemes, the defendant and a close network of Prince Group’s top executives used their political influence in multiple foreign countries to protect their criminal enterprise and paid bribes to public officials to avoid disruption by law enforcement. They subsequently laundered the proceeds of the fraudulent schemes through professional money laundering operations and through Prince Group’s own network of ostensibly legal business enterprises, including its online gambling and cryptocurrency mining operations.
At the defendant’s direction, Prince Group associates used sophisticated cryptocurrency laundering techniques to obscure the source of fraudulent Prince Group profits, including “spraying” and “funneling” techniques in which large volumes of cryptocurrency were repeatedly disaggregated across scores of virtual currency addresses and then re-consolidated into fewer addresses to obscure the source of the funds. Some of these criminal proceeds were ultimately held in wallets at cryptocurrency exchanges or exchanged for traditional currency and stored in traditional bank accounts. Other criminal proceeds included the Defendant Cryptocurrency, which was stored in unhosted cryptocurrency wallets whose private keys the defendant personally held. The defendant maintained diagrams recording the process by which some of the Defendant Cryptocurrency was laundered. The defendant boasted to others of Prince Group’s mining businesses that “the profit is considerable because there is no cost”—that is, unlike legitimate enterprises, the operating capital for the cryptocurrency mining businesses comprised money stolen from Prince Group’s many victims.
The defendant and his co-conspirators subsequently used some of the criminal proceeds for luxury travel and entertainment and to make extravagant purchases such as watches, yachts, private jets, vacation homes, high-end collectables, and rare artwork, including a Picasso painting purchased through an auction house in New York City.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI New York Joint Asian Criminal Enterprise Task Force with assistance from the FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit.
In parallel with today’s actions by the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury today designated Prince Group as a transnational criminal organization and announced sanctions against the defendant and multiple associated individuals and entities, for their roles in illicit activity. The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also announced sanctions.
If you have information about Chen Zhi or Prince Group, please contact the FBI at PrinceGroupTips@fbi.gov. According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone. You can learn more about cryptocurrency investment fraud here: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/national-crimes-and-victim-resources/cryptocurrency-investment-fraud. Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.
The government’s case is being handled by the Eastern District of New York’s National Security and Cybercrime, Asset Recovery, Business and Securities Fraud, and Public Integrity Sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Mindlin, Andrew D. Reich, Benjamin Weintraub and Rebecca M. Schuman are in charge of the prosecution, in partnership with Deputy Chief Christopher B. Brown of the National Security Division’s NatSec Cyber Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance during the investigation. The Office also thanks the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the Isle of Man Constabulary’s Proactive International Money-Laundering Investigations Team and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which also announced sanctions today against entities related to Prince Group.
The Defendant:
CHEN ZHI (also known as “Vincent”)
Age: 37
United Kingdom and CambodiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-312
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CV-5745
Chairman of Prince Group Indicted for Operating Cambodian Forced Labor Scam Compounds Engaged in Cryptocurrency Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Note: This press release has been updated to accurately reflect the defendant's nationality.
An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging Cambodian national Chen Zhi, also known as Vincent, 37, the founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group (Prince Group), a multinational business conglomerate based in Cambodia, with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for directing Prince Group’s operation of forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia. Individuals held against their will in the compounds engaged in cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, known as “pig butchering” scams, that stole billions of dollars from victims in the United States and around the world. The defendant is at large.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Justice Department’s National Security Division also filed today a civil forfeiture complaint against approximately 127,271 Bitcoin, currently worth approximately $15 billion, that are proceeds and instrumentalities of the defendant’s fraud and money laundering schemes, and were previously stored in unhosted cryptocurrency wallets whose private keys the defendant had in his possession. Those funds (the Defendant Cryptocurrency) are presently in the custody of the U.S. government. The complaint is the largest forfeiture action in the history of the Department of Justice.
“Today’s action represents one of the most significant strikes ever against the global scourge of human trafficking and cyber-enabled financial fraud,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “By dismantling a criminal empire built on forced labor and deception, we are sending a clear message that the United States will use every tool at its disposal to defend victims, recover stolen assets, and bring to justice those who exploit the vulnerable for profit. We are grateful for the hard work of Director Patel and the men and women of the FBI.”
“Today the FBI and partners executed one of the largest financial fraud takedowns in history,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This is an individual who allegedly operated a vast criminal network across multiple continents involving forced labor, money laundering, investment schemes, and stolen assets — targeting millions of innocent victims in the process. Justice will be done and I’m proud of the men and women of the FBI who executed the mission faithfully.”
“As alleged, the defendant was the mastermind behind a sprawling cyber-fraud empire operating under the Prince Group umbrella, a criminal enterprise built on human suffering. Trafficked workers were confined in prison-like compounds and forced to carry out online scams on an industrial scale, preying on thousands worldwide, including many here in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “This indictment and historic forfeiture, the largest in Department history, reflect our commitment to using every tool at our disposal to ensure such crimes do not pay.”
“As alleged, the defendant directed one of the largest investment fraud operations in history, fueling an illicit industry that is reaching epidemic proportions,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Prince Group’s investment scams have caused billions of dollars in losses and untold misery to victims around the world, including here in New York, on the backs of individuals who have been trafficked and forced to work against their will. This historic indictment and forfeiture complaint send a strong message to fraudsters everywhere that we will pursue you no matter where you are, no matter who you are, and no matter your insidious methods, and we will never stop fighting for victims.”
“The outcome of this investigation underscores the strength of the DEA’s Trident Initiative and the value of coordinated action with our federal partners,” said Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Terrance Cole. “DEA is committed to exposing and dismantling complex criminal schemes that exploit global financial systems and emerging technologies to conceal illicit proceeds. These networks operate at the intersection of drug trafficking, corruption, and financial crime, threatening the stability of institutions and communities, alike. DEA remains steadfast in its efforts to protect the integrity of our financial systems, deny criminal organizations the profits that sustain them, and uphold the rule of law across borders.”
As alleged in the indictment and forfeiture complaint, since approximately 2015, the defendant has been the founder and chairman of Prince Group, a Cambodian corporate conglomerate that operates dozens of business entities in more than 30 countries. Prince Group is ostensibly focused on real estate development, financial services, and consumer services. However, in secret, the defendant and his top executives grew Prince Group into one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organizations. Under the defendant’s direction, Prince Group made enormous profits operating scam compounds across Cambodia that perpetrated fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.
To perpetrate these schemes, malicious actors contacted unwitting victims through messaging or social media applications and convinced them to transfer cryptocurrency to specified accounts based on false promises that the funds would be invested and generate profits. In reality, the funds were stolen from the victims and laundered for the benefit of the perpetrators. The scam perpetrators often built relationships with their victims over time, earning their trust before stealing their funds.
Prince Group’s schemes targeted victims around the world, including in the United States, with assistance from local networks working on Prince Group’s behalf. One such network operated in Brooklyn, New York, and facilitated the fraudulent transfer and laundering of millions of dollars on behalf of Prince Group from over 250 victims in New York and across the country.
Prince Group carried out these schemes by trafficking hundreds of workers and forcing them to work in compounds in Cambodia and execute the scams, often under the threat of violence. The compounds housed vast dormitories surrounded by high walls and barbed wire, and functioned as violent forced labor camps. The defendant was directly involved in managing the scam compounds and maintained records associated with each one, including ledgers tracking profits and which fraudulent schemes were run out of which rooms. The defendant also maintained documents describing and depicting “phone farms” at the compounds: automated call centers that used thousands of phones and millions of mobile telephone numbers to facilitate the various fraudulent schemes. The defendant was directly involved in using violence against the individuals within the forced labor camps and possessed images of Prince Group’s violent methods, including photographs depicting beatings and other methods of torture. The defendant communicated directly with his subordinates about beating individuals who “caused trouble,” in one case specifying that the victims should not be “beaten to death.”
In furtherance of these schemes, the defendant and a close network of Prince Group’s top executives used their political influence in multiple foreign countries to protect their criminal enterprise and paid bribes to public officials to avoid disruption by law enforcement. They subsequently laundered the proceeds of the fraudulent schemes through professional money laundering operations and through Prince Group’s own network of ostensibly legal business enterprises, including its online gambling and cryptocurrency mining operations.
At the defendant’s direction, Prince Group associates used sophisticated cryptocurrency laundering techniques to obscure the source of fraudulent Prince Group profits, including “spraying” and “funneling” techniques in which large volumes of cryptocurrency were repeatedly disaggregated across scores of virtual currency addresses and then re-consolidated into fewer addresses to obscure the source of the funds. Some of these criminal proceeds were ultimately held in wallets at cryptocurrency exchanges or exchanged for traditional currency and stored in traditional bank accounts. Other criminal proceeds included the Defendant Cryptocurrency, which was stored in unhosted cryptocurrency wallets whose private keys the defendant personally held. The defendant maintained diagrams recording the process by which some of the Defendant Cryptocurrency was laundered. The defendant boasted to others of Prince Group’s mining businesses that “the profit is considerable because there is no cost” — that is, unlike legitimate enterprises, the operating capital for the cryptocurrency mining businesses comprised money stolen from Prince Group’s many victims.
The defendant and his co-conspirators subsequently used some of the criminal proceeds for luxury travel and entertainment and to make extravagant purchases such as watches, yachts, private jets, vacation homes, high-end collectables, and rare artwork, including a Picasso painting purchased through an auction house in New York City.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
In parallel with today’s actions by the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury today designated Prince Group as a transnational criminal organization and announced sanctions against the defendant and multiple associated individuals and entities, for their roles in illicit activity. The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also announced sanctions.
The DEA New York Division is investigating the case, along with the FBI New York Joint Asian Criminal Enterprise Task Force and the FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit.
If you have information about Chen Zhi or Prince Group, please contact the FBI at PrinceGroupTips@fbi.gov. According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud caused more than $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone. You can learn more about cryptocurrency investment fraud here. Members of the public who believe they are victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud and other cyber-enabled crime should contact the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander F. Mindlin, Andrew D. Reich, Benjamin Weintraub and Rebecca M. Schuman for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case in partnership with Deputy Chief Christopher B. Brown of the National Security Division’s NatSec Cyber Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne for the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance duringthe investigation. The Government also thanks the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the Isle of Man Constabulary’s Proactive International Money-Laundering Investigations Team and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which also announced sanctions today against entities related to Prince Group.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A career criminal living in Sapulpa was sentenced today for Drug Conspiracy and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpi, Jr., sentenced Richard Joseph Schweiger, 50, to 262 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In October 2023, Schweiger messaged an undercover deputy about selling a firearm. The deputy knew Schweiger was a felon and agreed to meet up and buy the firearm. When deputies arrested Schweiger, he pulled the firearm from his waistband and threw it next to him.
Deputies searched Schweiger’s social media and discovered roughly 50,000 pages of messages documenting over two years of methamphetamine and drug distribution. In his plea agreement, Schweiger admitted to conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine in Creek County.
Records show that Schweiger was previously convicted of 17 felonies in Louisiana and Oklahoma over the past 25 years. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Creek County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher, Nathan Michel, and Christopher Nassar 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.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nezjoneil Nikkolo Marris, age 28, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ardmore Police Department.
On May 28, 2025, Marris pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 26, 2022, Marris shot another person with a firearm in a drive-by shooting. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw 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 hearing. Marris will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Dean Burris, T. Cameron McEwen, and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
10 October 2025
Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Colby Lin Deerinwater, a/k/a Colby Lyn Deerinwater, age 30, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a Felony Information of one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Information alleged that on July 5, 2024, Deerinwater killed the victim upon sudden quarrel or heat of passion. The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Tahlequah Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Deerinwater will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Payette Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOISE – Heath Adams, 43, of Payette, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, the investigation into Adams began in August 2024, after a report was made to the Payette Police Department regarding allegations of sexual abuse. As part of the investigation, Adams’ cell phone was seized and forensically examined by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”). The ICAC examiner located numerous files of child sexual abuse material that Adams had produced over several years, including explicit images of himself sexually abusing three separate minors.
Adams was initially arrested and charged in Payette County. After his arrest, the Payette County Prosecutor’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked collaboratively to determine federal prosecution was appropriate. As a result, the state case was dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Adams to lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to his victims. Adams will be required to register as a sex offender because of the conviction. Adams pleaded guilty in federal court on June 3, 2025.
“There is no greater betrayal than the sexual abuse and exploitation of children,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “We are steadfast in our commitment to work with state and local law enforcement partners to seek justice for child victims and hold child predators accountable for their egregious conduct.”
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the cooperative efforts of the Payette Police Department, the Payette County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Idaho ICAC Task Force, 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blackadar prosecuted the case.
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Matthew L. Harvey Takes Oath as United States Attorney for the Northern District of West VirginiaRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew L. Harvey was sworn in to become the United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia. Harvey was nominated by President Trump on June 30, 2025, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 7, 2025. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh administered the oath of office to U.S. Attorney Harvey today.
“I am grateful to President Trump placing his trust in me to fulfill his promise to make our communities safe and support our officers,” U.S. Attorney Harvey said. “I am looking forward to building and strengthening partnerships with law enforcement in the district.”
Harvey will serve as the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Northern District of West Virginia, which includes offices in Wheeling, Martinsburg, Clarksburg, and Elkins. He oversees a staff of 47 employees, including 20 attorneys and 27 non-attorney support personnel.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of West Virginia prosecutes federal crimes in the 32 counties in the district. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
Harvey most recently served as the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney, focusing on drug and violent crime prosecution during his 12-year tenure. Prior to his work in Jefferson County, he worked for a private law firm and served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Berkeley and Kanawha Counties.
A graduate of Bluefield State University with a B.S. in Business Administration, Harvey went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from Appalachia School of Law.
Man from Ecuador pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Lucas Cela Saula, 39, a citizen and national of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2014, Cela Saula was physically removed from the United States. On September 7, 2025, he was found in Erie County, NY, and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
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Jefferson County High School Teacher Charged with Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued on October 9, 2025, charging a Jefferson County high school teacher with distributing and possessing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the criminal complaint, in August 2025, Brian Hinds, 51, distributed child sexual abuse material depicting prepubescent boys to a law enforcement officer working online undercover. During an interview conducted on October 9, 2025, Hinds admitted to both sending and receiving child sexual abuse material through online messaging applications. Hinds is employed as a theater teacher at duPont Manual High School’s Youth Performing Arts School.
While the investigation is ongoing, authorities have not presently identified any victim that is a current or former student of duPont Manual High School. If local victims are later identified, authorities will directly and immediately make contact with victims or the parents/guardians of minor victims.
Hinds is scheduled to make his initial appearance today, October 10, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, Hinds faces a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness and Stephanie Zimdahl are prosecuting the case.
If you have any information about Hinds that may contribute to this investigation, please contact the FBI Louisville Field Office at brianhindstips@fbi.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
A criminal complaint 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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Honduran man pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Miguel Angel Vasquez-Amaya, 46, a citizen and national of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. He was sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that on August 31, 2025, Vasquez-Amaya was a passenger in a vehicle that was encountered by Customs and Border Protection at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. The vehicle was referred for secondary inspection. An immigration records check revealed that Vasquez-Amaya was physically removed from the United States in November 2002.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
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Honduran man arrested, charged with illegal reentryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ever Esau Soliz Espana, 30, a citizen and national of Honduras, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on October 7, 2025, Soliz Espana was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents at a hotel in Hamburg, NY. Further investigation determined that Soliz Espana was physically removed from the United States in December 2014.
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.
Soliz Espana made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
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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Guatemalan man pleads guilty to, sentenced for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Martin Lopez Morales, 30, a citizen and national of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to re-entry of a removed alien. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that Lopez Morales is a citizen and national of Guatemala. He was physically removed from the United States in October 2020. On August 16, 2025, Lopez Morales was found in Niagara County, NY, and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
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California Man Charged Federally for Mailing Threat to Injure and KillRead the Press Release
TAMPA, Fla. — The Justice Department today announced a criminal complaint charging George Russell Isbell Jr., 69, of San Diego, with mailing a threatening communication. Isbell was arrested on Oct. 7 in San Diego.
“Thanks to the incredible teamwork between state, local, and federal law enforcement, this coward hiding behind a keyboard was taken into custody and charged federally for mailing threatening communications,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We cannot allow this political violence to continue any longer. This arrest will serve as a reminder to many – do not do this, we will find you and bring you to justice.”
“The FBI and our partners will not tolerate threats of violence like the kind allegedly made by the defendant about a media personality,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We will continue to investigate, pursue, and find those responsible for this conduct and ensure such criminals are held to full account in our justice system.”
“Unfortunately, a rise in political threats has been accompanied by a rise in political violence,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We take all threats of violence seriously and will continue to respond in close coordination with our law enforcement partners and prosecute the authors of such threatening communications.”
According to the complaint, on or about Sept. 18, Isbell mailed a letter from San Diego threatening to injure his victim, a media personality located in Tampa, Florida, and telling his victim that the victim needed “to be exterminated.” In the letter, he referenced one of the victim’s friends, Mr. Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist who had recently been killed during a public engagement on a college campus. After writing that he hoped that the American flag “strangles the life out of you,” the letter went on to state: “Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope! Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight!”.
If convicted, Isbell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Tampa Field Office and the Tampa Police Department are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Additional support was provided by the FBI San Diego Field Office, the San Diego Police Department, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler III for the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Charged Federally for Mailing Threat to Injure and KillRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced a criminal complaint charging George Russell Isbell Jr., 69, of San Diego, with mailing a threatening communication. Isbell was arrested on Oct. 7 in San Diego.
“Thanks to the incredible teamwork between state, local, and federal law enforcement, this coward hiding behind a keyboard was taken into custody and charged federally for mailing threatening communications,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We cannot allow this political violence to continue any longer. This arrest will serve as a reminder to many – do not do this, we will find you and bring you to justice.”
“The FBI and our partners will not tolerate threats of violence like the kind allegedly made by the defendant about a media personality,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We will continue to investigate, pursue, and find those responsible for this conduct and ensure such criminals are held to full account in our justice system.”
“Unfortunately, a rise in political threats has been accompanied by a rise in political violence,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We take all threats of violence seriously and will continue to respond in close coordination with our law enforcement partners and prosecute the authors of such threatening communications.”
According to the complaint, on or about Sept. 18, Isbell mailed a letter from San Diego threatening to injure his victim, a media personality located in Tampa, Florida, and telling his victim that the victim needed “to be exterminated.” In the letter, he referenced one of the victim’s friends, Mr. Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist who had recently been killed during a public engagement on a college campus. After writing that he hoped that the American flag “strangles the life out of you,” the letter went on to state: “Maybe someone will blow your head off!!! We can hope! Planning any public engagements? Love to see your head explode and your blood stain the concrete red. What a sight!”.
If convicted, Isbell faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Tampa Field Office and the Tampa Police Department are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Additional support was provided by the FBI San Diego Field Office, the San Diego Police Department, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler III for the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bart M. Davis is Sworn in as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
Boise – Bart M. Davis has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the District of Idaho. Davis was nominated by President Donald J. Trump on March 31, 2025 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 7, 2025. Mr. Davis served as the United States Attorney for the District of Idaho from September 21, 2017 to February 28, 2021, under President Trumps first term.
As U.S. Attorney, Davis is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the state of Idaho, having prosecutorial responsibility over 44 counties in Idaho, encompassing more than 83,000 square miles and a population of nearly 1.5 million people. He leads three staffed offices located in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Pocatello with 65 employees, including 33 attorneys. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to immigration, terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
Mr. Davis was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, and was raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he began his legal practice focusing on commercial, regulatory, and transactional work. He also served in the Idaho State Senate for the past 19 years, including as Majority Leader for 15 years, and was a member of the Judiciary and Rules and the State Affairs committees. He represented Idaho as a commissioner to the Uniform Law Commission and is past chairman of The Council of State Governments. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1978 and from the University of Idaho College of Law in 1980. Mr. Davis is married, has six children and 14 grandchildren.
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9 October 2025
Wasilla man pleads guilty to distributing carfentanil resulting in the death of a 16-year-old girlRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla man pleaded guilty today to distributing carfentanil to two people, resulting in the near fatal overdose of an adult victim and the fatal overdose of a minor victim. The defendant also pleaded guilty today to a felon in possession of firearms charge filed through a separate federal indictment in July.
According to court documents, on Nov. 14, 2024, Sean Mobley, 45, agreed to supply an individual with .25 grams of fentanyl powder to distribute to another person. Mobley gave the individual a powdered substance that he believed was fentanyl but was, in fact, carfentanil. Carfentanil is an opioid used by veterinarians and is 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
Mobley and the individual drove to a residence in Wasilla. The individual entered the residence and sold the substance to an adult victim for $100. The individual returned to the vehicle and gave Mobley the money from the sale. Shortly after the sale, the adult victim used the substance and overdosed, causing serious bodily injury.
After distributing the substance to the adult victim, Mobley drove to a local gas station and dropped the individual off and picked up a 16-year-old victim. Mobley took the minor victim to an isolated location intending to use drugs together. Mobley gave some of the substance he believed was fentanyl powder to the minor victim. The minor victim used the substance and immediately overdosed and lost consciousness. Believing the minor victim was dead, Mobley dumped her body in a remote area and fled.
On Jan. 28, 2025, Mobley possessed a shotgun inside a vehicle he was operating. Mobley has three prior felony convictions from 2002 and 2003, making him a felon in possession of a firearm.
On June 10, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Mobley with distribution resulting in death and serious bodily injury. On July 17, a federal grand jury returned a separate indictment charging Mobley with being a felon in possession of a firearm and being an unlawful drug user and addict in possession of a firearm.
Mobley is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2026 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison but up to life in prison for the distribution resulting in death and serious bodily injury charge, and up to 15 years in prison for the felon in possession of a firearm charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge David F. Reames of the DEA Seattle Field Division and Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes made the announcement.
The DEA Anchorage District Office and the Alaska State Troopers investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bradley and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case, with assistance and collaboration from the State of Alaska Department of Law, Office of Special Prosecutions.
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Tupelo Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Coercing over 46 Minor Victims to Send Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – A Tupelo, Mississippi man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for using an online application to coerce minor females to send him sexually explicit images and videos.
According to court documents, Sean Carson, 24 years old, was getting girls as young as 12 years old to send him sexually explicit images. When the girls would try to cut off contact, Carson would threaten to send out the images and sexual texts to family members if they refused to continue talking to him, sharing personally identifying information, and keep sending sexually explicit images and videos. The FBI has identified 46 of the approximately 100 victims.
Senior Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Carson to 240 months and a lifetime of supervised release. After his release from prison, Carson will have to register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school. During his supervised release, Carson’s access to electronic devices will be limited.
“Significant sentences like the one handed down to Sean Carson help to ensure that our children are protected from sexual predators who lure children and then attempt to keep them silent,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Parker King and our partners at the FBI did some exceptional work in order to prove a difficult case, and this sentence should act as a deterrent to other would be predators as well.”
"This sentence underscores the FBI's commitment to protect our children from sexual exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “The message is clear, vile predators like Sean Carson will be held to the highest extent of the law. The FBI maintains a commitment to support the USAO and the Tupelo Police Department in aggressively investigating and protecting the innocence of our minors, assuring offenders are brought to justice."
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sequoyah County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Shane Edwin Fahrenholz, age 58, of Gore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Firearm After Conviction of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that between August 26, 2024, and September 12, 2024, Fahrenholz knowingly possessed a .30-30 lever-action rifle after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence in the State of Nebraska.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Fahrenholz will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Attempting to Distribute 7,000 Fentanyl Pills and 10 Pounds of MethRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Summit County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving approximately 7,000 fentanyl pills and 10 pounds of methamphetamine.
Terrance Rucker, 43, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 276 months (23 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after a federal jury found him guilty in April of the following charges as outlined in the indictment:
- Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
- Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
Rucker was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Brennan imposed the sentence Oct. 9.
According to the original criminal complaint, underlying affidavit and evidence presented in court, in November 2023, postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious package mailed from Phoenix, Arizona, that was destined for a home in Summit County. The residence was found to be associated with Rucker’s co-defendant, David R. Collins, 44, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who was known to law enforcement for having a history of drug violations.
Federal law enforcement agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) obtained a warrant to search the package in question. In it, they found 10 plastic bags filled with an off-white crystalline material. Inspectors also found a second vacuum packed bag containing blue pills marked with “M” on one side and “30” on the other. The package contents were submitted to a forensic lab for analysis and tests confirmed that the white substance was approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. The blue tablets were confirmed to be 2.5 pounds of pressed fentanyl which were made to look like pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone hydrochloride pills. After the discovery of the narcotics in the package, agents searched the home that it was destined for and located Rucker with the package that once contained the narcotic substances, as well as a loaded revolver, three cellphones, a box cutter used to open the package, and anti-surveillance equipment.
Collins was previously sentenced to 36 months in prison. A third co-defendant, Javay Cox, 37, of Phoenix, Arizona, was previously sentenced to 70 months in prison. Both Collins and Cox were also ordered to serve three years of supervised release each.
The investigation was conducted by the USPIS, DEA, HSI, and the Summit County Drug Unit, with assistance from the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Segev Phillips and Stephanie Wojtasik and for the Northern District of Ohio.
USPIS is the law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service. To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit uspis.gov/report.
October Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the October Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Angel Aviles-Roman. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Aviles-Roman, 55, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2008. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Weems is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-384
Estevan Barron-Ruiz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Barron-Ruiz, 48, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Nov. 2014. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-381
Jose Luis Bonilla-Hernandez. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms. Bonilla-Hernandez, 25, a national from El Salvador, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Further, Bonilla-Hernandez knew he was in the United States unlawfully and possessed several firearms. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-371
Anthony Lee George. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. George, 43, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl from Mar. 2025 through Sep. 2025. He is additionally charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and maintaining a residence to distribute drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-373
Ohansica Tresa Ingram. Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. Ingram, 44, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing she was previously convicted of felonies. She is further charged with intentionally assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-370
Carlos Juan-Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Juan-Perez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Apr. 2014. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-383
Bobby Lee Kirk. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country. Kirk, 42, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with strangling an intimate dating partner. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Dewhurst is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-386
Eduardo De Jesus Parada Cortez. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises. Parada Cortez, 21, a Mexican national, is charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl from Jul. 2025 through Sep. 2025. He is charged with knowingly possessing more than 400 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm while drug trafficking. Additionally, Parada Cortez is charged with maintaining a residence for drug distribution, and he was knowingly in the United States unlawfully and possessed a firearm. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-374
Trevor Wayne Pickett. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Pickett, 33, of Pryor and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with intentionally assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-380
Remigio Ramirez-Escalante. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramirez-Escalante, 49, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jan. 1999. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-382
Jose Antonio Ruiz-Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ruiz-Perez, 32, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Apr. 2017. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-379
Kenneth James Sequichie. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Sequichie, 46, transient, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from May through August 2025. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-375
Keith George Strimple. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender – International Travel (Counts 1 through 3). Strimple, 71, of Tulsa, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender and failed to provide information required by the Sex Offender and Notification Act related to international travel on three separate occasions. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-376
La’Dontae Lavere Taylor. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Counts 1 & 2); Sex Trafficking (Count 3); Transporting an Individual for Prostitution (Count 4) (second superseding). Taylor, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition in Dec. 2024 and Feb. 2025, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. He is charged with benefiting financially from recruiting, harboring, and providing transportation for two individuals to engage in commercial sex acts from Oct. 2022 through the date of the second indictment. Lastly, Taylor is charged with transporting a person to engage in prostitution and other sexual activities. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Dowdell and Kenneth Elmore are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-134
New York State Attorney General IndictedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging New York State Attorney General Letitia James with Bank Fraud under 18 U.S.C. Section 1344 and False Statements to a Financial Institution under 18 U.S.C. Section 1014.
“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” said U.S. Attorney Halligan. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”
If convicted, Letitia James faces penalties including up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count, and forfeiture. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
LeFlore County Resident Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ronald Craig Summers, age 34, of Spiro, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a Superseding Indictment of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, punishable by 30 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Superseding Indictment alleged that between January 2024 and continuing until October 7, 2024, Summers knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a person who had not attained the age of 12 years.
The crime occurred in LeFlore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Human Services.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Summers will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Houston man sentenced to nearly two decades in prison after committing two armed robberiesRead 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 25-year-old Houston man has been ordered to prison for committing two aggravated robberies with a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Eric Suarez-Maldonado pleaded guilty May 25.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks has now ordered Suarez-Maldonado to serve a total of 231 months in federal prison - 63 months for robberies with a consecutive 168 months for using firearms during the crimes. The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, Judge Hanks noted that the victims will be haunted by Suarez-Maldonado’s actions for the rest of their lives, and there must be consequences for those actions.
On or about Oct. 18, 2023, Suarez-Maldonado entered the 7-Eleven located at 12776 East Freeway in Houston with a ski mask. He immediately ran to the clerk and put a firearm in her face, demanding money from the register. He then left in a waiting get-away vehicle.
Approximately 10 minutes later, law enforcement responded to another armed robbery, this time at a Valero located at 7501 Lyons in Houston. The investigation revealed Suarez-Maldonado had entered the store with a firearm and pointed it at the victim clerk while demanding money from the register before fleeing the scene.
Authorities identified him and took him into custody following a short high-speed chase. Suarez-Maldondo was in possession of a firearm that matched the firearm seen on surveillance videos during the robberies.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prison facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Jenkins Stotts prosecuted the case.
Former refugee sentenced to 12 years for providing material support to ISISRead 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 28-year-old former Iraqi refugee and legal permanent resident of Richmond has been sentenced for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi pleaded guilty March 7.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett has now ordered Alqaysi to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the gravity of the offense and how Alqaysi’s conduct affected not only Americans, but the entire international community. Alqaysi is also expected to lose his immigration status in the United States.
“The American people generously allowed Alqaysi to live in the United States,” said Ganjei. “Alqaysi betrayed that hospitality by helping ISIS, a terrorist organization that has murdered Americans and countless other innocent people. This sentence sends a clear message: If you help terrorist organizations, the Southern District of Texas will send you to prison for a long, long time.”
Alqaysi admitted to providing material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.
From 2015 to 2020, Alqaysi provided his computer expertise to develop and post logos for a media arm of the ISIS group known as the Kalachnikov team. He further sent hacking videos and instructions to ISIS members in addition to stolen credit card information and fraudulently created identity documents.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter prosecuted the case along with National Security Division Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe.
Former Centre Police Department Officer Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Drug-Planting SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former Centre Police Department officer has been sentenced for his role in a scheme to falsify drug arrests by planting narcotics on innocent motorists, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Chief U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Michael Kilgore, 40, of Centre, Alabama, to 48 months in prison. In November 2024, Kilgore pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine.
According to the information and plea agreement, Kilgore’s scheme began in January 2023, when he stopped a car and found various drugs. Kilgore offered the driver the chance to avoid drug charges by working for Kilgore. The driver accepted and became a co-conspirator in Kilgore’s drug-planting scheme.
Kilgore and his co-conspirator then arranged for a package containing methamphetamine, oxycodone, and marijuana to be attached to the undercarriage of a certain vehicle. On January 31, 2023, Kilgore performed a fraudulent traffic stop of that vehicle and “discovered” the drug package where he knew it had been planted. The vehicle’s driver and passenger were detained for drug possession.
Kilgore and his co-conspirator planned to repeat the scheme on another vehicle. But, after buying the drugs to be planted, Kilgore’s co-conspirator discarded the drugs and reported the scheme to law enforcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich prosecuted the case.
Former Casino Accounts Payable Manager Sentenced for Embezzlement and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Anthony Houser, age 36, formerly of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds and 36 months in prison for one count of Tax Fraud. The counts are set to be served concurrently. Houser was also ordered to pay $17,337,949.50 in restitution to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and $8,205,834.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
The charges arose from an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.
On February 20, 2025, Houser pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, between July 2016 and February 2024, while serving as a manager for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Gaming Operations Authority Board (later known as the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises, LLC), Houser embezzled and obtained by fraud property owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Through this scheme, Houser embezzled $24,907,436.07, which represented funds owned by and under the care, custody, and control of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and its agencies, all programs receiving federal funds.
In addition to this theft, Houser failed to disclose the stolen proceeds as income for purposes of filing federal income taxes throughout the course of the ongoing criminal scheme. During the tax years 2016 through 2022, Houser knowingly and intentionally underreported his Adjusted Gross income to the Internal Revenue Service. In Tax Year 2022, Houser failed to report $7,851,027,28 in income. In total, Houser’s false and fraudulent tax filings deprived the U.S. Treasury of $8,205,834.00 in payments Houser owed as a result of the embezzled proceeds.
“I am proud of the work conducted by our special agents in this case to ensure that justice was brought to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The U.S. Secret Service at its origin was created to identify, monitor and bring to justice those who seek to defraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle Smith, Oklahoma Field Office. “Protecting our communities here in Oklahoma is a mission we take very seriously, and I am grateful for the strong partnership we share with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation as we work together to bring fraudsters to justice.”
“Stealing from the community you are entrusted to serve is a serious betrayal,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office. “Mr. Houser’s crimes harmed the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and undermined trust in public and tribal institutions. By stealing from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and falsifying his tax return, Mr. Houser not only defrauded his employer but also the American public. The women and men of IRS-CI are proud to have worked alongside the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma to uncover this fraud and hold Mr. Houser accountable for his crimes.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing and prosecuting those who defraud Tribal nations in the Eastern District of Oklahoma,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “In this case, we were honored to join together with our partners in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and federal law enforcement to promote the mutual protection of Tribal assets and resources.”
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. Houser will self-report on November 10, 2025, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster, T. Cameron McEwen, and Clay Compton represented the United States.
Checotah Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Duane Henrichs, age 47, of Checotah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine, punishable by 5 to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
The Information alleged that on November 22, 2022, Henrichs knowingly and intentionally distributed 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Henrichs will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan W. Howanitz represented the United States.
Buffalo man going to prison for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Odilio A. Gonzalez, 30, of Kenmore, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, 10 years supervised release, and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims, by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between July 8 and August 2020, Gonzalez engaged in sexual communications with an 11-year-old minor female (Victim) using Instagram. During these communications, Gonzalez persuaded the Victim to create sexually explicit images and videos of herself and send them to him. Gonzalez also received child pornography using the internet, which he saved on his cellular telephone, and in social media accounts. In total, 30 images and 89 videos of child pornography were recovered. Some of the images and videos contained depictions of violence against children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
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Bryan County Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sean Paul Duer, age 58, of Durant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 75 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Durant Police Department.
On May 8, 2025, Duer pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on May 15, 2024, law enforcement executing a search warrant on Duer’s impounded vehicle discovered a plastic baggie containing approximately 33 grams of white crystalline methamphetamine hidden by Duer inside the door panel.
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. Duer 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 Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Bryan County Resident Sentenced for False Statement During Purchase of A FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jonathon Mark Brinlee, age 40, of Calera, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for one count of False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
On April 3, 2025, Brinlee pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 11, 2024, while attempting to redeem a pistol from a Durant pawn broker, Brinlee checked “No” to Question 22i on Form 4473 asking whether the applicant was under any protective order. Brinlee had been served in person just two days earlier with a protective order from the Choctaw Nation Tribal Court.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Brinlee will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated prison facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Amory Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – An Amory, Mississippi man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for sex trafficking of minors.
According to court documents, Steven Gaston Colburn, 70 years old, was convicted of recruiting, enticing, maintaining, providing, and soliciting minors under the age of 14 years old to engage in sexual acts for money or drugs. Colburn is accused of picking minor females who had difficult or unstable upbringings and paying them to commit sexual acts. Colburn paid the girls to attend church with him as well as engaging in sex acts.
Eight victims came forward during the investigation to bravely tell their stories. The victims sent in impact statements which were considered by the Court. Senior Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Colburn to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. Judge Mills noted the bravery and courage of each of the victims.
“By incarcerating this defendant for what is functionally a life sentence, Judge Mills has ensured that no other minor will have to endure victimization at his hands,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I would like to personally commend the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and our partners with District Attorney Jason Herring’s Office for an investigation that looks like it will result in Colburn never breathing free air again.”
“This individual has victimized children in our county for generations,” said Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook. “He manipulated and abused young women until they reached their twenties and then went after their children. He has left in his wake a number of victims who now struggle with substance abuse disorder resulting from his abuse. From the time we made the arrest, our District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District worked with us to ensure Colburn was not able to get out of jail and hurt anyone else. I am grateful for the countless hours that our Investigators put into this case and to know this man’s reign of victimization is over in Monroe County.”
“This case demonstrates the power of creating a statewide network of law enforcement trained in cyber forensics and dedicated to the safety of our children online,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “We are proud to partner with law enforcement agencies across Mississippi, including the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, through our Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. I am grateful for the work of the U.S. Attorney's Office to secure this federal sentence. The collaboration with our ICAC Task Force is precisely the kind of partnership that is necessary to protect children from abuse.”
“Safeguarding our society’s future begins with protecting underage youth in our communities from vile individuals like, Steven Colburn,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Those who commit these heinous crimes against our youth, deteriorating the safety of our society, will be sought after and brought to justice. The FBI has great resolve to pursue justice for the predators who seek to exploit the youth of our communities and stands firm with the USAO and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department in protecting our most vulnerable population - our children."
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
8 October 2025
“K pack” sales earn Houston area man federal prison sentenceRead 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 35-year-old Cypress resident has been ordered to prison following his conviction for possession of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jessie King pleaded guilty Nov. 20, 2023.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. ordered King to serve 60 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the amount of methamphetamine and the fact that King hurt people through his trafficking.
The investigation began Nov. 17, 2020, after authorities discovered a phone call between Jessie King and Billy Ray Ashley about obtaining “whites.” Later that day, King arrived at the location where Ashley was staying, went inside briefly, then left.
Law enforcement followed King and saw him conduct a suspected drug transaction. They were able to recover two “K packs” (packages containing 1,000 pills each) weighing over 700 grams which tested positive for methamphetamine.
King will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Billy Ray Ashley previously pleaded guilty Feb. 7 and was sentenced to 120 months.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Houston Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lewis and John Ganz prosecuted the case.
Turner Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking in Central OregonRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— A Turner, Oregon, man was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison today for drug trafficking following a multi-agency investigation led by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO).
Ryan Gossett, 39, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 26, 2024, Gossett was apprehended in Bend, Oregon after fleeing prosecution in Marion County, Oregon for armed robbery. When apprehended, Gossett was in possession of a handgun and small amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Two days later, investigators with the DCSO Criminal Detectives Division executed a search warrant on Gossett’s vehicle, locating over 900 grams of methamphetamine, 330 grams of fentanyl, and firearm magazines.
Gossett has multiple prior convictions for delivery of a controlled substance.
Gossett was indicted on June 20, 2024, and pled guilty on July 9, 2025, to a single count of Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 500 grams of Methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the DCSO with assistance from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team, and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Andrew R. Doyle, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Suspected Tren de Aragua Member Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Venezuelan national and suspected member of a transnational criminal organization has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms and conspiring to destroy evidence after posting photos and videos of himself with weapons on social media.
According to court documents, Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, 23, a Venezuelan national, illegally entered the United States on December 15, 2023, and was released pending removal proceedings. In January 2025, Homeland Security Investigations received an anonymous tip that Ortega-Lopez, a suspected member of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal organization and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, was living in Las Cruces and in possession of firearms.
Ortega-Lopez posted numerous photos and videos to his Facebook and TikTok accounts showing him handling, displaying, and shooting various firearms at a Las Cruces shooting range and other locations. On December 24, 2024, Ortega-Lopez posted photos and videos of himself at the residence of April Cano, a social media influencer and gun enthusiast, holding a rifle with tactical equipment while wearing a ballistic helmet with night vision goggles. In the videos, Ortega-Lopez referred to April Cano's parents, Nancy and Jose Cano, as "Patron" and "Patrona," and told an informant he had received a firearm as a Christmas gift from the Cano family.
Ortega-Lopez worked for the Cano family and received housing in return. Additionally, the Cano family took Ortega-Lopez to the shooting range to fire weapons and allowed him access to firearms.
On February 28, 2025, agents executed search warrants and seized four firearms from April Cano's residence. During a post-Miranda interview, Ortega-Lopez admitted he recognized all four firearms and knew it was illegal for him to possess them. On April 20, 2025, Ortega-Lopez conspired with another person to destroy his Facebook account to avoid the contents being used against him at trial.
Nancy and Jose Cano were indicted this week on charges related to tampering with evidence. Nancy Cano faces charges of conspiracy to tamper with evidence, while Jose Cano is charged with both conspiracy to tamper with evidence and tampering with evidence. Both remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
Ortega-Lopez pleaded guilty to alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition and conspiracy to tamper with evidence. At sentencing, Ortega-Lopez faces up to 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Senior Litigation Counsel Maria Y. Armijo, Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Castellano and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Tonkin are prosecuting the case 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. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).