Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
29 September 2025
Justice Department and USDA Coordinate to Protect Competition in Agricultural InputsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing a partnership to protect competition in key agricultural markets such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seed, equipment, and other essential goods. This partnership strengthens longstanding coordination between the agencies with a particular focus on ensuring coordination with respect to ensuring farmers and ranchers have competitive access to agricultural inputs.
“Antitrust enforcement ensures free market competition for agricultural inputs, lowering costs for farmers and prices for consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “America’s farmers deserve nothing less than the best the Antitrust Division and USDA can do to promote competitive markets that free them to feed America.”
The MOU signed on Sept. 26 by both agencies underscores their shared commitment to ensuring effective antitrust enforcement that promotes free market competition, lowering inputs costs and benefiting farmers, ranchers, and consumers. It creates channels for regular consultation and communication between the agencies to ensure effective coordination, where appropriate, to benefit efforts to promote competition. And it commits both agencies to designate personnel to facilitate communications between and among attorneys, economists, and technical experts.
Justice Department Sues Minnesota over Sanctuary PoliciesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis, the City of St. Paul, Hennepin County, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt over the State’s, Cities’, and County’s sanctuary city policies that interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.
Not only are the sanctuary city policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Minnesota’s, Minneapolis’, St. Paul’s, and Hennepin County’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities results in the release of dangerous criminals from police custody who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking, onto the streets.
“Minnesota officials are jeopardizing the safety of their own citizens by allowing illegal aliens to circumvent the legal process,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue to bring litigation against any jurisdiction that uses sanctuary policies to defy federal law and undermine law enforcement.”
“Shielding illegal aliens from federal law enforcement is a blatant violation of the law that carries dangerous consequences,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will continue to vigorously uphold the rule of law by holding sanctuary jurisdictions fully accountable.”
On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. On August 5, 2025, Attorney General Bondi published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included Minnesota, and vowed to bring litigation to end these policies nationwide. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in Boston, New York City, Rochester, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, and Los Angeles. Recently, the Department announced a new Memorandum of Understanding to fully collaborate with Nevada on immigration enforcement, and the Mayor of Louisville revoked the city’s sanctuary policy after the Justice Department threatened legal action.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Under the FACE Act Against Violent Protestors at Synagogue in West Orange, New JerseyRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed a civil complaint under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against entities and individuals who targeted a synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey, during a November 2024 protest that escalated into violence.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that the defendants engaged in threats of force, intimidation, and violent conduct directed at congregants of the Congregation Ohr Torah synagogue. According to the complaint, the defendants’ actions were intended to interfere with the synagogue community’s right to freely exercise their religion, including gathering for a religious ceremony to honor the life of a deceased rabbi.
“No American should be harassed, targeted, or discriminated against for peacefully practicing their religion,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today's lawsuit underscores this Department of Justice's commitment to defending Jewish Americans — and all Americans of faith — from those who would threaten their right to worship.”
“This Justice Department will vigorously enforce the right of every American to worship in peace and without fear,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Those who target houses of worship and violate our federal laws protecting people of faith are on notice that they will face the consequences.”
The FACE Act, enacted in 1994, protects, among other things, the right to freely exercise religious beliefs at houses of worship. The Act makes it unlawful to use force, threats of force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with any person lawfully exercising their rights to seek or provide services or to worship. The Justice Department’s complaint seeks injunctive relief to prevent the defendants from engaging in future violations of the FACE Act at synagogues or obstructing worshipers from synagogues throughout New Jersey — the fullest reach of the District Court. If granted, that injunction will ensure that congregants of the West Orange synagogue may attend religious services without harassment, intimidation, or violence.
This case is being handled by the Civil Rights Division. The allegations in the complaint are civil allegations. The defendants are presumed not liable unless and until proven otherwise in court.
Members of the public may report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights Division at www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors and Obtaining Fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jared Dean Eakes (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Eakes portrayed himself as a legitimate advisor and contacted investment advisors who were looking to sell their advisory businesses. After negotiating to take over management of the advisors’ client assets, between approximately January 2019 and February 2020, Eakes converted approximately $2,737,462 of victim-investor funds to his own benefit by withdrawing the funds in cash, using investor funds to pay personal expenses, transferring investor funds to a Las Vegas-based casino company, and by engaging in unauthorized options trading in a personal brokerage account.
Further, between March 2020 and November 2021, Eakes fraudulently secured approximately $4,752,270 in emergency funds through four Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP)” loans. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a federal law enacted March 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in potentially forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses were required to use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if the business spent the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and used at least a certain percentage of the loan towards qualifying business expenses.
According to the plea agreement, Eakes caused the submission of four PPP loan applications—including applications for two of the entities involved in the scheme to defraud investors—which contained false and fraudulent supporting documentation and statements regarding the entities’ employees and payroll. Once he obtained the emergency loans, Eakes did not use the funds for qualifying expenses. Instead, he used the funds to engage in options trading or withdrew them in cash.
Eakes has agreed to forfeit $2,737,462.20, the proceeds of the scheme to defraud investors, and $4,752,270, the proceeds of the PPP loan fraud scheme. He also agreed to make full restitution to the victims of his offense conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Ivorian National Extradited to the United States to Face Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – An Ivorian national has been extradited to the United States for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle goods out of the United States, involving dozens of firearms allegedly headed for Africa.
Bile Jean Philippe Assemian, 49, a citizen of Côte d’Ivoire, made his first appearance in U.S. District Court Sept. 26. He was arrested in Kenya June 26, by Kenyan authorities at the request of the United States and surrendered to the United States pursuant to an extradition request.
His alleged co-conspirator Koffi Andrea Versaint Taregue, 45, an Ivorian national with permanent resident status, remains at large.
According to the superseding indictment, from November 2018 to October 2020, the men obtained at least 58 firearms in Northern Ohio and elsewhere by coordinating with others to buy on their behalf or by purchasing themselves. The firearms were allegedly packaged and concealed in household goods. The defendants utilized an export company to deliver the items out of the country but did not disclose that the pre-packaged shipments in fact contained firearms and related parts, such as suppressors. The defendants did not have the required written approvals or licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce or U.S. Department of State to export the items.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Division.
Assemian is charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States and faces a maximum of up to five years in prison.
Taregue is charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, six counts of smuggling goods from the United States, six counts of control of arms exports and imports, and one count each of unlicensed dealing in firearms, making a false statement to the FBI, and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. He faces a combined maximum of up to 205 years in prison.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Joint Terrorism Task Force, including agents from the FBI Cleveland Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations also provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio is leading the prosecution with substantial assistance provided by Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Assemian’s arrest and extradition from Kenya. His extradition was possible due to an extensive coordinated effort between the United States and the Republic of Kenya. Kenyan agencies that provided valuable assistance include the Kenya Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and its Directorate of Criminal Investigations; Kenya Directorate of Immigration Services; Kenya Aviation Authority; and the Kenya Police Service as well as the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to 8 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Honduran national was sentenced today to 8 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Oscar Guillen Orellana, 60, was arrested by Foley Police Department on March 13, 2025, for domestic violence offenses. At that time, his identity was confirmed and Homeland Security was able to determine that Guillen Orellana had previously been convicted of Armed Robbery in Georgia and Illegal Reentry in both the Northern and Southern Districts of Alabama. He was most recently sentenced on September 21, 2020, to 41 months in prison in the Southern District of Alabama for the crime of Illegal Reentry. He was then deported on November 11, 2022. He was found back in the United States on March 13, 2025, when he was arrested for domestic violence. Guillen Orellana has been removed from the United States three times and been convicted of Illegal Reentry three times.
At sentencing, Chief Judge Beaverstock imposed the 8-month sentence of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. Upon his release from prison, Guillen Orellana is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Guillen Orellana was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
Guillen Orellana also admitted that he had violated the terms of his supervised release for the 2020 conviction and was sentenced to 8 months’ incarceration for that violation, to be served concurrently to the term of incarceration in the pending matter.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and Foley Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Honduran Man Sentenced for Violations of Federal Controlled Substances Act, Federal Gun Control Act, and Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MIGUEL ANGEL SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ (“SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ”) age 38, a resident of Honduras, was sentenced on September 25, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to four counts in an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and reentry of a removed alien. SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ was sentenced to a total of 101 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on or about January 29, 2025, SOLORZANO-DOMINGUEZ possessed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine; possessed a firearm, a Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; knowingly, unlawfully possessed a firearm, having been previously convicted of a felony in the State of Mississippi, and illegally re-entering the United States after having previously been officially deported and removed from the United States, on or about July 9, 2010.
This is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, United States Border Patrol, Kenner Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force. It was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
* * *
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced in Federal Court for SNAP Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, MS – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced Thursday in federal court to five years’ probation for stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits intended for low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford nutritious food.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Velton Taylor Williams, Jr., 31, of Hattiesburg unlawfully acquired and used SNAP benefits in November 2023. Williams admitted to selling the benefits to others and using them for himself. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally funded, national benefit program to help qualifying low- and middle-income families buy food, thus reducing hunger. Williams also admitted to using TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) cash benefits intended for low-income families with children under the age of 18.
Williams was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $38,963.14.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and acting Special Agent-in-Charge is Matthew Deuchler of United States Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General made the announcement.
The United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Government Secures Forfeiture of Illegally Smuggled Ancient Egyptian ArtifactsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The United States government secured a default judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, completing the forfeiture of 14 ancient Egyptian artifacts illegally smuggled into the United States.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the judgment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Executive Director Stephen Maloney, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) National Targeting Center.
The smuggled artifacts include amulets, stone figurines, a vase, and an “Old Kingdom Limestone Funerary Statue.” The Funerary Statue alone is appraised at approximately $6 million U.S. Dollars. It likely originated from an archaeological site in Saqqara or Giza, which are royal cemeteries near the ancient city of Memphis, located in present-day Egypt. CBP officers discovered and seized these ancient artifacts at several international airports in the U.S., where they were in transit from overseas shippers destined for private collectors.
As alleged in the government’s complaint, between August 2020, and April 2021, CBP identified the artifacts while inspecting numerous parcels from overseas shippers transiting through airports in Anchorage, Alaska, Cincinnati, Ohio, and New York City.
The ultimate destination for at least one of these shipments was a private collector in Edgewater, Maryland.
Shipping paperwork for each parcel that housed artifacts contained deceptive and inaccurate descriptions of their contents, including “home décor,” “stone garden statue,” or “decoration,” and did not state the true origin or value of the ancient artifacts. Historians and antique appraisers, working with CBP, later confirmed the true nature of each ancient Egyptian artifact. In similar cases, the Justice Department has worked through appropriate channels to return smuggled ancient artifacts to their rightful owners – the people of the country of origin.
“This litigation highlights one of the benefits of civil asset forfeiture and is an important milestone toward eliminating smuggled cultural property from the U.S. art market,” Hayes said. “This office is committed to combating the black-market sale of cultural property and the smuggling of ancient artifacts, and will use all available tools, including asset forfeiture, to disrupt illicit trade in antiquities.”
“These ancient artifacts are more than just relics of the past; they are irreplaceable pieces of global cultural heritage that tell the story of human civilization,” Campanella said. “The deceptive practices used to smuggle these treasures into the United States not only violate our import laws but also undermine efforts to preserve and protect the integrity of cultural history. HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who seek to profit from the exploitation of cultural heritage are held accountable. By recovering these artifacts, we’ve helped preserve priceless pieces of history and reaffirmed our commitment to protecting the world’s shared heritage for generations to come.”
“This case exemplifies the fine work of the women and men of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and our National Targeting Center in identifying and dismantling illicit networks that exploit global trade routes,” Maloney said. “The recovery of this ancient Egyptian statue, valued at $6 million, underscores CBP’s commitment to protecting cultural heritage and, working collaboratively with our partners, to identify those who seek to profit from theft and smuggling.”
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Unit for investigating this case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven T. Brantley, who litigated the case, along with law clerk Amy Rappole and paralegal Nicole Orlovitz, who provided invaluable support.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Four Illegal Aliens Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Four illegal aliens have been sentenced on drug trafficking and firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco sentenced the following defendants:
Ismael Castillo De La Cruz, also known as “Pepe,” 31, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 130 months in prison. In May, Cruz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, to being an alien in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
Isidro Santiago Rodriguez-Diaz, 51, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 130 months in prison. In May, Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
Yovany Isidro Rodriguez-Ochoa, 33, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 57 months in prison. In May, Ochoa pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
In August, Rutilo Medina Hernandez, a native and citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 156 months in prison. Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, to being an alien in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and use of a communication facility to commit a drug trafficking crime.
According to the plea agreement, in October 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization distributing cocaine in North Birmingham in which Diaz and Ochoa were the sources of supply. During the investigation, law enforcement identified De La Cruz, Hernandez, and other co-conspirators as drug traffickers. Ochoa and Diaz were primarily distributing cocaine in the Northern District of Alabama and De La Cruz and Hernandez distributed cocaine and methamphetamine.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and W. Lee Gilmer prosecuted the case.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Corrupt Cryptocurrency Figure to Extort and Falsely Arrest RivalsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former deputy and helicopter pilot with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) pleaded guilty today to federal conspiracy charges for helping a now-jailed, self-styled cryptocurrency businessman extort a rival and arrange the sham illegal drug possession arrest of another adversary in Paramount in 2021.
Michael David Coberg, 44, of Eastvale, pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit extortion and conspiracy against rights.
According to his plea agreement, Coberg – then employed as an LASD deputy and helicopter pilot – worked on the side with Adam Iza, 25, formerly of Beverly Hills and Newport Coast. Iza, a self-proclaimed “Godfather,” was engaged in fraudulent marketing and cryptocurrency schemes and has been in federal custody since September 2024. He has pleaded guilty to federal charges and awaits a December 15 sentencing date.
Coberg’s contract with Iza allowed him to work as a business partner and advisor, as opposed to simply working security shifts. Coberg and Iza at one point planned to start a business selling anabolic steroids. Iza paid Coberg at least $20,000 per month for his services.
Participation in Extortion
In October 2021, Coberg accompanied other security guards to pick up a victim whose business partner was having a financial dispute with Iza. After transporting the victim – identified in court documents as “L.A.” – to Iza’s residence, Iza placed a firearm on the desk and displayed an assault rifle, which was placed on the ground near the desk.
Coberg informed the victim that he was an active-duty law enforcement officer and interrogated the victim about the financial dispute Iza had with L.A.’s business partner. While Coberg stood watch over the victim, Iza demanded – and recorded a video of – the victim transferring $127,000 to a bank account Iza controlled. Iza then directed his security guards to take away the victim’s passport and told them to drive the victim back to the victim’s hotel.
The next day, Coberg continued to interrogate the victim about the financial dispute and the location of the victim’s business partner. Later that day, Coberg took Iza and the victim to a shooting range in Iza’s residence and left the two individuals alone. Iza then held the victim at gunpoint and demanded the victim’s business partner transfer money to him, which the victim’s business partner did later that day.
False Traffic Stop and Arrest
In September 2021, Coberg conspired with Iza and others to lure another victim – identified in court documents as “R.C.” – from Miami to Los Angeles to set up the victim and cause him to be arrested with illegal narcotics. During the previous month, Coberg learned of a dispute between Iza and the victim and that Iza and two corrupt LASD deputies working for Iza forced the victim at gunpoint to transfer $25,000 from the victim’s bank account to an account Iza controlled.
Coberg and other co-conspirators set up a plan in which the victim’s ex-girlfriend called the victim and pretended to be interested in pursuing a romantic relationship to convince the victim to fly to Los Angeles to meet with her to use drugs together. At Coberg’s advice and counseling, the co-conspirator purchased the airplane ticket for the victim, picked him up at Los Angeles International Airport in a white Tesla, drove the victim to obtain drugs, and later traveled to a location in Paramount where an LASD deputy would make the traffic stop and arrest.
Christopher Michael Cadman, 33, of Fullerton, a corrupt LASD deputy who had participated in the intimidation of the victim in August 2021 resulting in the $25,000 payment to Iza, also helped set up the false arrest. Cadman pleaded guilty on August 7 to federal criminal charges and awaits sentencing in January 2026.
With Cadman’s assistance, Coberg lied to a fellow LASD deputy that a confidential informant was driving a white Tesla with an individual who had an outstanding arrest warrant and possessed illegal drugs. That deputy later conducted the traffic stop, searched the Tesla, found cocaine in the car and psilocybin mushrooms inside the victim’s backpack, and arrested the victim.
During the arrest, Coberg slowly drove past the scene in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV – with the window rolled down – as Iza watched from the back passenger seat. Iza took videos and photographs of the victim’s arrest.
After the arrest, Coberg texted Cadman to thank him for facilitating the traffic stop and stated, “the kid enjoyed it,” referencing Iza. Iza later taunted the victim by sending him a photograph of the victim’s arrest in progress and the victim’s booking photo, and texting him, “[f]or a drug dealer, you [expletive] with the wrong people.”
United States District Judge Percy Anderson scheduled a February 17, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Coberg will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the extortion-related count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the conspiracy against rights count.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.
Florida Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison as Leader of Cocaine Conspiracy That Shipped Cocaine from Puerto Rico to SyracuseRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Juan Correa Sr. age 49, of Lady Lake, Florida was sentenced on Wednesday to 210 months in prison for money laundering and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, the defendant admitted that from July 2021 through July 2024, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Onondaga County. As part of the conspiracy, the defendant directed Alex Calcano-Carrasquillo to mail packages with kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Syracuse. He then arranged for the packages to be picked up and delivered to Juan Correa, Jr. and Ashley Correa, who re-distributed the cocaine to others in the Syracuse area. Correa Sr. also arranged for them to mail cash from the cocaine sales back to Calcano-Carrasquillo for the purpose of purchasing more cocaine.
All four of these co-conspirators were charged in an indictment last year and have since pled guilty to various offenses. Alex Calcano-Carrasquillo was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment; Juan Correa, Jr. was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment; and Ashley Correa was sentenced to over 7 years’ imprisonment.
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered the defendant to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Bringing the head of this dangerous organization to justice is a testament to the close collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies up and down the East Coast. This defendant had 5 prior state felony drug convictions and didn’t learn his lesson. 17 years in federal prison should do the trick. We remain committed to ensuring repeat offenders like this defendant, who make money from flooding our community with deadly drugs, get taken off our streets.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated: “The sentencing of Juan Correa Sr., is the result of the hard work and determination the DEA and our law enforcement partners have when targeting those individuals looking to transport illicit narcotics through the northeast corridor. The DEA remains focused on disrupting these supply chains and preventing these dangerous narcotics from reaching our streets.”
Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation New York, stated: “Juan Correa Sr. is just another predator who chose to bring highly addictive drugs into our neighborhoods, continuing to prey on the vulnerable. IRS-CI New York is proud to continue its work with the DEA and our law enforcement partners in ridding our communities of those who have no regard for the welfare of its people. This sentencing does exactly that.”
Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, stated: “Through our joint enforcement efforts, we’ve dismantled a criminal organization that posed a serious public safety threat to New York communities. As this sentence demonstrates, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working closely with its law enforcement partners to prevent dangerous and addictive drugs from reaching our streets and ensuring that perpetrators of such attempts are brought to justice.”
Joseph L. Cecile, Chief of the Syracuse Police Department, stated: “Law Enforcement is never stronger than when we partner together. Together, we represent an omnipresent threat to criminal enterprises such as this one. On behalf of the Syracuse Police Department, I would like to both thank and congratulate the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all of our law enforcement partners who successfully dismantled this drug trafficking organization. Well done!"
This case was investigated by the DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Five Men Charged in Scheme to Steal and Resell Millions of Dollars in Crude Oil from New Mexico PipelinesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Federal authorities have charged five men for their roles in a large-scale conspiracy to steal and sell crude oil from pipelines in New Mexico and West Texas.
According to court documents, in June 2025 Special Agents with the Bureau of Land Management opened an investigation after receiving information that Maxwell Jensen, Thomas Rees, Christopher Ortega, German Ortiz-Santillano and Christian Jesus Contreras Varela were engaged in a scheme to steal crude oil from Plains All American Pipeline facilities in New Mexico, store it at a yard in Carlsbad, and transport it into West Texas for resale. Surveillance operations, tracking devices, and recorded conversations documented more than 20 theft runs over approximately four weeks, siphoning hundreds of barrels per day. Each load was valued at tens of thousands of dollars, and the stolen crude was delivered to facilities operated in West Texas.
As alleged, Rees managed the Carlsbad yard through his company, Hound Dog Energy, where he received and sold stolen oil while producing fraudulent load tickets to disguise the thefts. Ortega directed truck drivers, prepared false documentation, and recruited additional participants to expand the conspiracy. Ortiz-Santillano, an employee of Plains All American Pipeline, abused his position to provide the conspirators access to pigging stations where the thefts occurred. Contreras Varela drove to the pipeline to connect a vacuum truck and steal the oil before returning to Rees’s yard. Jensen coordinated the scheme as the leader and organizer.
The defendants are charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and aiding and abetting. In addition to the oil theft charges, Contreras Varela, a Mexican national, faces a firearms-related offense for being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jensen and Contreras Varela will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Jensen, Rees, Ortega and Ortiz-Santillano face 10 years in prison. If convicted of the current charges, Contreras Varela faces 15 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Josiah Andrews of the Bureau of Land Management made the announcement today.
Special Agents with the Bureau of Land Management investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting this case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Jensen).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Rees)_0.pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Ortega).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Ortiz-Santillano).pdf View the Criminal Complaint (Contreras Varela).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Five Individuals Charged in Federal Court in Chicago with Assaulting or Resisting Federal Agents Engaged in Immigration Enforcement OperationsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – Five individuals have been charged in federal court in Chicago with assaulting or forcibly resisting federal agents who were engaged in immigration enforcement operations in Broadview, Ill. over the weekend.
The defendants were among a crowd of people who descended in front of the entrance to a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Saturday evening, according to criminal complaints filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The charges allege that the defendants made criminal physical contact against federal agents who were working outside of the facility to ensure the safe passage of agents, detainees, and vehicles into and out of the building. Two of the defendants possessed loaded firearms while assaulting federal agents, according to the federal complaint.
“Under my leadership, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will take swift action when law enforcement personnel are criminally assaulted or individuals cross the line from peaceful protests to criminal mischief, assaults on federal officers, obstruction of justice, or the destruction of federal property,” said Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “We are working hand-and-glove with our federal law enforcement partners across the various federal agencies to maintain peace, respect individual rights, and prosecute those who violate federal criminal laws, including through activity that endangers officer and public safety. We will not hesitate to hold accountable those who attack and undermine the rule of law, including by resorting to violence and criminal mischief to interfere, obstruct, or impede the important work of the federal government as it is conducted in the Northern District of Illinois.”
The defendants made their initial appearances today in federal court in Chicago. The charges are as follows:
RAY COLLINS, 31, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Collins allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when he charged toward agents and struggled with them, causing an injury to one of the agents.
JOCELYNE ROBLEDO, 30, of Chicago, is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Robledo allegedly possessed a loaded handgun when she pushed agents who were attempting to extend a safety perimeter around the facility.
PAUL IVERY, 26, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Ivery allegedly grabbed an agent's helmet and pulled the agent's head down. Ivery allegedly told agents, "I'll [expletive] kill you right now."
DANA BRIGGS, 70, of Rockford, Ill., is charged with felony assault of a federal officer. Briggs allegedly made physical contact with an agent’s arm while the agent attempted to extend the safety perimeter around the facility.
HUBERT MAZUR, 21, of Medinah, Ill., is charged with forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer, a misdemeanor. Mazur allegedly grabbed an agent’s arm before he and the agent ended up on the ground. Mazur allegedly continued to resist arrest while struggling with the agent.
U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charges along with Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.
“Federal law enforcement officers risk their lives daily to enforce the laws of this nation and safeguard our communities,” said HSI SAC Scarpino. “Any acts of violence, obstruction, or resistance against these brave professionals will be met with forceful and unyielding action. This blatant lawlessness and baseless attacks on the integrity of ICE agents and officers are intolerable and must cease immediately.”
“The FBI is committed to bringing swift and decisive action against anyone who seeks to bring harm to federal law enforcement,” said FBI Acting SAC Rothaar. “Officers who are sworn to protect and serve our communities must be able to do their jobs free from intimidation. The FBI will continue to work with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to investigate those who compromise the safety of our public servants.”
“While assisting our federal partners in securing the ICE Broadview facility on Saturday, ATF and Border Patrol agents were assaulted by violent and armed protestors, resulting in injury to an ATF agent,” said ATF SAC Amon. “ATF takes all assaults on law enforcement seriously and will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure those responsible are held fully accountable for their actions.”
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
ivery_complaint.pdf briggs_complaint.pdf mazur_complaint.pdf collins_and_robledo_complaint.pdfFederal Jury Finds Tennessee Man Guilty of Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Making A False Claim to the IRSRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Clarence Christofer Ward, a/k/a Khaled Yaqud Mansur-El, guilty of 1 count of wire fraud, 10 counts of money laundering, and 1 count of making a false claim to the IRS. Ward faces a maximum penalty of 125 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in November 2020, Ward electronically filed a tax return on behalf of a Trust in his name. He falsely claimed on the return that the Trust had paid over $7 million in taxes in 2019. Ward then asked for a $4.1 million refund from the IRS. The tax return was filed from the Middle District of Florida, and it was possessed in Utah, affecting interstate commerce.
Despite Ward’s claim that the Trust had paid over $7 million in federal taxes in 2019, IRS records showed the Trust had never paid any federal taxes. Before the IRS realized that Ward’s claim was untrue, the agency issued the $4.1 million refund. Ward immediately spent the funds on four residential properties, a luxury automobile, vacations, and investment brokerage accounts. As a part of the trial, the jury determined that the residential properties purchased by Ward could be forfeited to the United States.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Fort Walton Beach Man Charged with Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Travaess McLemore, 41, of Fort Walton Beach, was indicted by a federal grand jury, charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
McLemore appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho on September 23, 2025, in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for November 10, 2025, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
If convicted, McLemore faces up to life imprisonment.
The case was joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
El Paso Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing Multiple Minors in MexicoRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 240 months in prison for transporting a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor across the international border.
According to court documents, on January 10, Enrique Ruvalcaba-Mendez, 71, was referred to secondary inspection at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers discovered that his phone contained several videos and photos of Ruvalcaba engaged in sexual activity with minor females.
The investigation revealed Ruvalcaba would travel to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where he would pay to have sex with minors. He would videotape himself with the minors and save them on his phone. Ruvalcaba was found to have abused at least three minors in Mexico.
Ruvalcaba pleaded guilty on July 3 and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Briones on Sept. 24.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case with assistance from the HSI Assistant Attaché Office in Ciudad Juarez.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Romero 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
###
Ecuadorian man arrested, charged with illegal reentryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Luis Antonio Loja Quizhpi, 40, a citizen and national of Ecuador, 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, On February 28, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations discovered that Loja Quizhpi was unlawfully present in the United States. An investigation determined that he owned a roofing company based in Olean, NY. On September 26, 2025, HIS conducted a traffic stop of Loja Quizhpi’s vehicle. He did not possess the proper documentation to remain in the United States and was taken into custody. Further investigation determined that Loja Quizhpi was physically removed from the United States in November 2007.
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.
Loja Quizhpi made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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.
# # # #
Dominican National Pleads Guilty in Connection with his Unlawful Reentry into the United States and for Distributing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Dominican man pleaded guilty today in federal court to immigration and drug offenses, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Robely Eladio De Jesus Guerrero, 37, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and one count of distribution of a controlled substance, specifically fentanyl and methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled De Jesus Guerrero’s sentencing for January 8, 2026.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, in 2020 and 2021, De Jesus Guerrero was convicted of identity theft and a child sex offense in Massachusetts. In November 2021, ICE deported him to the Dominican Republic.
Between August and September 2024, a DEA cooperating source purchased fentanyl and methamphetamine from De Jesus Guerrero in New Hampshire. Through two sales in August, De Jesus Guerrero sold the cooperator approximately 120 grams of fentanyl. In September, De Jesus Guerrero sold the cooperating source approximately one pound of methamphetamine.
The charges of distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carry a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised released, and a fine up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
###
Detroit Man Convicted of Leadership Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Emmitt Renand Richardson, 52, of Detroit, Michigan, was found guilty of multiple methamphetamine and fentanyl charges.
After a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted Richardson on six methamphetamine and fentanyl charges. According to court documents and statements made in court, Richardson was leading an organization responsible for the illegal sale and distribution of methamphetamine in Harrison County.
Richardson faces at least five and up to 40 years in prison for five of the charges and faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the remaining charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Cogar and Will Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Convicted Murderer and Drug Dealer Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Anthony Clagon, age 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 23 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In June 2025, Clagon pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
“This defendant has already taken a life and remains prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his previous criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “By illegally arming himself with a gun and ammunition, he put our communities at serious risk. Today’s sentence makes clear that we will hold repeat offenders accountable and do everything we can to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of those who are legally barred from having them.”
“In its investigations of dangerous felons in possession of firearms, ATF seeks to prioritize the most violent offenders posing the greatest threat to public safety. As a convicted murderer who immediately persisted in a life of crime upon his release from state prison, Clagon represents such an individual. This prosecution represents a vital component of ATF’s mission to protect the public and we would like to thank our partners at the Manchester Police Department for their collaboration on this investigation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Clagon was convicted of second-degree murder in 2010 and, as a result, could not legally possess a firearm. After completing his sentence on that charge, Clagon began selling drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, and crack. In November 2024, Clagon sold marijuana to a customer who eventually paid for the drugs with a firearm and two magazines. Law enforcement searched Clagon’s apartment and found the firearm and two magazines, each containing nine .45 caliber rounds of ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter prosecuted the case.
###
Convicted Felon Who Possessed a Gun While Awaiting Sentencing on a Federal Firearms Charge Sentenced to Federal Prison AgainRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on September 26, 2025, to nearly five years in federal prison.
Edward Earl Roby, Jr., age 28, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 13, 2025 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In July 2021, Waterloo law enforcement officers discovered a gun in Roby’s car during a traffic stop. In December 2021, Roby plead guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids to being a felon in possession of a gun for the July 2021 incident. Roby was allowed to remain released after his guilty plea.
In February 2022, while he was awaiting sentencing in federal court, law enforcement officers found Roby in a car that had been reported as being involved in a shots fired incident. Shortly after 4:00 a.m. on February 6, 2022, officers responded to the scene of a shooting after a report that the shots had been fired from a red car. Officers saw such a car and attempted to stop it. The car fled from officers. After a short chase, the car stopped. Officers found three people inside, including Roby who was in the backseat.
Law enforcement officers retraced the path of the chase. While doing so, they found a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun in a Crown Royal bag along the path. It was laying on top of a snowbank and appeared to have been thrown there recently. Officers also recovered six .40 caliber shell casings from near the scene of the shooting. The .40 caliber Smith & Wesson had a six-capacity magazine attached to it. The magazine was empty. Later DNA testing revealed that Roby’s DNA was on the slide and grip of the handgun.
Roby was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dickerson was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
In July 2022, Roby was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment for the case related to his possession of a firearm in July 2021.
Roby is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 21-CR-2057 and 25-CR-02015.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Trafficking Firearms and Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing fentanyl in exchange for firearms.
Caesar Ross, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV to 90 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In July 2024, Ross pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Over the course of three months in 2020, in at least four separate transactions, Ross obtained 23 firearms with obliterated serial numbers from an individual in Florida. Ross provided that individual with fentanyl in exchange for the firearms, which Ross explicitly asked the serial numbers to be obliterated from, and which he and his associates then distributed to individuals who could not lawfully possess them in Massachusetts.At least five of these firearms have been recovered in and around Boston in the hands of felons and gang members, and at the scenes of a shots-fired incident and an armed assault. The remaining firearms are believed to remain at-large.
Ross was arrested in September 2023 in Quincy, after providing a cooperating witness with approximately 60 grams of fentanyl in exchange for four firearms, each of which had no visible serial number.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division and the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division 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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to Aiming a Laser Pointer at Fresno County Sheriff’s HelicopterRead the Press Release
Martin Joseph Avila, 66, of Longmont, Colorado, pleaded guilty today, to aiming a laser pointer at a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on May 28, 2024, Avila aimed the beam of a dangerously bright laser pointer at a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office helicopter while the aircraft was on routine patrol. The laser pointer’s total output power of laser light was 92.8 milliwatts (mW), which is more than 18 times more powerful than what is legally permissible for a laser pointer.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) laser exposure can result in visual impairment and therefore poses a significant hazard to aircraft operations. In 2024, the FAA received 12,840 reports of laser strikes from pilots. California led the nation in reported incidents (1,489).
Sentencing is set for Jan. 12, 2026. Avila faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Co-Founder and CEO of Investment Fund Charged in $294 Million Securities Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former co-founder and top executive of Prophecy Asset Management LP was arraigned today on charges of conspiring to defraud dozens of victim investors out of $294 million in funds, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jeffrey Spotts, 58, of Summit, New Jersey, was arraigned today before U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on an indictment charging him with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud.
One of Spotts’s co-conspirators, John Hughes, 58, of Mahwah, New Jersey, previously pled guilty to securities fraud charges stemming from the same scheme.
According to the indictment:
Prophecy solicited investments and operated funds that, at their peak, had over $360 million in assets under management. Spotts co-founded Prophecy, with Hughes, and worked as its Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager. From January 2015 to March 2020, Spotts conspired with Hughes to falsely represent to investors that Prophecy employed a “first-loss” trading strategy that purportedly allocated investor money to a diverse array of traders, called sub-advisors, who were required to provide cash collateral in order to gain access to the investors’ pooled money and backstop any potential losses. Spotts and Hughes also falsely represented to investors that if a sub-advisor began to experience trading losses that approached the amount of their required cash collateral, Prophecy would contact the sub-advisor to increase or replenish their collateral and, if necessary, suspend allocations and trading, or even terminate the sub-advisor if losses were substantial. These false claims induced victims to believe that Prophecy operated low-risk, transparent and diversified funds.
In reality, over time, Spotts and Hughes allocated most of the Funds’ capital to a single, primary sub-advisor without requiring him to provide cash collateral to back potential losses. They also failed to suspend his allocations or trading, even though he sustained approximately $290 million in losses that far exceeded his cash collateral. Spotts and Hughes fraudulently concealed this and other information from victim investors, causing the victims to believe their investments were far more secure than they actually were. Spotts, Hughes and the sub-advisor also actively covered up these spiraling losses and collateral deficiencies by using, among other things, bogus transactions and forged documents.
In turn, the sub-advisor helped Spotts and Hughes conceal millions of dollars in losses they caused to Prophecy’s funds through bad investments. Spotts, Hughes and the sub-advisor used fake documents and money that the sub-advisor provided to paper over and hide these bad investments from victim investors and Prophecy’s auditor.
The fraud ultimately resulted in substantial trading losses that wiped out Prophecy’s funds and caused over $294 million in losses to the victims.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the conspiracy to commit securities fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and the securities fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine. Sentencing for Hughes is scheduled for March 10, 2026.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also filed a civil complaint against Spotts based on the same and additional conduct and had previously filed a civil complaint against Hughes.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A Jacobs, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. She also expressed appreciation for the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the direction of Margaret Ryan, Director, Division of Enforcement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Webman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark and Martha K. Nye, Attorney-in-Charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
Defense Counsel for Spotts: Lee Vartan, Esq.
spotts.indictment.pdfCivil Rights Division Fines Tech Company $200,000 for Discriminating Against U.S. Workers as Part of Settlement AgreementRead the Press Release
The United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has secured a settlement agreement with TekisHub Consulting Services, LLC (TekisHub), a Delaware company that provides IT recruitment and staffing services, to address allegations that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it limited its recruitment of certain positions to only those with H-1B visas.
This settlement is the third since the Department of Justice re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative to enforce the law against companies that illegally discriminate against American workers in favor of those with employment visas. Under the settlement, the company will pay $200,000 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo training, revise its employment policies, and not limit positions based on citizenship status unless there is a lawful reason.
“Recruitment companies cannot place unlawful restrictions based on citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “U.S. workers are highly-skilled and deserve equal access to all American jobs.”
The public can call IER’s free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired) for informal assistance between 9am and 5pm Eastern Time, Monday - Friday; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Robert McKinney, 40, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on Friday, September 26, 2025, to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after traveling from West Virginia to New York and Florida.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2025, McKinney left West Virginia without notifying authorities as required. As part of his guilty plea, McKinney admitted that he traveled by bus from West Virginia to New York and by bus from New York to Tampa, Florida. McKinney further admitted that he planned to remain in Florida until late May 2025, and made no attempt to notify relevant authorities of his presence in Florida. On April 22, 2025, law enforcement officers encountered McKinney trespassing on the property of a St. Petersburg, Florida, church. McKinney lied to the officers about his identity. While arresting McKinney for trespassing, officers found his West Virginia identification card bearing his true identity.
McKinney knew he was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction on three counts of third-degree sexual assault in Doddridge County Circuit Court on September 4, 2012. At the time of his current offense, McKinney was on supervised release after pleading guilty to failing to update his sex offender registration as required by the SORNA in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 16, 2022. McKinley also has two prior convictions in West Virginia for failing to comply with West Virginia sex offender registration requirements.
McKinney is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-130.
###
Butler Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Pay Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of willful failure to collect or pay over tax, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Michael D. Funovits, 49, pleaded guilty to four counts before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between 2016 and 2023, Funovits failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes he collected on behalf of his businesses, PennRo Associates LLC and Penn Exteriors LLC.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for February 17, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Funovits.
Brazilian National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Obtain Driver’s Licenses for Ineligible ApplicantsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national illegally residing in Waterbury, Conn. was sentenced on Sept. 26, 2025 for conspiring to obtain driver’s licenses for ineligible applicants, principally illegal aliens.
Cesar Agusto Martin Reis, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to time served (290 days in prison). The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. In June 2025, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents and one count of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully identification documents. In December 2024, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis was charged along with four co-conspirators.
From in or about November 2020 through in or about September 2024, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently procured driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining driver’s licenses. Prior to July 2023, illegal aliens residing in Massachusetts were not permitted to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses. Beginning in 2019, illegal aliens residing in New York became eligible to obtain New York driver’s licenses. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators conspired to fraudulently obtain New York driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in New York, including Massachusetts residents, and after July 2023 to fraudulently obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in Massachusetts. In exchange for fraudulently obtaining the driver’s licenses, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators typically charged approximately $1,400 per customer. On Feb. 4, 2024, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis was found with 50 of these fraudulently produced driver’s licenses during a traffic stop in Bedford, Mass.
In New York, before obtaining a driver’s license, applicants were required to pass a written permit test and complete driver’s education coursework from a New York driving school. Online permit test-takers were required by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) to take a picture of themselves with a web camera during the test. This was to ensure that the test-taker was indeed the applicant and that there was not a person sitting with and helping the applicant with the test.To avoid the customers having to take the permit tests, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators obtained several pictures of the customers sitting down, making it look as if the customers were taking the tests. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to complete the permit tests for the customers online and, when prompted by the NY DMV to take pictures during the tests, and to upload the pictures that the customers previously provided – purporting to show that it was the customers who were taking the tests, not the defendants. The defendants also allegedly created fraudulent driver’s education certificates of completion, purportedly from New York driving schools, forged the signatures of driving school staff on the fake certificates and gave these documents to the customers to provide to the NY DMV.
The NY DMV also required that applicants appear at a NY DMV location and provide documents to prove their identity and residence in New York. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to meet Massachusetts-based customers at locations in Massachusetts – typically several customers at a time – and drive them to NY DMV branch locations. When they arrived at the NY DMV locations, the defendants allegedly gave the customers fraudulent documents falsely purporting to demonstrate that the customers resided in New York. The customers provided these fake records to the NY DMV staff, and the NY DMV relied on the misrepresentations to issue New York driving permits to the customers. Cesar Agusto Martin Reis conspired with his alleged co-conspirators to arrange for the NY DMV to mail the permits to locations in New York that were controlled by the defendants and provided the permits to the customers in-person. Additionally, the defendants allegedly conspired to schedule road driving license tests for the customers with the NY DMV and, again, drive the customers to New York for them to take the road tests. If the customers passed the tests, the NY DMV sent the driver’s licenses to mailing addresses in New York that the defendants allegedly controlled, and the defendants then provided the licenses to the customers.
The defendants allegedly conspired to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for out-of-state residents, in generally the same manner as they allegedly obtained the New York licenses for Massachusetts residents. In Massachusetts, the defendants allegedly conspired to fraudulently obtain purported foreign passports to provide to the customers to use as proof of identity with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in support of customer driver’s license applications.
Collectively, Cesar Agusto Martin Reis and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently applied for licenses for more than 1,000 customers, obtained licenses for more than 600 of the customers, and collected at least hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The charge of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to use or transfer unlawfully identification documents, carries a sentence up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Kelly Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; the Boston, Danbury (Conn.) and Waterbury (Conn.) Police Departments; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut; and the New York State Inspector General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bloomfield Man Charged with Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Bloomfield man is facing federal charges after allegedly trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine from Albuquerque and Phoenix into San Juan County.
According to court documents, the Region II Narcotics Task Force initiated an investigation into Joseph Stevens, 41, in early 2025 for suspected drug trafficking in San Juan County from Albuquerque and Phoenix. On September 24, 2025, deputies from the San Juan Sheriff’s Office executed a high-risk felony traffic stop on Stevens in reference to an arrest warrant issued the day before. Stevens was detained and a K9 officer from the Farmington Police Department was deployed to perform a free air scent pass of Stevens’ vehicle. The Police Service Dog alerted to the presence of controlled substances and the vehicle was impounded.
Later that day, deputies executed a search warrant on Stevens’ vehicle. Inside, they located and seized 19 firearms (two of which were reported stolen), 329.89 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, 10.89 grams of suspected fentanyl powder, 59.34 grams of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Stevens is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Stevens and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Stevens faces 45 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
The Region II Narcotics Enforcement Task Force is a multi-agency, multijurisdictional taskforce whose purpose is to investigate, apprehend and prosecute violators of the New Mexico Controlled Substances Act and related offenses.
View the Criminal Complaint (Stevens).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Attorney General Bondi Issues Memo on Ending Political Violence Against ICERead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released a memorandum to the FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, and Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys focused on ending political violence against ICE.
As noted in the memo, riots in Los Angeles and Portland reflect more than a 1000% increase in attacks on ICE officers since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year.
The memo instructs Department of Justice components to:
- Direct officers and agents to defend ICE facilities, specifically in Portland and Chicago.
- Add local law enforcement entities to a temporary ICE Protection Task Force alongside DOJ law enforcement components.
- Provide grant funding, training, and technical assistance to support federal, state, and local law enforcement protecting ICE.
Finally, the Department of Justice will “arrest and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law every person who aids, abets, or conspires to commit” crimes against ICE – including through “funding, coordination, or planning.”
Please read the full memo HERE.
Appleton Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on September 25, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Jason J. Evans (age: 42), formerly of Appleton, Wisconsin, to 120 months in federal prison after being convicted of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court records, on Christmas Day in 2024, officers with the Appleton Police Department responded to a report of an ongoing domestic disturbance. When they arrived, they observed a female lying face down on the floor in a pool of blood as Evans was kicking her head. Evans was arrested and four firearms were seized, which he was prohibited from possessing because of a prior felony conviction.
The seized firearms were test fired and entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). One of the firearms was determined to be connected to a shooting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on November 1, 2024, which involved a suspect who fired a handgun at occupied vehicles after a verbal altercation. After further investigation following the NIBIN lead, investigators identified Evans as the shooter.
This case was investigated by the Appleton Police Department, the Oshkosh Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on X
Akron Drug Dealer Sentenced to 35 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – An Akron-area career criminal has been sentenced to prison for his role in distributing controlled substances throughout Northeast Ohio.
Antoine D. Cook, 46, of Akron, was sentenced to 420 months (35 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after a federal jury found him guilty in June of the following charges as outlined in the indictment:
- One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,
- One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine,
- One count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition; prior convictions include Domestic Violence in 1996, 2010, 2012, and 2014; Distribution of a Controlled Substance in 2002; Aggravated Assault in 2012 and 2015; and Felonious Assault in 2018.
Cook was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Cook knowingly possessed and intended to distribute two Schedule II controlled substances. He was found with approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine as well as three grams of cocaine, all packaged for sale. Cook also unlawfully possessed more than 80 rounds of ammunition. Because Cook was previously convicted of a number of serious drug and violent felonies, he received a significant sentencing enhancement as a career offender and an armed career criminal.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.
Adult Film Actor Justin Heath Smith, A/K/A “Austin Wolf,” Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that JUSTIN HEATH SMITH, a/k/a “Austin Wolf,” was sentenced to 19 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and for engaging in a pattern of activity involving prohibited sexual conduct. SMITH’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who also presided over the guilty plea.
“Justin Heath Smith’s crimes against children are horrible,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He targeted kids as young as seven, and every New Yorker wants him and those like him off our streets for as long as possible and never again near our children. The women and men of our Office, and our law enforcement partners, are laser focused on ridding our streets of those who sexually exploit our children. The message to predators from our Office is clear: there is no place for you in New York other than prison.”
According to the Information, the plea agreement, and statements made in court:
Since at least 2023, SMITH has repeatedly preyed on and tried to sexually exploit minor victims. In late 2023 or early 2024, SMITH and an adult male (“Male-1”) met with a 15-year-old minor, during which Male-1 performed oral sex on the minor while SMITH masturbated. SMITH also had sex at least three times with an individual whom SMITH believed was 15 years old, but who was in fact an adult. SMITH recorded one such encounter, a threesome with Male-1.
SMITH tried to make other arrangements to meet with other minors to engage in sexual activity. In January 2024, SMITH made plans with another male (“Male-2”) to sexually abuse a purported nine-year-old child that Male-2 claimed to be babysitting. SMITH traveled to Male-2’s building for the encounter, which Male-2 called off while SMITH was waiting downstairs. In February 2024, SMITH also made plans to meet a purported 14-year-old for sex, including discussing the specific sex act that the purported minor would perform on SMITH. SMITH provided his cross-streets so that the purported minor could travel to SMITH’s apartment. The planned encounter did not ultimately occur.
SMITH also solicited child sexual abuse material from at least one minor and multiple individuals who purported to be minors. For example, SMITH communicated with a 15-year-old minor and, after the minor told SMITH his age, SMITH asked the minor for sexually explicit materials. The minor then sent SMITH a video showing the minor’s penis and anus. SMITH also communicated with an individual online whose username contained the phrase “12M,” suggesting that the user was a 12-year-old male. SMITH and the purported minor appear to have exchanged sexual photographs and discussed a possible meeting location.
Prior to his arrest, SMITH made plans to meet with an individual who claimed to be the father of a seven-year-old child and who offered to make the child available to SMITH for sexual abuse. Federal law enforcement executed a search warrant on SMITH’s residence before the planned encounter could occur. Following that search, SMITH was found in possession of approximately 1,291 files containing child pornography, including around 75 files showing infants or toddlers and some videos depicting the violent rape of young children. SMITH also shared child pornography with at least 15 other individuals.
Anyone who believes they have information concerning the exploitation of children is urged to contact the FBI at 1-212-384-1000 or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, SMITH, 44, of New York, New York, was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and a $40,000 fine.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Getzel Berger is in charge of the prosecution.
26 September 2025
York County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Timothy Antonio Flanagan, 38, of Lancaster, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Flanagan and others were responsible for selling drugs that were obtained from other members of a drug conspiracy operating out of Rock Hill. Agents learned the group obtained cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and pills that resembled 30 mg Oxycodone tablets, also known in the generic form as Roxicodone. The pills were produced by members of the conspiracy with fentanyl at various locations in the Rock Hill and Charlotte areas. Flanagan was also supplied with cocaine which he distributed to others.
United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Flanagan to 144 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervision. Flanagan must complete his current federal sentence on unrelated federal charges before beginning this sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by FBI Columbia Field Office, York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
###
Winfield Woman Ordered to Repay Funds from PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jade Price, 29 years old, of Winfield, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Price was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay $80,355.18 in restitution to the Small Business Administration.
According to documents in the case, Price falsely claimed gross income for a business when she applied for four Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PPP program provided loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses as part the CARES Act and for emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of her fraudulent representations, Price received PPP funds which she used for her own benefit on personal items.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever.
Wilmington Couple Convicted at Trial of Trafficking Young WomanRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – On September 25, 2025, following a four-day trial, a federal jury in Raleigh convicted Dartez Omar Faulk and Rosalind Carol Comfort of three counts of sex trafficking following a four day trial.
“These depraved reprobates preyed on vulnerable young women to make money from their suffering and addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Mercifully, one woman’s mama bear quickly sprang into action when she could not reach her daughter after a few days and promptly called law enforcement. The FBI and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office acted with admirable alacrity and remarkably rescued the daughter before something worse happened. A team of Federal Prosecutors fought hard to serve these miscreants justice for their heinous acts. Now these villains can expect to receive decades in prison they earned at sentencing. All of New Hanover County should sleep more peacefully knowing these two will not prowl the streets for a long time.”
“Human traffickers often prey on the vulnerability of their victims, making empty promises for a better life with a stable and loving home. It's nothing more than a bait-and-switch scheme. Quickly, they force victims into sex or labor trafficking, for personal profit. The FBI and our local law enforcement partners will never stop working to combat trafficking of any kind in our communities,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Faulk and Comfort lured a 26-year-old woman into commercial sex by preying on her drug addiction and abusive relationship. Between January 22 and 29, 2024, they coerced her into prostitution using violence, threats, drugs, and intimidation. They took all the money, did not let her leave the apartment where they were prostituting her, and hunted her down when she tried to escape. Faulk told Comfort that he would kill the victim at one point, and Comfort told him that they had been seen on camera with her.
On January 28, Faulk sent text messages to the victim’s mother threatening to kill her if her mother did not pay $3,500. The mother called 911 and reported her daughter missing. On January 29, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office identified online ads connected to the defendants. Working with the FBI, investigators rescued the victim. Further investigation revealed that Faulk and Comfort had lured a second vulnerable young woman, only 20 years old, into commercial sex, going so far as to advertise her for sex as she lay unconscious from a drug overdose.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The FBI, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and Carolina Beach PD investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Blondel and Ashley Foxx are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:24-CR-00091-D-BM.
###
Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 270 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 270 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Sept. 19 through 25. Significant cases include U.S. citizens arrested on human smuggling charges, illegal alien sex offenders, and numerous illegal aliens arrested across the district with multiple DWI convictions on their record.
Among the new cases, two U.S. citizens, Jesus Ruiz Murillo aka Gabriella Ruiz Murillo, and Sebastian Ruiz, were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Dilley on Monday. USBP agents conducted an immigration inspection on the vehicle while it was stopped at a gas station, during which the agents allegedly observed feet protruding from underneath a sun shield on the floor of the vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that the agents discovered a total of six individuals—all determined to be Mexican nationals—hidden in the rear seats of the SUV driven by Ruiz Murillo. Ruiz Murillo and Sebastian Ruiz are siblings and were allegedly transporting the six illegal aliens from Crystal City to a stash house in San Antonio, anticipating a payment of $1,500 in cash per illegal alien. Further investigation revealed that at least four of the illegal aliens were paying $6,500 to $7,000 each to be smuggled into the United States. Ruiz and Ruiz Murillo are both charged with transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.
Mexican national Arturo Barrios-Medina was found in the Bexar County Jail after his Sept. 15 arrest on a warrant out of Florida based on a sex offender registration violation. Barrios-Medina was turned over to ICE custody on Sept. 19 and charged with illegal re-entry. In August 2004, Barrios-Medina was convicted in Florida for providing obscene material to minors and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to one year and one day of confinement and removed from the U.S. on Oct. 7, 2004.
In El Paso, U.S. citizen Edmundo Vizcaya was arrested on human smuggling charges after agents allegedly observed six individuals wearing yellow construction vests attempting to conceal themselves inside Vizcaya’s vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that the individuals admitted to being illegal aliens and Vizcaya stated he would be paid $500 per alien he transported to a drop-off location he had coordinated with another smuggler. In 2024 in El Paso County, Vizcaya was given deferred adjudication for aggravated robbery and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Mexican national Jesus Armando Ramirez-Hernandez was charged with illegal re-entry, having been previously removed from the U.S. two times, the last being in 2023 through San Ysidro, California. Ramirez-Hernandez is a convicted felon with convictions for conspiracy to transport aliens, possession of a controlled substance, assault causing bodily injury to a family member and aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Jordan Lorenzo Zavala-Mendez, also a Mexican national and convicted felon, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Zavala was just removed from the U.S. to Mexico on Feb. 12 after serving a one-year prison sentence for illegal re-entry. Zavala-Mendez has also been convicted twice for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and twice for possession of a controlled substance.
Juan Hernandez-Cotzojay, a Guatemalan national with three prior removals, was found and arrested approximately 13 miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. His most recent removal was on Aug. 14 and his criminal record includes two DWI convictions in Houston.
Mexican national Hector Martinez Aranda was charged with illegal re-entry after he was encountered by ICE at the Travis County Jail. He had been arrested on Sept. 19 for driving without a license and with an open container. Martinez Aranda has been convicted three times for DWI charges and was convicted for improper entry by an alien in Del Rio in 2011. He has been removed from the U.S. to Mexico twice.
Also taken into ICE custody out of the Travis County Jail, Mexican national Pablo Torres Mendieta had been arrested for his second DWI charge, along with charges for bribery and fleeing a police officer. Torres Mendieta’s first DWI conviction was in 1998. He was also convicted that year for an immigration violation and was subsequently deported. He’s now federally charged with illegal re-entry.
Jose Ramirez-Betancourt, also a Mexican national, was taken into ICE custody after he was encountered at the Williamson County Jail. He was convicted on Sept. 11 for a DWI and assault causing bodily injury. Additionally, Ramirez-Betancourt’s criminal record includes two previous convictions for driving while impaired in North Carolina.
In Del Rio, Mexican national Jose Manuel Ibarra-Gamez was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry less than four weeks after he was removed from the U.S. for the sixth time. Ibarra-Gamez has been convicted three times for illegal re-entry and twice for DWI charges.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 87 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 87 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On September 22, Jesus Alfredo Castro Sanchez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. In the same incident, Marcos Octavio Huerta-Pena, Anabel Lopez, Lorenzo Martinez Mateos and Jaime Romero Solano – also Mexican nationals - were arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, 11 people aboard a 26-foot vessel were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard after a brief ocean pursuit. Castro Sanchez was identified as the boat captain. The U.S. Coast guard disabled the motor of the 26-foot vessel about 9 miles north of the border. The defendants and other passengers were transported to Point Loma and turned over to the Border Patrol.
- On September 23, Krystal Vanessa Santibanez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Santibanez attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with 115 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the spare tire, rear quarter panel and gas tank of her car.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On September 22, Jose Miguel Verduzco Mendoza, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony Disorderly Conduct with a Deadly Weapon or Dangerous Instrument and Misconduct Involving Weapons in November 2024, was sentenced in federal court to 92 days in custody for entering the U.S illegally.
- On September 26, Emilio Anchundia Bailon, a 41-year-old Ecuadorian citizen, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute on Board a Vessel. The amount of cocaine involved was 1,410kgs.
- On September 26, Pedro Valencia-Anguiano, a Mexican citizen who was previously convicted of “DUI Alcohol – Causing Bodily Injury – Use of Firearm” in 2023, was sentenced in federal court to 89 days in custody for again entering the U.S. illegally.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones Awarded Defense Meritorious Service Medal for Military ServiceRead the Press Release
MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones was presented with the Defense Meritorious Service Medal today in a ceremony held at MacDill Air Force Base.
The medal was awarded in recognition of his exceptional performance as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, assigned to Headquarters U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). The presentation was made by Major General Richard A. Harrison, Chief of Staff, Headquarters USCENTCOM, accompanied by Colonel Joseph M. Fairfield, Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters USCENTCOM.
The award acknowledges U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones’s distinguished service as a lawyer and military officer while assigned to USCENTCOM, supporting OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER, OPERATION ROUGH RIDER, and other critical national security missions. In that role, he provided senior legal counsel on national security and counterterrorism matters to the Commander, USCENTCOM, ensuring mission success in one of the most complex operational theaters in the world.
“Serving in uniform remains one of the greatest honors of my life,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. “I am humbled to receive this medal, but the true credit belongs to the extraordinary men and women of CENTCOM, whose dedication and sacrifice protect our nation every day. As both a U.S. Attorney and a military officer, I will continue to defend the rule of law, safeguard our freedoms, and serve the American people.”
The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third highest award bestowed in the War Department for non-combat service, recognizing exceptionally meritorious service while assigned to a joint activity.
As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Reding Quiñones leads one of the nation’s largest and most active federal prosecutorial offices, overseeing the prosecution of violent crime, narcotics trafficking, corruption, immigration offenses, and other matters of national importance.
###
U.S. Attorney Announces Immigration Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division. These are separate cases and not related.
The following individuals have been sentenced to time served by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after each previously pleaded guilty to illegal reentry (Title 8 U.S. Code 1326), after being found in the Northern District of Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. They remain detained pending deportation from the United States.
- Gonzalo Diaz-Resendiz, 29, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Sept. 6, 2013. He was found in Putnam County, Ottawa, Ohio.
- Edin Oneil Carrillos-Rodriguez, 36, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the United States on at least two occasions with the most recent being Dec. 11, 2014. He was found in Sandusky County, Clyde, Ohio.
- Raul Samano-Fuerte, 49, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least four occasions with the most recent being March 10, 2009. He was found in Huron County, Norwalk, Ohio.
Additionally, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jaime Sanchez-Tlehuactle, 43, a citizen of Mexico, with illegal reentry. He has previously been removed from the United States with the most recent being April 21, 2021. He was found in Wood County, Bowling Green, Ohio.
The investigations in these cases were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gene Crawford, Matthew Simko, and Ava Rotell Dustin for Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney and ATF Announce Results of Operation Take Back America InitiativeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – Christopher J. Wilson, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and ATF Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ashley Stephens joined state, local, and tribal law enforcement to announce the results of ATF’s focus on the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America and Project Safe Neighborhood Initiatives by the Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crime Task Force (EOVCTF) to combat violent crime in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
In announcing the successes of the operation, the ATF and U.S. Attorney came together to recognize and thank participating agencies for their exceptional commitment and partnership.
“This operation demonstrates that when law enforcement stands united at every level, criminals lose,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department of Justice is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our federal, state, Tribal, and local law enforcement partners as part of Operation Take Back America. And by leveraging our combined resources and resolve, we are not only removing dangerous individuals and organizations from our streets but also reaffirming our commitment to protecting the safety and wellbeing of all Americans.”
“We’ve long known that achieving true success in public safety is dependent on developing and maintaining partnerships between law enforcement agencies,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “By leveraging these relationships, our communities are safer because we have more resources dedicated to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who commit violent crimes. I am proud to be here today to celebrate those partnerships and to express my appreciation to the agencies which are collectively making a tremendous impact in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.”
“This unprecedented outcome is a direct result of the unwavering commitment, strategic coordination, and shared mission among our federal, state, tribal and local partners; taking hundreds of crime guns off the streets and dismantling large-scale drug and explosive operations saves lives,” said ATF Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ashley Stephens. “These statistics represent more than just numbers, they reflect safer communities, fewer victims, and a clear message to those who threaten public safety. The Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crime Task Force has become a model of effective interagency cooperation. Through their collective efforts, this operation disrupted criminal organizations with deep ties to violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal firearms distribution, and explosive manufacturing.”
The results of the operation by EOVCTF include seizure of the largest homemade explosives laboratory in recent Oklahoma history, significant quantities of drugs, firearms, and illegal cash, including:
- 23 pounds of methamphetamine
- 100 pounds of marijuana
- 15 pounds of cocaine
- 5 pounds of anabolic steroids
- Significant quantities of MDMA, LSD, heroin, and fentanyl
- Over $270,000 in U.S. currency
- and 606 crime guns — many connected to violent felons and organized criminal networks.
These seizures led to 108 individuals being indicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges filed are serious and extensive. They include:
- Murder
- Robbery by Force or Fear
- Arson
- Hobbs Act Robbery
- Assault with Intent to Cause Serious Bodily Injury
- Drug Conspiracy
- Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Controlled Drugs
- Trafficking in Firearms
- Possession of Machine Guns
- and Prohibited Persons in Possession of Firearms/Ammunition and/or Explosives.
Together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the ATF Muskogee Field Office serves all 26 counties within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, a region with deep roots in cultural and historical significance, and the headquarters of the Five Tribes – the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole Nations.
The success of ATF’s focus on the Operation Take Back America and Project Safe Neighborhood Initiatives is a testament to strong partnerships. Working together under the motto, “One Team, One Fight”, the following agencies each collaborated, sharing personnel and resources in support of this effort:
- The Adair County Sheriff’s Office
- The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
- The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service
- The Durant Police Department
- The Hugo Police Department
- The Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department
- The Muskogee Fire Department
- The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office
- The Oklahoma Highway Patrol
- The Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office
- and the Tahlequah Fire Department.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Two East Pierce County residents, who distributed fentanyl pills via the dark web, plead guiltyRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Two residents of East Pierce County, Washington, who conspired to sell fentanyl pills via a ‘dark web’ marketplace pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Trevor Stephen Haahr, 34, of Puyallup, Washington, and Kaeli Arielle Albert, 35, of Orting, Washington, face a sentence of up to 40 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on December 18, 2025.
According to the statements in the plea agreements, in early 2023, law enforcement began an investigation into sales of fentanyl pills on a marketplace located on the dark web. After ordering some of the pills that were labeled to appear as M30 oxycodone pills, law enforcement testing revealed they were fentanyl pills.
Through various investigative techniques, Trevor Stephen Haahr was identified as the operator of the marketplace on the dark web. In February 2024, Haahr mailed a package in Pierce County that was searched and contained more than 10,000 fentanyl pills. Surveillance of Haahr revealed multiple quick meeting with Albert where cash and drugs were exchanged.
On March 11, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Haahr’s residence, office, storage locker, vehicle and at Albert’s home, amongst other locations. At Haahr’s office he was signed on to the dark web vender profile. In his truck and storage locker investigators found drug proceeds, fentanyl pills and supplies for shipping the drugs. In Albert’s residence investigators seized more than $23,000 in drug proceeds and body armor.
The defendants admit in their plea agreements that they distributed more than 100,000 fentanyl laced pills.
Law enforcement also seized bitcoin that Haahr had received in payment for the drugs. At the time it was seized the bitcoin was worth approximately $50,000. Haahr is forfeiting the bitcoin as proceeds of his drug dealing.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend sentences at the low end of the guidelines range calculated by the court. Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in this volume is punishable by up to 40 years in prison. Possession with intent to distribute is punishable by up to twenty years in prison. Haahr pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count and to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Albert pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Judge Cartwright is not bound by the recommendations and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Wynne and Casey Conzatti.
Three local businessmen sentenced for $4M COVID relief schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three local businessmen have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a pandemic program that provided low-interest financing to small businesses to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) administered the PPP program and was authorized to provide loans of up to $10 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the pandemic. Loan amounts were determined by the number of employees certified by the applicant.
According to court documents, Raymond Rahbar, 44, of Great Falls; Ryan Macaulay, 36, of Gambrills, Maryland; and Carl Pierre, 37, of Alexandria, co-founded BYNDfit, a fitness center planned in Washington that never opened to the public. Between April 2020 and June 2021, Rahbar, Macaulay, and Pierre submitted PPP loan applications in which they inflated the number of BYNDfit employees to increase their purported payroll costs and obtain more money. The conspirators submitted purported payroll summaries that listed people who did not work for BYNDfit, including local students whose only interaction with BYNDfit was providing their name and personal identifying information to BYNDfit at a career fair. In support of the applications, the conspirators also submitted fabricated tax forms.
Using the same type of misrepresentations about the number of employees, Rahbar obtained four additional PPP loans on behalf of two construction companies he controlled: AMC Building Group and American Majestic Construction. In total, Rahbar fraudulently obtained at least $3.1 million in PPP loans, and attempted to obtain over $4 million in PPP loans.
On April 10, Rahbar pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced yesterday to four years and six months in prison.
On April 15, Macaulay pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and unlawful monetary transactions. He was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison.
On Sept. 4, 2024, Pierre pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On May 30, he was sentenced to one day in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin S. Starr and Avi Panth and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hood prosecuted the case.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-180.
Seven-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL –A resident of Irvington, Alabama, was sentenced on his third felony conviction in federal court this morning to 15 years imprisonment. Voeruth Meas, 40, was sentenced on his two most recent federal charges, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, this morning. According to court documents, Meas’ first conviction in federal court was for two separate charges, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and knowing possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. On November 6, 2006, Means was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release. After Meas was released from prison but while he was under supervised release, he was arrested again on three additional charges of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Drug User in Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number. Meas was pled guilty to those three charges and was sentenced on April 13, 2015, to 70 months imprisonment, consecutive to an 8-month sentence for the violation of his supervised release conditions. Additional supervised release was imposed to follow the total prison sentence of 78 months. Meas was released again to supervision on April 5, 2021.
On August 11, 2021, an arrest warrant issued for Meas’ failure to comply with the terms of his supervision. When he was arrested on that warrant, October 19, 2021, U.S. deputy marshals found him in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, along with methamphetamine ice, marijuana, cocaine and a meth pipe. Meas was arrested the last time on July 25, 2024, after an investigation by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office revealed that he had been selling methamphetamine in the parking lot of a motel on West I-65 Service Road in Mobile. Deputies followed him as he drove away from that location and stopped his vehicle. They found methamphetamine ice in the vehicle. Meas was advised of his constitutional rights and admitted he was responsible for the distribution of approximately 168 grams of methamphetamine ice. Meas pled guilty to the last two charges, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in May of 2025.
United States District Court Judge Kristi Dubose imposed the 15-year sentence in Meas’ case and further ordered that Meas serve ten years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of Meas’ supervision, he will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Meas pay $200 in special assessments. Judge Dubose also ordered the forfeiture of the firearm Meas illegally possessed in 2021.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
###
Seven-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL –A resident of Irvington, Alabama, was sentenced on his third felony conviction in federal court this morning to 15 years imprisonment. Voeruth Meas, 40, was sentenced on his two most recent federal charges, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, this morning. According to court documents, Meas’ first conviction in federal court was for two separate charges, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and knowing possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. On November 6, 2006, Means was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release. After Meas was released from prison but while he was under supervised release, he was arrested again on three additional charges of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Drug User in Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number. Meas was pled guilty to those three charges and was sentenced on April 13, 2015, to 70 months imprisonment, consecutive to an 8-month sentence for the violation of his supervised release conditions. Additional supervised release was imposed to follow the total prison sentence of 78 months. Meas was released again to supervision on April 5, 2021.
On August 11, 2021, an arrest warrant issued for Meas’ failure to comply with the terms of his supervision. When he was arrested on that warrant, October 19, 2021, U.S. deputy marshals found him in possession of a Smith & Wesson 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, along with methamphetamine ice, marijuana, cocaine and a meth pipe. Meas was arrested the last time on July 25, 2024, after an investigation by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office revealed that he had been selling methamphetamine in the parking lot of a motel on West I-65 Service Road in Mobile. Deputies followed him as he drove away from that location and stopped his vehicle. They found methamphetamine ice in the vehicle. Meas was advised of his constitutional rights and admitted he was responsible for the distribution of approximately 168 grams of methamphetamine ice. Meas pled guilty to the last two charges, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in May of 2025.
United States District Court Judge Kristi Dubose imposed the 15-year sentence in Meas’ case and further ordered that Meas serve ten years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of Meas’ supervision, he will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Meas pay $200 in special assessments. Judge Dubose also ordered the forfeiture of the firearm Meas illegally possessed in 2021.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Serial Fraudster Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Delaware – U.S. Attorney Julianne E. Murray of the District of Delaware announced today that a Wilmington man was sentenced on September 18, 2025, to 70 months in prison for amassing over $900,000 in fraudulent proceeds through multiple fraud schemes over the course of years.
According to court documents, Crandall Speights, 43, drove around neighborhoods at night, rifled through mailboxes, and stole checks out of the mail. He then altered those checks and deposited them into bank accounts he controlled. From June 2019 – October 2021, he defrauded individuals and banks out of approximately $345,250 through this scheme.
At the same time, from June 2020 – April 2021, Speights submitted six fraudulent applications for loans available under the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program—two COVID-19 relief programs designed to aid small business owners during the pandemic. Each loan claimed that Speights or an associate owned a small business they did not in fact own. Through this scheme, Speights defrauded the Small Business Administration out of approximately $559,999. Speights also moved these fraud proceeds between bank accounts he controlled in an effort to conceal their fraudulent nature.
A federal grand jury sitting in the District of Delaware returned an Indictment against Speights in September 2023. Speights was released on his own recognizance but was required to remain in the area and keep in contact with an assigned probation officer. Instead, Speights fled for approximately eight months, from May 2024 – January 2025. He was apprehended in an apartment in New Jersey, where law enforcement found additional checks, bank cards, and identifying information belonging to third parties. The checks found in Speights’ apartment totaled $53,760.
Speights admitted to spending fraud proceeds gambling and purchasing luxury goods. Law enforcement seized over 40 pieces of jewelry from Speights’ home with a total appraised value of approximately $477,705, including an 18-karat gold, diamond, and sapphire ring valued at $75,000 and a 1-karat gold bracelet valued at $102,900. Law enforcement also seized 11 fur coats, shawls, and hats from Speights’ apartment with a total appraised value of approximately $56,250.
Julianne Murray, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, stated, “Fraudsters do real damage to our community, by altering checks found in the mail, diverting taxpayer funds, and looting government programs. We will work hard to ensure that wrongdoers are brought to justice, and that no one may divert people’s hard-earned money for their own personal gain.”
Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation stated, "This is an important victory for the American public. Not only is a criminal going to jail for his crimes, but the government has seized a significant portion of the illegal proceeds through asset forfeiture. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and investigate criminals who engage in such brazen and fraudulent conduct.
“Protecting the mail from theft is a core mission of the Postal Inspection Service,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division. “By perpetrating mail theft, Mr. Speights harmed real people who were using the mail to pay their bills. By filing false claims on government benefit programs, Mr. Speights deprived others of needed assistance. I want to recognize the hard work of the Inspectors and the Special Agents from the IRS who worked this investigation. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office in Delaware for their continued support in investigating and prosecuting these cases."
The IRS–Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly A. Hudson prosecuted the case.
Semler Scientific Inc. and Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc. to Pay Nearly $37M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to FloChec and QuantaFlo DevicesRead the Press Release
Semler Scientific Inc. has agreed to pay $29.75 million and its former distributor, Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc. and its related companies, has agreed to pay $7.2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, by knowingly causing, and conspiring to cause, the submission of false claims to Medicare for photoplethysmography tests performed using the FloChec and QuantaFlo devices in connection with the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
“Medicare billing regulations are created, in part, to protect the public fisc,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “It is incumbent upon manufacturers and their distributors to be honest with their customers about the rules and regulations that apply to their products.”
“Government programs expect an honest exchange between suppliers and programs funded by taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “When critical information is misrepresented or skewed for profit or personal gain, the limited resources available for our healthcare system are diminished.”
“Medical device companies that misrepresent the capabilities of their products and encourage providers to bill Medicare for services that do not meet coverage requirements drain critical taxpayer-funded resources,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Isaac M. Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In addition to this settlement, HHS-OIG has entered into a new five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with Semler Scientific, which agreed to undertake substantial internal compliance measures to help ensure that the company remains appropriate and lawful moving forward.”
PAD in the lower extremities is the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood between the heart and legs. Providers traditionally diagnose PAD by conducting a test called an ankle brachial index (ABI) to estimate the severity of the blockage in a patient’s limbs. To qualify for Medicare reimbursement, PAD testing must satisfy the requirements of Current Procedural Technology (CPT) billing codes 93922, 92923 or 93924. Each of these billing codes requires that a provider conduct an ABI test plus certain additional testing. In addition, Medicare does not cover noninvasive vascular tests that use photoelectric plethysmography, also known as photoplethysmography, which uses a light sensor to detect changes in blood volume.
From approximately 2010 through 2024, Semler manufactured, marketed, and distributed the FloChec and QuantaFlo devices to customers throughout the United States for use in connection with the diagnosis of PAD. Both devices use a light sensor to detect changes in blood volume. Additionally, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared FloChec and QuantaFlo, the agency told Semler that the devices did not perform an ABI and could not be called a “digital ABI.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Semler and Bard falsely claimed that tests conducted using the FloChec and QuantaFlo devices were reimbursable by Medicare and caused healthcare providers to submit false claims to Medicare. The United States alleged that Semler knew that testing conducted using FloChec and QuantaFlo did not satisfy CPT codes 93922, 93923, or 93924 because the devices do not perform an ABI. Additionally, the United States alleged that Medicare reimbursement for FloChec and QuantaFlo tests is barred because the devices use photoplethysmography. Nevertheless, Semler allegedly represented to healthcare providers that Medicare reimbursed customers for tests performed using Flochec and QuantaFlo if they submitted CPT codes 93922, 93923, and 93924. Even after Semler received concerns from third parties about reimbursement, Semler allegedly continued to market the devices as reimbursable by Medicare.
Bard served as Semler’s distributor from 2012 through 2022. As part of the settlement, Bard admitted certain allegations and received cooperation credit under Justice Department guidelines.
In addition to the civil settlement, Semler has entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG), which obligates Semler to undertake substantial internal compliance reforms.
The allegations were originally brought in a lawsuit filed by Robert Kane and Franklin W. West under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private parties may bring suit on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. Mr. Kane and Mr. West will receive approximately $6.5 million as their share of the recovery.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The settlement resulted from a coordinated effort among the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Senior Trial Counsel Kristen M. Echemendia, Trial Attorney Martha Glover, and Investigator Robert L. Jodoin of the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Bard Settlement US ex. rel Kane v. Semler Scientific Inc. et al..pdf Semler Scientific Inc. Settlement Agreement_0.pdfSemler Scientific Inc. and Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc. to Pay Nearly $37M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Flochec and Quantaflo DevicesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Semler Scientific Inc. has agreed to pay $29.75 million and its former distributor, Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc. and its related companies, has agreed to pay $7.2 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, by knowingly causing, and conspiring to cause, the submission of false claims to Medicare for photoplethysmography tests performed using the FloChec and QuantaFlo devices in connection with the diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
“Medicare billing regulations are created, in part, to protect the public fisc,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “It is incumbent upon manufacturers and their distributors to be honest with their customers about the rules and regulations that apply to their products.”
“Government programs expect an honest exchange between suppliers and programs funded by taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “When critical information is misrepresented or skewed for profit or personal gain, the limited resources available for our healthcare system are diminished.”
“Medical device companies that misrepresent the capabilities of their products and encourage providers to bill Medicare for services that do not meet coverage requirements drain critical taxpayer-funded resources,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Isaac M. Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In addition to this settlement, HHS-OIG has entered into a new five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with Semler Scientific, which agreed to undertake substantial internal compliance measures to help ensure that the company remains appropriate and lawful moving forward.”
PAD in the lower extremities is the narrowing or blockage of the vessels that carry blood between the heart and legs. Providers traditionally diagnose PAD by conducting a test called an ankle brachial index (ABI) to estimate the severity of the blockage in a patient’s limbs. To qualify for Medicare reimbursement, PAD testing must satisfy the requirements of Current Procedural Technology (CPT) billing codes 93922, 92923 or 93924. Each of these billing codes requires that a provider conduct an ABI test plus certain additional testing. In addition, Medicare does not cover noninvasive vascular tests that use photoelectric plethysmography, also known as photoplethysmography, which uses a light sensor to detect changes in blood volume.
From approximately 2010 through 2024, Semler manufactured, marketed, and distributed the FloChec and QuantaFlo devices to customers throughout the United States for use in connection with the diagnosis of PAD. Both devices use a light sensor to detect changes in blood volume. Additionally, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared FloChec and QuantaFlo, the agency told Semler that the devices did not perform an ABI and could not be called a “digital ABI.”
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Semler and Bard falsely claimed that tests conducted using the FloChec and QuantaFlo devices were reimbursable by Medicare and caused healthcare providers to submit false claims to Medicare. The United States alleged that Semler knew that testing conducted using FloChec and QuantaFlo did not satisfy CPT codes 93922, 93923, or 93924 because the devices do not perform an ABI. Additionally, the United States alleged that Medicare reimbursement for FloChec and QuantaFlo tests is barred because the devices use photoplethysmography. Nevertheless, Semler allegedly represented to healthcare providers that Medicare reimbursed customers for tests performed using Flochec and QuantaFlo if they submitted CPT codes 93922, 93923, and 93924. Even after Semler received concerns from third parties about reimbursement, Semler allegedly continued to market the devices as reimbursable by Medicare.
Bard served as Semler’s distributor from 2012 through 2022. As part of the settlement, Bard admitted certain allegations and received cooperation credit under Justice Department guidelines.
In addition to the civil settlement, Semler has entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG), which obligates Semler to undertake substantial internal compliance reforms.
The allegations were originally brought in a lawsuit filed by Robert Kane and Franklin W. West under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private parties may bring suit on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. Mr. Kane and Mr. West will receive approximately $6.5 million as their share of the recovery.
The government’s resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The settlement resulted from a coordinated effort among the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Senior Trial Counsel Kristen M. Echemendia, Trial Attorney Martha Glover, and Investigator Robert L. Jodoin of the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Second Defendant in Lows Gang Fraud Case Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Peter Amondo Anderson, a/k/a “Nacho,” 24, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Anderson and three other members and associates of the Lows, a violent Minneapolis-based street gang, were charged by indictment in May 2025 with engaging in a fraud scheme designed to enrich the defendants and also to enrich the Lows street gang. Anderson is the second defendant in the case to enter a guilty plea.
“The murderous Lows gang has ravaged the North Side with its violence while using fraud to fuel its crimes. No more,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “We are good at prosecuting fraud and will continue to use every federal tool at our disposal to dismantle these violent street gangs.”
Per the indictment, the defendants engaged in their fraud scheme for more than four years, from April 2019 to January 2024. The scheme involved the defendants creating fraudulent checks, depositing those fraudulent checks, and then withdrawing real fraud proceeds.
To accomplish this scheme, Anderson and other co-conspirators used social media to recruit individuals (“money mules”) who had bank accounts at various institutions to assist in depositing fraudulent checks. The money mules provided their personal banking information to Anderson and his co-conspirators, who created false checks made out to the money mules. The false checks were then deposited into the money mule’s bank accounts, and the funds quickly withdrawn and provided to Anderson and his co-conspirators.
Although the banking information for the money mules was readily provided, Anderson and his co-conspirators also used deceptive means to steal victims’ personal identifying and banking information. In August 2024, Anderson and his co-conspirators stole the banking information of a 65-year-old victim in North Carolina. Through the fraudulent use of the victim’s identity, Anderson and his co-conspirators stole approximately $39,000.
In total, Anderson and his co-conspirators deposited at least 28 fraudulent checks and attempted to withdraw nearly $220,000.
Anderson pled guilty before Judge Kate M. Menendez. Anderson’s co-defendant, Faysal Mohamed, a/k/a “G Money,” 27, pled guilty on August 5, 2025. Sentencing hearings for Anderson and Mohamed will be held at a later date.
A related RICO indictment against the Lows criminal street gang is currently pending in federal court. In that case, 14 members of the Lows are charged in an 23-count indictment with crimes including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking, drug trafficking, and the use of a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence resulting in death.
“Anderson and his co-conspirators executed an extensive fraud scheme to exploit victims’ financial information for their own profit and to fund the Lows campaign of violence and terror against the Minneapolis community,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “This years-long conspiracy would have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars fueling Low's criminal activity. The FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will continue to seek out and stop all gang-related fraud, violence, and crime that threatens the safety of our streets.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Jared Engelking of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.