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24 September 2025
Justice Department Seeks to Revoke Citizenship of Immigration and Identity FraudsterRead the Press Release
On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint against Gurdev Singh Sohal, also known as Dev Singh, also known as Boota Singh Sundu, who obtained his U.S. citizenship in 2005 despite having been ordered deported in 1994. Instead of leaving the country based on his 1994 deportation and exclusion order under the name Dev Singh, Sohal used a different identity, with a new name, date of birth, and date of entry into the United States, to naturalize. He did not disclose his prior immigration history under the Dev Singh identity in any of his immigration applications or proceedings when he naturalized under the Gurdev Sohal identity. Expert analysis in February 2020 confirmed that the fingerprints submitted under both identities came from the same individual. The analysis was only made possible after DHS digitized the paper fingerprint submission documents from older immigration files.
“If you lie to the government or hide your identity so that you can naturalize, this Administration will find you and strip you of your fraudulently acquired U.S. citizenship.” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The complaint alleges that Sohal illegally procured his U.S. citizenship because he was never lawfully admitted for permanent residence and because the lies he told throughout his naturalization process rendered him unable to show the requisite good moral character to naturalize. A third count charges Sohal with procuring his naturalization by concealment or willful misrepresentation of his prior identity and immigration proceedings.
This is the ninth denaturalization action that the Department has filed since Jan. 20.
This case was investigated as part of the Historic Fingerprint Enrollment project, an ongoing national initiative between the Justice Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from USCIS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Justice Department Files Denaturalization Complaint Against Child Sex Offender Who Fraudulently Obtained U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Hector Daneri Regalado, who, after naturalizing in 2010, was convicted of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child within the timeframe in which he was required to establish good moral character to naturalize.
“The allegations in this complaint demonstrate the value the United States places upon both the integrity of its naturalization process and, more importantly, ensuring that criminals – especially child predators – do not game a system designed to prevent such individuals from obtaining the privilege of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Pursuant to North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970), Regalado pled guilty in 2012 to two counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child, in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14–202.1. According to the prosecution’s proffer, over the course of approximately two years, Regalado regularly sexually abused his victim from the time she was twelve until she was fourteen. The conduct to which he pled occurred in 2007, during the pre-naturalization period during which Defendant was required to demonstrate good moral character.
This is the tenth denaturalization action that the Department has filed since Jan. 20.
This case was investigated as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing national initiative between the Justice Department and ICE. This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Judge convicts Great Falls man of wire fraud and money laundering for fraudulent use of COVID fundsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man with prior felony convictions who lied about his income and his criminal history to obtain COVID funds was found guilty by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a one-day bench trial, Raymond Marcellous Blair, 45, was found guilty of one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Blair faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge and up to ten years in prison on each money laundering count, as well as a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Chief Judge Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 28, 2026. Blair was released on conditions pending sentencing.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Blair applied for COVID relief in the form of an Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in August 2020. Blair claimed in the loan application that his business has gross revenues of $249,000, which was false. He also falsely claimed he not been convicted of a felony or placed on probation within the last five years. In truth, Blair was convicted of aggravated assault in 2011 and of failing to register as a violent offender in 2017 and was on probation in 2020 when he applied for the EIDL loan.
Relying on Blair’s representations, the SBA approved his EIDL loan application and wired $99,900 into his bank account on September 1, 2020. Blair twice transferred more than $10,000 out of that account and spent the majority of the loan proceeds on personal expenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
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Indian man pleads guilty to, sentenced for document fraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Swapnil Ramesh Tejale, 34, a citizen of India, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. He was sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that Ramesh Tejale is an alien without any legal status in the United States. On July 10, 2025, he was encountered by United States Border Patrol Agents and had in his possession a counterfeit United States Permanent Resident Card, which alleged his legal status in the U.S. The Permanent Resident Card contained Ramesh Tejale’s biographical information and photograph, however, it lacked security measures, had blurry water marks, low quality background imaging, and improper font. Ramesh Tejale admitted to the agents that the document was not legitimate. Immigration record checks determined that he was never granted a lawful Permanent Residence Card.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Border Patrol Niagara Falls Station, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Brady Waikal.
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Illegal Firearm Possession Lands Convicted Felon in Federal Prison for More Than a DecadeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DORIEON MYKEL BATES, 29, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 138 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on January 30, 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) responded to a home after a 911 caller claimed to have heard gunfire. The caller further reported that after the gunshots, a stranger, later identified as Bates, knocked on their door, said he had been involved in a shooting, and claimed someone stole his vehicle. Responding OCPD officers spoke with Bates and took him to a local hospital to be evaluated. Hours later, Bates was returned to the scene, and officers learned his car had never been stolen. The car was recovered nearby, and officers observed bullet holes in the back passenger side of the vehicle, along with a loaded firearm near the driver’s seat. On May 7, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged Bates with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Bates pleaded guilty on February 4, 2025, and admitted he possessed a firearm despite his previous felony convictions.
Public record further reflects that Bates has multiple previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County, including:
- robbery with a firearm and unauthorized use of a credit card in case number CF-2014-5996;
- domestic abuse by strangulation, domestic abuse (assault and battery) resulting in great bodily injury, maiming, and attempting to prevent a state’s witness from testifying in case number CF-2018-32; and
- assault and battery upon a police or other law officer in case number CF-2018-2242.
At the sentencing hearing on September 23, 2025, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Bates to serve 138 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted Bates’s extensive criminal history tied to his history of drug abuse.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr., prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Identical Twins Sentenced to 15 Years for Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Quincey Oneil Jackson and Quinton Oneil Jackson, both 41, of Columbia, were each sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more.
Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning in 2020 through July 2024, the brothers engaged in a large-scale drug trafficking operation to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. On April 12, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at the home that the Jackson brothers shared and seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, and a firearm.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced both brothers to 188 months' imprisonment each to be followed by a term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Columbia Police Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major is prosecuting the case.
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Houston man faces federal charges for violent carjackingsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 22-year-old Houston man is set to make his initial appearance in federal court in connection with two carjackings, one of which resulted in the victim being shot, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Antonio Infante was in custody on related charges and expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett at 10 a.m.
The five-count indictment, returned Sept. 16, alleges Infante used a firearm to carjack one victim June 8. Approximately a week later, he allegedly used a firearm to carjack a second victim. During that crime, the charges allege he discharged the weapon and struck the victim, causing serious bodily injury.
If convicted, Infante faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the first carjacking and up to 25 years for the second. If convicted of the related firearms charges, he could also receive another seven and 10 years, respectively, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. He also faces a maximum of 15 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges all carry possible fines of up to $250,000.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Honduran man arrested for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Miguel Angel Vasquez-Amaya, 46, a citizen and national of Honduras, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that according to the complaint, on August 31, 2025, Vasquez-Amaya was a passenger in a vehicle that was encountered by Customs and Border Protection at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. The vehicle was referred for secondary inspection. An immigration records check revealed that Vasquez-Amaya was physically removed from the United States in November 2002.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national unlawfully residing in Waltham, Mass. was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Samuel Cruz Alvarado, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (three and a half months). The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. In August 2025, Cruz Alvarado pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Cruz Alvarado was arrested on May 5, 2025 and indicted by a federal grand in June 2025.
Cruz Alvarado was previously deported from the United States two times, the last time on Nov. 26, 2012. Sometime after his November 2012 removal, Cruz Alvarado illegally reentered the United States without permission.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
High-Ranking Members of Sinaloa Cartel Charged with Material Support of a Foreign Terrorist Organization and NarcoterrorismRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – In a superseding indictment unsealed today, high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel are facing federal charges for their alleged involvement in trafficking hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine into southern Illinois and laundering the proceeds to Mexico.
“The Sinaloa Cartel relies on drug trafficking to finance its terrorism against the American people while spreading poison in our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictment is a significant blow against this terrorist organization’s infrastructure as we carry out President Trump’s mission of dismantling and destroying the cartels.”
“The Sinaloa Cartel is a vicious international criminal organization that spreads terror through intimidation, torture, and murder. The entire enterprise is financed through a drug distribution network that includes southern Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Today’s superseding indictment targets some of the highest level of Sinaloa leadership demonstrating our commitment to use every possible tool to crush this cartel, dismantling its operations, and protecting our community from its narcoterrorism.”
“Today’s announcement in the Southern District of Illinois is monumental in our fight to eliminate the Sinaloa Cartel,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “The extraordinary work of the St. Louis Field Division and their partners resulted in the seizure of nearly 800 pounds of fentanyl and exposed a money laundering network that pushed millions in cartel profits through U.S. banks. This is not a street-corner operation— it is a cartel pipeline that has flooded the Midwest with significant amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. We continue the fight, using all the resources of the United States government, to destroy the Sinaloa Cartel.”
The indictment alleges that the Sinaloa Cartel is a Mexican-based transnational drug trafficking organization that uses premeditated violence to control territory and undermine governmental authority. The Cartel sustains its enterprise by trafficking narcotics into the United States and funneling the profits back into Mexico.
Over approximately one week, the Drug Enforcement Administration, in conjunction with law enforcement partners, arrested 15 of the charged defendants in a nationwide operation involving Sinaloa Cartel associates. These indictments and arrests are the result of a years-long operation involving the removal of more than 400 kilograms of fentanyl, nearly 80 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50 kilograms of cocaine from communities in and around southern Illinois.
President Donald Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on February 19, 2025, through a State Department action authorized by Executive Order 14157, signed on January 20, 2025. The designation, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, included the Sinaloa Cartel among eight criminal organizations classified as FTOs and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1189) and Executive Order 13224.
Narcoterrorism is a federal crime that provides enhanced penalties to punish drug trafficking that supports terrorist organizations. The crime of providing material support applies when a person provides resources to an organization knowing that it has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment alleging that 26 defendants participated in a Sinaloa Cartel sourced drug distribution pipeline originating in Mexico that included the Southern District of Illinois, including the following:
Name
Age
Residence
Charge(s)
Prospero Coronel-Sanchez,
a.k.a. “Pro”
40Mexican nationalNarcoterrorism; Providing material support to foreign terrorist organization;
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracy
Jose Luis Angulo-Soto, a.k.a “Jose Luis Angulo-Cazares” or “El Mi Nino” Mexican nationalNarcoterrorism;
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracy
German Angel Alatorre-Monge24South Gate, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineLeobardo Alcaraz-Ibarra51Phoenix, AZConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMiguel Angel Aramburo, Jr.34Paramount, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineManuel Buenrostro38Cudahy, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineOscar Bryan Castro34Pasadena, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracyCarlos Diaz, Jr.34Pasadena, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracyAlejandro Flores30Cudahy, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineArmando Gallardo46Chula Vista, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineKaren L. Gandarillas-Carreno36Sun Valley, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracyRoberto J. Gonzalez, Jr.39Bell, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineSabrina Danielle Herrera35South Gate, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMauro Armando Luna-Renteria39Lynwood, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineLucia Viridiana Montano40Rio Rico, AZConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineDavid Alonso Pereda33Costa Mesa, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMemo Perez, a.k.a. “Demecia Perez”50Los Angeles, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineJaqueline Desiree Piikkila-Vigueras49Tucson, AZConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracyMiguel Rios31Cudahy, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineRichard Ruiz, Jr.27Paramount, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineEvan Sanchez31Victorville, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineJulio Villa-Morales36Tucson, AZConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineJose Espino-Zavala44Mexican nationalConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMartin Ismael Zuniga-Lopez32Los Angeles, CAConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineEarl Frank56O’Fallon, ILConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracy (2 counts); Distribution of controlled substances: methamphetamineMichael Pennel56Oklahoma City, OKConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money laundering conspiracyAccording to court documents, the charged conduct occurred between January 2020 and July 2025. The conspiracy is accused of distributing more than 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, 400 or more grams of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
“Fentanyl is destroying lives and devastating communities across the country. Every pill, every powder, every shipment, every sale of this drug has the potential to take a life,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale, United States Postal Inspection Service. “Postal inspectors remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of this deadly drug in our mailstream and hold criminals who profit from poisoning our neighborhoods accountable.”
“We will not tolerate drug cartels smuggling their poison into our American communities,” said DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis. “The DEA, in collaboration with our local and foreign partners, works relentlessly to identify and arrest anyone engaging in the manufacturing, distribution, and sales of any illicit drugs making their way into and across this nation.”
“Drug traffickers will stop at nothing to continue profiting from the spread of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs throughout our communities. They go to great extremes to cover any links to their illegal acts,” said Special Agent in Charge William Steenson of IRS Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office. “IRS-CI’s special agents are experts at tracing the funding sources of illegal activity and connecting the criminals involved. We’re committed to protecting our communities by investigating anyone involved in these types of illicit activities and working with our federal law enforcement partners to bring them to justice.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service, Southern District of Illinois congratulates the DEA, Fairview Heights, Illinois Resident Office, and its investigators on their superseding indictment,” said United States Marshal, David C. Davis. “This indictment illustrates the reach of the DEA in combating the distribution of kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine within the Southern District of Illinois through the Sinaloa Cartel. The USMS, S/IL, are proud to partner with the DEA, Fairview Heights, with all the arrests and fugitive investigations generated by this case.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
DEA St. Louis, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. HSI’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit provided critical support.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal, Laura Reppert, and Thomas Leggans for the Southern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.
In March 2023, the original indictment charged Earl Frank and ten others with various federal offenses related to the drug trafficking conspiracy:
Name
Age
Residence
Charge(s)
Plea
Earl Frank56O’Fallon, ILConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Distribution of controlled substance: methamphetamine; Money laundering conspiracyNot guiltyMichael Pennel56Oklahoma City, OKConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money launderingNot guiltyChontell Reynolds42East St. Louis, ILConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Distribution of controlled substance: methamphetamineGuilty; Awaiting sentencingJeffery Neely54St. Louis, MOConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Awaiting sentencingDereck Turnage49Bowling Green, MOConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonmentDavid Allen Day55Ironton, MOConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonmentDwayne Kimmins52St. Louis, MOConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonmentCharles R. Evans35O’Fallon, MOConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Awaiting sentencingShannon Guyton46Clarkton, MOConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Transportation in aid of racketeering enterpriseGuilty; Sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonmentKimberly Hoskins38O’Fallon, ILConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Money launderingGuilty; Awaiting sentencingAundre Vaughn54East St. Louis, ILConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; Distribution of controlled substances: fentanylGuilty; Awaiting sentencingAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
High-Ranking Members of Sinaloa Cartel Charged with Material Support of a Foreign Terrorist Organization and NarcoterrorismRead the Press Release
In a superseding indictment unsealed today, high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel are facing federal charges for their alleged involvement in trafficking hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine into southern Illinois and laundering the proceeds to Mexico.
“The Sinaloa Cartel relies on drug trafficking to finance its terrorism against the American people while spreading poison in our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictment is a significant blow against this terrorist organization’s infrastructure as we carry out President Trump’s mission of dismantling and destroying the cartels.”
“The Sinaloa Cartel is a vicious international criminal organization that spreads terror through intimidation, torture, and murder. The entire enterprise is financed through a drug distribution network that includes southern Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “Today’s superseding indictment targets some of the highest level of Sinaloa leadership demonstrating our commitment to use every possible tool to crush this cartel, dismantling its operations, and protecting our community from its narcoterrorism.”
“Today’s announcement in the Southern District of Illinois is monumental in our fight to eliminate the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “The extraordinary work of the St. Louis Field Division and their partners resulted in the seizure of more than 800 pounds of fentanyl and exposed a money laundering network that pushed millions in cartel profits through U.S. banks. This is not a street-corner operation — it is a cartel pipeline that has flooded the Midwest with significant amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. We continue the fight, using all the resources of the United States government, to destroy the Sinaloa Cartel.”
The indictment alleges that the Sinaloa Cartel is a Mexican-based transnational drug trafficking organization that uses premeditated violence to control territory and undermine governmental authority. The Cartel sustains its enterprise by trafficking narcotics into the United States and funneling the profits back into Mexico.
Over approximately one week, the DEA, in conjunction with law enforcement partners, arrested 15 of the charged defendants in a nationwide operation involving Sinaloa Cartel associates. These indictments and arrests are the result of a years-long operation involving the removal of more than 400 kilograms of fentanyl, nearly 80 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50 kilograms of cocaine from communities in and around Southern Illinois.
President Donald J. Trump designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The designation included the Sinaloa Cartel among eight criminal organizations classified as FTOs and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1189) and Executive Order 13224.
Narcoterrorism is a federal crime that provides enhanced penalties to punish drug trafficking that supports terrorist organizations. The crime of providing material support applies when a person provides resources to an organization knowing that it has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment alleging that 26 defendants participated in a Sinaloa Cartel sourced drug distribution pipeline originating in Mexico that included the Southern District of Illinois, including the following:
NameAgeResidenceCharge(s)Prospero Coronel-Sanchez,
also known as “Pro”
40Mexican nationalNarcoterrorism; providing material support to foreign terrorist organization;
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
Jose Luis Angulo-Soto, also known as “Jose Luis Angulo-Cazares” or “El Mi Nino” Mexican nationalNarcoterrorism;
conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy
German Angel Alatorre-Monge24South Gate, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineLeobardo Alcaraz-Ibarra51PhoenixConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMiguel Angel Aramburo, Jr.34Paramount, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineManuel Buenrostro38Cudahy, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineOscar Bryan Castro34Pasadena, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracyCarlos Diaz, Jr.34PasadenaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracyAlejandro Flores30Cudahy, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineArmando Gallardo46Chula Vista, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineKaren L. Gandarillas-Carreno36Sun Valley, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracyRoberto J. Gonzalez, Jr.39Bell, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineSabrina Danielle Herrera35South Gate, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMauro Armando Luna-Renteria39Lynwood, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineLucia Viridiana Montano40Rio Rico, ArizonaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineDavid Alonso Pereda33Costa Mesa, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMemo Perez, also known as “Demecia Perez”50Los AngelesConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineJaqueline Desiree Piikkila-Vigueras49Tucson, ArizonaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracyMiguel Rios31Cudahy, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineRichard Ruiz, Jr.27Paramount, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineEvan Sanchez31Victorville, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineJulio Villa-Morales36TucsonConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineJose Espino-Zavala44Mexican nationalConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineMartin Ismael Zuniga-Lopez32Los AngelesConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineEarl Frank56O’Fallon, IllinoisConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracy (2 counts); distribution of controlled substances: methamphetamineMichael Pennel56Oklahoma City, OklahomaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money laundering conspiracyAccording to court documents, the charged conduct occurred between January 2020 and July 2025. The conspiracy is accused of distributing more than 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, 400 or more grams of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
DEA St. Louis, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. HSI’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit provided critical support.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal, Laura Reppert, and Thomas Leggans for the Southern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.
In March 2023, the original indictment charged Earl Frank and 10 others with various federal offenses related to the drug trafficking conspiracy:
NameAgeResidenceCharge(s)PleaEarl Frank56O’Fallon, IllinoisConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; distribution of controlled substance: methamphetamine; money laundering conspiracyNot guiltyMichael Pennel56Oklahoma City, OklahomaConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money launderingNot guiltyChontell Reynolds42East St. Louis, IllinoisConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; distribution of controlled substance: methamphetamineGuilty; awaiting sentencingJeffery Neely54St. LouisConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; awaiting sentencingDereck Turnage49Bowling Green, MissouriConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; sentenced to 235 months in prisonDavid Allen Day55Ironton, MissouriConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Sentenced to 20 years in prisonDwayne Kimmins52St. LouisConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Sentenced to nine years in prisonCharles R. Evans35O’Fallon, MissouriConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaineGuilty; Awaiting sentencingShannon Guyton46Clarkton, MissouriConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; transportation in aid of racketeering enterpriseGuilty; sentenced to eight years in prisonKimberly Hoskins38O’Fallon, IllinoisConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; money launderingGuilty; Awaiting sentencingAundre Vaughn54East St. Louis, IllinoisConspiracy to distribute controlled substances: methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine; distribution of controlled substances: fentanylGuilty; Awaiting sentencingAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan man pleads guilty to, arrested for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Edin Julian Hernandez Mejia, 23, a citizen and national of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to re-entry of a removed alien. He was sentenced to serve three months in prison. Hernandez Mejia will then be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that Hernandez Mejia is an alien without any legal status in the United States. In February and March 2024, he was physically removed from the United States. On August 5, 2025, Hernandez Mejia was found in Erie County, NY, by United States Border Patrol and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
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Guatemalan National Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry by a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A Guatemalan national was sentenced on September 11, 2025 to 11 months of incarceration for unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed from the country. The defendant will be transferred to ICE custody following his release.
According to court documents, Mateo Ramos-Perez, 32, was found by law enforcement officials to be unlawfully present in the country on or about June 25, 2025 in Scott County after having previously been convicted in federal court of misuse of a social security number and removed from the United States on November 8, 2012 and December 4, 2019.
Ramos-Perez was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2025 and pleaded guilty on September 11, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon and Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana; and Brian Acuna, Acting Field Office Director of ICE/ERO in New Orleans, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security investigations as 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).
Grand Jury for the District of NebraskaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned nine unsealed Indictments charging 10 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dylan Piche, age 24, of Grand Island, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Piche with receipt and distribution of child pornography beginning on or between November 10, 2023, and June 10, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Piche with possession of child pornography on or between July 29, 2024, and July 30, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Thomas Leone Henry, age 37, of Williams, Arizona, is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl on or about May 30, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Jennifer Suing, age 48, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or between February 10, 2025, and March 2, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 25 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, not less than a 10-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Lloyd A. Nelson Jr., age 70, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with theft of government funds between on or about March 15, 2022, and September 16, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Mallory M. Chartraw, age 40, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Maria K. Siemsen, age 41, of Lincoln, Nebraska, are charged in a five-count Indictment. Count I charges Chartraw and Siemsen with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl beginning on or about February 1, 2022, and continuing to on or about April 8, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Chartraw and Siemsen with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl between or about April 7, 2025, and continuing to on or about April 8, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Siemsen with distribution of fentanyl on or about March 14, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges Siemsen with distribution of fentanyl on or about March 27, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Siemsen with distribution of fentanyl on or about April 1, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Charles Aldrich, age 18, of Macy, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Aldrich with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm on or about August 25, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Aldrich with use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence on or about August 25, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Travis M. Knipp, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with escape from custody on or about August 16, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment
Salih M. Samin Totakhil, age 37, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with international parental kidnapping between on or about March 19, 2022, to June 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment
Carlos Hernandez Moreno, age 21, of Kearney, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Hernandez Moreno with bank burglary from on or about August 16, 2025, continuing through on or about August 17, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Hernandez Moreno with damage of protected computer from on or about August 16, 2025, continuing through on or about August 17, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments on September 17, 2025. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Beloit Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses
Michael Shu, 25, Beloit, Wisconsin, is charged with producing and receiving child pornography. The indictment alleges that on two occasions in March 2025, Shu persuaded a minor to produce child pornography. The indictment also alleges that on four occasions in March 2025, Defendant received child pornography from the same minor through Discord.
If convicted of producing child pornography, Shu faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison. If convicted of receiving child pornography, he faces a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charges against Shu are the result of an investigation conducted the FBI, the Beloit Police Department, and the Newport, New Hampshire, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the case.
Monroe County Woman Charged with Bank Embezzlement
Sandra Campfield, 67, Kendall, Wisconsin, is charged with embezzlement by a bank employee. The indictment alleges that between September 2012 and December 2024, Campfield worked at a bank in Elroy, Wisconsin, embezzled money from the certificate of deposit accounts of some of the bank’s account holders, then used the money for personal expenses.
If convicted, Campfield faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The charge against her is the result of an investigation conducted by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the case.
Janesville Man Charged with Straw Purchasing Three Handguns
Dashun Wheeler, Jr., 22, Janesville, Wisconsin, is charged with three counts of making a false statement on required paperwork while purchasing firearms. The indictment alleges that on August 28, 2024, September 23, 2024, and October 8, 2024, Wheeler, Jr. purchased handguns and falsely stated on the ATF Form 4473 that he was the actual buyer of the firearms, when he was in fact buying them for others.
If convicted, Wheeler, Jr. faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Janesville and Beloit Police Departments, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and state and local task force officers throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephen is handling the case.
Janesville Man Charged with Transporting a Minor for Sex
Adam Gurney, 29, Janesville, Wisconsin, is charged with transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The indictment alleges that between August 11 and 12, 2025, Gurney transported a minor, age 16 or older, from North Carolina to Wisconsin with the intent to engage in sexual intercourse.
If convicted, Gurney faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the City of Janesville Police Department; the Clay County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office; and the Cherokee, North Carolina Police Department with assistance from the Rock County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the case.
Reedsburg Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearms and Ammunition
David A. Davis, 53, Reedsburg, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that on June 5, 2025, Davis possessed a loaded Hi-Point 9mm handgun, a loaded DPMS AR15 rifle, a loaded Unbranded AR15, and 9mm and .223 caliber ammunition.
If convicted, Davis faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Reedsburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case.
Beloit Man Charged with Drug and Gun Crimes
Gabriel Lebron Mejia, aka “Fernando,” 26, Beloit, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing and possessing drugs intended for distribution, maintaining a premises for drug distribution, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that from January 2025 to August 2025, Lebron Mejia distributed fentanyl, heroin, and/or cocaine five times, with some of the charges involving 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The indictment further alleges that on or about August 28, 2025, Lebron Mejia possessed fentanyl and cocaine intended for distribution and possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment finally alleges that he maintained a premises for drug distribution.
If convicted of the charges involving distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl, Lebron Mejia faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. The remaining drug distribution charges and the maintaining a drug involved premises charge each carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison. The charge involving possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison consecutive to any other sentence, and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Beloit Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala is handling the case.
Madison Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm
Curtis Perryman, 39, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon. The indictment alleges that Perryman possessed a 9mm handgun on July 21, 2025.
If convicted, Perryman faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case.
** The gun and drug cases in the press release 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).
Founder and CEO of Non-Profit for Re-Entry Support Services Indicted on Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founder and CEO of Adapt & Evolve LLC, a Boston-based non-profit organization that purports to provide community re-entry support services, has been arrested and charged for allegedly distributing cocaine base (crack cocaine). According to court filings, the defendant has an extensive track-record of drug trafficking and other criminal conduct – including engaging in sex trafficking activity as well as a prior federal conviction for drug trafficking.
Javan Tooley, 36, of Dorchester and Brockton, Mass., was indicted on Sept. 18, 2025 by a federal grand jury for distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Tooley was arrested on Sept. 23, 2025 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Sept. 26, 2025 at 11:30 a.m.
In 2010, Tooley was convicted in U.S. District Court in Boston of distribution of cocaine, following a hand-to-hand sale of crack cocaine to undercover law enforcement. He was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for the conviction. According to court filings, following his release from federal prison in or around 2015, Tooley violated of the terms of supervised release on at least five separate occasions. As a result, Tooley was sentenced to serve approximately 22additional months of incarceration.
Additionally, according to court filings, Tooley allegedly targeted and recruited women, many of whom suffered from substance abuse disorders, to engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit and to distribute controlled substances for him. It is alleged that Tooley targeted his victims with acts of violence and provided victims with access to drugs. It is also alleged that Tooley created a climate of fear among the victims by claiming that he had connections to law enforcement and other powerful and influential officials through his non-profit. Tooley also allegedly coordinated drug transactions using the non-profit’s phone.It is alleged that on Sept. 10 2025, Tooley distributed 100 grams of crack cocaine near Fields Corner in Dorchester, just a short distance away from Tooley’s non-profit Adapt & Evolve. Tooley is alleged to have distributed the drugs in his car, while a young child – approximately six or seven years old – was in the back seat.
Following the transaction, Tooley allegedly contacted a cooperating witness again stating that he had additional crack cocaine to sell and arranged to meet again on Sept. 23, 2025, at an area near the Roxbury District Court. Tooley was taken into custody upon his arrival and allegedly found in possession of approximately 160 grams of crack cocaine.
Because of Tooley’s prior federal drug trafficking conviction, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least eight years of supervised release and a fine of $8 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Arlington Police Chief Juliann Flaherty made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Pohl of the Narcotics &Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
us_v._javan_tooley_-_detention_affidavit.pdf
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Fort Defiance Man Arrested After Sending Thousands of Harassing Messages OnlineRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Fort Defiance, Virginia man, who created more than 1,000 usernames on the web-based gaming and chat platform Medal to harass a victim he met online, was arrested today on federal cyberstalking charges.
Nicholas Andrew McMillion, 25, was arrested today at his home in Fort Defiance, Virginia and charged via federal criminal complaint with cyberstalking. McMillion made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville and is being held pending a detention hearing.
According to court documents, between October 2024 and June 2025, McMillion used various online platforms, including Discord and Medal, to create online gaming and social media accounts for the express purpose of stalking and harassing a victim (“Victim 1”) from Canada. Records show that McMillion created at least 1,000 Medal accounts and used many of them to contact and harass Victim 1, despite Victim 1’s repeated attempts to block contact with him and being blocked by Medal customer support.
McMillion’s account names, through which he contacted Victim 1, conveyed death threats, sexually explicit acts, and threats of arriving at Victim 1’s physical location in Canada. McMillion’s harassing conduct caused a reasonable fear of death and bodily harm to Victim 1.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case for the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Former gym owner sentenced to more than 27 years in federal prison for producing and possessing images and videos of child sexual exploitationRead the Press Release
Defendant made videos of minors using tanning bed
STATESBORO, GA: On September 18, 2025, the former owner of a Toombs County fitness and tanning business was sentenced to federal prison for the sexual exploitation of teenagers ranging from 13 to 17 years old.
Walter Joey Drew, 43, of Kite, Ga., was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation, said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randall Hall also ordered Drew to register as a sex offender, pay a $1,500 fine, pay $800 in special assessments, and serve 20 years of supervised release upon completion of the prison term.
“Drew used his behind-the-scenes access to surreptitiously capture sexually exploitive images and videos of minor children innocently using his gym and visiting his home,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners, Defendant Drew is being held responsible for his reprehensible actions.”
As described in court documents and at sentencing, the Defendant used his smartphone to produce images and videos of minor children. This included recording a 13-year-old girl identified in the indictment as Minor Victim 5, while drying off nude with a towel in a bathroom of his home in Toombs County, Georgia. He then captured a screenshot from the video depicting the victim’s breasts and genitals and uploaded it to his Apple iCloud account. Minor Victim 5 was a friend of the Defendant’s teenage children.
The Defendant also recorded a video of Minor Victim 5 in various stages of undress in a private tanning-bed room at the now-closed Legacy Performance Center in Lyons, Georgia, where Drew was an owner. He saved multiple sexually exploitive screen captures from the video and uploaded them to his iCloud account.
The Defendant was accused of recording at least 6 other teenage children in the federal case and faces related state charges in Toombs County. He also faces additional charges for separate conduct at a previous residence in White County, Georgia.
“This case is a disturbing reminder of the lengths predators will go to exploit children,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI remains steadfast in our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that those who commit these crimes are held fully accountable.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Former Olin Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children was sentenced September 23, 2025, to 40 years in federal prison
Christopher West, age 38, formerly from Olin, Iowa, received the sentence after an April 14, 2025, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. At the plea hearing, West admitted that he sexually exploited four children and distributed child pornography. The record at the sentencing hearing showed that West sexually exploited four girls aged 6, 11, 15, and 17.
West was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. West was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cortland, Illinois, Police Department, the Waterloo Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Anamosa Police Department, the Jefferson City, Tennessee, Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 24-76.
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Former Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Act with a Federal PrisonerRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A former Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for Engaging in Sexual Acts with a Federal Prisoner at the Federal Correctional Complex in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
In January of 2025, Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General agents learned that Parker M. Triplett, age 25, had engaged in sexual acts with a federal prisoner. Triplett was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 8, 2025.
Triplett pled guilty on June 25, 2025, and was immediately taken into federal custody of the United States Marshal Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement. The Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kabah S. Ealy prosecuted the case.
Former Executive Director Who Embezzled over $500,000 from Non-Profit Serving Oakland Youth Sentenced to More Than Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Howard Solomon, also known as Solomon Howard, was sentenced today to 27 months in federal prison in connection with a years-long scheme in which he stole at least $549,000 from his former employer, the non-profit East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA). He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $549,132.74 to the EOBA and $287,185 to the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers handed down the sentence.
Solomon, 38, of Oakland, pleaded guilty on April 23, 2025, to one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion for tax year 2018.
From 2017 until 2021, Solomon served as the Executive Director of EOBA, a non-profit that provides after-school and summer programming to East Oakland children and families, including tutoring and literacy support, boxing lessons and coaching, and internship opportunities for teenagers. Solomon embezzled at least $549,000 from his former employer and diverted funds and donations to EOBA to pay for personal expenses, including a vacation rental and a Ford Explorer.
“Howard Solomon used his position of trust to steal from kids and working families and threatened the very existence of an organization that is and must remain an important part of the East Oakland community. With this sentence, he is rightly being held accountable for his unspeakable greed,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.
“Mr. Solomon’s embezzlement scheme not only victimized the East Oakland Boxing Association, but also deprived low-income, high-risk children in East Oakland of the internships, mentoring, and boxing programs the organization offers,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office. “While Mr. Solomon siphoned funds from a nonprofit to serve his own greed, IRS-CI agents expertly sifted through evidence and followed the money in pursuit of justice.”
Among the misappropriated funds was a $50,000 donation made to EOBA that Solomon diverted into a personal account. The $50,000 donation was made to EOBA by a television studio in connection with a December 2019 appearance by Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry on the Ellen DeGeneres Show for a segment known as “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways,” during which the Currys delivered various gifts to EOBA, including the donation check.
Solomon failed to disclose the money he embezzled from EOBA as income and misstated expenses associated with two alleged businesses Solomon claimed lost money in his tax filings for the years 2017 through 2021. In total, Solomon evaded the payment of approximately $287,185 in taxes.
In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to begin serving his sentence on Oct. 30, 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas R. Green is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Amala James and Alycee Lane. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.
Former District of Columbia Public Schools Vendor Found Guilty in Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Yelake Meseretu, 41, a former vendor whose company supplied goods to the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury for his role in a conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud that involved illegal kickbacks that Meseretu paid to two DCPS officials, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Following a four-and-a-half-day trial, the jury deliberated eight hours before finding Meseretu guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate federal law, one count of bribery, and one count of honest services wire fraud.
U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6, 2026. Meseretu faces up to 15 years in prison.
Joining in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Inspector General for the District of Columbia Daniel W. Lucas.
According to evidence presented at trial, Meseretu, owned U.S. Office Solutions, a local office goods and janitorial supply company that did millions of dollars per year in business with DCPS. Over the course of at least five years, Meseretu paid bribes and kickbacks to two DCPS procurement officials. In exchange, the two DCPS officials steered lucrative business and contracts to Meseretu’s company.
As part of the scheme, Meseretu also agreed to defraud DCPS by delivering significantly fewer quantities of supplies on certain orders submitted by DCPS. In coordination with his two DCPS insiders, Meseretu generated falsified paperwork for supply orders that inflated the number of goods on certain orders. Meseretu’s business shorted the orders by delivering a lesser amount of goods than the amount listed on these orders. Based on false certifications made by or with the knowledge of the DCPS officials, DCPS paid Meseretu the full amount of the orders as if the deliveries had been completed in full. Meseretu split the overpayment with the DCPS officials by paying them cash kickbacks.
In addition to Garnett’s conviction following a jury trial, Patricia Bailey, a former administrative officer for DCPS’s Cardozo Education Campus, pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2023, to one count of bribery for her participation in the scheme.
Sentencing is pending for each of the three defendants who have pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and John Borchert of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
Garnett and Meseretu: 24cr281
Bailey: 23cr336
Former CEO of Canadian AI Company Charged with Investment Fraud Scheme Targeting U.S. InvestorsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Matthew Derrick Hudson, the former CEO and founder of Invenia Technical Computing Corporation, has been charged with wire fraud in connection with a scheme that raised over $100 million from outside investors. Hudson was arrested last week in the Northern District of California and appeared in federal court in San Francisco today for a detention hearing.
According to the criminal complaint filed on Sept. 18, 2025, and unsealed today, Hudson, 42, a Canadian national, is alleged to have lied to Invenia’s investors from 2020 and continuing through 2022. The complaint alleges that some of the investors were located in or had representatives in the Northern District of California, and that other investors were based elsewhere in the United States. During the relevant period, Invenia was a private company based in Canada and the United Kingdom that claimed to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to the North American energy markets.
Hudson allegedly led investors to believe that Invenia had already achieved significant financial success, with growing revenues and cash balances exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars. Hudson did so by distributing and causing the distribution of falsified audited financial statements, invoices, and other financial documents. For example, the complaint alleges that shortly before Invenia closed its Series B fundraising round, Hudson sent an audit report that purported to verify Invenia’s 2019 balance sheet and financial statement that, among other things, claimed Invenia had approximately $218 million CAD in cash and approximately $295 million CAD in revenue. The real audit report for that year produced by Invenia’s Canadian auditor showed Invenia had approximately $6 million CAD in cash and $26 million CAD in revenue.
The complaint also describes how Hudson used fake email accounts and invoices to advance the fraud scheme. Invenia partnered with Energy Company 1, a company based in North Dakota, to engage with North American energy markets. On multiple occasions, Hudson introduced fake email accounts for an Energy Company 1 employee to representatives of Invenia investors who were conducting diligence on Invenia. Hudson then told a real person at Energy Company 1 to ignore any outreach from representatives of Invenia’s investors. Fabricated invoices and other documents were also sent to Invenia investors that included a fake phone number for Energy Company 1 that was associated with an account allegedly paid for by Hudson.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo made the announcement.
Hudson was released on bond pending trial. He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on Nov. 17, 2025, for a status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler.
A criminal complaint merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Hudson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution, for the charge of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has also filed a civil enforcement action in the Northern District of California against Hudson alleging violations of securities laws.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick O’Brien is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maryam Beros and Mimi Lam. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the San Francisco Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance in the investigation.
Former Army Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
A Merced, California, man pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing two minors under the age of 16 while he was employed by the Armed Forces outside of the United States.
According to court documents, between 2015 and 2023, Thelmo Meneses Santos Jr., 60, sexually abused two children multiple times between 2015 and 2023. Santos began sexually abusing one of the minor victims when the child was 11 years old. Santos abused the two minors over a period of years in Japan, where he was employed by the U.S. Army as a civilian employee. During the investigation, Santos gave an interview to law enforcement officers where he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with both children. Santos was later arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) special agents.
“The defendant engaged in the repeated sexual abuse of two young children over several years while he was employed as a civilian with the U.S. Army in Japan,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea should serve as a warning to anyone who would harm children — even overseas — as long as the Criminal Division has jurisdiction, we will hold you accountable. The abuse and exploitation of children is intolerable, and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who engage in such deplorable conduct.”
“As this guilty plea demonstrates, those who exploit and abuse children, whether at home or abroad, will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that such heinous acts, including by military employees, are met with consequences that dispense justice and deter future offenses against the vulnerable.”
“We are committed to protecting our overseas military communities from those who exploit and endanger children,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Army CID Far East Field Office. “This case is an example of the work our special agents do every day to protect the Soldiers and civilian employees of the Department of the Army and their families.”
“American armed service members should be trusted to keep people safe and uphold values of honor and integrity. The sexual abuse of children is despicable and counter to everything Americans stand for,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, “The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in rooting out those who seek to harm our most vulnerable population, both at home and abroad.”
This case is the product of an investigation by Far East Field Office of the Army Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo, of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, are prosecuting the case.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026. Santos faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a lifetime term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, Santos will be required to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). 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 was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Former Army Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
A California man pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually abusing two minors under the age of 16 while he was employed by the U.S. Armed Forces outside of the United States.
“The defendant engaged in the repeated sexual abuse of two young children over several years while he was employed as a civilian with the U.S. Army in Japan,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea should serve as a warning to anyone who would harm children — even overseas — as long as the Criminal Division has jurisdiction, we will hold you accountable. The abuse and exploitation of children is intolerable, and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who engage in such deplorable conduct.”
“As this guilty plea demonstrates, those who exploit and abuse children, whether at home or abroad, will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that such heinous acts, including by military employees, are met with consequences that dispense justice and deter future offenses against the vulnerable.”
“American armed service members should be trusted to keep people safe and uphold values of honor and integrity. The sexual abuse of children is despicable and counter to everything Americans stand for,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in rooting out those who seek to harm our most vulnerable population, both at home and abroad.”
“We are committed to protecting our overseas military communities from those who exploit and endanger children,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Army CID Far East Field Office. “This case is an example of the work our special agents do every day to protect the Soldiers and civilian employees of the Department of the Army and their families.”
According to court documents, Thelmo Meneses Santos Jr., 60, of Merced, California, sexually abused two children multiple times between 2015 and 2023. Santos began sexually abusing one of the minor victims when the child was 11 years old. Santos abused the two minors over a period of years in Japan, where he was employed by the U.S. Army as a civilian employee. During the investigation, Santos gave an interview to law enforcement officers where he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with both children. Santos was later arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) special agents.
As part of his plea agreement, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, Santos will be required to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026.
The Far East Field Office of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case with valuable assistance from the FBI.
Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Former Alabama Department of Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A former Alabama Department of Corrections Officer has been sentenced for bribery, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced John Paul Ketteman, 28, of Huntsville, to 15 months in prison for receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds.
According to the plea agreement, Ketteman was employed as a corrections officer at the Alabama Department of Correction’s Limestone Correctional Facility in Harvest, Alabama. Ketteman’s job duties included inspecting prison cells for contraband and supervising inmates. In the Fall of 2022, ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division began an investigation into contraband being smuggled into the Limestone Facility by corrections officers. As part of the investigation, Cash App records were obtained for Ketteman’s account. These records revealed that in less than three months in 2022, Ketteman was paid more than $10,000 to smuggle contraband into the Limestone Facility and to act as a lookout.
The FBI and the United States Secret Service investigated the case. ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division provided valuable assistance during the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
Five Men Indicted in Nationwide Refund and Payment Processing “Glitch” SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has returned a 22-count indictment charging five men in connection with a novel nationwide fraud and money laundering scheme that exploited payment processors and financial technology systems to generate millions of dollars in bogus refunds.
Michael Jerry Phanor, 35; John Ngotho, 33; William Lopes, 35; Armani Amado, 28; and Henry Nunez, 27, are charged with wire fraud and money laundering offenses. According to the indictment, an earlier-filed criminal complaint affidavit, and statements made during initial court hearings, the defendants conspired with others to manipulate refund transactions at retail chains across the United States.
It is alleged that the defendants used a “split-tender” method to purchase merchandise with two debit cards. They then returned the merchandise, securing a refund to the first card while intentionally stalling the process for the second refund by presenting the wrong card, entering incorrect pin numbers, or feigning calls to financial institutions. By holding the refund transaction open, the defendants triggered repeat refund signals, causing multiple credits to be issued to the first debit card.
While one conspirator conducted the staged return in-store, others monitored the account associated with the first card, quickly withdrawing and transferring funds. After receiving multiple refund credits, the defendants terminated the return and brought the merchandise to other store locations to repeat the process. This scheme allowed the conspirators to generate tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent credits from a single purchase.
The charged scheme was carried out at dozens of stores nationwide, including Miami, Tampa, New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, and Southern California. Law enforcement has traced $1.5 million in fraudulent refund credits and continues to identify additional accounts and transactions.
The defendants flaunted their proceeds on social media, showcasing private jet travel, luxury vehicles, and bottle service at exclusive clubs, and referring to themselves as the “Money Grows On Trees” collective.
On Aug. 26, Phanor, Ngotho, Lopes, and Nunez were arrested during the execution of search warrants at two luxury penthouse apartments in downtown Miami.
Ngotho, a citizen of Kenya, and Phanor, a citizen of Haiti, are subject to deportation if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami announced the charges.
HSI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Roca Shaw are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-CR-20396.
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First Defendant Charged in Autism Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Asha Farhan Hassan, age 28, was charged today by federal information with wire fraud for her role in a $14 million autism fraud scheme. Hassan was also charged with participating in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, for which she received $465,000.
“Today’s charges mark the first in the ongoing investigation into fraud in the EIDBI Autism Program,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “To be clear, this is not an isolated scheme. From Feeding Our Future to Housing Stabilization Services and now Autism Services, these massive fraud schemes form a web that has stolen billions of dollars in taxpayer money. Each case we bring exposes another strand of this network. The challenge is immense, but our work continues.”
The EIDBI Autism Fraud Scheme
As set forth in the information, Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (“EIDBI”) benefit, a publicly funded Minnesota Health Care Program that offers medically necessary services to people under the age of 21 with autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”). According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (“DHS”) website, the purpose of the EIDBI program is “to provide medically necessary, early and intensive intervention for people with ASD and related conditions.”
Applied Behavior Analysis, sometimes called “ABA therapy,” is a type of one-on-one behavioral therapy designed to help children on the autism spectrum develop social and emotional skills. ABA therapy seeks to improve social skills by rewarding and reinforcing positive behavior while discouraging negative behavior. The EIDBI benefit covers various treatment options for persons diagnosed with ASD and related conditions, including ABA therapy. EIDBI treatment services must be delivered under the supervision of a Qualified Supervising Professional (or “QSP”) that is employed by the EIDBI provider.
In order to qualify for the EIDBI benefit, a person must be under 21 years old; be diagnosed with ASD or a related condition; have had a comprehensive multi-disciplinary evaluation (CMDE) that establishes their medical need for EIDBI services; and be enrolled in a qualifying healthcare program, such as Medicaid. The CMDE is used to develop the person’s individual treatment plan (ITP). An ITP is a personalized, written plan of care that outlines the goals for the person and sets forth the specific interventions the person will receive based on their individual, assessed needs.
From November 2019 through December 2024, Asha Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the EIDBI autism services program. Hassan formed and registered Smart Therapy LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State in November 2019. Hassan listed herself as the sole owner of Smart Therapy. In reality, other individuals also had ownership stakes in Smart Therapy but were not listed on DHS documents, including because one of the owners previously owned an adult daycare and was excluded by DHS for three years due to her conduct running the adult daycare center. Shortly after forming the company, Hassan enrolled Smart Therapy as a provider agency in the EIDBI program. As discussed below, Hassan also enrolled Smart Therapy in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.
Smart Therapy purported to be providing necessary one-on-one ABA therapy to children with autism. In fact, Smart Therapy employed unqualified individuals as “behavioral technicians.” These behavioral technicians were often 18- or 19-year-old relatives with no formal education beyond high school and no training or certifications related to the treatment of autism.
To run their fraud scheme, Hassan and her partners needed children who had an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan. Hassan and her partners approached parents in the Somali community to recruit their children into Smart Therapy. Where a child did not have an autism diagnosis and an individual treatment plan, HASSAN and her partners worked with a QSP to get the recruited child qualified for autism services. There was no child that Smart Therapy was not able to get qualified for autism services.
As a recruitment tactic to drive up enrollment, Hassan and her partners paid monthly cash kickback payments to the parents of children who enrolled their children in Smart Therapy to receive autism services. These kickback payments ranged from approximately $300 to $1,500 per month, per child. The amount of these payments was contingent on the services DHS authorized a child to receive—the higher the authorization amount, the higher the kickback. Often, parents threatened to leave Smart Therapy and take their children to other autism centers if they did not get paid higher kickbacks. Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being offered larger kickbacks by other autism centers. Hassan and her partners covered the cost of the kickback payments that Smart Therapy paid to parents through the fraudulent billings to Medicaid.
Hassan and her partners submitted millions of dollars’ worth of claims for Medicaid reimbursement on behalf of Smart Therapy. Many of these claims were fraudulently inflated, were billed without providers’ knowledge, and were for services that were not actually provided. Hassan submitted claims seeking reimbursement for the maximum number of hours permitted by Medicaid for a given treatment or service given to a particular client, when the client only received a fraction of those treatment hours, if any treatment was provided at all on that day. These claims were then repeated for numerous other providers. Hassan submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicaid that included fraudulent signatures or approvals from the required medical providers or supervising QSPs. In reality, the providers and QSPs either did not work for Smart Therapy, were out of the country on the day the services were provided or had not participated in or signed off on the services listed in the claims.
Most of the children were dropped off in the morning and picked up in the evening by drivers, who billed DHS for transportation services. It was a part of the fraud scheme that some of these transportation providers were also on the payroll of Smart Therapy.
Hassan’s fraudulent scheme resulted in Smart Therapy obtaining more than $14 million in EIDBI reimbursement funds from Minnesota DHS and UCare. Hassan split the proceeds of the fraud schemes with her partners. Hassan sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraud proceeds abroad, some of which she used to purchase real estate in Kenya.
The Federal Child Nutrition Program and Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme
As set forth in the information, Hassan and others devised and carried out a scheme to defraud the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program (together, the “Federal Child Nutrition Program”), a program designed to provide meals to hungry children. MDE administers the Federal Child Nutrition Program in Minnesota.
Beginning in April 2020, Aimee Bock, the founder and executive director of Feeding Our Future, oversaw a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program carried out by sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. Bock and Feeding Our Future sponsored entities that submitted fraudulent reimbursement claims and fake documentation while purporting to serve hundreds and, in many instances, thousands of children per day. Bock and her company sponsored the opening of nearly 200 Federal Child Nutrition Program sites despite knowing that the sites intended to and did submit fraudulent claims.
While using Smart Therapy to defraud the EIDBI autism program, Hassan also used Smart Therapy to engage in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Hassan enrolled Smart Therapy in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future in July 2020.
Shortly after enrolling in the program, Hassan began submitting fraudulent claims to Feeding Our Future. Hassan fraudulently claimed that Smart Therapy was serving breakfast and lunch to exactly 300 children a day, 7 days per week. Hassan prepared and submitted fraudulent meal counts, attendance rosters, and invoices in support of the fraudulent claims. Hassan submitted fraudulent invoices purporting to show that a food vendor company called S & S Catering provided meals to be served at the Smart Therapy site. By April 2021, Hassan claimed to be serving approximately 1,200 meals per day to children, 7 days per week, at Smart Therapy.
Between 2020 and 2021, Hassan claimed to have served nearly 200,000 meals to children at the Smart Therapy site, for which she claimed to be entitled to approximately $465,000 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.
“Abusing publicly funded health care programs for personal profit is an act of duplicity, greed, and a betrayal of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The alleged fraud by Hassan resulted in the theft of millions of dollars intended to serve and support children in need. The FBI and our partners will not stop pursuing those who unscrupulously exploit government programs. We will secure justice for the taxpayers of Minnesota.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fifteen Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine into and around ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging the following 15 individuals with conspiring to traffic fentanyl and cocaine into and around southern Connecticut:
DAMIEN HAZEL, 26, of Bridgeport
YANISHKA ARROYO-RIVERA, a.k.a. “Nani,” 22, of Bridgeport
NICHOLAS VEGA, a.k.a. “Nick,” 25, of Ansonia
OMAR VIERA, a.k.a. “O,” 32, of Waterbury
JONATHAN MEJIA, a.k.a. “Big Head,” 27, of Kentucky, formerly of Hamden
NESTOR ROSADO, a.k.a. “Joey,” 27, of Bridgeport
VICTOR FRANCISCO BONILLA, a.k.a. “Mostro,” 34, of Bridgeport
KELVIN OLIVO, 34, of Naugatuck
BRENJINELLIE GONZALEZ, a.k.a. “Brenji,” 24, of New Haven
ROBERTO DEJESUS, a.k.a. “Pedro Ramirez” and “Tito,” 50, of Bridgeport
DANIEL RUIZ, a.k.a. “Jumbo,” 38, of Bridgeport
JAFFAR ALI, 32, a citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Trumbull
DAVON WARNER, a.k.a. “DaeDae,” 25, of New Haven
MADISON CRUZ, a.k.a. “Maddie,” 23, of Shelton
JASZAE VAZQUEZ, 26, of DerbyAs alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force investigation determined that Hazel headed a narcotics trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in southern Connecticut. Hazel and others traveled to the Bronx, New York, to acquire kilogram quantities of fentanyl and deliver narcotics proceeds, and to Puerto Rico to acquire cocaine and ship it through the U.S. Mail to various addresses in Connecticut. During the investigation, the FBI Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service seized several packages containing a total of at least 16 kilograms of cocaine, and identified several more that likely contained narcotics.
Hazel and 13 of his alleged co-conspirators were arrested on criminal complaints on September 10, 2025, and DeJesus was arrested on September 12, 2025. In association with the arrests, investigators seized two firearms and assorted ammunition from a residence shared by Hazel and Arroyo-Rivera, ammunition and suspected narcotics from DeJesus, and suspected narcotics from Vega, Ali, and Warner.
“As alleged, this organization trafficked a significant amount of fentanyl and cocaine into our state, and I thank the members of FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, with the assistance of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, who shut down this drug importation and distribution network,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “The scourge of illegal narcotics continues to ruin lives in Connecticut, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to targeting and prosecuting those who are profiting from it.”
“This indictment demonstrates FBI New Haven’s top priority of crushing violent crime,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge P.J. O’Brien. “Along with our federal and local partners, we are committed to removing dangerous drugs, like fentanyl and cocaine, from the streets of Connecticut. The FBI will continue to bring the full breadth of our resources to the table to support our partners and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
The indictment charges each defendant with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. If convicted of the charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, Hazel, Arroyo-Rivera, Vega, Viera, Mejia, Rosado, Bonilla, Olivo, and Gonzalez, face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and DeJesus, Ruiz, Ali, Warner, Cruz, and Vazquez face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.
Hazel, DeJesus, Vega, Mejia, Bonilla, Ruiz, and Ali are currently detained, and the remaining eight defendants are released pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Trumbull, Hartford, Fairfield, Shelton, Ansonia, Derby, Greenwich, Stamford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Louisville (Ky.) Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Kenneth L. Gresham.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Felon Sentenced to 28 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Ruger PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tony Brown 34, a convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 28 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a Ruger pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Brown pleaded guilty June 26 before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. In addition to the 28-month prison term, Judge Boasberg ordered Brown to serve 18 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 14, 2025, about 7:45 p.m. officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were patrolling the 5200 block of A Street, SE, in a marked police cruiser. From the driver’s seat of the patrol car, an officer observed the handle and magazine of an unholstered pistol showing under Brown’s shirt. The officer exited the police cruiser, approached Brown, and greeted him. As the officer drew nearer, Brown ran away and led officers on a brief foot pursuit.
Officers apprehended Brown. An officer observed the outline of a handgun below Brown’s right knee. Officers pulled down Brown’s pants to reveal a black Ruger Model 57 that had slipped from Brown’s waistband down his leg during the foot chase. The pistol was loaded with 14 rounds of 5.7x28 caliber ammunition. Brown was initially charged with carrying a firearm without a license.
Brown has a fifteen-year criminal history marked by a previous 2017 conviction on a felon in possession of a firearm charge in the District and a 2018 conviction for assault on a law enforcement officer in Prince William County, Maryland.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fucetola and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sumaiya F. Ismail.
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Federal Indictment Charges Chicago Police Officer with Conspiring to “Straw Purchase” Firearms on Behalf of AcquaintanceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago Police officer has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly conspiring to “straw purchase” firearms on behalf of an acquaintance who transported the guns to Mexico.
In the fall of 2024, KEVIN RODRIGUEZ used his status as a Chicago Police officer to purchase an AR-15 style assault rifle in Dyer, Ind., and a handgun in Monee, Ill., and falsely certified on required forms that he was the actual buyer of the guns, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Rodriguez purchased the guns on behalf of an acquaintance, DIEGO VALDEZ, who identified which firearms he wanted and paid Rodriguez to buy them, the indictment states. After falsely completing the forms and making the purchases, Rodriguez provided the firearms to Valdez, who then smuggled them into Mexico, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Rodriguez, 27, of Chicago, with one count of conspiracy, one count of knowingly making false statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, and one count of knowingly purchasing a firearm intended for another individual in furtherance of a felony. Valdez, 25, of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of knowingly receiving a straw purchased firearm. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignments earlier this week in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing is set for Oct. 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.
The investigation is being conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. The CGIC is an interagency collaboration that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and intelligence analysts to move quickly to investigate and prosecute violent crimes.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
rodriguez_and_valdez_indictment.pdfEugenio Abraham Solis-Klarks Indicted for Fire Arms OffenseRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a one-count indictment against Eugenio Abraham Solis-Klarks, 31, of Guatemala, for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. Solis-Klarks appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on September 24, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Debra C. Poplin and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He was ordered detained pending trial, which has been set for December 2, 2025, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in United States District Court, at Knoxville, Tennessee.
The indictment charges Solis-Klarks with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien on January 12, 2025, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5).
If convicted, Solis-Klarks faces a term of imprisonment up to 15 years, a term of supervised release up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
This indictment is the result of an investigation by the HSI, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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El Salvadoran National Sentenced to Serve More Than a Year and a Half in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession Following High Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – LUIS MEJIA-ALAS, 30, of El Salvador, has been sentenced to serve 20 months in federal prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on January 29, 2025, a trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a pickup truck on NW 10th Street in Oklahoma City, but the truck fled. Following a brief high-speed pursuit, the truck crashed into a cart return cage in the parking lot of a shopping center and the driver, Mejia-Alas, fled the vehicle on foot. He was taken into custody shortly afterward, and OHP located a firearm in the floorboard of Mejia-Alas’s truck. On March 18, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged Mejia-Alas with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. On June 3, 2025, Mejia-Alas pleaded guilty, and admitted he possessed a firearm and that he is a citizen of El Salvador in the United States illegally.
At the sentencing hearing on September 23, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Mejia-Alas to serve 20 months in federal prison. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton noted the nature and circumstances of the offense.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr., prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ecuadorian Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegally Entering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Ecuadorian national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, on August 4, 2025, Tamara Iveth Shiguano-Vargas, 29, was a passenger in a car stopped by the Maine State Police for speeding on I-95. While the trooper who conducted the stop contacted the U.S. Border Patrol for assistance identifying the driver, Shiguano-Vargas got out of the car and fled. After police located her, she told a U.S. Border Patrol agent that she was Ecuadorian. She had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2024 and had no lawful immigration status in the country.
Shiguano-Vargas faces up to two years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Maine State Police and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)
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Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dustin Cullins, 37, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Cullins pleaded guilty to this charge on July 9, 2025.
During a probation search of Cullins’s residence, law enforcement found a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun along with ammunition stored inside a clothes dryer. Cullins admitted to buying the firearm and ammunition and said he kept the firearm to use against his girlfriend’s ex-husband. Cullins is prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions and was on state probation at the time of this offense.
At the sentencing, Judge Peterson considered Cullins’s lengthy criminal history. He emphasized that Cullins is exactly the kind of person who should not have a firearm, particularly considering his history of drug use. Judge Peterson encouraged Cullins to engage in substance abuse programming while in custody.
The charge against Cullins was the result of an investigation conducted by the Eau Claire Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, convicted of Child Abuse and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025.
Richard Hale, Jr., age 36, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently. Hale was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hale was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in October 2024 in Eagle Butte, which is within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. On October 5, 2024, Hale assaulted his intimate partner, repeatedly striking her head with a cell phone while she was holding their infant child. At one point, Hale grabbed the child by the arm. Hale’s intimate partner suffered a laceration to her head. The child suffered multiple injuries, including skull and arm fractures.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Detective Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Hale was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Dunkirk men charged with defrauding the United States and theft of government fundsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Lamont Brown, 37, and Jesus Ramos, 41, both of Dunkirk, NY, with conspiracy to defraud the United States and theft of government funds, which carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between July and October 2020, during the Covid pandemic, Brown and Ramos conspired with others to defraud the United States and Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources. Brown and Ramos recruited individuals who had never lived or worked in Puerto Rico to use their personally identifiable information (“PII”), including their names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, to apply for, obtain, and attempt to obtain Unemployment Insurance benefits from the Puerto Rico Department of Labor. They provided the PII to individuals in Puerto Rico to complete applications for unemployment insurance and utilized existing bank accounts or opened new bank accounts to deposit the unemployment checks received. The banking institutions included Lake Shore Savings Bank, Key Bank, and Inner Lakes Federal Credit Union.
Brown and Ramos stole, or attempted to steal, a total of $67,000 from the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.
Brown and Ramos were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and were released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, Northeast Region.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jonathan Reed Snow, age 25, from Dubuque, Iowa, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids to one count of distribution of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Snow admitted that between September 2023 and August 2024, he used the Internet to distribute visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Evidence at a prior hearing showed that Snow also received and possessed child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children, between June 2024 and August 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Snow remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Snow faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $250,000 fine, $40,100 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1018. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Domestic Terrorist Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Firebombing University Police Car and Attempting to Firebomb Oakland Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
Casey Robert Goonan, 35, of Oakland and Pleasant Hill, California, was sentenced on Sept. 23 in the Northern District of California to 235 months in federal prison for committing a series of arsons and firebombings at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Oakland federal building in June 2024.
In January 2025, Goonan pleaded guilty to one count of maliciously damaging or destroying property used in or affecting interstate commerce by means of fire or an explosive.
“This domestic terrorist could have taken untold lives had his violent attacks been more successful, and using the evils of Hamas as motivation speaks to his depravity,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “He will have many long years in prison to think about his crimes, and the Department of Justice will continue prosecuting political violence across America.”
“Targeting law enforcement and government facilities is unacceptable and all of the FBI’s investigative resources will be used to bring to justice all who engage in such violent actions,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating every instance of such targeting and to working with the Justice Department to make sure these criminals pay the price of their despicable actions.”
“The defendant’s actions — firebombing a police vehicle, targeting a federal building, and calling on others to join his campaign of destruction — reflect a disturbing trend in the United States. Not long ago, we shared the view that our fellow citizens were entitled to hold and voice opinions, including those we found objectionable. Now, our country stands at the edge of a dangerous precipice as a growing segment of our society appears to reject these traditions, believing that violence is a legitimate means of protest,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “This sentence is a sharp rebuke of that disastrous view. Now, more than ever, we must unite in condemning political violence in all its forms.”
“Freedom of expression and peaceful protest are deeply enshrined values in America. We are all free to think what we want and express those views peacefully, but the use of violence to achieve political aims — or to silence those with whom you may disagree — has no place in our community and our country,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “Anyone who crosses the line between peaceful protest and violence will be met with the full force of the law.”
According to a plea agreement filed in open court, in the early morning hours of June 1, 2024, Goonan placed a bag containing six explosive devices commonly known as “Molotov cocktails” underneath the fuel tank of a marked University of California Police Department (UCPD) patrol car parked near the UC Berkeley campus. Goonan lit the bag on fire and fled, causing the patrol car to catch on fire. A video capturing the events on the morning of June 1, 2024, can be viewed here.
Goonan also attempted to firebomb the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on June 11, 2024. Goonan arrived at the federal building carrying a bag containing three Molotov cocktails. Goonan threw rocks at the building, hoping to break a window in order to throw lit Molotov cocktails inside. That plan was disrupted by protective services officers. Upon fleeing from the officers, Goonan placed the Molotov cocktails in a planter on the side of building and lit them on fire.
In addition to these two attacks, Goonan set other fires on the UC Berkeley campus on June 1, June 13, and June 16, 2024.
Goonan acknowledged that these attacks were inspired by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and that he called on others to attack property on Bay Area college campuses in support of Palestine. Goonan admitted that his conduct was designed to influence and affect the conduct of governments by intimidation and coercion and to retaliate against the governments of the United States and the State of California for their conduct.
At sentencing, the court referred to Goonan as a “domestic terrorist” and found that he had committed a felony offense that involved or was intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism.
In addition to the prison term, Judge White also ordered the defendant serve 15 years of supervised release after he is released from custody and ordered restitution in the amount of $94,267.51 and a $100 special assessment. The defendant has been in custody since his initial arrest on state charges on June 17, 2024.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Office of the State Fire Marshal, and University of California Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikhil Bhagat for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case.
Dearborn Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms after Antisemitic Tirade Against Parents and Preschoolers at Local SynagogueRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Hassan Chokr, 38, of Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced today to 34 months for illegally possessing multiple firearms inside a gun store after leaving a local synagogue where he went on an aggressive, antisemitic tirade, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Joining in the announcement was Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, in December 2022, Chokr drove through the parking lot of a local synagogue in Bloomfield Hills as Jewish parents walked their preschoolers into the building. Chokr yelled antisemitic profanities, attacked their support for Israel, and threatened that they would “pay.” After being asked to leave, Chokr drove to a gun store in Dearborn. While there, he possessed a Landor Arms, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun; a Del-ton, 5.56mm rifle; and a Glock, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He held each firearm, and at times pointed and aimed it with his finger on the trigger. After deciding to purchase the three firearms, Chokr lied about his eligibility to possess firearms by indicating that he had never been convicted of a felony offense when in fact, he had been convicted of a felony several years prior. While awaiting the results of the background check, Chokr indicated that he would “even the score” and use the guns for “God’s wrath.” He ultimately was denied the purchase of the firearms after the background check.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “Chokr’s sickening antisemitic threats and his apparent attempt to make good on them with guns are part of an alarming pattern of violence against believers. And we will do everything in our power to fight against this hatred and to protect the American family and their right to worship God without fear.”
“The sentencing of Hassan Chokr reaffirms that reckless actions endangering children and their parents outside of a daycare, have no place in our society,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI in Michigan has zero tolerance for threats to our citizens and remains firmly committed to protecting the communities we call home. I would like to thank the dedicated members from the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency, Dearborn Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their tireless work and partnership in bringing this case to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson.
D.C. Man Arrested for Murder of His MotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ricardo Botts, 36, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with a homicide that occurred in the early morning hours of September 21, 2025, in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Botts made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann on September 23, 2025, where Judge Herrmann found probable cause that Botts committed the offense of second-degree murder while armed and ordered that Botts be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 7, 2025.
According to court documents, Botts, attacked his 66-year-old mother in the living room of their shared home, stabbing her repeatedly in the head and face. She died within 36 hours. Immediately after the assault, Botts fled from the rear of the home as police officers arrived on scene. The Capital Area Regional Task Force found and arrested Botts in Chantilly, Virginia, on September 22, 2025.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Bromwich.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Coral Springs Man Arraigned for Attempting to Bomb the New York Stock ExchangeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Coral Springs man was arraigned on a superseding indictment related to a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange.
Harun Abdul-Hamid Yener, 30, is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce, threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers, and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, law enforcement received information in February 2024 that Yener was storing bombmaking schematics in an unlocked storage unit. A search of the unit revealed sketches, multiple watches with timers, electronic circuit boards, and other components consistent with construction of an explosive device. Investigators also uncovered internet searches dating back to 2017 related to bombmaking. A search of Yener’s cellphones revealed numerous AI-generated images and videos depicting CSAM.
In October 2024, Yener told an individual he believed to be affiliated with an anti-government militia that he desired to target the New York Stock Exchange the week before Thanksgiving. Over the following months, Yener built a remote trigger, researched potential placement for the bomb, and tasked others to obtain explosive materials, conduct surveillance, and photograph the building. Yener also recorded a message he intended for release to the press explaining his motivations. Yener anticipated catastrophic effects from the explosion.
During this same period, Yener repeatedly voiced his intent to murder law enforcement agents who searched his storage unit.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Coral Springs Police Department and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Ajay J. Alexander of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20523.
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Child Predator Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A child predator was sentenced today to life in prison after attempting to meet a 14-year-old boy, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Jeffry Alan Clain, 59, for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Clain to serve life in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. If released, Clain will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Clain is every parent's worst nightmare. He not only tried to meet a child to engage in sex but also had hundreds of devices containing child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This sentence sends a strong message to criminals looking to exploit children. We will be relentless and find anyone looking to harm our children.”
“Our agents at HSI collaborate with our law enforcement partners daily to ensure those involved in predatory acts against children are brought to justice,” said James Carmany Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Dallas – Oklahoma Division. “With the life sentence imposed on this defendant, it is assured that he will never harm an innocent child again.”
In July 2024, Clain began communicating with someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy on a dating application. When the boy disclosed that he was only in the 9th grade, court records show that Clain said, “it’s been years since I’ve dated a young guy like you.” The conversations quickly turned sexual. Clain sent nude photos and detailed the sexual acts he would perform on the boy while bathing together. Clain then arranged to meet the 14-year-old at his home. When Clain arrived, agents took him into custody.
While speaking with agents, Clain admitted that he knew it was wrong to have sex with a minor. He told agents that they would find child pornography on his cellphone. Clain also admitted to agents that he previously engaged in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old boy while he was an adult.
Agents obtained a search warrant for Clain’s cellphones and home. During the search of his home, agents found more than 170 electronic devices, some of which contained multiple storage drives. In total, agents found the equivalent of more than 12,000 images depicting children, toddlers, and infants being sexually abused.
During the examination of the devices found in Clain’s home, agents found images from 2016 with a different 14-year-old boy and their conversations over the years. In the conversation, Clain provides the 14-year-old with links to child sexual abuse material and explains how to find it on the internet. The images found showed Clain performing sexual acts on the 14-year-old boy. Agents were able to identify and locate the child victim. The victim, now 24 years old, identified himself in the photos.
Clain will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department investigated this case as part of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, which aims to hold child predators accountable throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Chairman of the Board of Puerto Rican Bank Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud Conspiracy That Led to Bank’s CollapseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The chairman of the board of Nodus International Bank (Nodus), a Puerto Rican international banking entity, pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 for his role in leading a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $13.6 million from Nodus, which ultimately led to the bank’s failure in 2023.
According to court documents, Juan Francisco Ramirez, 60, of Miami, conspired with others to siphon money from Nodus. Ramirez and a co-conspirator concealed from other Nodus board members and executives, and the bank’s regulator—the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (OCIF)—that certain investments or loans were for the benefit of Ramirez and a co-conspirator, in violation of Puerto Rican law and Nodus policy regarding insider transactions.
“The defendant abused his position as Chairman of the board of directors to fraudulently divert funds from the bank that he had been entrusted to run, resulting in the bank’s collapse,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting white-collar fraudsters, no matter how lofty their position, to ensure their crimes do not pay.”
“Banks hold a sacred trust — the savings, investments, and livelihoods of the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Ramirez abused that trust, siphoning millions for personal gain and leaving behind collapse and loss. The Southern District of Florida will hold corporate leaders accountable when they turn financial institutions into vehicles of fraud. Our Office will continue to protect investors, safeguard the integrity of the banking system, and defend the rule of law.”
“The Chairman’s fraud brought down more than a bank — it undermined public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to use our financial expertise to protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system.”
From 2017 to 2023, Ramirez conspired with others to invest more than $11 million of Nodus’s funds in a Miami-based lender so that it could loan those funds to Ramirez and a co-conspirator for their own benefit. Ramirez and his co-conspirators knew that these transactions were illegal and took steps to conceal their prohibited nature by having the bank make sham investments in the lending entity.
Further, between January 2018 and September 2021, Ramirez and a co-conspirator fraudulently induced the bank’s board and comptroller to agree to, or facilitate, the purchase of at least 47 promissory notes totaling approximately $25.3 million from Miami-based finance company that Ramirez and the co-conspirator jointly owned. These promissory notes purported to fund loans to legitimate individuals or businesses, but in fact Ramirez and a co-conspirator used the loan proceeds for their own benefit, including to make personal investments in third-party companies, pay personal mortgages, or cover personal credit card expenses.
In early March 2023, OCIF notified Nodus of its intention to place the Bank into liquidation, and later that month Nodus agreed to enter into a voluntary liquidation. On April 28, 2023, knowing that the liquidation process would commence imminently and without authorization from OCIF, Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus to purchase from their Miami-based finance company a loan portfolio totaling approximately $26 million. Most of these loans were delinquent, nonperforming, and otherwise uncollateralized. Ramirez and a co-conspirator caused Nodus to accept the loan portfolio as payment of their Miami-based finance company’s debt arising from the 47 promissory notes that Nodus had purchased during 2018 to 2021. This resulted in a direct benefit to the finance company (and Ramirez and his co-conspirator) by relieving the finance company of its debt to the bank.
As part of his plea agreement, Ramirez agreed to forfeiture in the amount of at least $13.6 million, which represents the value of the proceeds he derived from the conspiracy.
Ramirez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Javier Urbina and Samir Paul of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), Bank Integrity Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Felipe Plechac-Diaz for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20384.
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Cedar Rapids Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Rose Lee Beranek, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Beranek admitted that in February 2024, she obtained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine in Arizona. She was driving to Cedar Rapids to distribute the methamphetamine, when law enforcement officers pulled over her car in Oklahoma. Law enforcement officers searched her car and found the methamphetamine in vacuum-sealed bags.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Oklahoma District One Narcotics Task Force. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence‑driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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).
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Beranek remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Beranek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a $10,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-13.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
California Man Arrested in Brazen $10 Million Loan Fraud Scheme Designed to Dupe the SECRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging MAX MCDERMOTT with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with his scheme to fraudulently obtain a $10 million loan and then launder and misappropriate the funds, including to repay investors in an attempt to avoid liability during an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). MCDERMOTT was arrested today in Newport Beach, California, and will be presented later today in the Central District of California. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
“As alleged, Max McDermott orchestrated a scheme to steal millions by obtaining a loan purportedly to grow two of his companies," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "McDermott was already under investigation by the SEC in connection with his operation of a different company, a fact that he concealed from his lender. He then misappropriated the loan money to help convince the SEC not to sue him. McDermott’s arrest is a reminder that those who swindle investors get caught and face federal criminal exposure for their conduct.”
“Spurred by a separate investigation, Max McDermott allegedly paid outstanding obligations through a misappropriated $10 million loan intended for future business expansion,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The defendant allegedly made repeated attempts to avoid regulatory consequences by creating an illicit repayment system built on deceit and betrayal. The FBI will never cease to investigate any individual who exploits financial institutions to conceal failed investments and perpetuate dishonest swindles.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
MCDERMOTT is the founder and owner of several companies in the real estate industry. In late 2020, MCDERMOTT learned that he was under investigation by the SEC for his actions in connection with his real estate lending and investment company. In an effort to dissuade the SEC from taking enforcement action, MCDERMOTT sought to quickly repay tens of millions of dollars to investors of the company under investigation and, toward that end, borrowed money under false pretenses. Specifically, MCDERMOTT made false and misleading representations to obtain a $10 million loan purportedly to grow his other businesses. MCDERMOTT also hid the existence of the SEC’s investigation from his lender and lied about his use of the loan proceeds. Once MCDERMOTT received the $10 million loan, he laundered the funds to conceal the fact that he was using the money to benefit himself and to help repay investors, rather than use the funds to grow his other businesses as he had falsely claimed.
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MCDERMOTT, 57, of Newport Beach, California, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Qais Ghafary is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._mcdermott_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Broomfield Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Ibogaine DistributionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ameen Alai, aka Adam Powars, 52, of Broomfield, Colorado, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of ibogaine. Ibogaine is a psychedelic compound derived from the root of a Tabernanthe iboga plant. In the United States, ibogaine is a Schedule I controlled substance and currently has no accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse.
According to the plea agreement, between April 2019 and March 2021, Alai advocated to others that ibogaine was a means to “reset” the body’s “receptors” to break addictive tendencies. In March of 2021, Alai intentionally distributed one or more doses of ibogaine to a person in Broomfield, Colorado, and supervised the person’s use of the substance. Alai left that person unattended for a period of time and when Alai returned, the person was unresponsive and later died. At the sentencing hearing, the court found that the ibogaine Alai distributed caused the person’s death.
“As the tragic results of Mr. Alai’s conduct make clear, ibogaine is dangerous,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “We want the public to know that, like many of the more well-known drugs in our community, taking ibogaine can have deadly consequences.”
“This sentence underscores the devastating impact of illegal drug trafficking while also serving as a reminder that those who profit from poisoning our communities will be held accountable for the lives lost to their actions,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Special Agent in Charge David S. Olesky. “Make no mistake, if someone knowingly and intentionally distributes a controlled substance that results in death, we will seek justice.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Alyssa C. Mance and Michael F. Houlihan handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 22-cr-00339-CNS
Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to Murder for HireRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man has pleaded guilty to murder for hire as charged, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Mohammad Mohammad, 64, of Hoover, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala to seven counts of murder for hire.
According to court documents, in September 2024, Mohammad met with an undercover (UC) law enforcement officer who he thought was a hitman. Mohammad discussed with the UC the cost of killing his wife and six adult children.
Mohammad faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years for each count.
The FBI investigated the case along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and William R. McComb.
Billings man sentenced on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who sold meth in Billings and carried a firearm to drug deals for protection was sentenced today to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jessie Craig Iverson, 37, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in November and December 2023, law enforcement received information Iverson was distributing methamphetamine in Billings. Investigators learned he typically sold several ounces of methamphetamine at one time and typically carried a firearm with him to drug sales for protection.
On December 7, 2023, agents learned Iverson was planning to drive to Washington to pick up meth. They placed a GPS tracker on his truck and observed the vehicle making stops in Thompson Falls, Montana and Spokane and Vancouver, Washington. Iverson returned to Montana on December 12 and officers executed a traffic stop near Butte. The Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) searched Iverson and seized a loaded, North American Arms .22 caliber revolver from his sweatshirt pocket, along with 91 grams of meth. Later, during a search of the truck, law enforcement seized a bag of “M30” fentanyl pills concealed in a Hot Tamales container and various bags containing methamphetamine residue.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the DEA, Eastern Montana HIDTA, Montana Highway Patrol, and Billings 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years for Possessing Firearm in Connection with Drug Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Timothy Darren Proctor, 41, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 130 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On October 7, 2024, a federal jury found Proctor guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to evidence presented at trial, on July 10, 2021, officers responded to a Temple Hills, Maryland location to check on a suspicious occupied vehicle parked in the area. Upon arrival, officers found Proctor unresponsive behind the steering wheel with the windows up and the doors locked.
Officers banged on the windows to wake Proctor up, and after he eventually woke up, he exited the vehicle. Law enforcement then discovered and retrieved a clear bag hanging from Proctor’s front pocket which contained approximately 10 grams of fentanyl. Additionally, officers found a firearm inside the vehicle’s center console. The firearm was loaded with 13 40mm caliber cartridges in the magazine and one in the chamber. Proctor possessed the firearm in connection with his fentanyl drug trafficking. At the time Proctor possessed the firearm, he was prohibited from doing so due to prior felony convictions.
Additionally, after arriving at the jail, officers located an additional clear zipped bag containing 29 small clear bags, which also contained fentanyl.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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