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15 September 2025
First of a pair of men charged in massive stolen goods trafficking scheme enters guilty pleaRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 53-year-old Federal Way, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for his scheme to sell stolen goods on Amazon or eBay, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Vitaliy F. Bobak, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce. Bobak and his co-defendant Andrey A. Balun, 58 of Bellevue, Washington and Las Vegas, jointly owned MBA Trading LLC which did business at a Burien, Washington storefront operating as “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.” An extensive law enforcement investigation revealed that the storefront knowingly purchased goods stolen from area retailers which the pair then sold on Amazon or eBay for millions of dollars in profit.
According to the plea agreement and other records filed in the case, Bobak co-owned the business since 2020. Bobak admits that he purchased stolen goods from individual sellers knowing that the goods were stolen. He bought primarily over the counter medications and health/beauty products. In many instances the goods still had anti-theft devices attached, and/or stickers saying for sale only at a particular retailer. The men bought the goods far below the retail price and then posted them for sale on two websites they operated on Amazon or eBay. The Amazon store was called “Medikus” and the eBay store was called “abcstore555.” The indictment traces the money from the online stores to the men’s bank accounts. The funds were then used by the men to operate the scheme by paying cash to the “boosters” (people who stole the goods) and payroll to employees who were involved in posting and shipping the goods for sale. The remainder of the proceeds were funneled to the men who then withdrew money to pay themselves and for various personal expenses. For example, Bobak used $66,000 in cash for a new Lexus. Between 2021 and June of 2023, the operation brought in more than $4.5 million.
The plea agreement details three items brought to the We Buy store as stolen goods that were then sold on Amazon and eBay: a Braun electric shaver, sold and shipped to Rhode Island, a Keurig coffee maker sold and shipped to Oregon and Sonicare and Rogaine products that Bobak purchased from a “booster.” Bobak used a torch lighter and drill to remove the security devices on the products.
The scale of the sales was huge and both national and international. An analysis of the sales of the two online stores reveals that between January 1, 2022, and November 28, 2023, there were over 150,000 sale transactions through the abcstore555 eBay and Medikus Amazon stores. When search warrants were served and merchandise seized on December 19, 2023, the conspirators possessed more than 74,000 items of stolen merchandise valued at approximately $2.4 million. After the seizure, the business shut down.
In his plea agreement Bobak admits he personally obtained proceeds of at least $1,000,000. Bobak agrees to forfeit $1,000,000 to the government as part of the resolution of his case.
Conspiracy to transport stolen property is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Bobak is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3, 2025.
Balun is scheduled for a jury trial in front of U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on February 23, 2026. The charges against Balun are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant assistance from the Renton Police Department, Seattle Police Department, and the IRS, and aided by investigators from numerous retailers. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite and Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Krista Bush.
Felon Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison in Firing Pistol Near Stadium Armory Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Forbes, 30, a previously convicted felon residing in Suitland, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 66 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Forbes pleaded guilty June 6, 2025, to being a felon in unlawul possession of a firearm. In addition to the 66-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Forbes to serve three years of supervised release.
This prosecution came as part of the Make D.C. Safe Again Initiative, which surged resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2025, at 5:42 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the 1800 block of A Street SE after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire near the Stadium Armory Metro Station.
On arrival, officers observed a man, later identified as Forbes, nearby on Independence Ave. SE shouting into his cellphone. Officers approached Forbes and conducted a protective pat-down.
One of the officers asked Forbes if he had anything on him. Forbes admitted that he had his “dog,” meaning a firearm, on his hip. Officers recovered a Smith & Wesson SD40 .40 caliber pistol loaded with two rounds of ammunition. Shell casings found near the scene matched the firearm’s caliber. Forbes was arrested on the scene.
After tracing the firearm’s serial number, law enforcement determined the gun had been reported stolen in North Carolina.
A review of law enforcement databases revealed that Forbes had a prior felony robbery conviction in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 2024, and an active extraditable warrant for failure to appear related to that case. He also had a non-extraditable warrant out of Florida stemming from a prior conviction for discharging a firearm in public.
Forbes was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his felony conviction and his prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.
In his plea agreement, Forbes admitted to firing the pistol at least four times outside the Metro Station.
This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall.
25cr117
Federal Jury Finds Former Prenatal Care Coordinator Guilty of Healthcare Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, Providing Unlawful Kickbacks, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 12, 2025, Precious Cruse, who was the owner and operator of a now-defunct Prenatal Care Coordination Company called Caring Through Love, was convicted of seventeen federal charges, including Healthcare Fraud, False Statements related to Healthcare Matters, Anti-Kickback Statute violations, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Money Laundering.
The evidence presented at trial established that Cruse exploited vulnerable pregnant women and young mothers by luring them into the company’s prenatal care coordination program with kickbacks in the form of free baby items such as car seats, pack ‘n plays, diapers, and baby wipes. Once enrolled, Cruse’s company used the women’s personal information to submit claims to Medicaid for services that were never provided. In reality, participants often received only occasional deliveries of diapers and baby wipes, and in some cases, nothing at all. The evidence also demonstrated that Cruse used her fraud proceeds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including luxury travel, designer clothing, and even an $18,000 custom diamond necklace and bracelet for her toddler.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper. Precious Cruse faces a mandatory minimum 2-year sentence on the aggravated identity theft charges, and a maximum 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the healthcare fraud charges.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Kate M. Biebel prosecuted the case.
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Drug Dealers from Montana Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Carson Lee Maynard, 49, of Livingston, Montana, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison, and Amy Marie Tillman, 43, of Lewistown, Montana, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison. The two were sentenced for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. They were also ordered to forfeit to the government a residence in Livingston Montana because they used it to commit the offense.
According to court records, in the early morning hours an Idaho State Police Trooper stopped a vehicle that Maynard and Tillman were traveling in because of a window tint violation. When police searched the vehicle, they discovered 5 pounds of methamphetamine and 3,000 fentanyl pills in a spare tire in the trunk of the vehicle. Maynard and Tillman were travelling back to Montana from New Mexico and Las Vegas after receiving large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Maynard and Tillman admitted they conspired to return to Montana where they would sell the methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Maynard was previously convicted in federal court for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the District of Montana.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Maynard to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Tillman was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Idaho State Police, the Missouri River Drug Task Force-HIDTA (Montana), and the Montana Highway Patrol. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 247 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 185 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 12,090 months (approximately 1,000.58 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 83.38 months (6.95 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 69.43 months (5.78 years) in federal prison.
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Denver Man Sentenced to 37 Months, $1.2 Million in Restitution for Defrauding Investment ClientsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ian Gregory Bell, age 36, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. The court also imposed restitution in the amount of $1,231,230.14, and a $150,000.00 fine.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in early 2020 and continuing through at least 2022, Bell devised, intended to devise, and participated in a scheme and artifice to defraud investors and to obtain money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. Over that time, Bell defrauded approximately 30 investors of over 1.2 million dollars. With the money, he traveled on lavish vacations, purchased jewelry, numerous expensive meals, and paid his fiancée’s monthly credit card statements. He lulled his investors based on his status as a licensed investment advisor with previous experience as a managing director at an investment firm. He also advertised no risk investments and provided false statements showing substantial gains.
“Defrauding people who put their trust into a financial advisor is a serious crime,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Justice has been served for those who were negatively impacted by the defendant’s dishonest actions.”
“Bell portrayed himself as a successful investment advisor and preyed on innocent victims for personal gain,” Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “Our special agents are experts in unraveling complex financial crimes such as Ponzi schemes that devastate victims emotionally and financially and erode the public’s trust in our financial system.”
“Bell defrauded innocent victims who had placed their trust in him and subsequently suffered financial losses and undue emotional stress,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the Denver Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This sentencing showcases the phenomenal work that Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners do daily to bring those to justice who exploit others through fraudulent schemes.”
Chief United States District Judge Philip A. Brimmer presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brad Giles.
Case Number: 24-cr-00345-PAB
Denver Man Convicted on Two Counts of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Simon Meza, 45, of Denver, was convicted by a federal jury on two counts of bank robbery. Meza previously pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in the same matter.
On September 20, 2023, Meza entered the Huntington Bank at 18520 E. Green Valley Ranch Blvd in Denver and robbed the bank by demanding money from the teller. Meza took the money and fled. Eight days later, on September 28, 2023, Meza robbed the PNC Bank on West 32nd Avenue in Denver by, again, demanding money from the teller. Meza took the money, which contained a GPS tracker, and fled. Law enforcement officers were quickly able to track the GPS device to a rented truck traveling near the bank. Denver Police officers tried to arrest Meza in the truck, but Meza led officers on a high-speed chase that ended with Meza causing a four-car accident at 44th Avenue and Harlan Street in Wheat Ridge. Meza then fled from the vehicle and was chased and arrested by Denver Police. Officers found the stolen money and a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber firearm in the truck. Mr. Meza will be sentenced in November.
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the trial.
This case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office, the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, and the Denver Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Dunn and Thomas Minser handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:23-cr-00446-RMR
Colorado Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss – A Colorado man was sentenced September 15, 2025, to 12 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Erick Moreno, 44, was found in possession of a firearm after a traffic stop in Warren County. Moreno has a previous conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and was on federal supervised release for that conviction at the time of this possession. As a convicted felon he is prohibited by federal and state law from possessing a firearm.
Moreno was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 10, 2024, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He pled guilty on June 10, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson made the announcement.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber Jones prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joshua Steven Hicks, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 25, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hicks in Hurricane. Hicks admitted that he possessed a Taurus model 709 Slim 9mm pistol that was seized during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hicks knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of counterfeit obligations of the United States, both in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on November 29, 2018.
Hicks is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
At the time of his current offense, Hicks was on supervised release for his November 29, 2018, convictions. On September 12, 2024, Hicks was sentenced to one year in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hurricane Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-54.
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Carlsbad Man Faces Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon is facing new federal charges after allegedly engaging in drug trafficking during their supervised release.
According to court documents, on September 3, 2025, agents from the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the residence of Jason Cunningham, 46, in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Inside, agents located approximately 1,090 grams of methamphetamine and 56 grams of cocaine.
Cunningham is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Cunningham faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment.
“Traffickers see only profit, but what they leave behind are broken families and endangered communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “These charges reflect our determination to dismantle the networks that exploit addiction and threaten public safety. That work is only possible because of the extraordinary cooperation between federal, state, tribal and local partners who stand together against those who traffic misery.”
“Methamphetamine is one of the most destructive narcotics on the street. This type of crime is an assault on public health and safety, and individuals such as Cunningham profit off human misery.” said Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso. “HSI is united with our law enforcement partners to use every resource at our disposal to cut off their supply chains and hold them accountable.”
“The Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force value our relationships with our federal partners,” said Eddy County Undersheriff Mark Cage. “The Cunningham case investigation and very successful prosecution are a testament to the teamwork it takes to ensure the safety and security of our citizens in Eddy County. Our message is clear: drug trafficking and lawlessness will not be tolerated!”
At the time of his arrest, Cunningham was on supervised release following an 87-month prison sentence for a 2017 drug conviction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations El Paso and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Camacho is prosecuting the case.
The Pecos Valley Drug Task Force is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, the Artesia Police Department, the Bureau of Land Management and is part of the New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), a federal grant program that supports law enforcement efforts to combat the drug threat in the state.
View the Criminal Complaint (Cunningham).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Cape Elizabeth Man Enters Civil Settlement for Alleged Misuse of Pandemic Relief FundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Christopher Hooper, of Cape Elizabeth, has agreed to pay $1,240,500 to settle allegations that he individually and through his company, Hooper Consulting, LLC, received COVID-19 Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) funding but misused the loan proceeds.
EIDL loans were low-interest, fixed-rate, long-term loans intended to help businesses overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing working capital to meet operating expenses, including payroll, rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses. Under the EIDL program, borrowers could use loan proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As alleged by the government, Hooper used the COVID relief funds to make stock trades and personal investments. He also made a series of large transfers to his personal checking and savings account. Later, Hooper submitted a hardship application to reduce his monthly repayment obligations. The government further alleged that Hooper comingled EIDL and business funds, then made a series of large expenditures including tens of thousands of dollars to a high-end interior designer, over $10,000 to a Land Rover dealer, and tens of thousands of dollars on home improvements. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
This case is a result of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts to identify and investigate fraudulently obtained or misused pandemic relief funds. Recent amendments to federal law have extended the statute of limitations for civil and criminal fraud enforcement actions concerning PPP and EIDL loans from six to 10 years.
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CEO of Georgia Company Convicted in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Miami, Florida, convicted a U.S. businessman today for his role in a nearly five-year long scheme to bribe Honduran government officials and to launder money to secure business for a Georgia-based manufacturer of law enforcement uniforms and accessories.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Carl Alan Zaglin, 70, of Marietta, Georgia, agreed to pay bribes to Honduran officials in order to obtain and retain business with Comité Técnico del Fideicomiso para la Administración del Fondo de Protección y Seguridad Poblacional (TASA), a Honduran governmental entity that procured goods for the Honduran National Police and other Honduran security agencies.
“Instead of playing by the rules, Carl Zaglin unfairly sought to get ahead and enrich himself by paying bribes to Honduran officials,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Bribing government officials to win business undermines the rule of law and distorts competitive markets. Today’s verdict reaffirms the Criminal Division’s commitment to rooting out corruption and providing an equal playing field for American businesses.”
The trial evidence showed that, between March 2015 and November 2019, Zaglin, the owner and CEO of Atlanco LLC (Atlanco), orchestrated the payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to Honduran officials — including former TASA Executive Director Francisco Roberto Cosenza Centeno (Cosenza) and former TASA Titular Director Juan Ramon Molina — in order to secure contracts with TASA worth more than $10 million. The bribes were paid through Aldo Nestor Marchena, a third-party intermediary then residing in Boca Raton, Florida, who received $2.5 million in payments pursuant to sham invoices authorized by Zaglin. In exchange for the bribes, Cosenza and other Honduran government officials assisted Zaglin, Marchena and others in obtaining contracts for the sale of uniforms and other goods for the Honduran National Police and securing payment on the contracts. Marchena, Cosenza, and Molina all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme.
To conceal the scheme, Zaglin, Marchena, Cosenza, and their co-conspirators used coded and oblique language like “commissions” and “fees” to refer to bribes and “Miami” to refer to Marchena, “the guys” and “the others” to refer to foreign officials, sham “Brokerage Agreements” falsely detailing legitimate services, and they communicated using personal email accounts and encrypted messaging applications. The conspirators laundered the bribes by moving funds from Atlanco to Marchena’s front company in the United States to accounts held for the benefit of Honduran officials in the United States, Belize, and elsewhere.
The jury convicted Zaglin of one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of violating the FCPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on both the FCPA count and the FCPA conspiracy count, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Charges in the form of a criminal indictment against Zaglin, Marchena, and Cosenza were unsealed on Dec. 20, 2023. Marchena and Cosenza previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on June 5, 2025 and Aug. 13, 2025, respectively. Molina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Dec. 11, 2024.
The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Belize, Colombia, and Spain provided assistance with the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Peter L. Cooch and Clayton P. Solomon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Brooklyn Man Arrested for Setting Church and Residential Building on FireRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – A criminal complaint has been filed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Bryan Oviedo with setting fire to a church and a residential apartment building on August 20, 2025. Oviedo was arrested in Brooklyn on Saturday, September 13, 2025, and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Robert M. Levy.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and Robert S. Tucker, Commissioner, New York City Fire Department (FDNY), announced the arrest and charge.
“As alleged in the complaint, Oviedo went on a pre-dawn spree in residential neighborhoods in Brooklyn during which he set fire to multiple buildings, including a church and a residential building, while families slept inside, endangering lives and causing first responders to race to the scenes of these arsons,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will vigorously prosecute this type of violent conduct, and work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our most sacred places, including homes and places of worship.”
“This arrest marks a critical step in restoring safety and peace of mind to our community,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Miller. “The collaborative efforts between law enforcement, fire investigators, and the public were instrumental in bringing this individual to justice. We remain committed working with our Federal and State partners to hold accountable those who threaten lives and property through acts of deliberate destruction.”
“While New Yorkers were asleep in the dead of night, Bryan Oviedo allegedly put them and their neighbors in grave danger by lighting their residences and a church on fire,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Our homes and houses of worship stand as walls of safety for every community, and I am thankful for the quick response of the police officers and firefighters who put their lives at risk to contain these flames. The NYPD will continue to work with our partners in the FDNY, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure this arsonist is held fully accountable.”
“Arson is a reckless crime that places innocent New Yorkers and our first responders in harm’s way,” stated FDNY Commissioner Tucker. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our Fire Marshals, the NYPD, the ATF, and the U.S Attorney’s Office, this dangerous perpetrator has been removed from the City’s streets and will be brought to justice. This arrest demonstrates the strength of our public safety partnerships and how, together, we keep New Yorkers safe every day.”
As set forth in the complaint, between approximately 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on August 20, 2025, Oviedo was captured on surveillance video carrying a trash bag, wearing a distinctive skirt, riding the G train, and walking the streets setting fires to approximately 20 buildings across the Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York. One surveillance video shows him leaning over a trash can under the columns of a church, located at 520 Clinton Avenue, and lighting the trash can on fire, causing substantial damage to the church. Another surveillance video shows a porch area of a residential building located at 870 Pacific Street erupting in flames after Oviedo approaches in his distinct garb.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Oviedo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Reich and Andy Palacio are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
BRYAN OVIEDO
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-MJ-268
Brevard County Multi-Convicted Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Tyriq Quentel Coger (26, Melbourne) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Coger faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Coger that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense.
According to court documents, on August 27, 2025, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle driven by Coger for driving with no lights on. Coger then switched seats with the front seat passenger and was observed making stealthy movements. After a backseat passenger admitted to a firearm being in the glove compartment, a probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted. During the search of the glove compartment, the backseat passenger’s firearm was located along with a loaded Glock pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device.
At the time, Coger had multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery, possession of a firearm by a delinquent, battery by person in prison or jail facility, and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. As a previously convicted felon, Coger is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rockledge Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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 Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Blue Hill Man Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement During Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Blue Hill man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to court records, on June 8, 2023, Caleb Rhine, 22, was indicted in Hancock County Superior Court on one count of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. On May 5, 2024, Rhine, while still under indictment, attempted to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Ellsworth. To make the purchase, Rhine filled out a Form 4473 required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In response to the question, “Are you under indictment or information in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year . . .?,” Rhine falsely checked the box “No.” Rhine was able to successfully buy the gun a few days later based, in part, on his representations on the ATF form.
Rhine faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He 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.
ATF and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Belleville man admits to starting a fire at a Lebanon gas stationRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A Belleville man appeared in federal court to admit to an arson charge for setting a fire in a Lebanon gas station bathroom.
Carlos A. Rodriguez, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of arson of real property used in interstate commerce. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026.
According to court documents, Rodriguez visited the CC Food Mart in Lebanon, Illinois, on the evening of Sept. 10, 2018. In the men’s bathroom, Rodriguez set fire to a plastic air freshener mounted to the wall, exited the room and left the store.
Customer’s and employees detected smoke and found an active fire in the bathroom approximately seven minutes after Rodriguez’s departure.
The ATF’s Fire Research Laboratory later constructed a mock-up of the restroom and conducted multiple experiments to time and assess the spread of such a fire, thereby ruling out other customers who used the restroom that evening.
The fire and necessary firefighting efforts caused approximately $6,000 in damages.
Convictions for arson of real property used in interstate commerce carry a mandatory minimum of five years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, fines up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
ATF led the investigation with the assistance of the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Lebanon Police Department. The Lebanon Fire Department responded to the incident. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke is prosecuting the case.
Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Scott Keyes, 36, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2024 and January 2025, Keyes conspired with another individual sell drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. As part of his guilty plea, Keyes admitted that he and his co-conspirator sold a total of 12.34 grams of fentanyl on four occasions during the time period, each time to a confidential informant. Keyes further admitted that he conducted the hand-to-hand sales at the Beckley residence where he lived with his co-conspirator, and that his co-conspirator communicated with the confidential informant about each sale beforehand.
On January 29, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Keyes’ residence and seized a Ruger model EC9s 9mm pistol and a Taurus model G3c 9mm pistol. Keyes admitted that the seized firearms belonged to him and that he had traded drugs for them.
Keyes is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-73.
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Baltimore County Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining More Than a Half Million Dollars in COVID-19 Cares Act LoansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Edward McCorkle, 37, of Baltimore County, Maryland, pled guilty today, to one count of wire fraud, in connection with submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations.
According to his plea agreement, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through February 2021 in the District of Maryland, McCorkle engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions — including Cross River Bank, and the SBA — to obtain fraudulent loans for various purported businesses that he previously established under the PPP and EIDL program.
McCorkle ultimately fraudulently obtained $523,700 as part of this scheme while attempting to obtain a total of $946,500. He used the fraudulently obtained funds for multiple impermissible purposes, including numerous personal expenses, large cash withdrawals, and to purchase and rehabilitate real estate in Baltimore City.
Specifically, on May 26, 2020, McCorkle and a co-conspirator caused the submission of a fraudulent PPP loan application to Cross River Bank for Real Transitions LLC, a purported business McCorkle controlled. The PPP loan application contained multiple material misrepresentations, including that Real Transitions LLC employed 15 workers for an average monthly payroll of $98,600. This equated to approximately $1,183,000 in total payroll expenses in 2019.
In support of the loan application, McCorkle included four fabricated 2019 IRS Form 941 Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns for each quarter of the year. The documents falsely indicated that Real Transitions LLC employed 15 workers and withheld more than $100,000 in federal income taxes in 2019.
But the IRS Forms 941 were not legitimate, as the information within them was false. Real Transitions did not pay any wages to or withhold federal income tax from any employees during the 2019 tax year. Based on the false representations and fraudulent submissions on behalf of McCorkle, and the PPP loan funded, Cross River Bank distributed approximately $246,500 to a Municipal Employees Credit Union (MECU) account that McCorkle controlled.
McCorkle agreed to pay his co-conspirator a kickback payment for helping submit the false application and obtaining the fraudulent PPP loan. After McCorkle received the PPP loan funds, he provided his co-conspirator with a check in the amount of $49,300, exactly 20 percent of the PPP loan amount.
In addition to the $49,300 kickback he paid to the co-conspirator, McCorkle also used the fraudulently obtained PPP funds for multiple impermissible purposes under the PPP. McCorkle used the fraudulently obtained PPP funds to buy and rehabilitate real estate in Baltimore City, pay credit-card expenses, and to make large withdrawals for his own benefit.
On June 5, more than $98,000 was withdrawn from the account in two transactions, including a bank check payable to McCorkle for $49,100. Then on June 15, two withdrawals totaling more than $28,000 were made from the account. On June 19, a withdrawal of $14,500 was made from the account. Then McCorkle accessed the remaining loan proceeds via cash withdrawals, debit-card purchases, and other electronic payments in June, July, August, and September. By October 1, the balance sat at approximately $3,400 in the account.
According to his plea agreement, McCorkle also admitted that he obtained more than $227,000 in EIDL funds for a purported business and used those funds for multiple impermissible purposes under the EIDL program. He used loan proceeds to make mortgage payments for McCorkle’s primary residence, purchases at restaurants and retail stores, and payments to relatives, associates, and co-conspirators.
McCorkle faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialists Juliette Jarman and Joanna B.N. Huber, for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Additional Charges Filed for Conspirator in North Charleston Public Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a 12-count superseding indictment against Rose Emily Lorenzo, 64, of North Carolina, including one count of making a false statement to the FBI and two counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation.
The additional charges in the superseding indictment allege that Lorenzo knowingly made a false statement to the FBI by telling them that she was not aware of funds from two non-profits being transferred to a member of the North Charleston City Council. Further, the additional charges allege that Lorenzo knowingly falsified records and documents with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the related federal investigations. Lorenzo was initially charged with conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, theft with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering in February 2021.
Lorenzo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, and will be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Molly H. Cherry on Sept. 25 at 10:00 a.m.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whit Sowards and Emily Limehouse are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and Lorenzo is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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A Single Bullet Earns Three-Time Convicted Felon More Than Eight Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Charles Harmon Porter, 54, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison plus three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
As described in court documents and at sentencing, on the night of May 29, 2023, Porter—a three-time convicted felon with prior convictions for offenses including terroristic threats, possession of cocaine, and obstruction of law enforcement—used a handgun to shoot his female roommate during a domestic dispute at their residence on Alma Street in Savannah. After the shooting, Porter fled the residence and discarded the handgun at an unknown location, ensuring that it would never be found. Officers with the Savannah Police Department responded immediately to the scene of the shooting and quickly identified Porter as the perpetrator. They obtained a warrant for his arrest, located him at another residence in Savannah, and took him into custody within hours of the shooting. While Porter was being booked at the Chatham County jail, a single round of ammunition was found in his pocket. An ammunition examiner with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that the round had been manufactured outside of the state of Georgia, which made Porter’s possession of the round a federal crime. Porter was indicted in federal court for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and pleaded guilty to the charge earlier this year.
At Porter’s September 4 sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence proving that Porter possessed the round in connection with the shooting, which the Court agreed amounted to attempted murder.
“The sentencing of Charles Harmon Porter reaffirms that this office will vigorously prosecute violent criminals who illegally possess firearms or ammunition down to the very last bullet as part of our commitment to public safety. We wish the victim the best in her continued recovery,” said U.S. Attorney Heap.
"Every bullet represents a potential threat to public safety; we will continue to work diligently to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands," said Acting ASAC Robert Davis.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Savannah Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy P. Dean.
A related state charge of aggravated assault remains pending against Porter in Chatham County Superior Court.
12 September 2025
York County Man Charged for Threatening Member of U.S. House of RepresentativesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Troy Lamont Rishell, age 48, a resident of York, Pennsylvania, was charged by criminal information for threatening a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, between February 28, 2025, and May 20, 2025, Rishell left a series of voicemails with the District Office of a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, with intent to intimidate the Representative while the victim was engaged in the performance of the victim’s official duties.
This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Rishell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Wilmington Man Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for Running a Sex Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wilmington man was sentenced today to more than 27 years in prison (327 months) for sex trafficking and operating a prostitution enterprise. On February 25, 2025, Christopher Todd Evans pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Evans, 41, operated an “escorting” website and business for over a decade between 2010 and 2022. The business was initially called Cape Fear Entertainers and later called Cape Fear Escorts. Evans rented office space in downtown Wilmington and even made victims sign bogus “contracts” promising not to engage in sex trafficking and prostitution. Through Cape Fear Escorts, Evans prostituted more than 200 adult and minor females.
In fact, Cape Fear Escorts was a front for human trafficking and prostitution. Evans used manipulation, control, threats, and occasionally violence to coerce women to prostitute and give him their earnings. He intimidated victims and made them believe that he was well connected and that no one would ever help them. Evans’s exploitation and abuse left countless women struggling with addiction, trauma, and pain.
“Evans made money by exploiting these girls and women and exposing them to all manner of depravity and bodily harm,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Monsters who prey upon others have no place in the Eastern District. The lengthy and appropriate sentence in this case is based on the dedicated work of the FBI, our local partners, and federal prosecutors. We thank law enforcement for their great work on this case. The Eastern District and our citizens are safer because this pimp will spend decades in prison.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-82-M.
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Washington County Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Dion, age 48, of Greenwich, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison for distributing and possessing child pornography. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
As part of his earlier guilty plea, Dion admitted that from July 2023 to January 2024, he distributed images and videos of child pornography via an encrypted chat messenger to another person, and that he possessed images of child pornography on five electronic devices on February 28, 2024, when his residence was searched. He also admitted that he produced morphed images of child pornography by using non-pornographic images of known children from his Washington County community and superimposing the faces of those children onto images of child pornography he found on the Internet to create an adapted or modified depiction of an identifiable minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Dion possessed more than 205,000 images and 545 videos depicting child pornography across his devices.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered a 20-year term of supervised release to follow Dion’s release from prison, as well as restitution to the victims in the total amount of $105,000, and forfeiture of the electronic devices he used to commit the offenses. Dion will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “Dion is a sexual predator who deeply impacted the lives of his community, by merging ordinary photos of local children into images of child pornography. He will now spend the next twelve and a half years of his wretched life locked up in a cage where he belongs. I thank our state and local partners for bringing this case to us for federal prosecution and for making our children safer.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Dion’s significant sentence ensures that he will now spend years in federal prison for terrorizing a community. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to swiftly investigate any individual who knowingly possesses and distributes detrimental images that re-victimize our most vulnerable.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The steadfast work done by the State Police and our law enforcement partners ensures Mr. Dion will serve time for his deplorable actions. There is zero tolerance for those who prey on children, and this sentencing reflects the severity of these crimes. Together, we will continue to seek justice for those who have been victimized and protect those who are most vulnerable, our children.”
The FBI and NYSP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Upper Marlboro Man Pleads Guilty to String of Bank Robbery, Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Wesley Phillip Wilson, Jr., 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pled guilty to several bank robbery offenses and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The string of armed bank robberies occurred in Maryland and Virginia.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Washington, DC Field Office, Criminal Division; Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); Chief Douglas W. Keen, Manassas City Police Department; Colonel Peter Newsham, Chief, Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD); and Chief Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD).
According to the guilty plea, between November 19, 2020, and December 7, 2020, Wilson robbed four banks and attempted to rob another. On November 19, Wilson kicked off the spree by robbing approximately $1,570 from a Prince George’s County, Maryland bank. During the robbery, Wilson approached a teller station and handed a teller a note that stated “Don’t Be a Hero. I have a gun. No Dye packs tracers or devices in the bag. Do Not push alarm until I leave! If my scanner goes off someone will die. Only Large Bills. Hurry up!! Stay calm 20,000 Now.” The bank teller initially gave Wilson $500, but he demanded more money, so the teller complied, giving him an additional $1,070.70.
Then on November 23, Wilson entered an Anne Arundel County, Maryland bank. Wilson approached the teller station and handed the teller a note that stated “Dont Panic. Put all the money in the bag. Don’t hit the panic alarm until I leave or people will die. I have a gun…No dye packs or devices. Your on the clock. Don’t Be A Hero!!” The teller complied, giving Wilson $2,709 before he fled.
On November 25, Wilson attempted to rob a Woodbridge, Virginia bank. Wilson approached the teller’s station asking to make a withdrawal. He then tossed an envelope through the opening of the teller’s plastic shield that stated “I have a gun don’t Panic Do Not push the panic alarm until I leave and No one dies. Give me ALL the money from the drawer.” Wilson then reached into his bag and brandished a black handgun in furtherance of the robbery. In response, the teller handed Wilson a withdrawal slip and responded to the threat by attempting to press the alarm button under the desk. As a result, Wilson fled without obtaining any funds from the bank.
Then on November 28, Wilson entered a Montgomery County, Maryland bank carrying a shopping bag. Wilson approached the teller station and handed over a note that read, “I have a gun. Do not panic. Give me all the money in the drawer.” The teller complied, giving Wilson giving $3,000, which he placed in the shopping bag before fleeing.
On December 7, Wilson entered a Manassas, Virginia bank and approached the teller station. After a brief conversation, Wilson pointed a handgun at the teller, demanding everything in the top drawer. The teller complied giving Wilson the money. Then Wilson approached another bank employee and demanded money. The second employee also complied, emptying a drawer that contained cash and a GPS tracker onto the counter. As the employee put the money into envelopes, a customer entered the bank. Wilson then pointed the handgun at the employee, stating, “You have eight seconds.” He then stuffed approximately $6,135 into a bag before fleeing.
Following the bank robbery, law enforcement utilized the GPS tracker to track the stolen money to a shopping center in Manassas, Virginia. Law enforcement found Wilson and informed him that they were detaining him in connection with the Prince William County bank robbery. As an officer placed his hands behind him, Wilson confessed. Upon approaching Wilson’s vehicle, law enforcement spotted various piles of stolen cash inside and then officers eventually found additional stolen money in his pocket.
After Wilson’s arrest law enforcement conducted an interview. During the interview, Wilson confessed to the four previous bank robberies and the one attempted bank robbery. Law enforcement searched Wilson’s vehicle where officers discovered proceeds from previous robberies and the Polymer80 9mm handgun and ammunition he used in connection with the robberies.
Wilson is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the bank robbery charge and a maximum of 25 years for the armed bank robbery and attempted armed bank robbery charges. Additionally, Wilson faces a minimum of five years and maximum of life—consecutive to the bank robbery offenses—for using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
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 FBI, PGPD, Anne Arundel County Police Department, MCPD, Manassas City Police Department, PWCPD, and FCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dawn Williams and Timothy F. Hagan, Jr., who are prosecuting this case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard, Eastern District of Virginia, for his valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 97 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 97 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On September 5, Marco Arizmendi-Rodriguez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents intercepted the defendant as he slowly crawled across terrain near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after he illegally crossed into the United States from Mexico. The defendant was previously deported to Mexico in June 2011 from Calexico.
- On September 7, Jesus Campos, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 54 pounds of fentanyl and four pounds of heroin concealed in his vehicle when he applied for entry in the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On September 8, Cesar Verdugo-Cabrera, Santos Martinez-Almaraz, Ricardo Natividad Nunez-Pacheco and Jose Carmelo Ortiz-Castro, citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, were arrested by Customs and Border Protection officers after a short pursuit at sea. According to a complaint, Verdugo was charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain as the alleged captain of a panga-style fishing vessel carrying undocumented immigrants; the others were charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending September 12, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 42 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 3 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 32 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 53 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for alien smuggling, illegally carrying a weapon, illegal reentry, drug trafficking, and domestic violence.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Trucker sentenced after failed attempt to hide cocaine with urineRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old Orange resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute over 23 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Pablo Garcia Ortiz pleaded guilty April 2.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Ortiz to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing Sept. 11, the court heard additional evidence that detailed how Ortiz attempted to conceal the cocaine from detection. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted the great damage illegal drugs cause American society. By smuggling drugs, Ortiz made himself partially responsible for those harms.
On Nov. 1, 2024, Ortiz drove a Freightliner tractor to the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint. A K-9 alert prompted a referral to secondary inspection.
Ortiz delayed exiting and poured a jug of urine inside the cab in an attempt to mask the odor of narcotics. He also accused law enforcement of planting evidence.
Authorities ultimately found 22 bundles of cocaine weighing approximately 24 kilograms hidden in a blue toolbox under the bed. The drugs, concealed in a trash bag and cardboard box, tested positive for cocaine. They also found chili powder which is commonly used to disguise the smell of narcotics.
A search of Ortiz’s phone revealed evidence of a prior cocaine smuggling event in September 2024.
Ortiz was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.
Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to tax crimes and wire fraud for his role in a scheme to claim fraudulent refunds based on false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Edward Zanes, of Kingsport, Tennessee, conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit and paid sick and family leave credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Zanes and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of claiming the bogus credits. Zanes aided in filing numerous false tax returns for those phony businesses and directed the tax returns to be mailed to addresses he and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, Zane and his co-conspirators filed false tax returns that claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds and received over $1.8 million from the IRS.
Zanes is set to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, and a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
St. Francis Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Resisting and Impeding Federal Officers and for Possessing Methamphetamine Bound for DistributionRead 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 St. Francis, South Dakota, convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding Federal Officers and of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 9, 2025.
Derek McCloskey, age 30, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, $24,965.83 in restitution, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
McCloskey was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025.
The convictions stemmed from a vehicle pursuit on May 16, 2024, involving personnel from the United States Marshals Service, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bennett County Sheriff’s Office. During the nearly two-hour pursuit through several counties, McCloskey hit multiple law enforcement vehicles, causing significant damage to the vehicles. McCloskey and his passenger threw significant quantities of methamphetamine and a rifle from the vehicle during the pursuit. Officers ultimately recovered a rifle and approximately 25 grams of pure methamphetamine. Data from McCloskey’s phone indicated he was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine within the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Bennett County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Albertson and Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
McCloskey was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
St. Albans Man Charged with Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 28, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Richard Bailey Jr., 34, of St. Albans, Vermont, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Bailey entered a plea of not guilty to the charge during an arraignment on September 8, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Bailey be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, on June 2, 2025, police in St. Albans, Vermont were investigating a domestic violence incident involving Bailey. Police in Burlington, Vermont subsequently observed Bailey standing near the alleged domestic violence victim’s place of employment. Bailey fled from police and discarded a fanny pack containing a loaded Sig Sauer pistol with a round chambered.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Bailey is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Bailey faces up to 15 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the St. Albans and Burlington Police Departments.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nate Burris. Bailey is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 66 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Kevin Pope, Jr., 39 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Pope was sentenced to 66 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Pope sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a buyer in South Bend on five occasions in October and November 2024. Police executed a search warrant at his house in December 2024 and found over 30 grams of fentanyl, a kilogram of pills containing methamphetamine, about 90 grams of cocaine, and over $22,000 in cash. They also found a loaded handgun.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Priest Morris, 21, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on September 12, 2025, to over 5 years’ imprisonment, in federal court in Sioux City. Morris pled guilty May 1, 2025, to possession of child pornography.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings, showed that from January 2024, through August 2024, Morris used the Discord, Twitter, Telegram, and Snapchat applications to receive, distribute, and possess visual depictions of child pornography including materials involving a prepubescent minor or minor under the age of 12. The Sioux City Police Department received two CyberTips about a Snapchat account uploading child pornography. Law enforcement connected the account back to Morris. During the execution of a search warrant on Morris’ electronics, Morris admitted he received and possessed child pornography, and it would be located on his phone and iPad. Forensic analysis of his electronics showed that Morris possessed over 1,500 images and 6 videos of child pornography including materials that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as infants and toddlers.
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 was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Morris was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to the child victims. Morris must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Morris remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-4086. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Seven Arrested for Conspiring with Annandale-Based Doctor, and Others, for Distributing Oxycodone and Promethazine-Codeine SolutionRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Seven people who conspired with doctors, including an Annandale-based doctor convicted of distributing more than 7,000 oxycodone pills, 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution (also known as “Tussionex”), and 107,000 milliliters of promethazine-codeine solution, were arrested this week.
A federal grand jury sitting in Abingdon indicted those arrested on August 26, 2025. Arrested this week were: Obioma Alozie Ndubuka, a.k.a. “Bankroll,” 31, of Gaithersburg, Maryland; Raymono Alfonzo Russell II, 24, of Bowie, Maryland; Cameron Isaiah Lewis, 23, of Bowie, Maryland; Elhadj Malick Diallo, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Zion Oluwademilade Adeduwon, 24, of Bowie, Maryland; Kenechukwu Brian Okwara, a.k.a. “Kene,” 29, of Bowie, Maryland; and Yared Michael Tesfaye, a.k.a. “Yar,” 28, of Montgomery Village, Maryland.
The grand jury has charged all seven defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution and obtaining promethazine-codeine solution by fraud, two counts of possessing with the intent to distribute hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution, and four counts of obtaining drugs by fraud.
According to court documents, in at least 2023 and 2024, Rotimi Iluyomade, and the named co-conspirators entered into an agreement to distribute more than 7,000 oxycodone pills and more than 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution to individuals in multiple states. In addition, the co-conspirators agreed to acquire and obtain promethazine-codeine solution by fraud.
As part of the conspiracy, multiple individuals visited Iluyomade’s medical clinic to obtain fraudulent prescriptions for promethazine-codeine solution, as well as fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone pills and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution, also known as “Tussionex.” The individuals provided Iluyomade with lists of multiple “patients” with fake identifying information or different variations of names and false addresses, and requested prescriptions be sent to pharmacies throughout the United States for the “patients” on the lists. At least 70 of the illegal controlled substance prescriptions were transmitted to and/or filled at pharmacies in the Western District of Virginia.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, the Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating the case.
Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (Greenbelt Division) and Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division made the announcement.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Sentencing for illegal reentry includes new allegations of sexual misconductRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 31-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Luis Alfonso Murillo-Soriano pleaded guilty March 8, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Murillo-Soriano to serve 130 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that Murillo-Soriano had allegedly sexually assaulted another inmate and helped bring contraband into the facility while in custody. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of Murillo-Soriano’s three drug convictions and expressed concern over his commission of another serious offense after illegally re-entering the United States.
Murillo-Soriano has multiple felony drug convictions involving heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine as well as driving while intoxicated. He was first removed in 2018 and returned unlawfully two other times.
Authorities discovered him after he was apprehended in December 2019 for his involvement in distributing four kilograms of heroin. Murillo-Soriano had just been deported at the end of October 2019. Further, he returned illegally to the United States while on supervised release for a previous serious drug trafficking charge.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation along with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Second Defendant Involved in Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and the Sexual Exploitation of Children Sentenced to 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Michael Bo Peacock, 50, of Denton, Texas, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 480 months (40 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for his involvement in a conspiracy to produce child pornography and the sexual exploitation of children. Peacock was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $50,000.
Peacock pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity on November 21, 2024. His co-defendant, Daniel Perryman Collins, 35, of Pineville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced in February 2025 to 325 months (27 years, 1 month) in prison for these offenses.
This case is the result of an investigation into individuals using the dark web to communicate with others regarding exploiting children on the internet and causing them to produce child pornography. From January to November 2023, Peacock and Collins, both together and individually, for their sexual gratification, caused minor children to produce child pornographic and sexually explicit images and videos of themselves by the use of threats and blackmail. Peacock conducted all of this illegal activity in the Dallas, Texas area, while Collins worked out of the Pineville, Louisiana area.
According to information introduced in court, Peacock and Collins both participated in meeting children and coercing/blackmailing the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to produce videos of that conduct. Peacock would often contact a minor victim online and through various social media platforms, he and Collins would convince the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit activity and provide a video of that conduct. Peacock and Collins would then blackmail and threaten the victims to provide additional sexually explicit material. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized advanced security measures so that those images and materials could not be traced back to himself or Peacock.
Peacock and Collins gave each other access to all of the child pornography they had caused minor victims to produce by obtaining an account with an overseas cloud-based file hosting service so they could post and share the child pornography images and videos that they had produced or obtained. Both defendants had an encryption key to use to access the material they had posted to the site. Through their investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Child Exploitation Operational Unit determined that Peacock and Collins exploited over 100 child victims and caused them to create child pornography. These images and videos were posted to their shared file hosting account.
On November 16, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Collins’ residence in Pineville. During the search, law enforcement agents obtained access to the cloud-based file hosting account of Peacock and Collins and were able to download all of the child pornography images and videos which they had created and posted to the account.
“This sentence should send a strong message to anyone who may be involved in this type of behavior and the sexual exploitation of minor children that this crime will not be tolerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Our office and the state and federal agents who investigate these cases are committed to standing strong together in the fight to end this type of illegal activity in our nation and internationally. We will continue to work to protect our children from being preyed upon by offenders such as this.”
“Through relentless investigations and cutting-edge technology, the FBI works every day to uncover hidden networks that exploit children,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Jose A. Perez. “This case underscores the relentless dedication of the FBI's Child Exploitation Operational Unit to ensuring no predator can thrive at the expense of our children. Offenders like Michael Bo Peacock preyed on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, and we will stop at nothing to identify, investigate and bring these predators to justice.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Headquarter-based Child Exploitation Operational Unit, with assistance from the FBI’s New Orleans and Dallas Field Offices, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Danny Siefker and J. Luke Walker.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 7, 2025.
Andrew Cortes, 30, was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Cortes was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 23, 2025.
On December 12, 2024, Rapid City police officers initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Cortes was a passenger for a traffic violation. As soon as the vehicle came to a stop, Cortes fled the scene. Law enforcement pursued Cortes on foot and apprehended him. Cortes had a pistol in his possession during the pursuit, and it dropped from him when law enforcement apprehended him. Cortes was previously convicted for a felony crime. Possessing a firearm after such a conviction is a federal felony offense.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Cortes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Previously Convicted Sexual Abuser is Found Guilty of Assaulting Several Women at Metro StationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, Nicholis Dorsey, 33, of Washington, D.C. was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of misdemeanor sexual assault with felony enhancement for sexually abusing five female passengers at various metro transit stations, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Dorsey was convicted of six counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse with a felony enhancement and aggravating circumstances. Dorsey had previously been convicted of sexually assaulting three additional women – all eight women were strangers to him. The Honorable Judge Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for November 14, 2025.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between January and March 2025, Dorsey approached five women at various metro stations and assaulted them by touching either their buttocks or inner thigh. After each assault, Dorsey would then antagonize each of his victims by engaging in prolonged staring, sometimes coupled with laughter. After committing the assaults, the defendant would promptly leave the stations. In response, detectives from the Metro Transit Police Department created be on the lookout (“BOLO”) flyers using screenshots from metro surveillance footage that depicted the defendant.
With the help of quick-acting Special Police Officers and Officers from the Metro Transit Police Department, Dorsey was arrested on March 5, 2025, shortly after the final assault, and has been in custody since. He confirmed his identity during a custodial interview, that same day, after being shown two BOLO fliers from the outstanding investigations.
The investigation revealed that Dorsey had three prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse, rendering him eligible for a felony enhancement under the law.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Anzallo commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metro Transit Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Victim Advocate Veronica Vaughan, who provided support and coordinative efforts for all five victims.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Soter and LaVater Massie-Banks, who prosecuted the case.
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Pandemic Relief Programs, Local Union ChapterRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tracy Hardy, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III on Thursday on four counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false claim upon the United States.
The defendant was charged with those offenses by information, arising from two separate schemes — one to obtain disaster-related loans to which he was not entitled, and another to defraud a union through inflated and falsified bids for a construction project.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from about May 2020 to May 2022, Hardy participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) and multiple SBA-approved lenders participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020.
Hardy, the owner of several Philadelphia-based businesses, including Lou & Choo Enterprises, Inc., Hardy & Hardy Holdings, LLC, and Monroe Press, Inc., began working with Person #1, who helped individuals and businesses obtain disaster-related loans with fraudulent financial information. Hardy provided Person #1 with background and financial information related to his companies, and Person #1 prepared and submitted to the lenders the loan applications, falsely inflating financial figures relating to the operations of the companies applying for the loans and drafting false documents to support the inflated figures.
As a result, Hardy obtained more than $2 million in pandemic relief funds by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, including: (a) by making false statements about the wages paid to employees of his businesses, the number of employees working for his businesses, the gross revenues of the businesses, the ownership of his businesses, and the intended use of the PPP loan proceeds; and (b) by providing false documentation, such as false tax documents and payroll summaries to support the loan applications.
As further detailed in court filings, from about January 2019 to June 2019, Hardy also participated in a scheme to defraud District 1199C, a local chapter of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees, which represented thousands of healthcare workers throughout the greater Philadelphia area.
In early 2019, District 1199C was seeking a construction company to renovate the bar area inside its union hall, located on the 1300 block of Locust Street in Philadelphia.
In addition to companies referenced above, Hardy was also the co-owner and operator of a construction company, Manayunk Construction & Development Corporation (“Manayunk Construction”).
On or about January 30, 2019, Hardy sent an email to Person #5, an officer of District 1199C, attaching a bid on the letterhead of Manayunk Construction for renovating the bar in the union hall. The bid detailed the work to be performed for a total cost of $47,490.
In February 2019, the defendant then submitted to Person #5 a new and inflated bid from Manayunk Construction, and two additional bids that he falsely and fraudulently created, purporting to be from two independent companies. In fact, the bids from those two additional companies were created by Hardy and were entirely fabricated.
The second bid from Manayunk Construction was fraudulently inflated by at least $45,000, with the bid accounting for some additional work to be done, as well as generating tens of thousands of dollars in proceeds for the benefit of the defendant and Person #5. Hardy’s bid from Manayunk Construction offered the lowest price of the three bids that he submitted.
In March 2019, the Executive Board of District 1199C voted to award the contract for the bar renovation project to Manayunk Construction, based on its low bid of $139,790. Manayunk Construction subsequently completed the bar renovation project and Hardy, through his company, was paid more than $150,000, an amount that was fraudulently inflated by at least $45,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
Ogden Market Beating Death in March 2021 Leads to 20 Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alvin Alexis Cruz Garcia, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at the Ogden Market in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Cruz Garcia was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed following a four-day trial on June 6, 2025. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced Cruz Garcia to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:28 p.m. on March 23, 2021, 38-year-old Ramon Gomez Yanez, parked his car and made his usual stop at the local food market, Ogden Market, located at 1500 Ogden Street NW. When Mr. Gomez came back outside, the defendant was standing on the sidewalk and urinating much too close to the back of Mr. Gomez’s car. The Ogden Market surveillance video, with no audio available, showed some exchange of words between the two men and then showed Cruz Garcia punch Mr. Gomez down to the ground. While Mr. Gomez was down on the sidewalk, the defendant kicked and punched Mr. Gomez multiple times in the head area, and then just walked away, leaving Mr. Gomez to die on the scene from those injuries.
Cruz Garcia was arrested on June 7, 2022, and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Jin Park and Katrenia Shelly who prosecuted the case.
Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison for International Scheme that Defrauded Elderly U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
Note, the release has been updated to include a quote from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
A Nigerian national was sentenced yesterday to 97 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Akhimie and his co-conspirators told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Akhimie and his co-conspirators collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Akhimie admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
“The Justice Department will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank our U.S. law enforcement partners, as well as those who assisted across the globe, including the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service of the United Kingdom, for their outstanding contributions to this case.”
“Schemes like this steal not only money but dignity from our seniors," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "Our Office stands with victims, ensures their voices are heard, and will relentlessly pursue those who prey on them.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting American consumers from being defrauded by Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “We have long partnered with the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch to deliver justice and we will continue to do so.”
“Defrauding the elderly and other vulnerable populations is a betrayal of not just trust but of humanity,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede for HSI Arizona. “HSI and our law enforcement partners commitment to investigate criminals who steal money sends a clear message: justice will prevail, and those who exploit others for personal gain will be held accountable. We thank all our partners who assisted in this investigation.”
Akhimie is the eighth defendant sentenced to prison in connection with the scheme. District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams for the Southern District of Florida previously sentenced six additional defendants in a related case. On April 25, the District Court Judge Roy K. Altman for the Southern District of Florida sentenced Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, to 97 months in prison for his role in the scheme, describing the defendants’ offense conduct as “an incredibly serious crime” and stating that it merited a substantial sentence because it was important “to stand up for the most vulnerable, for the least protected members of our society who have done absolutely nothing wrong.”
USPIS and HSI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
New York Woman Admits Depositing $2.7 million in Fraudulent Checks in Missouri, IllinoisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from New York on Friday admitted attempting to deposit $2.7 million in fraudulent checks.
Gabrielle Borthwick, 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 12 felonies: six counts of financial institution fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft.
Borthwick admitted as part of her plea that she obtained counterfeit cashier’s checks and the stolen personal information (names, birthdates and Social Security numbers) of multiple people. She then went to a series of banks in Missouri and fraudulently opened, or attempted to open, accounts in the victims’ names without their permission. Borthwick presented the financial institutions with counterfeit out-of-state driver’s licenses that displayed her photograph but contained the victims’ names and dates of birth. To dispel concerns about the out-of-state licenses, Borthwick falsely claimed to have recently moved to Missouri and supplied fake utility and phone bills to support her claims. She then deposited counterfeit cashier’s checks in amounts ranging from $121,260 to $1.4 million. She claimed to run a wedding planning business to allay bank officials’ suspicions about the size of the checks. Borthwick then tried to withdraw cash or electronically transfer funds before the financial institutions realized that the checks were fake.
Borthwick deposited checks in multiple Missouri banks and in one bank in Illinois totaling $2,773,280.65. She fraudulently obtained $271,667.98, her plea agreement says.
Borthwick is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17. Financial institution fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge and a fine of up to $250,000. She will be ordered to repay the money.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and police departments in Eureka, O’Fallon and Union in Missouri and Edwardsville in Illinois investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 105 Months for 2022 Gas Station ShootingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on September 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced New Orleans resident, DANTRELL MCZEAL (“MCZEAL”), age 34, to 105 months imprisonment, and three years of supervised release following his imprisonment. MCZEAL must also pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. MCZEAL pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025 to being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in July 2022 MCZEAL and an unknown individual, shot at one another in the parking lot of a New Orleans gas station. MCZEAL was shot in the leg during the gunfire exchange. Ballistic casings recovered from the parking lot revealed that MCZEAL fired nineteen (19) .223 rifle shots during the exchange. The unknown individual fled the parking lot in his vehicle. MCZEAL also fled the parking, lost control of his vehicle, and struck a light pole at a nearby intersection. MCZEAL was seen limping from his vehicle while in possession of a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15, .223 REM/5.56 x 45mm semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine.
New Orleans Police Department officers later recovered a loaded Glock Model 30GEN4, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, with an extended magazine and a bullet in the chamber, from MCZEAL’s abandoned vehicle.
Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. MCZEAL is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
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New Mexico Teenager Charged with Making Violent Online ThreatsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A New Mexico teenager has been charged with making violent threats on social media following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
According to court documents, on or about September 11, 2025, Jace Allen, 19, used an account on X.com under the alias “Jebron Lames” to post a series of violent and racist threats following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025. Among the threats, Allen wrote that he planned to commit mass murder, target minorities and Jews, and shoot up unspecified locations. He also threatened an Ohio city council member directly, telling the official, “You’re gonna be one of the first to die.”
The FBI’s Toledo Resident Agency quickly traced the account to Allen’s phone and residence in Jamestown, New Mexico. Agents from the FBI Gallup Resident Agency located and interviewed Allen at his home on September 11, 2025. Allen admitted to making the posts, acknowledged being a Neo-Nazi who hates Jews and minorities, and said he wanted to help spark a civil war by terrorizing people online.
Although Allen stated he did not own a firearm, a search of his phone revealed videos of him firing a rifle and handgun in August 2025.
Allen is charged with transmitting communications containing a threat to injure another person and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing. If convicted of the current charges, Allen faces five years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Miami Woman Indicted on Federal Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Miami woman with 16 federal charges in connection with an unemployment insurance (UI) benefits fraud scheme. Tamika Nicole Jones, 33, of Miami, Florida, is charged with eight counts of wire fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of mail fraud. The indictment was unsealed following Jones’s arrest in South Florida by Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, DOL-OIG.
As detailed in the indictment, UI is a joint state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. UI payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits. This included the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, and the Lost Wages Assistance Program.
In Maryland, residents seeking UI benefits submitted online applications. Applicants answered specific questions to establish eligibility to receive UI benefits, including their name, Social Security Number (SSN), and mailing address, among other things. Additionally, the State required applicants to self-certify that they were unemployed, partially employed, or unable to work for a COVID-19-related reason. The Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) relied upon the information from the application to determine UI benefits eligibility. After approval, the MD-DOL typically distributed state and federal UI benefits electronically to a debit card, which claimants could use to withdraw funds and/or make purchases.
As alleged in the indictment, from May 2020 to June 2021, the defendant defrauded State Workforce Agencies, including the MD-DOL, by impersonating victim individuals for the purpose of submitting fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance. The defendant used victims’ personal identifying information, including name, date of birth, and/or SSN, to submit applications for UI benefits.
If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire and mail fraud. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison that runs consecutive to any other sentence.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Beim who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Mexican National with Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced yesterday by United States Chief District Judge Andrew Gordan to 13 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed on three prior occasions from the country.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on December 1, 2023, Jose Ricardo Lopez Munoz was found in the United States after he was previously deported to Mexico on November 13, 1995, February 26, 1997, and August 1, 2013.
On November 28, 2023, Lopez Munoz was arrested by state law enforcement in Clark County, Nevada, for False Statement to Obstruct Public Officer. Lopez Munoz has previous felony convictions for Menacing out of the District Court, El Paso County, Colorado, in 2002, and for Challenge to Fight with use of a Deadly Weapon and with the Intent to Promote Further or Assist a Criminal Gang out of the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada, in 2007. After serving over six years in prison he was deported for a third time in 2013.
Lopez Munoz pleaded guilty to one-count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving his prison sentence he will be deported to Mexico a fourth time.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Acting Director Jason Knight made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Member of violent Third World Mob gang sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for trafficking more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuanaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A member of the local violent criminal organization Third World Mob was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 310 months in prison.
Klegewerges Abate, 36, of Columbus was convicted by a jury in August 2024. After an 8-day trial before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., jurors deliberated for less than six hours before finding him guilty on all counts.
Abate, who is also known as “Bells,” “Robell” and “Sosa,” was convicted of conspiring to traffic at least 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, firearms offenses, and wire fraud related to illegally obtaining COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Third World Mob members brought hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio from other states like California and Georgia to sell in central Ohio. They used U-Haul trucks and rental cars to move the drugs. Coconspirators used rental houses or houses leased or owned in other individuals’ names as “stash houses” or “trap houses” to facilitate the drug trafficking and to store significant amounts of cash from the drug proceeds.
For example, in August 2019, Abate and others possessed a suitcase with approximately $940,000 in cash in it in a house on Phlox Avenue in Blacklick.
During a November 2022 search of a residence on Chapel Stone Road in Blacklick, law enforcement officials found Abate and two of his co-conspirators, along with more than 700 kilograms of marijuana and three firearms.
Third World Mob leaders and members used violence and the threat of violence to maintain authority over their drug trafficking.
Surveillance video presented at trial showed Abate, a convicted felon, shooting a man at a restaurant in Columbus. Jurors also heard testimony about numerous shootings, a pistol-whipping, and other acts of intimidation.
Abate was also convicted of wire fraud for falsely applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, fraudulently claiming that he had been a self-employed landscaper during the time he trafficked drugs.
In total, seven members of the Third World Mob have been charged federally since 2021.
Co-defendant Abubakarr Savage, 36, was also convicted at trial with Abate. He was sentenced July 2025 to more than 15 years in prison. Fellow Third World Mob member Menelik Solomon pleaded guilty in November 2023 and was also sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the sentences imposed. U.S. Attorney Gerace recognized the assistance from the Columbus, and Whitehall, Ohio, and Tucson, Arizona, police departments and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and S. Courter Shimeall represented the United States in this case.
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Member of Ulster County Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – Justin Torres, age 37, of Ellenville, New York, was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, whose office leads the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT).
Torres admitted that during the conspiracy he distributed and possessed with intent to distribute approximately 580 grams of cocaine and 200 grams of fentanyl.
Torres was one of 11 defendants charged in the case. These defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:
- Joshuan Atkinson was sentenced to 156 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release;
- Christopher Baez was sentenced to 71 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release;
- Michael Herry was sentenced to 27 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Daryl Livingston was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release;
- Joshua Morales is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3, 2025;
- Joseph Logan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2025; and
- Timothy Hutcherson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “This case demonstrates our commitment to dismantling drug trafficking organizations in Ulster County, where Justin Torres and his co-conspirators sold cocaine and fentanyl. With our federal, state, and local partners, we continue to target these poison peddlers and protect the public from the deadly scourge of drugs. I commend and thank Sheriff Figueroa for his courageous leadership spearheading this operation with URGENT and all the brave officers of the task force who sacrificed themselves in the spirit in which we have all sworn an oath to as members of law enforcement. As I have stated time and time again, if these gangbangers had been charged locally, they would all be out on the streets in two hours continuing their acts of violence against our communities for a year or more while their cases moved through the state court system. The State Legislature and Governor should call a special session to repeal the reckless and dangerous cashless bail law that has imposed massive casualties amongst the citizens throughout the State of New York for eight long suffering years. My office shall do everything in its power to assist state and local law enforcement to combat the revolving door of crime.”
Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York, stated, “This sentence is the result of a coordinated, intelligence-driven investigation that disrupted this organization’s fentanyl and cocaine distribution, and in turn stopped a narcotics pipeline in its tracks. HSI New York remains steadfast in our commitment to deploying our expertise, data-driven strategies, and investigative resources to identify traffickers, dismantle their networks, and prevent deadly drugs from reaching our neighborhoods. Together with the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, URGENT, and our local partners, HSI New York will never waver in our commitment to protecting families within our communities and the public we serve every day.”
Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa stated, “This was a collaborative effort consisting of federal, state and local law enforcement. Drug trafficking continues to affect local communities and is a nexus to crime spikes. I thank the U.S. Attorney for prosecuting these criminals. I also thank the members of the URGENT task force who put long investigative hours into this critical case to rid our community of drugs.”
Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a fine of $5,000 and a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Torres is released from prison.
This case is being investigated by HSI; the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with URGENT (the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement and Narcotics Team), an inter-agency taskforce targeting drug dealers and gang members in Ulster County; the New York State Police; the Village of Ellenville Police Department; and the White Plains Police Department, with assistance from the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda is prosecuting this case.
This case is also 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.
Mason City Man Sentenced to 11 years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Intent to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
Jacob Shafer, 34, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced September 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Shafer pled guilty on May 7, 2025, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of illegal possession of a firearm. Shafer was previously convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and trafficking in stolen weapons in Iowa in March of 2022. Both of these convictions prohibit a person from possessing any firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in March 2024, during the execution of a search warrant at Shafer’s home, law enforcement seized the following: four bags of methamphetamine; drug paraphernalia including pipes, bongs, grinders, and baggies; a digital scale; ninety-six .380 caliber Winchester rounds of ammunition; a Ruger LCP, .380 pistol, and a total of 6 rounds of ammunition, which included a round in the chamber; a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, and a total of 13 rounds of ammunition; an Intratec AB-10, 9mm pistol, and a total of 22 rounds of ammunition in the magazine; and a Rock Island Armory, .45 caliber pistol. Shafer admitted he had plans to distribute the methamphetamine that officers found.
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.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Shafer was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment and will serve a four-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Shafer remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin C. Fletcher and Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3055. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Carjacking Three Vehicles in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to 22 years in prison for carjacking three vehicles at gunpoint in Chicago and shooting one of the victims.
JAMARI EDWARDS carjacked the vehicles in August 2022 in the West Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The first carjacking occurred in the drive-thru area of a coffee shop, while the other two occurred outside of a convenience store at a gas station. In each of the carjackings, Edwards pointed a gun at the driver and demanded the keys to the car. In the coffee shop carjacking, Edwards shot the driver in the leg after the driver had already given Edwards the key and exited the vehicle. Before shooting the driver, Edwards asked him words to the effect of, “Why are you not scared?”
Edwards, 23, of Chicago, was arrested in 2022 and has remained in law enforcement custody since then. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges. On Sept. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Edwards to 22 years in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Simar Khera.
Man Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being RemovedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being removed was sentenced September 11, 2025, to 127 days’ imprisonment.
Gerardo Santis-Jiron, also known as Pedro Simon Rivera-Perez, age 36, a citizen of Guatemala, received the prison term after a June 10, 2025 guilty plea to one count of being found in the United States after illegal reentry.
At the guilty plea, Santis-Jiron admitted he had previously been removed from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Santis-Jiron was previously removed in 2009. On April 27, 2025, immigration officials found him at the Linn County Jail following his arrest on state charges for operating while under the influence.
Santis-Jiron was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Santis-Jiron was sentenced to 127 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Santis-Jiron is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces
(OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by Enforcement and Removal Operations of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-36.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man Charged in Federal Court with Robbing Armored Truck Driver in Downtown ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man was charged in federal court today with robbing an armored truck driver in downtown Chicago earlier this week.
DAJON HARRIS robbed a Brinks armored truck driver on Wednesday morning in the first block of South State Street in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood, according to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The armored truck driver had just exited a store carrying several bags of cash when Harris allegedly approached him and tried to rip a bag out of his hand. A struggle ensued, and Harris punched the driver and took a bag of cash, the complaint states. During the struggle, the driver unholstered his gun and fired shots at Harris, the complaint states.
Harris fled west on Madison Street toward a Chicago Transit Authority subway station, the complaint states. Law enforcement officers encountered Harris in the station and recovered the stolen money. Harris was transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
The complaint charges Harris, 23, of Evergreen Park, Ill., with robbery, which is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. His initial appearance in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hanna Helwig.
The robbery occurred in the newly designated Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) enforcement zone in downtown Chicago. On June 4, 2025, U.S. Attorney Boutros announced an expansion of PSN to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority. The enforcement efforts in the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zones focus on the investigation and prosecution of individuals and organized groups who engage in robberies, illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, carjackings, and other violent offenses most often involving the use of firearms. For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
harris_complaint.pdf