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5 September 2025
Drug Trafficker Unlawfully Residing in the United States Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Leading Role in Distributing Fentanyl and Heroin and Laundering Millions in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Luis Antonio Beltran Arredondo, 35, a Mexican National residing in Las Vegas, was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and heroin in Oregon, and for conspiring to launder drug proceeds through a Tualatin Beauty Salon. Arredondo is expected to be deported following his prison sentence.
According to court documents, in the fall of 2021, special agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Portland began investigating a drug trafficking organization suspected of transporting counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and heroin from California into Oregon and Washington for distribution. Between October 2021 and February 2022, agents interdicted couriers and seized drugs and proceeds from locations across three states. In sum, agents seized approximately 41 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 kilograms of heroin, 115,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, as well as more than $348,000 in cash.
A parallel financial investigation led by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) revealed that Arredondo and his fiancé, Jacqueline Paola Rodriguez Barrientos, laundered money generated by the drug trafficking organization through the Mazatlán Beauty Salon in Tualatin, Oregon and by buying real estate that they converted into income-generating rentals. The real estate purchases were made with cashier’s checks funded by large cash deposits. Bank records showed that Barrientos made frequent cash deposits ranging from $10,000 to more than $373,000 into accounts held in her name or the name of her salon. These deposits totaled more than $3.5 million during a 9-month period in 2021.
Since February 2021, members of the drug trafficking organization purchased a total of nine residential properties in Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, mortgage free, totaling more than $4.6 million in value. Arredondo directed the purchase of these properties with laundered funds. Barrientos then used third-party property management companies to rent these properties and earned approximately $10,000 per month in rental income.
On February 17, 2022, DEA agents arrested Arredondo and Barrientos at their Las Vegas residence. Agents found and seized two luxury vehicles, several loose receipts documenting high-end retail purchases, credit card statements documenting more than $16,000 spent on tickets to attend a professional boxing match, and other evidence memorializing the couple’s high-end lifestyle.
On June 2, 2025, Arredondo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and to conspiracy to launder drug proceeds.
Arredondo is the 12th and final member of the drug trafficking organization charged in this case to be sentenced. Barrientos was sentenced in October 2024, and is currently serving a sentence in federal prison for her role in laundering the organization’s drug proceeds.
The government has sought forfeiture on all nine residential properties used to launder the drug money. Five of the properties have been forfeited and sold. Four of the properties remain in forfeiture proceedings.
This case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-CI, Tigard Police Department, and Oregon State Police. It is being prosecuted by Peter D. Sax, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Katie De Villiers, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lawrence was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Eddy Antonio Perdomo, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to time served (approximately four months in prison). The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. In July 2025, Perdomo pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Perdomo was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025.
Perdomo was deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic on Oct. 3, 2023. Sometime after his October 2023 removal, Perdomo illegally reentered the United States without permission.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
District of Arizona Charges 218 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from August 30, 2025, through September 5, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 218 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 100 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 107 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed cases against 11 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), 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).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Jose Uriel Meraz-Aguilar: On September 3, 2025, Jose Uriel Meraz-Aguilar, 20, a citizen of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On September 1, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Meraz-Aguilar south of Dateland, Arizona, after he entered the United States near Monument 179 with three other individuals. The group, wearing camouflage and carpet shoes, attempted to travel north through the desert toward Interstate 8, but became separated. Two members of the group were rescued and received medical treatment for dehydration and heat exhaustion. Agents learned that Meraz-Aguilar was being paid to serve as a foot guide for the Salazares Cartel, and that he had left the individuals behind in the desert on cartel instructions. [Case Number: 25-MJ-1860]
United States v. Edwuin Lucino Hernandez-Cordero: On September 4, 2025, Edwuin Lucino Hernandez-Cordero, a citizen of Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport an Illegal Alien. Hernandez-Cordero had previously been pulled over in July 2025 while transporting five illegal aliens. Subsequent investigation linked Hernandez-Cordero to stash houses in Glendale and Phoenix run by a human smuggling organization. Hernandez-Cordero and his associates were identified as drivers and caretakers involved in transporting illegal aliens throughout the United States for profit. [Case Number: 25-MJ-6386]
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-144_August September 5 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Defendants Indicted for Directing Kidnappings, Bombings, and Killings OverseasRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury has returned an eight-count indictment charging naturalized U.S. citizens Benedict Nwana Kuah, 51, and Pascal Kikishy Wongbi, 52, with organizing, directing, and financing kidnappings, bombings, and killings in their native country, the Republic of Cameroon.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad, conspiracy to provide material support or resources, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In addition, Kuah is charged with three counts of providing material support or resources, conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction outside the United States.
According to the indictment, the defendants are leaders of the self-proclaimed Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF), a group of armed fighters seeking to create a new country called “Ambazonia” in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon. Kuah is the Chairman of the ADF’s so-called War Council. Wongbi is the Head of Defense, Department of Logistics and Human Resources of the War Council. The defendants directed “fighters” to kidnap, bomb, and kill ordinary civilians, government officials, and members of the Cameroonian security forces in order to coerce the Cameroonian Government into recognizing their legitimacy. Both defendants were actively involved in planning, financing, and directing attacks to intimidate and coerce the civilian population and to unlawfully influence the policy and conduct of the Cameroonian government.
“The defendants are charged with using the United States as a base of operations to finance and direct kidnappings, bombings, and killings in Cameroon,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their alleged conduct caused death, terror, and suffering among innocent civilians. The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who seek refuge in the United States while spreading violence abroad.”
“Minnesota is not a launchpad for overseas violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Operating from the comfort of their living rooms in Minnesota, these defendants caused violence and suffering half a world away. They ordered kidnappings, bombings, and murders. Their crimes are an affront to both American law and basic human decency. Cameroon is a safer place because of this prosecution.”
“The defendants were allegedly involved in planning, financing and directing violent attacks that harmed numerous civilians and government officials in the Republic of Cameroon, with targets including a market, an annual footrace, and a Youth Day celebration,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Although these violent acts occurred outside of U.S. borders, these charges should underscore that criminal actors cannot hide in the United States. The FBI does not condone violence and will work with our partners to ensure those who engage in, or direct criminal acts are held accountable for their actions.”
“The ADF used terror and coercion to torment civilians and threaten the government of Cameroon. The alleged actions of Kuah and Wongbi directed and funded that death, destruction, and terror,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “These arrests underline the strength of the FBI’s partnerships across the federal government and send the clear message that the U.S. will not be a safe harbor for criminals. Across the U.S. and beyond our shores, U.S. citizens who engage in campaigns of kidnapping, bombing, and murder will be found and brought to justice.”
According to the indictment, beginning in 2017, the defendants directed and financed attacks and kidnappings in Cameroon. The defendants sent thousands of dollars to fighters for the purpose of purchasing weapons and ammunition and directed fighters to conduct attacks that resulted in deaths.
On April 30, 2022, the fighters kidnapped a civilian government official from Cameroon’s Northwest Region. Wongbi advocated for killing the official immediately. The fighters forced the official to read a statement denouncing Cameroon and proclaiming loyalty to Ambazonia. Kuah then worked with others to publish a propaganda video that incorporated the statement and demanded that the Government of Cameroon release prisoners in exchange for the government official’s release. Several days later, Kuah appeared in a video on the ADF’s YouTube channel in which he announced that the kidnapped official had been “condemned to death.” While the official was in captivity, co-conspirators accused the official of not supporting the separatist movement and instructed the fighters not to release her until they gave the order. The official was rescued by the Cameroonian military following a month in captivity. Kuah later appeared in a propaganda video lamenting that the official had not been killed.
In January 2023, Kuah and another leader planned and oversaw an attempt to kill the civilian governor of Cameroon’s Northwest Region, which they dubbed “Operation Rattlesnake.” While co-conspirators sent funding for the attack, Kuah reviewed photos of the proposed attack site and the attack plan and instructed the fighters about the construction and placement of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
On the date of the attack, the fighters deployed the IEDs, causing the governor’s convoy to divert, but failing to kill the governor.
In February 2023, the group’s leader directed fighters to bomb the Mount Cameroon Race for Hope, an annual footrace held in the Southwest Region. Kuah sent funds from his personal bank account to finance the attack and fighters sent photographs of the completed IEDs. On February 25, 2023, the fighters detonated the IED at the race, injuring 19 people.
On October 4, 2023, conspirators murdered two unarmed civilians in the market square in Guzang, a town in the Northwest Region. Prior to the killings, Kuah and Wongbi had repeatedly instructed members to kill civilians who were believed to be cooperating with the Government of Cameroon. After the killings, the group’s spokesman publicly confirmed that the men were killed because they had allegedly provided information to Cameroonian forces. Wongbi then appeared in a propaganda video threatening that other cooperators would meet the same fate.
On February 11, 2024, conspirators detonated an IED at a Youth Day celebration in Nkambe, in the Northwest Region. The attack injured dozens of civilians, mostly children, and killed a 15-year-old girl. Prior to the IED attack, Kuah distributed an operational plan for attacks, which included the attack against Youth Day celebrations in Nkambe. Additionally, Kuah approved the purchase of dynamite, a fuse, and a remote, for use in the attack.
In addition to planning and directing attacks like the ones described above, the defendants raised money and sent thousands of dollars to fighters for weapons, ammunition, explosives, and other supplies. For example, in 2017 and 2018, Kuah and Wongbi personally sent fighters thousands of dollars to buy materials for attacks. Then, in 2021, the defendants began to raise funds for the group through social media platforms. Through an internet site called “The Takeover Fund” the defendants solicited donations and raised funds for weapons. Kuah also appeared in videos on social media platforms in which he requested donations for explosives. In October 2022, Kuah announced the launch of a new fund-raising campaign called “Operation 200AKs,” which was designed to arm fighters with AK-47 assault rifles. Kuah appeared in multiple videos requesting donations for Operation 200 AKs, and accounts controlled by the conspirators received numerous donations, many of which specified that the funds were to be used for weapons and ammunition. Conspirators directed members to send the funds to fighters in Cameroon, often in support specific planned attacks.
Kuah and Wongbi were arrested this morning in the District of Minnesota and made their initial appearances this afternoon. Kuah and Wongbi are detained pending detention hearings set for September 10, 2025 (Kuah) and September 11, 2025 (Wongbi). If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison.
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Roso and Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case, and with assistance from Trial Attorneys Michael Dittoe and Matthew Hracho of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dauphin County Man Sentenced to 29 Years’ Imprisonment for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Boyd Damgaard, age 37, of Dauphin, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 29 years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for producing child pornography. Judge Neary also ordered Damgaard to serve 15 years on supervised release after he is released from prison.
According to the Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between April and June 2020, Damgaard contacted two adolescent girls aged 14 and 15 via online platforms and, after learning the girls’ ages, engaged in illegal sexual activity with them. Damgaard created videos and other digital images of his sexual acts with one of the victims and enticed both victims to send him sexually explicit images via online messaging platforms.
On September 25, 2024, Damgaard pleaded guilty to producing child pornography. and as part of a plea agreement admitted to committing all the offenses charged in the federal indictment, including producing, receiving, and possessing child pornography, and coercing and enticing minors to engage in illicit sexual activity.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case.
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.
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Cuba Man Sentenced to Prison for Fatal Shooting and Highway ChaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Cuba man was sentenced to eight years in prison for shooting into a vehicle during a highway chase resulting in the killing a 14-year-old passenger.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, May 16, 2022, Rodgerick Tsosie, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, chased a vehicle carrying several occupants along New Mexico Highway 197 near Torreon. Tsosie had been called to break up a fight between the driver of the vehicle, John Doe 2, and other family members. As he pulled alongside the vehicle, Tsosie fired once towards John Doe 2 but inadvertently struck John Doe 1, his 14-year-old nephew, in the head. Despite efforts by an off-duty EMT, ambulance, and medivac crew, John Doe 1 was pronounced dead that evening at a hospital in Santa Fe.
Law enforcement from the Navajo Nation Police Department, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI responded to the scene. Witnesses identified Tsosie’s vehicle, and multiple occupants immediately told authorities he was the shooter. Tsosie later admitted to firing a shot, stating, “I guess I’ll take the fall for it.”
Tsosie pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Tsosie will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office and the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco prosecuted the case.
Couple Sentenced for Bank Fraud Scheme and Theft from Tesuque Pueblo Gas StationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Chimayo women were sentenced to prison for a bank fraud scheme that spanned more than two years and for breaking into a Tesuque Pueblo gas station.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between January 2020 and August 2022, Angelica Dominguez, 41, and her wife Billy Jo Gussler, 44, carried out a bank fraud scheme that involved stealing and fraudulently cashing checks intended for other people. The scheme caused more than $40,000 in actual loss.
While engaged in this scheme, the pair also burglarized a Tesuque Pueblo gas station in May 2022, breaking a glass door to enter and stealing lottery tickets and cigarettes. They were linked to the theft when Dominguez tried to cash stolen lottery tickets the next day. The burglary caused nearly $2,500 in losses, including property damage.
Neither Dominguez nor Gussler is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe.
Dominguez and Gussler both pled guilty to one count of theft in Indian Country and seven counts of bank fraud. Dominguez was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment for her role in these offenses, and Gussler was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. Upon their release from prison, Dominguez and Gussler will each be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the theft case with assistance from the Tesuque Tribal Police and Quay County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the fraud case with the assistance of the Santa Fe Police Department, Espanola Police Department, and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Maria Stiteler are prosecuting the cases.
Convicted Felon Charged with Arson and Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Federal charges were unsealed today against Ronald Watson, a/k/a Sarah Watson, a/k/a Miranda Kyle, a/k/a Emily Smith, 28, of Kennesaw, Ga., for arson and destruction of government property. The charges stem from an attack on the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) building located in downtown Atlanta during the summer of 2020.
“The right to peacefully protest never excuses acts of violence, like smashing windows and attempting to set fire to a government building,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Anyone who perpetrates or threatens violence against federal officers or property must be identified, found, and held accountable.”
“The First Amendment does not allow individuals to commit arson or destroy property,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our communities while respecting individuals’ First Amendment rights.”
“Those who attack our government institutions with fire and violence will be held accountable. Setting fire to a government building is not only an attack on bricks and mortar—it is an attack on the rule of law and the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “Homeland Security Investigations, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue those who endanger lives and destroy public property. HSI remains committed to protecting the people, safeguarding government facilities, and ensuring that justice is served.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information filed in court: On July 25, 2020, shortly before midnight, a crowd gathered at the Atlanta ICE building and protested outside a fenced area. At the same time, several masked individuals wearing dark clothing breached the fences and vandalized the building.
The rioters used rocks, cinder blocks, modified fireworks, Molotov cocktails, lighter fluid bottles, and other materials to cause more than $78,000 in damage. Inside the building, law enforcement found blood near a broken window and a lighter fluid bottle near an unexploded Molotov cocktail.
Although the vandals attempted to conceal their identities, law enforcement identified Watson based on evidence collected following his January 2023 felony conviction for assaulting a public safety officer in Oregon.
Prior to the attack on the ICE building, Watson posted numerous anti-ICE messages on social media, including a depiction of an ICE agent about to be struck in the head with a baseball bat. Watson also claimed on social media to have “thrown bricks, done other things not to be mentioned, . . . [and] Doxxed people” as examples of “taking action.”
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.
If you know Watson’s whereabouts or have information that may lead to Watson’s arrest, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 800-CALL-FBI. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Watson.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Construction Company CEO Arrested for Amassing Real Estate Empire Through $4 Million in Fraudulently Obtained Covid-19 Relief LoansRead the Press Release
A Visalia construction company CEO was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he fraudulently obtained more than $4 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds and federally guaranteed small business loans, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between April and June 2020, Joey Wayne Mackey, 45, of Visalia, submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for three of his companies: Forcum-Mackey Construction Inc., a general contractor based in Ivanhoe; JWM Inc., a purported construction consulting company for which Mackey is the sole proprietor based in Mackey’s Visalia home; and Mack Aviation LLC, a provider of refueling and hangar‑rental services for charter jets at Visalia Municipal Airport.
All three of these applications contained fraudulent numbers of employees and monthly payroll cost calculations, which caused a bank, serving as a lending partner funding the COVID-19 relief through guaranteed small business loans, to disburse $4,082,550 in funds it otherwise would not have given. Over the following months, Mackey laundered the PPP loan funds through fraudulent payroll payments to family members (including his minor children), while Mackey controlled the bank accounts of those family members. In October 2020, Mackey then pulled the funds out of the family member accounts to buy revenue-generating real estate acquisitions, such as office parks and luxury apartment complexes from which he enriched himself further through rent payments from tenants. Mackey continued making real estate investments and luxury goods purchases traceable to PPP funds through at least 2023.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Lee and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Mackey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Carjacker Charged with Federal Crimes for Carjacking Spree that Killed Two Women and Injured a ChildRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Edward Tiki Arrington, 45, was charged by complaint this morning with one count of carjacking and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Yesterday morning, Arrington engaged in a carjacking and shooting crime spree, targeting at least eight victims. Arrington crashed the vehicle he carjacked, killing two women and seriously injuring a child.
“Two young women should be alive today. Instead, their lives were cut short by a senseless crime committed by a career criminal,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “They deserved better. We all deserve better. I am weary of this endless violence. Minnesota deserves peace. We will keep fighting to restore it.”
According to the complaint, around 8 am on September 4, 2025, 911 calls began to come in about a man with a gun around 334 Lake Street East in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Edward Tiki Arrington, also known as Troy Mike Payton, was the gunman.
Arrington was driving erratically towards Lake Street that morning. He was speeding, swerving into oncoming traffic, and driving on the sidewalk. Arrington drove his red SUV through a red light and crashed into another car, a white Infiniti SUV.
Arrington got out of his red SUV and ran towards the other car, pointing a gun at the driver. Arrington tried to open the door of the white Infiniti, but the driver accelerated and was able to get away from Arrington.
Arrington then ran towards another car, a black Volkswagen Passat. Again, Arrington brandished his firearm at the driver. Arrington carjacked the driver, a second victim. He ordered the driver out of her car at gunpoint, got into the black Passat, and drove the car against traffic.
Arrington drove the black Passat back to his red SUV. Arrington tried to remove two dogs from his red SUV. He was eventually able to get the dogs into the carjacked Passat.
As this was happening, a black Jeep approached the intersection. Arrington pointed his gun at a third victim, the driver of the black Jeep. The driver ducked and she was able to accelerate away.
Arrington then ran up to a fourth victim, a woman walking on foot on Lake Street. Arrington ran up to the pedestrian and pointed his gun at her. The pedestrian put her hands up. Arrington grabbed her hands and demanded to know where her guns were. The pedestrian said she didn’t have a gun. Arrington released her and ran back to the carjacked Passat.
As Arrington began to drive away in the black Passat, he fired a shot out of the vehicle. He appeared to be shooting at a work van, whose driver was driving past the black Passat. Arrington left the intersection around 8:10 am and drove to North Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Police Department sent out a city-wide notice that the black Volkswagen Passat was used in a shots-fired call. MPD officers located Arrington driving the carjacked black Passat in North Minneapolis. Officers attempted to pull Arrington over but he fled, driving towards downtown Minneapolis. Recognizing the immediate threat to public safety and human life, officers followed.
Arrington sped through the intersection of Penn Avenue and Olson Memorial Boulevard, running a red light without stopping. As he did so, Arrington crashed at full speed into a blue Ford Focus sedan, which was driving lawfully through the intersection. In crashing his carjacked vehicle into the blue sedan, Arrington killed two women in their twenties and seriously injured a six-year-old child in the back seat; the child suffered bilateral femur fractures and a traumatic brain injury. One of the women killed was the child’s mother.
Arrington has a long and extensive criminal history that includes state convictions for assault and firearms offenses and a 2009 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Arrington faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and up to a maximum of life in prison if convicted of these offenses. Carjacking resulting in death is a death penalty-eligible crime.
“This violent suspect had an extensive criminal history and showed a complete disregard for the value of human life,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “His reckless and violent actions claimed the lives of innocent people and put countless others at risk. We are grateful for the partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office as we all work to ensure that he is held fully accountable and that justice is pursued for the victims and their families to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Two innocent young women died yesterday, and a young child was hospitalized, due to the reckless and senseless actions of Edward Tiki Arrington, aka Troy Mike Payton,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “Violent carjackings have permeated Minneapolis for far too long; these federal charges represent the commitment by the FBI, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to reduce violent crime in Minnesota. The FBI will bring every resource available to ensure a safe community where its residents can thrive. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI, with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office extends its profound sympathies to the families of the decedents and to all the victims in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates its strong partnerships with the Minneapolis Police Department, the FBI, the Minnesota State Patrol, and many other state and local partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful to the men and women of law enforcement who serve and protect Minnesota.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Buffalo felon pleads guilty to new gun chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that William Morrison, Jr., 26, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that late in the evening of July 19, 2024, Buffalo Police responded to the area of Ashley and Mohr Streets for a report of a man with a gun. The caller indicated the suspect, later identified as Morrison, was wearing an ankle bracelet and was waiving a black pistol around. The caller then reported that the suspect was inside an Ashley Street residence, which was referred to as a “dope house.” When officers arrived, they observed Morrison running from the rear of the residence. Morrison was quickly apprehended. Officers searched the area of the yard where Morrison had fled and recovered a loaded 9mm handgun. In November 2019, Morrison was convicted of a felony gun charge in Erie County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 5, 2025, before Judge Arcara.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Armed Commercial Robberies and CarjackingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced John Hyman, 21, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for two armed commercial robberies and a carjacking in Baltimore County and Baltimore City, Maryland.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Baltimore Field Division; Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to his guilty plea, in November 2022, Hyman and two other men committed two armed robberies of two commercial businesses and carjacked a vehicle from an employee. On November 29, Hyman and his co-defendants entered a 7-Eleven convenience store in East Baltimore. Upon entering the store, the men brandished a handgun and proceeded to rob the store.
The suspects stole money from the cash register before fleeing the store. Unknown to the suspects, a money tracker was within the stolen money. This alerted the police and enabled them to track the suspects. Both BPD and BCPD dispatched officers, detectives, and aviation squads to locate the suspects.
After leaving the store, the money tracker showed the suspects traveled to the Stokos carry-out restaurant, approximately 0.6 miles away from the store they robbed. While at that restaurant, one of the co-conspirators brandished a handgun, confronted a delivery driver, and robbed the man of the keys in his pocket.
Then the men stole money from the store’s cash register and fled the location. BPD and BCPD aviation units soon located two vehicles closely following each other that matched the movements of the money tracker. The vehicles then separated and attempted to flee police, but law enforcement ultimately apprehended Hyman and the other two men who committed the robberies and carjacking. During the arrests, law enforcement recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson firearm.
Co-defendant Devin Grimes previously pled guilty and received a 10-year sentence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, BCPD, and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Another week, another 350+ cases: Southern District continues relentless border enforcement effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 352 cases have been filed charging 356 people from Aug. 29 – Sept. 4 for various immigration and related border security crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
This week’s cases include 21 people allegedly engaged in human smuggling. Charges were also filed against 194 individuals accused of illegal entry and 140 others charged with felony reentry after prior removal. Many already have felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Another case filed this week involves an assault of an officer.
Also of note this week was the announcement regarding three Guatemalan nationals who had been extradited on charges stemming from a 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the excellent work that led to the charges in the case and noted the huge cost of human smuggling.
The crash allegedly involved a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. The three smugglers – Tomas Quino Canil, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala – were arrested in Guatemala last December and made their appearances in Laredo Sept. 4. If convicted they face up to life in prison for conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, placing lives in jeopardy and causing death.
“Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing—the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.”
As part of the new cases filed this week, law enforcement allegedly attempted to arrest a group of illegal aliens Sept. 2. The charges allege Mexican national Jesus Gabriel De Lira-Villapando rushed at and pushed a Border Patrol agent. Authorities were able to apprehend De Lira-Villapando after a short foot chase, according to the charges. He faces up to eight years in federal prison, upon conviction.
Four more criminal complaints allege foreign nationals attempted to unlawfully reenter the country after they had already been removed just this year. Mexican nationals Pedro Sandoval and Leobardo Reyes-Gonzalez were allegedly removed less than two months ago - July 30 and Aug. 21, respectively. According to court records, Honduran nationals Ricardo Mauricio Cruz-Najera and Winston Churchill Grant-Mesen were removed May 9 and July 21, respectively. Each allegedly has prior convictions, including possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest or illegal reentry. The charges allege authorities discovered all four in the Rio Grande Valley area without legal authorization.
Another illegal alien facing charges this week is Mexican national Juan Antonio Ruiz-Gutierrez, who authorities allegedly discovered unlawfully in the United States near Penitas. According to court documents, he was previously removed April 2013 and has a prior conviction for indecency with child sexual contact.
If convicted of felony illegal reentry after removal, all five face up to 20 years in prison.
In Brownsville, Mexican national Daniel Antonio Varcenas-Aguilar pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States without permission. Law enforcement discovered him July 12 near Brownsville after having been removed Sept. 21. According to court records, he has a previous conviction for aggravated assault of a child. He is set for sentencing in November and faces up to 20 years in prison.
In Laredo, a 21-year-old Mexican national was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for assaulting a Border Patrol agent who was trying to assist him after illegally entering the United States. Marco Cupil-Hernandez struck the agent as he attempted to flee. The court noted he did more than push the agent aside and instead appeared to plan a fight that caused the agent’s knee and back injuries.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Annapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Dalonte Ray Jones, 21, of Annapolis, Maryland, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
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 Edward Jackson, Annapolis Police Department (APD).
According to Jones’ guilty plea, on November 11, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Jones’ apartment located in Maryland. During the search, law enforcement found a Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun, with an extended magazine, in Jones’ bedroom. The magazine, which is capable of holding 45 rounds of ammunition, was loaded with 17 live rounds. In 2023, the firearm was reported stolen. Jones’ DNA, along with the DNA of three other individuals, was on the firearm.
Investigators also searched Jones’ iPhone pursuant to a warrant. Law enforcement uncovered numerous videos of Jones holding a variety of firearms, including the firearm he possessed on November 11.
Jones knew that he had previous felony convictions which prohibited him from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Jones’ prior convictions included a January 2023 conviction for second-degree assault and an April 2023 conviction for second degree assault. Jones was on probation for the April 2023 assault conviction at the time he possessed the handgun in this case.
Jones faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge. Judge Brendan A. Hurson scheduled sentencing for Monday, December 8, at 2 p.m.
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 and APD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Alleged Leader of Sinaloa Cartel Faction Indicted in Chicago on Terrorism, Drug Trafficking, and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has indicted an alleged leader of a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico on terrorism, drug, and firearm charges, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.
According to the superseding indictment returned yesterday in the Northern District of Illinois, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, 50, of Sinaloa, Mexico, also known as El Musico, directed the importation of large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs — at times in shipments of hundreds or thousands of kilograms — into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“As alleged, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that flooded the United States with fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin and used murder and intimidation to protect its profits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Sinaloa Cartel has been designated a foreign terrorist organization because of the kinds of crimes announced today. This indictment further demonstrates that the Criminal Division will use every tool at its disposal to target cartel leaders, including by holding them accountable for acts of terrorism against our country.”
“Today’s narcoterrorism indictment of El Musico sends a powerful message that this Administration is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their highest-ranking members and associates accountable for poisoning the American public with illegal and harmful drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has a proud history going back many decades of prosecuting some of the nation’s biggest and most significant narcotrafficking cartel cases. Building on that tradition, under my leadership, our office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of violent drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have very deservedly been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Working closely with other prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the United States, our goal remains unchanged: to disrupt and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug empire and bring its leaders to justice.”
“From narcocorridos to narcoterrorist. El Musico famously writes his own lyrics, but his next one will be written from the Bureau of Prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “As El Musico once boasted, ‘La vida es curiosa, hoy soy poderoso,’ but soon his ‘Rancho Querido’ will be nothing but a distant memory.”
“This indictment sends a clear and uncompromising message: cartel leaders who flood our streets with fentanyl and arm their networks with machine guns and grenades are not just drug traffickers — they are terrorists,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe and his faction turned cartel violence into a campaign of terror, targeting police, military, and civilians alike. DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of these narco-terrorists, and we will not stop until the Sinaloa Cartel — and every organization like it — is dismantled, its leaders brought to justice, and American families protected.”
“The indictment of El Musico and the dismantlement of the leadership structure of these foreign terrorist organizations are direct results of the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners to protect the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations San Diego. “We remain resolute in our mission to bring all members of these criminal cartels to justice, regardless of where they attempt to evade accountability.”
“As a leader of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, Gastelum Iribe allegedly directed the importation of cocaine, heroine, fentanyl, and other lethal drugs into the United States and oversaw atrocious acts of violence, including kidnappings and murders, in Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division. “The superseding indictment against him is the result of years of collaboration among multiple federal agencies and judicial districts. The FBI and our partners will continue to work toward dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel and bringing its violent leaders — including El Musico — to justice.”
After the arrest or death of the faction’s original leaders, Gastelum Iribe assumed a leadership role and conspired with associates to distribute drugs nationwide. including in the Chicago area, using cars, trucks, rail cars, and other interstate carriers. To protect the cartel’s operations, Gastelum Iribe allegedly ordered and carried out violent attacks against rivals, military personnel, and law enforcement, including ordering the murder of a Mexican police officer and two others. Under Gastelum Iribe’s leadership, the faction armed its members with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, explosives, and other weapons, while also engaging in kidnappings, assaults, and bribery of corrupt public officials.
Gastelum Iribe is charged with terrorism, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses. The terrorism charges, which accuse Gastelum Iribe of engaging in narcoterrorism and providing material support and resources to the Sinaloa Cartel, is a result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the State Department’s subsequent designation of the same in February of this year.
If convicted, Gastelum Iribe faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison. He is not in custody and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The indictment is the result of a collaboration between prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Northern District of Illinois, and Southern District of California, as well as law enforcement partners from Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and DEA.
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 OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alleged Boss of Violent Sinaloa Cartel Faction Indicted in Chicago on Narcoterrorism, Drug, and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted an alleged boss of a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico on narcoterrorism, drug, and firearm charges.
OSCAR MANUEL GASTELUM IRIBE, also known as “El Musico,” oversaw the importation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs—at times in individual shipments of hundreds or thousands or kilograms—into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, a foreign terrorist organization, according to a superseding indictment returned Thursday in the Northern District of Illinois. Gastelum Iribe served as a co-leader of the faction after its initial leaders were arrested or killed, the indictment states. Once in charge, Gastelum Iribe conspired with other members and associates of the faction to continue transporting the drugs throughout the United States, including in the Chicago area, using cars, trucks, rail cars, and other interstate carriers, the indictment states.
The charges allege that Gastelum Iribe sought to protect the faction’s drug trafficking activities by attacking rivals, military personnel, and law enforcement, including commanding the murder of a Mexican police officer and two others. The Beltran Leyva faction under Gastelum Iribe’s leadership armed its members with machine guns, semiautomatic firearms, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and explosive devices, bribed corrupt public officials and law enforcement, and engaged in numerous kidnappings and assaults, the indictment states.
The indictment charges Gastelum Iribe, 50, of Sinaloa, Mexico, with terrorism, drug, and firearm offenses. The terrorism charges, which accuse Gastelum Iribe of engaging in narcoterrorism and providing material support and resources to the Sinaloa Cartel, is a result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the United States Secretary of State’s subsequent designation of the same in February of this year.
Gastelum Iribe faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of the charges in the indictment. Gastelum Iribe is not in custody and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The indictment is the result of a collaboration between prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois and Southern District of California and the Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, as well as law enforcement partners from Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and DEA.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Adam Gordon, United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Reid Davis, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, Shawn Gibson, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI San Diego, and Terrance Cole, Administrator of the DEA. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Maione and Andrew Erskine of the Northern District of Illinois, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Matthew Sutton of the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of NDDS.
The indictment was announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve various law enforcement goals, including the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), as well as 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).
“Today’s narcoterrorism indictment of El Musico sends a powerful message that this Administration is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their highest-ranking members and associates accountable for poisoning the American public with illegal and harmful drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has a proud history going back many decades of prosecuting some of the nation’s biggest and most significant narcotrafficking cartel cases. Building on that tradition, under my leadership, our Office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of violent drug cartels, several of which, including the Sinaloa Cartel, have very deservedly been designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Working closely with other prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the United States, our goal remains unchanged: to disrupt and dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug empire and bring its leaders to justice.”
“As alleged, Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe led a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that flooded the United States with fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin and used murder and intimidation to protect its profits,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Galeotti. “The Sinaloa Cartel has been designated a foreign terrorist organization because of the kinds of crimes announced today. This indictment further demonstrates that the Criminal Division will use every tool at its disposal to target cartel leaders, including by holding them accountable for acts of terrorism against our country.”
“From narcocorridos to narcoterrorist, El Musico famously writes his own lyrics, but his next one will be written from the Bureau of Prisons,” said U.S. Attorney Gordon. “As El Musico once boasted, 'La vida es curiosa, hoy soy poderoso,' but soon his 'Rancho Querido' will be nothing but a distant memory.”
“The indictment of El Musico and the dismantlement of the leadership structure of these foreign terrorist organizations are direct results of the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners to protect the United States,” said HSI SAC Gibson. “We remain resolute in our mission to bring all members of these criminal cartels to justice, regardless of where they attempt to evade accountability."
“As a leader of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, Gastelum Iribe allegedly directed the importation of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other lethal drugs into the United States and oversaw atrocious acts of violence, including kidnappings and murders, in Mexico,” said FBI SAC Davis. “The superseding indictment against him is the result of years of collaboration among multiple federal agencies and judicial districts. The FBI and our partners will continue to work toward dismantling the Sinaloa Cartel and bringing its violent leaders—including El Musico—to justice.”
“This indictment sends a clear and uncompromising message: cartel leaders who flood our streets with fentanyl and arm their networks with machine guns and grenades are not just drug traffickers—they are terrorists,” said DEA Administrator Cole. “Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe and his faction turned cartel violence into a campaign of terror, targeting police, military, and civilians alike. DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of these narco-terrorists, and we will not stop until the Sinaloa Cartel—and every organization like it—is dismantled, its leaders brought to justice, and American families protected.”
The public is reminded that an indictment 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.
gastelum_iribe_indictment.pdfAlbuquerque Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A convicted felon who trafficked massive quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine and continued committing crimes while in custody was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, the FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force began investigating Jerry Bezie, 36, after he openly flaunted gang affiliation, firearms, and illicit wealth on social media, drawing attention to his suspected role in large-scale drug trafficking. On March 23, 2023, FBI SWAT executed a search warrant at Bezie’s residence in the South Valley. Agents encountered Bezie coming from the hallway leading to the master bedroom, where they found a loaded pistol beneath a bag of Xanax pills, a gold-colored money counter, and blue fentanyl pills marked “M-30” in and around the toilet. A backpack containing crystal methamphetamine was located near a semi-automatic assault rifle, and another pistol was found next to a bag of cash. Outside, agents discovered a large diaper box inside Bezie’s Hummer H2 containing approximately 114,000 fentanyl pills. Bezie admitted the drugs, firearms, and cash belonged to him and that he had tried to flush pills down the toilet.
Drugs, money and body armor seized from Bezie's residenceIn total, investigators seized more than seven kilograms of methamphetamine, over 100,000 fentanyl pills, $64,000 in cash, multiple firearms, and body armor.
While being held at the Cibola County Correctional Center, Bezie continued his criminal activity by trafficking drugs, smuggling contraband, and participating in a violent assault on a correctional officer.
Bezie subsequently pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Bezie will be subject to five years of supervised release.
As part of his sentence, Bezie was ordered to forfeit the $64,000 in cash, multiple vehicles including a 2018 Polaris Slingshot motorcycle, a 2018 CanAm ATV, and two trailers, his Albuquerque residence, five firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, ballistic vests, jewelry, a gold-colored money counter, and seven cell phones.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force (VGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec is prosecuting the case.
Aiken County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Adam Sloan, 40, of Jackson, has been sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production of child sexual abuse material. *
During an international investigation of an illicit online marketplace on the Dark Web, FBI agents identified Sloan as a user committing online fraud and conducted a search warrant at his residence on April 18, 2023. During a forensic review of the electronic devices seized from Sloan, agents located evidence corroborating those crimes and discovered multiple files on Sloan’s electronic devices depicting child sexual abuse material. The material included videos and images of several minor girls changing clothes, showering, and using the bathroom captured by a hidden camera positioned in various angles in Sloan’s bathroom. Analysts also located videos and images of Sloan placing and manipulating the hidden camera. The minor female victims were at Sloan’s home for birthday parties, pool parties, and sleepovers.
Senior United States District Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Sloan to 210 months imprisonment, to be followed by a term of life court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court ordered $5,021 of restitution to be paid to one requesting victim.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice 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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Holmes and Dean H. Secor are prosecuting the case.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
4 September 2025
Worcester Man Charged with Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition.
Gilbert Morin, 39, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Morin will make an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.
According to charging documents, on or about May 30, 2025, Morin allegedly possessed a Taurus pistol and ammunition after previously having been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. Morin was arrested and charged in state court on May 30, 2025, and has remained in custody since.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; and Paul Saucier, Chief of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the court documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ashburn, Va., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing just over a kilogram of cocaine while traveling by bus from Nevada to Virginia.
Kareem M. Strong, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 10 years in federal prison without parole for possessing cocaine to distribute.
On Dec. 13, 2023, Strong was found in possession of a black backpack containing a heat-sealed brick of white powder with an imprint of “ROLEX” on it, while at a Kansas City bus station. Strong and another individual were traveling from Nevada to Virginia when encountered by interdiction task force members and subsequently arrested. The brick, which was submitted to the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory for testing, weighed 1,004.73 grams and contained cocaine, in the salt form.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Venezuelan National Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of A Firearm Used in Multiple RobberiesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Alvis Alexander Briceno-Yajures (24, Venezuela) to eight years and nine months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. Briceno-Yajures pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of July 30, 2024, Briceno-Yajures robbed a victim of her personal possessions at gunpoint in a Daytona Beach motel room. He then dragged the victim by her hair down a flight of stairs and attempted to force her into a vehicle with two of his accomplices. A bystander intervened and helped pull the victim away as Briceno-Yajures discharged the firearm. Within a few hours of that incident, Briceno-Yajures and his accomplices drove to an apartment complex in Holly Hill, where Briceno-Yajures and an accomplice pointed firearms at another victim and her friend as they took the victim’s car. Briceno-Yajures was arrested shortly thereafter by officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department, who recovered a loaded firearm concealed in Briceno-Yajures’ underwear.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the Holly Hill Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
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.
United States Sues Southern California Edison Co., Seeking Tens of Millions of Dollars in Damages for Eaton and Fairview FiresRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States filed two lawsuits today seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages against Southern California Edison Co. (SCE), alleging the company’s negligence caused the deadly Eaton and Fairview fires, which burned tens of thousands of acres of National Forest System lands, killed a total of 21 people, and destroyed thousands of buildings.
“The lawsuits filed today allege a troubling pattern of negligence resulting in death, destruction, and tens of millions of federal taxpayer dollars spent to clean up one utility company’s mistakes,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “We hope that today’s filings are the first step in causing the beginnings of a culture change at Southern California Edison, one that will make it a responsible, conscientious company that helps – not harms – our community. Hardworking Californians should not pick up the tab for Edison’s negligence.”
Eaton Fire
On January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fire ignited on or near National Forest Systems lands within the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County. The fire ignited from faulty power infrastructure owned, maintained, and operated by SCE.
The Eaton Fire burned nearly 8,000 acres of land in the Angeles National Forest, destroying or damaging Forest Service roads, trails, campgrounds, and other facilities. Miles of recreational trails visited by hundreds of thousands of people per year were closed because of the fire, which also impacted water quality in the burn area and beyond.
In addition to the national forest, the Eaton Fire killed 18 people and burned more than 10,000 structures.
SCE stated that it operates transmission towers in the Eaton Canyon area where the fire appears to have ignited. SCE admitted that it detected a “fault” on one of its transmission lines around the time that the Eaton Fire started, according to the lawsuit. SCE negligently failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines and infrastructure in the area where the Eaton Fire ignited. In a July 31 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SCE reported that it was “not aware of evidence pointing to another possible source of ignition.”
The United States Forest Service incurred millions of dollars in costs to suppress the Eaton Fire. The United States seeks more than $40 million in damages. Those damages include, but are not limited to fire suppression costs, rehabilitation of burned areas, and other environmental damages.
Fairview Fire
On September 5, 2022, a sagging power line owned, maintained and operated by SoCal Edison came into contact with a Frontier communications messenger cable, creating sparks that ignited vegetation below the lines in Hemet.
The Fairview Fire burned nearly 14,000 acres within the San Bernardino National Forest. Forest Service roads were destroyed or damaged by the fire. The roads also were put at risk from falling rocks, debris slides, debris flows, and hyper-concentrated floods.
The Red Mountain Lookout, a facility used for fire detection in the forest’s remote areas was destroyed. The fire’s effects have been, and will continue to be, detrimental to wildlife and habitats, including federally protected threatened and endangered species.
In addition to the damage caused to the national forest, the fire burned 44 structures, claimed two lives, and injured three people – including two firefighters.
The lawsuit alleges that SCE failed to properly maintain its power and transmission lines in or around the area where the Fairview Fire ignited. It also failed to ensure the minimum clearance between its power lines and the Frontier Communications messenger cable in the area where the fire ignited.
The United States is seeking to recover approximately $37 million in damages incurred by the Forest Service, including approximately $20 million in fire suppression costs.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul Bart Green of the Complex and Defensive Litigation Section is handling the Eaton Fire lawsuit. Assistant United States Attorney Margaret M. Chen, also of the Complex and Defensive Litigation Section, is handling the Fairview Fire lawsuit.
Underwear-clad illegal alien sentenced after assaulting federal agent who was trying to assist himRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 21-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison for assaulting a Border Patrol agent and inflicting bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Marco Cupil-Hernandez, an illegal alien from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty April 28, admitting he struck the agent’s body and face repeatedly while attempting to flee.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered him to serve 15 months in prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Cupil-Hernandez is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. He asked for leniency, telling the court he only wanted to escape and did not intend to injure the agent. In handing down the sentence, Judge Kazen said Cupil-Hernandez did more than push the agent away and appeared to have planned to fight, which left the agent with knee and back injuries.
On the evening of Jan. 23, Cupil-Hernandez illegally entered the United Stated by wading across the Rio Grande. Authorities immediately took him into custody. However, Cupil-Hernandez complained of injuries to his knees, and law enforcement then transported him to a local hospital for emergency care.
Medical personnel soon cleared him for release, though he walked with a limp. As the agent attempted to assist him into a vehicle, Cupil-Hernandez forcefully pushed him away and attempted to flee.
A struggle ensued on the concrete. Each time the agent grasped an article of Cupil-Hernandez’s clothing, he removed it. Cupil-Hernandez then elbowed the agent’s face which caused him to lose his hold, at which time Cupil-Hernandez jumped to his feet and fled wearing only his underwear and shoes.
Authorities took him into custody a short time later after discovering him hiding under the covered parking spaces of a nearby gym.
Cupil-Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Two Women and One Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Separate Methamphetamine Trafficking CasesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced the results of three separate drug distribution cases in eastern Idaho today.
In one case, Andrea Nichole O’Brien, 38, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others. After law enforcement officers stopped O’Brien for a traffic violation, a dog, which was trained and certified to detect the odor of illegal drugs, alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle. During a search, police officers located 106.3 grams of methamphetamine under the driver seat and a loaded Glock 43 handgun in the driver’s door.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered O’Brien to serve five years of supervised release following her prison sentence. O’Brien pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the Pocatello Police Department for their investigation that led to the charges in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
In the second case, Curtis Lee Campbell, 40, of American Falls, was sentenced to 143 months in federal prison for the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court records, in April and June 2024, Campbell sold methamphetamine to another person on three occasions in eastern Idaho. The first sale consisted of 7.24 grams, the second 27.23 grams, and the third was 28.62 grams, totaling 63.09 grams of methamphetamine. At sentencing, the Court determined that Campbell was a career offender because he had at least two prior felony convictions for controlled substance offenses.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Campbell to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Campbell pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the Pocatello Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their investigation which led to the charges in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
In the third case, Jessica Dona Elison, 44, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others. According to court records, Elison traveled to Mexico or Arizona to get methamphetamine from her supplier. Bingham County Sheriff’s detectives were granted a search warrant to place a tracking device on the vehicle that Elison was driving. Detectives observed her vehicle coming back to Idaho. After Elison’s vehicle broke down in Pocatello, she moved the methamphetamine from her vehicle to another vehicle. During a search of that vehicle, officers found a bag that contained 281.53 grams of methamphetamine and 68.5 grams of marijuana.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Elison to serve five years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Elison pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pocatello Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chubbuck Police Department, for their investigation which led to the charges in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
These cases were 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.
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 11,910 months (approximately 985.58 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 82.13 months (6.84 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 68.18 months (5.68 years) in federal prison.
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Two Men Admit Role in St. Louis Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men caught with pounds of fentanyl and other drugs have pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy charge.
Dennis M. Davis, 47, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl. Shem J. Guy, 34, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in June. Both men admitted participating in a conspiracy to sell drugs that began at least as early as 2019.
During the investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration special agents caught David, Guy and their conspirators discussing drug purchases and sales. On Sept. 6, 2023, investigators conducted a court-approved search of a Davis “stash” house in St. Louis and found $12,323 in cash, four rifles, two pistols and a money counter. They also found 4.9 kilograms of fentanyl, almost a pound of marijuana, 285 grams of heroin, 168 grams of cocaine, 127 grams of cocaine base and 137 grams of meth. In Davis’ house, they recovered three pistols and fentanyl.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2026, and Guy on October 1. Davis faces a potential penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. Guy faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million or both prison and a fine.
Both men have also agreed to forfeit cash, firearms and a 2020 Ram 1500 Big Horn truck that were seized during the investigation.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Bridgeton Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Delworth is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
Two Kanawha County Residents Plead Guilty to Roles in Charleston Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Quanda Kiev Wilborne, also known as “Quan” and “Queso,” 29, of Charleston, and Taylor Faith Walke, 23, of St. Albans, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Wilborne and Walke participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wilborne obtained methamphetamine from co-conspirator Amanda Marie Mace and fentanyl from multiple sources and distributed both controlled substances in and around Charleston during the time period. As part of his plea agreement, Wilborne admitted that he obtained and re-distributed approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine from Mace, also known as “A,” 42, of South Charleston.
Wilborne also admitted that on March 4, 2025, he sold a quarter pound of methamphetamine to co-conspirator Walke in exchange for $700 and that Walke had contacted him by phone beforehand seeking to purchase the methamphetamine for a third party. Law enforcement officers stopped Walke later that day and seized the methamphetamine.
Wilborne further admitted that he possessed a firearm in connection with the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and/or fentanyl on February 29, 2024, December 9, 2024, and January 15, 2025.
Wilborne and Walke are scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2025, and each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
Wilborne, Walke, and Mace are among 12 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation, on charges alleging they participated in the DTO. The indictment against Mace and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two additional defendants pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. Steven Jamar Alexander, also known as “Dook,” 39, of Nitro, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2025. Rafael Cee-Erwin Solomon, also known as “Rip,” 44, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, to three counts of distribution of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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. 2:25-cr-78.
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Two Indicted, Accused of Harboring AliensRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two St. Charles County residents were indicted by a grand jury Wednesday and accused of harboring illegal aliens.
Guo Liang Ye, 56, of St. Charles County and De Jin Ye, 56, were each indicted on one felony count of bringing in and harboring aliens. The indictment says they concealed the aliens from detection, knowing that they were in the United States illegally.
Both were arrested Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
Twelve People Charged for Their Roles in International Alien Smuggling, Asylum Fraud, and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
Twelve people have been charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in an international conspiracy involving alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering schemes that brought thousands of aliens illegally into the United States for profit.
According to court documents, the defendants operated a prolific alien smuggling operation (ASO) that facilitated the unlawful entry of Cuban nationals into the United States by preparing visa applications, laundering millions of dollars in payment, and exploiting the immigration process.
“This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”
“This indictment exposes a criminal organization that smuggled people into the United States on a massive scale, and then fraudulently secured immigration benefits for them,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Posing as a legitimate immigration service, the defendants used social media promotions and false legal filings to attract new clients and perpetuate their fraud. The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will continue to dismantle these schemes, protect vulnerable people from exploitation, and safeguard the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.”
“The defendants in this case conspired with others to deliberately violate our nation’s immigration laws while personally seeking to enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the interagency coordination and diligence of our dedicated law enforcement agencies, their crimes have been thwarted. We will continue working with our partners to protect our national borders.”
“This superseding indictment exposes the depth of a multi-year conspiracy of alien smuggling, asylum fraud, and money laundering that preyed on vulnerable individuals and weakened public trust in the immigration system,” said Acting Director Todd M. Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This highlights the critical role ICE has in dismantling these criminal networks, combating immigration fraud, and ensuring criminals who abuse our systems are held accountable. We are absolute in our resolve to protect the integrity of our immigration system and safeguard our national security.
“It is because of the unfettered Department of Justice support we charge criminals with every available statute to provide consequences to those that erode the moral fabric of our society,” said Chief Jeffrey J. Dinise of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Miami Sector. “The message is clear, the United States is closed to illegal immigration and terrorist organizations, and those that make an attempt, will be met with fierce consequences. We are committed to protecting our Florida communities and safeguarding our nation.”
“Through diligent investigation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and our partners exposed a multi-national, multi-year, multi-million dollar criminal conspiracy operated by aliens that attempted to undermine our immigration system and flood our country with illegal aliens — none of whom had any intention of following our laws,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow. “This criminal organization operated a front for fake asylum claims, churning out frivolous applications around the country. To criminals who seek to exploit our immigration system: we will find you, shut down your schemes, and you will face justice.”
The superseding indictment charges:
- Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 27, of Hialeah, FL (unlawfully residing in the United States);
- Yuniel Lima-Santos, 30, of Tampa, FL;
- Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 26, unlawfully residing in Lebanon, TN;
- Marianny Lucia Lopez-Torres, 25, residing in Cuba, (formerly Hialeah, FL);
- Frandy Aragon-Diaz, 33, of Cuba, (formerly unlawfully residing in Tampa, FL);
- Erik Ventura-Castro, 23, residing in Hialeah, FL;
- Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 30, of Tampa, FL;
- Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 30, residing in Katy, TX ;
- Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 28, unlawfully residing in Hialeah, FL;
- Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 31, of Tampa, FL;
- Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 31, of Tampa, FL; and
- Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 40, of Tampa, FL.
According to the superseding indictment:
- All defendants except Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra are charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain.
- Yuniel Lima-Santos and Frandy Aragon-Diaz are also charged with alien smuggling for financial gain.
- Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuerga are charged with conspiracy to commit asylum fraud.
- Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, Yuniel Lima-Santos, Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, Frandy Aragon-Diaz, Erik Ventura-Castro, Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, and Layra Libertad Treto Santos are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
From January 2021 through June 2025, the defendants promoted bogus visa services online, claiming Cuban nationals could secure U.S. entry through false claims of European citizenship. They filed hundreds of fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, using fake addresses and fabricated documents.
The ASO promoted its services on social media accounts and encrypted messaging platforms, including a WhatsApp group titled, “TRÁMITE DE ESTA Y VISA DE TURISMO A USA PARA CIUDADANOS ESPAÑOLES” (Processing of ESTA and tourist Visas to the USA for Spanish citizens). One promotional video advertised the scheme by showing stacks of passports, airline tickets, and visa approvals.
What began as a small operation grew into a commercial enterprise. The defendants charged clients between $1,500 and $40,000, sometimes even chartering private planes to move groups of aliens. Records show they spent over $2.5 million on flights alone and funneled more than $7 million through payment apps such as Zelle. Based on a financial analysis conducted of 27 known accounts associated with the defendants and their co-conspirators, the alien smuggling organization took in over $18 million during the course of the conspiracy.
The ASO also smuggled unaccompanied minors. In one case, a teenage girl was told to pose as the lifelong friend of an unrelated adult man when crossing the border.
The defendants operated a sham immigration business, ASESORIA Y SERVICIOS MIGRATORIOS LLC, which promised asylum filings, work permits, and residency applications. In reality, the company churned out boilerplate asylum claims without clients’ knowledge or consent and even blocked them from accessing their own USCIS online accounts.
ASESORIA marketed itself on Instagram with flashy ads for immigration services while simultaneously posting videos of aliens being smuggled into the country.
The investigation and superseding indictment were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and USCIS’s’ Fraud Detection and National Security led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Note: You can read the Indictment here
Tulsan Convicted by Jury of Robbery and Using a Firearm During a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury convicted Mark Verron Callshim, Jr., 38, for Robbery in Indian Country and Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
In November 2021, surveillance video shown to the jury shows two men arriving at a convenience store in a blue Subaru Forester. One man, later identified as Callshim, is seen wearing a black hoodie with the word “savage” on the front, a black Cleveland Indians hat, with visible neck and hand tattoos. Callshim and the other suspect are seen entering the store and pointing guns at the cashier. The cashier is seen pulling money out of the register and is visibly afraid of being shot. Footage shows the cashier calling 911 as Callshim is getting back into the driver's side of the blue Subaru Forester and driving off while the other man fires one shot at the building.
Tulsa Police officers responded to the 911 call and set up a perimeter to canvas the area. A detective testified about responding to the scene where he looked for evidence and watched the surveillance footage. The surveillance footage allowed the detective to share the description of the two men seen in the footage and a description of the blue Subaru Forester. Shortly after the robbery, a citizen reported seeing a man in dark clothing abandoning the blue Subaru Forester nearby. Tulsa Police officers looked up the VIN and discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen a few days earlier. The detective contacted the victim of the stolen vehicle and explained that officers believed the vehicle was used in a robbery. The owner gave consent for the vehicle to be searched. During a search of the vehicle, officers found a partially smoked cigarette, among other things. The items were collected as evidence and submitted for DNA analysis.
The detective further testified to creating an internal tip sheet to share within the Tulsa Police Department. He described sharing details of the robbery and photos of the suspects that they were looking for. The detective received a phone call from an officer who believed he spoke with the suspect on an unrelated call, near the robbery. The detective explained that he reviewed the body camera video of the officer. As the jury was shown an image from the officer's body camera, the detective described the tattoos on Callshim as resembling those of the person seen in the surveillance footage. The detective found Callshim and interviewed him. Callshim denied knowledge of the robbery but allowed the detective to take photos of his tattoos. The jury was shown side-by-side comparison photos of the tattoos seen during the robbery, which were similar to the pictures taken by the detective.
Lastly, two DNA experts testified that the DNA collected from the cigarette matched Callshim’s DNA.
Court records show that Callshim has a lengthy criminal history. He’s been convicted of several crimes, including assault with a dangerous weapon, possessing controlled substances, eluding an officer, and first-degree robbery. He is a citizen of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and will remain in custody, awaiting sentencing that will be scheduled at a later date.
The second suspect involved in the robbery is still unknown. If you have any information about the second suspect, you can submit a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov/home or by calling 405-290-7770. You can also submit an anonymous tip to Tulsa Crime Stoppers here or by calling 918-596-2677.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher and John Brasher prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Three human smugglers charged in U.S. for 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico extradited from GuatemalaRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Three Guatemalan nationals have made their initial appearances in federal court on charges stemming from a crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more.
The extraditions are the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extraditions mark yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
“This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”
“Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing—the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.”
“Five Guatemalan smugglers charged in the Chiapas mass casualty incident are now in U.S. custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the ability of Joint Task Force Alpha and its domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle the most lethal human smuggling networks. Human smuggling organizations profit by exploiting the vulnerable, putting lives at grave risk for financial gain. Even those smugglers who try to hide beyond the reach of the United States will be brought to justice for the death and suffering they have caused.”
Tomas Quino Canil, 37, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino aka Osvaldo ZQ, 25, and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, were arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala, Dec. 9, 2024, pursuant to U.S. extradition requests, and were surrendered to U.S. authorities Sept. 3. They have now made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo.
A fourth Guatemalan national, Daniel Zavala Ramos aka Dany ZR, 41, was arrested Aug. 7 in Boquerón and is pending extradition.
Two additional defendants were also arrested during the coordinated operation in December 2024. Alberto Marcario Chitic aka Alberto De Jesus, 32, was also arrested in Boquerón and extradited to the United States in May. Authorities took Jorge Agapito Ventura aka Jorge Ventura, George Ventura and El Raitero, 33, into custody at his residence in Cleveland, Texas.
All six are charged with conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injuries and resulting in death.
According to court documents, from October 2021 to February 2023, all six worked with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of illegal aliens from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States. They allegedly recruited them, collected payment and arranged travel by foot, microbuses, cattle trucks and tractor-trailers.
In some instances, the scheme allegedly involved the smuggling of unaccompanied minors. The indictment alleges the defendants also provided the illegal aliens with scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. Some of the individuals they recruited died or suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash according to the charges.
If convicted, all face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
ICE – HSI’s Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. conducted the joint investigation with HSI offices in Guatemala and Mexico with substantial assistance of HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit and HSI offices in Houston and San Antonio, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, Operation Sentinel, Border Patrol, Liberty County Constable Precinct 6, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions. Guatemalan prosecutors and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República, with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Mary Lou Castillo are prosecuting the case along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is also 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 OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Three Plead Guilty in Federal Crackdown on Treasury Check FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three individuals pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to separate charges relating to the theft of U.S. Treasury tax refund checks in Massachusetts.
- Domingo Villari, 49, of Framingham, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money, one count of bank fraud and seven counts of money laundering;
- Gurprit Singh, 34, of Framingham, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, four counts of theft of government money, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy; and
- Amarpreet Singh, 33, of New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of theft of government money and one count of bank fraud.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencings for Dec. 16, Dec. 22, and Dec. 22, 2025, respectively. The defendants were charged separately in June 2025 along with five others as part of an investigation into the theft of U.S. Treasury tax refund checks in Massachusetts. According to the charging documents, the defendants separately obtained a combined total of over $4.36 million in tax refund checks that had been forged as payable to their respective companies.
Specifically, Villari was the sole owner and officer of Flipp Construction LLC, a construction company in Framingham. In March 2024, Villari obtained a tax refund check that the U.S. Treasury had issued to a German company, which had been altered to be payable to Villari’s business. Villari deposited the check into an account he controlled and thereby stole $1,288,575 from the U.S. Treasury.
Gurprit Singh was the sole officer of a purported Massachusetts business called Café H, Inc. Although the business had never filed a tax return of any kind, Gurprit Singh deposited four tax refund checks between January and June 2024, purportedly payable to his business. However, the checks had actually been issued to other companies and altered to be payable to Gurprit Singh’s business. As a result, Singh stole a total of $2,547,508 from the U.S. Treasury.
In April 2024, Amarpreet Singh opened a business checking account in the name of Beattie Roofing, Inc., and listed herself as the company’s sole owner. In May 2024, Amarpreet Singh deposited a $536,214 U.S. Treasury Check payable to the roofing company at a bank in Shrewsbury, Mass. However, the check had been issued to a financial trust in California, not to the roofing company.
Each defendant also then used a company bank account to launder the stolen funds, typically using cashier’s checks made payable to other sham businesses in Massachusetts.
The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of $500,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter, Treasury Inspector General; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Needham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the cases.
Three Guatemalan Human Smugglers Charged in U.S. for 2021 Mass Casualty Event in Chiapas, Mexico, Extradited from GuatemalaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that three Guatemalan nationals charged in connection with the Dec. 9, 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico, have been extradited from Guatemala to the United States to face prosecution. The crash of a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more.
Yesterday’s extraditions are the result of sustained coordination between the Justice Department and Guatemalan authorities following an international enforcement operation carried out on Dec. 9, 2024, the third anniversary of the tragedy. The extraditions mark yet another significant step in the Justice Department’s efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
“This DOJ is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”
“Five Guatemalan smugglers charged in the Chiapas mass casualty incident are now in U.S. custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the ability of Joint Task Force Alpha and its domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle the most lethal human smuggling networks. Human smuggling organizations profit by exploiting the vulnerable, putting lives at grave risk for financial gain. Even those smugglers who try to hide beyond the reach of the U.S. will be brought to justice for the death and suffering they have caused.”
“Human smugglers do not care if the people they transport live or die,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei of the Southern District of Texas. “They do not care if unaccompanied children have food, water, or even air to breathe. They respect neither the law nor basic principles of decency. They care for only one thing — the blood money they make from the suffering of others. But these extraditions show that the United States will never tire in pursuing them. There is no border, no refuge that can shield these criminals from justice.”
Tomas Quino Canil, 37; Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino also known as Osvaldo ZQ, 25; and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 43, were arrested in Boquerón, Guatemala on Dec. 9, 2024, pursuant to U.S. extradition requests, and were surrendered to U.S. authorities on Sept. 3, 2025. A fourth Guatemalan national, Daniel Zavala Ramos also known as “Dany ZR,” 41, was arrested on Aug. 7, 2025 in Boquerón and is pending extradition.
Two additional defendants were also arrested during the coordinated operation. Alberto Marcario Chitic also known as Alberto De Jesus, 32, was also arrested in Boquerón on Dec. 9, 2024, and extradited to the United States in May 2025. Jorge Agapito Ventura also known as Jorge Ventura, George Ventura, and El Raitero, 33, was arrested at his residence in Cleveland, Texas.
All six defendants are each charged in the Southern District of Texas with conspiracy to bring undocumented aliens to the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injury, and resulting in death. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
According to court documents, from Oct. 2021 to Feb. 2023, the defendants conspired with other smugglers to transport undocumented aliens from Guatemala though Mexico to the United States. They allegedly recruited Guatemalan aliens, collected payment, and arranged for the aliens to travel by foot, inside microbuses, cattle trucks, and tractor-trailers. In some instances, including the smuggling of unaccompanied minors, the defendants provided scripts and instructions on what to say if apprehended. Some of the aliens recruited by the defendants died or suffered serious bodily injury as result of the Dec. 9, 2021, crash.
HSI’s Counter Proliferation Investigations Group in Washington D.C. investigated the case in partnership with HSI Guatemala and HSI Mexico. Valuable assistance was provided by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit; HSI Houston; HSI Laredo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center; Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; Liberty County Constable, Precinct 6; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont Division; and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants. Guatemalan prosecutors and Mexican prosecutors from the Republic of Mexico’s Federal Prosecutions Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), with the support of law enforcement officials from both countries, were also instrumental in furthering the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Lou Castillo and Jennifer Day for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from HRSP Latin American Specialist/Historian Joanna Crandall.
The indictment of these defendants is the result of the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Alpha. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA is currently comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along southern and northern borders. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Note: A copy of the superseding indictment is here
Thibodaux Man Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson announced today that LINEZ GREEN, (“GREEN”), age 31, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pled guilty on September 2, 2025, before Judge Brandon S. Long to all five counts of a superseding bill of information pending against him. Judge Long scheduled sentencing for December 16, 2025.
GREEN pled guilty to Count 1, Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); § 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. At sentencing, GREEN faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
GREEN pled guilty to Counts 2, 4, and 5 for Distribution of a quantity of a mixture of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(C). At sentencing, GREEN faces up to twenty years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years supervised release following imprisonment.
GREEN pled guilty to Count 3 for illegal use of communications facility, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §843(b) and Title 18, U.S.C. §2. At sentencing, GREEN faces up to 4 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years supervised release following imprisonment.
As to each count, GREEN also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the superseding bill of information, beginning at a time unknown, but continuing until at least May 4, 2024, GREEN conspired with several individuals to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine throughout the Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting them to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications. On numerous occasions, GREEN used his cell phone to further this conspiracy and distributed methamphetamine to numerous customers in Thibodaux.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
The Department of Justice Announces Significant Enforcement and Expansion Efforts to Dismantle Transnational Human Smuggling and Trafficking NetworksRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced recent enforcement actions by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) to combat human smuggling and trafficking networks that undermine U.S. national security and public safety. In addition to these actions, the Department also announced the expansion of JTFA to districts along our northern and maritime borders to further dismantle cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) operating in those regions.
“This Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting human smuggling more aggressively than ever before, and Joint Task Force Alpha is the tip of the spear,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice.”
“Joint Task Force Alpha has shown the power of bringing together prosecutors, agents, and international partners to target and dismantle some of the most dangerous criminal networks,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “By elevating and expanding JTFA, we are extending that reach across both our northern and southern borders and sending a clear message to cartels and transnational criminal organizations: the Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who endanger human life through smuggling and trafficking activities, and we will not stop until these groups are eliminated.”
Today in the Middle District of Florida, Department officials highlighted major developments in recent days in four significant JTFA prosecutions: first, a superseding indictment in the Middle District of Florida charging defendants allegedly involved in a large alien smuggling ring; second, an indictment in the District of Vermont charging an alleged human smuggler who operated at the northern border; third, the extradition from Guatemala to the Southern District of Texas of three defendants allegedly involved in a human smuggling mass-casualty event and lastly, on Aug. 30, two individuals were arrested in El Paso and two Mexican nationals were charged for their roles in a scheme to smuggle children from Mexico into the United States, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events.
Expanding Joint Task Force Alpha
JTFA’s mission will expand to regions along the country’s Northern border, including U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of New York and District of Vermont, as well as additional resources along the southern border with prosecutors from the Southern District of Florida. These offices will join forces with the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas, that already have prosecutors and resources dedicated to JTFA efforts. These offices and personnel are partnered with a whole-of-Department network of expert prosecutors and other support personnel from numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and elsewhere, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT); the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and other sections within the Criminal Division, National Security Division, and Civil Division.
JTFA will also deepen its partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, adding new partnerships with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to its existing partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and its components.
Given JTFA’s experience and expertise in handling large-scale smuggling cases, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will now consult with JTFA on all significant human smuggling and trafficking matters to ensure all available Department resources are utilized for the highest priority cases. This will include prosecutions of those who engage in the abuse and exploitation of unaccompanied alien children, who are brought across the border without a parent or guardian and often fall prey to smuggling, sex trafficking, sexual assault, and forced labor.
Joint Task Force Alpha Successes
JTFA’s hallmark achievement in 2025 has been the announcement of the first material support of terrorism charges brought against a CJNG cartel member. On May 16, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Western District of Texas charging Mexican national Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez with conspiracy to provide and attempting to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Two other Mexican nationals were also charged with offenses involving alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, and drug trafficking.
Additionally, JTFA has achieved substantial sentences this year, in part due to its focus on prosecuting the most complex smuggling cases involving grave, egregious misconduct. In June 2025, in a JTFA-supported case out of the Western District of Texas, prosecutors obtained sentences of life in prison and 83 years in prison, respectively, for two defendants responsible for a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in a 2022 mass casualty in San Antonio, Texas where 47 adults and six children died.
Since its founding, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 410 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 355 U.S. convictions; more than 305 significant prison sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Texas woman sentenced to six years in prison for arson of Snohomish County churchRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old Temple, Texas, woman was sentenced today in U.S, District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for three federal felonies related to the arson at Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church (SLLC) in Snohomish County, Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Natasha Marie O’Dell has been in custody since her arrest in Texas in August 2024. In April 2025, O’Dell pleaded guilty to Arson, Damage to Religious Property and Obstruction of Persons in the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs. At her sentencing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “This offense was devastating and dangerous. Ms. O’Dell deliberately set fire to a church causing complete destruction. … The scope of the destruction is staggering. You burned down the spiritual home of a congregation. … The wounds you have inflicted deepen for each day they are away from their home.”
“Ms. O’Dell acted with extreme disregard for community safety when she poured more than a gallon of gasoline on the church building and used a lighter to start the blaze,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This
conduct put anyone inside the church, the neighbors around the church, and the firefighters who responded in extreme danger. It is fortunate that only one firefighter suffered injuries.”
According to the plea agreement and the federal indictment, O’Dell was linked via cell phone records, credit card records and surveillance video to the fire that destroyed the Maltby, Washington, church on August 25, 2023. Over the time of the fire, Odell was visiting relatives in Woodinville, Washington.
Even though the church was destroyed, part of the security system video surveillance survived the fire and depicted O’Dell, moving around the church with the red gasoline container. In the video O’Dell empties the container on the exterior walls of the church and items around the church. O’Dell moves out of camera range and fire is seen growing on the areas where she poured gasoline. Ultimately the video system stops functioning due to the fire.
The investigation tied O’Dell to credit card purchases at an area service station when she purchased just over a gallon of gasoline in a container and some lighters. O’Dell took an Uber to the church to commit the arson.
In the plea agreement O’Dell admits that she told various acquaintances that she was angry about churches and specifically with SLLC. Later she told another acquaintance that she planned to burn a nearby church.
One firefighter was injured fighting the blaze and was transported to an emergency room.
The fire did more than $3.2 million in damage to the church. The church has incurred additional costs renting a nearby middle school to hold their services two to three times a week.
Judge Whitehead will determine the amount of restitution O’Dell owes at a hearing at a later date.
The case was investigated by the Snohomish County Fire Marshall’s Office and the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Taylor County Farmer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Taylor County, Kentucky, man was sentenced on August 26, 2025, to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for crop insurance fraud.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Miles Davis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General made the announcement.
According to court documents, Robert “Robbie” Thomas Hunt, 61, of Campbellsville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for committing crop insurance fraud from 2014 through 2021. Hunt was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,686,002 and was fined $250,000. Hunt pleaded guilty to crop insurance fraud on March 27, 2025.
Between 2014 and 2021, Hunt sold crops under the names of other people and significantly underreported his true production on crop insurance claim forms, resulting in over $1.6 million in fraudulent insurance overpayments.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, and Risk Management Agency, Special Investigations Staff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser prosecuted the case.
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Tangipahoa Parish Man Guilty of Paycheck Protection Program Fraud, Drug Trafficking, and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that, DEQUARIUS HAMLER (“HAMLER”), age 38, of Tangipahoa Parish, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry on August 19, 2025, to all six (6) counts of the superseding indictment pending against him. Judge Guidry scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2025.
Count 1 charged HAMLER with Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, over 500 grams of cocaine and a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), § 841(b)(1)(B), § 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. At sentencing, HAMLER faces up to forty (40) years imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four (4) years of supervised release.
Counts 2 and 4 both charged distribution of a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(C). At sentencing, HAMLER faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. Count 3 charged him with distribution of 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(A). The penalty HAMLER may receive as to Count 3 is a mandatory minimum ten (10) years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five (5) years of supervised release.
Count 5 charged HAMLER with making false statements to the Small Business Administration, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. §1001. At sentencing, HAMLER faces up to five (5) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. Finally, Count 6 charged him with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. §1956(h). At sentencing, HAMLER faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $500,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. As to each count, he also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration began a drug trafficking investigation into HAMLER. On three separate occasions in 2023, HAMLER sold a quantity of cocaine and over 50 grams of methamphetamine to an individual he thought was a legitimate buyer. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement officials began to suspect HAMLER was having his girlfriend, Latijeria Martin, deposit his illegal drug trafficking proceeds into a local bank to launder this drug money as legitimate funds. Bank records and financial documents showed that between January 1, 2021, and September 9, 2023, Martin and HAMLER made numerous cash deposits totaling $454,589.10 through seven different bank accounts. Martin’s deposits to and from bank accounts operating under her name totaled $328,159.10 while deposits to and from back accounts operating under HAMLER’S name totaled $126,430. Martin made these bank deposits and withdrawals at the direction of HAMLER. Martin knew HAMLER to be a drug dealer and that his drug dealing was the source of these funds. Employees at the banks confirmed Martin visited the bank numerous times, sometimes multiple times a day, to make cash deposits and withdrawals. Oftentimes, the cash Martin deposited had the strong odor of marijuana. One bank employee informed Martin that these the deposit and withdrawal actions amounted to criminal structuring and the bank would no longer allow Martin to make these deposits. Martin was also advised by another bank, that her actions amounted to money laundering. Despite this warning and notice of their actions being criminal, HAMLER continued to instruct Martin to continue laundering his drug proceeds through their bank accounts. The amount of cash that Martin and HAMLER deposited and withdrew greatly exceeded any legitimate income that they reported on their tax returns. Martin made these cash deposits and withdrawals to conceal and disguise their true nature as proceeds of HAMLER’S illegal drug distribution.
When a search warrant was executed on HAMLER’S residence, large amounts of illegal narcotics and financial documents were located. HAMLER also confessed to distributing kilogram amounts of cocaine and marijuana over the past decade.
A review of HAMLER’S bank records revealed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, HAMLER submitted fraudulent IRS records to the Small Business Administration in an attempt to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Through these fraudulent documents, HAMLER ultimately obtained over $19,000 for a small business he claimed to operate but in fact did not exist. HAMLER simply shared this money with Martin, without using any of the it for business expenses.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Multiple ChildrenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for enticing multiple children to produce sexually explicit images of themselves.
RICHARD BARNETT falsely claimed to be 12 or 13 years old when he contacted young girls online and requested—and sometimes demanded—that they send him sexually explicit images of themselves. Many of the girls were nine to 13 years old when Barnett enticed them into sending him the images. Barnett threatened some of his victims with physical harm, including telling one girl that he would kidnap, assault, and murder her if she did not comply with his demands.
Barnett, 46, of Aurora, Ill., and previously of Rochester, N.Y., has been in law enforcement custody since 2017. Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the 34-year prison sentence and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release.
The sentence 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. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Orleans, La. Field Office of the FBI, the Buffalo, N.Y. Field Office of the FBI, the Jacksonville, Fla. Sheriff’s Office, and the Ouachita Parish, La. Sheriff’s Office.
“Barnett remorselessly used these girls as objects to be employed in furtherance of his sexual gratification, inflicting trauma that will forever impact his victims’ lives,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Chapman argued in the government’s sentencing recommendation. “He threatened his victims, humiliated them, degraded them, and viciously attacked any sense of self-esteem or confidence that stood in his way.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to https://www.missingkids.org or calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Somerville Tax Preparer Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for False Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Somerville man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on charges that he prepared false tax returns in the names of taxpayers.
Yves Isidor, 68, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Isidor has also been barred from preparing tax returns for others. Following a six-day jury trial in November 2024, Isidor was convicted of five counts of filing false tax returns.The evidence at trial established that from at least 2012 through 2020, Isidor operated a tax preparation business under the name Tax and Realty Pro to file more than 1,500 tax returns in the names of clients, charging between $100 to $500 per return. Isidor added false information to tax returns to claim deductions for fictitious medical and dental expenses, gifts to charities and unreimbursed employee business expenses. The false returns resulted in taxpayers receiving tax refunds to which they were not entitled or paying lower taxes than they owed. Taxpayers testified at trial that Isidor had never discussed the false items with them, and they were not aware he had inserted them into their returns. An undercover agent also testified regarding a meeting recorded by video in which the agent provided Isidor information that should have resulted in income taxes owed, but Isidor created a false return that would result in a substantial fraudulent refund. Isidor’s fraudulent operation caused between $250,000 and $500,000 in loss in income taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Department of Justice Tax Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the U.S. Attorney’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Christina M. Grimes, Trial Attorney for the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Six Members of Bronx Crew Charged for Spree of 2020 Violence That Killed Two People and Wounded A ThirdRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel; and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced a Superseding Indictment charging STORM JONES; MICHAEL ORTIZ, a/k/a “Dot”; RANDY MACCOW; MARIO MEDINA, a/k/a “Flacco”; JAYSON HOLLAND, a/k/a “Jerry,” a/k/a “Ninety”; and FRANCIS OFORI, a/k/a “Ghana,” in connection with two homicides and a third non-fatal shooting in 2020. The charges relate to the August 2, 2020, killing of 53-year-old Clarence Adams; the September 1, 2020, murder of 29-year-old Jeffrey German; and the November 3, 2020, shooting of a third individual, who survived. Each of the defendants was either in New York City or New York State custody and brought into federal custody, with the final two defendants arraigned in Manhattan federal court today. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
“As alleged, these defendants wreaked havoc across a Bronx neighborhood through a string of robberies and killings,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers want and deserve safe streets and those who pursue violence as a way of life will be brought to justice.”
“As alleged, these defendants carried out their violent sprees with depravity, which resulted in the deaths of two victims and the near loss of a third,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “However long it takes, HSI New York, the NYPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York will relentlessly target violent criminals to ensure no victims suffer in vain and the public remains as safe as possible.”
“These alleged Elsmere crew members carried out cold-blooded murders, violent crime sprees, and tried to dodge accountability—all while carrying illegal guns and illicit narcotics,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Two New Yorkers lost their lives, another was seriously injured, and entire communities were shattered by this violence. The NYPD’s strategy is simple: to keep our streets safe, remove gangs from the equation—and that’s why we have carried out more than 50 gang-related takedowns and arrested almost 400 gang members this year alone. I want to thank the NYPD investigators, HSI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their relentless work to make sure these defendants are brought to justice.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment, other court documents, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
Beginning in at least 2020, a group of individuals (the “Elsmere Crew”) utilized the residence located at 804 Elsmere Place in the Bronx (“804 Elsmere”) as a gathering place to use narcotics, carry firearms, plan crimes of violence, and hide from law enforcement after committing those crimes. On August 2, 2020, Elsmere Crew member JONES, while selling drugs several blocks from 804 Elsmere, shot 53-year-old Clarence Adams, who had confronted JONES about JONES’s drug dealing. Adams died from his injuries. After the shooting, JONES fled to 804 Elsmere, where he met with other members of the Elsmere Crew.
In fall 2020, JONES, ORTIZ, MACCOW, MEDINA, HOLLAND, and OFORI planned and carried out two similar robberies near 804 Elsmere. In each robbery, members of the Elsmere Crew persuaded a victim to deliver marijuana to the vicinity of 804 Elsmere, left together from 804 Elsmere to the site of the purported drug purchase, confronted and robbed the victim with firearms, and fled to 804 Elsmere afterward.
JONES, ORTIZ, MACCOW, MEDINA, and HOLLAND committed the first robbery, in which they shot and killed 29-year-old Jeffrey German on September 1, 2020. ORTIZ and OFORI participated in the second robbery with other Elsmere Crew members on November 3, 2020, in which they shot a victim, who survived.
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A chart containing the defendants’ names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties is set forth below.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Herman and Patrick R. Moroney are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
CountChargeDefendantsMaximum Penalty1Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery
(Jeffrey German robbery and murder)
18 U.S.C. § 1951
STORM JONES, 26;
MICHAEL ORTIZ, a/k/a “Dot,” 26;
RANDY MACCOW, 24
MARIO MEDINA, a/k/a “Flacco,” 31;
JAYSON HOLLAND, a/k/a “Jerry,” a/k/a “Ninety,” 25
20 years in prison2Hobbs Act robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2(Jeffrey German robbery and murder)
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
JONES, ORTIZ, MACCOW, MEDINA, and HOLLAND20 years in prison3Murder through the use of a firearm
(Jeffrey German robbery and murder)
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j) and 2
JONES, ORTIZ, MACCOW, MEDINA, and HOLLANDLife in prison4Firearm use, carrying, and possession
(Jeffrey German robbery and murder)
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
JONES, ORTIZ, MACCOW, MEDINA, and HOLLANDLife in prison5Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy
(Non-fatal shooting)
18 U.S.C. § 1951
ORTIZ and FRANCIS OFORI, a/k/a “Ghana,” 2220 years in prison6Hobbs Act robbery
(Non-fatal shooting)
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
ORTIZ and OFORI20 years in prison7Firearm use, carrying, and possession
(Non-fatal shooting)
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
ORTIZ and OFORILife in prison8Narcotics conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846
JONES20 years in prison9Firearm use, carrying, and possession
(Clarence Adams homicide)
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
JONESLife in prison u.s._v._jones_et_al._indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children and distributed child pornography was sentenced September 3, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison.
Bryce Bock, 32, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 7, 2025, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from July 1, 2022, through July 2, 2024, Bock used and coerced a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct. Bock admitted to utilizing an app called Anonymous Chat to receive and send images of child pornography some included toddlers and sadistic and masochistic conduct. A forensic review of Bock’s phone found he possessed 24 images of child sexual abuse material, including images of a known minor victim.
Bock was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Bock was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bock is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.”
The case was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and 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 24-4074. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Saugus Man Convicted of Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man pleaded guilty yesterday to federal drug offenses involving methamphetamine laced pills.
Marcus Holder, a/k/a “Heartless,” 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Dec. 11, 2025.
Holder was an Asian Boyz gang member who participated in an extensive trafficking network with other gang members and associates. The gang had access to a plentiful supply of homemade methamphetamine pills marketed as the pharmaceutical product, Adderall. These pills were similar in shape, size and appearance to genuine Adderall. On two dates in September and October 2022, Holder delivered 1,000“Adderall” pills to fellow Asian Boyz gang member, Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez,” for re-sale to an undercover officer. Chemical testing confirmed that the pills were not actually Adderall but rather a dangerous compound of methamphetamine and caffeine.
In May 2025, Phim was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of no less thanfive years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million.U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
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.
Salvadoran Man with Three Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Salvadoran national was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew Gordan to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country.
According to court documents and statements made in court, David Cristales-Machado was found by immigration officials in Clark County, Nevada, after he was arrested and convicted of carry a concealed weapon without a permit in October 2024, and a second time in January 2025. Cristales-Machado was first deported to El Salvador in 2014 after serving a prison sentence for three felony convictions: two for attempt possession of a stolen vehicle, and one for attempt burglary.
Cristales-Machado pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States.
After Cristales-Machado serves his sentence, he will be deported to El Salvador for a second time.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office 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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Richmond woman pleads guilty to embezzling over $239K from local schoolRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with her embezzlement of $239,820 from her employer.
According to court documents, from May 2021 through June 2024, Shannel Peoples-Hilliard, 46, was the business manager for a private school in Richmond. As business manager, Peoples-Hilliard’s responsibilities included management and maintenance of the school’s books and records, performance of periodic bank reconciliation reports, and making purchases and payments on behalf of the school. As part of those responsibilities, Peoples-Hilliard had control of a credit card in the school’s name for official school business only.
From November 2021 through July 2024, Peoples-Hilliard used the school’s credit card to pay for personal expenses, including trips to Orlando, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, and Miami; performances such as Hamilton and concerts such as Usher, LL Cool J, and Capitol Jazz; luxury goods such as purses and jewelry; and rent for Peoples-Hilliard’s personal residence. On May 24, 2024, Peoples-Hilliard used the credit card for a $1,591.77 payment to the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing for a personal graduation party.
Peoples-Hilliard attempted to conceal her embezzlement by falsifying the school’s bank reconciliation reports, including misrepresentations that certain expenses fell under categories of approved spending. For example, Peoples-Hilliard attributed personal expenses such as a cruise on Royal Caribbean, a hotel stay in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a deposit to the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing to category for ongoing construction at the school.
Peoples-Hilliard is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2026, and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stephen Farina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-130.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Leadership Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Concord to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Antonio Aguasvivas, 30 years old, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott to 51 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In February 2025, Aguasvivas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, cocaine and fentanyl. The defendant was originally charged with conspiracy on April 26, 2023, along with 20 other defendants. To date, 10 defendants have been sentenced.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of trafficking drugs in our communities and underscores our commitment to holding those at every level of the supply chain accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “Every role within these criminal networks is critical to their operation, and all involved will be held responsible for their contribution to the drug trade in the Granite State.”
“Antonio Aguasvivas led a major drug trafficking organization in our region that pumped large quantities of deadly narcotics into our communities, profiting off the addiction of others,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Now Mr. Aguasvivas will spend the next four years behind bars where he can’t harm anyone else. The FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and disrupt sprawling drug trafficking operations like this one, as we work to make our neighborhoods safer.”
“New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those, like Mr. Aguasvivas, who are contributing to the crisis by distributing dangerous drugs like fentanyl and cocaine in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge, Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Yesterday’s sentence holds Mr. Aguasvivas accountable for his crimes, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put other callous distributers like him behind bars.”
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant played a lead role in a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine in Manchester and elsewhere. The organization used a dispatch operation to sell drugs: customers called a phone line to purchase narcotics and would speak to the defendant who would then put the customer in touch with a drug runner to complete the drug sale. Between October 6, 2022 and March 7, 2023, law enforcement agents observed and recorded ten sales of fentanyl and crack cocaine in Manchester conducted by the defendant and others working for him. Law enforcement obtained information that, during this timeframe, the defendant would drive to New Hampshire every day from Rhode Island to deliver large amounts of narcotics to his runners. When customers called the dispatch line, on some occasions, the defendant would personally deliver the narcotics to customers himself, while on others, his runners would do so. Law enforcement recovered 120 grams of fentanyl and 70 grams of crack cocaine from runners’ vehicles and drug sales the defendant conducted with individuals working for law enforcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kennedy is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Randolph Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Randolph man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing and transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Kesler Xavier Saget, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. . In June 2025, Saget pleaded guilty to transporting child pornography and possession of child pornography. Saget was arrested and charged in August 2024.
On Aug. 7, 2024, Saget traveled to Boston Logan International Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. During a screening by border agents, CSAM was detected on Saget’s phone. Saget admitted to having CSAM on his phone and to receiving CSAM through various chat groups. A review of the phone also showed payments made by Saget in exchange for access to CSAM.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Prior felon pleads guilty to new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Marcobrien S. Volcy, 28, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession of child pornography following a prior conviction under the laws of New York State relating to the possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2023, Volcy pleaded guilty in Monroe County Court to Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child Less Than 16 Years of Age and was sentenced to one to three years in prison. On January 19, 2024, while on New York State probation for his 2023 conviction, Volcy possessed a cell phone that contained images and videos of child pornography. In total, Volcy possessed more than 650 images and videos of child pornography, some of which depicted prepubescent children.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 14, 2026, before Judge Wolford.
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Previously Convicted Murderer is Re-Arrested and Arraigned for the Killing of an Elderly ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Randall Cornell Mack, 42, of Washington, D.C., was arrested September 2, 2025 and arraigned yesterday on an indictment charging him with conspiracy, robbery while armed, first-degree murder while armed (felony murder), possession of a firearm during crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), stemming from the May 2, 2025, killing of Steven Stewart, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Mack, along with his co-defendant Phillip Palmer were indicted on August 6, 2025. Co-defendant Palmer was previously arrested on this indictment on August 21, 2025.
Mack appeared September 3, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman where he pleaded not guilty. A detention hearing is set for September 19, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. for both Mack and Palmer.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 2, 2025, at approximately 12:44 p.m., Mack and Palmer are alleged to have entered 61-year-old Steven Stewart’s apartment inside 633 21st Street NE, robbed him and then shot him multiple times at close range. Mr. Stewart was a vulnerable victim who had to use a wheelchair and/or walker for trips beyond his apartment.
Mack has a previous murder conviction from 2010, where his probation was revoked in 2011, and he was sentenced to 12-36 years. Mack was paroled for the murder in 2019, and his parole was revoked in 2024, but he was later released on parole again allowing him the opportunity to kill Mr. Stewart. Mack was to be supervised on parole through 2037.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Dinan.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Portsmouth carjacker sentenced to over 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man and member of the Portsmouth neighborhood street gang “600” was sentenced yesterday to 10 years and 10 months in prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on July 10, 2022, in Virginia Beach, Cedric Rashad Davis Jr., aka Ced, Luh Ced, or Grim Reaper, 22, robbed a victim while brandishing a firearm and demanding the keys for the victim’s vehicle. The victim gave Davis the keys, and Davis entered the vehicle and fled the scene.
On July 11, 2022, Davis used Instagram to stream videos depicting himself driving the stolen vehicle and holding a handgun. A search of Davis’ phone revealed text messages in which Davis attempted to sell the stolen vehicle.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
This case resulted from a joint investigation involving the ATF, Virginia Beach Police Department, and Portsmouth Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Heck and Megan M. Montoya 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 protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-17.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Role in Large-Scale Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City Area and within the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 29, 2025.
Harrison Caldwell, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The sentence was ordered to run consecutively to a 33-month sentence for a separate assault case.
Caldwell was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025.
The investigation showed that Caldwell and others distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine in Pine Ridge and Rapid City beginning around November 2023. The conspiracy was responsible for distributing nearly 100% pure methamphetamine that came from Mexican cartels. In sentencing Caldwell to ten years in prison, Judge Schreier noted that his involvement was less significant than other higher-ranking members of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Caldwell was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.