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25 August 2026
Palestine National Pleads Guilty of Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MOHAMED H.M. ZEIDAN, a/k/a “Sebastian Marcello, a/k/a “Sebastian York” (“ZEIDAN”), age 33, a native of Palestine, pled guilty on August 25, 2026, to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A), announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana. Sentencing is set for November 24, 2026.
According to the charging document, on or about August 3, 2023, ZEIDAN, an alien present illegally in the United States, was found in possession of a MC9 semi-automatic pistol and a RF-15 semi-automatic rifle.
ZEIDAN, a native and national of Palestine entered the United States as a B2 visitor. He overstayed his visa and thus became an illegal alien. On August 3, 2023, in Kenner, Louisiana, ZEIDAN, knowingly possessed two firearms, a Girsan model MC9, nine-millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Radical Firearms model RF-15, 5.56 x 45millimeter multi - caliber semi-automatic rifle. The firearms were discovered in his apartment. No other persons in the apartment claimed knowledge or ownership of the firearms.
ZEIDAN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney’s Office praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Homeland Security Investigations and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter. The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office made significant contributions to the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Oregon Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax Crimes and Other FraudRead the Press Release
An Oregon man was sentenced to 42 months in prison for tax evasion, employment tax crimes, bank fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to documents and statements made in court, Joel Matthew Caswell, 32, of Jacksonville, Oregon, had ownership or managing interests in three logging and construction businesses that collectively employed approximately 40 employees. Caswell exercised control over the business and financial affairs of at least two of these businesses and was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes from employees and then paying over those funds to the IRS. From 2018 through 2022, Caswell withheld employment taxes from his employees’ pay but willfully failed to pay over these taxes to the IRS. Caswell attempted to evade these and other taxes by directing customers to write checks to another company or to him personally, moving business funds and lying to IRS collection officers. In 2019, the IRS assessed the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty against Caswell based on these unpaid payroll taxes.
Separately, between 2022 and 2024, Caswell executed multiple fraud schemes that involved submitting fabricated financial records to a bank, a private lender and the Small Business Administration to secure loans. For example, Caswell submitted fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications for all three of the logging and construction businesses. He transferred $70,000 of his fraud proceeds to be used as a deposit for an ultimate frisbee tournament. Caswell also used the personal identifying information of another person to obtain a residential mortgage.
On June 9, Caswell pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion, three counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes, one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane ordered Caswell to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $1,198,799.83 in restitution to the IRS.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management investigated the case.
Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassel for the District of Oregon prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Operator of Minnesota-Based Money Transmitter Charged with Laundering Drug Proceeds for Mexican Cartel Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that a federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned an indictment on August 20, 2026, charging Christopher A. Bravo Marin, aka Bravo, 46, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Mexican national, with conspiring to launder at least $750,000 in drug proceeds on behalf of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of the most prolific and dangerous drug cartels in Mexico.
Bravo was arrested yesterday by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents. He appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Minneapolis on August 25, 2026.
“The indictment alleges that this defendant abused his position at a financial institution to help the CJNG cartel launder money from its drug sales back to Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels rely on financial facilitators to ensure that cartel leadership in Mexico receive the profits from the heinous crimes they perpetrate here in the United States. The Criminal Division is relentless in its mission to take the profit out of crime, including by prosecuting those who help funnel drug proceeds back to cartel management.”
“This defendant strengthened a criminal infrastructure by helping transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to cartel leaders,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “My office remains committed to taking down drug trafficking organizations that threaten the public safety of the people of Minnesota.”
“These types of cases are exactly why Homeland Security Task Forces are so important in stopping transnational criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI St. Paul. “They bring a whole-of-government approach to combating serious criminals who commit serious crimes and endanger people in our communities every day. Through coordinated law enforcement partnerships, we are better positioned to disrupt these networks and protect the public.”
According to the indictment, from at least February 2023 to at least February 2026, Bravo, an employee of a Minnesota-based money transmitting business, conspired with members of a CJNG drug distribution cell in Minnesota to launder drug proceeds and transfer them to cartel leaders in Mexico through the money transmitter where he worked. Bravo used his position at the money transmitter and his understanding of his employer’s compliance policies and procedures to evade their anti-money laundering controls and conceal the illicit source of the funds he laundered. Cartel members paid Bravo approximately $40-50 for each transfer that he laundered.
To transfer the funds, Bravo allegedly structured the amount of money to be sent to Mexico across multiple transfers, ensuring that each transfer was always right below $1,000—the money transmitter’s threshold for collecting and verifying a customer’s identification document. Bravo created fake names of Hispanic origin to serve as the senders and sent the money to straw beneficiaries in Mexico whose names he received from cartel members.
After processing the transfers, Bravo forged the signature of the senders on each payment confirmation receipt to make the transfer appear legitimate and texted screenshots of the receipts to his co-conspirators so that the funds could be redeemed in Mexico.
Bravo is charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial Attorney Javier Urbina of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca E. Kline for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
HSI St. Paul and the Dakota County Drug Task Force investigated this case.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Operator of Minnesota-Based Money Transmitter Charged with Laundering Drug Proceeds for Mexican Cartel Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned an indictment on Aug. 20, charging Christopher A. Bravo Marin (Bravo), 46, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Mexican national, with conspiring to launder at least $750,000 in drug proceeds on behalf of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of the most prolific and dangerous drug cartels in Mexico. Bravo was arrested yesterday by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents. He appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Minneapolis today.
“The indictment alleges that this defendant abused his position at a financial institution to help the CJNG cartel launder money from its drug sales back to Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels rely on financial facilitators to ensure that cartel leadership in Mexico receive the profits from the heinous crimes they perpetrate here in the United States. The Criminal Division is relentless in its mission to take the profit out of crime, including by prosecuting those who help funnel drug proceeds back to cartel management.”
“This defendant strengthened a criminal infrastructure by helping transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to cartel leaders,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “My office remains committed to taking down drug trafficking organizations that threaten the public safety of the people of Minnesota.”
“These types of cases are exactly why Homeland Security Task Forces are so important in stopping transnational criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI St. Paul. “They bring a whole-of-government approach to combating serious criminals who commit serious crimes and endanger people in our communities every day. Through coordinated law enforcement partnerships, we are better positioned to disrupt these networks and protect the public.”
According to the indictment, from at least February 2023 to at least February 2026, Bravo, an employee of a Minnesota-based money transmitting business, conspired with members of a CJNG drug distribution cell in Minnesota to launder drug proceeds and transfer them to cartel leaders in Mexico through the money transmitter where he worked. Bravo used his position at the money transmitter and his understanding of his employer’s compliance policies and procedures to evade their anti-money laundering controls and conceal the illicit source of the funds he laundered. Cartel members paid Bravo approximately $40-50 for each transfer that he laundered.
To transfer the funds, Bravo allegedly structured the amount of money to be sent to Mexico across multiple transfers, ensuring that each transfer was always right below $1,000 — the money transmitter’s threshold for collecting and verifying a customer’s identification document. Bravo created fake names of Hispanic origin to serve as the senders and sent the money to straw beneficiaries in Mexico whose names he received from cartel members.
After processing the transfers, Bravo forged the signature of the senders on each payment confirmation receipt to make the transfer appear legitimate and texted screenshots of the receipts to his co-conspirators so that the funds could be redeemed in Mexico.
Bravo is charged with one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial Attorney Javier Urbina of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
HSI St. Paul and the Dakota County Drug Task Force investigated this case.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ohio Man Arrested for Threatening a U.S. CongressmanRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Alex Justin Miller (26, Columbus, OH) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with interstate transmission of a threat to injure. If convicted, Miller faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the criminal complaint, on August 18, 2026, Miller sent a true threat to a U.S. Congressman via email. In the email, Miller threatened to murder the congressman and the congressman’s family.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
Criminal ComplaintNew Orleans Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On August 21, 2026, GERALD FRANKLIN (“FRANKLIN”), 35, from New Orleans, was charged in a two-count indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on or about March 30, 2026, and April 5, 2026, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FRANKLIN, knowing that that he had been previously convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, was found in possession of a firearm after being arrested in connection with a French Quarter shooting on March 30, 2026.
FRANKLIN faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
U. S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On August 21, 2026, GERALD FRANKLIN (“FRANKLIN”), 35, from New Orleans, was charged in a two-count indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on or about March 30, 2026, and April 5, 2026, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FRANKLIN, knowing that that he had been previously convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, was found in possession of a firearm.
FRANKLIN faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U. S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Carjacking and Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced on August 12, 2026, that KEN DOOLEY (“DOOLEY”), age 34, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to a three-count superseding indictment charging him with carjacking and Federal Gun Control Act violations.
In Count One, DOOLEY is charged with carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). DOOLEY faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory assessment fee of $100.
In Count Two, DOOLEY is charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). DOOLEY faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years up to life imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, up to five (5) years of supervised release, and a mandatory assessment fee of $100.
In Count Three, DOOLEY is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). DOOLEY faces a maximum sentence of up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory assessment of $100.
U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk will sentence DOOLEY on December 2, 2026.
According to court documents, on February 25, 2026, while a vehicle was stopped at a red light, DOOLEY pointed a black semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine at the two occupants through the vehicle’s window. DOOLEY then racked the slide of the firearm and ordered both women to exit the vehicle. DOOLEY also instructed them to leave their phones and purses inside the car. Both individuals complied with DOOLEY’s demands and exited the Nissan. DOOLEY got into the driver’s seat and fled on Canal Street. One of the passengers tracked her iPhone, which was left behind in the car, to the 8300 block of Palm Street, in New Orleans. Approximately 30 minutes later, police officers arrived at the 8400 block of Palm Street and located the white Nissan backed into the driveway. A male identified as DOOLEY, who matched the full description of the carjacking suspect, fled from the residence.
While at the residence where the vehicle was located, officers searched the vehicle and located a black Glock semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine on the center console. This gun matched the description of the firearm provided by the victims.
On Friday, February 27, 2026, just two days later, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents received information that DOOLEY was at his residence. Agents then set up surveillance of the residence. Agents observed DOOLEY exit the residence and enter a silver Nissan Sentra. Agents followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. DOOLEY was then taken into custody.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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New Orleans Man Convicted for Gun Charges and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On August 20, 2026, LARRY CASTON (“CASTON”), age 54, was found guilty at a jury trial for possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B) (Count One), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) (Count Two), and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8) (Count Three), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, deputies with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office (SBSO) received tips from a confidential informant and an arrested subject about someone named “Drack” selling cocaine in St. Bernard Parish. Because the tips included a description of Drack’s truck, his license plate number, and his address, SBSO was able to identify “Drack” as Larry Caston. Surveillance began on CASTON and on October 1, 2024, SBSO was alerted by license plate readers that CASTON’s truck had entered St. Bernard Parish. CASTON made a stop and upon returning to his truck, CASTON left the location, and deputies followed. They observed traffic violations and conducted a traffic stop. CASTON delayed stopping and deputies observed CASTON making furtive hand movements. A search of the vehicle revealed cocaine and CASTON was arrested for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. While CASTON was incarcerated in the St. Bernard Parish Jail for that arrest, he made a jail call which raised law enforcement’s suspicions and led police to search CASTON’s home, as well as his neighbor’s home. Over two kilograms of cocaine, four firearms, and over $35,000 in U.S. currency were recovered from both locations.
For Count One, CASTON faces between five- and forty-years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release. For Count Two, CASTON faces between five years and up to life imprisonment, which term must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. For Count Three, CASTON faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count carries a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Dawkins, of the Violent Crime Unit, and Joshua Vanderhooft, of the Narcotics Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on August 24, 2026.
Joseph Running, age 31, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Running was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2026.
Running was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in United States District Court, District of South Dakota in June 2020. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation, a change in employment, or a change in student status. In March 2025, Running updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Rosebud, SD. He left that residence in September 2025 and did not update his registration. An arrest warrant was issued, and on November 18, 2025, Running was arrested in Rosebud, SD.
This case was brought as a 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. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit 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.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Running was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Michigan Man Sentenced for Threats to Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Justin Ward, 32, Ironwood, Michigan, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James Peterson to time served and three years of supervised release for making threats to injure law enforcement. Ward pleaded guilty to this charge on May 22, 2026.
On January 29, 2026, the Gogebic County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Office was investigating Ward for threatening to kill an Ironwood law enforcement officer. Deputies learned that Ward was not at his residence and viewed his Facebook page, which showed that he was travelling through Northern Wisconsin toward Duluth. While enroute Ward posted threats that he was on his way to kill ICE agents. At the time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was engaged in a widely publicized operation in Minneapolis. Ward was arrested and charged with making threats to kill ICE agents.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson considered that Ward had suffered a mental health crisis leading up to his conduct in the case and also found that Ward, who had remained in custody since his arrest, had already served a sentence consistent with the guideline range for the offense. Judge Peterson imposed strict supervised release conditions, including a curfew and GPS monitoring.
The charge against Ward was the result of an investigation conducted by the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Mexican National with Prior Domestic Battery Conviction Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry into the United States After Prior DeportationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville – Reberiano Santana-Ayala (35, Mexico) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger to the statutory maximum of two years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported. Santana-Ayala pleaded guilty in May 2026. After serving this federal prison sentence, Santana-Ayala will be deported and removed back to Mexico. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Santana-Ayala is a citizen of Mexico. In 2019, Santana-Ayala was charged and pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges, associated with two different women, in Putnam County. He was subsequently removed from the United States by immigration authorities and returned to Mexico. After he was removed, Santana-Ayala illegally reentered the United States. On September 2, 2023, Santana-Ayala was found voluntarily back in the United States during a traffic stop in Putnam County. During that encounter, Santana-Ayala provided a false name to law enforcement and has at least seven known aliases that he has used when in the United States.
Santana-Ayala was subsequently convicted in state court in connection with violating the terms of probation issued in connection with his prior domestic battery charges. Record checks confirmed that Santana-Ayala had never applied to U.S. immigration authorities for permission to lawfully reenter the United States after his removal.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard L. Lasseter.
Mexican National Sentenced to 24 Months for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Juan Jesus Mendoza (60, Mexico) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States. Mendoza pleaded guilty on May 19, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Mendoza is a citizen of Mexico and was previously deported from the United States in 2002 and 2015. Mendoza was also previously convicted of two felony offenses. In 1994, Mendoza was convicted of aggravated possession of marijuana in Texas and sentenced to 25 years in prison, for which he was then paroled in 2002.
In 2013, after being encountered by law enforcement again in the United States, Mendoza was convicted of illegal reentry in the Orlando division of the Middle District of Florida. He has never obtained permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to apply for readmission to the United States. On March 21, 2026, law enforcement in Putnam County encountered Mendoza during a traffic stop, identified him as an alien unlawfully present in the United States, and contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
Mexican National Sentenced in Federal Court for Illegal Reentry after DeportationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY – U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation. The sentencing took place on August 17, 2026.
Angel Takashi Cano-Meza, 36, was sentenced to time served. He will be deported to Mexico.
Cano-Meza was indicted for Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in July 2026. He pleaded guilty on August 17, 2026.
Cano-Meza is an illegal alien who was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2022. Cano-Meza was again deported from the United States in 2024. On June 20, 2026, Cano-Meza was in custody for an arrest in Pennington County for possession of a fictitious driver’s license, impersonation to deceive law enforcement, and open container in a motor vehicle. Local authorities notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who discovered Cano-Meza’s true identity and history of deportations. It is a federal felony for an alien to be in the United States after having been deported from the United States without obtaining the consent of the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Attorney General of the United States to apply for lawful admission into the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios Sentenced to over 11 Years for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios was sentenced on Aug. 19, 2026, after pleading guilty in April 2026 to racketeering charges, including three attempted murders and an accessory after the fact to two murders.
Luis Enrique Santana, a/k/a “Chiquito,” 32, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 136 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised released. After serving the prison sentence, Luis Enrique Santana will be deported to the Dominican Republic. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly known as RICO Conspiracy.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to organize and execute violence and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In December 2025 Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy; in May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty; in June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana pleaded guilty; and in August 2026, Kelvin Liranzo Roman and Israel Garcia Vasquez also pleaded guilty. All are awaiting sentencing.
Luis Enrique Santana was a member of the gang and rapper who published music videos glorifying the Trinitarios in Massachusetts, which featured gang members and himself possessing firearms, and contained threats to rival gangs. Luis Enrique Santana participated in a March 2019 shooting in Lynn, where the Trinitarios intended to kill three rival gang members. During this incident, Luis Enrique Santana posed as a female online and lured rival gang members to a nightclub. Another Trinitarios gang member, Lynn Chapter leader Aaron Diaz Liranzo, proceeded to the location and fired at the three rival gang members in the vehicle, wounding two of them who would survive their injuries. In July 2025, Aaron Diaz Liranzo was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Luis Enrique Santana also participated as an accessory after the fact to the Sept. 2, 2023 murders of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz. During this incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by a party in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at people gathered outside celebrating a recent graduate who was heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia who later died from gunshot wounds. After the shooting, Luis Enrique Santana assisted the Trinitarios in moving the vehicle used in the shooting from Lynn to Lawrence in order to conceal it from law enforcement and destroy evidence that it contained.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
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.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine Trafficking Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing fentanyl and crack cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy.
According to court records, on September 15, 2025, law enforcement in Woodstock, Maine, observed three men engaging in an apparent drug transaction. When investigators contacted the men, two of the men fled into the woods. One man was apprehended after a foot pursuit, and was found in possession of approximately 27 grams of cocaine. The other man evaded law enforcement that day, but was quickly identified as Raymundo Dejesus, 45, an associate of the Trinitario street gang. During searches of the area where Dejesus was last seen before fleeing into the woods, investigators recovered a bag containing approximately 35 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, a bag containing approximately 17 grams of cocaine base, and two firearms.
Dejesus faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case with assistance from the Rumford Police Department, the Norway Police Department, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Border Patrol.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; HSI; DEA; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to Decade in Federal Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland man received a federal-prison term, today, for the armed robbery of a Prince George’s County convenience store.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang sentenced Zebedee Alexander Johnson, 36, to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, in connection with the crime.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the guilty plea, on April 29, 2022, Johnson and four others traveled to a Clinton convenience store, where they pointed a firearm at a store employee and ordered him to lie down. They then used a circular saw to break open the store’s ATM and take trays containing approximately $35,020. At the time of the armed robbery, Johnson was on federal supervised release in connection with a 2018 drug-distribution conviction. Johnson admitted that he violated the supervised-release terms, which prohibits him from committing any new crimes, by committing the armed robbery.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and William Moomau who are 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.
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Martinsville Woman Pleads Guilty in Social Security Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Martinsville woman, who stole almost $30,000 in Social Security benefits intended for her deceased boyfriend, was ordered to repay the money she stole and sentenced to two years of supervised release.
Jackie Cayton, 55, previously pled guilty to one felony count charging her with theft of government money.
According to court documents, from January 1, 2024, through September 16, 2025, Cayton used the deceased’s debit card to steal $29,988 in Social Security Administration (SSA) retirement benefits to which she was not entitled.
Law enforcement was made aware of Cayton’s action in September 2025 when a family member of the deceased SSA beneficiary (“the Deceased”) reported that his romantic partner, Cayton, was in possession of the Deceased’s Social Security benefits card and was spending the money.
Further investigation confirmed that the benefits were paid directly to a Truist bank account belonging to the Deceased through September 2025; even though he had died in December 2023.
Agents determined that Cayton used her deceased boyfriend’s benefits to make large ATM withdrawals of $400, online payments for cosmetics, as well as purchases at a Collinsville furniture store, Aldi, Walmart, Food Lion, and Appalachian Power Company.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci made the announcement.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the matter with significant contribution from the Henry County Sheriff's Office.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Role in Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Rodolfo Rebollar-Gonzalez, 29, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Rebollar-Gonzalez was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz on August 25, 2026. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2026.
According to court documents, on November 21, 2023, police executed a search warrant on the defendant’s apartment in St. Paul, Minnesota. Police forced entry into the apartment and saw Rebollar-Gonzalez holding roughly nine pounds of methamphetamine in his arms. Elsewhere in the apartment, police found roughly two pounds of marijuana and two magazines loaded with 9-millimeter ammunition. The next day, police seized a 9-millimeter pistol and loaded magazine from the defendant’s car.
In February and March 2025, Rebollar-Gonzalez distributed methamphetamine on two occasions. On each occasion, the defendant sold roughly one pound of methamphetamine, once to a confidential informant and once to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
Finally, on March 24, 2025, Rebollar-Gonzalez possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute. When police attempted to arrest him, he ran but was caught and arrested within seconds. Police searched the defendant and found roughly one pound of cocaine in his backpack and a digital scale in his back pocket.
Rebollar-Gonzalez was not in the United States legally when he committed these crimes.
“My office is committed to getting dangerous drug traffickers off the streets and stopping the flow of illegal narcotics into the state. Today’s sentence is a significant step toward disrupting these pipelines and safeguarding public safety for the people of Minnesota,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“This investigation is a clear example of what can be accomplished when agencies work together to identify and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that are bringing deadly drugs into our communities. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office West Metro Drug Task Force and our federal partners at the DEA first identified Rebollar-Gonzalez as part of a drug trafficking investigation in 2023, resulting in the seizure of nine pounds of methamphetamine and a pistol. Less than two years later, our investigators received information that he was again trafficking drugs, leading to another investigation and the seizure of additional cocaine,” said Dawanna Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County. “These investigations take time, but the results are clear: getting dangerous drug traffickers and cartel members off our streets saves lives and makes our communities safer. Now we must hold Rebollar-Gonzalez accountable. I remain committed to the strong partnerships that allow us to pursue these cases and dismantle the criminal organizations wreaking havoc in our communities.”
“Few things pose a greater threat to public safety than illegal methamphetamine flooding our communities,” said HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for trafficking a highly addictive, destructive drug that fuels crime, devastates families and tears at the fabric of our neighborhoods. HSI and our partners will continue to aggressively target those who profit from addiction and bring them to justice.”
“Rodolfo is a repeat offender who squandered an opportunity to turn away from a life of drug trafficking,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “Instead, he opted to double down, moving large quantities of methamphetamine around the Twin Cities. Today’s sentencing now forces Rodolfo to be accountable for his crimes and respect the rule of law.”
This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Hennepin County West Metro Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigation, with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and other local law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.
Man Posing as San Francisco 49er Charged with Defrauding over Two Dozen Women Out of More than $1.3 MillionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Two men have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, have been charged by criminal complaint in Portland, Oregon.
According to court documents, beginning in February 2022, Love and Chan created fictitious investments to defraud numerous women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California. Love met most of the women on the Internet through dating apps. Chan falsely posed as Love’s financial adviser to further gain their victims’ trust and demonstrate the validity of the investments. Love and Chan solicited money from the women through lies and misrepresentations. The scheme lasted until the day of Love and Chan’s arrests on August 24, 2026.
The scheme relied on Love’s creation of fictitious personas and display of a lavish lifestyle which Love presented to victims both in person and on social media websites. Love falsely portrayed himself as legitimately wealthy, often as an NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers or as a wealthy real estate investor.
Love convinced many of the victims they were in sincere romantic relationships with Love, that he was a sophisticated investor, and that Chan was his investment adviser who helped Love grow a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars. Love had romantic relationships with many of the victims and told them he wanted to build wealth and a future together. Love advertised nonexistent investment vehicles and claimed these investments would generate massive returns for both him and his victims.
Love also used phone applications to create fictitious bank and investment accounts and balances which Love showed victims to legitimize the scheme.
Love and Chan also exchanged investment-related electronic communications in which Chan pretended to be Love’s investment adviser. Chan sent Love messages purportedly encouraging Love to invest in new opportunities. Love then sent screenshots of those messages to numerous victims to further convince them to send money to either Love or Chan. Chan and Love also hosted three-way FaceTime calls in which they showed victims falsified investment gains and encouraged victims to part with their money. Victims sent Love and Chan money due to their belief that their money would be invested in legitimate investment vehicles on the victims’ behalf. Some victims also loaned Love large amounts of money, if victims did not have cash to invest, Love sometimes instructed them to take out personal loans in both scenarios Love assured the victims that they would quickly be repaid.
Once victims had no more money to invest, or if they asked too many questions, Love blocked communication with them, but kept their money. Of the victims identified and interviewed, none reported receiving any proceeds, returns on their principle, or investment account information, after sending Love and Chan money. Financial records show Love and Chan received about $1.3 million from victim investors. 26 victims have been identified, the FBI believes there are many more victims.
Arrest warrants and a criminal complaint alleging conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud and were issued for both Love and Chan on August 17, 2026, in the District of Oregon. The FBI’s investigation revealed that on August 24, 2026, Chan flew from California to meet Love in Boise, Idaho. The FBI and other law enforcement apprehended both Love and Chan at the Boise Airport. Investigators learned that Love was in Idaho to meet new victims. Investigators learned that from July 15 through August 24, 2026, Love traveled to New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Idaho.
Love has used several names including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love to perpetuate the scheme.
The FBI encourages anyone having information on Daejon Love or Taylor Chan to contact the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/ or to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Both Love and Chan are in federal custody in Boise, Idaho, and will have their first court appearance on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
This case was investigated by The Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Chinwuba and Chris Cardani for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jeremiah Thurman, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 20, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for receipt of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Thurman to a total of 260 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Thurman’s release from prison, he will begin a 20-year term of supervised release. Thurman was additionally ordered to pay $3,000 which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of cases.
This case began in March of 2024 when the Clarinda Police Department in Iowa received a report of a minor female (Victim 1) having inappropriate conversations with adult men online Thurman was identified as having sexually explicit conversations with Victim 1 and receiving sexually explicit photos and videos of her. The initial investigation revealed Thurman was on the Nebraska Sex Offender registry for a prior crime.
The FBI executed a search warrant for Thurman’s residence on April 12, 2024. During the search, Thurman admitted to sending money to Victim 1 in exchange for nude pictures. A review of texts between Victim 1 and Thurman revealed phone calls and chat communications. Thurman would request explicit photos and videos from Victim 1. Thurman and Victim 1 also discussed how she was still in high school and living with family. As communications came to an end, Thurman discussed meeting up with Victim 1 and suggested getting a motel room. His plans did not occur due to the messages being discovered and police report being made.
“There are an alarming number of child predators online targeting Nebraska’s children, and we will not stop pursuing every single one of them until each is locked up behind bars where they cannot do harm to Nebraska’s children,” said United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Receipt of Child Pornography with Prior Possession ConvictionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Frank Tonini, 41, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 20, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for receipt of child pornography after having been convicted of possession of child pornography previously. District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Tonini to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Tonini’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release. Tonini was ordered to pay $10,000 which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of cases.
Tonini was on a five-year term of supervised release after being sentenced in 2017 to 56 months’ imprisonment in the District of Nebraska for possession of child pornography. As part of his supervision, he participated in a routine polygraph examination. After multiple exams with significant responses, United States Probation Office did a search of Tonini’s residence. The search yielded three unauthorized cell phones.
Law enforcement searched the three phones. On a phone located under Tonini’s mattress, law enforcement located 60 images of child pornography and five videos of child pornography. Included in the illegal files were images and videos of prepubescent and pubescent children, vaginal, digital and object penetration and violence.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Dakota Parrott, 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 20, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Parrott to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Parrott’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On March 24, 2025, a traffic stop was initiated on a vehicle driven by Parrott for a traffic violation by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper in Lincoln. Parrott was the sole occupant of the vehicle. The trooper conducted a K9 sniff of the vehicle and the K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. After the alert, troopers began a search of the vehicle, which resulted in the NSP troopers finding marijuana, a large amount of methamphetamine, and a box of 9mm ammunition. The methamphetamine was sent to the State Patrol Crime Laboratory, where it was confirmed to weigh 898 grams, with at least 820 grams of it being pure.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force (LLCNTF).
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Attempted Production of Child Pornography Crime Committed while Awaiting Sentencing for Earlier Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Devon Rice, 29, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 20, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for attempted production of child pornography. District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Rice to 180 months’ imprisonment to be served consecutive to his 2025 conviction for receipt of child pornography. The total time of imprisonment for Rice is 250 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After Rice’s release from prison, he will begin a 15-year term of supervised release.
Rice was pending sentencing in the District Court of Nebraska for a conviction of receipt of child pornography. While out on pre-trial release in that case, Rice began communicating via Kik messenger application with an undercover officer with the Lincoln Police Department. The undercover officer identified himself as a 14-year-old female from Lincoln.
The conversation quickly turned sexual. Rice asked on numerous occasions for the purported 14-year-old to send “nudes” and “sexy pics.” In June 2025, the conversation involved requests by Rice to meet the purported 14-year-old for sex. Additional requests were made by Rice to the purported 14-year-old for explicit photos.
Eventually, Rice made plans to meet up with the purported 14-year-old at a coffee shop in Lincoln that was within walking distance of the fictitious apartment address the undercover officer had provided to Rice. Investigators with the Lincoln Police Department were waiting at the coffee shop and arrested Rice as he was exiting his vehicle.
Rice was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment on August 21, 2025, for receipt of child pornography.
“The Lincoln Police Department is to be commended for this incredible undercover investigative work that will provide the community protection from this insatiable sexual predator long into the future,” said United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods. “Nebraska is safer thanks to this judgement and conviction.”
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Lewiston Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for aggravated identity theft, false statements relating to health care matters, and unlawful use of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Joseph Dobie, 38, to 36 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dobie was also ordered to pay $36,373.16 in restitution. Dobie pleaded guilty on February 13, 2026.
According to court records, Dobie stole a victim’s identity which he then used to obtain drivers licenses and a social security card. Dobie used the stolen identity to apply for and receive SNAP benefits in Maine and New York. At the same time, Dobie was receiving SNAP benefits in New York using his true identity. Dobie also used the stolen identity to apply for and receive healthcare benefits from MaineCare (Maine’s Medicaid program). In total, Dobie fraudulently obtained a total of $36,373.16 in benefits from SNAP and MaineCare.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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La Crosse Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jerome Sinclair, 36, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Sinclair pleaded guilty to this charge on June 15, 2026.
In September 2025, investigators with the La Crosse Police Department identified Jerome Sinclair as a methamphetamine and fentanyl dealer operating in La Crosse. In October 2025, investigators purchased 60 grams of methamphetamine from Sinclair. In November 2025, investigators purchased 5 grams of fentanyl from Sinclair at his apartment. During that controlled purchase, Sinclair weighed and packaged the fentanyl in close proximity to a young child. Later in November, investigators purchased 114 grams of methamphetamine from Sinclair, again at his residence. In December 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Sinclair’s residence and found methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that he was concerned that Sinclair already had a serious prior felony, for Armed Robbery, and was now facing another serious charge in this federal case.
The charge against Sinclair was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office also with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Jennifer R. Remington and Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe.
Justice Department to Conduct Election Monitoring in South Carolina Primary ElectionRead the Press Release
Today, the Civil Rights Division is monitoring polling sites in South Carolina for the state’s primary runoff election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.
“South Carolina is the next stop in our ongoing effort to ensure election transparency,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We appreciate the cooperation of the State of South Carolina, the County of Charleston, and the South Carolina United States Attorney’s Office in helping make this monitoring effort an exemplary one for promoting trust.”
The DOJ, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting laws which protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens. The DOJ regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws in communities across the country. This special GOP runoff is occurring due to the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s unexpected death on July 11, 2026.
The DOJ is monitoring polls in Charleston County, South Carolina, with four Civil Rights Division attorneys, one South Carolina Assistant U.S. Attorney, and one staff employee with the South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office. Thus far the DOJ has deployed over 80 monitors across seven states and over 200 polling locations this primary season. By comparison, during the 2022 midterms the DOJ sent monitors to nine states during the primary season.
This monitoring initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
From now through the general election on Nov. 3, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a question or complaint or would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at VEM@usdoj.gov.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit to Stop Ohio Court’s Unlawful Obstruction of Federal Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus, Ohio, along with the Administrative and Presiding Judge and Director of Security, challenging a new rule that blocks federal officials from arresting aliens at or near the courthouse. Specifically, the complaint challenges the new Rule 2.10 that purports to shield aliens from being lawfully detained at or around the courthouse and to impose criminal and civil liability for violations.
Not only is the rule an illegal attempt to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the rule threatens the safety and effectiveness of federal operations. As is true in all types of law enforcement, conducting an arrest at or near a courthouse often reduces the risk of flight and potential safety risks to the public, law enforcement officers, and subjects themselves due to the enhanced security screenings in place at courthouses. Franklin County Municipal Court’s rule runs counter to common sense and endangers the broader community by attempting to eliminate safe places for law enforcement officers to act.
“Today the Department sued yet another local entity that seeks to thwart the will of Congress by regulating when and where Federal law enforcement does its job, all in the name of protecting criminal aliens who violate our Nation’s laws,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “No more. This Department of Justice will not sit idly by while state and local government seek to undermine federal immigration enforcement.”
“This type of rule obstructs federal law enforcement and facilitates evasion of federal law by dangerous criminal aliens, despite Congress’s direction that federal agents detain and remove them,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Throughout the country, and including in this courthouse specifically, federal agents have routinely and safely conducted arrests. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting that important federal prerogative.”
Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia.
Justice Department Announces Emergency Scheduling of Three Potent Opioid CompoundsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the emergency scheduling of three highly potent opioid compounds that pose an imminent hazard to public safety: mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, commonly known as MGPI, and two synthetic compounds known as MGM-15 and MGM-16.
“The Justice Department is acting before these dangerous compounds become a broader threat,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “These are potent opioids being manufactured and sold in consumer products, often under labels that obscure their true risks. This action will protect our nation’s children and communities from the dangers of drug addiction and abuse.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily placing the three 7-hydroxymitragynine-related substances in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Preclinical evidence indicates that all three are potent mu-opioid receptor agonists and may present risks associated with other mu-opioid agonists, including dependence and respiratory depression. MGPI and MGM-15 are manufactured and marketed in products sold for their opioid effects. MGM-16 has not been confirmed in the consumer market but is a highly potent compound that could emerge as a substitute for related substances.
The emergency scheduling action subjects the manufacture, distribution and possession of these substances to the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances. It allows the federal government to respond to a rapidly developing market for products containing these manufactured opioid compounds.
This action is directed at deliberately manufactured and concentrated opioid products, not traditional botanical kratom. The published scientific literature has not established MGPI as a naturally occurring kratom alkaloid. However, scientific and analytical questions remain about whether MGP1 may be reported at incidental trace levels in some botanical products as a result of processing, storage or analytical conditions.
In light of these unresolved questions, the Department of Justice will exercise enforcement discretion when only incidental trace amounts of MGPI are confirmed in a product otherwise consistent with botanical kratom. This policy does not create a legal exemption and does not change MGPI’s status as a schedule I controlled substance.
This enforcement policy does not apply to MGM-15 or MGM-16, or products containing manufactured, concentrated, fortified or intentionally added MGPI.
The policy does not change the scheduling status of any other substance or limit the authority of the Food and Drug Administration under federal law.
The temporary scheduling order and the Department’s enforcement policy are available here.
Jason Parman Appointed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of KentuckyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky has appointed Jason Parman to serve as the United States Attorney for the District.
Mr. Parman has been a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2008. He served as the Branch Manager of the London Branch Office from 2013 until March 2026.
U.S. Attorney Parman is a native Kentuckian. Mr. Parman graduated from Eastern Kentucky University, with a degree in police administration, and from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Prior to joining the Office, Mr. Parman worked as a criminal defense lawyer in both federal and state court, before serving as a United States Probation Officer for five years.
U.S. Attorney Parman said, “I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Having spent my entire career serving the people of Kentucky, including more than 18 years with this Office, I understand the responsibility that comes with this position. I am proud of the work our attorneys and staff do every day to uphold the rule of law, protect our communities, and seek justice. I look forward to working alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as we continue that important mission across the Eastern District.”
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Indiana Man Arrested for Travelling to Meet a MinorRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – An Indiana man has been indicted for allegedly travelling to meet a minor for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
A one-count indictment charges Joel Duron Esparza, 21, of Middlebury, Indiana, with interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. According to the indictment on May 2, 2026, Esparza travelled from Indiana to Marshall County, Alabama. Esparza was arrested by the FBI at his residence in Indiana on August 10, 2026.
“Stop and think about the predatory desperation it takes to drive hours and hours to prey upon an innocent child,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “This is abhorrent criminal behavior. I’m thankful for the FBI and other law enforcement partners who assisted in bringing justice to bear. Criminals who dare to act upon their most deviant, prurient instincts will be dealt with to the utmost that the law allows. Children are a treasure and we will always work for their protection in the Northern District of Alabama.”
“Crimes against children are intolerable,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “This indictment underscores our commitment, alongside our dedicated law enforcement partners, to pursuing offenders wherever they may be and ensuring they are held to the highest level of accountability under the law.”
The maximum penalty for interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor is 30 years.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. Reports can be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
FBI investigated the case along with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Judah is prosecuting the case. Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Illegal alien sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for an immigration violation in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – An illegal alien, who is also a convicted sex offender, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for an immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Walter Enoe Reyes Guzman, 51, of El Salvador, pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after being deported and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on August 25, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in February 2026, Reyes Guzman was found illegally in the United States after having been deported in 2001. Reyes Guzman is a convicted felon, having a prior felony conviction for indecency with a child by sexual contact.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Thomas.
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Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge sentenced Juan Sanchez-Palacios, 32, an illegal alien from Mexico, to 60 months and one day in prison for possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
On November 12, 2025, Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers in Memphis performed a traffic stop for suspected DUI and encountered Sanchez-Palacios, the driver of the vehicle. After observing a strong odor of marijuana while speaking with Sanchez-Palacios, troopers searched the vehicle and discovered multiple bags of marijuana, scales, a grinder, plastic baggies, a large amount of cash, and a loaded pistol.
On August 20, 2026, United States District Court Chief Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Sanchez-Palacios to 60 months and one day in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Federal immigration officers determined that Sanchez-Palacios had been illegally present in the United States since 2022. Sanchez-Palacios will be remanded to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal from the United States following his federal prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation but also threaten the safety of our communities. This case demonstrates our focus on those dangerous criminal aliens who continue to violate our laws after illegal entry.”
“HSI is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to eliminate crime and dangerous drugs from our communities,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting. “This sentence reflects that commitment and holds the defendant accountable for his actions.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force operation.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Clinton Crosier, of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Illegal Alien from Guatemala Sentenced to 14 Months for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Guatemalan illegal alien residing in St. Joseph, Mo., was sentenced in federal court for reentering the United States after being deported.
Byron Perez-Roblero, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 14 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for reentering the United States after deportation.
Perez-Roblero was arrested Sept. 18, 2025, in St. Joseph, Mo., by investigators and officers with Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the Missouri Highway Patrol, and the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, who were serving a federal warrant for another subject. Perez-Roblero had been deported from the United States five times – in 2009, 2011, 2017, 2020, and 2021. Perez-Roblero had a 2021 felony conviction for illegal reentry in United States District Court in Tucson, Ariz.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Hunt County man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Greenville man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Ronnie Jakeis Zamijay Baylor, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on August 25, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in 2023, an on-going investigation into drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas identified Baylor as an active participant, responsible for distributing over 500 grams of methamphetamine during the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Plano Office.
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Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Reentry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOEL ALBERTO HENRIQUEZ-HERRERA (“HENRIQUEZ-HERRERA”), age 40, a native of Honduras, was indicted on August 21, 2026, for illegal reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, HENRIQUEZ-HERRERA, an illegal alien, was found in Orleans Parish on August 18, 2026. He had previously been removed from the United States back to his native Honduras on July 22, 2014.
If convicted, HENRIQUEZ-HERRERA faces a maximum penalty of two (2) years, followed by up to one (1) year of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Honduran man pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally reentering the country after a prior removal.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jonnatan Irias-Lainez, 31, to time served (99 days).
According to court records, on May 28, 2025, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested Irias-Lainez following a traffic stop in Biddeford. Irias-Lainez had been removed from the United States on January 11, 2019, after entering the country illegally from Mexico.
ICE ERO investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Great Falls man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who shot up his house near Lincoln Elementary School was found to be in unlawful possession of a firearm and was sentenced Monday to three years and six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Timothy Paul Whittles, 59, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Whittles, who had six prior felony convictions prohibiting him from owning a firearm, shot up his home with a handgun while high on meth.
Whittles called 911 around 8 a.m. on March 22, 2025, saying he heard intruders and gunshots in his home. While on the call, the dispatcher heard Whittles load a gun and fire it. When officers arrived at Whittles’s residence, they heard gunshots from inside. The front door was riddled with multiple bullet holes and its glass was shattered.
The home sits near Lincoln Elementary School, and as officers investigated, they found that the bullets were shot from the inside toward the school. Officers directed Whittles to come out of his house and detained him. Surveillance footage from Lincoln Elementary showed Whittles getting home at 5 a.m., repeatedly entering and leaving his house, and walking around his car. The footage showed no other people at the house, and when officers searched inside the home, they found no sign of intruders or a break-in. On the basement staircase, officers found a .45 caliber handgun, an empty magazine, and dozens of spent shell casings throughout the house.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Great Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
Fresno Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Filing $1.5 Million in False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Marice Curry, 35, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to three years in prison for filing false federal income tax returns, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of Curry’s scheme and the impact it had on the federal tax system,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “Fraudulent refund claims drain taxpayer dollars and undermine the integrity of programs designed to support legitimate businesses. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who attempt to exploit these programs.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively pursues those who abuse the tax administration process for unlawful purposes,” said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Krystofor Proev. “We appreciate the efforts of our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure individuals engaged in such criminal activity are held accountable to the American people.”
“The scope of Marice Curry’s fraud, involving more than fifty false tax returns and over 1.5 million dollars in improper refund claims, represents a serious breach of trust in our tax system as reflected by today’s sentencing,” said IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) San Francisco Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge David Lowe. “IRS-CI does not hesitate to pursue individuals who attempt to misuse programs meant for legitimate taxpayers, especially when a scheme is complex or designed to mislead. Our duty is clear: protect honest taxpayers and pursue justice.”
According to court records, in 2023, Curry filed more than 50 fraudulent tax returns on behalf of various businesses, seeking over $1.5 million in improper refunds. He did so by falsely claiming refundable fuel tax credits—credits intended to reimburse businesses for excise taxes paid on fuel used for legitimate off‑highway purposes such as farming and fishing. Curry knew the businesses were not entitled to these credits.
Curry pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2026.
IRS-CI and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced August 20, 2026, to more than 7 years in federal prison.
Jeffrey Allen Smith, age 41, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 18, 2026, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Smith admitted that between January 2025 to April 1, 2025, in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere, he and others reached an agreement or came to an understanding to distribute methamphetamine.
During the course of the conspiracy, Smith participated in the distribution of over 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
In 2025, Smith sold methamphetamine and firearms in the Webster County, Iowa, area to an individual or individuals cooperating with law enforcement on three separate occasions. On April 1, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Smith’s residence and on a vehicle associated with Smith. Inside the residence, law enforcement located indicia of drug use and distribution and three firearms that belonged to Smith. Inside the vehicle, which was being driven by Smith at the time, law enforcement located an AM-15 pistol with a loaded magazine.
Smith has previously been convicted of Theft in the Second Degree, in the Iowa District Court for Webster County, on January 14, 2019.
Smith was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Smith was sentenced to 94 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Smith is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03051. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former Trinity County Man Charged with Receiving and Possessing Thousands of Depictions of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on July 23 against Shane Woodson, 39, formerly of Weaverville, and now living in Wyoming, charging him with receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in 2023, while living in Weaverville, Woodson used a sophisticated peer-to-peer software client to receive hundreds of hours’ worth of video files depicting CSAM. Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Woodson’s Weaverville residence in 2024 and seized electronic devices containing tens of thousands of additional depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement officers also seized a child-sized sex doll from Woodson’s residence.
Law enforcement officers arrested Woodson in Wyoming on July 29, 2026. Woodson appeared in federal court in Sacramento on Aug. 21, 2026, to face the charges in the indictment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of receiving CSAM, Woodson faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. If convicted of possessing CSAM, Woodson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 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 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Former Teacher Aide Detained on Two Federal Charges for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – yesterday, a former teacher aide appeared in federal court to face two federal charges for sexual exploitation of a child. He was ordered detained pending trial by a federal magistrate judge.
Austin L. Knoob, 32, of Carbondale is facing two counts for sexual exploitation of a child. The allegations stem from events occurring in August 2025 and April 2026. According to a criminal complaint filed August 14, Knoob is accused of communicating with a minor victim to request and receive child sexual abuse material from the minor victim. Knoob is also accused of uploading and sending child sexual abuse material involving the minor victim to online groups. According to court documents, Knoob was employed as a teacher aide at Carbondale Community High School for the 2025-2026 school year.
“The facts alleged in the complaint paint a chilling picture of how online predators create real-world danger across state lines—from a victim identified in Boston to the defendant’s conduct in Carbondale, said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We aggressively prosecute these cases because keeping children safe is a top priority.”
“Predators are increasingly turning to digital spaces to harm children, but the FBI is equally committed to using every tool and resource available to uncover that conduct,” said FBI Springfield’s Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley. “The allegations in this case are deeply troubling, and we will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to protect children and bring to justice anyone who seeks to exploit them.”
A complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
FBI Marion is investigating with support from the FBI Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Bloodworth is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This story was updated on August 25, 2026 to correct Defendant's age from 33 to 32.
Former Mail Carrier Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing More than $1 Million of Checks from MailRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Melissa McAfee, a former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing mail containing checks and gift cards worth more than $1 million.
“Mail carriers are entrusted with the responsibility of handling citizens’ valuable and personal communications, but McAfee abused that trust by stealing more than 200 checks and gift cards,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office works closely with our federal partners to aggressively prosecute any federal employee who misuses public office for private gain.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message to anyone who thinks mail theft and check fraud will go unpunished,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “Our special agents, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will aggressively investigate these federal crimes to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail and maintain the public’s trust.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From August 2022 to September 2024, McAfee worked as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in the Smyrna, Georgia area. The U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) launched an investigation after receiving customer complaints about mail stolen along McAfee’s postal route. During the investigation, USPS-OIG obtained surveillance footage of McAfee stealing mail on her route. Additional investigation determined that she stole mail containing 171 checks, with a total value exceeding $1,035,000. USPS-OIG agents executed a search warrant at McAfee’s home, where they discovered envelopes for stolen mail, 145 stolen checks, and 37 stolen gift cards. When confronted by USPS-OIG agents in September 2024, McAfee resigned from the Postal Service.
Melissa McAfee, 44, of Jonesboro, Ga., has been sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution. McAfee pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail on May 14, 2026.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal prosecuted the case.
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.
Florida Firearms Parts Dealer Pleads Guilty to Exporting Weapons Components as Part of Russia-Based SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Maxim Larin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act and attempting to violate the Arms Export Control Act in connection with his shipment of weapons parts and accessories to Kazakhstan. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nina R. Morrison. When sentenced, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment. As part of his plea, the defendant agreed to forfeit $250,000 and dozens of weapons parts and accessories seized from his residence. Larin was arrested in Florida in August 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Pete Gizas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); and David Peters, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement (OEE), Bureau of Industry and Security, New York Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
“Motivated by greed, the defendant placed his own self-interest above the safety and security of our country and its allies by shipping export-controlled weapons parts to a volatile area of the world,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s guilty plea should serve as a warning to all who seek to evade our nation’s export regulations for their own gain and for the benefit of our adversaries. Our Office and our law enforcement partners will vigorously investigate, prosecute, and hold to account those who compromise our national security.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, HSI’s Miami Field Office, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their valuable assistance.
“Maxim Larin knowingly weaponized his businesses to smuggle restricted firearms components and tactical equipment through a web of lies, false labels and undervalued shipments,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Gizas. “This was a deliberate scheme to evade U.S. export laws and feed an illicit weapons pipeline connected to Russia’s war machine. His guilty plea makes clear that those who put profit over national security, disguise contraband as harmless goods and help arm hostile foreign networks will be exposed, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. Together with our partners, HSI New York will continue to leverage our specialized authorities and global investigative reach to hold accountable those who attempt to undermine U.S. export controls and endanger national security.”
“Today's guilty plea highlights the Office of Export Enforcement's unwavering dedication to enforcing America's export control laws and holding accountable those who seek to evade them,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Peters.
According to court documents, Larin is the owner of several U.S. based companies which deal in weapons parts and sensitive firearms accessories. Larin used his businesses to sell export-controlled weapons parts and accessories to his co-defendant based in Russia. The items Larin shipped to Kazakhstan were on the Commerce Control List (“CCL”) and designated as export restricted because their reshipment could be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy or national security.
As early as December 2022, Larin agreed with his Russia-based co-defendant to undervalue and mislabel the contents of the packages he was exporting. When asked by his co-defendant to falsely label the contents of a specific parcel, Larin replied “we can do that.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection records show the package was mislabeled and the value of its contents was listed as thousands of dollars less than its actual value. Larin also flagged for his co-defendant that certain items could be seized by U.S. authorities and suggested that items be repackaged to make them less conspicuous.
In approximately May 2023, Larin agreed with his co-defendant to ship semi-automatic enhanced triggers, hi-speed triggers, and charging handles to Kazakhstan. These items, which enhance the performance of firearms, were all included on the CCL and their export to Kazakhstan was prohibited. Larin suggested the items could be seized by U.S. authorities and agreed to falsely declare the contents of the package and its value. Rather than state that the parcel contained firearms parts, Larin listed its contents as a “light switch.”
In December 2023, Larin agreed to acquire a Raptar target acquisition device for his co-defendant. The Raptar is a firearms accessory which helps users acquire targets at long ranges. Given its obvious military application, the Raptar is included on the United States Munitions List, a list of items which cannot be exported from the United States without the approval of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, a unit within the U.S. Department of State. Larin obtained the Raptar device from another company and signed an agreement which specified that the item could not be shipped internationally. Although he knew about this prohibition, Larin shipped the Raptar to a co-conspirator in the United States who attempted to ship it to Kazakhstan in violation of U.S. export laws. The device was intercepted and seized by HSI in California.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Gilbert M. Rein is in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Magdalena St. Surin.
The Defendant:
MAXIM LARIN
Age: 44
Plantation, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-246 (NRM)
Final Defendant Sentenced in Multi-State Meth Trafficking Conspiracy; Will Spend Almost 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT - On August 20, 2026, United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks sentenced Jaquez Anthony Flakes, 21, of Natchitoches, to 235 months in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Flakes was convicted at trial on March 24, 2026.
“Methamphetamine continues to tear through our Louisiana communities, leaving families shattered and lives ruined,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Dismantling this 11-member conspiracy and holding them accountable for their crimes reflects our Office’s commitment, alongside our federal and state partners, to invest the resources necessary for investigating and prosecuting drug traffickers across our rural and urban communities.”
This sentencing marks the final defendant brought to justice in an eleven-person drug trafficking network dismantled through a years-long investigation. Flakes's involvement came to light during a traffic stop on August 16, 2024, near the Louisiana-Texas state line. Louisiana State Police (LSP) attempted to pull over a vehicle driven by co-conspirator Daniel Efferson. Efferson, Flakes, and co-conspirator Perry Willis fled the scene. This led to a vehicle chase that ended in a crash. Officers recovered approximately nine kilograms of methamphetamine and twenty-four pounds of synthetic marijuana from the vehicle. This incident was the primary catalyst for a broader federal investigation.
Subsequent investigations in Houston uncovered the massive scale of the trafficking network: agents seized 221.5 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine disguised as bottled water and located a meth conversion lab equipped with burners, pots, and an additional 11 kilograms of processed methamphetamine. Evidence recovered connected Flakes to the same distribution pipeline supplying Willis, Efferson, and eight other members of the conspiracy.
With Flakes sentenced, all eleven defendants have been held accountable. Previously sentenced co-conspirators are as follows:
Daniel Efferson, of Natchitoches – 360 months (30 years)
Christopher Caffey, of Shreveport – 262 months (over 21 years)
Joshua Hardy, of Shreveport – 151 months (over 12 years)
Delannie Lee, of Shreveport – 168 months (14 years)
Crystal Williams, of Mansfield – 60 months (5 years)
Kellie Yates, of Shreveport – 3 years' probation
Amadeo Penaloza-Meza, of Mexico – 135 months (over 11 years)
Brayan Sandoval, of Mexico – 135 months (over 11 years)
Jeffrey Flack, of Shreveport – 120 months (10 years)
Perry Willis, of Natchitoches – 292 months (over 24 years)U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Mexican cartels continue to flood the United States with high purity, highly potent methamphetamine. In Louisiana, officials warn that meth remains a serious statewide threat: stimulant related overdose deaths still account for 26.5% of all drug involved fatalities and rural communities have seen rising mortality as meth supplies are increasingly laced with deadly fentanyl.
LSP and DEA investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys Robert Moody and Earl M. Campbell with assistance from Legal Assistants Amanda Morgan and Stephanie Stewart.
A copy of this press release (and future updates) can be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the District Court's website at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer under Case Number 5:24-CR-00256-10.
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Felon Who Illegally Possessed Gun Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on August 24, 2026, to more than two years in federal prison.
Jameel Ahmod Lanier, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 6, 2026, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence during the case showed Waterloo Police officers stopped a car Lanier was driving. During the traffic stop, officers found a .45 caliber pistol as well as marijuana a short distance from the car. Further analysis of the gun indicated Lanier contributed to a DNA sample located on the gun. Lanier was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of attempted burglary second degree in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County.
Lanier was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lanier was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Lanier is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-2008.
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Felon Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Handgun While on Pre-Trial Release for State Firearm CaseRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A felon has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while on pre-trial release in a state firearm case.
ANTONIO TUCKER, 22, possessed the loaded handgun on June 14, 2025, in a relative’s apartment in Chicago. During an argument with the relative, Tucker threw an object at the relative’s head and then picked up the loaded handgun. Another relative intervened, allowing the victim-relative to safely flee the apartment and call Chicago Police, who arrived on the scene and discovered the gun on a bed in a room where Tucker was staying. Tucker had been residing in the relative’s apartment while he was on pre-trial release for a firearm case pending in state court.
While federal authorities were investigating this case, Tucker pressured other relatives from jail to encourage the victim-relative to recant their statements to police and avoid giving truthful testimony before a federal grand jury. Tucker was ultimately indicted in federal court on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, to which he pleaded guilty in May 2026.
On Aug. 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced Tucker to two years in federal prison. The sentence fell in the middle of the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines range.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The investigation was conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago. The CGIC is a centralized law enforcement partnership that focuses exclusively on investigating and prosecuting violent offenders who utilize firearms in commission of their crimes in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois. Every firearm-related case in Chicago is processed through the CGIC on a daily basis.
“Defendant is a felon who is not permitted to possess a gun under any circumstances, but the circumstances in which he committed this offense were particularly dangerous,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sushma Raju argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He kept a loaded gun in his bedroom and brought it out in the midst of a domestic incident. But for the intervention of the family member who urged defendant to back down (and the quick arrival of the police thereafter), defendant’s actions may have caused the fight to escalate even further and led to one or more family members being hurt.”
Federal inmate convicted of soliciting murder of prison officialsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 39-year-old man with ties to New Jersey has been convicted of solicitation of murder of multiple federal law enforcement officers.
The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning the guilty verdict on all eight counts as charged against Aramis Stuckman following a two-day trial.
In October 2024, Stuckman was an inmate at the Three Rivers Federal Correctional Institution. While incarcerated, he wrote three letters seeking the assault, torture, and murder of multiple officers in exchange for up to $50,000.
The jury heard that Stuckman passed the letters to three separate guards. They also heard how he threatened one guard, warning that he would be the next victim if he turned the letter over to authorities.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Stuckman did not write the letters himself, or have the resources to follow through on the solicitations. They did not believe those claims and found Stuckman guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales-Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 1.
At that time, Stuckman faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of solicitation of murder. He also faces up to 10 years for each count of solicitation of assault and for threatening a law enforcement officer. He could also be ordered to pay a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Stuckman has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Special Investigative Services of the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Martin and Tyler Foster are prosecuting the case.
El Salvadoran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSE ANTONIO LARIO SALMERON (“SALMERON”), age 33, a native of El Salvador, was sentenced today for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on March 30, 2026, SALMERON was travelling eastbound in a white van with several illegal aliens. Following the lawful stop by U.S. Border Patrol agents, it was determined that SALMERON – who had been previously removed from the United States on June 15, 2020 – illegally re-entered the United States without permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security.
United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced SALMERON to time served to be followed by one-year of supervised release. A $100 mandatory special assessment fee was also imposed. SALMERON will be turned over to immigration authorities for removal to his home country.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Dubuque Man Who Stole Thousands of Dollars’ Worth of Brass Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who repeatedly stole pallets of valuable brass ingot to sell for scrap was sentenced on August 21, 2026, to two years in federal prison.
Dennis Lee Maas, age 54, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 20, 2026, guilty plea to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods.
Information from a plea agreement and sentencing showed that Maas worked as a janitor at a manufacturing company in Dubuque. His job did not include handling pallets of brass ingot that the manufacturing company used for its business. From November 2024 through September 2025, Maas repeatedly stole pallets of brass ingot from his employer. He sold the brass to a metals business in East Dubuque, Illinois, for scrap value. The total value of the brass that he stole was more than $64,000. The metals business was able to return one pallet of brass to the manufacturing company after Maas’s thefts were discovered.
Maas was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Maas was sentenced to twenty-four months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $43,845.16 in restitution to the employer and an insurance company. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Maas is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-1048. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.