Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
19 August 2025
Repeat Offender Busted with Cocaine, Marijuana, and Cash Gets Federal TimeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Alston Lamonte Parker, age 39, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after law enforcement executed two search warrants and located drugs, a firearm, and cash.
“We appreciate the partnership with the Halifax County Sheriff and the ATF to get this Big Shark Bad Boy off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will continue to focus on making Eastern North Carolina safer for the good citizens who proudly live there.”
According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, on March 5, 2024, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) officers executed two search warrants at two residences in Roanoke Rapids, one on Zoo Road and another on New Hope Street. The warrants were based on three years of prior surveillance of Parker. Investigators determined the Zoo Road residence served as a stash house for narcotics, while the New Hope Street residence was used to store Parker’s drug proceeds.
During the searches of both properties and Parker’s vehicle, HCSO seized 586.68 grams of cocaine, 1,605 grams of prepackaged marijuana, eight grams of crack cocaine, and $13,079 in U.S. currency. They also recovered a Springfield Armory, Model XDS 9mm pistol that was registered to an individual in Virginia. An additional $11,851 in U.S. currency at the New Hope Street residence.
Parker is a convicted felon and was on federal supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine at the time of his March 2024 conduct. Parker was convicted of this offense in 2010 and served 156 months in federal prison. Parker also has an additional felony conviction for possession of cocaine from 2005.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Agencies involved in the investigation include the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00057-M-RJ.
Raytown Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for producing child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Cecil Pulluaim, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Pulluaim to serve supervised release for Life following his incarceration.
Pulluaim pleaded guilty to video recording and possessing images of his sexual abuse of a minor victim. According to the plea agreement, Pulluaim admitted to recording himself sexually abusing the minor victim on at least 10 separate dates between April 27, 2023, and June 15, 2023. In connection with their investigation of a report that the defendant had produced child pornography of the minor victim, officers with the Raytown Missouri Police Department located and seized the defendant’s cell phone. Pursuant to a search warrant, a forensic analysis of the phone by the United States Secret Service located the videos the defendant had produced of the minor victim, along with several photos the defendant made by taking screen shots of those videos.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Raytown, Missouri Police Department and the United States Secret Service.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Quitman Woman Sentenced to Probation for Excavation and Removal of Native American Human Skeletal Remains Located in a National ForestRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Kristy Loree Gordon was sentenced to four years’ probation for the excavation and removal of archaeological resources that included human skeletal remains and were located on public land at a known Native American archeological site. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today, by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr.
Gordon, 43, of Quitman, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 6, 2023, in a one count indictment charging her with excavating, removing, damaging, and otherwise altering and defacing, an archaeological resource located on public lands. On March 13, 2025, Gordon pleaded guilty to the charge for which she was indicted.
An investigation revealed that on November 19, 2020, the Stone County Sheriff’s Office received a report of possible human skeletal remains discovered by hikers around the Pogue Springs area in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. Upon arrival of law enforcement officers from the Stone County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Forest Service, Gordon stated that she and another hiker located possible human skeletal remains off a hiking trail while digging into wet soil with a stick. She stated that she covered them back up with dirt and notified law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers observed evidence of extensive excavation in the area, with many dug holes. A U.S. Forest Service archeologist who accompanied law enforcement officers to the area stated that it was a known Native American archeological site and that no permits had been issued for excavation in the area. The scene was processed and the human skeletal remains, including a partial human skull, tools, and tool fragments were collected.
In an interview with U.S. Forest Service agents a few days later, Gordon admitted she did not tell the truth in her first written statement. In her second written statement, Gordon stated she went to dig for artifacts in the area because she had been told it was a good location to find Native American artifacts. She admitted she dug as much as 1.5 feet down, where she found the bones and brought them home. Gordon stated while she was cleaning the bones, she noticed she brought back a human skull. She stated she took them back to the dig site and “threw dirt over them and prayed over them.” Gordon stated she did not feel right and went back to call law enforcement to report the human skeletal remains.
During a search of Gordon’s residence, law enforcement officers located a large collection of Native American artifacts, including an archaic knife. U.S. Forest Service agents identified this knife as a funerary object, meaning an object believed to have been placed with individual human skeletal remains as a part of the death rite or ceremony of the deceased. Gordon admitted that she had located the knife with the human skeletal remains and removed it along with the remains. The knife and many other objects were collected as evidence. A skull fragment was located outside the residence where Gordon stated that she had washed the bones.
A Facebook search warrant was obtained for Gordon’s Facebook account, which revealed that, on the date that Gordon contacted the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, she had shared photographs of human skeletal remains, including a partial human skull, with other individuals.
Native American remains and funerary objects are protected by federal law pursuant to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Gordon agreed to pay restitution totaling $16,135.32 for the cost of restoration and repair to the site.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the Stone County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Previously Convicted Child Sex Abuser Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Alfredo Carreon-Lopez, 39, of Rosedale, Maryland, to 20 months and 20 days in federal prison, for illegally reentering the United States after he was deported.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Director Nikita Baker, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to Carreon-Lopez’s plea agreement, he is a national of Mexico who first entered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location. On August 25, 2021, Carreon-Lopez pled guilty to sexually abusing a minor in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Evidence presented during sentencing in the federal case showed that Carreon-Lopez was convicted of sexually abusing a 6-year-old child.On October 5, 2021, Carreon-Lopez was removed from the U.S. and deported to Mexico. Law enforcement later found Carreon-Lopez in Baltimore City on September 15, 2023. Carreon-Lopez did not have permission to reenter the U.S.
U.S. Attorney Hayes praised ICE-ERO for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Portsmouth felon sentenced to over four years in prison after latest firearm convictionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to four years and five months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, in Norfolk on Feb. 16, 2024, Norfolk Police and Portsmouth Police performed a traffic stop and arrested Joshaua Sheimel Anderson, 25, on outstanding warrants. Detectives conducted a search of Anderson’s backpack and located a handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device and a 31-round extended magazine. They also recovered over a pound and a half of suspected marijuana, multiple jars of suspected THC wax, and over $2,200.
Prior to this offense, Anderson had been convicted of grand larceny, felony eluding, hit and run, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, Anderson cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-40.
Oregon man charged with administering “Rapper Bot” DDoS-for-hire BotnetRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Oregon man was charged by a federal criminal complaint today in the District of Alaska on charges related to his alleged development and administration of the “Rapper Bot” DDoS-for-hire Botnet that has conducted large-scale cyber-attacks since at least 2021.
According to court documents, investigators identified Ethan Foltz, 22, of Eugene, Oregon, as the alleged administrator of Rapper Bot.
Rapper Bot, aka “Eleven Eleven Botnet” and “CowBot,” is a Botnet that primarily compromises devices like Digital Video Recorders (DVRS) or WiFi routers at scale by infecting those devices with specialized malware. Clients of Rapper Bot then issue commands to those infected victim devices, forcing them to send large volumes of “Distributed Denial of Service” (DDoS) traffic to different victim computers and servers located throughout the world.
According to court documents, Foltz and his co-conspirators allegedly monetized Rapper Bot by providing select paying customers with access to one of the most sophisticated and powerful DDoS-for-hire Botnets currently in existence. It is alleged that Rapper Bot targeted victims in over 80 countries, including a U.S. government network, a popular social media platform and many U.S. tech companies. The criminal complaint details that partner data shows from April 2025 to present, Rapper Bot allegedly conducted over 370,000 attacks, targeting 18,000 unique victims.
The criminal complaint explains that Rapper Bot was allegedly utilizing roughly 65,000 to 95,000 infected victim devices to regularly conduct DDoS attacks that commonly measured between two to three Terabits per second. It is alleged that Rapper Bot’s largest attack may have exceeded six Terabits per second. Investigators believe that at least five infected victim devices are in Alaska and were forced to participate in attacks.
Court documents explain that DDoS attacks have grown more powerful and impact victims financially through lost revenue, disgruntled customers, resources used to respond to attacks and bandwidth usage costs. The criminal complaint details that a DDoS attack averaging over two Terabits per second lasting 30 seconds might cost a victim anywhere from $500 to $10,000. It is also alleged that some Rapper Bot customers used extortion demands, leveraging the DDoS attack volumes of the Botnet to extort victims.
On Aug.6, 2025, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on Foltz’ residence in Oregon. Law enforcement personnel effected the termination of Rapper Bot’s attack capabilities and obtained administrative control of Rapper Bot. Private sector partners have not reported any Rapper Bot attacks since the transfer of Botnet control to the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).
“Rapper Bot was one of the most powerful DDoS botnets to ever exist, but the outstanding investigatory work by DCIS cyber agents and support of my office and industry partners has put an end to Foltz’s time as administrator and effectively disrupted the activities of this transnational criminal group,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Our office remains committed to disrupting and dismantling cyber criminals that threaten internet security and infrastructure in the District of Alaska and across the United States.”
“Today’s announcement highlights the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle emerging cyber threats targeting the Department of Defense and the defense industrial base,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, DCIS, Cyber Field Office. “The Rapper Bot malware was a clear threat, and the focused efforts of DCIS, our industry partners, and the federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska, sends a clear signal to those who would harm the DoD’s personnel, infrastructure, and intellectual property, that their actions will come at a cost.”
Foltz is charged with one count of aiding and abetting computer intrusions. If convicted, Foltz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DCIS is investigating the case.
Assistance was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Digital Ocean, Flashpoint, Google, PayPal, and Unit 221B. This law enforcement action was taken in conjunction with Operation PowerOFF, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures worldwide.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Omaha 19-year-old Sentenced in Fentanyl Analogue ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Dale Jackson, 19, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl analogue. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Jackson to 120 months’ imprisonment on the conspiracy charge and 70 months on the distribution charge, both sentences will run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Jackson’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
In 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that associates and co-conspirators Latrell Knight and Dale Jackson were receiving “M-30” pills from a common drug supplier and selling them. “M-30” pills are frequently counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and analogues of fentanyl.
Between April 17, 2024, through September 10, 2024, Knight and Jackson sold a confidential source (CS) M-30 pills. These transactions would occur outside of Knights residence and at a Casey’s gas station near 72nd and Grover streets in Omaha. Knight and Jackson would sell together and separately. In addition to the pills, Knight sold a DB9 9mm handgun to the CS on May 6 and a Glock 17 9mm handgun to the CS on July 11. Jackson communicated via text message with the CS on July 11 telling the CS that Jackson had arranged for a $1,000 transaction with a drug supplier for the CS, but the transaction did not occur on that day. Twice Jackson shorted the CS 50 M-30 pills. In total about 1,616 M-30 pills were sold to the CS as part of the conspiracy.
Jackson’s cellphones were seized and searched on December 30, 2024, pursuant to a search warrant and their contents revealed a pattern of fentanyl sales that included at least 84 M-30 pills separate from the controlled buys. The contents also revealed conversations with the common supplier pertaining to obtaining more M-30 pills.
Both were arrested on January 23, 2025.
Knight pled guilty to drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of drug trafficking. He will be sentenced on September 25, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Omaha Police Department.
North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
Maurice Hopkins, 32, of Mt. Holly, North Carolina, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez for the Western District of North Carolina today and pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation for threatening eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion, and national origin.
According to filed plea documents and today’s court hearing, on June 8, 2024, Hopkins threatened eight individuals with a firearm inside a pizza restaurant in Charlotte. When Hopkins encountered the victims, who were a group of friends getting pizza at the time, he asked if they were American. Hopkins then proceeded to harass the victims calling them terrorists, demanding they speak English, telling them to go back to their country, and making other statements because of the victims’ race, color, religion, and national origin. Court records show that Hopkins made multiple threats, including threatening to punch the victims in the face and go retrieve a firearm and return to kill them. Hopkins then left the restaurant and returned minutes later, walking through the doorway with a loaded AR-15 style rifle. The victims immediately fled through the door in the rear of the restaurant.
As Hopkins admitted in court today, he threatened the eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion, and national origin and because they were enjoying the goods, services, and facilities of the restaurant.
Hopkins pleaded guilty to one count of interference with federally protected activities, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hopkins remains in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
N. Charleston Drug Trafficking Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A North Charleston organized crime ring has been successfully prosecuted and sentenced. Eighteen defendants received a total of 144 years in federal prison.
The case arose from a long-term wiretap investigation conducted by the Low Country Violent Crime Task Force. The investigation targeted a violent street gang and their associates operating in a North Charleston neighborhood. Fredrick McCray, leader of the street gang, directed drug distribution operations and armed his gang members with fully automatic machine guns to protect their territory from rival gangs and drug traffickers. Cornelius Walker was one of the gang’s primary enforcers and acted as McCray’s right-hand man. Tyrone Cox served as the organization’s primary drug supplier. The gang used an abandoned community center as a central hub for narcotics distribution.
In total, the investigation resulted in the seizure of 3 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 700 grams of marijuana, 500 grams of crack cocaine, 26 firearms – including four fully automatic machineguns – and $70,000 in cash.
- Fredrick Wendell McCray, 44, of North Charleston was sentenced to 30 years for conspiring to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine, 500 or more grams of methamphetamine, and heroin, possession with intent to distribute 28 or more grams of crack cocaine, unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
- Tyrone Cox, 44, of North Charleston, was sentenced to 25 years for conspiring to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 28 or more grams of crack cocaine, unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of ammunition by a felon.
- Cornelius Walker, 21, of North Charleston, was sentenced to 15 years for conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Quinton Antonio McClain, 35, of Mount Pleasant, was sentenced to 12.5 years for conspiring to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Warren Lamar Forrest, 33, of Charleston, was sentenced to 12 years in a separate indictment for felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Angel Joaquin Flores, 34, of California, was sentenced to 10 years for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and marijuana and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Kevin William Dukes, 39, of North Charleston, was sentenced to 10 years for conspiring to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Kendrick Smalls, 35, of North Charleston, was sentenced to seven years for conspiring to distribute cocaine, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a machinegun, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Kenneth Roger Brown, 35, of North Charleston, was sentenced to six years for conspiring to distribute cocaine and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Earl Allen, 24, of Charleston, was sentenced to five years for conspiring to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Santerio Bernard Maurice Smith, 30, of Charleston, was sentenced to four and a half years in a separate indictment for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a machinegun.
- Da’Shawn Marquis Richards, 26, of North Charleston, was sentenced to four years in a separate indictment for possession of a firearm by a felon.
- Terrell Kurt Myers, 43, of North Charleston, was sentenced to two years for conspiring to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Demetric Gantt, 46, of North Charleston, was sentenced to one and half years for conspiring to distribute 28 or more grams of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 28 or more grams of crack cocaine, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Clayton Thomas, 22, of North Charleston, was sentenced to three months in a separate indictment for knowingly make a false statement when purchasing a firearm.
- Tyrone Wilson, 63, of North Charleston, was sentenced to time served for conspiring to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of ammunition by a felon.
- LaJustin Williams, 43, of North Charleston, was sentenced to time served for conspiring to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
- Tyrone Peterson, 63 of North Charleston, was sentenced to time served for conspiring to distribute 500 or more grams of methamphetamine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute 50o or more grams of methamphetamine, and unlawful use of a telephone to commit a felony drug violation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Lowcountry Violent Crime Task Force, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, North Charleston Police Department, Charleston Police Department, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Summerville Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Charleston County Aviation Authority. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Lietzow and Nick Bianchi are prosecuting the case.
###
Mt. Holly Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Maurice Hopkins, 32, of Mt. Holly, N.C., appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez today and pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation for threatening eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. of the FBI Charlotte Field Office join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to filed plea documents and today’s court hearing, on June 8, 2024, Hopkins threatened eight individuals with a firearm inside a pizza restaurant in Charlotte. When Hopkins encountered the victims, who were group of friends getting pizza at the time, he asked if they were American. Hopkins then proceeded to harass the victims calling them terrorists, demanding they speak English, telling them to go back to their country, and making other statements because of the victims’ race, color, religion, and national origin. Court records show that Hopkins made multiple threats, including threatening to punch the victims in the face and go retrieve a firearm and return to kill them. Hopkins then left the restaurant and returned minutes later, walking through the doorway with a loaded AR-15 style rifle. The victims immediately fled through the door in the rear of the restaurant.
As Hopkins admitted in court today, he threatened the eight individuals with force because of their race, color, religion and national origin and because they were enjoying the goods, services and facilities of the restaurant.
Hopkins pleaded guilty to one count of interference with federally protected activities, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hopkins remains in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2025, Ludaway sold approximately 28.5 grams of methamphetamine and 6.79 gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Ludaway admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Ludaway is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-103.
###
Mexican National in the U.S. Illegally Charged with Using a Vehicle to Assault, Resist, Oppose, Impede, Intimidate, and Interfere with a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, 37, a Mexican national who overstayed his visa and remained illegally in the United States, was charged by indictment with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an officer of the United States, while using a deadly or dangerous weapon, that is, a motor vehicle, while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that, on the morning of June 23, 2025, the defendant used his full-size pickup truck to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), while the agent was carrying out his official duties.
As detailed in court filings, on that date, the HSI agent and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez and take him into administrative custody because he violated the terms of his release pending removal proceedings.
Based on information they had received, the federal officers surveilled a Downingtown, Pennsylvania, residence. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a man matching the description and photograph of Rojas Benitez exited the residence and got into a pickup truck. When the defendant started to drive away, the federal officers quickly conducted a vehicle stop.
As alleged in court filings, Rojas Benitez did not comply with the federal officers’ commands to get out of the vehicle or roll down his window. During this encounter, the HSI agent moved to the front of the vehicle to maintain visibility of the driver. The law enforcement officers told Rojas Benitez that if he did not comply, his window would be broken, and when Rojas Benitez continued not to comply after multiple warnings, one of the federal officers broke the rear driver’s side window of the truck.
As alleged, the defendant then put the vehicle in drive and drove over the sidewalk in the direction of the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck with his hand and jump out of way to avoid being struck. As alleged, the defendant also narrowly avoided hitting a passing school bus. The defendant then fled the state and was ultimately located by the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C., on July 24.
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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
The case was investigated by HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Mexican National Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Assaulting a Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Sandra Meza-Casillas, 51, of Mexico, was sentenced on August 11, by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 24 months prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Meza-Casillas previously pleaded guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer.
On or about April 16, 2025, in Nogales, Arizona, a United States Border Patrol Agent was attempting to apprehend an individual who had jumped over the international border wall. The agent found Sandra Meza-Casillas lying flat on her stomach on the border road. When the agent approached, Meza-Casillas started running eastbound along the International Border road while two male subjects appeared to be guiding her from the south side of the border wall. After a brief foot pursuit, the Border Patrol Agent reached Meza-Casillas and grabbed her shoulder to make an arrest. Meza-Casillas turned around and sprayed the agent with pepper spray on his left cheek.
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).
United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-02225-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-137_Meza-Casilla# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mexican National Found Guilty in Waco for Registration ViolationsRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national was found guilty in a federal bench trial in Waco on Monday. Hugo Moreno-Mendez, 41, was sentenced to time served for one count of willful failure to register and one count of failure to provide DNA.
According to court documents, Moreno-Mendez was convicted of a state crime for unlawful installation of a tracking device on Sept. 26, 2024, and was sentenced to 180 days of confinement. He was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 13, and charged with willful failure to register. Moreno-Mendez refused to comply with immigration officers and the standard procedures of submitting fingerprints and a DNA sample, adding the second count for failure to provide DNA. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest in March and will now be processed for removal.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
###
Man Sentenced to over 24 years for role in Fentanyl Overdose Death of 17-Year-OldRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who distributed fentanyl that caused the death of a seventeen-year-old boy was sentenced to 292 months in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Jesse Medina, 42, pled guilty in March 2025 to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl that ultimately resulted in the teenager’s death. On Monday, August 18, 2025, Medina was sentenced to 292 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge David Godbey.
According to plea documents and evidence presented in Court at sentencing, on January 30, 2024, co-defendant Connor Miller contacted Jesse Medina, also known as “Plug,” to purchase fentanyl. Medina agreed to sell Miller the pills. Miller and a seventeen-year-old boy then travelled to meet Medina at a location on Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas, Texas. Once there, Medina sold Miller and the teenager four fentanyl pills in exchange for $40. Miller and the teen travelled back to Miller’s residence, where they crushed up the fentanyl pills and used the fentanyl Medina had provided. The seventeen-year-old died after using the fentanyl. A review of the teen’s medical records revealed that he would not have died but for ingesting the fentanyl.
Evidence presented in court revealed that Jesse Medina was arrested on January 31, 2024, with 25 pills of fentanyl on his person. A few days after his arrest, Medina contacted a female known to Medina and told her that he sold a twenty-one-year-old four pills and that a seventeen-year-old who used those pills died. Evidence also showed Medina told the unknown female that he told his lawyer, “I don’t have no sympathy for the seventeen-year-old at all . . . ‘Cause that’s his choice . . . [H]e’s old enough to know how dangerous these pills are . . . I don’t got no sympathy for that . . . [I]f I would have sold it to him . . . I would feel bad, but I don’t even feel bad at all, I’m cool, ‘cause I didn’t do nothing wrong.”
Information presented in court also showed Medina had multiple prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance and that he had been sent to a Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility and an Intermediate Sanctions Facility in 2010 and 2019 (respectively) while he was on probation. In 2016, Medina was ordered to serve 42 months in the Texas Department of Corrections for an offense that occurred in Rockwall County, Texas. After being released from prison, Medina was arrested in 2018 for possessing methamphetamine and ordered to serve a term of four years deferred probation in Dallas County. A motion to revoke that probation was filed in 2021 and remains pending.
“Tough sentences are necessary for those defendants responsible for the tragic deaths resulting from fentanyl trafficking,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “This Office will continue to advocate for the most severe sentences for those who, like the defendant, have a cavalier attitude toward the deadly consequences of their actions. While a lengthy prison sentence for this offender and others like him will never restore the loss suffered by the victim’s family, we will continue to prosecute those who flood our community with this poison to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Unfortunately, this guilty verdict will not bring our victim back or take away the suffering his family and friends have endured. What it does do; however, is affirm that justice prevails and drug dealers and enablers, like Mr. Medina, will be held accountable for their reckless actions,” said DEA Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker. “DEA will always aggressively investigate the illicit distribution of deadly drugs in our communities. The memories of those lives lost to drugs will not be in vain.”
Co-defendants Connor Miller and Tecose Dchaz Martin have also pled guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl, the use of which resulted in death. Miller and Martin are pending sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Richardson Police Department conducted the investigation of this case with the Hickory Creek Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, the Mesquite Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Section. Special assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Leal.
Man Involved in Drug Conspiracy While on Supervised Release Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man involved in a drug conspiracy in Waterloo, Iowa, was sentenced August 18, 2025, to 60 months in federal prison.
Adis Vretenarevic, age 30, who lived in Waterloo, Iowa, at the time of the instant crime, received the prison term after a March 21, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
From August 2022 through January 2024, Vretenarevic was involved in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of marijuana intended for further distribution in Waterloo. During this time, Vretenarevic deposited thousands of dollars in drug proceeds into a bank account used by the drug trafficking organization. At the time of the conspiracy, Vretenarevic was on federal supervision for the prior crime of possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Vretenarevic was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Vretenarevic was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Vretenarevic is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force
Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, Denver Iowa Police Department, Fullerton California Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR- 02050-004.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Lackawanna man sentenced for defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Munef Fadhel, 38, of Lackawanna, NY, who was convicted of health care fraud, was sentenced to serve one year probation by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that between June 2017, and December 2020, Fadhel defrauded the Medicaid program. Fadhel was an owner of Great Lake Transportation, Inc., a transportation company that provided rides to Medicaid beneficiaries. While working at Great Lake Transportation, he knowingly submitted multiple false and fraudulent records seeking transportation reimbursement for trips. Fadhel submitted claims for shared rides which he certified as individual rides in order to claim a higher reimbursement amount. This resulted in a loss to Medicaid in excess of $95,000.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.
# # # #
Kansas City Man Charged with Attempting to Access Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to child pornography.
According to an indictment returned last week, Cody Tyler Titus, 24, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged with one count of attempting to access with intent to view child pornography over the internet from Nov. 2, 2022, and Nov. 19, 2023. Titus was arrested and made his initial appearance in court today.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, if convicted of attempted access with intent to view child pornography, a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000 is authorized. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
###
Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanylRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Marsel Brejon Davis, 33, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on August 19, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on August 31, 2023, a search of Davis’s residence was conducted after he was observed selling narcotics to another person. During the search, officers located 31.16 grams of fentanyl. Davis admitted to possessing the fentanyl for the purpose of distributing it to others. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid commonly used as an analgesic or anesthetic that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
###
Indian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Aryan Deshwal, age 21, and a citizen of India, pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five counts of alien smuggling. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector made the announcement.
Deshwal admitted that on November 21, 2024, he picked up five people at the border who had just illegally entered the United States from Canada. When Border Patrol attempted to pull over Deshwal, he sped away. Border Patrol Agents continued to follow his vehicle but slowed down. Shortly thereafter, Deshwal lost control of his vehicle, causing it to roll several times, ultimately flipping onto its side and catching fire. Deshwal and the people he picked up were transported to a nearby hospital in Plattsburgh, New York. One of the passengers sustained injuries that required emergency surgery.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “This case illustrates the dangers of alien smuggling, and how smuggling networks put people and federal agents in harm’s way for profit. Aryan Deshwal endangered the lives of the illegal aliens he picked up, the Border Patrol agents who were trying to stop him, and other people on the road. Thankfully, he was arrested, prosecuted and will be held accountable for his crimes.”
Patrol Agent in Charge Raymond Bresnahan, of the Champlain Border Patrol Station, stated, “This reckless act underscores the very real dangers of human smuggling and epitomizes the fact that smugglers do not care about the countless lives they put at risk in order to make a quick profit. Thankfully our agents were nearby to render emergency aid to the victims of this harrowing event.”
At his sentencing on December 16, 2025, Deshwal faces at least 5 years and up to 15 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting this case.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Augustin Borja-Gaona, a/k/a Augustine Borja, a/k/a Augustine Bara, a/k/a Agustin Borja, a/k/a Augustin Gaona Borja, a/k/a Austin Borja, a/k/a Austin Gaona Borja, a/k/a Agustin Borja-Gaona, a/k/a Genaro Borja-Reynoso, age 56, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office.
The Indictment alleged that Borja-Gaona, an alien previously removed in 1999, 2002, 2007, and 2012, was found in the United States on March 19, 2025, without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to 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).
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Borja-Gaona will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Hartshorne Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Explosives ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kelly Von Morck, age 35, of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to two counts of Unlawful User of Controlled Substance in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition and one count of User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of Explosive.
The Superseding Indictment alleged that on October 20, 2024, Von Morck, knowing that he was an unlawful user and addicted to a controlled substance, knowingly possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a .22 revolver, a 16-gauge shotgun, a .38 caliber revolver, a .30-06 caliber rifle, and 559 rounds of assorted ammunition, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The Superseding Indictment further alleged that on June 26, 2025, Von Morck, knowing that he was an unlawful user and addicted to a controlled substance, knowingly possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and 82 rounds of assorted ammunition, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
Lastly, the Superseding Indictment alleged that on October 20, 2024, Von Morck, knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance, knowingly possessed an explosive which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Hartshorne Police Department, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Von Morck will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Fugitive wanted for murder charged with firing shots at federal agents in Springfield hotelRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Franklin County man has been charged federally after he allegedly shot at deputies with the United States Marshals Service, FBI agents and task force officers from inside a Springfield hotel room when they attempted to execute an arrest warrant on him for murder charges.
On Aug. 8, an arrest warrant was issued for Andre Jordan II, 34, of Reynoldsburg, for murder.
The Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST), a federal task force, adopted the fugitive investigation, which led officials to the Quality Inn in Springfield.
According to charging documents, on Aug. 14, SOFAST tracked Jordan to a room at the hotel and set up to apprehend him. Law enforcement announced their presence to Jordan, who then looked out the window of the room. Following additional announcements, Jordan allegedly fired a shot through the window toward the pool area in the vicinity of officers and then fired an additional round through the front door of the room toward positioned officers.
An affidavit details that officers withdrew to stairwells at the end of the hall for cover. Several occupants of the hotel room, including young children, then exited, after which Jordan allegedly fired several additional rounds.
The Springfield Police Division SWAT Team responded to the scene and hostage negotiators established communication with Jordan. After an hours-long standoff, Jordan surrendered without further incident and was taken into custody.
Jordan was transported to the Clark County jail on his local murder charge and will be transferred into federal custody. He will appear in U.S. District Court in Dayton today at 1:30pm.
Jordan is charged with assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon, attempted murder of a federal agent, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; United States Marshal Michael D. Black; Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth McCormick and Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Former New York City Department of Education Business Manager Sentenced in Bid Rigging SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a New York-based budget and procurement consulting company was sentenced today to six months in prison for rigging bids submitted to dozens of New York City public schools. The defendant and his company were also ordered to pay $141,511 in restitution to the victim, the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE).
Victor A Garrido of Peekskill, New York, and his company, TranscendBS LLC, pleaded guilty on March 19 to rigging bids to NYC DOE from at least as early as November 2020 through at least as late as January 2023. In his plea agreement, Garrido also admitted to fraudulently obtaining over $20,000 in COVID-19 relief unemployment benefits and to failing to file and pay federal or state income taxes for himself or for his company for tax years 2020 to 2023.
“The Defendant stole money from public school students, and taxpayers more generally, all for his own selfish gain,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its PCSF partners will aggressively prosecute and hold accountable those who defraud American students and the American taxpayer.”
“Let today’s sentence be a warning to those who attempt to cheat the system. You will be held accountable,” said FBI Operations Director Chad Yarbrough of the Criminal Cyber Branch. “The FBI has zero tolerance for those who attempt to rig the system to benefit themselves, inflicting lasting harm on our communities and undermining the principles of fair competition.”
“Bid-rigging with school contracts is thoroughly unacceptable, as it deprives the school district of vital funds and students of a supportive learning environment — and it is a crime that SCI will continue to tirelessly root out,” said Special Commissioner of Investigation Anatasia Coleman of the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the NYC School District. “SCI is grateful for its continued partnership with the DOJ Antitrust Division and the FBI in bringing this case to justice.”
“Victor Garrido defrauded the New York State Department of Labor by illegally obtaining pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits. This sentencing underscores the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General's unwavering commitment to safeguard the American workplace from fraud and corruption,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General Northeast Region. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who engage in these criminal activities within our jurisdiction”
According to court documents, Garrido was previously employed by NYC DOE as a business manager where he provided budget and procurement guidance and training to various schools. Shortly after leaving that role, Garrido formed TranscendBS to provide similar services as a consultant to New York City public schools. During the scheme, Garrido, TranscendBS, and their co-conspirators submitted fake, artificially high “competitor” bids to make it appear as if TranscendBS was the lowest bidder for dozens of business consulting services contracts. None of the “competing” bidders actually provided these services. In addition to thwarting NYC DOE’s procurement rules to ensure that TranscendBS obtained the contracts, Garrido priced his services to just under the threshold which would have required additional scrutiny.
The scheme impacted approximately 28 New York City public schools, predominantly in low-income communities. TranscendBS won at least $707,555 in contracts from those schools, resulting in estimated losses to NYC DOE of $141,511.
In connection with his unemployment benefit fraud, Garrido was also ordered to pay $23,100 in restitution to the New York State Department of Labor.
The Antitrust Division’s New York Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor. Trial Attorneys Helen Christodoulou, Kathryn Carpenter, and Maia Lichtenstein are prosecuting the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.
Former Miami Heat Security Employee Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen MemorabiliaRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A former Miami Heat security officer pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of Florida to transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, Marcos Tomas Perez, 62, stole hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia belonging to the Miami Heat and sold them to online brokers. The items, which included rare jerseys, were worth millions of dollars.
Perez, a 25-year retired veteran of the City of Miami Police Department, was employed as a security officer with the Miami Heat from 2016 to 2021 and later worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025. During his tenure, Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he had access to a secured equipment room that stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia set aside for a future Miami Heat museum.
During his employment, Perez stole more than 400 jerseys and other items from the secured equipment room and sold them through various online marketplaces. Perez sold more than 100 stolen items over a three-and-a-half-year period for approximately $1.9 million by shipping them across state lines, often at prices well below their market value. For example, Perez sold a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey for about $100,000. That same jersey was later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.
On April 3, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Perez’s residence and recovered nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia, which the Miami Heat confirmed had been stolen from their facility.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami is investigating the case. USPIS Miami and Miami Police Department provided invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moore is prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20346.
###
Five Arrested, Accused of St. Louis-Linked Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Five people accused of involvement in a drug distribution ring that smuggled kilograms of cocaine to St. Louis and other areas were arrested Tuesday.
Christopher D. Taylor, 35; Stanford “Stan” Times, 36; Vincent “Lil V” Woods, 38; and Terry Smith, 49, were arrested in the St. Louis area. Rene Garcia, 47, was arrested in Texas.
Arturo Villalobos, now 33, of Texas, has been in custody since April, when he was charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was indicted with that same charge on April 30. A superseding indictment on July 24 added charges against the others.
Times, Woods, Garcia, Grant “50” Berry, 47, and Nabor Deleon, 34, of Texas, now face one cocaine conspiracy count and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Villalobos, Berry and Deleon face a second possession count. Taylor, Smith, and Wally Burciaga, 30, face just the cocaine conspiracy count. Berry, Deleon and Burciaga have not yet been arrested.
The indictment accuses all of them in involvement in a cocaine conspiracy from October 2024 to July 2025.
Motions seeking to hold the men in jail until trial say Villalobos was caught with a duffel bag containing 19 kilograms of cocaine, as well as $100,000 cash, part of a history of traveling the country transporting drugs and collecting drug payments. Only a few days later, he traveled to St. Louis to collect payment for a prior shipment of cocaine, the motion says.
Berry, who was caught with 13 kilograms of cocaine, supplied illegal drugs to Woods and Times, who supplied Taylor and Smith, the motions say. A man who purchased cocaine from Taylor was the target of a shooting on Interstate 55 in St. Louis on Nov. 23, 2024, the motions say. The buyer’s car was hit about 26 times. One round entered the northbound lanes of the highway, striking and killing an innocent bystander, the motions say.
Burciaga, an escaped federal prison inmate, was the source of supply of the drugs in Mexico, and Garcia and Deleon are truck drivers who transported the drugs, the motions say.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely an accusation and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jefferson County Municipal Enforcement Group, the Overland Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie J. Schneider Phillip Voss are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Federal grand jury indicts Georgia man for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jeryel L. Winfield a/k/a Derezz a/k/a Idriys, 51, of McDonough, GA, formerly of Binghamton, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2019, and May 26, 2022, Winfield conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Federal Jury Convicts Detroit Man of Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Antonio Shelby Jr., 32, of Detroit, Michigan, today of possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at trial showed that on January 10, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Shelby in the Institute area of Kanawha County. The officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, asked Shelby to exit the vehicle, and told him that the vehicle would be searched. Shelby fled in the vehicle, driving at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour on West Virginia Route 25 and Interstate 64 while trying to elude law enforcement.
The pursuit ended when Shelby crashed his vehicle while attempting to exit I-64 at South Charleston. Shelby was found climbing out of the vehicle and detained by officers. When officers lifted Shelby from the ground, they found a Keltec model P3 AT .380-caliber pistol, loaded and with a round in the chamber, on the ground underneath him. Officers also found a bag in the vehicle containing quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana, digital scales, and $2,495. A quantity of the seized methamphetamine was found packaged in 17 small individual baggies.
Shelby has a criminal history that includes prior felony convictions for fleeing from a police officer and reckless driving causing serious impairment of a body function.
Shelby is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison.
“Shelby endangered the community by trafficking drugs while armed with a gun and also endangered both the public and law enforcement officers when he recklessly fled the traffic stop,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend the law enforcement officers who safely apprehended the defendant and those who investigated this case, and I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Jeremy B. Wolfe and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on both counts in the indictment.”
The following law enforcement agencies were involved in apprehending Shelby, investigating the case, and securing the convictions at trial: the Nitro Police Department, the Dunbar Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the jury trial.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-197.
###
Fort Walton Beach Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Louis Terrell Jones, 42, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our brave law enforcement officers are increasingly encountering and seizing firearms that have been illegally modified to fire as fully automatic machineguns. My office remains fully committed to fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting these violent criminals with the full force of the law.”
In November 2024, a deputy with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office initiated a routine traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jones. During the stop, the vehicle was searched and the deputy found a Glock 9 millimeter pistol with a machinegun conversion device attached to it. Jones is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including attempted burglary, possession of a weapon on school property, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and aggravated assault by threat with a firearm.
Jones faces up to twenty-five years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
FBI Snuffs Out Opioid ‘Blaze’Read the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Courtney Linwood “Blaze” Matthews, 40, of Fayetteville, was sentenced today in federal court to 40 years in prison for his role as the leader of a multi-year drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for distributing more than 839 kilograms of cocaine, 9.5 kilograms of heroin, and 3.4 kilograms of fentanyl across Eastern North Carolina. Matthews, who laundered drug proceeds through vehicle purchases and other assets, also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
“Linwood “Blaze” Matthews pleaded guilty to possessing and selling enough fentanyl to kill most of Fayetteville along with 9.5 kg of heroin and 839 kg of cocaine which is 1,854 pounds and is nearly the weight of a Mitsubishi Mirage,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Blaze flooded the area with dangerous opioids and narcotics that hurt Fayetteville families. Now thanks to their tireless work, our law enforcement partners have put that fire out making the community safer.”
“The amount of illegal drugs “Blaze” Matthews is responsible for pumping into our community is staggering. The FBI and our partners are unwavering in our fight against violent crime on our streets,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Fayetteville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other law enforcement agencies identified Matthews as the head of a large-scale drug trafficking organization. The investigation established that Matthews was one of the most high-volume drug dealers in the area, coordinating with multiple co-conspirators to import and distribute kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in Cumberland and Robeson counties. Matthews had previously been convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana in the Eastern District of North Carolina in 2008.
In September of 2023, law enforcement was able to conduct a controlled purchase of one kilogram of cocaine from Matthews and co-defendant Anthony Mack at a residence owned by Matthews in Fayetteville. During the spring of 2024, investigators used tools to track Matthews’ source of supply and distribution network. During the investigation, agents seized significant quantities of drugs, drug packaging material, more than $213,000 in cash, firearms, and business records showing Matthews was funneling drug money into vehicles and other assets. Evidence showed Matthews wasn’t just moving drugs; he was running a car rental business with assets purchased with drug proceeds, directing others, keeping stash houses, and making sure his operation kept pumping narcotics into the community.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00177-D-1.
Evansville Sex Offender to Spend 17.5 Years in Federal Prison for Sharing Child Sexual Abuse Files via KikRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Casey Lee Smith, 48, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of distribution of sexually explicit material involving minors.
According to court documents, in January of 2022, the Evansville Police Department received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, stating that 16 files containing child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to the instant messaging application, Kik, by Casey Lee Smith. The video files included depictions of prepubescent minors and minors under the age of twelve years, as well as depictions of sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Investigators searched Smith’s cellphone and uncovered 95 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material that had been accessed and viewed by Smith, with some involving infants. Investigators also located the Kik application, which Smith did not disclose on his list of social media accounts when updating his sex offender registration information, required annually.
Smith has been a registered sex offender since 2003 due to felony convictions for Child Exploitation and Possession of Child Pornography.
“This dangerous criminal used Kik to share the horrific abuse of the most vulnerable victims,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Those who gather online to revel in the exploitation of children will be identified and prosecuted. I am grateful to the FBI and the Evansville Police Department for their work to ensure that this defendant will serve a significant prison sentence, where our children will be out of his reach.”
“The exploitation of children is among the most heinous crimes we investigate. Every file this defendant shared represented the ongoing abuse of a real child,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “He chose to traffic in the sexual abuse of children, and now he will spend years behind bars, unable to harm our communities. Let this serve as a warning: if you exploit children in any way, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find you and ensure you face the full consequences of your actions.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant United States Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
###
Epping Man Pleads Guilty for Purchasing Live-Streamed Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An Epping man pleaded guilty today in federal court for his conduct involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
David Mendum, 46, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for November 25, 2025.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mendum was paying child sex traffickers in the Philippines to create live-stream child sexual abuse material and transmit it to him over the internet.
The Department of Homeland Security led the investigation. The New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Epping Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
###
Employee’s Smuggling of Drugs into Missouri Prison Leads to 87-Month Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a former state prison employee to 87 months in prison for smuggling contraband into that prison.
Steven M. Reminger, 53, was an electronics technician at the Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri on May 25, 2022, when U.S. Postal Inspectors caught him with a package that contained $4,000 in cash and packages containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, K2, THC edibles, marijuana, knives and cell phones.
The investigation began when inmates alerted prison officials about drug smuggling after a number of inmate deaths. One told a Missouri Department of Corrections investigator that Reminger had drugs mailed to a Post Office box in Farmington, Missouri under a fake name. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service learned that Reminger had received about 12 packages between Nov. 13, 2021, and May 24, 2022, at that P.O. box. Reminger told Postal Inspectors that the $4,000 in the final package was his compensation. He said he never opened the individual packages and didn’t know what was inside. He acknowledged that it was “possible” the packages he brought in contained something that contributed to the inmate overdoses, but said “ignorance is bliss.”
Reminger turned over $15,000 in cash that he’d made from smuggling. He used some of the rest of the money to buy a dune buggy and two trailers.Reminger pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in April to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
The Missouri Department of Corrections Office of Professional Standards, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Rebar prosecuted the case.
Effingham County man admits to federal charges for financially exploiting an elder out of more than $330,000Read the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – An Effingham County man appeared in federal court to plead guilty to several charges for exploiting an elder out of an estimated $338,773.
Edward L. Stief, Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions in criminal derived property. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 2 at the federal courthouse in Benton.
“The defendant posed as a trusted helper, offering lawn care services to gain the victim’s confidence, only to exploit his trust,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “He then deceived this vulnerable victim into leaving a nursing home with false promises of care, just to pocket more money. We will relentlessly pursue such financial predators to protect southern Illinois communities.”
According to court documents, Stief met the victim in May 2023 after becoming acquainted to him while offering lawn care and landscaping services. Shortly thereafter, Stief used several misrepresentations to convince the victim to appoint him as his Financial and Healthcare Power of Attorney.
"After a lifetime of hard work, our seniors deserve to feel safe and secure. Instead, criminals like this defendant shatter that trust, stealing not just their money but their sense of security,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher J.S. Johnson. “FBI Springfield and our partners will continue to hold those who commit elder fraud accountable for their callous and reprehensible actions."
Stief became a signatory on the victim’s bank accounts. In August 2023, he talked the victim into cashing out life insurance policies and deposited most of the victim’s money into Stief’s personal bank accounts. In addition, Stief also took the victim’s gold coin collection, gold necklaces and watches.
In October 2023, Stief persuaded the victim to leave a nursing home facility and move into his full-time care. Under Stief’s care, the victim was not cared for and his medical needs were not met.
Convictions for wire and mail fraud are punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and monetary transaction in criminally derived property is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The FBI Springfield Field Office and the Effingham Police Department contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is prosecuting the case.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a service from the U.S. Department of Justice that helps victims over 60 years report crimes and access resources. The hotline is available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. ET, at (833) 372-8311 or (833) FRAUD-11. Callers can remain anonymous, and translation services are available.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Timothy D. Luckett, also known as “Fetty” and “Jack Boi,” 32, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 21, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Rotary Road residence in Huntington where they encountered Luckett. On a kitchen counter in the residence, officers found approximately 454 grams of methamphetamine on one digital scale, approximately 2.5 grams of fentanyl on a second digital scale, and approximately 50 grams of fentanyl in a backpack. Under a dresser, officers found a loaded Ruger .45-caliber pistol, a loaded Sig Sauer Mosquito .22-caliber pistol, a Feather Industries .22-caliber rifle, and ammunition. Officers also found $7,278 in the residence and $380 on Luckett’s person during the search. As part of his guilty plea, Luckett admitted that he used the residence to store and conduct distributions of controlled substances, and that the seized cash was proceeds from his distribution of methamphetamine.
Luckett also admitted to additional criminal conduct. On November 8, 2023, Luckett sold approximately 7.6 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington in exchange for $800.
Luckett is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-105.
###
Dayton man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for purchasing opioid cutting agent from China to distribute throughout MidwestRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Nykiha Astin, 42, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 135 months in prison for purchasing an opioid cutting agent from China.
According to court documents, Astin knowingly conspired with others to purchase at least one kilogram of metonitazene from a source in China. Astin intended to market the drug, what he termed “juice,” in the United States as a cutting agent that, when mixed with fentanyl, would boost the strength and yield of the fentanyl. Astin worked with others to distribute the “juice” in ounce quantities to drug dealers in the Midwest.
Astin was charged federally in May 2024 and pleaded guilty in April 2025. He is one of four defendants convicted in this case.
Dominick S. Gerace, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Davenport Man Indicted for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Mauricio Flores (36, Davenport) with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Flores faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Flores that the United States intends to forfeit a cellphone, which is alleged to have been used in furtherance of the offense.
According to court documents, Flores’s residence was the subject of a search warrant related to activity on a dark web site dedicated to CSAM. Investigators seized devices belonging to Flores and found files containing CSAM on a cellphone.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Muriel Moore.
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 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Coweta County Sex Offender and Bartow County Man Plead Guilty to Child Enticement CrimesRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – On August 15, 2025, three defendants, including a convicted sex offender on post-release supervision, pled guilty to federal child enticement and evidence tampering charges. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg handled the court proceedings himself.
“Protecting children from sexual predators is among the highest priorities for law enforcement at every level,” said U.S. Attorney Hertzberg. “In northwest Georgia, state and local officers collaborate closely with federal agents to keep our kids safe. My office is fully committed to supporting their efforts, and, while I serve as United States Attorney, I will continue to prosecute these important cases personally.”
“These crimes are especially disturbing. Those who engage in child exploitation will be held accountable for their conduct,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will remain vigilant and continue our active role to ensure children are protected and justice is sought for victims.”
“The GBI remains dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities and ensuring offenders face justice,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “We will continue working alongside our partners to safeguard children from those who seek to exploit them. These guilty pleas send a clear message: those who prey on children will be held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 4, 2025, Christopher Welcher, a registered sex offender who served more than six years in federal prison following a 2016 conviction for distributing visual depictions of child sex abuse, exchanged sexually explicit text messages with an undercover law enforcement officer he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Welcher told the undercover officer that he “happen[s] to think that 14 is the perfect age [for] kissing, talking, sexting, having sex, and more.” Welcher encouraged the purported 14-year-old to skip school so he could engage in sexual conduct that would constitute aggravated child molestation under Georgia law. Welcher then drove to Floyd County, Georgia to meet the girl near a public high school. Police arrested Welcher upon his arrival at the meeting location and seized his cell phone. A subsequent search of the cell phone revealed hundreds of images of child sex abuse.
On March 12, 2025, Welcher called his wife, Connie Thompson, from the Floyd County Jail. The call was recorded. Welcher and Thompson discussed a plan for Thompson to destroy electronic devices at their home in Grantville, Georgia. Thompson told Welcher, “I’m fixing to bust the f*** out of” the devices, at least one of which contained pornographic images Welcher possessed in violation of his conditions of supervised release. FBI promptly obtained a warrant to search Thompson’s home, but, by the time agents arrived, Thompson had already smashed two digital storage drives and discarded them in the kitchen trashcan. Law enforcement recovered the damaged devices from the trashcan but could not repair them.
Approximately one week later, in an unrelated case, FBI agents arrested William Eric Cooper, a Bartow County, Georgia resident. Between February 6, 2025 and February 24, 2025, Cooper exchanged over 1,000 chat messages with a 15-year-old child. Within the first few messages, the child identified herself as a ninth grader. Many of the subsequent messages were sexual in nature. Cooper directed the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct and send him depictions of it in exchange for his promise to meet her in North Carolina and help her run away from her family. The child did what Cooper instructed. When agents arrested Cooper, they seized cellphones from his car and home. Searches of those devices revealed a sexually explicit video of the 15-year-old child and more than 250 images and videos depicting other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The enticement charges to which Welcher, 45, and Cooper, 45, pled guilty carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years of imprisonment. Welcher faces an additional 5-year mandatory minimum term for the violation of his supervised release conditions. Thompson, 52, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The defendants’ sentencing hearings have been scheduled for November 21, 2025, before United States District Judge William M. Ray, II.
These cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance from the Rome/Floyd Metro Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Police Department, and Grantville Police Department.
United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and Assistant United States Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III are prosecuting the cases.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Coos County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Sexually Exploit a MinorRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A North Bend, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for sexually exploiting an Oregon child using the social media application Facebook Messenger.
Chistopher Jay Young, 40, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and 15 years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 20, 2024, Young, using Facebook Messenger, persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, record the conduct, and send it to him.
On April 11, 2024, federal and state law enforcement officers from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oregon State Police, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office executed federal search warrants on Young’s home and vehicles. Young was arrested and investigators seized his devices.
During a search of Young’s devices, investigators learned that Young used the minor’s social media account to communicate and request the child sexual abuse material and that Young had the minor’s Facebook login credentials saved in his phone.
On April 16, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a two-count indictment charging Young with attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and attempting to coerce or entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual conduct.
On May 6, 2025, Young pleaded guilty to attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from HSI. It was prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Central Georgia resident with a prior aggravated assault conviction, who was found guilty at trial of illegally possessing a pistol with an extended magazine during a tense standoff with Baldwin County deputies in 2022, was sentenced to serve more than eleven years in prison.
Dormaine Mitchell, 39, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 140 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Aug. 19. Mitchell was found guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 8, following a two-day trial. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat offenders convicted of violent crimes have no business carrying a gun. Felons who illegally possess firearms will be federally prosecuted for breaking the law and endangering others,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This case demonstrates the risk our law enforcement partners face daily, and I am thankful for their commitment to public safety.”
“A prohibited person in possession of stolen firearms is a clear and present danger to our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka of the Atlanta Field Division. “We are incredibly grateful for the courage and quick action of our law enforcement partners who responded to this high-risk situation. Their dedication ensured a safe outcome for everyone involved. ATF is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners as we work together to protect the public and pursue justice.”
“The defendant has repeatedly caused issues in our community through his criminal behavior. We are very grateful that his case has gone federal, ensuring he is held accountable for his crimes,” said Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, a Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputy observed the defendant driving erratically by running off the side of the road and into oncoming traffic on Vinson Highway near Laboratory Road on Oct. 13, 2022. The officer stopped the vehicle and noticed the driver, Mitchell, had a strong smell of alcohol and slurred speech. Mitchell told the officer he did not have weapons in the car. However, when Mitchell reached for his wallet, the officer saw the extended magazine of a Glock 22 pistol sticking out from between the driver’s seat and the center console. The officer pulled her weapon and commanded Mitchell to put his hands on the steering wheel. The officer then saw Mitchell lower his right hand. The officer called for backup, took cover and gave verbal commands. At some point during their encounter, Mitchell moved the firearm and placed it on the passenger seat of the vehicle. More officers arrived, and Mitchell was taken into custody. While Mitchell was escorted to the police car, he told the officer, “You better be glad it didn’t go bad.” Mitchell has a lengthy criminal history, including a prior aggravated assault conviction in Baldwin County Superior Court. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, along with assistance from the Milledgeville Police Department and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney Will Keyes prosecuted the case for the Government.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Assaulting a Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jermaine Knight, 36, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to a total of forty-three months in prison, for assaulting and strangling an inmate in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Knight pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction) and one count of felony strangulation. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld ordered Knight to serve 20 months of incarceration for the unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction) and 23 months of in prison for the felony strangulation, with prison time to be served consecutively and followed by three years of supervised release.
The defendant admitted that on October 9, 2024, he was walking his dog while in possession of a ghost gun when he accidently shot himself in the thigh when his dog lunged on the leash. Officers responded to the scene and though Knight initially lied and said he was shot by an unidentified assailant, Officers conducted a thorough investigation and determined that Knight shot himself.
Knight also admitted that on December 18, 2024, while he was pending trial for the firearm offense, he assaulted and strangled a fellow inmate in the D.C. Superior Court holding cell while both men were waiting for their court hearings. Knight sucker punched the other inmate, hit him in the head and face approximately 15 times, and eventually strangled the inmate for five seconds. Knight then mopped up the inmate’s blood with sandwich bread.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Marshal Robert A. Dixon of the Marshals Service.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro, Chief Smith, and U.S. Marshal Dixon commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kadian D. Carter, who prosecuted the case.
Colombian National Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Import Tons of Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that Alberto Alonso Jaramillo Ramirez was sentenced today to 150 months in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. JARAMILLO RAMIREZ pled guilty on March 24, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Our fight against the flood of dangerous drugs from Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico is about protecting our children and our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Jaramillo Ramirez conspired to traffic massive amounts of cocaine into our country, working with paramilitaries. New Yorkers want him and others like him put out of business.”
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
JARAMILLO RAMIREZ conspired with his co-defendants and other individuals associated with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (“FARC”)—a violent organization based in Colombia that was dedicated to the overthrow of the Colombian government and responsible for the production and distribution of the majority of the cocaine that eventually reached the U.S.—to source and distribute tons of cocaine destined for the U.S. JARAMILLO RAMIREZ negotiated with individuals he believed to be narcotics traffickers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (the “Mexican DTO”) seeking to establish a cocaine supply line from Venezuela to the U.S. These individuals, however, were actually confidential sources working at the direction of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).
In recorded communications during the investigation, JARAMILLO RAMIREZ agreed to assist the planned cocaine venture through his connections in Colombia. Specifically, JARAMILLO RAMIREZ agreed to provide connections to sources of supply for ton quantities of cocaine and to other individuals to assist with transportation and security for the planned large-scale cocaine loads. In December 2021, to prove their bona fides and establish the quality of their cocaine supply, JARAMILLO RAMIREZ and his co-defendants sold the confidential sources a five-kilogram sample of cocaine containing a high level of purity—lab tests demonstrated the cocaine was between 86.6% to 89.1% pure—from a FARC-associated farm outside of Medellín. JARAMILLO RAMIREZ was arrested in Colombia in February 2022, at the request of the U.S., while finalizing a much larger partnership with the Mexican DTO, which contemplated the shipment of approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine to the U.S. per week.
JARAMILLO RAMIREZ is the third defendant in this case to be sentenced. On April 11, 2024, Libia Amanda Palacio Mena was sentenced to 168 months in prison, and on April 26, 2024, Alvaro Fredy Cordoba Ruiz was also sentenced to 168 months in prison.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, JARAMILLO RAMIREZ, 56, of Medellín, Colombia, was sentenced to four years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit and Bogotá Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia for securing the arrest and March 2024 extradition of JARAMILLO RAMIREZ.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Kaylan E. Lasky, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Communications, conversations, and statements discussed and quoted herein are described in substance and in part, and many of these conversations occurred in Spanish.
Chinese National Sentenced for Acting at North Korea’s Direction to Export Firearms, Ammo, Tech to N. KoreaRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from China was sentenced yesterday to 96 months in prison for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition, and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.
Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen V. Wilson for the Central District of California
Wen, who has been in federal custody since December 2024, pleaded guilty on June 9 to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013.
Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.
In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods — including sensitive technology — from the United States to North Korea via China.
In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.
In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.
In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments — which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator — left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.
In September 2024, Wen — once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials — bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.
In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.
Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.
During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.
Wen admitted in his plea agreement that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.
The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; DCIS; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security investigated this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes for the Central District of California’s Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
California Behavioral Medicine Provider Agrees to Pay $2.75 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims for Psychotherapy ServicesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – American Psychiatric Centers, Inc., doing business under the name Comprehensive Psychiatric Services (CPS), has agreed to pay $2.75 million to resolve allegations that CPS violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to government healthcare payors for certain psychotherapy services.
CPS, which is headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., provides behavioral medicine services for individuals and families in the State of California. Since at least 2015, CPS and its healthcare providers have submitted claims to government payors using Current Procedural Terminology codes 90833 and 90836, which are “add-on” codes to be used when psychotherapy services are performed in conjunction with an evaluation and management visit, and which require specific documentation.
The settlement announced today resolves the government’s allegations that, from Jan. 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2022, CPS submitted fraudulent claims using these add-on codes in instances where its healthcare providers either had not provided the services described by those codes or had failed to sufficiently document that such services had been provided. CPS will pay $2,615,569.32 to the United States and $134,430.68 to the State of California.
“Providers that participate in federally funded health care programs must abide by the rules and submit proper claims for care that was in fact rendered. To do otherwise is to drain resources from our fellow Americans who rely on Medicare and other government programs. This settlement sends a clear message that we will continue to investigate and pursue any entity that fraudulently seeks to increase profits at taxpayers’ expense,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.
“Holding health care providers accountable for submitting false claims to Federal health care programs is crucial for ensuring that taxpayer funds are appropriately used and for maintaining the American public’s trust,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey McIntosh of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, our agency remains dedicated to protecting taxpayer-funded programs that deliver essential behavioral health services.”
“Today’s outcome concludes a collaborative effort to hold Comprehensive Psychiatric Services accountable for its improper billing practices. These actions undermined our Federal health care system, including the Department of Defense’s TRICARE program,” said John E. Helsing, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate health care providers that seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the American taxpayer.”
“Veterans and their families expect and deserve the highest quality healthcare delivered in a safe and accountable setting,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “This settlement is a testament to the VA OIG’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs and preserving taxpayer funds.”
“False claims increase costs and undermine the integrity of our federal health care programs, including the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program,” said Derek M. Holt, Special Agent in Charge, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General (OPM OIG). “We support the work of our law enforcement partners and colleagues to investigate fraudulent medical billing that wastes taxpayer dollars.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Helland handled this matter for the government, with the assistance of Garland He. The investigation and settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, HHS-OIG, DCIS, VA OIG, OPM OIG, and the California Department of Justice, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Browning man arraigned on manslaughter and gun chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - A Browning man accused of killing an individual and possessing an unlawful firearm appeared today for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Treyson Lee Sharp, 21, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. The maximum penalties for involuntary manslaughter are 8 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The penalties for possession of an unlawful firearm are 10 years of imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. Sharp was released pending further proceedings.
Count I of the indictment alleges that on or about December 28, 2024, at or near Browning, the defendant, without due caution and circumspection, killed Jane Doe, in the commission of a lawful act that might produce death, that is, he discharged a loaded firearm while pointing it at Jane Doe, killing her.
Count 2 of the indictment alleges that on or about December 28, 2024, at or near Browning, the defendant knowingly possessed a weapon made from a shotgun, which the defendant knew had an overall length of less than 26 inches and a barrel of less than 18 inches, which was not registered to him in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI, ATF, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case reference. 25-84.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
XXX
Bethlehem Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography, Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Earl Burford, 47, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to nine years in prison, six years of supervised release, and $3,000 in restitution, for child pornography and firearms offenses.
The defendant was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024, then charged by information in March of this year with distribution of child pornography and possession of a firearm by a felon. Burford pleaded guilty to both counts in May, waiving prosecution by indictment.
As detailed in court filings, in August 2024, the FBI learned that a user of the instant messaging application Kik, an account named “freakyfam69,” was using the app to communicate regarding child pornography and child abuse, to include sending and receiving images depicting child pornography.
Investigators received information from Kik that “freakyfam69” used the email address “goldmusicsoul3@gmail.com” to register the Kik account.
When law enforcement obtained subscriber and IP login information for that email, it showed that “goldmusicsoul3@gmail.com” was subscribed to an Earl Burford, with the IP addresses used to access the email account matching the IP information provided by Kik for the user “freakyfam69.”
Cellular phone records subsequently obtained by the FBI showed that the defendant was the subscriber of the IP addresses in question.
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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI Oklahoma City and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.
Benton Man Charged with Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Devine, age 35, of Benton, Pennsylvania, was indicted on July 24, 2025, by a federal grand jury on two charges of distribution of methamphetamine. The case was unsealed following Devine’s initial appearance and arraignment on August 18, 2025.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment charges Devine with distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine on or about May 30, 2024, in Columbia County, and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on or about June 5, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for each offense is life imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Leondus Whittenburg, 43, of Beckley, was sentenced today to seven years and 11 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 6, 2023, Whittenburg sold 320 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the parking lot of a Beckley business near Eisenhower Drive.
Whittenburg has a criminal history that includes multiple prior felony convictions including for drug trafficking in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Whittenburg is among four defendants who pleaded guilty in the case. Phillip Gray, 42, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and John Gray, 39, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine and both are scheduled to be sentenced on September 24, 2025. Daemien Thompson, 39, of Oak Hill, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-31.
###
Allied Stone Inc. and Company Official Agree to Pay $12.4M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
Allied Stone Inc., a Dallas, Texas-based supplier of countertop and cabinetry products, and its President, Jia “Jerry” Lim, have agreed to pay a total of $12.4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly evading, or conspiring to evade, antidumping and countervailing duties owed to the United States on quartz surface products imported from the People’s Republic of China (China).
“This settlement reflects our commitment to hold accountable those who evade or conspire to evade duties owed on imported goods, including antidumping and countervailing duties that level the playing field for American manufacturers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will zealously pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by evading or conspiring with others to evade duties owed.”
“This case demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and its partners will use every tool available to ensure compliance with our nation’s trade policy, including customs, duties, and tariffs on foreign imports meant to level the playing field,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “This settlement sends a message that U.S. companies cannot turn a blind eye to the evasion of customs duties.”
“Providing false information to CBP violates the law, and it is imperative that violators face consequences,” said acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas of the Office of Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “CBP will always work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure a level playing field for U.S. businesses.”
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties, including antidumping and countervailing duties assessed by the Department of Commerce. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies. During the relevant time period, quartz surface products from China were subject to both antidumping and countervailing duties.
The settlement resolves allegations that Allied Stone and Mr. Lim knowingly evaded or conspired to evade duties on Chinese quartz surface products that were imported between Sept. 29, 2018 and Feb. 7, 2023. Among other things, the United States alleged that Allied Stone and Mr. Lim misrepresented, caused to be misrepresented, or conspired in the misrepresentation of Chinese quartz surface products as other merchandise subject to lesser duties, such as marble or crystallized glass, to improperly avoid applicable antidumping and countervailing duties. The United States also alleged that Allied Stone and Mr. Lim failed to declare and pay, and failed to ensure that others (including manufacturers and third-party entities serving as the official importers of record) were declaring and paying, applicable antidumping and countervailing duties owed to the United States on entries of Chinese quartz surface products.
The settlement with Allied Stone and Mr. Lim resolves a civil lawsuit filed by relator Melinda Hemphill under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Texas and is captioned United States ex rel. Melinda Hemphill v. Allied Stone Inc., et al., No. 21-cv-2955 (N.D. Tex.). As part of today’s resolution, Ms. Hemphill will receive approximately $2,170,875 of the settlement proceeds.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, with assistance from CBP’s Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Gulf Southwest Region and from Trade Regulatory Audit within CBP’s Office of Trade.
Trial Attorney Gavin Thole of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Najib Gazi, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Guiltinan for the Northern District of Texas handled the case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Allied Stone Inc. and Company Official Agree to Pay $12.4M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
Allied Stone Inc., a Dallas, Texas-based supplier of countertop and cabinetry products, and its President, Jia “Jerry” Lim, have agreed to pay a total of $12.4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly evading, or conspiring to evade, antidumping and countervailing duties owed to the United States on quartz surface products imported from the People’s Republic of China (China).
“This settlement reflects our commitment to hold accountable those who evade or conspire to evade duties owed on imported goods, including antidumping and countervailing duties that level the playing field for American manufacturers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will zealously pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by evading or conspiring with others to evade duties owed.”
“This case demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and its partners will use every tool available to ensure compliance with our nation’s trade policy, including customs, duties, and tariffs on foreign imports meant to level the playing field,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas. “This settlement sends a message that U.S. companies cannot turn a blind eye to the evasion of customs duties.”
“Providing false information to CBP violates the law, and it is imperative that violators face consequences,” said acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas of the Office of Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “CBP will always work alongside the Department of Justice to ensure a level playing field for U.S. businesses.”
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties, including antidumping and countervailing duties assessed by the Department of Commerce. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies. During the relevant time period, quartz surface products from China were subject to both antidumping and countervailing duties.
The settlement resolves allegations that Allied Stone and Mr. Lim knowingly evaded or conspired to evade duties on Chinese quartz surface products that were imported between Sept. 29, 2018 and Feb. 7, 2023. Among other things, the United States alleged that Allied Stone and Mr. Lim misrepresented, caused to be misrepresented, or conspired in the misrepresentation of Chinese quartz surface products as other merchandise subject to lesser duties, such as marble or crystallized glass, to improperly avoid applicable antidumping and countervailing duties. The United States also alleged that Allied Stone and Mr. Lim failed to declare and pay, and failed to ensure that others (including manufacturers and third-party entities serving as the official importers of record) were declaring and paying, applicable antidumping and countervailing duties owed to the United States on entries of Chinese quartz surface products.
The settlement with Allied Stone and Mr. Lim resolves a civil lawsuit filed by relator Melinda Hemphill under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Texas and is captioned United States ex rel. Melinda Hemphill v. Allied Stone Inc., et al., No. 21-cv-2955 (N.D. Tex.). As part of today’s resolution, Ms. Hemphill will receive approximately $2,170,875 of the settlement proceeds.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, with assistance from CBP’s Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Gulf Southwest Region and from Trade Regulatory Audit within CBP’s Office of Trade.
Trial Attorney Gavin Thole of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Najib Gazi, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Guiltinan for the Northern District of Texas handled the case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.