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4 August 2025
Second defendant sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for supplying methamphetamine to TDCJ prison in Potter CountyRead the Press Release
A co-conspirator of a former Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) corrections officer was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for her role in supplying methamphetamine to inmates in the Clements Unit of the TDCJ prison located in Potter County, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Veronica Wertz, 49, was indicted in November 2024 and pled guilty in March 2025 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine for several months in 2023. Court documents reflect that Wertz was romantically involved with an inmate located in the William Clements Unit of the TDCJ prison in Potter County who was working with former prison guard Ricky Eugene Hall to bring drugs into the prison.
Wertz admitted that she received packages of drugs through the mail in Amarillo to be taken into the prison for distribution to the inmate. Law enforcement agents found text messages of Wertz and Hall on both of their cell phones showing their mutual involvement in the narcotics distribution.Court records reveal that Hall admitted, when interviewed by FBI agents, that he would communicate with inmates via prepaid burner phones to coordinate “drops” or “plays.” Inmates would arrange for an outside narcotics supplier to meet with Hall at various locations in Amarillo, where Hall would receive pre-packaged contraband. Hall would then conceal the contraband in his correctional uniform vest and leave the package at a predetermined location in the facility, such as the laundry, kitchen, or with cleaning staff. Hall also admitted that he maintained a storage unit to store contraband. When law enforcement agents searched the storage unit, they uncovered more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, cell phones, and other items intended for distribution inside the Clements unit prison.
Hall pled guilty to methamphetamine distribution in January 2025 and was sentenced on June 9, 2025, to 97 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. On July 9, 2025, Judge Kacsmaryk sentenced Veronica Wertz to 57 months in federal prison.
“This case highlights the stellar work of numerous law enforcement agencies working together to halt a stealthy contraband smuggling conspiracy shamefully led by a corrections officer occupying a position of trust,” said Acting United States Attorney Nancy Larson. “We are proud of the investigative work in this case and that we brought those involved to justice.”
“The defendant took part in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs and other contraband into a state prison. This resulted in the distribution of prohibited items to inmates,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We would like to thank our law enforcement partners for assisting us with this investigation. This collaborative effort resulted in successfully ending the illegal activity and holding the offenders accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety, TDCJ – Office of Inspector General, Amarillo Police Department, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Marie Bell and Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case.
Seattle man who carjacked a luxury sedan in Pioneer Square sentenced to six years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 32-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for carjacking and using a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Louis Montel De’Andre Dowers was arrested June 9, 2024, hours after he carjacked a BMW outside the Seattle Team Shop on Occidental Avenue South in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun called the carjacking “terrifying crimes.”
“Using a ‘ghost gun’ to threaten the driver and almost running down a second victim, is why carjacking has received substantial federal attention,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “In 2024, the Department of Justice created eleven Carjacking Task Forces in districts around the United States, including here in the Western District of Washington. This increased focus on federal prosecutions of armed carjacking offenses has coincided with a substantial reduction in these types of crimes.”
According to the plea agreement, a man was waiting for his wife, sitting in the driver’s seat of his car outside a business on Occidental Avenue South. Dowers approached the car from behind, pulled out a distinctive firearm, pointed it at the victim, and ordered him out of the car saying “It’s mine now. Get out.” The victim was able to get his dog out of the car before Dowers drove off. The victim’s wife came out of the store and was nearly hit by the car as it raced away.
Police were able to track the car to Auburn, Washington – near a middle school. Working with a description of the alleged carjacker, a King County Sheriff’s deputy located Dowers walking nearby. When searched, Dowers possessed a semi-automatic firearm that had been privately manufactured – a so-called ‘ghost gun.’ The firearm was fully loaded with a round in the chamber.
Dowers pleaded guilty in April 2025. Judge Chun scheduled a hearing for October 27,2025 to set the amount of restitution Dowers owes to the victims.
In their victim statements the couple said they “still live” with this “moment of terror . . . every single day.” The couple said they continue to experience trauma because of Dowers’ crime, which “robbed [them] of peace.”
The case was investigated by the federal carjacking task force made up of the Seattle Police Department, the Kent Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg who leads the Western District of Washington Carjacking Task Force.
Santa Fe Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing and distributing heroin and methamphetamine while illegally possessing firearms.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, the early morning hours of July 8, 2020, officers from the Española Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting a suspicious vehicle parked outside a residence. Officers found Antonio Quintana-Pena, 40, unconscious behind the wheel of a gray Nissan. In his lap was a silver and black box containing a baseball-sized bundle of heroin. Officers also recovered a loaded, stolen pistol from beneath the driver's seat, along with methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and more than $2,000 in cash.
Later that year, on November 19, 2020, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Quintana-Pena’s residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Inside his bedroom, agents found over 190 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 100 grams of heroin stored in safes, along with multiple loaded firearms. Ammunition, cash, and additional narcotics were also recovered from the room.
Quintana-Pena, a previously convicted felon, admitted to knowingly possessing the drugs with intent to distribute and to carrying the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. He also acknowledged knowing he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. Upon his release from prison, Quintana-Pena will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Española Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Hirsch prosecuted the case.
Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Involving over $500,000 in EBT Funds, Illegal Reentry, and Asylum FraudRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Marius Marian pleaded guilty in federal court today to fraudulently obtaining over $500,000 in Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) funds, illegally reentering the United States following an aggravated felony conviction, and making false statements on his asylum application.
Marian, 39, a citizen of Romania, was charged by information on July 23, 2025, with one count of bank fraud, one count of illegal re-entry into the United States following an aggravated felony conviction, and one count of asylum fraud. He pleaded guilty to all three counts today.
In pleading guilty, Marian admitted that from March 2, 2024, through June 3, 2025, he fraudulently obtained EBT funds by using over 601 unique victim EBT account identifiers. As described in court documents, EBT benefits are federal funds distributed through the California Department of Social Services to individuals in need in California. Marian obtained EBT cards numbers by using skimmer devices on ATM and point of sale machines that captured the victim’s EBT account information when the victim uses the card. After encoding the victim’s EBT account information on counterfeit bank cards, Marian used the counterfeit bank cards to fraudulently withdraw EBT funds from ATMs in Northern California.
As a result of his scheme, Marian withdrew $507,916 in cash and intended to withdraw $611,845 in EBT funds. Marian further admitted that his conduct involved sophisticated means and caused substantial financial hardship to at least 25 victims.
Additionally, Marian admitted that on or around April 27, 2023, he knowingly submitted false statements on an application for asylum to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Specifically, Marian knowingly failed to disclose in his asylum application that he had been previously deported from the United States and that he had previously been convicted in 2019 of bank fraud.
Finally, Marian acknowledged that he had been previously deported after his 2019 conviction for bank fraud and that he thereafter illegally reentered and was found in the United States.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), San Francisco Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Diamond, Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Dionida, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG), and ICE Field Office Director Sergio Albarran made the announcement.
Marian is currently in federal custody. Marian’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the count of bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344; 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of illegal re-entry following an aggravated felony conviction in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1326(a) and (b)(2); and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of asylum fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a). Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily R. Dahlke is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Alycee Lane and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, DSS, USDA OIG, and ICE.
Romanian Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Skimming Tens of Thousands of Welfare Cards at ATMsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from Romania was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for skimming tens of thousands of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards in California and New York.
Catalin-Marius Graur, 43, whose last known residence was in Hollywood, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $165,697 in restitution.
Graur pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Graur is a Romanian citizen who entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2020 but overstayed his visa. Graur travelled across Los Angeles and the Inland Empire installing sophisticated skimming devices in ATMs and point-of-sale terminals to record the account information of individuals who used those devices.
Graur was arrested in New York City in an Airbnb rental apartment in June 2024. In his possession, Graur had more than $37,000 in cash, and 1,488 stolen access device numbers.
Graur worked with multiple members of a transnational criminal organization from Romania to carry out this scheme. A search warrant for the residence of one of Graur’s accomplices revealed that Graur had sent him more than 36,000 stolen EBT card numbers over three years.
EBT card recipients, whom Graur specifically targeted, receive benefits designed specifically to help low-income households pay for housing, food, and other necessities.
The FBI, the United States Secret Service, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the California Department of Social Services, and the Romanian National Police investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Postal Employee Sentenced for Destruction of U.S. MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that JORRY HARRISON (“HARRISON”), age 38, of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 31, 2025 to one year of probation. HARRISON previously pleaded guilty to destruction of mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703(a).
According to court documents, on or about October 25, 2023, HARRISON, while employed as a Postal Service employee, unlawfully opened packages, intended to be conveyed by mail, that had come into his possession while he worked on a Small Parcel and Bundle Sorter.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Calogero and Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Pike Road Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Alabama – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that Treneal De’Ron Beasley, 25, of Pike Road, Alabama, was sentenced on July 31, 2025, to 72 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a machinegun. In addition to his prison term, Beasley was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his release from custody. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on August 17, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call. The caller reported that her child’s father was attempting to force his way into her home. Upon arrival, officers heard an argument inside the residence and, upon entering the home, observed Beasley holding a handgun. He was immediately taken into custody and the firearm was seized.
Further examination revealed that the handgun was equipped with a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch.” This device converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon, capable of firing up to 20 rounds per second with a single pull of the trigger. On March 26, 2025, Beasley pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun.
The Montgomery Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegal Firearms and Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio - An Ohio man has been sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to several drug trafficking charges and for illegal possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Alonzo M. Strickland, 52, of Akron, was sentenced to 120 months in prison (10 years) by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after he pleaded guilty in April to the following charges as outlined in an indictment filed in February:
- One count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
- One count of maintaining a drug premise.
- One count of being a felon in possession of a firearm; previous conviction for drug trafficking in 2006.
- One count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses.
He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Adams imposed the sentence July 31, 2025.
According to court documents, on Jan. 29, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Strickland’s residence in Akron. Federal agents recovered digital scales and multiple bags of cocaine totaling more than two pounds (922.99 grams). Eight loaded firearms were also found in multiple locations throughout Strickland’s residence along with ammunition. Firearms included:
- Savage Axis, .223 caliber rifle
- DPMS A-15, .223 caliber rifle
- Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, .556 caliber rifle
- Kimber 1911, .45 caliber pistol
- Kel-Tec, P50, .57 caliber pistol
- Ruger, P90DC, .45 caliber pistol
- SCCY, CPX-2, 9mm pistol
- Kimber, K65, .357 caliber pistol
This case was investigated by the FBI Akron Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.
Northeast Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A Georgia man who admitted to sexually exploiting a child by sending explicit instructions for the abuse of a young girl over social media is facing up to 30 years in prison for his crime.
William Barnett, II, 33, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III, on Aug. 4. Barnett faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment to be followed by a minimum of five years up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Barnett will have to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The sexual exploitation and abuse of children is intolerable, and our office is relentless in the pursuit of justice on behalf of the most vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This case exemplifies the strong partnership between law enforcement in the Middle District of Georgia as we take decisive action to protect children from predators and ensure offenders are held accountable.”
“Thanks to the diligent efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners, this predator will now spend time behind bars for his appalling actions,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “This investigation underscores our commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and pursuing justice for those who seek to exploit and harm children.”
“Cases like these exemplify the value of partnerships between local, state and federal agencies,” said Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters. “These heinous crimes will not be tolerated in our community. We will continue to work with our partners to protect the children of this community and will pursue those who prey on them.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta’s Child Exploitation and Cyber Investigations Group (CECIG) was investigating a case in February 2024, involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) being shared using the social media and file sharing platform Mega. As a part of that investigation, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) identified Chris Adam Valentine as the suspect. To learn more about Valentine’s case and subsequent federal prosecution and conviction, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/athens-man-sentenced-30-years-prison-sexually-exploiting-child.
During the ACCPD investigation into the hands-on offenses against four minor children, agents discovered a chat thread between Valentine and Barnett in 2022 and 2023; in the chat, Barnett stated he was using a pseudonym and that his name was actually “Will.” Throughout the chat, Valentine sent numerous images of CSAM to Barnett, including a video depicting the sexual assault of a girl between the ages of six and ten years old by an adult man. Other CSAM images were shared in this chat thread between Valentine and Barnett, including a video Barnett sent to Valentine of an adult man sexually assaulting a girl between the ages of five and ten years old. On Aug. 22, 2022, Valentine sent Barnett an image of a female child being sexually assaulted; Barnett responded to Valentine with specific instructions to further abuse the child. Valentine responded with “OK” and then sent two additional images of the same child being abused as Barnett instructed.
A search warrant was obtained and executed at Barnett’s residence on April 3, 2024. Barnett was not home at the time the warrant was executed but was soon located nearby and was arrested. Agents seized eight cellphones; two of the devices contained CSAM. One cellphone had 54 images and three videos of prepubescent minors and toddlers being sexually assaulted and abused by adults. Many of these files were in the Kik and the Mega social media apps. Agents located numerous chats across several platforms where Barnett was messaging with others regarding CSAM, both receiving and sending links with CSAM.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the HSI Atlanta’s Child Exploitation and Cyber Investigations Group (CECIG) and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Norfolk recidivist sentenced to six years in prison for federal drug-trafficking and firearms crimesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to six years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court documents, in February 2024, law enforcement investigators conducted a controlled purchase of cocaine from Stanley Desmarat, aka Whisper, Tony Sulza, Tony Demarcy, or Stanly Desmaratti, 46. On May 13, 2024, law enforcement encountered a parcel containing five kilograms of cocaine and performed a controlled delivery. Shortly after the parcel was delivered, Desmarat arrived in a rental vehicle and retrieved the cocaine. Investigators stopped and arrested Desmarat.
During a subsequent search of Desmarat’s residence, investigators recovered three handguns, one of which was stolen, as well as various ammunition and magazines. Among his previous felony convictions, Desmaret was convicted in 2003 for the manufacture, sale, or possession with intent to manufacture or sell controlled substances and in 2007 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Desmarat cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Marek prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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. 2:24-cr-138.
Niagara Falls man pleads guilty to defrauding COVID relief programs out of more than $1.8 millionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Roberto Soliman, 43, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before Judge Meredith A. Vacca to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Douglas A. C. Penrose, who are handling the case, stated that between March 2020, and March 2024, Soliman and co-defendant John Hutchins conspired with others to file fraudulent loan applications under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). The loans available for these programs were designed to provide emergency financial assistance pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act). Soliman and Hutchins applied for loans under the following companies, which were owned by Hutchins:
• Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, USA, Inc.
• 1711 Main, LLC
• Bear Creek Entertainment, LLC
• Hutch Enterprises, LLC
• The Hutchins Agency, LLC
• CWE Entertainment, Corp. (owned by defendant Soliman)
Between March and August 2020, Soliman and Hutchins received five Economic Injury Disaster Loans totaling $779,500.00. In addition, they received SVOG loans totaling $989,905.05, a PPP loan from Bank on Buffalo totaling $74,838, and a PPP loan from Northwest Bank totaling $41,140. In support of each of the loans, Soliman and Hutchins submitted false revenue and expense figures for the businesses on the loan applications.
John Hutchins previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, and the New York State Office of Professional Discipline.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2025, before Judge Vacca.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Possessing Files Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ERVIN DALVECCHIO COOPER, (“COOPER”) age 24, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on July 31, 2025 before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of twelve years old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2252(a)(4)(B).
According to the court documents, in or around February 2022, Special Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (“LBI”) received reports that an individual with a known username utilized a multimedia instant messaging application to upload multiple files depicting the sexual abuse of children. Subsequent investigation determined that the individual utilizing a known username was COOPER and that COOPER transmitted files depicting the sexual exploitation of children via the mobile application. Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at COOPER’S residence in May 2022 and seized several electronic items belonging to COOPER. A review of devices seized during the search warrant, including a cell phone and computer, revealed at least 1,005 images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of children. Some of the child victims were less than approximately two (2) years old at the time the child sexual abuse material was created. Among the files COOPER searched for, downloaded, and stored, were some portraying “sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence.”
COOPER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. COOPER also faces at least five (5) years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. COOPER may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Fallon has been scheduled for October 30, 2025.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Fentanyl Conspiracy, Federal Gun Charges, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – ANTHONY WINDELL BROWN (“BROWN”), age 30, of New Orleans, pled guilty on July 31, 2025 to violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, the Federal Gun Control Act, and Money Laundering, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Specifically, BROWN pled guilty to Counts 1, 4, 6, and 8 of the indictment pending against him. Count 1 charged BROWN with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Count 4 charged BROWN with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(C). Count 6 charged BROWN with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A) and 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 8 charged BROWN with money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A)(i).
As to the drug trafficking charges in Count 1, BROWN faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least 5 years of supervised release. For Count 4, BROWN faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. For Count 6, BROWN faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 5 years of supervised release. For Count 8, BROWN faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to each of these counts individually, BROWN also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, beginning at a time unknown, but prior to March 2022 and continuing to on or about May 29, 2024, BROWN conspired with others to distribute fentanyl in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In August 2023 and October 2023, BROWN attempted to possess, with the intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl. On May 29, 2024, BROWN possessed, with the intent to distribute, a mixture containing fentanyl, a stolen Glock Model 27, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Raven Arms, .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a FN Five-Seven, 5.7x28 millimeter semi-automatic pistol. BROWN unlawfully used and maintained a residence in the of 1900 block of Desire Street in New Orleans for the purpose of distributing fentanyl. BROWN also conducted financial transactions using the proceeds of specific unlawful activities with the intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activity.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case 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 is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General , and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Myrtle Beach Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Sex CrimeRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — James Edward Moss, Jr., 40, of Myrtle Beach, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for transporting an individual with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in April 2022, Moss met a minor online, picked her up, and transported her to a hotel room where he engaged in sexual activity with the minor. The investigation revealed that between April 20 to April 23, 2022, Moss recorded several videos of Moss engaging in sexual activity with the minor.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Moss to 55 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision. Moss is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to his conditions of supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Moss was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victim.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office and the Horry County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Hummel and Bill Watkins are prosecuting the case.
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Mexican man charged with illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Giovanni Bernal Guerrero, 39, a citizen and national of Mexican, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 19, 2025, Guerrero was a passenger in a vehicle with North Carolina plates that made a wrong turn on to the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. When the vehicle presented for inspection, Guerrero as not in possession of any identity documents. As a result, he was referred to secondary inspection to determine his identity. Further investigation determined that Guerrero was previously ordered removed from the United States in September 2017.
Guerrero made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
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 complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Mexican National Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Possessing 200,000 Fentanyl Pills with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Miguel Obed Romero Reyes, 26, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kirk Sherriff to three years and five months in prison for trafficking large amounts of fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, Romero Reyes was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. Deputies searched his vehicle and discovered a large duffel bag containing 48 pounds (21.8 kilograms) of blue counterfeit M-30 pills in 20 separate 1-gallon Ziploc bags. In total, Romero Reyes was transporting over 200,000 fentanyl pills in his car. Romero Reyes had picked up the pills in Arizona and was transporting them to Washington state for distribution.
21.8 Kilograms of Fentanyl Pills Seized from Romero Reyes’s Vehicle
This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.
KC Felon Sentenced for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms.
Jerrell D. Coppage, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to nine years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
On March 6, 2025, Coppage pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Coppage admitted he was in possession of a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol, an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, .223 caliber pistol, and a Ruger, Model LCP, .380 caliber pistol, on Jan. 3, 2024.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Coppage, who was on parole in a state case at the time of this federal offense, has four prior felony convictions for burglary, three prior felony convictions for theft, two prior felony convictions for stealing a motor vehicle, and prior felony convictions for sale of a controlled substance, tampering, and forgery.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into Flix North America, FlixBus, and Greyhound for Disability DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it has launched an investigation into the bus companies FlixBus and Greyhound (operated by Flix North America Inc., FlixBus Inc., and Greyhound Lines Inc.) to determine whether FlixBus and Greyhound violate Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against passengers with disabilities and denying them reasonable accommodations.
The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability by private entities that provide transportation services, and there are specific requirements that FlixBus and Greyhound must meet to make sure their services are accessible to people with disabilities.
The Department opened this investigation after receiving complaints that FlixBus and Greyhound violated the ADA rights of people with disabilities. Complaints alleged that FlixBus and Greyhound failed to properly maintain lifts on buses, refused to assist passengers with disabilities with using lifts, refused to allow service animals to accompany passengers with disabilities or improperly asked for documentation, abandoned customers with disabilities between legs of their journey, and failed to allow and assist passengers with disabilities to leave and return to the bus at rest stops, among other allegations.
“Less than two weeks ago, we celebrated the 35th anniversary of President Bush signing the ADA into law, which protects millions of Americans with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The announcement of this investigation reaffirms our unflinching commitment to enforcing the requirements of the ADA. People with disabilities must be treated equally in accordance with the law, and no one should be denied the opportunity to travel because of their disability.”
If you believe you have been a victim of disability discrimination by FlixBus or Greyhound, please file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division online at www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/, or by calling the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (1-833-610-1264 (TTY)). For more information on the ADA and the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.ada.gov or www.justice.gov/crt.
Note: Read the Notice Letter here.
Justice Department Dismisses Race-Based 44-Year-Old Consent DecreeRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division ended a court-imposed decree initiated by the Carter administration, which limited the hiring practices of the federal government based on flawed and outdated theories of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In Luevano v. Ezell, the Court dismissed a consent decree based on a lawsuit initially brought by interest groups representing federal employees in 1979. The decree entered in 1981 imposed draconian test review and implementation procedures on the Office of Personnel Management—and consequently all other federal agencies—requiring them to receive permission prior to using any tests for potential federal employees, in an attempt to require equal testing outcomes among all races of test-takers.
“For over four decades, this decree has hampered the federal government from hiring the top talent of our nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today, the Justice Department removed that barrier and reopened federal employment opportunities based on merit—not race.”
“It’s simple, competence and merit are the standards by which we should all be judged; nothing more and nothing less,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “It’s about time people are judged, not by their identity, but instead ‘by the content of their character.’”
Note: Read the Dismissal here.
Jury Convicts Mexican National for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Hillsborough and Manatee CountiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Lorenzo Valerio-Popoca (31, Mexico) guilty of two counts of conspiring to traffic methamphetamine. Valerio-Popoca faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is set for October 29, 2025.
According to testimony presented at trial, Valerio-Popoca brokered and coordinated the delivery of a half kilogram of methamphetamine in Palmetto. On March 30, 2018, Valerio-Popoca then brokered and coordinated the delivery of 2 kilograms of methamphetamine in Sun City Center. Valerio-Popoca remained a fugitive until November 2022, when he was arrested for trafficking 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in Pasadena, Texas.
Half kilogram of methamphetamine from January 29, 2018
2 kilograms of methamphetamine recovered from March 30, 2018
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasadena (Texas) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Aidan Francis Akins (31, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for receipt of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Akins pleaded guilty on October 2, 2024.
According to court documents, during April 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Jacksonville received information from an undercover investigation of a social media chat application about a user offering to sell CSAM. Further investigation led law enforcement to Akins, who was purchasing CSAM.
On June 16, 2023, an HSI special agent obtained a federal search warrant for Akin’s residence. When law enforcement searched his home, Akins was present and agreed to speak with law enforcement. Akins admitted he was in contact with an individual who had CSAM for sale and acknowledged purchasing CSAM from that individual on multiple occasions. When asked if CSAM would be discovered on his phone, Akins stated, “Yes, there may still be some in there, yes.” Akins said he knew possessing and viewing CSAM is illegal and admitted to viewing CSAM approximately every 2 to 4 weeks.
“The possession, trading, and viewing of child sexual abuse material from the darkest corners of the internet, makes these child predators complicit in the ongoing victimization of children,” said Homeland Security Investigation Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “HSI, alongside our state and local partners, are committed to protecting children, hold their offenders accountable, and stop the cycle of harm these images perpetuate forever.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced William Thomas Hogan (35, Jacksonville) to eight years and one month in federal prison for receipt of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Hogan pleaded guilty on April 10, 2025.
According to court documents, in December 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into reports regarding CSAM in a cloud account. An HSI special agent applied for and obtained a federal search warrant for the content in that cloud account. The account was associated with Hogan’s phone number and the contents included multiple files of CSAM.
On November 15, 2024, an HSI agent approached Hogan as he walked to his vehicle in a parking lot. The agent explained to Hogan that she wanted to talk to him about an investigation. Hogan agreed to talk to the agent. When asked how much CSAM was on his cellphone, Hogan said, “I imagine there’s probably a bit.” Hogan admitted to having a mixture of CSAM and provided consent to search his phone. A a review of the phone confirmed that it contained multiple video files of CSAM. Hogan acknowledged he saved the CSAM in a location on his cellphone to keep them protected. He also admitted to receiving CSAM via social media applications in group chats and direct messages.
“Every click, every download of child sexual abuse material is a crime against a child, evidence of real abuse that’s fueling a cycle of lifelong trauma,” said Homeland Security Investigation Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “HSI will use every tool at our disposal to find these predators, hold them accountable for their heinous actions, and break the perpetual cycle of child victimization.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to 2 Years and 2 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry into the United States and Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – On July 31, 2025, an illegal alien was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months in federal prison for unlawful reentry into the United States and illegal possession of firearms.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Alvaro Mandujano-Rodriguez, 32, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. According to the plea agreement, on or about October 7, 2023, Mandujano-Rodriguezwas an alien found in the United States after having been last denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 29, 2013. On October 7, 2023, Mandujano-Rodriguez was unlawfully in possession of an AR-15 rifle of an unknown make and model, and a MAG Tactical Systems MG-G4, multi-caliber rifle, and ammunition. Mandujano-Rodriguez is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.
“Thanks to the strong work of this federal-local partnership, another dangerous illegal immigrant has been removed from the streets of Louisville,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by HSI, ATF, and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Shannon prosecuted the case.
This conviction is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is also part of the Prohibited Firearm Possessor Initiative (PFP), a collaborative partnership between all levels of law enforcement and prosecutors to reduce violent crime and firearm offenses. On January 23, 2024, Louisville Metro initiated a gun crime reduction initiative focused on investigating and prosecuting illegal firearm possession. The PFP partners include the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
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Guatemalan man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Mario Salguero Sandoval, 36, a citizen and national of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to re-entry of a removed alien and was sentenced to serve two months in prison.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in June 2015, Sandoval was ordered removed from the United States. On June 10, 2025, he was located in Erie County, NY, by Border Patrol agents and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Martin B. Coombs.
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Guatemalan man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Sebastian Tzib Putul, 32, a citizen and national of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to re-entry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served. He was then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in January 2024, Putul was ordered removed from the United States. On June 9, 2025, he was found in Erie County, NY, by Border Patrol Agents. He did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Martin B. Coombs.
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Gary Man Sentenced to 24 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Lanear Finch, 25 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to the felony offense of conspiracy to making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Finch was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between November 2019 and January 2021, Finch operated a straw purchasing ring with a co-defendant, through which he recruited individuals to purchase firearms on his behalf from federally licensed dealers in Northwest Indiana. In total, Finch facilitated the straw purchase of approximately 17 firearms.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.
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.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to over $30 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Matthew Dane Billingsley, 39, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded individual lenders and financial institutions out of $30 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
According to court documents, between June 2018 and February 2023, Billingsley made false representations about having a brokerage account with millions of dollars in assets to serve as collateral for loans. Billingsley gave fabricated brokerage account statements to obtain more than $30 million in loans from individual lenders and financial institutions. The brokerage account statements were false because the brokerage account did not exist. Billingsley also misrepresented to individual lenders and financial institutions the intended use of the loan funds and instead used the money to pay down previous loans and for his personal benefit.
To obtain one of the loans, Billingsley used a Fresno restaurant owner’s name and signature on a profit-sharing agreement that Billingsley created and forged. Billingsley presented the false and fraudulent profit-sharing agreement to a financial institution to obtain a loan.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.
Billingsley is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Nov. 10, 2025. Billingsley faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Founder and Managing Director of Tax Lien Investment Firm Convicted of Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, Sean S. Buckley, announced today the conviction of JOHN ARTHUR HANRATTY, the founder and managing director of a tax lien investment firm, for his role in a fraudulent scheme to steal over $20 million from investors and a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)-insured bank. The defendant was found guilty following a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2026.
“John Arthur Hanratty, a New York-licensed attorney and the founder of a multi-million-dollar municipal tax lien investment firm, lied to investors and stole money from a bank by falsely claiming to own millions of dollars of tax lien collateral to obtain more than $20 million in loan advances,” said Attorney for the United States Sean S. Buckley. “This verdict highlights our Office’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the lending and investment markets by protecting lenders and investors from financial fraud.”
As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial:
HANRATTY was the Founder and Managing Director of Ebury Street Capital, LLC (“Ebury Street Capital”), an investment firm with a portfolio primarily comprised of municipal tax liens. HANRATTY has been an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of New York since 2002 and held legal and compliance positions at well-known investment firms and financial institutions, including serving as the Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel for a trading broker dealer.
Between 2017 and 2021, HANRATTY participated in a fraudulent scheme to steal money from an FDIC-insured bank (“Victim Bank-1”) by drawing down on commercial lines of credit that had been extended to Ebury Street Capital. Specifically, HANRATTY made materially false statements inflating by millions of dollars tax lien collateral pledged to Victim Bank-1. As a result of HANRATTY’s misstatements, Victim Bank-1 was defrauded of over $20 million. In addition, HANRATTY falsely told investors and Victim Bank-1 that the tax lien collateral was managed by an independent third-party custodian, when, in reality, that was not true. The defendant’s fraud ultimately resulted in millions of dollars of losses for the investors in Ebury Street Capital and for Victim Bank-1.
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HANRATTY, 50, of New Jersey, was convicted of one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and two counts of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Buckley praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Chan, Nicholas Chiuchiolo, Danielle Kudla, and Adam Sowlati are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Alexander Ross.
Former Township Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Linda Tarlecki, age 63, of Aristes, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion and bank fraud before Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Tarlecki was the former Secretary/Treasurer for Conyngham Township, Columbia County. From 2013 through 2017, Tarlecki defrauded the Township and Fulton National Bank of over $147,000 by issuing forged paychecks to herself to which she was not entitled. Tarlecki also failed to report this additional income on her personal income taxes, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS of over $38,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey MacArthur prosecuted the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 35 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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.
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Former NFL Player Convicted of Operating Large-Scale Dog Fighting and Trafficking Venture in OklahomaRead the Press Release
Note: The release has been updated to include a quote from the FBI Director.
Following a multi-day trial, a federal jury in Oklahoma last week convicted Leshon Eugene Johnson, 54, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, on six felony counts of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act’s prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures.
Following the verdict, Johnson surrendered to the government the 190 dogs seized in this case. The government is pursuing forfeiture of these dogs. The United States Marshals Service cares for dogs seized in dog fighting cases through its asset forfeiture program.
“This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting animals from abuse — 190 dogs are now safe thanks to outstanding collaborative work by our attorneys and law enforcement components.”
“The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting,” said Director Kash Patel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.”
“This conviction sends a strong message that those who abuse animals for entertainment and profit will face serious consequences under federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and our partners are committed to aggressively prosecuting individuals who perpetuate the brutal practice of dog fighting and to disrupting this illegal and inhumane industry.”
“Dog fighting is a vicious and cruel crime that has no place in a civilized society,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I commend the hard work of our law enforcement partners in investigating this case and holding the defendant accountable for his crimes.”
The conviction stems from an indictment unsealed in March which detailed Johnson’s operation of “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs and their offspring for the purpose of dog fighting, profiting from the cruel and illegal industry. Authorities seized the 190 dogs from his property, which is the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case. Johnson, who had a prior state conviction for dog fighting in 2004, will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency office investigated the case.
Sarah M. Brown, Ethan Eddy, and Todd W. Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, prosecuted the case.
Former NFL Player Convicted of Operating Large-Scale Dog Fighting and Trafficking Venture in OklahomaRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - Following a multi-day trial, a federal jury in Oklahoma last week convicted Leshon Eugene Johnson, 54, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, on six felony counts of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act’s prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures.
Following the verdict, Johnson surrendered to the government the 190 dogs seized in this case. The government is pursuing forfeiture of these dogs. The United States Marshals Service cares for dogs seized in dog fighting cases through its asset forfeiture program.
“This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting animals from abuse — 190 dogs are now safe thanks to outstanding collaborative work by our attorneys and law enforcement components.”
“The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting,” said Director Kash Patel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.”
“This conviction sends a strong message that those who abuse animals for entertainment and profit will face serious consequences under federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and our partners are committed to aggressively prosecuting individuals who perpetuate the brutal practice of dog fighting and to disrupting this illegal and inhumane industry.”
“Dog fighting is a vicious and cruel crime that has no place in a civilized society,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I commend the hard work of our law enforcement partners in investigating this case and holding the defendant accountable for his crimes.”
The conviction stems from an indictment unsealed in March which detailed Johnson’s operation of “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs and their offspring for the purpose of dog fighting, profiting from the cruel and illegal industry. Authorities seized the 190 dogs from his property, which is the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case. Johnson, who had a prior state conviction for dog fighting in 2004, will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency office investigated the case.
Sarah M. Brown, Ethan Eddy, and Todd W. Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, prosecuted the case.
Five commercial fishermen charged in illegal halibut fishing conspiracyRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging five southeast Alaska commercial fishermen with conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court documents, Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat, Vincent Jacobson, 51, of Yakutat, Kyle Dierick, 36, of Yakutat, Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova, and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington, all experienced commercial fishermen, each conspired to illegally harvest halibut near Yakutat on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2023.
Court documents allege that Pavlik separately conspired with Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross to illegally harvest and land halibut through various means, including each defendant landing halibut without having been aboard the fishing vessel at all times during the fishing trips, which violates federal law and regulations. The indictment alleges that Pavlik, Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross intentionally falsely reported that the halibut caught was creditable to their respective Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit balances, which is a permit any individual commercially fishing for halibut in the waters off Alaska is required to have. Pavlik and the three co-conspirators are responsible for over 10,700 pounds of illegally harvested halibut.
The indictment further alleges that between Aug. 31, 2023, and Oct. 11, 2023, Pavlik sold and intentionally made false statements regarding over 9,600 pounds of halibut that was caught on the F/V Bad Intentions but illegally transferred to the F/V New Era before landing for sale.
Pavlik is charged with four counts of Lacey Act conspiracy, five counts of Lacey Act—unlawful sale, and five counts of Lacey Act—false labeling. Jacobson, Dierick, Babic and Ross are each charged with one count of Lacey Act conspiracy. The defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearances over the next two weeks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in prison for each count and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Assistant Director Benjamin Cheeseman of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division made the announcement.
The NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement Alaska Division is investigating the case, with assistance from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
UPDATE: This release has been updated to reflect a spelling error.
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Five Individuals Arrested by the FBI in Four Separate CasesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned three indictments charging four individuals for multiple violent charges. Another individual was arrested via criminal complaint for firearms violations. The investigations and arrests are part of Operation Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime, gangs and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
According to court documents, on July 30, 2025, the Grand Jury returned an Indictment against Carlos Ortiz-Hernández for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and for possession of a machinegun in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(o). These efforts were a collaboration between FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julian Radzinschi is prosecuting the case.
On July 30, 2025, the San Juan Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF – HIDTA – CE-1) executed the arrest of Diana Lee Vázquez-Arroyo, charged with conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to distribute, and to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 846. Vázquez-Arroyo was accused of sending narcotics through the San Juan International Airport to the state of New York. This arrest is a result of our HSTF efforts including FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and US Marshals Service (USMS), which are prioritizing resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. This arrest was executed in coordination with the US Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York.
On July 31, 2025, the Safe Streets Task Force (Gangs) executed a search warrant in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico in search of evidence of the possession of a machinegun Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(o), which resulted in the arrest of Gilbert Manuel Fajardo Álvarez based on a complaint for findings of a modified rifle, which changes its capability to fully automatic. These is an example of how the FBI and ATF are working together to dismantle violent gangs and make our communities safer. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Díaz-González is prosecuting the case.
On July 31, 2025, the Aguadilla Resident Agency (ARA) arrested René Esponda-Rodríguez and Verona Salas-Arce, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i), possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person (felon) in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), possession with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B) and Title 18 U.S.C. §2, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) and Title 18 U.S.C. §2. These arrests demonstrate our commitment to eradicate violent crime, drug trafficking and their leaders in all parts of our area of responsibility. Assistant U.S. Attorney Pedro Casablanca is prosecuting the case.
“The people of Puerto Rico are safer following the arrests of these individuals who were charged with different violent crimes and firearms violations,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Federal, state and local law enforcement partners are continuously coordinating and investigating to keep this work going and make our communities safe.”
“By now it should be clear that Summer doesn’t slow us down—it sharpens our focus,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “While the people we’re sworn to serve are enjoying the season, we’re working—quietly, relentlessly, around the clock—to identify and dismantle those driving violence in our communities. Every arrest this week is proof that Operation Summer Heat is not just a headline. It’s a methodical campaign—fueled by the dedicated men and women of FBI San Juan and our partners—designed to find thugs and remove them from our streets before they do more harm. If you’ve chosen that life, you’re already on our list, and we won’t stop until you face justice.”
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Financial TV Analyst and One-Time Fugitive Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Con of Victim InvestorsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former San Gabriel Valley resident – who was a frequent guest on financial television news programs then became a fugitive from justice after being accused of scamming investors – was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for defrauding his victims out of millions of dollars.
James Arthur McDonald Jr., 53, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who will order restitution in this case at a hearing to take place on a future date.
McDonald pleaded guilty on April 7 to one count of securities fraud.
McDonald was the CEO and chief investment officer of two companies headquartered in Los Angeles: Hercules Investments LLC and Index Strategy Advisors Inc. (ISA). He frequently appeared as an analyst on the CNBC financial television news network.
In late 2020, McDonald lost tens of millions of dollars of Hercules client money after adopting a risky short position that effectively bet against the health of the United States economy in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election. McDonald projected that the COVID-19 pandemic and the election would result in major selloffs that would cause the stock market to drop. When the market decline didn’t occur, Hercules clients lost between $30 million and $40 million. By December 2020, Hercules clients were complaining to company employees about the losses in their accounts.
In early 2021, McDonald solicited millions of dollars' worth of funds from investors in the form of a purported capital raise for Hercules but misrepresented how the funds would be used and failed to disclose the massive losses Hercules previously sustained. As part of the capital raise, McDonald obtained $675,000 in investment funds from one victim group on March 9, 2021. He misappropriated most of those funds in various ways, including spending $174,610 at a Porsche dealership and transferring $109,512 to the landlord of a home McDonald was renting in Arcadia.
McDonald also defrauded clients of ISA, his other firm, using less than half of the approximately $3.6 million he raised for trading purposes. Instead, McDonald frequently commingled ISA client funds with funds from his personal bank account, which he used to purchase luxury cars and to pay rent on his home, personal credit card charges, and Hercules operating expenses and to make Ponzi-like payments to ISA clients – such as paying some ISA clients using funds from other clients.
In total, prosecutors argue that McDonald caused his victims more than $3 million in losses.
McDonald failed to appear before the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in November 2021 to testify after allegations arose that he had defrauded investors and remained a fugitive until his arrest in June 2024 at a residence in Port Orchard, Washington. McDonald has been in custody since then. At McDonald’s Washington state hideout, law enforcement found, among other things, a fake Washington, D.C., driver’s license bearing McDonald’s photograph and the name “Brian Thomas,” according to court documents.
“To his victims, [McDonald] seemed to embody the American Dream,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “But looks can be deceiving, and as [McDonald’s] victims learned, their trust had been betrayed.”
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
In September 2022, the SEC filed a civil complaint charging McDonald and Hercules with violations of federal securities law. In April 2024, United States District Judge Percy Anderson found McDonald and Hercules liable and ordered that they pay several million dollars in disgorgement and civil penalties.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
Federal Law Enforcement Meets with Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal CouncilRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III organized and led a delegation of federal law enforcement leaders and law enforcement leaders from Canada to visit the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council at the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation near Hogansburg, New York, on June 4.
United States Attorney Sarcone thanked the Tribal Council for hosting the meeting, which included the Special Agents in Charge and leaders from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, and the New York State Police.
The meeting focused on collaboration between federal agencies and the Tribal Council to further promote public safety and a sense of community on the Akwesasne Territory.
Acting United States Attorney Sarcone said, “Thank you to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council for their gracious welcome and our robust discussion. I look forward to continuing my Office’s strong relationship with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, and federal law enforcement and Canadian partners. We remain committed to working with our Tribal partners to target criminals who exploit the Akwesasne Territory to fuel their greed and to smuggle guns, drugs and people across the U.S.-Canada border.”
FBI Special Agent Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Ensuring the safety of our communities can only be accomplished when we collaborate and leverage our tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships. This meeting was an important step forward, and the FBI appreciates the U.S. Attorney bringing everyone together for this impactful discussion. FBI Albany is committed to building these relationships and working together to investigate anyone looking to exploit the Akwesasne Territory through criminal activity that endangers the community.”
HSI Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “I was proud to participate in this historic meeting between members of federal law enforcement and members of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in which we reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to securing our northern border through the power of collaboration. Our long-standing partnership with Canadian law enforcement, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and our state, local and federal partners on the HSI Massena Homeland Security Task Force exemplifies the strength of collective action in safeguarding our communities and ensuring the safety of our nation. Together, we are building a safer future.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III stated: “The DEA was honored to join with our federal partners in meeting Chief Beverly Cook and the leadership of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council. We are deeply grateful for the time they extended to us. We value the opportunity to build trust, engage in meaningful dialogue, and strengthen our partnership as we work together to protect all communities from the threat of illicit narcotics and fentanyl.”
Bryan Miller, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division, stated: “ATF New York was honored to join our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in meeting with tribal leaders to discuss shared public safety priorities. Strengthening relationships begins with open dialogue, and we value the opportunity to sit together, listen, and address the issues impacting our communities. Collaboration and mutual respect are essential to keeping all our communities safe.”
Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia stated: “Swanton Sector Border Patrol is committed to maintaining our already remarkable relationship with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Services. Our shared mission is to protect the public while preventing transnational criminal organizations from misusing the territory by smuggling humans, illicit goods, and dangerous contraband across the region.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., New York Field Office, stated: “It is incredibly important that IRS-CI continue to build relationships with all our federal, state, local and tribal partners for continued collaboration and cooperation. We look forward to enhancing our financial investigations with more information sharing to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities.”USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “I greatly appreciate the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council for their thoughtful welcome and valuable insights shared of Akwesasne’s history and people. This important meeting reinforces our shared commitment to protecting the communities we serve through strategic collaboration and a shared vision among our tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The United States Postal Inspection Service remains committed to building partnerships and continuing collective efforts in the Akwesasne Territory to protect the U.S. Mail from criminal activity; protect its employees, infrastructure, and customers; and ensure public trust in the mail.”
U.S. Secret Service Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Perras stated: “The value of partnerships is a core tenet of the United States Secret Service and as such, would like to express our sincere gratitude to St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police for their hospitality in hosting our federal partners for an insightful and productive meeting on shared public safety and law enforcement concerns.”
BIA Division of Drug Enforcement Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson stated: “The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Drug Enforcement, is honored to have joined the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council for this important dialogue. Opportunities like these strengthen our commitment to collaborative public safety initiatives, and we remain dedicated to building lasting partnerships with all stakeholders involved.”
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Commander Karine Gagne, Criminal Operations, Eastern Region, stated: “The RCMP remains committed to working closely with our U.S. law enforcement partners to disrupt cross-border criminal activity while respecting the unique policing environment of the Akwesasne territory. This meeting reflects the strength of our cross-border relationships and our collective dedication to working in partnership with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police and the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service to build trust, address public safety challenges and ensure the safety of all communities on both sides of the border.”
From the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council:
On June 4, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council hosted officials from multiple agencies to strengthen relationships between tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations. Attendees included senior officials from the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department and Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, United States Attorney's Office – Northern District of New York, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, New York State Police, and Royal Mounted Canadian Police Service.
Chief Beverly Cook provided the background for the conversation by presenting “Common Ground,” a comprehensive overview of the United States history with Indigenous people and nations, and how it has affected Akwesasne and the Mohawk people. She included intergenerational impacts of past U.S. policies—especially residential schools and the pervasive environmental contamination affecting the Akwesasne people. Chief Cook explained the legacy of trauma affecting our families, noting that recent studies suggest our population experiences higher rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) compared to our counterparts in surrounding communities. The presentation asserted inherent sovereignty while promoting a fuller understanding of Akwesasne’s history and contemporary challenges as they relate to law enforcement activity and interactions with the Akwesasne people.
The historic meeting was the first time federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies gathered at Akwesasne to discuss concerns and opportunities for greater cooperation to ensure the vibrant community of Akwesasne is kept safe and secure, with our Tribal Police and Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service as the lead agencies. The collaboration with outside law enforcement was addressed as an important step toward strengthening relationships to foster respect for our history, culture, and rights as a recognized sovereign entity responsible to govern and safeguard the Akwesasne Mohawk territory.
The Tribal Council extends its gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for coordinating all of our law enforcement partners. Niá:wen to all the agencies for visiting Akwesasne and taking the time to learn about the land, the community, and its People.
Pictured in alphabetical order:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Anderson
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief Beverly Conners
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief Michael Conners
Lindsay Day, Administrative Support, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
IRS Supervisory Special Agent Mark Deluca
ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo
Border Patrol Swanton Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Richard Fortunato
HSI Acting Resident Agent in Charge Emily Francis
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Hanlon
HSI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremiah Healey
DEA Public Affairs Specialist Kenneth Heino
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Sub-Chief Benjamin Herne
DEA Deputy Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Sub-Chief Agnes “Sweets” Jacobs
DEA Associate Special Agent in Charge Daniel Kafafian
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Sub-Chief Derrick King
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Kopita
Plattsburgh RAC Michael Laravia
USPIS Postal Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward
RCMP Staff Sergeant Philiippe Melançon
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller
DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shane Nastoff
U.S. Secret Service Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Perras
Matt Rourke, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief of Police
Border Patrol Massena Station Patrol Agent in Charge Jarrod Sanders
United States Attorney John Sarcone
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino
RCMP Inspector Étienne Thauvette
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Police Lt. DeCota Thompson
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Chief Donald Thompson Jr.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli
Fayetteville Man Convicted of Embezzling from U.S. Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Fayetteville man pleaded guilty to misappropriation of postal funds and to making false entries and reports in U.S. Government records.
According to court documents, Robert Raquan Patterson, 29, served as a sales and services distribution associate for the U.S. Postal Service, Evergreen Post Office. In this capacity, Patterson was responsible for the office’s finances and had access to its financial systems and records. From November 1, 2022, to July 30, 2024, Patterson fraudulently issued 129 postal money orders for his benefit and falsely reported debit and credit card payments that corresponded to these money orders. Patterson’s theft and false reporting resulted in at least $74,735 in losses to the U.S. Postal Service. Patterson used the stolen funds for personal expenditures, including hotels, flights, and cash withdrawals.
Patterson pleaded guilty to one count of misappropriation of postal funds and to one count of making false entries and reports and faces a maximum of 240 months in prison when sentenced on August 7, 2025.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-cr-00036-M.
East Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Arnold Flores, 30 years old, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Moody after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Flores was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, Flores, an illegal alien with a prior felony conviction for residential entry, possessed a firearm that he displayed to the occupants of another vehicle while driving in Schererville in October 2024, and he possessed another firearm in Gary in February 2025. Both firearms were recovered by law enforcement.
“This District is dedicated to prosecuting illegal aliens who, like Arnold Flores, choose to violate federal law by possessing firearms that Congress has prohibited them from possessing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “As Mr. Flores has learned, such serious crimes will not go unpunished in northern Indiana. My thanks go out to the combined team of state, local, and federal law enforcement professionals who brought him to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Gary and Schererville Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case 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.
Dulce Man Charged with Shooting Minor During ArgumentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been charged in federal court for allegedly shooting a minor during an argument inside a vehicle.
According to court documents, on July 21, 2025, the minor victim was in a vehicle with another person when they picked up Leandrew Cody Velarde, 21, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, who appeared intoxicated. During a subsequent argument, a gun discharged, striking the victim in the buttocks. When the victim attempted to call 911, Velarde reportedly threw their phone and fled the scene.
The victim was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment. Investigators later recovered a Glock handgun and a spent shell casing near the scene. Velarde was arrested nearby and found in possession of marijuana, liquor, and a cell phone.
Velarde is charged with abandonment and abuse of a child, recklessly caused, resulting in great bodily harm. He will remain in third-party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Velarde faces 18 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Velarde).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Danville Woman Sentenced for Failure to Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – The former majority owner and operator of a home health care business who failed to pay over $600,000 in employment taxes was sentenced last week to three years’ probation with 12 months of home confinement.
Julia Ann McKinnis, 66, of Danville, Virginia waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty in October 2024 to one count of willfully failing to pay taxes. McKinnis was also ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.
According to court documents, in 2007, McKinnis began operating a home health care business called Angel Wings Home Health. Since at least 2010, McKinnis has been the administrator and 90 percent owner of Angel Wings.
In 2011, the Collections Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched an investigation into Angel Wings’s failure to properly report and pay employment taxes. The investigation concluded in 2016, and Angel Wings entered into an installment agreement to pay the unpaid taxes.
However, beginning in the third quarter of 2018 and continuing through the fourth quarter of 2021, Angel Wings substantially understated its employee wages to the IRS and again failed to report and pay the employment taxes that the company owed.
C. Todd Gilbert, United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation investigated the case
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff prosecuted the case for the United States.
Crown Point Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Craig Whalum, Jr., 38 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to distributing heroin, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Whalum was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in the fall of 2019, Whalum sold heroin/fentanyl mixtures to law enforcement on seven occasions. Whalum’s criminal history includes seven prior felony drug convictions. After being released from the Indiana Department of Corrections on October 21, 2019, his first sale of heroin/fentanyl occurred nine days later, on October 30, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
Convicted Animal Abuser Krystal Scott Ordered to Return to Federal Prison After Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Krystal Scott, 24, of Kokomo, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violating conditions of her previous supervised release.
In November of 2021, Scott pled guilty to Animal Crushing, a violation of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act under Title 18, United States Code, Section 48(a). In that case, Scott, using an alias, acquired dogs and cats online on the false premise that she intended to adopt and care for them, when she actually intended to torture and kill them. After Scott acquired the animals, she posted videos online depicting her engaged in animal crushing, namely, purposely crushing, suffocating, impaling, or otherwise subjecting the animals to serious bodily injury and death. Scott was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
In June of 2023, Scott was released from federal prison and began serving her five-year term of supervised release.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at a revocation hearing on July 29, 2025, Scott admitted under oath to violating several conditions of her supervised release, including a prohibition against non-incidental contact with animals.
On June 20, 2025, Indianapolis Animal Care Services responded to complaints by concerned citizens that Scott was using the alias “Teal Serain” to respond to Facebook ads for reuniting lost and found pets with their owners. Using that alias, Scott responded to one such ad and acquired a dog through false pretenses. Namely, Scott falsely claimed that the missing dog belonged to her or her family, when it did not. Scott had used a similar ruse to acquire the animals she tortured, which led to her original conviction in 2021. The individuals who posted the ad became suspicious and reached out to law enforcement.
The dog Scott acquired via the online ad was not located. Citizens also recorded the accounts of witnesses who reported discovering a deceased dog at the homeless encampment where Scott was residing. The dog had been found in a trash bag with its stomach protruding from its body cavity.
The Indianapolis Animal Care Services investigated the complaints and later discovered that Scott was residing in a U-Haul van with 12 dogs and cats, all of which were dehydrated, malnourished, and living in excessive fecal matter. The officers also noticed the smell of a decomposing animal in the van, but no deceased animals were found.
Searches of Scott’s cellular device and Facebook account showed that she was a member of at least 12 pet adoption groups online, and had been selling or attempting to sell pelts that she claimed were from exotic animals.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.
To report animal neglect or abuse in Indianapolis, residents should submit a complaint online at RequestIndy or through the Request Indy phone app. All complaints are automatically entered into a system for Animal Care Officers (ACO) to investigate. Reporting a complaint via social media, email, or phone call will result in a delayed response.
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California man arrested, charged with making fake ID’s for Door Dash driversRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Miguel Angel Guevara-Murillo, 34, of Stockton, California, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of a document-making implement, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 28, 2025, a vehicle bearing California license plates, and being driven by Guevara-Murillo, was encountered at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY, after making a wrong turn from the United States. Guevara-Murillo and a passenger provided Columbian passports to the Customs and Border Protection Officer. The vehicle was referred to secondary inspection, during which Guevara-Murillo was found to be a citizen of Columbia who entered the United States without inspection in 2022, served with a notice to appear, and was released on parole.
During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered a counterfeit California driver's license with Guevara-Murillo’s photo and the name of Sean Patrick Allen, as well as numerous items that could be used to produce fake identification documents. By Homeland Security Investigations officers located a red DoorDash tote inside the vehicle, which contained a laptop, an access card printer, blank plastic access cards, a scanner, a paper cutter/ruler, and other items and documents. Guevara-Murillo told investigators he used the equipment to make counterfeit state identification documents, which he sold for $250 to individuals who sought to work as drivers for DoorDash.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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California Woman Who Fled Federal Bond Sentenced to 17 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Dana Diane Shay, 37, of Fountain Valley, California, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on two occasions in 2020, Shay delivered narcotics as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that reached into South Carolina. On Nov. 25, 2020, Shay delivered 29 pounds of methamphetamine in Charlotte, North Carolina. Again, on Dec. 7, 2020, Shay delivered 50 pounds of methamphetamine and 45 pounds of marijuana in Charlotte.
In December of 2020, Shay was arrested on federal drug trafficking charges and arraigned in Greenville and placed on bond. However, Shay cut off her ankle monitor and became a fugitive in August of 2021. Shay remained a fugitive until August 2024 when she was arrested out of state and transported back to South Carolina to face her federal charges. The court increased Shay’s sentence because she absconded.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Dana Shay to 204 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. The court also ordered a money judgment against Shay for $300,000.
This prosecution 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.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Carlton Bruce Cooke, 40, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is committed to ensuring our community’s most violent offenders are confronted with the full force of the law. This repeat felon not only unlawfully possessed a firearm, he used it to threaten others. Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will do everything in our power to stop those who are endangering our communities. I am proud of the work of our brave state and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to keep our communities safe”
Court records reflect that during the early morning hours on July 10, 2024, the defendant observed his roommates sitting in a truck in their driveway talking. The defendant exited the residence with a firearm in hand ordering everyone to leave. He then fired a round into the ground near the vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a search warrant on defendant’s vehicle. The loaded handgun he had used and another loaded handgun with an extended magazine and ammunition were seized. The defendant has been previously convicted of multiple firearms offenses.
The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted this 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 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, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 27 Years for 2016 Murder and Conspiracy to Distribute Crack and HeroinRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that BRUCE MORRIS, a/k/a “G,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to 27 years in prison in connection with the August 2016 murder of Jerome Jemison in the Bronx, New York, as well as related narcotics and firearm offenses. MORRIS was convicted following a jury trial in January 2025 of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin and of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in connection with that conspiracy. Following an evidentiary hearing, Judge Furman also found that MORRIS was responsible for the murder of Jemison.
“In 2016, Bruce Morris murdered Jerome Jemison in the middle of the day on the landing of a public stairwell of an apartment building in the Bronx, a building that he terrorized for over a decade,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Morris has now been held accountable for his heinous crimes.”
As detailed in public filings and public court proceedings:
From at least 2012 through in or about June 2023, MORRIS led a narcotics conspiracy that sold crack cocaine and heroin in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The base of MORRIS’s operation was an apartment in the building where his family lived at 868 Faile Street and the surrounding area, as well as, for a time, a vacant apartment in that same building. MORRIS used guns, threats of violence, and acts of violence to maintain control of his drug trafficking business and the building. On one occasion, when the superintendent of the building confronted the conspirators about their use of the vacant apartment, MORRIS threatened the superintendent with a firearm.
On August 11, 2016, during the middle of a summer day, on the third floor of 868 Faile Street, MORRIS shot Sal in the back of his head over a drug debt. Sal was 46 years old.
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In addition to his prison term, MORRIS, 43, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Weinberg, Camille L. Fletcher, Jeffrey W. Coyle, Jackie Delligatti, and Marguerite B. Colson are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Jackie Fleury.
Argument Gets Man 15-Year Prison Sentence for ManslaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deandre Miles, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced August 1, 2025, in Superior Court, to 15 years for charges pertaining to the shooting death of 28-year-old Davon Fuller in October 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Miles pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and destruction of property (felony) on February 28, 2025. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt also ordered Miles to serve 12 months for the destruction of property charge to run concurrent to the 15-year prison term for the manslaughter charge.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early afternoon of October 16, 2023, in the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue, NE, the victim, Davon Fuller, and the defendant got into an argument inside a store at Hechinger Mall. Although they left the store without incident, when the men saw each other a few minutes later inside another business at the mall they again got into an argument. The argument persisted outside the store where Miles pulled out a gun and Mr. Fuller took out a knife. Despite Mr. Fuller telling Miles to stop following him, Miles persisted walking behind Mr. Fuller throughout the mall before fatally shooting Mr. Fuller five times. The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including to his shoulder, torso, buttocks and upper extremities. After all life-saving measures were attempted, Mr. Fuller succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Miles was arrested on December 27, 2023, where he remains in custody.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced for His Role in Covering up MurderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced today to 199 days in prison for assisting in the cover-up of the kidnapping and murder of Thomas Anthony Brown in the To’Hajiilee area of the Navajo Nation.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on or about June 24, 2020, Antonio Chaco assaulted Thomas Brown outside Chaco’s trailer home. Chaco then rolled Brown in a square of carpet and transported him to a remote desert location. There, Chaco continued his violent assault and ultimately abandoned Brown without water, food, or shelter.
Area in To’Hajiilee where John Doe was discovered.Brown’s decayed remains were discovered on July 4, 2020. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined Brown’s cause of death to be homicidal violence, including blunt-force head trauma.
Thomas Brown’s picture and cowboy hat, as displayed during Chaco’s sentencingAfter the assault and kidnapping, Peter Paul Sandoval, 60, knowingly took steps to help Chaco conceal his criminality. Specifically, Sandoval cleaned blood from the car used to transport Brown, thus destroying potential evidence, doing so with the intent of preventing Chaco’s arrest, prosecution, and punishment.
Sandoval pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping. Upon his release from prison, Sandoval will be subject to three years of supervised release. He must also pay restitution to Brown’s family.
Chaco pled guilty earlier this month to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones and Brittany DuChaussee prosecuted these cases.
2 August 2025
Fultonville Man Indicted in 2013 Arson that Killed Three Children and Their FatherRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Edward Leon, age 53, of Fultonville, New York, was charged on Tuesday with malicious use of fire to destroy property resulting in death. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that on May 2, 2013, Leon used fire to maliciously damage and destroy a rental property at 438 Hulett Street in Schenectady, resulting in the deaths of David Terry and three of his children, Michael Terry, Layah Terry, and Donovan Duell. The fire also seriously injured a fourth child. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Leon was arraigned on Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Mitchell J. Katz. A detention hearing is scheduled for August 6, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.
Upon conviction, the charge filed against Leon carries a minimum term of 7 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or the death penalty, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
ATF is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department, Schenectady Fire Department, New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control, New York State Police, Rotterdam Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, St. Johnsville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Wentworth-Ping, Richard D. Bellis, and Mikayla Espinosa are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with knowledge or information about this case is encouraged to contact the ATF Albany Field Office at 518-431-4182.
1 August 2025
York County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy While in State PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jacquese Traveon Underwood, 40, of Rock Hill has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl. At the time of the conspiracy, Underwood was incarcerated in the Department of Corrections serving a sentence for drug trafficking.
During an investigation of Darryl Hemphill and others, agents learned that Underwood was responsible for arranging the purchase and distribution of narcotics he obtained from Hemphill, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl-based pills. The fentanyl-based pills Underwood obtained from Hemphill resembled that of an Oxycodone pill, also known in the generic form as Roxicodone. Hemphill and other members of his drug trafficking organization produced the pills, which were clandestinely manufactured with fentanyl at various locations around Rock Hill and Charlotte. As the leader of this organization, Hemphill was supplying the drugs to Underwood while he was incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Underwood used his drug trafficking knowledge to continue his drug trafficking business while inside the SCDC system. Agents identified Underwood from monitored telephone calls with Hemphill and statements from others. Agents learned that Underwood and others taught Hemphill the process to order, ship, and receive narcotics from Southern California. Underwood utilized associates outside the prison facility to obtain the drugs from Hemphill in Rock Hill. Underwood arranged the purchase and exchange of the drugs from Hemphill to other individuals.
While incarcerated, Underwood received at least 1,000 fentanyl-based pills, over 700 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 312 grams of cocaine from Hemphill.
United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Underwood to 121 months imprisonment, to be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This investigation and arrests are 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.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Waikiki Drug Dealer Who Distributed Fentanyl Pills Linked to U.S. Marine’s Death Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Justin Wu, 23, of Waikiki, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A. S. Park to 120 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release for distributing pills containing fentanyl and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
According to court records, Wu distributed five small blue pills containing fentanyl to an 18-year-old United States Marine on November 9, 2021 and was arrested in possession of approximately 17 grams of cocaine on June 29, 2022. Investigators determined that the Marine died from fentanyl toxicity a day after Wu gave him the pills. Judge Park imposed an upward variance from the advisory Sentencing Guidelines range, observing that Wu’s distribution of fentanyl contributed to and facilitated the Marine’s death. Judge Park also noted that Wu was dealing drugs while on federal probation for a prior drug trafficking conviction—a “brazen” betrayal of the district court’s trust—and that while in custody pending trial, Wu attempted to obstruct justice by soliciting another person to present perjured testimony on his behalf. Wu’s prior federal probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to concurrent time.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Albanese and Jonathan D. Slack prosecuted the case.