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18 August 2026
Prolific Chinese Money Launderer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Laundering Drug Trafficking Proceeds Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
ARLOTTE, N.C. — A Chinese national was sentenced today in the Western District of North Carolina by U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $25 million for his role in a Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO) that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico.
“Chinese money laundering networks have become a key enabler to the Mexican cartels,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The organization eliminated by this prosecution alone laundered more than $90 million in less than two years. This emerging and enormous threat to the United States has only become more complex. As part of our mission to totally eliminate cartels, the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will investigate and prosecute all facets of cartel activity, including those groups that launder and return the money to them so that they can traffic more poison in our country and throughout the world.”
“We are working hard to attack cartels on all fronts,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “That means attacking the money laundering networks that fuel the cartels and hide their money, making it harder to prosecute them. This is an important step in eliminating cartels — a key priority in my office.”
“Today’s sentence reinforces an important principle, criminal organizations cannot operate without access to their profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “Those who knowingly assist in concealing and legitimizing drug trafficking proceeds become an integral part of the criminal enterprise. This case demonstrates the continued commitment of the Homeland Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners to attacking these organizations at every level and holding accountable those who facilitate their operations.”
According to court documents, Jianfei Lu, 31, of China, was a prolific courier of the CMLO. He collected drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposited the money, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO. As a courier, Lu personally picked up and deposited more than $20 million of illicit bulk cash. Lu also served as a manager for the CMLO: he coordinated directly with U.S.-based drug traffickers and dispatched other couriers to conduct bulk cash pickups and deposits. In addition, Lu procured fake driver’s licenses for the couriers, which were used to deposit illicit funds at major U.S. banks.
Approximately $670,000 of U.S. currency and 12 firearms seized from a Designated Terrorist Organization that used the CMLO for money laundering services.
In July 2025, Lu pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. In connection to his guilty plea, Lu admitted that he had actual knowledge and involvement in laundering between $25 million and $65 million in illicit funds, and that he knew the laundered funds included drug trafficking proceeds.
The DEA Charlotte District Office and the IRS-CI Charlotte Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Mingda Hang, Jayce Born, and Kenneth Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Miller and Seth Johnson for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Prolific Chinese Money Launderer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Laundering Drug Trafficking Proceeds Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
A Chinese national was sentenced today in the Western District of North Carolina by U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $25 million for his role in a Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO) that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico.
“Chinese money laundering networks have become a key enabler to the Mexican cartels,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The organization eliminated by this prosecution alone laundered more than $90 million in less than two years. This emerging and enormous threat to the United States has only become more complex. As part of our mission to totally eliminate cartels, the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will investigate and prosecute all facets of cartel activity, including those groups that launder and return the money to them so that they can traffic more poison in our country and throughout the world.”
“We are working hard to attack cartels on all fronts,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “That means attacking the money laundering networks that fuel the cartels and hide their money, making it harder to prosecute them. This is an important step in eliminating cartels — a key priority in my office.”
“Today’s sentence reinforces an important principle, criminal organizations cannot operate without access to their profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “Those who knowingly assist in concealing and legitimizing drug trafficking proceeds become an integral part of the criminal enterprise. This case demonstrates the continued commitment of the Homeland Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners to attacking these organizations at every level and holding accountable those who facilitate their operations.”According to court documents, Jianfei Lu, 31, of China, was a prolific courier of the CMLO. He collected drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposited the money, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO. As a courier, Lu personally picked up and deposited more than $20 million of illicit bulk cash. Lu also served as a manager for the CMLO: he coordinated directly with U.S.-based drug traffickers and dispatched other couriers to conduct bulk cash pickups and deposits. In addition, Lu procured fake driver’s licenses for the couriers, which were used to deposit illicit funds at major U.S. banks.
Approximately $670,000 of U.S. currency and 12 firearms seized from a drug trafficking organization that used the CMLO for money laundering services.In July 2025, Lu pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. In connection to his guilty plea, Lu admitted that he had actual knowledge and involvement in laundering between $25 million and $65 million in illicit funds, and that he knew the laundered funds included drug trafficking proceeds.
The DEA Charlotte District Office and the IRS-CI Charlotte Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Mingda Hang, Jayce Born, and Kenneth Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Miller and Seth Johnson for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Project Safe Schools initiative debuts as U.S. Attorney moves against Forney ISD and former educators for reporting failuresRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced today the launch of Project Safe Schools, a federal initiative aimed at protecting students, enforcing accountability and restoring transparency in public schools across North Texas.
According to the Texas Education Agency, more than 9,720 educator‑misconduct investigations have been opened in the past two years, resulting in hundreds of disciplinary actions and placements on the Do Not Hire registry. Yet, districts across North Texas continue to underreport abuse and retain educators with known misconduct issues.
Project Safe Schools directly targets these failures by coordinating federal and state resources to enforce mandatory reporting laws and protect students.
“Protecting children is not optional—it is the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will support those who follow their obligations and put students first, and we will rigorously pursue accountability for anyone who conceals misconduct or allows harm to continue. Project Safe Schools is about transparency, responsibility and ensuring every child is safe in the classroom.”
“The FBI is proud to partner in Project Safe Schools to ensure that our students not only receive a good education, but that education is provided in a safe environment,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We all share a role in protecting students, and through this partnership, we can succeed in making our schools safer.”
FORNEY ISD: CIVIL SETTLEMENT AND CRIMINAL CHARGES
As part of this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced two coordinated enforcement actions involving Forney Independent School District: a civil settlement under the False Claims Act and criminal charges against a former principal and a teacher.
To resolve allegations that it submitted false or misleading certifications regarding compliance with mandatory reporting laws when applying for federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Forney ISD agreed to pay $14,308 and adopt enhanced compliance measures designed to prevent future reporting failures and strengthen protections for students across the district. U.S. Attorney Raybould stated that “the settlement amount reflects Forney ISD’s decision to come forward and cooperate; districts that fail to self‑report similar violations should expect significantly harsher consequences.”
On the criminal side, former Principal Wendy Bailey and teacher Michael Roell, also known as Johnathan Michael, have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Both allegedly played a role in concealing Roell’s prior arrest, facilitating his legal name change to evade background checks, and falsifying hiring documents—conduct that allowed him to obtain a special education teaching position despite repeated misconduct concerns.
U.S. Attorney Raybould praised the outstanding work of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, General Services Administration Office of the Inspector General, Texas Education Agency, Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers and Kaufman County District Attorney.
The civil matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javan Porter and Brian Stoltz. The criminal matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore Parran and Claire Demers.
The civil claims resolved by the settlement agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CALL FOR VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE FROM NORTH TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is urging all North Texas public school districts to proactively review their reporting practices and come forward if they identify past failures that occurred within the last five years. Districts that knowingly concealed educator misconduct, failed to submit mandatory reports, or certified compliance inaccurately when receiving federal education funds should self‑report through the Project Safe Schools Voluntary Disclosure pathway.
Voluntary and timely disclosure will be considered in accordance with Department of Justice guidance and may lead to significantly different outcomes than misconduct uncovered through enforcement actions. Coming forward demonstrates a district’s commitment to compliance and to protecting students.
Districts should submit disclosures to: USATXN.ProjectSafeSchools@usdoj.gov
Previously convicted sex offender sentenced to life in prison for sexually exploiting two minorsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Gum Spring man was sentenced today to life plus ten years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), possession of CSAM, attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and commission by a registered sex offender of a felony offense involving a minor.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Richard Scott Tyson, 57, was convicted in 2002 of rape involving a child, for which he was sentenced to 99 years in prison with 86 years suspended. Between 2021 and 2023, Tyson sexually exploited two minor victims.
Tyson met the first victim, identified as Minor Victim 1 (MV1), in 2021 and developed a relationship with MV1 and his family members. Tyson soon began taking MV1 on trips and paying for items such as video games, clothing, or activities on his behalf. MV1 then began staying overnight and on weekends at Tyson’s house. During a trip with MV1 to a trampoline park, MV1 met and befriended Tyson’s second victim, identified as Minor Victim 2 (MV2). Tyson communicated with both victims through Snapchat.
MV2 joined Tyson and MV1 during activities and trips to hotels, resorts, and amusement parks, for which Tyson paid. During these activities and trips, as well as at Tyson’s home, Tyson engaged in sexual relations with MV2 and took pictures of both minor victims while they were nude or mostly undressed and posed in sexualized positions in exchange for money.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Bradford W. Nunnally, Powhatan County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. The Goochland County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea M. Gibbons and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-3.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Deposit of Stolen and Altered U.S. Treasury CheckRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to two years of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,471.80 on his convictions for uttering counterfeit obligations or securities and theft of government property, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Andre Pitts, 21.
According to information presented to the Court, on June 12, 2023, Pitts deposited an altered version of a U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $62,211. The check had been issued in February 2023 to another individual related to that person’s income tax return, with the memo line of the check identifying both the individual and tax year of 2021. The payee information and memo line of the deposited check had been altered to identify Pitts, his residence, and a tax year of 2022. Following his deposit of the altered check, Pitts quickly made several transactions, including withdrawing $500 in cash and having a $25,000 cashier’s check issued to himself.Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) Office of Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pitts.
Pensacola Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun & Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – EP Hall, 42, of Pensacola, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the plea.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting these cases until criminals realize we have zero-tolerance for lawlessness in the Northern District of Florida. The citizens of our District deserve to live on safe, drug-free streets, and that is exactly what I intend to deliver with more successful prosecutions like this one.”
Court documents showed that, in March 2026, the defendant was encountered by law enforcement while walking in a public roadway in Pensacola with a loaded revolver in his waistband and wearing a fanny pack containing crack cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. As a previously convicted felon, the defendant was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Hall faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and up to three years’ imprisonment for possession of a controlled substance due to a prior drug-related conviction.
The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Owner of Two Restaurants to Plead Guilty to Employment Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner and operator of two Massachusetts restaurants has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to paying employees in cash over the course of seven years without withholding and paying federal employment taxes.
Marios Michalakis, 44, of Westwood, Mass., was charged with six counts of failing to collect, report and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A plea hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 8, 2026.
According to court documents, from at least January 2016 through December 2022, Michalakis ran two restaurants, Amelia’s, located in Stoughton, Mass. and Sofia Italian Steakhouse, located in West Roxbury, Mass. Michalakis is charged with paying employees in cash “under-the-table,” that is, failing to withhold income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes from employee wages and failing to pay more than $580,000 in employee and employer taxes owed to the IRS and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
The charge of failing to collect and pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Frauds Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Ontario man going to prison for drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Mohamed Patel, 40, of Ontario, CA, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute morphine, was sentenced to serve 42 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Between October 2019 and September 11, 2024, Patel conspired with co-defendant Bashir Kasozi, and others, to possess with intent to distribute morphine. Patel arranged for bulk quantities of morphine tablets to be imported into the United States from India and paid multiple individuals in the Western District of New York to receive the controlled substances and store them at their residences. Subsequently, Patel employed Kasozi, a truck driver, to retrieve the morphine tablets and deliver them via tractor trailer across the border to him in Ontario, Canada.
On August 22, 2024, 62 packages of morphine tablets were delivered from India to the Western District of New York. On August 23, 2024, Kasozi, acting at the direction of Patel, entered the United States to collect the packages. That evening, Kasozi arrived at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry with a tractor trailer, with the 62 morphine packages concealed. During his outbound inspection, Kasozi told Customs and Border Protection that he had been in the United States for three days, and that he was coming from Massachusetts with a load of paper, and did not have anything to declare, including prescription or nonprescription narcotics. During a secondary inspection, the 62 packages were discovered and Kasozi was arrested.
On August 30, 2024, Patel arranged for an additional 26 to 28 morphine packages to be received in the Western District of New York, which he would pick up in the United States. On September 11, 2024, Patel traveled from Canada to the United States, arriving at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry. Patel did not retrieve the morphine packages as scheduled and was taken into custody upon attempting to return to Canada.
Patel admitted that between October 2019 and September 22, 2024, he imported multiple shipments of morphine tablets into the United States from locations in India, and that a number of those shipments were seized by law enforcement at the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, FedEx, the Canadian border, and from various individuals in the Western District of New York.
Bashir Kasozi was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone.
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Ohio Man and Texas Woman Sentenced Collectively to More Than 56 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Two people have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to produce child pornography by sexually exploiting two children.
Chaz Jacob, 36, of Toledo, and Amy Fountain, 51, of McDade, Texas, were sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in February to criminal offenses.
Jacob was sentenced to 420 months (35 years) in prison for Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography, two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay a combined $75,000 in restitution to 25 victims.
Fountain was sentenced to 262 months (21.83 years) in prison for Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. She was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, federal agents were investigating the suspected sexual abuse of a minor victim in Toledo and Jacob was subsequently identified. During a search warrant executed at Jacob’s residence, several of his electronic devices were seized. Forensic analysis of these electronic devices revealed videos that Jacob recorded himself while he sexually abused several minors. Other videos found on the devices depicted Fountain, and her husband Christopher Hagerman, 50, also of McDade, sexually abusing two minors under the age of 12 at Jacob’s residence.
Hagerman pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Produce Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in June and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
New York City Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Attack at Manhattan SynagogueRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Larry Montes was charged with two counts of committing hate crimes in connection with his race- and religious-based assaults of a congregant and a security guard during a Shabbat service at a synagogue in Manhattan on Aug. 14, as well as one count of destruction of religious property resulting in bodily injury. Montes is currently in state custody and will be transported to and presented in Manhattan federal court at a later date to face the federal charges filed in the Southern District of New York.
“These charges serve as notice that the Department of Justice will intervene to protect the public in the face of antisemitic and racially motivated attacks,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division stands ready to combat assaults against worshippers and houses of worship. Americans’ fundamental right to worship without fear of bias-motivated violence is sacrosanct and must be protected at all costs.”
“Today, the Southern District of New York filed federal charges against Larry Montes for his violent, hate‑motivated attack during Shabbat services at Central Synagogue on August 14, in which he disrupted worship, struck a congregant, damaged synagogue property, and spat on and headbutted a security guard,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York. “An attack on a house of worship is an attack on the fundamental right to practice one’s faith safely, and our Office will work tirelessly to ensure the defendant is held fully accountable as we continue to protect all communities from hate‑driven violence.”
“Larry Montes’ targeted acts of violence on a congregant, security guard, and synagogue during a Shabbat service are deeply disturbing,” said Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI New York Field Office. “The FBI condemns any incident driven by bias or hate, and we commend the swift actions of the security personnel and first responders. Hate crimes have no place in New York, and we remain steadfast in protecting every community.”
“As alleged in the complaint, Larry Montes brought violence to Jewish New Yorkers engaged in prayer when he disrupted Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Manhattan,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “I am grateful that an NYPD sergeant was there to take him into custody, and for the ongoing efforts of our Hate Crimes Task Force and our federal partners to hold Montes accountable for his alleged crimes.”
As alleged in the Complaint, on Aug. 14, at a Friday night Shabbat service attended by approximately 375 people at a synagogue in Manhattan, Montes stood up and began shouting and then physically struck and caused damage to two ceremonial silver candlesticks with gold accents. The head of security at the synagogue proceeded to attempt to remove Montes from the area where the service was taking place, during which Montes stated, in sum and substance, and among other things, “fuck you people” and “I don’t fuck with you people.” Montes also punched with a closed fist a woman (Victim-1) who was attending services at the synagogue and, later, while being handcuffed by security guards and law enforcement, looked at one of the security guards (Victim-2), who is a Black man, and stated, in sum and substance, “fuck you [n-word].” He then spat in Victim-2’s face and headbutted Victim-2 near Victim-2’s left eye socket. Montes also stated, in sum and substance, that he planned to return to the synagogue on a later date.
During a recorded, Mirandized post-arrest interview, Montes stated, in substance and in part, “fuck the Jews. . . . It’s racial” and “I will never affiliate with no filthy fucking synagogues, either here or in fucking Israel.” Montes also stated about his actions at the synagogue that “it’s all a racial thing” and that it was “all religious motivated.”
Montes, 46, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with two counts of committing hate crimes, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and one count of damage to religious property resulting in bodily injury, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit in the Criminal Division, with consultation from the Civil Rights Division of the Criminal Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith C. Foster for the Southern District of New York is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Orleans Felon Sentenced on Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – YUAN BUGGAGE (“BUGGAGE”), age 25, was sentenced on August 13, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 117 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $400 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to four counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; possession with intent to distribute Tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D); possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, in March and April of 2025, BUGGAGE posted pictures of himself on Instagram advertising the sale ofTapentadol pills in the Calliope Projects, including posing with a picture of a Glock firearm. Later in April of 2025, officers obtained and executed a search warrant for a known residence of BUGGAGE and found distributable amounts of Tapentadol and marijuana, as well as firearms.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell, IV of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Nash County Career Offender Draws 15‑Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Trimaine Rshad Williams, age 35, to 15 and half years in federal prison for Interference with Commerce by Robbery. On February 20, 2026, Williams pleaded guilty in federal court. Williams’s five prior robbery convictions resulted in his sentencing as a Career Offender.
“Williams is exactly the kind of repeat offender who keeps terrorizing hard-working honest people of Eastern North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Even after five prior convictions, he spent an entire day hitting one store after another, scaring employees and terrifying customers who were just trying to work and live their lives the honest way. Thanks to great work of law enforcement, the people of Nash County won’t have to deal with Williams’s chaos any longer. Steal, gets steel.”
On March 20, 2024, Williams carried out a crime spree that targeted at least five convenience stores and gas stations in Rocky Mount. At one location, he pressed a hard object against a clerk’s back and threatened to shoot him. Although the clerk discovered Williams was not armed and escorted him out, Williams lingered nearby and accepted food the clerk offered after he claimed he was down on his luck. Despite this act of compassion, Williams continued his crime spree throughout the day and night.
At 6:30 a.m., Williams entered the Speedway store in Rocky Mount, ordered everyone to the ground, and stole about $200 while clutching his waistband as if he had a gun. Five hours later, he entered a gas station on Wesleyan Boulevard, told the clerks he was armed, stole roughly $300, and fled. His crime spree escalated that evening when he entered a nearby Dollar General, climbed over the counter, demanded cash, and threatened to kill the clerk. Shortly thereafter, Willaims entered his final store, the Bi‑Rite Market in Sharpsburg, demanded money, and once again grabbed his jacket as if he had a weapon before fleeing with the cash. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Williams later that day, ending his community-wide crime spree.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. This case was investigated by Sharpsburg Police Department, Rocky Mount Police Department, and Nash County Sheriff’s Office.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-330.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national, who was illegally in the United States, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to the mandatory minimum of five years in prison for distributing over 1,000 fentanyl pills in North Las Vegas.
"Fentanyl is a deadly poison that continues to devastate families across communities,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who profit from trafficking this lethal drug: federal law enforcement will pursue you, and you will face severe consequences in federal prison. We remain committed to removing these dangerous substances and the individuals who distribute them from our streets.”
“Fentanyl remains an insatiable killer, bringing irreparable harm into our communities,” said David S. Olesky, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which covers Nevada. “All those involved in illicit drug trafficking, irrespective of their role in the supply chain, will face the full weight of the law.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 8, 2023, a co-defendant directed Erick Fuentes Lopez to distribute fentanyl pills. When he arrived at a parking lot Fuentes Lopez sold approximately 600 fentanyl pills. Later, on July 12, 2023, a co-defendant directed Fuentes Lopez to distribute fentanyl pills at the same parking lot. Fuentes Lopez distributed approximately 500 fentanyl pills. A total of 118.3 grams of fentanyl were distributed.
Fuentes Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Melanee Smith prosecuted the case.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Clayton Bratcher, 25, has been sentenced to fourteen years and one day in prison following his convictions for multiple armed robberies of fast-food restaurants in Memphis. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to court documents, officers with the Memphis Police Department Safe Streets Task Force responded to three separate armed business robberies at fast food locations (two McDonald’s locations and a Taco Bell) in the late night through early morning hours, between July 8th and July 9th of 2023. In each instance an individual, later identified as Clayton Bratcher, placed an order in the drive-through. After approaching the window, Bratcher pointed a firearm at employees through the drive-through window and demanded money from the cash register.
Bratcher was developed as a suspect through social media and tips from citizens after a media release. Initially, Bratcher was indicted on each robbery by the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office in state court. However, as part of a plea agreement, two of the three robberies were dismissed by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, and Bratcher was sentenced to eight years in state prison as a result.
To properly vindicate the interests of the United States, prevent a manifestly inadequate sentence, and protect public safety, the U.S. Attorney’s Office sought to hold Bratcher accountable under federal law. Bratcher was later indicted by a federal grand jury for the two robberies that were dismissed by the District Attorney’s office. Bratcher was convicted of the federal offenses after pleading guilty on March 31, 2026.
On August 14, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Bratcher to fourteen years and one day of federal imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The federal sentence was ordered to run consecutive to Bratcher’s previously imposed eight-year state sentence, for an overall effective twenty-two-year sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Bratcher’s misguided and impulsive violent crime spree is over. His lifestyle of lawlessness and selfish greed terrorized multiple victims – and has rightly earned him significant sentences in both federal and state prison that will remove him from the community and protect Memphians for years to come."
"Armed robbery is not simply a theft; it is a violent crime that creates fear throughout the community and puts innocent lives in danger,” said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Today's sentence sends a clear message that the FBI is committed to investigating violent crime and working with our law enforcement partners to hold repeat offenders accountable at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no possibility for parole.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD) Safe Streets Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Regina Brittenum and Gavin A. Smith prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates
Massachusetts Woman Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Stolen Human RemainsRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Katrina Maclean, age 47, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sentenced on August 18, 2026, to 24 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Maclean admitted to her role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains, including remains stolen from Harvard Medical School.
Other individuals were indicted with Maclean on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. From 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.
Maclean and Taylor sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to him.
Seven other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas and were sentenced to imprisonment in related cases, including Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, Cedric and Denise Lodge, Angelo Pereyra and Candace Chapman Scott. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison; Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months in prison; Ensanian was sentenced to 6 months in prison; Denise and Cedric Lodge were sentenced to 96 months and 12 months in prison respectively; and Joshua Taylor was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
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Massachusetts Resident Sentenced in Attempt to Assassinate Cabinet Member Nominee at the U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ryan Michael English, 26, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 73 months in prison in connection with an attempt to assassinate then-cabinet member nominee Scott Bessent with Molotov cocktails fashioned from bottles of vodka, and for carrying a folding knife onto the Grounds of the Capitol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“My office will not tolerate attempts to intimidate or harm public officials that strike at the heart of our democratic process and are antithetical to the values we all depend on,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The defendant is now a convicted felon and is headed where he belongs: prison.”
English, aka “Raleigh Jane English,” pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras to one count of unlawful receipt, possession, and/or transfer of a firearm and one count of carrying a firearm, dangerous weapon, explosive, or incendiary device on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. In addition to the 73-month prison term, Judge Contreras ordered English to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison term of 121 months.
According to court documents, at about 3:12 p.m., on Jan. 27, 2025, English approached a U.S. Capitol Police Officer near the South Door of the Capitol Building and stated “I’d like to turn myself in.” English further admitted to possessing a knife and two “Molotov Cocktails.”
Officers searched English and recovered a folding knife, as well as two improvised incendiary devices from his jacket pockets. Each device was constructed of a 50-milliliter bottle of Absolut vodka with a grey strip of cloth affixed to its top. The cloth had been soaked with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Police recovered a green lighter from another pocket.
During the search, English confessed to being at the Capitol to kill a cabinet member nominee whose confirmation vote was scheduled that day before the U.S. Senate. Police recovered a note to a roommate in English’s pocket that said, in part, “This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters…Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying.”
English admitted to traveling to the District of Columbia with the intention of killing a government official or burning down a think-tank based in Washington, D.C.
In a search of English’s car, which English had parked on the 900 block of Independence Ave., SE, police recovered a 750-milliliter bottle of 100 proof vodka and a grey sweatshirt with fabric cut from the sleeves.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was Chief Michael G. Sullivan of the U.S. Capitol Police.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the United States Capitol Police, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.
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Maryland Man Arrested for Illicit Sexual Conduct with 12-Year-Old Delaware ResidentRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Maryland man was arrested on August 11, 2026, on charges of coercion and enticement of a minor and for traveling to Delaware to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
As alleged in court documents, Majdi Jones, 22, communicated with a 12-year-old victim over Snapchat, exchanged nude photographs with the victim, and arranged to meet for sex. Through those communications, Jones learned the victim was a minor, lied about his own age, and nevertheless arranged to meet the victim in a Delaware park in the early hours of the morning. Jones drove from Maryland into Delaware, picked up the victim near her house, drove her to the park, and engaged in sexual conduct alleged to constitute rape in the fourth degree under Delaware law. Investigators found a used condom in the back seat of the car in which Jones raped his victim.
Jones is charged with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), and one count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b). If convicted, Jones faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. The FBI Baltimore Field Office’s Wilmington Resident Agency and the New Castle County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan C. Williamson and Claudia L. Pare are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 26-mj-423.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mankato Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Alex James Wall, 39, of Mankato, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. Wall’s change of plea hearing was before U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank on August 18, 2026. Wall will be facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
According to court documents, between April 14, 2023, and March 6, 2025, Wall attempted to entice and coerce a 14-to-15-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography.
“There is no higher priority for my office than to protect vulnerable children. Today’s guilty plea is an important step towards justice for the child victims and their families,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“Alex Wall, a registered sex offender, again sexually abused and exploited a child and recorded that abuse for his own purposes,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Any child sexual abuse is abhorrent, but offenses committed by repeat offenders are particularly deserving of the significant consequences for these crimes under federal law. This investigation demonstrates that the FBI and our partners are dedicated to finding justice for child victims and their affected families.”
This case was the result of an investigation by the Mankato Department of Public Safety, FBI, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorney David M. Classen is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
Manhattan Man Charged with Distributing Narcotics That Caused the Death of Resident at Transitional FacilityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the filing of a Superseding Indictment charging MATTHEW SPATOLA with distribution of narcotics resulting in death in connection with the June 26, 2026, overdose death of a resident (“Victim-1”) of a Manhattan building providing transitional and emergency shelter to homeless individuals, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. SPATOLA is detained, awaiting trial before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
“As alleged, Matthew Spatola provided lethal narcotics to a woman in the very building where she was living to escape addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “But even her death did not stop Spatola from allegedly continuing to deal drugs, exposing particularly vulnerable neighbors fighting for their own recovery to the same life-threatening poison that killed her. If you deal drugs inside a transitional facility, you are dealing death to the same people trying to fight it, and you will be held accountable.”
“As alleged in the complaint, Matthew Spatola callously preyed on individuals at a transitional housing facility in Manhattan,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The defendant sold the drugs that resulted in one resident’s death and continued to distribute them even after her demise, caring more for money than human life. This individual is now being held accountable and can no longer sell his poison on our streets. I thank our investigators and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for bringing dangerous drug peddlers to justice.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, other public filings, and during court proceedings:
On June 26, 2026, SPATOLA sold narcotics to Victim-1 in the building—which provides transitional and emergency shelter—where they both lived, causing her death.
Surveillance video shows that, on or about June 26, 2026, SPATOLA and Victim-1 were seen together, and that at approximately 9:00 a.m., SPATOLA handed Victim-1 narcotics. SPATOLA returned to Victim-1’s room again that afternoon, briefly entering and exiting twice before leaving. A short time later, Victim-1 was found dead in her room. A glassine envelope and pipes recovered on or near her body tested positive for cocaine.
Rather than stop dealing, SPATOLA continued to distribute narcotics to other residents of the building in the days following Victim-1’s death. On July 14, 2026, law enforcement executed search warrants on SPATOLA’s residence and person and recovered a substantial quantity of narcotics and narcotics distribution paraphernalia, which tested positive for crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.
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SPATOLA, 37, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of distribution of narcotics resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD, the Digital Forensics Unit, and the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, as well as the Special Agents and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Zabel is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Charged in Federal Court with Robbing Victim at Gunpoint During Facebook Marketplace Meeting in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago today charged a man with robbing an individual at gunpoint of his laptop computer during a Facebook Marketplace meeting on the city’s North Side.
The robbery occurred on the evening of Aug. 5, 2026, in the 700 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The victim had offered his MacBook Pro laptop for sale on Facebook Marketplace and agreed to meet with a purported buyer, later identified as MAYKEL GONZALEZ DEMARIA. According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Gonzalez Demaria arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location driving a Blue Toyota Corolla and asked the victim to get inside. The victim declined but handed the laptop and a charger to Gonzalez Demaria to inspect, the complaint states. After the pair discussed a price for the laptop, Gonzalez Demaria reached into the backseat, grabbed a firearm, and pointed it at the victim, the complaint states. Gonzalez Demaria then allegedly drove off with the laptop and charger.
The victim was able to take a photograph of the Corolla and its license plate number, which he conveyed to Chicago Police in a 911 call. Less than 30 minutes later, police observed a car matching the description about a mile away and conducted a traffic stop, during which they discovered the laptop, the charger, and the firearm, the complaint states. Gonzalez Demaria was placed under arrest.
The complaint charges Gonzalez Demaria, 19, with one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. His initial appearance in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jalan L. Jaskot.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
gonzalez_demaria_complaint.pdfLuzerne County Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Fernandito Arroyo, age 28, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 18, 2026, to 180 months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for distribution of cocaine and fentanyl and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on multiple occasions between July 18, 2024 and November 19, 2024, Arroyo sold controlled substances to a confidential informant in Wilkes-Barre. On November 19, 2024, Arroyo sold a firearm and ammunition to an individual who could not legally possess a firearm and provided that individual with cocaine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Anthony Saint Jean, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2026. Saint Jean was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025.
Between March 17, 2024, and Aug. 20, 2024, Saint Jean knowingly distributed online videos depicting CSAM. In addition, Saint Jean possessed CSAM, some of which depicted the abuse of minor victims younger than 12 years old.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Leaders and Members of Bronx Gang “Dub City” Sentenced for Multiple Shootings, Racketeering, Narcotics, Fraud, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that BRUCE SILVA, a/k/a “Brucie,” a leader of the Bronx gang “Dub City,” which was affiliated with the larger MacBallers street gang, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. On February 24, 2026, SILVA pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and multiple firearms offenses in connection with shootings, one of which left the victim paralyzed, before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe, who imposed today’s sentence.
“For years, the members of the so-called ‘Dub City’ gang terrorized several Bronx neighborhoods in their claimed territory by repeatedly shooting at rivals and fellow gang members alike,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “The significant sentences imposed in this case serve to hold the leaders and members of this violent street gang accountable for their gun violence and other criminal activity. This Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle violent criminal organizations and protect the communities they prey upon through violence.”
According to the charging instruments, court filings, and statements made in court:
The “Dub City” gang was a criminal organization based in the Mt. Hope and Morris Heights sections of the Bronx, New York, whose members predominantly were also members of the larger MacBallers street gang. A map of Dub City’s claimed territory is below:
From 2019 until the defendants were arrested in April 2023, the Dub City gang members sold drugs, committed robberies, committed financial fraud, used guns, and committed numerous acts of violence in furtherance of the Dub City gang, including shootings against members of rival gangs and against other Dub City gang members. The violence committed by the defendants included shootings where innocent bystanders were hit. In one case, SILVA shot at an individual, causing permanent paralysis. In another case, co-defendant BRUCE MELVIN shot at a rival gang member, hitting an innocent bystander in the leg.
In total, the defendants were collectively convicted for their roles in eight separate shootings on Bronx streets between summer 2019 and summer 2022.
The following photographs depict Dub City members and co-defendants SILVA, MELVIN, and ELIJAH POUGH firing their weapons at rival gang members and others on Bronx streets:
In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Gardephe said that Silva poses a “clear and present danger to the community.”
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A chart containing the names and ages of the defendants, the charges they were convicted of, and the sentences they received is set forth below.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, and also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Herman, Jacob R. Fiddelman, and Matthew J. King are in charge of the prosecution.
Defendant
Age
Conviction
Sentence
BRUCE SILVA, a/k/a “Brucie,”30Racketeering conspiracy
Two counts of use, possession, and brandishing of a firearms in connection with an attempted assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
Possession of ammunition after a felony conviction
22 years in prison;
3 years supervised release
BRUCE MELVIN, a/k/a “BG,”27Racketeering conspiracy
Two counts of use, possession, and brandishing of a firearms in connection with an attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
240 months in prison;
5 years supervised release
JORDAN BENNETT a/k/a “Billy Bandz,” a/k/a “J Bills,”32Racketeering conspiracy144 months
3 years supervised release
ELIJAH POUGH, a/k/a “Eli,”30Racketeering conspiracy
Use, possession, and brandishing, of a firearm in connection with an attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
120 months
5 years supervised release
SHADELL MCBRIDE, a/k/a “Deli,”31Racketeering conspiracy
Use and possession of a firearm in connection with an attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
120 months
5 years supervised release
JUSTIN BALLESTER, a/k/a “J-Gunz,”31Racketeering conspiracy60 months
3 years supervised release
ALZUBAIR SALEH, a/k/a “Sammy,”35Racketeering conspiracy51 months
3 years supervised release
GIOVANNI RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Karrot,”27Racketeering conspiracy36 months
3 years supervised release
GABRIEL VALDEZ, a/k/a “Wolf,”27Racketeering conspiracy48 months (including 20 months spent in New York state custody)
3 years supervised release
EMMANUEL PEREZ, a/k/a “Manny,” a/k/a “Haven,”26Racketeering conspiracy36 months
3 years supervised release
Lakeville Man is 23rd Defendant to be Sentenced in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 34, of Lakeville, Minnesota, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Abshir is the 23rd defendant to be sentenced in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.
The sentence also reflects Abshir’s effort to tamper with a cooperating trial witness on February 18, 2025. During the trial of his co-defendants in United States v. Aimee Bock and Salim Said, Abshir obstructed justice when he approached a cooperating witness prior to his scheduled testimony.
Abshir was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on August 18, 2026. Abshir previously pleaded guilty on March 7, 2025.
“Today’s sentence makes clear that justice is not for sale, and those who try to buy their way out of accountability will not succeed. Our office is committed to protecting American taxpayer funds,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“The sentence imposed on Abdinasir Abshir reflects accountability not only for his role in a massive fraud scheme, but also for his deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity of the judicial process,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Witness tampering is an attack on the foundation of our justice system because it seeks to obstruct the truth and interfere with the fair administration of justice. Today’s sentence makes clear that such conduct carries serious consequences. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting witnesses, safeguarding the integrity of our courts, and ensuring that those who commit fraud are held fully accountable.”
“Abshir and his co-conspirators stole from a program meant to feed children while families were struggling, then tried to use money to corrupt the justice system,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “Justice isn’t for sale, and IRS Criminal Investigation will hold accountable those who think their money puts them beyond its reach.”
“Mr. Abshir’s guilty plea reflects the outstanding investigative teamwork by the Postal Inspection Service and our federal law enforcement partners,” said Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division Bryan Musgrove. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding white-collar criminals accountable for abusing the U.S. mail to facilitate fraudulent schemes.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca E. Kline and Matthew C. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Note: Previous press releases on Abshir’s guilty plea (March 7, 2025) and indictment (September 20, 2022) linked here.
Lakeside Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Lakeside, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Bradley Vernon Mullanix, 50, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and 5 years’ supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
According to court documents, on February 5th Mullanix purchased two pounds of Methamphetamine from an undercover agent, believing he was a drug dealer. Mullanix paid $2,400 for the drugs and intended to sell them. Upon placing the drugs on a scale, he was arrested.
Mullanix previously illegally possessed and sold firearms in June 2024. Mullanix sold the firearms to a confidential informant. Those firearms were seized by law enforcement and will be forfeited.
On February 6, 2025, Mullanix was charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On May 14, 2026, Mullanix pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by ATF and the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Huynh.
Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Clean Air Act ReportsRead the Press Release
The owner of a company that produces charcoal pleaded guilty to fabricating data relating to the air emissions from his charcoal production facility.
According to court documents, Nicholas Upchurch, 46, owned Rebel Smoke, a company in Burkesville, Kentucky, that used kilns to convert wood to charcoal. The air emissions from the facility were to be routed through emissions control facilities to reduce the air pollution released into the environment. However, as part of his plea agreement, Upchurch admitted to falsifying data submitted to the Commonwealth of Kentucky as part of compliance with the company’s air permit.
Upchurch’s sentencing date has not been scheduled. The falsification count has a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine whether to accept the plea agreement after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) made the announcement.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case, with assistance from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Department for Environmental Protection.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD is prosecuting the case. Additional assistance was provided by former Senior Trial Attorney Matthew Morris of ENRD.
Kanawha County Woman Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kelli Rucker, also known as “Kelli Engler,” 48, of Nitro, was sentenced today to nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $18,472.75 in restitution for wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rucker was hired by the West Virginia Division of Labor as an Administrative Services Manager I in 2020 and assigned three state purchasing credit cards. From 2022 through February 2023, Rucker fraudulently made unauthorized purchases with the three cards that resulted in losses totaling $18,472.75 to the State of West Virginia. As part of her guilty plea, Rucker admitted that she knew she was not permitted to make personal purchases with a state-issued card and that she electronically paid personal expenses including gas and electric bills, hospital expenses, and cable television bills as part of her fraudulent scheme. Rucker further admitted that her fraudulent use of the cards included a $2,200 charge transmitted electronically on January 28, 2023.
Rucker has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for access device fraud on October 13, 2010, and failure to appear on October 11, 2016, both in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
“Fraud — of any size and in any form — will be met with decisive action,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Every scam, from minor schemes to large scale operations, drains America’s taxpayers, stealing an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion from the federal government each year. That is unacceptable. Our office is fully committed to a coordinated, government-wide effort to combat fraud, and we will hold accountable anyone who steals from hardworking Americans. We urge every agency, partner, and citizen to stay vigilant, report suspicious activity, and join us in protecting taxpayer dollars.”
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Division of Labor.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-176.
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Justice Department to Conduct Election Monitoring in Florida and Wyoming Primary ElectionsRead the Press Release
Today, the Civil Rights Division is monitoring polling sites in Florida and Wyoming for the states’ primary elections to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.
“Election monitoring is an ongoing priority for this office,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Nondiscriminatory monitoring ensures all elections remain free, fair, and accessible to all.”
The DOJ, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting laws which protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens. The DOJ regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws in communities across the country, as it previously did in Florida and Wyoming in 2022.
The DOJ is monitoring polls in Miami-Dade County, Florida, with approximately four Civil Rights Division attorneys and in Laramie County, Wyoming, with two Civil Rights Division attorneys. Thus far the DOJ has deployed over 75 monitors across five states and over 200 polling locations this primary season. By comparison, during the 2022 midterms the DOJ sent monitors to nine states.
This monitoring initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
From now through the general election on Nov. 3, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a question or complaint or would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at VEM@usdoj.gov.
Jury Convicts Kansas City Woman for Fraud Related to Social Security Administration BenefitsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was found guilty by a federal jury for stealing federal benefits.
Divianys Morales-Alvarez, 50, was found guilty of two counts of theft of government funds, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
In 2024, the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”) received a report of a retirement beneficiary living in Cuba in substandard conditions. This beneficiary, R.A., had moved to Cuba upon her retirement in February of 2020. The United States Treasury does not allow government payments to individuals living in Cuba; however, SSA was not made aware of R.A.’s move so it continued to send her monthly benefits to her bank account in the United States on which her daughter, Morales-Alvarez, was a joint owner. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
From February 2020 to September 2024, SSA sent over $66,000 to that joint account. The defendant claimed she had sent $10,000 of those benefit payments in cash to Cuba to take care of her mother who was suffering from dementia. Although records show she did not travel to Cuba herself, she claimed to have sent R.A. many packages containing supplies and clothing with others who were traveling to Cuba. The evidence introduced at trial showed she sent approximately $1,600 and four to five packages containing clothes and supplies over that four-year period. Morales-Alvarez spent the remaining funds on herself including purchasing a vehicle and paying her delinquent real estate taxes.
While R.A. was living in Cuba, Morales-Alvarez also intercepted United States Treasury checks made payable to R.A. for tax refunds and credits. She forged her mother’s signature on the back of the checks, deposited them into the joint account, and then transferred the majority of the money to her own savings account. She spent that money on her own living expenses including restaurants, online streaming services, and car repairs.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City deliberated for four hours before returning a guilty verdict on all four counts to U.S. District Stephen R. Bough, ending a trial that began Monday, August 10.
Under federal statutes, Morales-Alvarez, is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda K. Hanson and Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Jefferson County Man Charged with Preparing False Tax Returns and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment today charging a Jefferson County man with preparing false and fraudulent tax returns for others and filing false and fraudulent tax returns for himself.
“As alleged, Mr. Shine orchestrated a sweeping tax fraud scheme that exploited federal energy‑credit programs and siphoned tens of millions of dollars from the U.S. Treasury,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Tax preparers have a responsibility to help their clients comply with the law—not to misuse the tax system for personal gain. The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the IRS to pursue those who prepare or file knowingly false returns and to protect the integrity of our tax system.”
“The defendant engaged in an alleged scheme to defraud the United States by preparing false tax returns,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “With the establishment of the Department’s Fraud Enforcement Division focused on combating fraud, we are strengthening our efforts to investigate and prosecute those who seek to defraud our government. We will use every resource available to hold these individuals accountable and protect the citizens of the Northern District of Alabama.”
“The Michael Shine case is a clear example of how fraud harms honest taxpayers and erodes trust in the system,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office. “By partnering closely with the Department of Justice’s Fraud Enforcement Division, IRS Criminal Investigation can bring advanced investigative tools and nationwide expertise to bear against schemes that threaten the financial integrity of the United States. This collaboration ensures that individuals who exploit government programs for personal gain are swiftly identified, investigated, and brought to justice. Together, we are protecting American taxpayers, safeguarding public funds, and reinforcing confidence that our institutions will hold fraudsters accountable, no matter the size or complexity of their schemes.”
According to the indictment, between 2021 and 2026, Michael A. Shine, 55, of Pinson, Alabama owned a tax preparation business named “Shine’s Professional Services.” Shine allegedly prepared or assisted in the preparation of false tax returns for clients. The tax returns allegedly contained false information about whether the clients had qualified geothermal heat pump property costs. As a result of this allegedly false information, the clients received tax refunds that they were not entitled to receive. Shine allegedly changed and continued with his scheme after his EFIN (filing identification number) was revoked and after the IRS executed a search warrant at his tax preparation business.
Shine also allegedly filed false and fraudulent personal income tax returns for himself. These returns allegedly underreported Shine’s income from his tax preparation business, among other falsities.
Shine and his business allegedly filed tax returns claiming tax refunds totaling more than $70 million, of which $65 million was paid out. Agents believe that the vast majority of these refunds were predicated on false returns.
Shine is charged with 30 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and three counts of filing a false tax return. If convicted, Shine faces up to three years in prison for each false return count.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Phillip W. Williams, Jr., made the announcement.
Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd III of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Allison Garnett are prosecuting the case.
This indictment follows a federal complaint where Shine was arrested for the same conduct. A federal criminal complaint is a sworn, preliminary charge filed by a prosecutor and a law enforcement officer seeking an arrest warrant. After a complaint, the federal grand jury considers the evidence and, if it finds probable cause, indicts on the formal felony charge. A complaint and an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Adan Cruz-Castillo, a/k/a Adan Cruz-Castillo, a/k/a Adan Cruz, a/k/a Adam Cruz, 33, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Checotah Police Department.
On July 29, 2026, Cruz-Castillo pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 18, 2026, Cruz-Castillo, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on June 23, 2022, and January 12, 2018.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Knutson represented the United States.
ID Logistics US, Inc. Agrees to Pay $2.36 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to a Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that ID Logistics US, Inc. (IDUSA) has agreed to pay $2,362,360 to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for which it was not eligible.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a federal law enacted in or about March 2020 designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). PPP loans were guaranteed by the SBA and, if the loan proceeds were used for eligible expenses, the SBA would forgive the loan balance and accrued interest. To obtain a PPP loan, a qualifying business had to submit a PPP loan application to an authorized lender. The PPP loan application required the business, through its authorized representative, to acknowledge the PPP rules and make certain affirmative certifications that the applicant was eligible to obtain a PPP loan. Whether an applicant qualified as a small business was determined, in part, by assessing the number of employees of the business, including any domestic and foreign affiliates.
IDUSA is a subsidiary of ID Logistics Group SA, a French company founded in 2001 that has, in addition to IDUSA, at least fifteen other affiliated companies around the world.
According to the United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, IDUSA submitted an application for a PPP loan certifying that, together with its affiliates, it had fewer than 500 employees, when, with affiliate entities counted, it had more than 500 employees and was therefore not eligible for the PPP loan.
Once IDUSA was made aware of the investigation, they fully cooperated with the United States to resolve the matter.
“The SBA is committed to rooting out every dollar of PPP fraud,” said Wendell Davis, SBA General Counsel. “Alongside the US Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the agency will aggressively pursue bad actors to hold them accountable and recover pandemic relief funds improperly obtained from the program.”
This settlement resolves a lawsuit originally filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which permits a private party to file a complaint on behalf of the United States and share in a portion of the Government’s recovery. This qui tam is captioned United States ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. ID Logistics US, Inc. No. 3:25-CV-00387 (M.D.P.A.). The whistleblower will receive $236,236 of the settlement amount.
The investigation and resolution of this matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Haken and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Honduran National Sentenced to Two Years for Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Yelson Zachary Matamoros Quinonez (32, Honduras) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry by a deported alien. Matamoros Quinonez pleaded guilty on May 11, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, in 2019, Matamoros Quinonez, a citizen of Honduras, was arrested and later convicted of aggravated battery. After serving his sentence, he was deported from the United States to Honduras in 2021. In 2026, he was found voluntarily back in the United States. Matamoros Quinonez had not received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III and Assistant United States Attorney Abigail King.
Home Healthcare Company and its Owner Pay $1.2M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to COVID-19 Pandemic Relief LoansRead the Press Release
CONCORD — The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, Erin Creegan announces that Jean-Paul Karangwa and Caring Bees Healthcare, Inc., (Caring Bees) have paid $1,200,000 to resolve allegations that Karangwa and Caring Bees violated the False Claims Act by misusing Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
Congress created the PPP and EIDL programs to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The EIDL program provided low interest loans from the SBA to allow small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. PPP and EIDL funds were to be used solely to cover legitimate business expenses, such as payroll costs, rent, and utilities. PPP and EIDL funds were not to be used for personal purposes.
The United States contends that Karangwa and Caring Bees violated the False Claims Act by misrepresenting their plan to use $200,000 of the EIDL funds and $400,000 of the PPP funds for authorized expenses and to alleviate economic injury but instead, Karangwa used them for personal investments, including in commercial real estate and in a start-up online retailer. He applied for and was granted forgiveness for the PPP loan despite this misuse.
“PPP and EIDL loans were intended to aid Americans and small businesses and shore up the economy amid the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “This Office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting and recovering unlawfully obtained taxpayer dollars.”
“This settlement resolves allegations that Jean-Paul Karangwa and his home healthcare company drained a government program – implemented amid widespread economic upheaval – for personal gain,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Anyone who thinks defrauding U.S. taxpayers is a quick way to an easy payday best think again, because the FBI stands very ready to hold you accountable.”
Civil Chief Raphael Katz, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Martin and Alexander Chen, handled this matter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. There was no admission of liability.
Hartford, Vermont Man Sentenced to 24 Months’ Imprisonment for Possession of Unregistered SilencerRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 18, 2026, Joseph Vaillancourt, 43, of Hartford, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 24 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. The sentence will run concurrent to any sentence imposed in a pending Windsor County, Vermont case. Vaillancourt previously pleaded guilty to knowing possession of the silencer in June 2026.
According to court records, in November 2024, law enforcement recovered 13 firearms, the charged silencer, and over 1,200 rounds of ammunition from Vaillancourt’s apartment during execution of a search warrant on an unrelated offense. The firearms seized from the apartment have been administratively forfeited. Officers also found evidence of an apparent marijuana distribution operation in the apartment. The National Firearms Act requires registration of all silencers, including homemade silencers like the one Vaillancourt possessed.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Hartford, Vermont Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in preparing the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles. Vaillancourt was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Georgia Businessman Charged with $24 Million Bank FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Thomas Mwangi, the former owner of a Cartersville, Georgia manufacturing business, was arraigned last week on federal bank and wire fraud charges after allegedly defrauding First Financial Bank (“First Financial”) out of more than $20 million.
“Mwangi allegedly conned a bank out of approximately $24 million by forging signatures and fabricating account statements,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Fraudulent loans not only harm banks but also restrict access to credit for honest businesses and individuals. We will work with our law enforcement partners to root out and punish manipulation of our financial institutions.”
“The rewards for lying, stealing, and falsifying records are serious charges and potential prison time,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to use our expertise to investigate and prosecute all those who defraud American businesses.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Mwangi owned and operated CAMaster, a manufacturing company in Cartersville, Georgia. In 2023, Mwangi allegedly duped First Financial into financing his purchase of two Texas companies by falsely pledging millions of dollars as collateral. On one occasion, Mwangi allegedly falsified his brokerage statement to claim he had $22 million dollars when he actually had less than $1 million. Additionally, Mwangi allegedly presented First Financial with a forged document from a brokerage house purporting to acknowledge First Financial’s security interest in Mwangi’s account.
Based on Mwangi’s fraudulent representations, First Financial loaned Mwangi $24 million in 2023. After receiving the fraudulent funds, Mwangi allegedly emailed fake financial statements to First Financial on at least 23 occasions to lull the bank into believing he had sufficient collateral for his loans. Last summer, Mwangi defaulted on his loan payments to First Financial.
On August 10, 2026, Thomas Mwangi, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, was arraigned in federal court on an indictment charging two counts of bank fraud and thirteen counts of wire fraud. A federal grand jury returned the indictment on August 4, 2026.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne A. Brown Jr. is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Gaston County “Fence” Sentenced for Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ronald Dale Lynn, 58, formerly of Gaston County, was sentenced to 30 months in prison today for interstate transportation of stolen property, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Lynn was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release.
According to filed documents, from 2019 to 2025, Lynn operated a fencing scheme in which he purchased stolen and fraudulently obtained retail merchandise and resold it for a profit through online marketplaces, including eBay, Amazon, and Walmart Marketplace, to customers in the United States and abroad.
In the retail theft scheme, Lynn operated as a “fence,” a person who knowingly receives stolen or fraudulently obtained goods from “boosters” for resale at a profit. Boosters are individuals who steal or fraudulently obtain retail merchandise and sell it to a fence.
Lynn operated his fencing scheme, in part, from a physical storefront in a commercial strip mall on Wilkinson Boulevard in Charlotte. The storefront had no signage and was not open to the public. Instead, it served primarily as a drop-off and processing location for stolen merchandise. Court records show that much of the merchandise Lynn sold online consisted of new or near-new health and beauty products, including proprietary beauty products sold exclusively by national retail brands. The products were sold at prices significantly below those charged by legitimate retailers.
In January 2025, the U.S. Secret Service executed a search warrant on Lynn’s storefront and other locations, seizing stolen or fraudulently obtained merchandise with an estimated value of approximately $414,056. The total losses attributable to Lynn as part of the fencing scheme are between $1.5 and $3.5 million.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Secret Service for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Fountain Hills Man Pleads Guilty to Investment Fraud Schemes, Agrees to Pay Restitution to VictimsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jeremie Andrew Sowerby, 48, of Fountain Hills, Arizona, pleaded guilty earlier this month to Wire Fraud and admitted to scamming hundreds of victims through a series of investment fraud schemes spanning from 2017 through 2023. Sowerby’s plea resolves charges filed against him in three separate criminal cases. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 14, 2026, before United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich.
As part of his plea, Sowerby admitted to defrauding approximately 400 victims from 2017 through 2018 in a cryptocurrency investment scheme under the guise of three entities: Now Mining, VIP Mining, and Millennium Technologies. Sowerby represented himself as a multi-level marketing promoter and defrauded victims of at least $7.5 million. Sowerby was indicted for this scheme alongside a co-defendant, Luis Ortega, against whom the charges are still pending.
Sowerby also admitted to defrauding at least 150 victims through Dumanis Global Technologies from 2018 through 2019. Sowerby convinced victims to buy cryptocurrency mining machines, along with their monthly storage and power costs, but the machines did not actually exist. Victims of the Dunamis scheme suffered several million dollars in losses.
Finally, Sowerby admitted to engaging in a scheme called Justice Capital from 2021 through 2023, which was marketed as a hedge fund offered only to high-income earners. Justice Capital allegedly traded using a “bot” algorithm. Through Justice Capital, Sowerby admitted to defrauding an individual out of $207,000.A conviction for Wire Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
As part of his plea agreement, Sowerby agreed to pay restitution of up to $30 million to victims of his schemes involving the following companies: Now Mining, VIP Mining, Millennium Technologies, Dunamis Global Technologies, SOFTEK, LLC, Justice Capital, Stealth Capital, FX Primary, Phoenix Ultra, Limitless Trading, Block Mint, Block X (BLKX), Digital Mint, 888 Management, Kannabiz Koin (KK), Kannabiz Monkeez, My Blockchain Life, My Block X, and We Sell Miners.
Law enforcement is continuing to work to identify all of the victims related to these schemes. If you have not already spoken to the FBI related to this matter, and you believe you are a victim of any of the entities listed above, Sowerby, or Ortega, please fill out the questionnaire at this link.
The FBI’s Phoenix Division and IRS-Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Short, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-23-01586-PHX-SMB
CR-23-01321-PHX-SMB
CR-23-01757-PHX-SMBRELEASE NUMBER: 2026-138_Sowerby
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former U.S. Marine from Massachusetts Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Marine from Everett, Mass. has been arrested and charged for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Carlos Fernando Alvarenga Portillo, 29, was charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. Portillo was arrested on Aug. 5, 2026 and was later released on conditions following a detention hearing.
According to the charging documents, Portillo was identified as an individual who had – as early as January 2022 – knowingly possessed files online that depicted CSAM. A forensic examination of a Samsung Galaxy device seized from Portillo’s residence on July 15, 2026 allegedly revealed over 200 media files that depicted CSAM, including the abuse of victims between approximately four and 11 years old.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Everett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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 details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Senior NIAID Official Pleads Guilty to Charges Connected to Concealing Federal Records During COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) employee pled guilty in federal court, today, to a conspiracy charge stemming from a scheme to evade Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and the Federal Records Act in connection with communications about coronavirus research grants.
David M. Morens, 78, of Chester, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit offenses and to defraud the United States. Morens served as a senior advisor in NIAID’s Office of the Director from 2006 through 2022.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Marcus L. Sykes, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
According to his guilty plea, Morens, Co-Conspirator 1, Co-Conspirator 2, and others conspired during the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the United States after NIH terminated Co-Conspirator 1’s grant. NIH terminated the grant, Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence, based on allegations that COVID-19 emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in Wuhan, China. NIAID awarded the grant to Company 1 and Co-Conspirator 1, who made a subaward to the WIV.
Following the termination, Morens and Co-Conspirator 2 pledged to help Co-Conspirator 1 restore the termination of the bat coronavirus grant and counter the narrative that COVID-19 leaked from a lab. In anticipation that their communications would be requested through FOIA Requests, Morens, Co-Conspirator 1, and Co-Conspirator 2 agreed in writing to intentionally hide their communications from public view by corresponding using Morens’s personal Gmail account, rather than his official NIH email account.
The co-conspirators used Morens’s personal Gmail account to exchange non-public NIH information; correspond about their efforts to influence NIH to fund Company 1; exchange edits to drafts of letters addressed to NIH leadership for Company 1 and Co-Conspirator 1; and “back-channel” information to Senior NIAID Official 1. According to court documents, each of these matters fell within Morens’s role as senior advisor and constituted federal records that needed to be created, maintained, and exchanged on government systems.
Additionally, as admitted to in his guilty plea, Morens and Co-Conspirator 1 conspired to pay illegal gratuities. Co-Conspirator 1 gifted Morens wine for his “behind-the-scenes shenanigans,” and arranged for its delivery to Morens’s Maryland residence. Morens then allegedly identified an official act that he could perform to “deserve” the gift, which was to author a scientific commentary in a prominent medical journal advocating that COVID-19 had natural origins. Co-Conspirator 1 suggested he would provide Morens with additional things of value, including meals at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Morens is facing up to five years in prison for conspiracy to commit offenses and to defraud the United States. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and HHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph R. Baldwin and Bijon A. Mostoufi who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Former Law Enforcement Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kenneth McCord, 56, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between on or about March 4, 2024, and on or about February 4, 2025, McCord communicated using his phone with a 15-year-old male resident of California via text messages, other online messaging, and video-calling platforms. As part of his guilty plea, McCord admitted that he knew the individual was a minor male, that he persuaded and enticed the 15-year-old to send him sexually explicit images and videos of himself, and that these sexually explicit materials included live video transmissions of the minor male masturbating and displaying his genitals.
McCord further admitted that between June 2024 and February 2025, he sent obscene materials including live video transmissions of himself masturbating and ejaculating to the minor male via the internet and cellular networks.
McCord is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. McCord must also register as a sex offender and owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.
McCord is retired from the West Virginia State Police and was a senior investigator with the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations at the time of this offense.
“This case represents a staggering and unforgivable betrayal by someone entrusted to uphold the law and safeguard the community,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Few acts demonstrate such profound moral failure. This office remains relentless and uncompromising in its duty to protect our children and to ensure every predator is brought swiftly and decisively to justice.”
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-52.
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Former Durango Middle School Teacher Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Benjamin Smith, 30, of Durango, was sentenced to forty years in federal prison, and a lifetime of supervision after pleading guilty to a count of production of child pornography, committed against 36 victims; a count of coercion and enticement of minors, committed against 11 minors; and a count of attempted coercion and enticement of minors, committed against eight minors. In total, the defendant admitted to victimizing 37 adolescent boys in the Durango area.
According to the plea agreement and facts established at sentencing, Smith, a former teacher at Escalante Middle School in Durango, posed as a 16-year-old female named “Kristin” on the social media service SnapChat under the username “MTNCHICK69.” So disguised, he reached out to adolescent boys in the Durango area, engaged them in conversation, and sent them naked photos of a young girl. He asked his targets to reciprocate, often directing them to take specific pictures of their bodies. In total, Smith was charged with producing child pornography in this manner with 36 victims.
Smith also used the guise to attempt to lure the targeted adolescents into in-person sexual encounters. Smith used a disguise, props, and a structured protocol to convince the targeted adolescents that they were engaging in sexual acts with “Kristin.” Smith engaged in sexual acts with 11 adolescents; and took a substantial step to engage in sexual acts with eight other minors. Several of his victims were as young as 13-years-old; one was 12 years old.
Several of the targeted adolescents had previously had Smith as a teacher at Escalante Middle School.
“Those who prey on children have no place in a civil society, and I am personally grateful that this abomination is off the streets and will no longer be able to hurt our young people,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will aggressively target people who choose to commit crimes against children in Colorado, and we will make them face justice.”
“Let this sentence send an unmistakable warning: predators who lurk online to manipulate, exploit and coerce children into producing sexually explicit material will be hunted down, exposed, prosecuted and held accountable to the maximum extent of the law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Denver, Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “HSI and our partners will be aggressively relentless in pursuing child predators. It is the mandate of the American people that we will not back down, we will not look away, and we will not stop until those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
“Benjamin Smith’s sentencing illustrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “The FBI will continue to work diligently with the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute sexual predators and those who victimize children in our communities.”
“Protecting children is one of our most fundamental responsibilities. In this case, investigators used technology lawfully, responsibly, and effectively to identify a prolific sex offender and stop him from victimizing more children,” said Brice Current, Durango Police Chief. “To those who prey on children: you should never assume that a screen, an app, or a false identity will keep you hidden. We will use every lawful tool available to find you, expose your actions, and hold you accountable."
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durango Police Department.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffery K. Graves and Alecia Riewerts.
Case No. 1:24-cr-00305-GPG-JMC
Federal Jury Finds New Braunfels Man Guilty of Trafficking Thousands of Firearms to MexicoRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Demonstrating the continued effectiveness of the Homeland Security Task Force, a federal jury convicted a New Braunfels man on Monday for seven counts related to the smuggling of firearm parts into Mexico and conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Chandler Britain Bradford, 37, engaged in a multimillion-dollar scheme to illegally provide thousands of semi-automatic rifles to a Mexican citizen who resided in the Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico area. Bradford supplied enough firearm parts to arm the recipient with approximately 5,700 semi-automatic rifles, despite not having a license to export firearm parts from the United States to Mexico.
Evidence presented throughout the trial proved that Bradford provided his co-conspirator with the parts, tools, and counsel needed to facilitate a full firearm manufacturing enterprise in northern Mexico, and that Bradford received more than $3.5 million from his co-conspirator.
“Chandler Bradford played a key role in a complex scheme, knowing that drug cartels were using the firearms he smuggled to secure their territory and the routes they routinely use to push drugs into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Like the drug cartels, Bradford only cared about the money he was making through his criminal activity and cared nothing about the many American lives that would be harmed as a result of his operation. On the other side of this fight, I’m proud of our law enforcement partners and our Assistant U.S. Attorneys who woke up every day during the course of this prosecution fully committed to the mission of the Department of Justice and the entire United States government to aggressively pursue anyone who supports the operations of Mexican drug cartels. Their commitment to consistently do the next right thing was essential in this case and in every case because that commitment ensures that this country is one where Americans can live their lives, enjoy the blessings of liberty, and pursue happiness.”
“This conviction demonstrates the consequences of illegally trafficking firearms and firearm components across our borders,” said ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. “The defendant provided the means and expertise to facilitate the illegal manufacture of thousands of firearms for a criminal market in Mexico, all for financial gain. ATF will continue to work alongside our federal, local, and international partners to dismantle those who profit from these illicit activities.”
Julio Gomez-Mendoza is a federally indicted fugitive. Anyone with information as to their whereabouts is encouraged to call the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tipline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or email ATF at ATFTips@ATF.gov.A federal jury delivered its verdict late Monday afternoon, ending a weeklong trial and convicting Bradford of one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, one count of conspiracy to transfer firearms for use in a felony, four counts of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods from the United States, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bradford faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Octavio Quiroga-Trevino is a federally indicted fugitive. Anyone with information as to their whereabouts is encouraged to call the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tipline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or email ATF at ATFTips@ATF.gov.Two co-defendants, Jose Francisco Garcia-Cervantes and Ricardo Rodriguez-Sotelo, were sentenced to federal prison in January 2025. Co-defendants Troy Vernon Erbe and Jesus Guzman-Delgado have pleaded guilty. Two additional co-conspirators charged in the case, Julio Gomez-Mendoza and Octavio Quiroga-Trevino, remain fugitives at large.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Nowinski and Ryan Groomer are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; ATF; U.S. Border Patrol; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Texas Department of Public Safety; as well as local police departments and sheriff’s offices, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
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Fairfield County man sentenced to prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Lancaster man was sentenced in federal court today to 80 months in prison for receiving child pornography.
Carson A. Bigham, 24, was originally arrested on federal charges in May 2025. Bigham was charged in a bill of information filed in January 2026 with receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, law enforcement received two separate Cybertips from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to a Columbus man who was charged with federal child pornography crimes in March 2025, including exploitation of a minor.
As part of their investigation, devices were seized from the Columbus man. Law enforcement’s forensic review of the devices revealed conversations between the Columbus man and Bigham. The conversations between the two men were sexual in nature and included discussions about engaging in sex with minors. Between August 2024 and May 2025, Bigham received child pornography during these discussions, including files that depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts with adults. He also solicited the Columbus man for images of a fictitious female minor Bigham believed existed.
Law enforcement officers learned that Bigham was at the time employed as a Columbus firefighter and photographs of Bigham match those sent to the Columbus man during their conversations.
Bigham pleaded guilty in February.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; other members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force; and officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Columbus Airport Group and Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ 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 exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Evansville Felon Linked to Fatal Highway 41 Crash Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing 41 FirearmsRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Brandon D. McKinney, 31, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, in December 2024, detectives with the Evansville Police Department learned that convicted felon Brandon McKinney was in possession of multiple firearms and illegal drugs inside his Evansville home.
On January 28, 2025, officers began surveillance of the residence. During that surveillance, detectives observed two individuals enter McKinney’s home and leave a short time later in a blue Chevy Blazer, behavior consistent with a potential drug transaction. Officers attempted a traffic stop on the Blazer, but the driver fled. The vehicle ultimately crashed, killing both the driver and the front-seat passenger. The crash shut down Highway 41 for nearly two hours while officers conducted their investigation. Investigators recovered marijuana and 1.9 grams of methamphetamine from the vehicle.
After the two individuals left McKinney’s home, detectives observed McKinney place a small object in his backyard and cover it with a jacket before leaving the residence. Officers took McKinney into custody as he departed.
Detectives then executed a search warrant at McKinney’s home. Inside, they recovered 41 firearms—two of which were reported stolen—390 grams of marijuana, 54.7 grams of methamphetamine, $2,686 in cash, two sets of body armor, approximately 3,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, and multiple high‑capacity magazines.
McKinney has prior felony convictions in Indiana, including burglary with a deadly weapon in Warrick County and felony domestic battery in Vanderburgh County.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of Mr. McKinney’s actions and our commitment to keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The large cache of weapons and drugs recovered in this case posed a significant threat to the Evansville community, and today’s outcome helps ensure greater safety for everyone.”
“While the circumstances surrounding Brandon McKinney’s arrest are deeply tragic and troubling, this 13-year federal sentence reflects the seriousness of the harm caused and helps protect our community from the dangers associated with illegal drugs and firearms. Our thoughts remain with those impacted by his actions. ATF remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to prevent violence, disrupt the illegal drug trade, and help create safer, healthier neighborhoods for everyone,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge A. Rosendo
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Kemper, who prosecuted this case.
DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women awards $2.3 million to Seattle-area non-profits and Muckleshoot Tribe to provide services to abuse survivorsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women has awarded grants totaling more than $2.3 million for services to survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and stalking, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Two non-profit organizations and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe received the grants. Three of the grants were awarded to API CHAYA, a survivor-led organization focused on serving survivors of sexual violence, human trafficking, and domestic violence from Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and South Asian communities.
“These federal dollars go directly to service providers who have experience working on issues of sexual assault and abuse in their communities,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “These grants recognize their expertise and community connections that enhance this work.”
API CHAYA received $1.4 million spread over three grants:
- $600,000 is to provide training and services to those who are deaf and/or disabled and may be the victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault and abuse by caregivers.
- $500,000 to support and expand existing community-based programs providing service to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The work will also develop culturally specific programs for victims who face obstacles in traditional programs.
- $384,000 to provide crisis response, create safety plans, and organize support groups for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Consejo Counseling and Referral Service based in Renton, Washington, was awarded $384,000 to coordinate safety planning for sexual assault survivors, do crisis intervention and safety planning and support victims though the law enforcement process.
Finally, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe was awarded $449,936 aimed at protecting seniors from abuse. The grant provides training for law enforcement and other personnel on recognizing abuse in later life. The project will develop protocols for identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating cases of abuse involving victims 50-years-old or older.
D.C. Woman Found Guilty in Fatal StabbingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vanessa Bonaparte, 34, of Washington D.C., was found guilty yesterday in D.C. Superior Court on charges related to the fatal stabbing of Dwayne Boyd on June 22, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Bonaparte was found guilty of one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed. Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled sentencing for November 13, 2026.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 22, 2024, officers were called to 3517 East Capitol Street SE, after reports of an argument in the building. Officers observed the defendant and an additional individual leaving the scene, after which they found the victim unresponsive in the rear bedroom.
The government’s evidence established that the defendant stabbed the victim after forcing her way into the apartment where the decedent was living. When the victim followed the defendant to the kitchen to get her to leave the apartment, she stabbed him twice in the chest with two knives, killing him.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Clarke and Gregory Evans.
2024 CF1 006167
Costa Rican National Sentenced to 20 Years for Leading a Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Costa Rican national was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl following a Homeland Security Task Force investigation, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison terms imposed, Ronald Corrales-Arrieta, 48, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
According to court documents and proceedings, Corrales-Arrieta operated a car repair business in Hickory, North Carolina. Corrales-Arrieta used his business to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl. Law enforcement became aware of the defendant’s drug distribution organization on April 15, 2023, after Hickory Police Department officers found a missing man deceased inside Corrales-Arrieta’s business surrounded by hundreds of grams of fentanyl.
After finding the decedent in Corrales-Arrieta’s business, investigators used a confidential informant (CI) to purchase drugs from Corrales-Arrieta’s drug trafficking organization on several occasions. Corrales-Arrieta made many of the drug sales himself and used Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States to facilitate other sales. Corrales-Arrieta even coordinated some drug sales from Costa Rica.
Investigators arrested Corrales-Arrieta on October 18, 2024. Following his arrest, agents searched Corrales-Arrieta’s business, finding two firearms: a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle and a Taurus 9mm Handgun.
Corrales-Arrieta is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Department of Homeland Security and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) is an initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.
Columbus registered sex offender sentenced to 22 years in prison for child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ryan C. Driscoll, 42, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 264 months in prison for distributing and receiving child pornography.
According to court documents, in June 2025, HSI Columbus received a tip from HSI Hague regarding Driscoll, who was communicating online with the username “diaperundiesdude.” Driscoll was a registered sex offender at the time and was a member of multiple online groups dedicated to the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Driscoll’s online activity involved child pornography depicting infants, toddlers and young children, as well as a category known as “hurtcore.”
A forensic review of Driscoll’s cell phone revealed more than 1,000 videos and 800 images of child sexual abuse.
Driscoll also had a former federal conviction in the Southern District of Ohio for possessing child pornography. He was sentenced in 2012 to five years in prison. Driscoll was under federal supervised release at the time of his new offense. As such, he was sentenced to an additional 10 months in prison for violating the rules of his supervised release to be served consecutively to the 22-year term of imprisonment.
The defendant was charged in this current case in July 2025 and pleaded guilty in November 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.
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Colebrook Man Sentenced to Nearly Seven Years in Prison for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Michael Savard, 40, of Colebrook, was sentenced yesterday in federal court for fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in a case brought by New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task Force, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Savard was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 80 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Savard previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
“This defendant trafficked dangerously addictive fentanyl, brokering large scale deals moving drugs into many New Hampshire communities – thankfully this operation is now out of commission,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “This sentence makes clear that the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will hold drug distributors accountable.”
“This sentence holds a dangerous fentanyl trafficker accountable for his role in a conspiracy that put countless lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Fentanyl is devastating families and communities across our country, and those who knowingly traffic this deadly poison must understand that there are consequences for their actions. The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively target those who distribute fentanyl, dismantle the networks that fuel this crisis, and bring traffickers to justice.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in fall of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated a Lawrence-based organization that distributed fentanyl across New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The organization used social media, messaging applications, and a dedicated phone line to take drug orders and send runners to make deliveries. Savard was one of several New Hampshire-based redistributors of the organization, who purchased approximately half a kilogram of fentanyl within a six-month period in 2023 for resale to his own customers, and brokered introductions between the organization’s leader and other prospective New Hampshire-based customers.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cesar A. Vega and Mike Shannon are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.