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29 May 2025
Websites selling hacking tools to cybercriminals seizedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A coordinated effort involving an international disruption of an online software crypting syndicate which provides services to cybercriminals to assist them with keeping their malicious software (malware) from being detected has resulted in the seizure of four domains and their associated server, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Crypting is the process of using software to make malware difficult for antivirus programs to detect. The seized domains offered services to cybercriminals, including counter-antivirus (CAV) tools. When used together, CAV and crypting services allow criminals to obfuscate malware, making it undetectable and enabling unauthorized access to computer systems.
According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, authorities made undercover purchases from seized websites and analyzed the services, confirming they were designed for cybercrime. Court documents also allege authorities reviewed linked email addresses and other data connecting the services to known ransomware groups that have targeted victims both in the United States and abroad, including in the Houston area.
“Modern criminal threats require modern law enforcement solutions,” said Ganjei. “As cybercriminals have become more sophisticated in their schemes, they have likewise become more advanced in their efforts to avoid detection. As such, our law enforcement efforts must involve striking not just at the individual fraudster or hacker, but the enablers of these cybercriminals as well. This investigation did exactly that. With this syndicate shut down, there is one less provider of malicious tools for cybercriminals out there.”
“Cybercriminals don’t just create malware; they perfect it for maximum destruction,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “By leveraging counter antivirus services, malicious actors refine their weapons against the world’s toughest security systems to better slip past firewalls, evade forensic analysis, and wreak havoc across victims’ systems. As part of a decisive international operation, FBI Houston helped cripple a global cyber syndicate, seize their most lethal tools, and neutralize the threat they posed to millions around the world.”
The seizures occurred May 27 in coordination with Finnish and Dutch national police as part of Operation Endgame, a multinational law enforcement initiative targeting the dismantling of malware cybercriminal services. Participating countries include the United States, The Netherlands, France, Germany and Denmark with additional support from Ukraine and Portugal.
The FBI Houston Field Office is conducting the investigation with the cooperation and significant assistance of law enforcement partners in The Netherlands and Finland and U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Shirin Hakimzadeh and Rodolfo Ramirez are prosecuting the case. AUSA Kristine Rollinson is handling the seizure aspects of the case.
Wagoner County Resident Sentenced for Distributing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sovana Xiong, age 32, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 188 months in prison and a 10 year term of supervised release to follow for one count of Distribution of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Tulsa Police Department — Special Investigations Division.
On December 9, 2024, Xiong pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, from October 15, 2023, until April 11, 2024, Xiong knowingly distributed visual depictions on the internet of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Xiong will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Upper Marlboro Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drive-Thru Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Zachary Alexander Kinnell, 23, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kinnell is guilty of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
According to the guilty plea, beginning July 28, 2022, and continuing through August 3, Kinnell and co-conspirator Brian Thornel Elzey, traveled through Maryland and Virginia robbing fast-food restaurants.
The co-conspirators robbed 11 fast-food restaurants for a total of $3,555.01.
During the robbery spree, the co-conspirators approached the victim businesses’ drive-thru window as if they were conducting a legitimate transaction. Typically, the co-conspirators pulled into the drive-thru, then Kinnell exited the vehicle and approached the window on foot. Then Kinnell initiated a transaction with the victim employee before forcibly removing cash.
Beginning on August 1, and continuing August 3, the robberies escalated to armed robberies. On these dates, Kinnell brandished a firearm while robbing four fast-food restaurants.
Then in the early morning hours of August 4, MCPD officers stopped a stolen Chevrolet Cruze near Wheaton, Maryland. Law enforcement searched the vehicle, finding a Taurus, Model G2C, 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol in the rear passenger compartment; a restaurant cash drawer in the footwell of the front passenger seat; and another restaurant cash drawer in the trunk. Officers also seized Kinnell and Elzey’s cell phones along with $427.01.
Law enforcement discovered that during the same robbery spree, Kinnell and Elzey attempted to rob six additional fast-food restaurants.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MCPD, Howard County Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Calvert County Sherriff’s Office, Loudon County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax, Virginia Police Department, and Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas F. Potter and Timothy J. Hagan who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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USDA Employee and Five Others Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Food Stamp Fraud and Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Perry Carbone, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515; Charmeka Parker, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (“USDA-OIG”); and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging six individuals in connection with a sprawling fraud and bribery scheme that generated over $66 million in unauthorized transactions under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”)—colloquially known as food stamps. This is one of the largest food stamp frauds in U.S. history. The defendants—MICHAEL KEHOE, MOHAMAD NAWAFLEH, OMAR ALRAWASHDEH, GAMAL OBAID, EMAD ALRAWASHDEH, and ARLASA DAVIS—are charged with conspiracy to steal government funds and to misappropriate U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) benefits, among other charges. DAVIS, a USDA employee, is additionally charged with bribery and honest services fraud. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
“Michael Kehoe and his co-conspirators misappropriated tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds meant to help low-income families put food on the table,” said U.S. Attorney Perry Carbone. “This fraud was made possible when USDA employee Arlasa Davis betrayed the public trust by selling confidential government information to the very criminals she was supposed to catch. Their actions undermined a program that vulnerable New Yorkers depend on for basic nutrition. These charges should be a reminder that those who exploit anti-poverty programs for personal gain will be held accountable for their crimes.”
USDA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker said: “We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners in pursuing allegations regarding government employees, who use their positions to participate in schemes that exploit taxpayer funded programs.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Arlasa Davis, a USDA employee, is alleged to have abused her position and privileged access to confidential government databases to assist her co-conspirators in exploiting the SNAP program, driving tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent transactions. This alleged scheme benefited the defendants while undermining critical safeguards designed to ensure that SNAP assistance reaches only eligible families in need. The FBI will never tolerate any individual who exploits federal financial assistance for personal reward.”
According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial: [1]
The SNAP program uses federal tax dollars to help low-income households purchase food. SNAP recipients use Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards—similar to debit cards—to buy food at participating stores. Those stores, which get license numbers from the USDA, use special EBT terminals to swipe the EBT cards. When a SNAP recipient swipes their EBT card, the system verifies the transaction and electronically deducts the purchase amount from the recipient’s account. The corresponding federal funds are then transferred to the store’s bank account.
Starting in 2019, KEHOE orchestrated a network that supplied approximately 160 unauthorized EBT terminals to stores across the New York area to illegally process more than $30 million in EBT transactions. Working with his codefendants NAWAFLEH, OMAR ALRAWASHDEH, OBAID, and EMAD ALRAWASHDEH, KEHOE submitted approximately 200 fraudulent USDA applications, misappropriating USDA license numbers and, in some cases, doctoring application documents, to obtain EBT terminals for unauthorized stores—including smoke shops and other ineligible businesses.
Critical to the scheme was ARLASA DAVIS, a longtime USDA employee who worked within the very division of the USDA responsible for identifying SNAP fraud. DAVIS abused her privileged access to federal systems to sell hundreds of EBT license numbers enabling over $36 million in fraudulent SNAP redemptions at unauthorized stores. DAVIS photographed handwritten lists of license numbers intended for qualifying stores with her personal cellphone and funneled them to an intermediary who sold them to co-conspirators, including NAWAFLEH, OMAR ALRAWASHDEH, EMAD ALRAWASHDEH, and OBAID, who then used those license numbers to fraudulently obtain EBT terminals for stores that were not authorized by the USDA to process SNAP transactions. In return, DAVIS received substantial bribes that were disguised in communications as, among other things, “birthday gifts” and “flowers.”
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KEHOE, 46, of Long Island, New York; NAWAFLEH, 34, of the Bronx, New York; OMAR ALRAWASHDEH, 37, of the Bronx, New York; OBAID, 39, of the Bronx, New York; EMAD ALRAWASHDEH, 37, of the Bronx, New York; and DAVIS, 56, of Gardiner, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal government funds and misappropriate USDA benefits, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, one count of theft of government funds, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of misappropriation of USDA benefits, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. DAVIS is additionally charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, one count of bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. NAWAFLEH is additionally charged with one count of failure to appear, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Carbone praised the outstanding work of the USDA and FBI, which is also assisting in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia V. Kostopoulos and Joe Zabel are 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.
kehoe_et_al_superseding_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. government employee arrested for attempting to provide classified information to foreign governmentRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today for attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, was arrested in northern Virginia and will make his initial court appearance tomorrow.
According to court documents, Laatsch became a civilian employee of the DIA in 2019, where he works with the Insider Threat Division and holds a Top Secret security clearance. In March, the FBI commenced an operation after receiving a tip that an individual - now known to be Laatsch - offered to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. In that email, the sender wrote that he did not “agree or align with the values of this administration” and was therefore “willing to share classified information” to which he had access, including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.”
After multiple communications with an FBI agent - who Laatsch allegedly believed to be an official of the foreign government - Laatsch began transcribing classified information to a notepad at his desk and, over the course of approximately three days, repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace. Laatsch subsequently confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information.
The FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virgina where Laatsch believed he would deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve. On May 1, FBI surveillance observed Laatsch proceed to the specified location and deposit an item. Following Laatsch’s departure, the FBI retrieved the item, which was a thumb drive later found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents, each containing information that was portion-marked up to the Secret or Top Secret levels. The message from Laatsch indicated that he had chosen to include “a decent sample size” of classified information to “decently demonstrate the range of types of products” to which he had access.
After receiving confirmation that the thumb drive had been received, on May 7, Laatsch allegedly sent a message to the FBI agent, which indicated Laatsch was seeking something from the foreign government in return for continuing to provide classified information. The next day, Laatsch specified that he was interested in “citizenship for your country” because he did not “expect[] things here to improve in the long term.” Although he said he was “not opposed to other compensation,” he was not in a position where he needed to seek “material compensation.”
On May 14, the FBI agent advised Laatsch that it was prepared to receive additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch again repeatedly transcribed multiple pages of notes while logged into his classified workstation, folded the notes, and exfiltrated the classified information in his clothing.
On May 29, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia, where Laatsch again allegedly attempted to transmit multiple classified documents to the foreign country. Laatsch was arrested upon the FBI’s receipt of the documents.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division; Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Lee M. Russ, Executive Director of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Office of Special Projects, made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Air Force OSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Christina Clark and Mark Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
U.S. Government Employee Arrested for Attempting to Provide Classified Information to Foreign GovernmentRead the Press Release
An IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was arrested today for attempting to transmit national defense information to an officer or agent of a foreign government.
Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested today in northern Virginia, and will make his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia tomorrow.
“The conduct alleged in this case is a profound betrayal of the American people and a direct threat to our national security,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “When someone entrusted with access to classified information attempts to provide it to a foreign government, it jeopardizes our intelligence capabilities, our military advantage, and the safety of our nation. The National Security Division is committed to using every tool available to uncover, disrupt, and hold accountable those who seek to harm the United States.”
According to court documents, Laatsch became a civilian employee of the DIA in 2019, where he works with the Insider Threat Division and holds a Top Secret security clearance. In March 2025, the FBI commenced an operation after receiving a tip that an individual — now known to be Laatsch — offered to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. In that email, the sender wrote that he did not “agree or align with the values of this administration” and was therefore “willing to share classified information” that he had access to, including “completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation.”
After multiple communications with an FBI agent — who Laatsch allegedly believed to be an official of the foreign government — Laatsch began transcribing classified information to a notepad at his desk and, over the course of approximately three days, repeatedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace. Laatsch subsequently confirmed to the FBI agent that he was prepared to transmit the information.
Thereafter, the FBI implemented an operation at a public park in northern Virginia, where Laatsch believed he would deposit the classified information for the foreign government to retrieve. On or about May 1, 2025, FBI surveillance observed Laatsch proceed to the specified location and deposit an item. Following Laatsch’s departure, the FBI retrieved the item, which was a thumb drive later found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents, each containing information that was portion-marked up to the Secret or Top Secret levels. The message from Laatsch indicated that he had chosen to include “a decent sample size” of classified information to “decently demonstrate the range of types of products” to which he had access.
After receiving confirmation that the thumb drive had been received, on May 7, Laatsch allegedly sent a message to the FBI agent, which indicated Laatsch was seeking something from the foreign government in return for continuing to provide classified information. The next day, Laatsch specified that he was interested in “citizenship for your country” because he did not “expect[] things here to improve in the long term.” Although he said he was “not opposed to other compensation,” he was not in a position where he needed to seek “material compensation.”
On May 14, the FBI agent advised Laatsch that it was prepared to receive additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch again repeatedly transcribed multiple pages of notes while logged into his classified workstation, folded the notes, and exfiltrated the classified information in his clothing.
On May 29, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia, where Laatsch again allegedly attempted to transmit multiple classified documents to the foreign country. Laatsch was arrested upon the FBI’s receipt of the documents.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Executive Director Lee M. Russ of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Office of Special Projects made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Air Force OSI and with thanks to the Defense Intelligence Agency for its cooperation.
Trial Attorneys Christina Clark and Mark Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two People Sentenced for Stealing Nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 Relief MoneyRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R Barker announced that David Kurt Schneider, of Kennewick, Washington and Kelly Jo Driver, of South Carolina, were sentenced after pleading guilty to COVID-19 relief fraud. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Schneider to 12 months in prison and Driver to 5 years of probation. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered restitution of $121,762.
Co-defendant, Leif Gerald Larsen, of Pasco, Washington, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and will be sentenced July 30, 2025, in Yakima.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided government-backed funding to small businesses which could be forgiven so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other eligible expenses. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Schneider, Driver, and Larsen submitted funding applications in the name of Larsen Firearms, owned by Larsen, and Solar Mobility LLC, RealNZ Water LLC, and Tempest Tactical Solutions, LLC, all owned by Schneider. Driver created fraudulent payroll and tax forms that were submitted in support of the applications, and that, for her part in the scheme, Driver received 10% of the funds disbursed by the SBA and participating lenders.
In total, Schneider, Driver, and Larsen fraudulently obtained at least $292,000 in CARES Act funding through the PPP and EIDL programs and submitted fraudulent applications seeking at least an additional $560,000 in CARES Act funding that were ultimately not approved.
“Pandemic relief programs were created to support workers, small businesses, and communities struggling through an unprecedented crisis – not to enrich fraudsters,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “By stealing nearly $300,000 intended for legitimate businesses, these defendants diverted critical resources at a time when many businesses were fighting to survive. The SBA, FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold accountable those who exploit government aid for personal gain.”
“Those who exploited SBA’s pandemic relief programs for personal gain will be held accountable,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Tim Larson. “SBA OIG continues to prioritize fraud investigations involving pandemic-era programs, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer funds and uphold the integrity of federal relief efforts.”
This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by FBI and SBA OIG. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy J. Kelley and Frieda K. Zimmerman.
4:24-cr-06004-SAB
Two Men Sentenced for their Involvement in the April 2023 Fentanyl Mass Poisoning in KalamazooRead the Press Release
LANSING – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Byerly Birge today announced that James Smith, 42, and Patrick Donald Martin, 27, both of Kalamazoo County, were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the distribution of controlled substances in April 2023 that resulted in numerous fentanyl poisonings in Kalamazoo County, at least seven fatal, and numerous others non-fatal. Smith was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death, and Martin was sentenced to 4 years in prison for use of a communication facility to commit conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
“The distribution of fentanyl continues to take lives and destroy our communities and families,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge. “The sentences imposed on the defendants in this case reflect the seriousness of their crimes. Our office will continue to support these investigations and prosecute these cases to seek accountability and justice for the victims.”
According to court records, on April 12 and continuing into April 13, 2023, law enforcement responded to numerous drug poisonings in the Kalamazoo area, which resulted in multiple hospital admissions and fatalities. Investigators traced the deadly substance back to Martin, and ultimately, to Smith, both of whom thought they were selling cocaine, when they were in fact selling a substance that contained fentanyl.
During sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou remarked that drug dealing is inherently dangerous regardless of what the dealer thinks he is selling, especially today, when most drugs “have fentanyl in it—it’s just that prevalent.” In sentencing Smith, Judge Jarbou found it “inexplicable” that Smith continued to sell drugs months after he became aware of the mass poisoning in April 2023 that was caused, at least in part, by his drug dealing. “That tells me the consequences of your actions did not deter you,” said Judge Jarbou before imposing the 20-year sentence on Smith.
“April 13, 2023, was a sad day in Kalamazoo County,” said Captain Mike Ferguson, Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team/Crime Reduction Team. “We extend our condolences to the families who were deeply affected by this tragedy. Hopefully, these sentences will allow some closure to those involved. Additionally, this should send a message to drug dealers who continue to peddle deadly drugs in our community.”
“While these sentences cannot undo the tragic loss of life we witnessed in Kalamazoo in 2023, it sends a message that we will employ every resource to make sure those responsible for drug-related deaths face the consequences for their actions,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Detroit Field Division Andrew Lawton.
The following services are available for people experiencing substance use disorder, or for their friends or loved ones:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, www.samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis
Cope Network (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties), 269-580-8290, www.copenetwork.org
The Grand Rapid Red Project (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Kent and Muskegon Counties), 616-456-9063 (Kent County), 231-563-6865 (Muskegon County), www.redproject.org
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has a webpage that identifies county-by-county services.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the Portage Department of Public Safety, and the Michigan State Police.
Texas Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffrey Wayne Thompson, age 49, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced to time served and three years of Supervise Release for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On November 7, 2024, Thompson pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on February 21, 2023, deputies conducting a traffic stop discovered Thompson in possession of a handgun and six rounds of ammunition. At the time of the stop, Thompson had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael E. Robinson and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping a ToddlerRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Texas man has pleaded guilty to conspiring to kidnap a toddler, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco adjudged Steven Andrew Holguin, 42, of El Paso, Texas, guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
According to the plea agreement, on November 4, 2021, a police officer with the Birmingham Police Department responded to a call at a residence in Birmingham regarding the kidnapping of a three-year-old female from the residence. Holguin and his co-conspirator, Elis Salgado-Galindo, kidnapped the toddler with the intent of taking her to her father, who lives in Mexico. With Holguin’s assistance, Salgado-Galindo grabbed the toddler and fled the residence. An Amber Alert was issued and law enforcement along the Alabama/Mississippi state line were provided the description of the vehicle, toddler, and suspects. That same evening, deputies with the Rankin County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle matching the description of Holguin’s vehicle. Deputies instructed Holguin, who was the driver of the vehicle, to exit the vehicle and walk back to the officer’s vehicle. Deputies then removed the other individuals from the vehicle, including the toddler. A deputy recognized the toddler from the Amber Alert and sent a picture of her to a detective with the Birmingham Police Department. The detective showed the picture to the toddler’s mother, who confirmed that it was her daughter. Both men were taken into custody.
Holguin was convicted in 2020 in the United States District Court in the Western District of Texas for conspiracy to transport aliens. He was sentenced to six months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
Salgado-Galindo, a citizen of Mexico, was unlawfully present in the United States. On December 14, 2021, Salgado-Galindo was turned over to ICE custody.
Homeland Security Investigations, Birmingham, investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Pearl Mississippi Police Department, and the Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Possessing A Firearm and Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Brandon Palmore (30, Tampa) to six years and six months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Palmore to forfeit a Sig Sauer firearm and assorted rounds of ammunition possessed during the commission of the offense. Palmore pled guilty on March 12, 2025.
According to court records, agents were conducting surveillance on Palmore at an apartment complex in Tampa in relation to an outstanding arrest warrant and observed him walking to his vehicle. As Palmore was given commands to exit the vehicle, he was seen reaching toward the center console and passenger floorboard areas of the vehicle. A Sig Sauer handgun was found where Palmore was seen reaching. The handgun was loaded and had previously been reported stolen. Prior to the offense, Palmore knew he had been convicted of multiple felonies, including convictions for aggravated assault and shooting at, within, or into a vehicle in 2019. The 2019 convictions resulted from an incident where Palmore fired a handgun into an occupied vehicle. As a convicted felon, Palmore is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis Drug Trafficker Connected to Nine Murders Sentenced to Two Life SentencesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis cocaine trafficker responsible for nine murders to two consecutive life sentences in prison, plus five more years. Judge Autrey also ordered Anthony “TT” Jordan to pay restitution of $67,405.
Jordan, 38, was convicted by a jury in February of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and nine counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime resulting in death.
Evidence and testimony at that trial showed that Jordan led a major cocaine trafficking ring. “Building up his drug empire, Jordan maintained his status by enforcing a lethal code against those who snitched, those who stole, and those who targeted his associates,” a sentencing memorandum says. After a Jordan associate was murdered, Jordan later targeted a St. Louis gang he held responsible for the murder. He then targeted gang members and their families with the help of others.
According to evidence and testimony, Jordan was responsible for multiple non-fatal shootings and the murders of nine people:
- The April 19, 2008, murders of Al Walters, Linnie Jackson and Keith Burks.
- The Feb. 3, 2010, murders of Marquis Jones and Keairrah Johnson.
- The June 25, 2013, murder of Anthony “Blinky” Clark.
- The Dec. 29, 2013, murders of Robert “Parker G” Parker and Clara Walker.
- The Jan. 21, 2014, murder of Michail “Yellow Mack” Gridiron.
Jordan’s associate, Michael Brooks, fatally shot Montez “Tez” Woods on May 20, 2012, because Jordan believed he stole cocaine, according to evidence and testimony. When Brooks was killed in retaliation for the murder of Woods, that sparked another round of retaliatory murders by Jordan.
Jordan’s phone was later seized and found to contain images of some of the victims he murdered, including Mr. Clark and Mr. Gridiron. Twenty firearms were also seized from vehicles and residences connected to Jordan.
“Today’s sentencing of Anthony Jordan wraps up the last and most violent of the 34 defendants responsible for large-scale drug trafficking directly sourced from Mexican cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Dismantling an entire criminal enterprise is what the FBI does best. Together with our law enforcement partners, this is how we are making the greatest impact in protecting our community.”
“Anthony Jordan’s reign of terror has come to an end,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “Our hope is that today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that the DEA and our law enforcement partners will go to great lengths to remove criminals who bring violence and push harmful drugs into our communities. The life sentence of Anthony Jordan handed down today is the culmination of the dismantling of a violent drug trafficking network that no longer possesses the ability to wreak havoc in the St. Louis area.”
Jordan’s cocaine was supplied by Adrian Lemons, who obtained cocaine in bulk from representatives of a Mexican cartel. Lemons, now 47, of St. Louis, is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Lemons, Jordan and 32 others were indicted as part of a long-running investigation by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Granger and Donald Boyce prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
St. Bernard Parish Man Sentenced on Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ABE JYLES (“JYLES”), age 44, a resident of St. Bernard Parish, pled guilty on February 4, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c); possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21 USC § 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
On May 27, 2025, Judge Vitter sentenced JYLES to a total of 130 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and payment of a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
Additionally, since JYLES was on federal supervised release stemming from a 2006 federal drug trafficking conviction when he committed the above-described crimes, his term of federal supervised release was revoked by United States District Judge Jay Zainey. Judge Zainey then sentenced JYLES on May 27, 2025, to serve 27 months of imprisonment to run consecutive to the sentence imposed by Judge Vitter.
The facts of this case revealed that on February 29, 2024, JYLES was involved in a traffic stop by the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office. During the stop, JYLES was identified as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Law enforcement personnel detected the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. JYLES was then detained, and following a search of the vehicle, law enforcement discovered multiple illegal narcotics, a scale, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms inside the vehicle.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
Spree of Bank Robberies in Maryland and D.C. Sends Previously Convicted Felon Back to Federal Prison for 63 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jonathon Brown-Murphy, 44, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 63 months in federal prison for committing a spree of bank robberies— both attempted and successful—on May 23 and May 25, 2022, in Maryland and Washington, DC.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Brown-Murphy pleaded guilty on July 12, 2023, to an Information charging him with three counts of bank robbery. In addition to the 63-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ordered Brown-Murphy to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Brown-Murphy robbed or attempted to rob six banks over two days in Maryland and Washington, DC. Brown-Murphy covered his face in each robbery and wore different clothing to avoid detection. After one attempt to rob a bank failed, he quickly traveled to his next target—hitting five banks on a single day in the span of about two hours.
On the morning of May 23, 2022, after unsuccessful attempts to rob two other banks, Brown-Murphy entered a Truist bank in Temple Hills, Maryland at 11:08 a.m. He approached a teller and passed her a note, stating “Give me the money or I will kill you.” The teller did not give him any money and Brown-Murphy left.
About 12:04 p.m. on May 23, 2022—shortly after another failed attempt elsewhere—Brown-Murphy entered a branch of Capital One bank on Alabama Avenue, SE. Brown-Murphy walked up to a teller and passed her a note, which stated “Give Me The Money Don’t Get Killed !!” The teller told police that she then saw Brown-Murphy nod and lift up his shirt as though he had a gun. Fearing for her life, the teller gave him cash from her register.
Two days later, on May 25, 2022, at 11:04 a.m., Brown-Murphy entered a Wells Fargo bank in District Heights, Maryland. He passed a teller a note, which stated “GIVE ME THE MONEY!!! DON’T GET KILLED!!!.” A fellow bank employee saw the note and pressed an alarm. Brown-Murphy fled without receiving anything.
As he left the Wells Fargo, a witness saw Brown-Murphy get into a black Cadillac and alerted the Prince George’s County Police officers then arriving on scene. Police attempted a traffic stop, but Brown-Murphy led them on a chase to nearby Suitland, Maryland. Brown-Murphy bailed out from his vehicle. When police arrested him after a foot pursuit, Brown-Murphy was wearing the black hat and glasses he had worn during the robberies, and police found in his car other clothing that he had worn as well.
Brown-Murphy was arrested on federal charges on August 29, 2022, and has been held in custody since. He has two previous convictions for bank robbery and robbery.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force with valuable assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey.
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Sovereign Health Group Founder and Ex-CEO Arrested on Indictment Alleging Long-Running, Massive Fraud Against Health InsurersRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The founder and former CEO of the now-defunct Sovereign Health Group addiction treatment provider was arrested today on an eight-count federal grand jury indictment alleging he submitted more than $149 million in fraudulent claims to health insurers – including for fraudulent urinalysis claims – and, in addition, paid more than $21 million in illegal kickbacks for patient referrals.
Tonmoy Sharma, 61, of Tustin, was arrested this afternoon at Los Angeles International Airport and is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned tomorrow in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Sharma is charged with four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy, and three counts of illegal remunerations for referrals to clinical treatment facilities.
Also arrested today was co-defendant Paul Jin Sen Khor, 45, of Irvine, who worked as Sovereign’s cash management and accounts payable supervisor. Khor is charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of illegal remunerations for referrals to clinical treatment facilities. Khor was arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. He pleaded not guilty and a July 29 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $20,000 bond.
According to the indictment, the San Clemente-based Sovereign once was a prominent addiction treatment provider throughout Southern California and several other states. From 2014 to 2020, Sovereign billed private insurance companies for drug addicted and mentally ill patients often at high, out-of-network rates.
At Sharma’s direction, Sovereign employees aggressively pursued patients through various forms of marketing, directing the patients to contact the company at its toll-free phone number. Once patients called in to Sovereign’s call center, employees used various tactics to enroll patients into the company’s treatment facilities, including misrepresentations. One such misrepresentation was that a patient’s treatment would be paid for by a foundation funded by donations from former Sovereign patients.
In fact, the foundation was a sham organization and a ruse for Sovereign employees – at Sharma’s direction – to obtain patients’ names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for use in surreptitiously obtaining health insurance coverage on their behalf. In order to obtain these private health insurance plans, Sovereign employees, at Sharma’s direction, made false representations on insurance applications, claiming qualifying life events that had not happened in order to obtain new insurance outside the enrollment period and inflating or underreporting their income so the patients would qualify for Affordable Care Act government-subsidized private insurance instead of Medicaid, whose reimbursement rates were significantly lower than private insurers.
Patients generally did not know that Sovereign would enroll them into these policies or authorize Sovereign to do so. Sovereign employees at times even pretended to be the patients when calling into those insurance companies. Those insurance companies would not have covered any services under plans obtained by these fraudulent means.
Sovereign also fraudulently billed insurers more than $29 million for urinalysis tests not authorized by the purported ordering health providers. At Sharma’s direction, Sovereign submitted fraudulent claims for comprehensive urinalysis screening, including through its laboratory, Vedanta Laboratories Inc. Sovereign patients were frequently drug tested through both cup testing and comprehensive panel testing. The cup testing returned results within minutes, while the panel testing was much more comprehensive, with results taking several days to return. The comprehensive panel testing screened for dozens of different substances and, accordingly, was billed at a significantly higher rate than cup testing.
Sharma directed Sovereign employees to frequently administer cup testing and comprehensive panel testing on patients, including comprehensive panel testing up to three times a week. Sovereign submitted thousands of claims to insurance companies, including for comprehensive panel tests that purportedly were authorized by physicians when, in reality, the physicians did not authorize the tests. Sovereign also submitted numerous claims to the insurance companies, including urinalysis tests, after physicians were no longer working at Sovereign.
Finally, in addition to the patients obtained through the call center above, Sharma and Khor also procured patients for Sovereign by paying illegal kickbacks to patient brokers. To conceal the nature of these transactions, Sharma and Khor caused Sovereign to enter sham contracts that referred to the brokers’ services as “marketing hours,” a term the brokers used when sending invoices to Sovereign for payment. Sovereign paid more than $21 million in illegal kickbacks for patient referrals.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Sharma would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count. Both defendants would face up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal remunerations count.
The FBI, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the California Department of Health Care Services are investigating this matter. The California Department of Insurance, the United States Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Solomon Kim of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Serial Fraudster “Dr. Cash” Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Running Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that TERRENCE CHALK, a/k/a “Dr. Cash,” was sentenced to three years for committing investment adviser fraud. CHALK previously pled guilty on May 7, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., who imposed today’s sentence.
“Defrauding retirees, using the common bond of faith to build trust, is a horrible crime, one that disturbs all New Yorkers,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice fraudsters who exploit shared ethnic or religious backgrounds to build false trust. If you suspect ‘affinity fraud’ in or around your place of worship, please contact law enforcement.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
In 2017, CHALK began marketing an investment fund using the alias “Terrence Cash” or “Doctor Cash.” He avoided using his real name because an Internet search for “Terrence Chalk” would have revealed that in 2006, he had been convicted in federal court of multiple fraud offenses. CHALK’s website advertised him as “the nation’s No. 1 business, money, and wealth coach,” and offered money management and “coaching” sessions in which CHALK promised to share the “hidden secrets of the wealthy” that would change his clients’ “mindset, perspective, and relationship with money.” After engaging his victims in these courses, he would then press them to invest in what he called the “Chairman’s Fund,” which he claimed was invested in a number of pooled investments that would be consistent, quarterly cash payments and high returns.
CHALK targeted elderly investors and sometimes marketed his services through wealth seminars that he held primarily at Black churches. He used this setting to his advantage, holding himself out as a man of faith who was seeking to help other Christians like himself.
At first, CHALK’s victims received their promised quarterly payments and assumed all was as advertised at the Chairman’s Fund. Some of the victims even recruited friends and family members into the fund. But by the end of 2019, many of the victims had stopped receiving payments. When they complained to CHALK, he stonewalled them and even told them—falsely—that they had agreed not to withdraw their funds for 10 years. In total, CHALK convinced approximately 26 individuals to invest approximately $4.8 million in his fund. None of that money appears to have been used to invest in funds, as CHALK had represented to his investors. Most of the money was paid to other corporate entities controlled by CHALK, to pay off earlier investors, or to cover CHALK’s lavish lifestyle. For example, CHALK spent approximately $1.7 million to pay personal credit card bills, spent $17,000 on NBA season tickets, and spent $74,000 on a BMW. After deducting the Ponzi payments that some investors received, the total group of investors still lost a combined $3,210,469 when CHALK’s scheme collapsed.
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In addition to the prison term, CHALK, 62, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which previously filed a parallel civil action.
The case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam S. Hobson is in charge of the prosecution.
Second large-scale methamphetamine trafficker in Duncanville sentenced to 20 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
The second defendant convicted of large-scale methamphetamine trafficking in Duncanville, Texas was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Moises Elias Saavedra Posadas, 45, a Mexican national illegally living in the United States, pled guilty to methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute in February 2025. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison yesterday, May 28, 2025, by United States District Judge David C. Godbey.
According to court documents, Saavedra Posadas helped codefendant Gerardo Barraza Ortiz deliver more than 4 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine on two separate occasions. Officers with the Duncanville Police Department executed a search warrant at an auto body shop located on South Cockrell Hill Road in Dallas, Texas, where several identifying documents belonging to Saavedra Posadas were located.
Testimony from codefendant Barraza Ortiz’s sentencing hearing revealed that on June 2, 2022, officers located approximately 48.66 kilograms (107.05 pounds) of crystalized methamphetamine during a search of the building. The majority of the methamphetamine was located in 1,022 small packages hidden in buckets and pallets. A further search of the auto body shop revealed a freezer, burners, coolers, storage bins, and barrels that were being used to store, cook, and convert liquid methamphetamine into a crystalized form. Officers also located three firearms and several pounds of marijuana during the search.
According to the Duncanville Police Department, the 48.66 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, if sold in ounce quantities, has a street value of approximately $3,128,400.00 in the Dallas, Texas area.
Barraza Ortiz was sentenced to a term of 262 months’ imprisonment in March 2025 by U.S. District Judge Godbey.
The Duncanville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Leal and Sarah Douglas prosecuted the case.
Salt River Man Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clifton Nez Hamalowa, 47, of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was sentenced on May 27, 2025, by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to life plus 10 years in prison.
On August 29, 2020, Hamalowa shot the victim in the head multiple times in front of the victim’s young child while on reservation land belonging to the Gila River Indian Community. After killing the victim, Hamalowa and his siblings attempted to conceal his crimes by disposing of the victim’s car and dumping the victim’s body in a remote area of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian reservation. Hamalowa and his sister also intimidated witnesses to prevent them from reporting.
Following a seven-day trial, a federal jury found Hamalowa guilty of First-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharging a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.
Hamalowa’s brother, Thomas Leon Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 108 months in prison on October 23, 2023. Hamalowa’s sister, Devonne Beth Hamalowa, pleaded guilty to Accessory-After-the-Fact to Murder and was sentenced to 84 months in prison on April 1, 2024.
The FBI and Gila River Police Department jointly conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Travis L. Wheeler, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00751-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-084_Hamalowa# # #
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.Salem Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Salem, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Friday for possessing and trafficking more than 40 pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.
Rico Anthony Russell Rigutto, 46, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 14, 2021, as part of a drug trafficking investigation, investigators arranged a controlled buy of counterfeit oxycodone pills from Rigutto. Investigators observed him arrive and depart the meeting location, after which they conducted a traffic stop on Rigutto.
Investigators searched Rigutto’s vehicle and seized approximately 3,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and a firearm with a machine gun conversion switch. Machine gun switches, sometimes referred to as “Glock switches,” are small attachments used to convert firearms from semi-automatic to fully-automatic.
Later the same day, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant on Rigutto’s residence. During the search, investigators located and seized 20,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, 28 pounds of methamphetamine, six pounds of heroin, approximately $100,000 in cash, and fifteen firearms, including an AR-15 rifle and another handgun with a conversion switch.
On January 19, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Rigutto with possessing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin with the intent to distribute and possessing a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On April 18, 2023, Rigutto pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. However, on March 5, 2024, Rigutto failed to appear for his sentencing and an arrest warrant was issued.
On August 2, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) located and arrested Rigutto for failing to appear. USMS also found a firearm during the arrest.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
Romanian National Charged with Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft for Stealing from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap)Read the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ionut Popovici, age 33, a Romanian National, was indicted on May 28, 2025, by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for targeting and defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”), a federally funded program that helps low-income individuals purchase groceries and certain food items.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment returned by the grand jury alleges that Popovici used stolen SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (“EBT”) card information at Sam’s Club stores in Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg between March 4 and 5, 2023. During this period, Popovici illegally purchased thousands of dollars in goods.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offenses charged against Ionut Popovici is twenty years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison in 2nd Federal Conviction on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A registered sex offender now twice convicted on federal child pornography charges has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
In December 2016, David A. Skally, 65, was convicted in federal court of possessing and accessing with the intent to view child pornography. He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence presented at Skally’s December 2024 trial in this most recent matter:
- Skally admitted, in interviews that were part of his court-ordered supervised release, to viewing sexually explicit images of children “over ten times” after his release from prison while on supervised release.
- In these interviews, Skally admitted some of the images he viewed depicted children 11 years of age or under engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
- Skally engaged in repeated efforts to avoid monitoring software and other safeguards required during his term of probation but subsequent investigation and a forensic examination of Skally’s computer ultimately discovered several images of child pornography, including images of adults engaged in sexual activity with prepubescent victims.
In December 2024, the jury ultimately concluded that Skally both possessed and accessed child pornography with the intent to view it, and specifically found that at least some of the material in question involved prepubescent children under the age of twelve.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith sentenced Skally to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. By virtue of his most recent conviction, Skally was also adjudged to be a violator of his previously imposed supervised release and sentenced to a concurrent term of 10 months. Additionally, the court imposed an assessment totaling $10,000 as mandated by the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and Denise M. Barton, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and John P. McAdams.
This case, investigated by the U.S. Probation Department and Homeland Security Investigations, 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
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Preston County Man Sentenced for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven Sharps, age 45, of Kingwood, West Virginia, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sharps worked with others to sell methamphetamine in Monongalia County. Sharps has prior convictions that include drug trafficking and domestic battery.
Sharps will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Pocahontas County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua Ray Vanreenan, 37, of Hillsboro, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months in federal prison for the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vanreenan was selling methamphetamine from his home in Pocahontas County. He has prior firearms convictions, as well as a domestic violence protection order.
Vanreenan will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Physician at VA Medical Center Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A physician employed at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Bedford, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Sven Knudsen Ljaamo, 70, was indicted on one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on April 23, 2025.on April 23, 2025 He was subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing.
According to the charging documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip reporting that over 100 files of suspected CSAM files had allegedly been uploaded to Ljaamo’s Google account. When Ljaamo spoke to investigators, he allegedly admitted to viewing, downloading and saving pornographic material involving female minors. It is further alleged that several CSAM files, along with tens of thousands of pornography files, were found during a review of Ljaamo’s devices, including on a cell phone Ljaamo kept in his office at the VA Medical Center.
The charge of receipt 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. 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; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Lowell and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Criminal Division 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.
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.
Pastor at Word of God Church Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining More than $400,000 in COVID-19 LoansRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Mitchell Summerfield, age 45, of Raleigh, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 loan funds. At sentencing, Summerfield faces a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. Summerfield will also be required to pay restitution in an amount to be determined.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Summerfield was the pastor of the Word of God Fellowship Church in Raleigh, and also owned various other entities, including Winning Ways, KHS Investments, and Vision and Destiny. Between July 2020 and July 2021, Summerfield conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster loans (EIDL) for these entities.
Congress created the PPP program in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in order to mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for small businesses. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the United States and forgivable so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other qualified expenses. The CARES Act also expanded the EIDL program to assist small businesses experiencing financial distress due to the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs were administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Summerfield submitted multiple EIDL and/or PPP applications on behalf of Winning Ways, KHS Investments, and Vision and Destiny. Summerfield made various false statements in the applications to induce the SBA and lending institutions to approve and disburse the requested loan amounts. Summerfield also provided fabricated IRS tax forms, including false income tax returns. As a result of the fraudulent applications, Summerfield received more than $400,000 in PPP and EIDL funds. Summerfield used the loan fraud proceeds for unauthorized and unlawful purposes, including paying for personal expenses.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea. The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-22.
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Onalaska Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Efrain Estrada, 31, Onalaska, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 132 months in federal prison for possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing firearms as a felon. Estrada pleaded guilty to these charges on March 13, 2025.
On July 22, 2024, law enforcement found approximately 5,000 fentanyl pills and 3,000 methamphetamine pills in a package mailed from Houston, Texas, to La Crosse, Wisconsin. On July 25, 2024, after replacing the pills with candy, agents conducted a controlled delivery to the recipient address and arrested the person who retrieved the package. Upon arrest, the person told agents that the package was meant for Estrada and agreed to conduct a controlled delivery to Estrada’s house in Onalaska, Wisconsin. The person then delivered the package to Estrada and agents arrested him as he left his house.
Law enforcement then searched Estrada’s house and found another 2,800 fentanyl pills, approximately 1,000 pills containing other controlled substances, and more than 600 grams of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also found 10 firearms and ammunition of varying caliber in various locations throughout the house, some containing loaded high-capacity magazines. One firearm was a short-barreled rifle, and 2 other firearms were sawed-off shotguns with scratched off serial numbers. Some of the drugs and guns were found in a hidden compartment of a coffee table accessible only through a key card found in Estrada’s dresser.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson acknowledged Estrada inherited a mature drug operation from a deceased relative, but Estrada was not an amateur and did not simply fall into drug trafficking. He said Estrada not only stepped into it but embraced it, and it constituted a very destructive financial shortcut for him. Estrada was not a low-level actor in someone else’s organization caught with a large quantity of drugs – this was Estrada’s organization for which he was fully accountable. Judge Peterson also observed that Estrada possessed a mini arsenal of firearms that had no purpose other than to protect his drug operation and that the result would have been catastrophic if he had used the firearms for that purpose.
The charges against Estrada were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigation, La Crosse Sheriff’s Office, La Crosse Police Department, Madison Police Department, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Ayala and David Reinhard prosecuted this case.
Okfuskee County Residents Sentenced for Child Abuse, Child Neglect, and MaimingRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Daniel Levi Magness, age 36, of Okemah, Oklahoma, and Joanna Lee Higgins, age 33, of Okemah, Oklahoma, were sentenced for charges relating to child abuse and neglect.
Magness was sentenced to 220 months in prison for two counts of Child Abuse in Indian Country and one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. Magness was also sentenced to 63 months for one count of Maiming in Indian Country and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Court ordered the terms to be served concurrently for a total of 220 months. Magness entered a guilty plea to the charges on October 15, 2024.
Higgins was sentenced to 140 months in prison for one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. Higgins pleaded guilty to the charge on November 12, 2024.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to investigators, on January 31, 2024, officers responded to a call for a welfare check at an Okemah residence and discovered two minor children in the defendants’ care living in unsanitary conditions and covered in bruises. One child was suffering from a visible disfiguring injury to one ear. A search of the home recovered a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, a bolt-action rifle, and a shotgun despite Magness having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. Investigators determined that Magness and Higgins had perpetrated their abuse and neglect on the children for over a year.
The crimes occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Ocala Woman Indicted for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Christina Gates Thagard (40, Ocala) with bank robbery. If convicted, Thagard faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Thagard was arrested on May 24, 2025. She is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
According to the indictment, on May 3, 2025, Thagard took money belonging to TD Bank by using force, violence, and intimidation. The bank’s deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Ocala Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Scott Alan Colson (60, Ocala) to 15 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Following the prison term, Colson must serve a lifetime of supervised release. He entered a guilty plea on February 6, 2025.
According to court records, on July 24, 2024, an undercover detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging application. Colson contacted the undercover detective’s account, inquired as to whether the fictional minor had ever “been with older men” and asked to meet her. Colson added, “You keep secrets if we meet up.” Colson then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective. Colson arranged to meet the “minor” at a predetermined location in Marion County where he was arrested by law enforcement. When interviewed by law enforcement, Colson admitted to engaging in the sexually explicit conversation and then traveling to meet the fictional minor to engage in sexual activity. An examination of Colson’s cellphone revealed other child sexual exploitation materials.
“The attempt to entice and meet a minor for sexual activity is a reprehensible crime that strikes at the heart of our community’s safety and moral foundation,” said Homeland Security Investigation Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI and our law enforcement partners remain unwavering in our commitment to protect our children from these kinds of predators. The safety and security of our youth is non-negotiable, we will protect them at all costs.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on May 27, 2025, BRANDON TURNER (“TURNER”), age 39, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to Counts One, Two, and Three of the indictment pending against him. Count One charged TURNER with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). Count Two charged TURNER with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count Three charged TURNER with being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on January 30, 2024, TURNER was arrested for suspected narcotics trafficking. Law enforcement officers searched TURNER’s apartment and found a detectable amount of fentanyl. Law enforcement officers also found ammunition and a Glock, Model 43, nine-millimeter caliber pistol. TURNER knew he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing the firearm and ammunition.
At sentencing, TURNER faces a minimum 5-year term of imprisonment up to 40 years’ imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to 4 years of supervised release for Count One; a minimum 5-year term of imprisonment up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release for Count Two; and up to 15 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count Three. TURNER also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all three counts.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
Nevada Man Who Stole over $7M in Treasury Checks, Sentenced to Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Kyle Eugene Duncan-Carle, 41, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release after he admitted to bank fraud in 2023.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Duncan-Carle, was ordered to pay $3,490,634.75 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made at Duncan-Carle’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from January 2023 through September 2023 in the District of Utah. Duncan-Carle stole U.S. Treasury checks made out to individuals and companies, assumed the identity of the individuals whose names were on the checks, opened credit union accounts under the assumed identities, and then deposited the checks and withdrew the funds. Duncan-Carle admitted the scheme resulted in at least eight stolen treasury checks that totaled $7,975,621.22. As a result, Duncan-Carle cost the United States government, financial institutions, and a financial institution’s insurance provider $3,490,634.75.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated jointly by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); the Internal Revenue Service Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen P. Dent and Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Multi-Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Brady Kyle Milton Williams (29, Florida) has pleaded guilty to two counts possession of a firearm or ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Williams faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on November 3, 2022, during an investigation into a stolen vehicle, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office discovered Williams had a loaded pistol tucked inside his waistband. Several weeks later, on January 13, 2023, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on another suspected stolen vehicle. Williams, the driver of that vehicle, fled from law enforcement. Once law enforcement disabled the vehicle, Williams fled on foot into a nearby field where he was apprehended. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded revolver in the vehicle’s driver-side door pocket. The passenger in the vehicle confirmed the firearm belonged to Williams.
At the time of these events, Williams already was a nine-time convicted felon. His previous state convictions included fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, grand theft of a motor vehicle, owning and operating a chop shop, and possession of methamphetamine. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Missouri man pleaded guilty today to orchestrating a scheme to defraud Medicare by unlawfully billing millions of dollars in claims for cancer genetic testing and cardiovascular genetic testing.
According to court documents, Jamie P. McNamara, 49, of Kansas City, operated several laboratories in Louisiana and Texas, which obtained doctors’ orders for genetic testing from telemarketers and call centers that used aggressive telemarketing campaigns to induce Medicare beneficiaries to agree to receive genetic testing. Orders for genetic testing were signed by purported telemedicine doctors who were not the beneficiaries’ treating physicians, did not perform consultations with the beneficiaries, and did not follow up with the beneficiaries after the testing was performed. To obtain the orders, McNamara paid illegal kickbacks and bribes, which he disguised through sham contracts. In furtherance of the scheme, he also shifted the billing between his laboratories to evade scrutiny from Medicare and law enforcement and concealed his ownership and control of the laboratories by falsely listing the names of his family members as owners and company representatives on Medicare and other documents. In approximately one and a half years, the laboratories operated by McNamara submitted over $174 million in claims to Medicare for genetic testing and received over $55 million in reimbursements. The government previously seized several luxury vehicles and over $7 million in bank accounts.
“The defendant used illegal payments and lies to fraudulently bill Medicare over $174 million,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Health care fraud harms patients, drains government resources, and violates the public trust. The Criminal Division is fully committed to uncovering and aggressively prosecuting these schemes.”
“This guilty plea marks the conclusion of a meticulous and complicated prosecution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Medicare fraud schemes profoundly erode taxpayer confidence and faith in our medical institutions. Schemes such as these must be rooted out, investigated and prosecuted, not only for the monetary loss triggered by the fraud, but also to preserve the public’s trust. Our office, along with our investigative partners, will continue to work diligently to maintain taxpayer confidence in our federal institutions and seek justice for all victims of fraud.”
“McNamara lined his pockets by preying on vulnerable Americans concerned about their health. The genetic tests Medicare patients were lured into receiving did not provide them with any answers on their predisposition to life threatening illnesses and cost taxpayers millions of dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Today's plea is the culmination of thorough investigative work and partnership between the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) to protect the public and ensure that justice is served.”
“Misleading patients with fraudulent genetic testing schemes to exploit the Medicare program is not just unethical — it’s criminal,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG. “Today’s plea reflects HHS-OIG’s steadfast commitment to holding those who deceive patients and seek to cripple the integrity of our nation’s federal health care programs accountable. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to investigate such schemes and bring those responsible to justice.”
While on pretrial release, McNamara violated his bond conditions by, among other things, fleeing from a DUI arrest and cutting off an ankle monitor. He was subsequently detained.
McNamara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 and faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HHS-OIG and the FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Jose Tiscareno-Rangel, 35, a citizen of Mexico, has been sentenced to 14 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty to illegally reentering the United States. He will be deported to Mexico upon completion of his prison sentence.
Tiscareno-Rangel admitted to illegally re-entering the country without the consent of the United States Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security. He was previously removed from the U.S. on Sept.10, 2018. The defendant also had a previous conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1.5 kilograms of heroin.
In July 2024, immigration officials learned that Tiscareno-Rangel was once again illegally in the United States and was found during an encounter with law enforcement at a gas station in Toledo.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mexican National Sentenced for Re-Entry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael Simpson announced the May 27, 2025 sentencing of JOEL BECERRA-CESARIO (“BECERRA-CESARIO”), age 38, a Mexican national, by U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion to 27 months of imprisonment for re-entry of a removed alien, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and 1326(b)(2).
After serving his sentence, BECERRA-CESARIO will be deported to his home country of Mexico.
According to court documents, BECERRA-CESARIO, who had a previous felony conviction for cocaine distribution, was apprehended in Kenner around October 20, 2023. He had been previously deported to Mexico on May 15, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Simpson expressed appreciation for the investigative work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is overseeing the prosecution.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Miguel Molina-Echavarria, age 40, a citizen of Mexico residing in Hagerstown, Maryland, was indicted on May 28, 2025, by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Molina-Echavarria illegally reentered the United States and was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on May 18, 2025, after being removed pursuant to a court order in July 2024, at or near Brownsville, Texas, without first having obtained permission for reentry into the United States.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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McKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 42 months of imprisonment on his conviction of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Edward Joseph Mitchell, 31, on May 15, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on August 28, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Mitchell’s McKeesport residence. During the search, agents recovered a 9-millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with 34 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition and with an aftermarket extended magazine attached. Agents also recovered hundreds of additional live rounds of ammunition of various calibers from inside the residence. Mitchell had multiple prior felony state drug trafficking convictions. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mitchell.
Maryland woman sentenced to four years in prison for scheme to use stolen identities to purchase vehiclesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland woman was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2022, Loryn Michelle Dorsey, 36, of Elkridge, Maryland, fraudulently obtained the personal identifying information (PII) of two victims, identified as K.R. and Z.B, due to their high credit scores, which she needed to fraudulently obtain a loan from a bank to purchase a vehicle. Dorsey also assumed the fake identity of “Julia Ball,” who is not a real person.
On December 6, 2022, Dorsey used K.R.’s PII to apply online for financing to purchase a vehicle from a car dealership in Fairfax, falsely presenting herself as K.R., a female. The dealership then submitted the information to financial institutions to provide the requested credit. Ally Bank, among others, received but rejected the application, but no loan was awarded, and no vehicle was purchased.
Later that day, Dorsey again attempted to obtain approval for financing to purchase a vehicle from the same dealership, this time applying with Z.B. as the co-purchaser and “Julia Ball” as the co-owner. Through the dealership’s website, Dorsey was granted conditional approval of a loan from Ally Bank based on Z.B.’s good credit rating. Because Z.B. had to be present to complete the purchase, and because Z.B. is a man, Dorsey asked a coconspirator to accompany her to the dealership and fraudulently present himself as Z.B. Dorsey also arranged for someone to create a fraudulent identification document with Z.B.’s information and the co-conspirator’s photograph.
Dorsey and the co-conspirator, at Dorsey’s direction, completed paperwork to purchase a 2015 Cadillac Escalade for $48,629.20, with $1,000 cash downpayment provided by Dorsey and the remaining sum of $47,629.20 to be financed by Ally Bank. Fairfax County Police (FCPD) arrived at the dealership after the paperwork was completed. When Dorsey was arrested, she was in possession of a firearm. In 2016, Dorsey was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance in Maryland. As a previously convicted felon, Dorsey cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Emily Odom, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
FCPD Auto Crimes Enforcement and the FBI WFO TOC-E/Major Theft Task Force investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Durham prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-7.
Marrero Man Sentenced for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RASHEED SMITH (“SMITH”), age 34, of Marrero, Louisiana, was sentenced on May 22, 2025 by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion to seventy (70) months imprisonment followed by three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to illegal possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in January 2023, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies encountered SMITH during a routine traffic stop. SMITH abandoned the vehicle in an attempt to flee. After a brief struggle, SMITH was apprehended. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a firearm in the driver’s side door compartment. Due to previous felony convictions, SMITH is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Marion County Man Sentenced for Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Darrel Keith McHoney, 55, of Fairmont, West Virginia was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for selling para-fluorofentanyl in Marion and Harrison Counties.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McHoney sold para-fluorofentanyl and heroin. Investigators searched his home and seized more than 100 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, a loaded firearm magazine, and drug paraphernalia. McHoney has a criminal history that includes attempted robbery and drug trafficking.
McHoney will be on three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Man Sentenced to 72 months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Eddie Lee Grasty was sentenced last week to 72 months in prison with 3 years of supervised release, following his guilty plea to unlawful possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Eddie Lee Grasty, 28, was arrested in March 2024 after assaulting a woman in a St. Paul apartment. During the assault, Grasty repeatedly struck that woman in the face and head before brandishing a Glock handgun, pointing it at her, and threatening to use it to end her life. Grasty was prohibited from possessing that firearm due to his prior felony convictions, several of which arose from Grasty’s other violent assaults of women. Grasty’s history of violence against women includes several assaults, a stabbing, and two strangulations of a pregnant victim.
“We know that defendants like Grasty—who habitually abuse and assault women—are some of the most dangerous offenders on the streets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Grasty has stabbed, strangled, and terrorized women for years. He will now serve a well-deserved 72 months behind bars.”
Grasty was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Bobier represented the government at sentencing.
Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of an Improvised Explosive Device and Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM Ala. – An Alabama man has pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
Key’onstis Maurice Morgan, 24, of Centreville, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco for illegally possessing a weapon made from a shotgun and a destructive device, specifically an improvised explosive device-type bomb.
According to the plea agreement, Morgan was found in possession of both the firearm and bomb on the night of February 16, 2024. The firearm had been made from a single-shot 20-gauge shotgun and was loaded with a shell. Morgan admitted to sawing off the shotgun’s stock and cutting the barrel down to 13.5 inches in length.
Morgan was also in possession of a cardboard tube wrapped in electrical tape that contained 12 grams of energetic powder and a fuse. Someone weaponized the device by taping or gluing 21 screws, four small razor blades, and assorted staples around the exterior. These small metal pieces would create potentially lethal shrapnel upon explosion.
ATF investigated the case along with the Centreville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer is prosecuting the case.
Los Angeles Man Who Mailed Kilograms of Cocaine for Distribution in Western Pennsylvania Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to a drug trafficking charge, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Jose Angel Sanchez, 33, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2022 and September 2022, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The investigation revealed that Sanchez would mail parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from California to a residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. After investigators seized a parcel containing two kilograms of cocaine before it reached the Aliquippa residence, Sanchez began sending the parcels from California to co-defendant Christopher Andrew Salgado in West Virginia. Thereafter, surveillance confirmed that Salgado would drive the parcels from West Virginia to the Pittsburgh International Airport, where he would pick up Sanchez, who had arrived on flights from California. Salgado would when then drive both the parcel of cocaine and Sanchez to co-defendant Romaro Foster Sr. in Aliquippa.
Following one re-supply of cocaine to Foster Sr., law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Salgado as he drove Sanchez back to the Pittsburgh International Airport. After identifying Salgado and Sanchez, law enforcement terminated the traffic stop while surveillance followed the conspirators. Prior to reaching the airport, investigators observed Salgado park at a fast food restaurant and discard a box in a trash bin in the restaurant’s parking lot before leaving. Investigators recovered the box, which bore a shipping label with Salgado’s West Virginia address that Sanchez had mailed from California. Investigators observed drug packaging material within the box and conducted a field test of the packaging, which revealed the presence of cocaine.
In August 2022, investigators seized a parcel sent from California to Salgado in West Virginia that contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine. Investigators then executed a search warrant upon Salgado’s residence, recovering a different parcel mailed by Sanchez to Salgado that contained another approximately two kilograms of cocaine.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for October 2, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Judge Hardy previously sentenced Salgado to five years of imprisonment for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Sanchez.
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Longtime federal prosecutor named Acting U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – President Donald J. Trump has named Jay R. Combs as Acting United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Texas (EDTX).
“I am thankful to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for this opportunity and humbled by the honor of leading the Eastern District of Texas,” said Combs. “This opportunity to serve the American people is both a tremendous responsibility and a great privilege. This office plays a critical role in ensuring the American people are kept safe. I look forward to advancing the administration’s core priorities of immigration enforcement; combatting human trafficking and smuggling; attacking transnational organized crime, cartels, and gangs; and protecting the federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to protect us all. I look forward to working alongside our great prosecutors, staff and brave law enforcement partners.”
Combs is a longtime federal prosecutor who previously served as the branch chief of the largest and most active office in the Eastern District of Texas. He joined the Department of Justice in 2006 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) on the U.S. – Mexico border. As an AUSA, Combs prosecuted organized crime, immigration, narcotics and human trafficking cases, as well as fraud, public corruption and white collar matters. Combs has received several nationwide awards during his time in the Department of Justice, recognizing his contributions in the fight against international drug cartels.
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Combs is the chief law enforcement officer for one of the busiest districts in the United States. The EDTX typically prosecutes and extradites more foreign drug cartel leaders than most other U.S. Attorney’s Office’s nationwide. The district represents 43 counties and over 3.5 million people. This district currently comprises six U.S. District Court divisions with federal district courts in Beaumont, Sherman, Plano, Tyler, Lufkin, and Marshall.
Before joining the Department, Combs served in the United States Army as a Judge Advocate General for six years. He is a twenty-year veteran of the Army with several stints of active duty service as well as service in the reserve component. He served in a number of roles in the Army including as the Executive Officer of an Air Defense Artillery Battery. He is the graduate of numerous military schools including the Military Police Officer Basic Course. Combs served two combat tours. He served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990-91). Combs also served in Afghanistan in 2008-2009, earning the Bronze Star medal.
Combs has lived in Texas for over twenty years but originally hails from Springerville, Arizona. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and his law degree from the University of New Mexico. He has been married to his wife, Melissa, for 30 years and they have seven children.
For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtx.
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Linneus Man Sentenced for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Linneus man was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced James Valiante, 43, to 36 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On August 22, 2024, Valiante pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Valiante and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Valiante regularly arranged to obtain quantities of the two drugs from other members of the conspiracy through phone calls and texts using coded language and then distributed those drugs through a network of dealers he supplied in Aroostook County, using the proceeds to purchase more drugs.
Twenty-two defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. With Valiante’s sentencing this week, 20 of the defendants have been sentenced while two – Daquan Corbett and Daviston Jackson, who were convicted following a two-week trial in December 2024 – await sentencing.
In addition to the sentence imposed on Valiante today, the Court has imposed the following sentences in related cases:
Sentenced:
- Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
- Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
- Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
- Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – 48 months
- Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
- Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
- Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served (approx. 5 months)
- Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 31 months) plus 6 months of community confinement
- Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
- Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months)
- James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
- Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months)
- Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
- John Miller (24, Caribou) – 54 months
- Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months)
- Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
- Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – Time served (approx. 2 months) plus 24 months home detention
- Tamara Davis (29, Fall River, MA) – Time Served (approx. 14 months)
- Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – 60 months
Awaiting sentencing:
- Daquan Corbett (31, Brockton, MA) – sentencing scheduled for August 11, 2025
- Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, MA) – sentencing to be scheduled
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Ledyard Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that JASON GIBSON, 45, of Ledyard, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with a child exploitation offense.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2020, Gibson was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 30 months, and 10 years of probation. He was released from state custody in January 2021. In April 2023, Gibson’s probation was revoked for violating the conditions of his release and he was sentenced to 90 months of incarceration, suspended after six months, and 94 months of probation. He was released from state custody in August 2023.
It is further alleged that on March 6, 2024, state probation officers made a routine home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an unapproved cellphone that also contained a dark web application. Subsequent analysis of the phone revealed more than 200 child sex abuse images and videos, and numerous text messages with links to access child pornography on the dark web. On April 2, 2025, probation officers made another home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an external hard drive. Analysis of the hard drive revealed more than 18,000 images and 1,400 videos depicting child sex abuse.
The complaint charges Gibson with possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Gibson’s prior state convictions.
Gibson has been detained in state custody since April 2, 2025. He made his initial appearance today in Hartford federal court.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Town of Groton Police Department and the Connecticut Court Support Services Division – Adult Probation Services.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Crew Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cila Melgar Rodriguez, 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland. Rodriguez is in the U.S. illegally and is subject to mandatory deportation after he completes his sentence.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant in Charge Steven J. Jensen, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of Homeland Security Investigations Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Rodriguez, aka “Paipa,” pleaded guilty Feb. 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and crack cocaine before U.S. District Court Judge John Bates. He also acknowledged that he acted as leader of the cocaine trafficking conspiracy. In addition to the prison term, Judge Bates ordered Rodriguez to serve five years of supervised release and imposed a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $100,000.
According to court documents, on August 12, 2023, one of Rodriguez’s co-conspirators agreed to sell five kilograms of cocaine to a confidential source for $120,000. On August 18, 2023, the charged co-conspirators drove to a Costco parking lot to complete the transaction. DEA agents arrested the charged co-conspirators. Rodriguez, who was not present at the time of the arrest, had provided the cocaine and organized the deal. Agents recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver from the co-defendant’s car. Agents also recovered a black and white canvas bag which contained more than 3.6 kilos of cocaine.
Earlier that day, the charged co-conspirators had visited Rodriguez outside a Northwest apartment building where Rodriguez provided them with the cocaine that was eventually recovered by law enforcement during the buy-bust.
This case was investigated and prosecuted under the auspices of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) Section. The VCNT Section’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle the District's most serious drivers of violence and large-scale firearms and drug trafficking, and pursue their principals locally, nationally and internationally. VCNT places an emphasis on proactive, intelligence-driven, long- and medium-term criminal investigations, and its prosecutions focus on violent and armed crews and conspiracies, collective conduct, and repeat offenders.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI and ICE. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George P. Eliopoulos of the VCNT Section, with valuable assistance from Special Assistant U.S Attorneys Javier Urbina, Ernesto J. Alvarado, Timothy J. Coley, and Adam Stempel.
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Latimer County Resident Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Sexual Abuse of A MinorRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Garret James Walkos, age 25, of Red Oak, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, punishable by thirty years to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.
The Indictment alleged that beginning in June 2023 and continuing until March 2024, Walkos knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years.
The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Criminal Investigations.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Walkos will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Bove and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Labor Organizations to Pay $5.1 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Four labor organizations have agreed to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by applying for and obtaining loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for which they knew or should have known they were ineligible. The United States contended that these organization caused the Small Business Administration (SBA) to pay loan forgiveness, in addition to interest and processing fees, to financial institutions that processed the loans.
In March 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the CARES Act, Congress authorized forgivable loans to eligible small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. To obtain a PPP loan, a qualifying business submitted a PPP loan application, which required the business to acknowledge the program rules and make certain affirmative certifications including eligibility. These loan applications were then processed by participating lenders, and, if approved, the participating lender funded the loan. PPP loans were 100% guaranteed by the SBA.
Under the rules applicable at the time of the loans covered by today’s settlements, certain organizations were not eligible to receive a PPP loan. Certain ineligible organizations certified they were eligible and, in fact, received loans which were ultimately forgiven. The labor organizations and the amounts they have agreed to pay are as follows:
- Local Union No. 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW Local 3) is a labor organization with its principal place of business in Flushing, New York. IBEW Local 3 has agreed to pay $2,697,929.88 to resolve the allegations.
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 596 (IBEW Local 596) is a labor organization with its principal place of business in Clarksburg, West Virginia. IBEW Local 596 has agreed to pay $269,995.83 to resolve the allegations.
- United Association of Journeymen 598 (UA Local 598) is a labor organization with its principal place of business in Pasco, Washington. UA Local 598 has agreed to pay $835,508.00 to resolve the allegations.
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 986 (Teamsters Local 986) is a labor organization with its principal place of business in Covina, California. IBEW Local 3 has agreed to pay $1,356,832.50 to resolve the allegations.
“By obtaining PPP loans for which they were ineligible, these organizations took advantage of the taxpayers and millions of American citizens who were hurting and suffering from the economic effects of the pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard. “They placed their own self-interest over compassion for others. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to pursue all persons and organizations who wrongfully enriched themselves at the expense of those entitled to such aid.”
This matter was litigated by Assistant United States Attorneys Maximillian F. Nogay and Jordan V. Palmer of the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced for Obstructing MailRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brice Allen Pomeroy, 26, of Hernshaw, was sentenced today to two years of federal probation and ordered to pay $2,051.21 in restitution for obstruction of mail.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 11, 2023, Pomeroy knowingly and willfully threw away approximately 227 pieces of mail by depositing a large plastic bad containing the mail pieces into a trash can located outside a gas service station in Charleston.
At the time of the offense, Pomeroy was employed by a United States Postal Service vendor as a mail handler at the vendor’s facility in Charleston. The 227 pieces of mail included Mother’s Day, graduation, anniversary, and birthday cards. Any cash or gift cards that had been in the mail pieces was removed by the time they were discarded at the service station. Over $2,000 in cash or gift cards was reported stolen.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-2.
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