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29 May 2025
Jury convicts illegal alien of stealing U.S. citizen’s identityRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Mexican citizen has been found guilty of illegally reentering the United States under an assumed identity, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for four hours before convicting Jose Martin Valdez-Galvan following a two-day-trial.
On June 11, 2024, authorities found Valdez-Galvan in Laredo. At that time, he provided a false name and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Valdez-Galvan originally stole the person’s identity to avoid previous charges for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
Testimony revealed Valdez-Galvan was an illegal alien who had been previously removed and returned to the United States without permission. He had assumed the other person’s identity in 2015 after his second removal. The jury also heard how fingerprints matched those of Valdez-Galvan.
At trial, Valdez-Galvan testified his name was not Jose Martin Valdez-Galvan. His mother also provided testimony that her son’s name was something else despite evidence she had previously identified him as Valdez-Galvan.
The defense attempted to question the trustworthiness of the evidence, but the jury was not convinced and found Valdez-Galvan guilty as charged.
“Both public safety and basic common sense require us to know who is entering and residing in our country. Those that adopt false or stolen personas to hide their identities pose an increased criminal risk to our community,” said Ganjei. “Theft of an American citizen’s identity by a foreign national will not be tolerated, and those that engage in such criminality will be charged, punished, and, if appropriate, deported.”
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Valdez-Galvan has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan L. Oliver and Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.
Jamaal Antwan Pimms Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Role in the Murder of Rosenda StrongRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Jamaal Antwan Pimms, age 44, to 26 months in prison for Misprision of a Felony related to his role in the 2018 murder of Rosenda Strong. Chief Judge Bastian also imposed 1 year of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Jedidah Iesha Moreno shot and killed Rosenda Strong on or about October 5, 2018, following an argument at a residence, known as the House of Souls in Wapato, Washington. Following the murder, Moreno asked for help disposing of Strong’s body. Pimms and Andrew Norris Zack assisted Moreno by rolling Strong’s body into a freezer. The freezer, and other appliances, were loaded onto the back of a truck. The body, still inside the freezer, was then dumped near M&R Towing, which is off Highway 97 in Toppenish, Washington.
On July 4, 2019, approximately nine months after Strong’s tragic death, a citizen discovered human remains, which later were identified through dental records as belonging to Strong. Pimms did not report the crime to Federal law enforcement, even when interviewed by FBI Special Agents in July, 2019.
“Jamaal Pimms had the opportunity – and even the obligation – to come forward with the truth about Rosenda Strong’s death when the FBI interviewed him in 2019,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker. “Instead, Mr. Pimms chose silence, compounding the harm to Ms. Strong’s family and delaying justice for years. His failure to speak denied a grieving family and community the answers they deserved, and allowed uncertainty and anguish to linger far too long.”
"Coping with the loss of a loved one is always a painful process. It can be even more so when, as in this instance, she is the victim of a crime about which so much remained unknown for so long,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Not only did Mr. Pimms help dispose of the victim’s body, but he also actively concealed vital information that unfairly deprived a grieving community of answers for nearly six years. I commend the investigators and our partners from Yakama Nation for their steadfast work in seeking justice in this case, as we are committed to do for all others like it on our state's reservations."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Yakama Nation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas J. Hanlon and Michael D. Murphy.
Defendant Andrew Norris Zack, pleaded guilty to charges in this case. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2025.
23-CR-02037-SAB
Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 46 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Queyoun Foulks-Smith, 20 years old, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possession of a machinegun, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Foulks-Smith was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, on July 4, 2024, law enforcement found Foulks-Smith in possession of a machinegun—a stolen firearm with a loaded 50-round drum magazine and a “switch.” The switch converted this firearm into an automatic firearm, allowing it to fire multiple bullets instantaneously with a single function of the trigger.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Falvey.
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.
Illinois man charged with COVID fraudRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joseph Giannini, 54, of Chicago, IL, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in April and May 2020, Giannini submitted false applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loan programs, which were intended to provide funding to businesses that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Giannini applied for seven fraudulent loans for various businesses, making false representations about profits and employee payrolls for those businesses. In total, Giannini applied for $606,635.00 in loans, for which he was actually paid $280,135.00. One of the fraudulent applications was submitted on behalf of the Rochester business Spin Marketing Inc., which is owned by co-defendant Ann Spinosa. Spinosa is currently charged by federal indictment.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
Illegal Alien and Prolific Drug Trafficker Convicted Following Thwarted Robbery of Rival Cocaine SupplierRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Adan Macedo-Rios, 52, of Mexico, who is an alien unlawfully present in the United States, has been convicted of charges related to trafficking in illegal drugs, money laundering, robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms.
“Macedo-Rios, an illegal alien, distributed large amounts of dangerous drugs and laundered his ill-gotten gains through the purchase of a Georgia horse ranch. His callous and dangerous behavior—highlighted by his involvement in a plot to rob a rival cocaine supplier—was disrupted by the tireless work of our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Through our combined efforts, we foiled the robbery plan and dismantled the drug trafficking and money laundering organization that Macedo-Rios supplied, thereby eliminating a significant threat of violent crime in our community.”
“DEA strives every day to keep the American public safe from transnational criminal organizations,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This investigation demonstrates DEA’s commitment to destroying these drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.”
“For all the innocent residents who are trying to raise families in safe communities, the FBI wants you to know that we are here for you through arrests like this,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Macedo-Rios repeatedly disregarded the law to enrich himself. The FBI and our partners are firmly committed to ensuring that our communities are protected from the extreme violence and lawlessness displayed by individuals like him.”
“The conviction of Adan Macedo-Rios, an illegal alien from Mexico and prolific drug trafficker, highlights our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that threaten our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the hard work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we’ve turned his ‘stable’ of crime into a one-way ticket to accountability!”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, public record, and other information presented in court: Macedo-Rios, a large-scale drug trafficker, supplied other Atlanta-based drug distributors with at least 123 kilograms of cocaine destined for distribution throughout multiple states. In 2023, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents obtained federal court authorization to intercept communications over cellphones used by Macedo-Rios and others. These intercepts led to the seizure of multiple kilograms of cocaine and other narcotics, and drug proceeds, from drug transporters working for Macedo-Rios and his conspirators.
Macedo-Rios remitted drug payments to his narcotics suppliers in Mexico and used proceeds of his criminal activity to fraudulently purchase an eight-acre ranch with a 24-horse stable and farmhouse in Loganville, Georgia. With his conspirators, Macedo-Rios planned the robbery of another drug supplier who was storing 65 kilograms of cocaine in his residence. Macedo-Rios and his conspirators even conducted their own surveillance of the target, including by placing a tracker on the rival’s car, and plotted to use firearms to facilitate the robbery. But their plan was timely thwarted by DEA agents, who intercepted communications about the robbery.
When agents arrested Macedo-Rios at the horse ranch, they discovered a loaded Colt .38 pistol and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun in his bedroom, even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his unlawful presence in the United States and status as a convicted felon. Macedo-Rios, a Mexican citizen, has a history of multiple deportations from the United States.
Adan Macedo-Rios appeared before United States District Judge J. P. Boulee on May 28, 2025, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally present in the United States, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As to his drug trafficking conviction, Macedo-Rios faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a maximum $10,000,000 fine, and a minimum of five years of supervised release. For the Hobbs Act Robbery conviction, he faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. For the firearm conviction, Macedo-Rios faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The money laundering conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a $500,000 fine, and forfeiture of property involved in the offense.
In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2025, at 1 pm before Judge Boulee.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Georgia State Patrol and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys John T. DeGenova and Rebeca M. Ojeda are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national, residing in Lynn, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Douglas Mejia-Romero, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2025.
Mejia-Romero was previously deported on May 15, 2020. Sometime after this removal, Mejia-Romero unlawfully reentered the United States. Additionally, between 2008 and 2020, Mejia-Romero was removed from the United States on five separate occasions. After each removal, he unlawfully reentered the United States.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Honduran National Guilty of Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JHOSMY JOSUE PEREZ-ALVAREZ (“PEREZ-ALVAREZ”), age 32, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty on January 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, an armed robbery occurred on the evening of February 8, 2022, in the parking lot of a church located on the 400 block of N. Dorgenois Street in New Orleans. New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers responded and began canvassing the area for potential suspects. During their search, NOPD officers discovered PEREZ-ALVAREZ crouching in a patch of overgrown grass near the 2500 block of St. Louis Street. PEREZ-ALVAREZ was found in possession of a Kel-Tec Model PF-9, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
At sentencing, PEREZ-ALVAREZ faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 10, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Inspector General - Social Security Administration and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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).
Honduran Citizen Living Illegally in West Virginia Sentenced to Prison for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Nolvin Alfredo-Diaz, also known as “Alfredo Diaz” and “Nolvin Alfredo Diaz,” 43, a citizen of Honduras living illegally in Lewisburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years in prison for reentry of a removed alien. Alfredo-Diaz will be remanded to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings at the conclusion of his sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Alfredo-Diaz in Lewisburg. Alfredo-Diaz admitted that he was a citizen of Honduras in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States. Alfredo-Diaz had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States.
Fingerprints matched Alfredo-Diaz to two prior removals from the United States to Honduras, each following a felony criminal conviction. Alfredo-Diaz was convicted of felony heroin possession on September 25, 2006, and of felony cocaine possession on December 20, 2007, both in Denver County, Colorado, District Court. Alfredo-Diaz was removed from the United States to Honduras on December 27, 2006. On July 21, 2010, Alfredo-Diaz was found in Canon City, Colorado, and was removed from the United States to Honduras on August 5, 2010.
Alfredo-Diaz never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for either of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-146.
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Guilty Verdict in Trial of Recidivist Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Georgia resident with prior criminal convictions, including for domestic violence, was found guilty this week at trial of illegally possessing a firearm.
Devon Marquell Rambo, 28, is guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Rambo faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The trial began on May 27 and concluded on May 28. Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner is presiding over the case. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Convicted felons caught illegally possessing firearms will face federal prosecution in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “I want to thank the Albany Police Department and ATF for their ongoing collaboration to help us uphold the law.”
“When convicted felons repeatedly ignore the law and continue to carry guns, they leave us no choice but to bring the full force of federal prosecution,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, ATF Atlanta Field Division. “This verdict sends a clear message: We are watching, we are acting and we are not backing down.”
“We are grateful for the assistance that we have been receiving from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold offenders accountable,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley. “I hope this case serves as a warning that the illegal possession of weapons is not tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Albany Police Department (APD) officers responded to a report of shooting and disorderly conduct on Sept. 20, 2024, at around 10:30 a.m. at a residence on Avalon Avenue. Based on this, the officers obtained a search warrant and lawfully executed that search warrant on the residence. Officers found Rambo alone at the house. After Rambo was apprehended, officers commenced the search of the residence. Inside Rambo’s house, officers found he had covered his wife’s dog, furniture and several areas of the home with oil, which would make it difficult for officers to arrest him. During the search, they also found a black safe in one of the rooms, which contained a pistol and a semi-automatic rifle, two 9mm pistol magazines, one rifle magazine and ammunition along with Rambo’s social security card, credit card and Texas inmate identification card. Rambo has prior felony convictions in Texas for domestic violence and burglary. There was also an active arrest warrant out of Texas for aggravated assault at the time of this incident in Georgia. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Albany Police Department with assistance from the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. Attorneys Sara Lim and Matthew Redavid are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Guatemalan National Previously Convicted and Deported for Drug Trafficking Pleads Guilty to a Charge of Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Guatemalan national deported in 2015 after having been convicted for drug trafficking in Connecticut today pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to a charge of illegal re-entry, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
According to court records, Pedro Andony Alvarado Aguilar, 46, was convicted in federal court in Connecticut in November 2014 on charges of conspiracy to import 5,000 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to import 1,000 grams or more of heroin. He was deported on July 1, 2015.
On April 10, 2025, Immigration Officers learned through an automated biometric fingerprint match of fingerprints entered into the National Crime Information Center that the defendant was arrested in Rhode Island for driving on a suspended license and on an obstruction charge. Alvarado admitted to a federal judge today that he illegally reentered the United States.
Alvarado is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
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).
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Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Re-Entry After DeportationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally re-entering the United States after a prior removal.
According to court records, Marvin Aguilar-Lopez, 24, was pulled over by Old Orchard Beach police officers in March 2025 for a taillight violation. Aguilar-Lopez produced an invalid international license and told police he was from Guatemala. Immigration records showed that he had previously been removed from the U.S. in 2023 and did not have a visa or other documentation that would allow him to re-enter the country.
Aguilar-Lopez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to a year of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegally Reentering the United States Six Months After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Guatemalan national deported from the United States in November 2024, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island for allegedly illegally reentering the United States without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
According to court records, Rigoberto Cano Perez, 28, was convicted in Rhode Island state court in December 2023 on charges of simple assault and/or battery and disorderly conduct. He was removed from the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on November 20, 2024.
On May 12, 2025, Immigration Officers learned through an automated biometric fingerprint match of fingerprints entered into the National Crime Information Center that Perez was arrested in Rhode Island on May 11, 2025, for allegedly violating a domestic no contact order and on a domestic disorderly conduct charge. He is currently held at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute based upon the state charges.
Perez is scheduled to be arraigned on June 2, 2025. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor A. Dean and Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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).
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Grant County Man Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Wesley Shane Haggerty, 37, of Cabins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pendleton County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a disturbance involving a firearm. When officers arrived at the home, Haggerty was arrested after a short foot pursuit. Haggerty had a pistol and is prohibited from having firearms because of seven prior felony convictions and two misdemeanor domestic battery convictions.
Haggerty will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Pendleton County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Genesee County man pleads guilty to possession of machinegunsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Peter Celentano, 36, of Bergen, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to illegal possession of machineguns, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that on September 29, 2024, the New York State Police, Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, executed a search warrant at Celentano’s residence in Bergen. During the search, law enforcement recovered numerous items, including 3D printed pistol frames, firearm parts and accessories, ammunition reloading equipment, tools for constructing privately made firearms, a drill press, and two 3D printed machinegun conversion devices. Law enforcement also conducted additional searches at properties in Lyndonville and Medina, NY, during which they seized numerous AR-style lower receivers, 3D printed handguns, and additional firearm parts and accessories. In total, law enforcement seized over 200 firearms tied to Celentano.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Celentano provided another individual with nine lower receivers, two of which contained the “third pin hole,” qualifying them as machineguns. An individual known by defendant had subsequently discarded these firearms off the Beals Road Bridge into the Erie Canal. A New York State Police dive team searched the Erie Canal beneath the bridge in Medina, NY, and recovered a cardboard box containing 10 AR-style receivers, an unmarked handgun, ammunition magazines, and additional firearm parts.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Joseph M. Graff, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2025 before Judge Vilardo.
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Gainesville Man Sentenced to A Decade 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 Alberto Christian Quiroz (33, Gainesville) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Following the prison term, Quiroz will spend the rest of his life on court supervision. The court also ordered Quiroz to forfeit the cellular phone which he used to commit the offense. Quiroz entered a guilty plea on January 28, 2025.
According to court documents, Quiroz was an employee of a care agency that was contracted with the Florida Department of Children and Families to provide services for children. On July 26-27, 2024, Quiroz used an online messaging service to communicate with an undercover detective portraying a 14-year-old girl. Quiroz arranged to meet the undercover detective at an Ocala restaurant for sexual activity. Agents arrested Quiroz upon his arrival at that location.
“This predator’s attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity was a gross violation of the position of trust he held,” said Homeland Security Investigation Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding all offenders accountable, no matter what title they hold. Protecting our children is our highest priority and we will do everything in our power to ensure those who prey on them face swift and decisive justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fourteen Individuals, Including Ten Mexican Nationals, Charged with Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that a criminal complaint charging fourteen individuals was unsealed, and thirteen of the fourteen charged individuals have been arrested. Additionally, multiple search warrants were executed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Central District of California in coordination with the arrests. All the defendants are charged with narcotics trafficking, including fentanyl and cocaine, and two of the individuals, Osmar Venejas-Mejia and Hector Rodriguez-Villalobos, are charged with illegal reentry after removal from the United States.
The defendants charged in this law enforcement action are identified as follows:
Name Age Citizenship
FERNANDO PALMA-JIMENEZ 49 Mexico
DANIEL MORALEZ 37 USA
CARMELO HERNANDEZ-RAMIREZ 40 Mexico
LUIS QUINONEZ-HERNANDEZ 36 USA
REYNALDO SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ 48 Mexico
CARLOS PEREZ-SANTANA 32 Mexico
EQUIEL MARTINEZ 39 Mexico
GERARDO OSORIO-JARAMILLO 47 Mexico
JESUS MEDINA-RODRIGUEZ 47 Mexico
ERIK RODRIGUEZ 33 USA
ANDREA ROA 30 Mexico
HECTOR RODRIGUEZ-VILLALOBOS 35 Mexico
OSMAR VENEJAS-MEJIA 34 Mexico
JOSEPH MARINCIC 40 USAAccording to the criminal complaint, between approximately March 2023 and the present, the fourteen defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine, and that multiple defendants possessed with intent to distribute controlled substances, distributed controlled substances, and used communication facilities to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances. If convicted, the penalties for the narcotics trafficking offenses carry maximum penalties of forty years to life in prison depending on the specific offense and weight of controlled substances charged.
The complaint also alleges that Osmar Venejas-Mejia and Hector Rodriguez-Villalobos, both Mexican nationals, were previously removed from the United States and unlawfully reentered the United States. If convicted, the penalties for the illegal reentry offense carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The defendants were charged based on a long-running investigation by law enforcement officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), in partnership with the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gail Hoffman and Elizabeth Monfils. Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the arrests and execution of search warrants related to the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshal Service (USMS), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Allis Police Department, the Brookfield Police Department, the Waukesha Police Department, the South Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department, Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, and Wisconsin State Patrol.
This case was charged as 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 public is cautioned that an indictment or criminal complaint is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer
Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov
414-297-1700
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Fort Pierce Jury convicts a Louisiana Registered Sex Offender of Various Internet Sex Crimes Involving a Martin County MinorRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On May 20, a federal jury sitting in Fort Pierce, Florida convicted Nicolas James Palmisano, 45, of Destrehan, Louisiana, for attempted enticement of a minor, attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and offense by a registered sex offender.
According to court records and evidence introduced during trial, in 2019, Palmisano was convicted in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana for sexual offenses involving a juvenile. Upon the completion of his four-year prison sentence, Palmisano registered as a sex offender with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office in the town in which he resided.
In May 2024, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) learned that a minor had images of sexually explicit activity on her cellular phone. An MCSO computer forensic examiner recovered messages, images, and recordings from the minor’s cellular phone that were sent from Palmisano’s cellular number. Despite acknowledging that the minor was 15 years old, Palmisano wrote thousands of sexually explicit messages and sent multiple sexually explicit images, as well as audio and video recordings, of himself between February 22 and May 6, 2024. Palmisano also solicited, and obtained, sexually explicit images from the minor.
In August 2024, members of the FBI and MCSO arrested Palmisano at the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, after he arrived for his annual Sexual Offender Registration review and update. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Palmisano’s residence and recovered his cellular phone, which was found to contain the sexually explicit material that Palmisano and the minor exchanged.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 25, before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez. Palmisano faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years up to life in prison, and up to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami, and Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek made the announcement.
FBI Fort Pierce investigated the case, with assistance from MCSO, FBI New Orleans, and St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Fort Pierce Branch Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Kahn Obenauf are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Anyone with information relating to child sexual exploitation or abuse is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-14044.
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Former NYPD Officer and Accident Victim Call Center Owner Both Plead Guilty to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Michael Alfonso, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that SUZETTE TRIMMINGHAM, a former New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) traffic safety officer, and MERVIN RHYMES, the owner and operator of an accident victim call center, both pled guilty to participating in a bribery scheme. Specifically, TRIMMINGHAM and RHYMES admitted to participating in a scheme in which TRIMMINGHAM provided information of automobile accident victims contained in a non-public NYPD database to RHYMES in exchange for bribes of money and other things of value. TRIMMINGHAM pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl, and RHYMES pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
“Suzette Trimmingham abused her position as an NYPD traffic safety officer and, in exchange for bribes, sent Mervin Rhymes information about automobile accident victims so that Rhymes’s call center could profit by referring those victims to lawyers and doctors,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Trimmingham and Rhymes made hundreds of thousands of dollars from their scheme. Their pleas highlight this Office’s commitment to pursuing those, including members of law enforcement, who seek to profit by abusing their positions of public trust.”
HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso said: “Suzette Trimmingham exploited her position of public trust and in turn profited handsomely, alongside her domestic partner Mervin Rhymes, by targeting victims of recent vehicle accidents. Whether at work, off-duty and even on vacation, she took steps to access individuals’ personal details from non-public government databases, and then shared with Rhymes that private, sensitive information so they could further enrich their lifestyle. HSI New York, alongside the FBI and the NYPD, will always place the public’s wellbeing above all else, and will relentlessly pursue bad actors willing to shamelessly betray their sworn duties for their own selfish gains.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Suzette Trimmingham, a former NYPD traffic safety officer, abused her position by providing Mervin Rhymes with non-public personal details of automobile accident victims. The defendants prioritized personal greed over safeguarding sensitive victim data. The FBI will never permit any individual, especially a public servant, to share confidential information in exchange for financial incentives.”
According to the allegations contained in the Informations, court records, and statements made in Court:
From at least in or about January 2020 through at least in or about June 2024, while at work as an NYPD traffic safety officer, TRIMMINGHAM reviewed police accident reports (“PARs”), which contained the personally identifiable information of automobile accident victims, for NYPD precincts that were not part of her law enforcement duties. At times, TRIMMINGHAM also reviewed PARs while she was off duty and while on vacation. TRIMMINGHAM then provided the personally identifiable information of accident victims to RHYMES. For example, in or about April 2024, while at work, TRIMMINGHAM reviewed PARs and copied and pasted into a Word document the names and phone numbers of automobile accident victims mentioned in the PARs. That same month, TRIMMINGHAM sent RHYMES dozens of images of documents, each containing dozens of names and phone numbers of automobile accident victims.
RHYMES paid bribes to TRIMMINGHAM in exchange for her providing the personally identifiable information of automobile accident victims to him. For example, on or about January 18, 2021, TRIMMINGHAM told RHYMES, in sum and substance, that she had sent him PARs and that RHYMES was supposed to pay TRIMMINGHAM for the PARs. In response, RHYMES told TRIMMINGHAM that he had paid TRIMMINGHAM for the PARs a few days earlier. TRIMMINGHAM and RHYMES made at least $900,000 from the scheme.
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TRIMMINGHAM, 54, and RHYMES, 61, both of Queens, New York, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. TRIMMINGHAM is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Koeltl on October 8, 2025, at 4:30 p.m., and RHYMES is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Abrams on October 8, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judges.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Mr. Clayton also thanked the NYPD for its assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Connie L. Dang and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution.
u.s._v._trimmingham_information.pdf u.s._v._rhymes_information.pdfFormer MBTA Transit Police Officer Convicted of Aiding and Abetting the Filing of False Report Related to Assault at MBTA StationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Sergeant with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Transit Police Department (Transit Police) was found guilty today by a federal jury in Boston following an eight day trial, of aiding and abetting the filing of a false arrest report regarding another Transit Police Officer’s assault on a man at the Ashmont MBTA Station.
David S. Finnerty, 49, of Rutland, was convicted on one count of aiding and abetting the filing of a false report. In August 2023, Finnerty was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Finnerty was the Transit Police Officer in Charge and the supervisor of Transit Police Officer Dorston Bartlett. At 1:47 a.m. on July 27, 2018, at the Ashmont MBTA station, Bartlett, while acting in his role as an officer, physically assaulted a man without legal justification. Finnerty helped Bartlett draft a false arrest report regarding the incident, with the intent to impede any federal investigation of Bartlett’s unconstitutional use of force.
The charge of false reports provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Julien M. Mundele are prosecuting the case.
Former Cruise Line Employee Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on May 21, 2025, ABDUL ROUVOOF SHAIK (“SHAIK”), age 30, a Republic of India national, was sentenced for Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).
According to court documents, SHAIK was previously employed by Carnival Cruise Lines and was arrested in July 2024 after special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, found SHAIK in possession of child pornography at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans.
United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced SHAIK to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment, 5 years of probation and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Former Alabama Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation and Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A former Killen, Alabama, Police Department (KPD) officer has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a woman while on duty and for receiving sexually explicit photos of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
United States District Judge Liles Burke sentenced Jarrod Gailen Webster, 27, to 15 years in prison for his crimes. According to documents filed in connection with this case, on November 12, 2023, Webster violated the civil rights of a woman after initiating a traffic stop on the woman’s vehicle. Webster asked the woman to step out of her vehicle and asked her what she wanted to do to “get out of this.” When the woman told Webster that she was not going to do anything for him, Webster handcuffed the woman and sexually assaulted her.
Further, between June 2016 and October 2018, Webster communicated with a minor by phone, and he asked the minor to produce and send him sexually explicit images. The minor victim sent multiple photos to Webster at his request, at least one of which constituted child sexual abuse material.
Webster previously pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of sexual exploitation of children on March 4, 2025.
“Jarrod Webster forcibly assaulted a woman after a traffic stop, and exploited a minor to receive sexually explicit images,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This was a gross abuse of his authority as a police officer and a betrayal of the public trust. I am proud of our DOJ Civil Rights team for holding him accountable.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated,” said Prim F. Escalona, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. “I commend the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that Webster was held accountable for his actions.”
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with significant responsibility and are therefore held to a higher standard,” said Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “Today’s sentencing clearly demonstrates there are serious consequences when someone tarnishes the badge by breaking the law. Jerrod Webster brought shame to the badge by committing the horrific crimes of sexually assaulting a woman in his care and receiving sexually explicit images of a minor. His sentencing confirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they are sworn to protect.”
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Five Charged with Falsifying MBTA Track Inspection RecordsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“MBTA”) employees and one current MBTA employee were charged today with allegedly falsifying Red Line track inspection reports.
Brian Pfaffinger, 47, of Marshfield; Ronald Gamble, 62, of Dorchester; Jensen Vatel, 42, of Brockton; Nathalie Mendes, 53, of New Bedford; and Andy Vicente, 36, of Bridgewater have been indicted for falsification of records, aiding and abetting; and false statements, aiding and abetting. Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.
According to the charging documents, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were former MBTA track inspectors. Rather than complete inspections, during the period between Sept. 3, 2024, to Oct. 15, 2024, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente allegedly falsified track inspection reports, which stated that they completed track inspections for Red Line tracks when they did not perform the inspections. Instead, it is alleged that at the time of the inspections, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were inside Cabot Yard, an MBTA location that contained a coffee and breakroom for Red Line inspection employees. Cabot Yard also contained a large garage (“Cabot Garage”) where Gamble, Vatel and Vicente allegedly worked on private vehicles during work hours.
On Sept. 19, 2024, during the time that Vicente allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vicente (circled in red below) sitting inside of Cabot Garage holding his cellular phone.
On Sept. 23, 2024, during the time that Mendes allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Mendes (circled in red below) sitting inside her vehicle. Mendes allegedly did not leave her vehicle until well after her inspection ended.
On Sept. 24, 2024, during the time that Vatel allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vatel (circled in red below) chatting with other MBTA employees in the parking lot outside of Cabot Garage.
On Oct. 8, 2024, during the time that Gamble allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Gamble (circled in red below) performing detail work on a private vehicle inside of Cabot Garage.Pfaffinger, the former supervisor for Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente, allegedly not only knew that his subordinates worked on private vehicles during work hours, but had his subordinates work on his own vehicle.
On Oct. 14, 2024, Gamble created an inspection report alleging he conducted an inspection; however, according to surveillance video, Gamble was inside of Cabot Garage with Pfaffinger. Despite knowing that the inspection report was false, and that Gamble was at Cabot Garage on Oct. 14, 2024, the following day, Pfaffinger allegedly created supporting documentation for Gamble’s Oct. 14, 2024, inspection, which he knew to be false.
The charges of falsification of records and aiding and abetting the falsification of records provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false statements and aiding and abetting false statements provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Elise Chawaga, Principal Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of the Public Corruption Unit is prosecuting the case.
Federal Inmate and Visitor Sentenced in Scheme to Introduce Contraband into Prison FacilityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced a federal inmate, Jessie Wooden (36, Miami), to 10 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. A co-defendant, Janai Chanel Stephens (38, Opa Locka), also was sentenced to 18 months’ probation for her role in introducing contraband into a federal prison and making false statements to a federal agent. A federal grand jury indicted Wooden and Stephens on May 28, 2024. Both defendants entered guilty pleas to the charges in January 2025.
According to the court records, on March 10, 2024, Wooden was an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County, Florida. On that date, Stephens visited Wooden at the prison. She entered FCC Coleman with a bag containing contraband 78 grams of methamphetamine and tobacco cigarettes that she intended to give to Wooden. Federal inmates are prohibited from possessing such items because they threaten the order, discipline, and security of the prison.
Prior to the visitation, Stephens falsely represented to a corrections officer on a written form that she did not have any contraband in her possession. When she subsequently met with Wooden in a visitation room, however, she threw him the bag containing the contraband. After being confronted by law enforcement, Stephens confessed to bringing in the contraband for Wooden, though she claimed only to know about the tobacco products. Wooden admitted that he had planned to distribute the methamphetamine and other items to inmates inside FCC Coleman.
“Individuals who smuggle contraband into federal prisons put lives at risk,” said Eric Fehlman, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Southeast Region. “The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep federal prisons safe and hold those who would exploit our correctional system for personal gain accountable.”
This case was prosecuted as part of a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) task force aimed at rooting out contraband and misconduct in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The task force was led by the BOP and the DOJ - Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Drug Traffickers Sentenced for Violent Kidnapping of RivalRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Mario Espino (25, Holiday), Jacob James Guest (24, Holiday), and Joey Lawrence Eugene Young (25, Pensacola) to 22 years and 6 months, 20 years, and 25 years in federal prison, respectively, for drug trafficking, kidnapping, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. Each previously pleaded guilty to the offenses.
According to court documents, Espino plotted with Guest and Young to kidnap a drug trafficker with whom Espino formerly worked. Espino lured the victim to Florida by promising to pay an outstanding drug debt. When the victim arrived at Espino’s residence, Espino, Guest, and Young bound, beat, and tortured him over the course of 18 hours. During that time, Espino, Guest, and Young demanded 10 kilograms of fentanyl as ransom from the trafficker’s cartel drug sources.
On October 11, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office rescued the victim from a vehicle that Espino, Guest, and Young abandoned when law enforcement approached. Agents found the victim in the back seat with a pillowcase over his head and zip ties and electrical cords around his wrists. In addition to their victim, Espino, Guest, and Young left behind 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, 100 grams of fentanyl, a firearm, and more than $10,000 in cash.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Denver Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Post Office Burglary, Other CrimesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Zachary Robert Rodrick Jones, 36, of Denver, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison following a guilty plea to Burglary of a United States Post Office; Possession of Stolen Mail; and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
According to the plea agreement, Jones participated in the burglary of the Dacono Post Office on or about April 6, 2022. The door of the Post Office was pried open, and a computer terminal, laptop, scanner, two printers, one postal service jacket, nine keys, two genuine postal service keys, seven employee personnel files, and one binder containing postal applications were stolen.
The plea agreement also states that on May 1, 2022, Jones was contacted by United States Postal Inspection Service inspectors and was found to be in possession of a genuine postal service key, personnel files, post office box applications, and other postal service forms from the Dacono Post Office, in addition to possessing other postal property. He was also in possession of stolen personal and business mail. Additionally, he had a Smith & Wesson handgun that, as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from having.
“The public entrusts the U.S. Postal Service with the safe handling of valuable and important mail,” said Acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “Criminals who undermine that trust will be prosecuted.”
“Protecting the integrity of the U.S. mail and ensuring the safety and security of the U.S. Postal Service, its employees, and its customers is core to the mission of the United State Postal Inspection Service,” said Denver Division Acting Inspector in Charge Steve Hodges. “This sentencing serves as a reminder that postal inspectors work tirelessly day in and day out to bring to justice those who seek to do harm to the U.S. Postal Service.”
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing. The United States Postal Inspection Service handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Albert Buchman handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 25-cr-00108-CNS
Defendant in High-End Brothel Network Sentenced to over Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Torrance, Calif. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his involvement in operating sophisticated high-end brothels in the greater Boston area and eastern Virginia. Defendant was also sentenced for his involvement in fraudulently obtaining over $580,000 in COVID-19 relief funds.
James Lee, 70, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also ordered restitution in the amount of $569,123 in connection with the fraudulently obtained COVID-19 funds and a money judgment of $63,000 related to the proceeds earned by the defendant as a result of the prostitution conspiracy. In February 2025, James Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; one count of money laundering conspiracy; and one count of wire fraud. James Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass. and Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, Mass. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.
From at least January 2022 through November 2023, James Lee knowingly conspired with Han Lee and Junmyung Lee to operate an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia. James Lee and his co-conspirators knowingly conspired with one another, and others, to launder the proceeds of the prostitution network by concealing that the money was derived from the prostitution conspiracy.
James Lee rented several high-end apartments in Boston and Eastern Virginia that were used as brothel locations and was the sole and legal tenant of at least six locations. In addition to using his own name to lease the apartments, James Lee would use fraudulent identities and, at times, stolen identities. James Lee was regularly compensated by his co-conspirators for both leasing apartments and for his travel to and from the brothel locations. Han Lee paid James Lee approximately $1,000 per month per active lease as a commission. He also served as a liaison between the females working in the units and the property managers by fielding calls and coordinating any issues that arose relating to maintenance and inspections.
James Lee and his co-conspirators concealed the proceeds of the prostitution network by depositing hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into their personal bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations.
Beginning in around March 2020 and continuing through at least September 2021, James Lee submitted fraudulent information in an effort to obtain loans through the CARES Act and the Small Business Administration’s programs like the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). James Lee used personal identifying information of a third-party to submit false loan applications and open bank accounts used to accept COVID-19 relief funds. In addition, James Lee fraudulently applied for PPP Loans and EIDL funds using the names of businesses that did not exist or served as shell companies in furtherance of the scheme. In support of the loan applications, James Lee submitted fraudulent tax documents in the name of the third party and a fraudulent lease between himself and his fraudulent identity. As a result of the scheme, James Lee fraudulently obtained at least $580,000 in EIDL funds and PPP loans.
In March 2025, Han Lee was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Han Lee was also ordered pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,418,572 and restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In April 2025, Junmyung Lee, 32, was sentenced to one year in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The Court also ordered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $200,000, equal to the amount of proceeds earned by the defendant during the conspiracy.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit prosecuted the case.
Dallas man sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for violent drug trafficking conducted in BuZen Suites HotelRead the Press Release
Kenneth Ray Peters, 44, of Dallas, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison today for his role in a violent drug trafficking conspiracy operated from a hotel in Dallas, Texas, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Peters and multiple codefendants utilized rooms at the BuZen Suites Hotel located at 2030 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas to distribute quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and other drugs. In January 2025, Peters pled guilty to his role in the conspiracy, and today, he was sentenced to 216 months’ imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn.
The drug conspiracy continued throughout 2022 and into March 2023. Court records revealed that Peters and other coconspirators—utilizing a serving station inside multiple hotel rooms that held quantities of various drugs, drug paraphernalia and digital scales—distributed the drugs to customers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
According to court documents, a security camera was installed in the corner of the rooms that recorded the events each day. Other coconspirators inside the rooms were paid to fill capsules with powdered fentanyl and cut and prepare other drugs for distribution. Photographs introduced during court hearings captured cash, drugs, and other drug trade tools, as depicted below:
Peters admitted in court documents that violent acts committed by members of the conspiracy were common at the hotel, including multiple beatings, the pistol whipping of a customer, and the use of a lighter to burn the foot of a female customer that had passed out on the hotel room floor after ingesting drugs she had purchased in the room.
Court records show that on April 19, 2023, law enforcement agents executed multiple search warrants at the hotel. Agents recovered distribution quantities of methamphetamine, powder and crack cocaine, heroin, powdered fentanyl, and counterfeit M30 pills that contain fentanyl, morphine, hydrocodone, Alprazolam and multiple kilograms of marijuana. Officers also recovered multiple handguns, one AK-47 rifle, one AR-15 rifle, body armor, multiple digital scales, syringes, and other items consistent with drug distribution.
Other codefendants charged in Peters’ indictment have already been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Lynn. In December 2024, codefendant Derrick Alan Richardson was sentenced to 54 months in prison. In January 2025, codefendant Antoine Marquin Thompson-Stevens was sentenced to 108 months in prison. In March 2025, codefendants Keenan Bernard Allen a.k.a. “King” and Glenn Malcolm Blair a.k.a. “Slim” were sentenced to 240 months in prison. On May 8, 2025, Allen’s younger brother, Corey Lanard Allen, Jr., was sentenced to 192 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Dallas Police Department – Narcotics Unit.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Ammunition Offense in Connection with Everett ShootingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Revere man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing ammunition in connection with a shooting in a residential neighborhood of Everett.
Kenneth Munoz, 27, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 70 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2024, Munoz pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
On the afternoon of Jan. 2, 2022, three individuals fired over 20 shots in an Everett neighborhood, during which multiple houses were struck by stray bullets. Munoz was identified as one of the shooters. Due to prior convictions, including a 2017 state conviction for assault and battery on a family member and malicious destruction of property, Munoz is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Everett Police Chief Paul Strong; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith E. Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Federal Prison for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Luis Ernesto Sanchez (20, Apopka) to two years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Sanchez pleaded guilty on February 26, 2025.
According to the court records, Sanchez was previously convicted of three state felony offenses—principal to burglary of a conveyance while armed, principal to grand theft of a firearm, and grand theft of a motor vehicle. He was released from state prison on August 12, 2023, and began a period of probation. A few months later, on December 27, 2023, while Sanchez was still on probation, a deputy from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle Sanchez was driving. Sanchez exited the vehicle with his hands up and told the deputy that he had a firearm in his waistband. A subsequent search revealed a fully loaded pistol on Sanchez’s person, along with a ski mask and burglary tools located inside the vehicle. As a convicted felon, Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. Sanchez was separately sentenced to 14 years in prison for violating his state probation. This federal sentence will run consecutively to that term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 29 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Court Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Brendan Wells (29, Tampa) to 29 years and 5 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Wells pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2023, law enforcement searched a storage unit that Wells, along with his co-conspirator, Emmanuel Dourthe, used to store narcotics they were selling and intending to sell. Inside the storage unit, law enforcement located 408 grams of methamphetamine, 399.7 grams of fentanyl, and 27.7 grams of cocaine. In addition, numerous bottles and baggies with various powders suspected to be cutting agents, as well as mixing tools, were found. Law enforcement also located a Smith & Wesson M&P semiautomatic rifle along with numerous gun cases, magazines, and ammunition. Earlier that day, law enforcement had recovered a backpack belonging to Wells, a search of which revealed what the DEA laboratory would later confirm to be 143.98 grams of methamphetamine.
Both Wells and Dourthe are previously convicted felons and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Dourthe pled guilty to the same charges and was previously sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Convicted Felon Facing up to Life in Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of a six-count indictment charging Darius Reshodd Alexander (29, Eustis) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. He faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, up to 5 years in prison on the controlled substances offenses, and a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to life, for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, which must be served consecutively to one another and to any other prison term imposed in the case.
According to the indictment, Alexander has five previous felony convictions. On December 3, 2023, and on October 16, 2024, he was in possession of marijuana and firearms, which he carried during and in relation to the marijuana-trafficking crimes. At the time of the December 2023 offenses, Alexander had three prior felony convictions. At the time of the October 2024 offenses, however, he had five felony convictions—two of which he had just received the month prior. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Daytona Beach Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.
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).
Convicted Felon Admits to Illegally Possessing of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Warwick man previously convicted and sentenced on firearm, drug trafficking, domestic violence, and assault charges today pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Court documents reflect that on February 6, 2022, a Warwick Police Officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Miguel E. Pavao, 52. Based on Pavao’s nervous conduct and an admission to the officer that he was in possession of marijuana, some of which the officer observed on the floor of the vehicle, Pavao was ordered to exit the vehicle. During a pat-down by an officer, a fully loaded .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun was discovered in the waistband of Pavao’s pants.
According to information presented to the court, Pavao was prohibited from possessing a firearm, having previously been convicted in Rhode Island state court multiple times on domestic violence charges, drug trafficking charges, and for assault with a dangerous weapon, and in federal court on drug trafficking and firearm charges.
Pavao is scheduled to be sentenced on September 3, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Warwick Police Department, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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Choctaw County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jimmy Dale Kelley, aka Jimmy Dale Kelly, aka Jimmy Dale Robinson, age 37, of Grant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00.
The Superseding Indictment alleged that on August 9, 2024, Kelley knowingly possessed a revolver and five rounds of spent ammunition after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.
Kelley was allowed to remain on current bond with conditions of release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Career Offender Is Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. –Ronald Lee Peak, 45, of Hendersonville, N.C., was sentenced today to 188 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court records and court proceedings, law enforcement learned that Peak was distributing firearms and methamphetamine in and around Asheville and Hendersonville. Investigators used a confidential informant (CI) to purchase firearms and methamphetamine from Peak at least two times between July and August 2022. The first time Peak sold the CI a 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number in Hendersonville, and later, sold 36.82 grams of methamphetamine in Asheville. The second time Peak sold the CI 27.175 grams of methamphetamine and a .32 caliber pistol.
Peak pleaded guilty on August 16, 2024, to distribution of methamphetamine. Court records indicate Peak has prior state convictions and as a result he qualified for an increased sentence as a career offender. Peak will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons after he completes his state prison sentence.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Buncombe Country Sheriff’s Office, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.
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).
Burlington Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to public court documents, Larry Leroy Knotts, Jr., 61, sold approximately 125 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential source between November and December 2023. At the time of the controlled purchases, Knotts was on federal supervised release for a conviction from the Central District of Illinois for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Knotts will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force (SEINT) and the Burlington Police Department.
Buffalo man charged with possession of a machinegunRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Luis Mercado a/k/a Yvng Fabii, 24, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm with a removed, altered and obliterated serial number. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti, Louis M. Testani, and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who are handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on February 9, 2024, Buffalo State University police officers responded to an altercation during a men’s basketball game. While officers were trying to identify the parties involved, Mercado began to run away. When confronted by law enforcement, he stopped running, raised his arms, and stated, “I got the thing on me.” When questioned as to what he had, Mercado stated, “I got the joint on me.” During a pat down on Mercado, officers found a loaded pistol with a suspected machine gun conversion device and extended magazine. Law enforcement later learned that the firearm had a defaced serial number.
Mercado made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Buffalo man arrested on meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Demetrius Parker, 43, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 28, 2025, investigators executed search warrants at two residences, one in the City of Buffalo, and one in the Town of Cheektowaga, as well as on Parker’s vehicle. During the searches, they recovered 124 grams of suspected cocaine, 86 grams of methamphetamine, 50 grams of suspected fentanyl, $1,762.00 in cash, a loaded magazine, a Digital Video Recording (DVR) system, drug paraphernalia, a gold necklace with diamonds, and three cellular phones.
Parker made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Buffalo and Jamestown man going to prison for selling cocaineRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Nicholas Gaskin, 37, of Buffalo and Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced to serve 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that in March 2022, Jamestown Police officers stopped a vehicle in which Gaskin was a passenger. Gaskin was arrested because of an active arrest warrant. Officers searched Gaskin and recovered approximately 12 grams of crack cocaine and $1,766.00 in cash. Following Gaskin’s arrest, investigators searched his Jamestown residence and recovered a semi-automatic pistol, ammunition $158 in cash, a quantity of suboxone pills and strips, six grams of suspected and drug paraphernalia. The investigation also included four controlled purchases of cocaine from Gaskin.
The sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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Browning man found guilty of attempted strangulation and assault charges on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who assaulted a woman on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was found guilty today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, a federal jury found William Alvin Potts, 62, guilty of attempted strangulation and assault by striking, beating, or wounding. Potts faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for October 8, 2025. Potts will remain released on conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on June 28, 2024, Potts physically assaulted Jane Doe. That morning a verbal argument escalated to name-calling. Potts then threw a chair to the side and grabbed Jane Doe by the neck. He pushed her backward while applying pressure to her throat and neck. Eventually he pushed her into the corner of the entry wall to the living room. Potts pushed her backward for approximately ten feet, at which point, their legs tangled, and Doe fell to the ground. Potts landed on top of Jane Doe and proceeded to physically strike her with his fists. A witness stopped the assault and physically pulled Potts off Jane Doe. Jane Doe experienced significant pain after the assault and sought treatment at the Browning Community Hospital. Doe suffered a spinal fracture and continues to experience pain.
Potts was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to pushing Doe. He said he pushed her to make her go down the hall and they then both fell. He denied striking her.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Bronx Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Filing Tens of Thousands of False Tax Returns Causing $145 Million in Fraudulent Tax LossRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RAFAEL ALVAREZ, a/k/a “the Magician,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken to four years in prison in connection with his orchestration of a decade-long, $145 million tax fraud scheme. As part of the scheme, ALVAREZ oversaw the filing of tens of thousands of federal individual income tax returns that included false information designed to fraudulently reduce his clients’ tax burden. ALVAREZ previously pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and steal government funds and aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false and fraudulent U.S. individual income tax return before Judge Oetken on December 17, 2024.
“Rafael Alvarez was touted as ‘the Magician’ when, in reality, he was an elaborate fraudster, depriving the IRS of $145 million in tax revenue and penalizing many honest taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “All Americans bear the burden of tax fraud and want scamsters of this type brought to justice.”
As alleged in the Indictment and Superseding Information and statements made in public filings and court proceedings:
From at least in or about 2010, up to and including in or about 2020, ALVAREZ was the CEO, owner, and manager of ATAX New York, LLC, also doing business as ATAX New York-Marble Hill, ATAX Marble Hill, ATAX Marble Hill NY, and ATAX Corporation (together, “ATAX”). ATAX was a high-volume tax preparation company located in the Bronx, New York, which prepared approximately 90,000 federal income tax returns for its customers during this period. ALVAREZ both prepared tax returns for ATAX customers and recruited, supervised, and directed other ATAX personnel who in turn prepared tax returns for customers. During this period, ALVAREZ oversaw a sweeping fraudulent scheme, whereby he and his employees submitted false information to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in ATAX customers’ tax returns. This false information, which included, among other things, bogus itemized tax deductions, made-up capital losses, phony business expenses, and fraudulent tax credits, served to fraudulently reduce the customers’ tax liability and increase the customers’ tax refunds from the IRS.
In order to further his scheme and limit scrutiny, ALVAREZ specifically recruited to ATAX and personally trained as tax preparers impressionable, easily intimidated workers. When certain ATAX employees questioned ALVAREZ about his fraudulent preparation of returns, ALVAREZ intimidated and threatened these employees to dissuade them from reporting his fraud scheme to authorities.
In total, ALVAREZ oversaw ATAX’s fraudulent submission of tax returns on behalf of customers that deprived the IRS of $145 million in tax revenue. ALVAREZ was so consistent at falsifying ATAX customer tax returns that he became known to ATAX’s customers as “the Magician.” Additionally, ALVAREZ was a leader of the scheme and attempted to obstruct or impede the administration of justice with respect to the investigation of the tax fraud scheme when he and an ATAX employee made false statements to an IRS Revenue Agent. ALVAREZ’s operation of ATAX helped the company generate approximately $12 million in fraudulent proceeds over the duration of the fraud.
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In addition to the prison term, ALVAREZ, 61, of Cortland Manor, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. ALVAREZ was also ordered to pay the IRS $145 million in restitution and forfeit over $11.84 million in fraudulent proceeds.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David R. Felton is in charge of the prosecution.
Brazilian National Sentenced to over One Year in Prison for PerjuryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national residing in Malden, Mass. was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for lying on his asylum application and at an immigration hearing. Upon applying for a U.S. Visa, the defendant never disclosed his arrest in a case involving the murders of 11 people, mostly teenagers, in Brazil in retaliation for the death of a police officer, an incident known as The Slaughter of Curió.
Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 16 months in prison. De Abreu is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2025, De Abreu pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury. In May 2024, De Abreu was indicted by a federal grand jury.
In April 2014, De Abreu joined the Ceara State Military Police – Brazilian state forces who, under the governor, do first line policing on the street. In the early morning hours of Nov. 12, 2015, numerous Brazilian military police officers employed by the government of the Brazilian state of Ceará, including De Abreu, participated in a mass killing event of primarily young people from the impoverished neighborhoods of Barroso, Messejana, Guajeru, Curió and Lagoa Redonda in the capital of Ceará.
The killings were in retaliation for the death of another police officer who was attempting to defend his wife who was being assaulted. In total, 11 people, mostly teenagers, were murdered and many others seriously injured and tortured. This incident has come to be known as A Chacina do Curió or The Slaughter of Curió or The Curió Massacre. A total of 45 individuals, including De Abreu, were charged by the Brazilian authorities and, on Aug. 31, 2016, De Abreu was arrested and detained by the Brazilian police. He was subsequently released pending trial on May 24, 2017.
Two weeks later, on June 9, 2017, while in Recife, Brazil, De Abreu applied for a United States non-immigrant B2 visitor visa. When asked whether he had ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, De Abreu responded “no.” Thereafter, on or about June 21, 2017, the United States Department of State approved De Abreu’s Visa Application and issued him the B2 Visa based upon his false representations. De Abreu used the B2 Visa and travelled to Miami on May 30, 2018.
Between May 30, 2018 through Aug. 14, 2023, as a result of the approval of his Visa Application, De Abreu obtained various state driver’s licenses, a social security card, travel documents and authorizations for employment.
De Abreu applied for asylum on Jan. 29, 2020, and lied when asked whether he had ever been accused, charged, arrested, detained, interrogated and imprisoned in any country other than the United States. He also failed to disclose his arrest and detention in Brazil when he applied for adjustment of status with United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.
On June 25, 2023, De Abreu was convicted of 11 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and four counts of physical and mental torture in the First Court of Fortaleza, Ceará. That same day, De Abreu was sentenced to 275 years and 11 months in prison and an arrest warrant issued.On Feb. 9, 2024, De Abreu testified under oath at an immigration hearing conducted by U.S. Immigration Court, falsely claiming that he had never lied to immigration officials and that the only reason he had left off important information on immigration documents filed with the United States government was because he had not yet been arrested.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Mathew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director of the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to child exploitation offenses.
Kyle Joyner, 40 pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2025. Joyner was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 6, 2024.
On various dates between Jan. 3, 2023, through Sept. 17, 2023, Joyner sexually exploited a minor victim known to him by producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Additionally, two cell phones seized from Joyner in October 2023 were found to contain over 700 CSAM images that included prepubescent females.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, 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, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Boston Man Indicted for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Cess Frazier, 32, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Frazier was arrested and charged by complaint on April 29, 2025. The defendant was subsequently released on conditions following a detention hearing and will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, on or about Feb. 20, 2025 through April 29, 2025, Frazier knowingly received and possessed files that depicted CSAM from unknown users on Telegram. It is alleged that the CSAM files depicted the sexual abuse of minor victims who appeared to be between approximately three and 10 years old.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and 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 and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Bluefield Woman Sentenced to Prison for Witness Tampering Conspiracy in Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Laurel Blankenship, 58, of Bluefield, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
On January 18, 2024, a federal jury found Blankenship and her husband, Terry Leon Blankenship, guilty of conspiracy to commit witness tampering following a one-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that from on or about April 4, 2023 through at least July 25, 2023, the Blankenships conspired to influence the testimony of a witness in a federal sex trafficking case against Terry Leon Blankenship.
The witness was a 12-year-old girl who alleged that Terry Leon Blankenship had paid her for sexual activity with vapes and other items. Based upon those allegations, Terry Leon Blankenship was indicted on a charge of sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 14. Later, the minor victim recanted the allegation during the course of a West Virginia Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation that could have resulted in her being placed into foster care. In multiple recorded audio and video jail calls while Terry Leon Blankenship was incarcerated pending trial in the sex trafficking case, he and his wife had numerous conversations about ensuring that the minor witness maintained the recantation she had allegedly made to CPS. The recorded conversations included discussions about bribing the minor witness with an iPhone to ensure she stood by her recantation.
At the time of this offense conduct, Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 5, 2008. He was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison in that case, and was serving a lifetime term of supervised release at the time of the alleged sex trafficking offense and subsequent attempts at witness tampering.
Following an evidentiary hearing, the Court concluded that Terry Leon Blankenship engaged in sex acts with the minor female, that her initial disclosure of his sexual abuse was credible, and that the later recantation was not.
“Despite knowing that her husband was on federal supervised release and not permitted to be around children, Laurel Blankenship allowed children into their home including overnight,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “She fostered the environment that allowed her husband to sexually abuse the child.”
The jury also convicted Terry Leon Blankenship, 56, of interfering with the enforcement of federal sex trafficking laws and attempted witness tampering. He was sentenced on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He is scheduled for a revocation hearing on his alleged violations of supervised release on June 10, 2025.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-97.
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Bloods Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Possessing MachinegunRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bloods gang member from Lynn, Mass. pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to possessing a loaded machinegun that was recovered from his backpack in January 2025 during a motor vehicle stop.
Delvyn Liriano, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2025. Liriano was indicted on March 5, 2025.
According to court records, Liriano is a known member of the Bloods gang. In late December 2024, Liriano traveled into rival gang territory in order to confront rival gang members with a firearm. At the time, Liriano was on state probation for a 2023 felony firearm conviction in Lynn, where he pointed a firearm in the face of a former girlfriend and threatened to kill her, based upon his belief that she had associated with a rival gang member.
On Jan. 3, 2025, Liriano was observed entering a motor vehicle at his residence in Everett carrying a black backpack. Following a motor vehicle stop for a revoked registration due to lack of insurance, the black backpack carried by Liriano was found to contain a loaded Glock Model 27 firearm with a selector switch (also known as a machinegun conversion device) attached. Liriano was then placed under arrest. Based upon the presence of the selector switch, the firearm was capable of firing fully automatic and was therefore a machinegun. A subsequent search of Liriano’s cellular phones revealed pictures of him in possession of other firearms.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Lynn, Malden and Everett Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
Berks County Man Pleads Guilty to Art Fraud Scheme, Admits Selling Counterfeit Artworks to CustomersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Carter Reese, 77, of Reading, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud, in connection with a scheme in which he defrauded customers by making false representations about the source and authenticity of certain art purportedly created by prominent artists.
Reese was charged by information with those offenses earlier this month.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from about February 2019 to March 2021, Reese sold and attempted to sell art that he represented as genuine pieces created by prominent artists, including Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jean Cocteau, Keith Haring, Fernand Léger, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and others. Reese knew that the pieces were fake and had not been created by those artists.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12 and faces a maximum possible term of 40 years in prison.
The case was investigated by members of the FBI’s Art Crime Team assigned to the Philadelphia and Miami field offices and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and Jason Grenell.
Baltimore Woman Sentenced for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Daniela Marie Giancoli, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 150 months in federal prison for supplying fentanyl to dealers in West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Giancoli and co-defendant, Michael Matthews, worked together out of their Baltimore apartment to sell drugs to more than 10 dealers in Grant County, WV. During the investigation nearly 9,000 fentanyl pills, weighing more than two kilograms, were seized.
Giancoli will serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
Matthews previously pled guilty and was sentenced to 100 months in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Bahamian Citizen Sentenced to Eighteen Years for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chrystano Peder Carmelo Cooper, age 22, a citizen of The Bahamas lawfully present in the United States on an F1 student visa, was sentenced to 220 months in prison for four counts relating to the production, distribution, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse materials. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Cooper will register as a sex offender and be removed from the United States after completing his term of incarceration.
The charges arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
On November 14, 2024, Cooper was found guilty by a federal jury of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction, Distribution of Certain Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor at trial.
Between December of 2022 and February of 2024, Cooper, while attending college in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, induced a minor child to create and share sexually explicit images via the internet. According to investigators, federal agents seized Cooper’s cellular telephone during the execution of a federal search warrant, which revealed multiple child sexual abuse materials of the minor victim.
“This sentence is proof that this defendant's perverse behavior of sexually exploiting a child will not go unpunished,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “Thanks to a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, this child predator will be incarcerated, allowing the minor victim he abused to begin the healing process.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute those who exploit and victimize children,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
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. Cooper 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. Attorneys Jessie K. Pippin and Jessica Bove represented the United States.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Otis Shivers (51, Jacksonville) to 15 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Shivers pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024.
According to court records, on October 29, 2021, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) were on patrol and observed Shivers talking loudly to himself. Officers approached Shivers and immediately observed that he had a firearm in his waistband. The officers secured the firearm, a loaded revolver, and conducted a records search on Shivers. Officers discovered that Shivers had multiple prior felony convictions, including sale of heroin in 2009, sale of cocaine in 2007, sale of cocaine in 2003, and sale of cocaine in 1991. Shivers had been sentenced to Florida state prison on three prior occasions, including a 10-year sentence for selling heroin, thus qualifying him for an enhanced penalty as an Armed Career Criminal.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
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.
28 May 2025
Yakama Man Sentenced to Prison for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced, Joey Anthony Andy, age 44, to 63 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon. Judge Dimke also imposed 3 years of supervised release. Andy was convicted of this crime on May 15, 2024, following a jury trial.
According to court documents and information disclosed at trial and at the sentencing hearing, on April 4, 2023, a victim, an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation, was leaving Noah’s Ark Homeless shelter in Wapato, Washington. As the victim was walking away from the shelter, he was confronted by Andy. Andy was upset with the victim because Andy believed the victim had stolen his Bluetooth speaker. Andy then shoved the victim. After the victim stepped back, Andy pulled out a knife, lifted the sleeve on this hooded sweatshirt (presumably to ensure he did not get blood on his clothing), and lifted the knife, and then swung the knife at the victim’s head. As the victim attempted to dodge the blow, the knife hit the victim, leaving a four-inch laceration to the side of the victim’s head. The laceration cut down to the victim’s skull and required fourteen staples to close.
The victim ran back to Noah’s Ark for help. There, employees rendered first aid and called police. Wapato Police later located Andy in the neighborhood near Noah’s Ark. Although Andy attempted to flee, officers took Andy into custody without incident after a short chase.
At the sentencing hearing, MMIP AUSA Black Horse argued that a maximum guideline sentence was necessary to afford adequate deterrence and to protect the public from further crimes of the Defendant. “This assault occurred outside the doors of Noah’s Ark Shelter, a low barrier shelter and service center for chronically homeless persons based in downtown Wapato. Noah’s Ark Shelter is the only low-barrier shelter and service center of its kind in the lower Yakima Valley, and Native American individuals comprise a significant portion of its clientele,” MMIP AUSA Black Horse told the court. She further noted that “individuals who frequent Noah’s Ark Shelter are inherently at risk, experience marginalization, and a reduced sense of personal safety based on their unhoused status. The Defendant’s violent knife assault outside of Noah’s Ark Shelter only compounds these circumstances, and more importantly, may have a chilling effect on unhoused vulnerable persons seeking out the critical services provided by Noah’s Ark Shelter.”
“Mr. Andy attacked his victim without provocation or justification,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “Because of the tremendous law enforcement response from our federal, state, local, and Tribal partners, the victim’s voice was heard and Mr. Andy will be held to account for this attack.”
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP and MMIP-related cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bree R. Black Horse and Todd Swensen.
1:23-cr-02054-MKD