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28 September 2026
Biddeford Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, in October 2025, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was investigating James Anderson, 21, for drug trafficking offenses. As part of that investigation, an undercover officer met Anderson and purchased drugs from him. In one exchange, Anderson sold the undercover officer over 100 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl.
Anderson faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10 million fine, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this 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.
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Beverly Hills Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Executing Scheme to Defraud $2.3 Million from Taxpayer Funded Pandemic Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Jabari Long, 46, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to executing a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving pandemic assistance funds, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, and Todd Strom, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation.
Long previously pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud. According to court records, Long used a contracting business called “Priceless Preservations Construction” to obtain a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of $2,187,000 and a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan in the amount of $150,000. Long claimed the business had 50 employees and an average monthly payroll of $875,000. In truth, Priceless Preservations Construction had few, if any, employees and little to no payroll expenses. Records show that within weeks of receiving the fraudulently-obtained pandemic assistance funds, Long used a portion of them to buy a four-bedroom home in the exclusive Beverly Hills community. In pleading guilty, Long also admitted that he submitted false tax documentation to obtain his loan funding.
“Jabari Long falsely claimed to employ dozens through his so-called company ‘Priceless Preservations.’ But the only thing he preserved through this fraud was his greed. And his scheme wasn’t priceless at all; it carried a significant price he’s now being forced to pay,” stated U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Legitimate businesses that followed the rules and relied on pandemic-assistance programs in good faith deserve protection from those who seek to abuse those programs for personal enrichment,” said HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski. “When fraudsters submit false information, invent payrolls, or misrepresent their operations to steal taxpayer-funded assistance, they undermine public trust and divert resources from the businesses and workers these programs were designed to support. HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and root out those who exploit federal programs to line their own pockets.”
“Jabari Long used fake tax documents and manufactured counterfeit business information to fraudulently obtain more than $2 million in pandemic relief funds,” said Todd Strom, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI special agents are highly skilled at following the money and uncovering the financial evidence behind complex fraud schemes. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars and hold accountable those who exploit federal programs for personal gain.”
Long was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,187,500 and serve three years on supervised release following the completion of his custodial sentence.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind.
Arlington Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Arlington, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a year-long drug conspiracy.
Jonathan Perry, a/k/a “Peazy,” 26, of Arlington, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 97 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Perry was charged in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in March 2026.
Perry is a relative and alleged co-conspirator of Keith Harlow in the distribution of controlled substances. A review of Perry’s cellphone seized during his arrest on state charges on May 29, 2025 revealed that Perry and, allegedly, Harlow worked together to distribute controlled substances and sell firearms throughout Massachusetts. It is further alleged that, in text message communications with Harlow, they discussed robberies and using firearms to shoot at various individuals. At the time of the alleged offenses, Perry and Harlow were prohibited from possessing firearms due to numerous prior felony convictions, including Perry’s youthful offender conviction of manslaughter. At the time of the alleged conduct, Harlow was on state parole following multiple concurrent state prison sentences and Perry was on probation for a domestic violence offense.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney; and Athol Police Chief Craig Lundgren made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the United States Marshals Service; Franklin County House of Correction; and Massachusetts Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Another Federal Judge Strikes Down New York’s Climate Superfund Law as UnconstitutionalRead the Press Release
Last week, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the United States’ motion for summary judgment and invalidated New York’s “Climate Change Superfund Act.” The court held the law is unconstitutional and enjoined the state from imposing $75 billion in penalties on global energy producers for the alleged local effects of climate change. Last month, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York also ruled against the state.
“New York’s woke climate change law is not only unconstitutional, it is harmful, jeopardizing every American’s access to affordable and reliable energy,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “We are pleased with the district courts’ decisions finding New York’s law unlawful and recognizing that the Federal Sovereign, not the States, regulates our Nation’s energy market. This Department of Justice will take every step to stop those who wish to thwart President Trump’s agenda to unleash American energy dominance.”
“Both federal judges to consider New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act have held it unconstitutional,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Both hold that the federal government is responsible for setting national policy on global pollution, not states. This decision marks another significant step in advancing President Trump’s energy agenda and protecting American energy from state overreach. The Department of Justice will continue to fight for affordable, reliable energy for all Americans.”
New York enacted its law in 2024 seeking to impose billions of dollars in liability on domestic and foreign energy companies that extract fossil fuels or refine crude oil.
In its ruling last week, the court held that the United States has standing to vindicate its sovereign authority to regulate interstate emissions and to promote its foreign affairs interests. The court also held the New York law is preempted on two independent grounds: first, because it is not authorized by the Clean Air Act, which displaced the federal common law governing interstate emissions; and second, because it is field-preempted under the foreign affairs doctrine.
Absorkee man sentenced to 15 months in prison for unlawfully possessing handgunRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – An Absorkee man who was unlawfully carrying a firearm in his truck was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Joseph Robert MacDonald, 35, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to unlawful possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that MacDonald, due to a previous state conviction, was barred from possessing a firearm. On Dec. 5, 2025, Billings police pulled over a pickup with a missing front license plate and an obscured rear plate. MacDonald was the driver and he immediately got out of the truck and walked toward the officer, who arrested him on a warrant out of Stillwater County. State Probation and Parole authorized a search of his truck and inside the console, law enforcement found a Canik Mete MC9 handgun.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department and ATF conducted the investigation.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
25 September 2026
‘Smart Rings’ CEO Found Guilty of Running $2 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The CEO of a wearable technology company has been found guilty by a jury of running a near-$2 million Ponzi scheme by duping investors through lies that she owned “smart rings” patents that rightfully belonged to her former employer, and of fraudulently obtaining $150,000 in COVID-19 pandemic business-relief loans, the Justice Department announced today.
Michelle Bisnoff, 59, a.k.a. “Michelle Angeline Silverstein” and “Shelly Silverstein,” of Boca Raton, Florida, and who formerly resided in Pacific Palisades and Santa Barbara, was found guilty late Thursday of six counts of securities fraud, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, one count of wire fraud in connection with a COVID-relief loan, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to evidence presented at a seven-day trial, Bisnoff had been hired by McLear Ltd., a United Kingdom-based company, to develop a United States market for McLear’s patented near-field communication (NFC) payment rings. These products were designed to embed credit card information inside a wearable ring.
By no later than early 2017, Bisnoff falsely claimed she owned the key patent, including by using a falsified patent assignment, and formed Esos Rings Inc. to market “smart rings” based on that patent.
Among Bisnoff’s lies to investors was that Esos was profitable, used investors’ money to increase its manufacturing capabilities and inventory to meet demands from retailers such as Target and Walmart, and was receiving large infusions of capital from companies such as Apple Inc. and Roc Nation. She also falsely claimed to be on the cusp of a licensing arrangement with Middle Earth Enterprises (MEE), which controls The Lord of the Rings brand.
She further lied that Esos would fund buybacks of the investors’ shares at prices above what they paid for those shares, resulting in substantial profits.
In fact, Esos had little business revenue, no agreements with Target, had sold just six rings on Walmart.com, three of which were returned, never received any investment from Apple or Roc Nation, and never finalized any licensing agreement with MEE.
Bisnoff also knew the financial statements, a corporate tax return purportedly filed by Esos, and a patent valuation she provided to investors were neither prepared nor signed by the professionals who supposedly prepared the documents.
She used most of the victims’ investments to pay her personal expenses, including rent for her personal residence, and to make Ponzi-type payments to further her scheme.
When Bisnoff failed to provide the promised investment returns, she offered a series of bogus explanations described by one victim who testified at trial as “dog-ate-my-homework” excuses, attempted to embezzle approximately $550,000 from an employer to send to investors, and then sent checks that bounced.
In total, Bisnoff fraudulently obtained nearly $2 million from investors and caused her victims to lose approximately $1.4 million.
In addition, in March 2020, Bisnoff fraudulently applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) through a federal program designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using the name “Michelle Silverstein” and identifying herself as the chief operating officer of Esos, Bisnoff lied about the company’s gross revenue and the cost of goods it purportedly sold during the 12-month period preceding the pandemic.
She also certified that she would only use the EIDL loan proceeds for business expenses, but instead she used some of the $150,000 she received for personal expenses, including monthly rent of approximately $15,600 on a large house she leased in Pacific Palisades.
United States District Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani scheduled a January 21, 2027, sentencing hearing, at which time Bisnoff will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of securities fraud and wire fraud, a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count, and a mandatory two-year consecutive federal prison sentence for the aggravated identity theft counts.
Relatedly, in 2023, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Bisnoff and Esos for fraudulently raising $1.95 million from Esos investors. A September 2023 judgment held Bisnoff and Esos jointly and severally liable for disgorgement of $566,483, representing net profits from the fraud, as well as $46,836 in pre-judgment interest and a civil penalty of $223,229, with the total amount due – $836,548 – to be paid to the SEC within 30 days. According to court documents, Bisnoff’s criminal case, to date neither Bisnoff nor Esos has paid any of the amounts due.
The FBI and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) investigated this matter. Substantial assistance was provided by the SEC and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ranee A. Katzenstein, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Alexandra Sloan Kelly of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, and Diane Roldán of the Major Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Woodbridge predator sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually exploiting more than 40 minor girlsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, of Woodbridge, was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“Malachi Thomas exploited dozens of girls through threats, coercion, and devastating sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His tactics — leveraging hacked accounts, fear of physical harm, psychological manipulation, and physical assaults — underscore the gravity of his abusive and horrific crimes. This defendant will spend the next four decades in prison and never harm another child.”
“Malachi Thomas preyed upon our most vulnerable – our children – and he deserves a sentence that reflects the enormity of his crimes. The sentence imposed today does just that,” said Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Thomas’ pursuit of his victims was reprehensible and unrelenting. We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to protect children from exploitation and to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm Malachi Thomas inflicted on dozens of vulnerable children,” said Darren B. Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and investigating those who prey on minors, whether online or in our communities. We hope today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the victims as they continue to heal.”
According to court documents, from at least March to October of 2020, Thomas used a Snapchat account, which he had previously hacked and stolen from a minor, to coerce approximately 41 minor girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Thomas directed the victims to create and send him CSAM and ordered the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video calls.
Thomas told victims he led a criminal organization and that as long as they did what he told them they would be safe. To coerce compliance, Thomas threatened to hack the victims’ accounts or harm them and their family members. Thomas was aware that several of his victims suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues and that many had previously been victims of sexual abuse. In at least one instance, Thomas knew that the victim was in foster care.
On June 6, 2020, Thomas travelled to a victim’s home and assaulted the victim, which he recorded and saved in his Snapchat account. Police discovered the video after searching one of Thomas’ cell phones, which they seized from him while investigating an altercation on July 9, 2020. Thomas traveled to Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge to meet a victim he exploited on Snapchat. The victim’s father had learned of Thomas’ actions and appeared at the mall instead of the victim.
On Oct. 1, 2020, Fairfax County Police arrested Thomas on charges of rape and sodomy of two minors in Fairfax County. With support from Prince William County Police, Fairfax County Police searched Thomas’ residence in Woodbridge where investigators located a second phone containing dozens of images and videos of CSAM, including recordings of his sexual assaults of the two victims in Fairfax County.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-327.
Wilmington Man Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David Loper, 23, of Wilmington, made his initial appearance today, September 24, 2026, for fentanyl trafficking and firearms offenses. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sherry R. Fallon.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2026, officers found suspected drugs and two digital scales in plain view in the living room of Loper’s residence. The Wilmington Police Department obtained a search warrant for the home and recovered three bundles and 24 individual bags of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, more than $16,000 in cash and a firearm.
The criminal complaint charges Loper with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). If convicted, Loper faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace, Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Wilmington Police Department Chief of Police Wilfredo Campos made the announcement.
The FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force and Wilmington Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Delaware Department of Correction’s Probation and Parole. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Lafferty is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-mj-00486-UNA
Western District of Texas Adds over 225 New Immigration Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 227 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from September 18 through September 24, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against alien smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for child sex crimes, numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and numerous prior removals.
Among the new cases, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Honduras in Eagle Pass. Elvis Mancia-Almendarez was previously deported earlier this year, in January, through Harlingen. In January 2022, he was convicted of disorderly conduct in New York and sentenced to 15 days of confinement. The following month he was convicted again in New York for criminal sex act with a victim under 15 years old. For that, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Mancia-Almendarez, a convicted felon and sex offender, now faces an illegal re-entry charge in Del Rio.
Also in Del Rio, where federal prosecutors filed 100 immigration-related cases in the six-day period, Jose Flores-Dominguez, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Flores-Dominguez is an illegal alien from Mexico who has been deported three times, as recently as July. Flores-Dominguez has a significant history of convictions that includes driving while intoxicated, two aggravated assaults with a weapon, and unlawful restraint.
Assistant U.S. attorneys in El Paso filed 104 immigration cases, including an illegal re-entry charge against Jorge Rivas-Mompie, an illegal alien from Cuba. Rivas-Mompie was arrested approximately two miles east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry after being previously removed from the U.S. in January. A convicted felon, his criminal record includes aggravated rape and sexual assault, aggravated robbery, burglary of a habitation, and a second conviction for aggravated sexual assault that resulted in a 17-year prison sentence.
Juan Jose Pinon-Villagomez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry after he allegedly attempted to elude inspection from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers (CBPO) at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on Tuesday. A criminal complaint alleges a CBPO observed Pinon-Villagomez walking north toward the U.S. on the southbound pedestrian walkway and attempted to bypass the toll booth that is designed for pedestrian traffic. The CBPO was able to stop Pinon-Villagomez from entering further into the U.S. and Pinon-Villagomez was arrested. The illegal alien was previously deported in July through Alexandria, Louisiana. In 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison for an offense involving the possession and use of a firearm. Prior to that, Pinon-Villagomez received convictions for entering the U.S. illegally, a DWI, and intoxication assault with a vehicle.
Miguel Hernandez-Sandoval, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in Austin and charged with illegal re-entry. Hernandez-Sandoval has been thrice removed from the U.S., the last time being in 2016 following his third DWI conviction. In addition to the three DWIs, Hernandez-Sandoval has been convicted of possession of a controlled substance and illegal re-entry to the U.S. by an alien.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are 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.
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West Virginia Man Facing Federal Indictment in Connection with Bank Robberies and CarjackingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a West Virginia man on multiple charges in connection with robbing banks in Maryland.
Jordon Larine Redfern, 30, of Martinsburg, is charged with bank robbery, carjacking, attempted armed bank robbery, and armed bank robbery.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment, today, with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.
According to the four-count indictment, on May 29, 2026, Redfern robbed a Windsor Mill, Maryland, bank, taking approximately $6,300 in cash. Two days later, on May 31, Redfern carjacked a luxury vehicle in Washington County, Maryland. Then on June 1, Redfern attempted to commit an armed robbery of a bank in Baltimore, and then later committed an armed robbery of a second bank in Baltimore, stealing approximately $41,590 in cash.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Redfern faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for armed bank robbery and a maximum of 15 years for carjacking. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, along with the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore Police Department; Berkeley County, WV, Sheriff's Office; Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; Washington County Sheriff's Office; Maryland Transportation Authority Police; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Higgins and Paul E. Budlow who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Wakpala Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Wakpala, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate and Dating Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate and Dating Partner. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026.
Mathias Kane Fast Horse, age 19, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.
On November 18, 2024, Fast Horse purposefully inhaled some household chemicals and then strangled his girlfriend until she lost consciousness. He continued by pushing, slapping, and punching her, spraining her knee. On April 14, 2025, Fast Horse punched his girlfriend’s head several times, rupturing her right ear drum. When the woman fled and took shelter in a neighbor’s home, Fast Horse gave chase, but could not break into the house. These events occurred in Wakpala within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal Court as opposed to State Court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Fast Horse was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
Virginia Man is Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Exploiting More Than 40 Minor Girls on SnapchatRead the Press Release
Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, of Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On April 2, Thomas pled guilty to one count of production of CSAM and one count of possession of CSAM. According to court documents, Thomas used a Snapchat account, which he had previously hacked and stolen from a minor, to coerce approximately 41 minor girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
“Malachi Thomas exploited dozens of girls through threats, coercion, and devastating sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His tactics — leveraging hacked accounts, fear of physical harm, psychological manipulation, and physical assaults — underscore the gravity of his abusive and horrific crimes. This defendant will spend the next four decades in prison and never harm another child.”
“Malachi Thomas preyed upon our most vulnerable — our children — and he deserves a sentence that reflects the enormity of his crimes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The sentence imposed yesterday does just that. Thomas’ pursuit of his victims was reprehensible and unrelenting. We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to protect children from exploitation and to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm Malachi Thomas inflicted on dozens of vulnerable children,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and investigating those who prey on minors, whether online or in our communities. We hope today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the victims as they continue to heal.”
Thomas directed victims to create and send CSAM, and he also ordered the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video calls. Thomas told victims he led a criminal organization and that as long as they did what he told them they would be safe. To coerce compliance, Thomas threatened to hack the victims’ accounts or harm them and their family members. Thomas was aware that several of his victims suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues and that many had previously been victims of sexual abuse. In at least one instance, Thomas knew that the victim was in foster care.
On June 7, 2020, Thomas travelled to a victim’s home and assaulted the victim, which he recorded and saved in his Snapchat account. Police discovered the video after searching one of Thomas’ cell phones, which they seized from him while investigating an altercation. On July 9, 2020, Thomas traveled to a shopping mall in Virginia to meet a victim he exploited on Snapchat. The victim’s father had learned of Thomas’ actions and appeared at the mall instead of the victim. Thomas’ phone was seized when police responded to the incident.
On Oct. 1, 2020, Fairfax County Police arrested Thomas on charges of rape and sodomy of two minors in Fairfax County. With support from Prince William County Police, Fairfax County Police searched Thomas’ residence in Woodbridge where investigators located a second phone containing dozens of images and videos of CSAM, including recordings of his sexual assaults of two victims in Fairfax County.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-327.
Vinton Man Sentenced for Serial Online Victimization of MinorsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Vinton, Virginia man, who used Snapchat to exploit at least nine underage girls online, was sentenced this week to 14 years in federal prison.
Alageon Jaytwon Gravely, 22, pled guilty earlier this year to nine counts of receipt, distribution, or distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“Anyone who targets minors for sexual exploitation online will be targeted for priority prosecution by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia,” First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I commend the outstanding cooperation among Homeland Security Investigations, Virginia State Police, and the Roanoke County Police Department to ensure accountability in this case.”
“Gravely sexually exploited at least nine children he met online, a crime that has become all too common. Now, he’s facing over a decade behind bars and away from vulnerable kids. HSI works every day with our law enforcement partners to keep children safe online and ensure predators like Gravely are brought to justice,” said Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. Acting Special Agent in Charge Kai Wah Chan.
According to court documents, agents with the Virginia State Police, assisted by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, began investigating Gravely following allegations of serious sexual misconduct by a minor’s guardian.
During the investigation, investigators obtained search warrants for Gravely’s cell phone and similar devices. Investigators discovered a large amount of sexually explicit material in the defendant’s online accounts, much of it involving teenagers.
At least nine minors were identified in sexually explicit pictures and videos on Gravely’s phone, some of which he created himself. Investigators located messages from several victims that clearly indicate they told Gravely they were underage; however, he still requested explicit images.
The Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and the Virginia State Police investigated the case with additional investigative assistance from the Roanoke County Police Department.
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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower kids, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), explain how to report online enticement and victimization, and offer response and support resources for victims and survivors of online child sexual exploitation.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
Vietnamese National Charged for Role in Massive “Pig Butchering” Cryptocurrency ScamRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Vietnamese national was charged for his role in defrauding a victim out of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency in a wire fraud “pig butchering” scam.
Trung Nguyen Van, 37, was charged in a Western District of Missouri two-count criminal complaint with money laundering that was unsealed following his initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles yesterday.
Pig butchering is a highly lucrative billion-dollar industry that has victimized millions of Americans. The scam involves fraudsters gaining the trust of victims, often through fictitious romantic relationships, and duping them into making investments into fake cryptocurrency projects. These schemes typically begin with a victim meeting someone on an online dating website. Alternatively, a victim may receive a random unsolicited message on social media, via text, or through a messaging application, with the conversation eventually appearing to turn romantic. The victim is then convinced to transfer money to an alleged cryptocurrency investment opportunity recommended by the scammer. The scammer highlights seemingly impressive monetary gains from initial investments and encourages the victim to invest increasingly larger amounts, ultimately resulting in financial ruin to the victim.
“Pig butchering schemes are an increasingly prevalent and sophisticated form of fraud that have caused billions of dollars in losses to victims around the world,” said R. Matthew Price, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “We are pleased to have worked alongside our law enforcement partners in the Western District of Missouri, as well as multiple jurisdictions to bring this case forward. Fraudsters should know that we will use every available resource to pursue those who target innocent victims.”
“The FBI, working closely with our law enforcement and private-sector partners, uncovered and disrupted this alleged scheme, preventing additional victims from being defrauded of their hard-earned money,” said Chris Ormerod, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas City Field Office. “This case demonstrates the FBI's unwavering commitment to protecting the American public and holding fraudsters accountable, regardless of where they operate or where their crimes are committed.”
As alleged in the unsealed affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, between June and August of 2024, Victim #1 transferred approximately $16,000,000 worth of cryptocurrency, believing they were making an investment in a cryptocurrency investment platform called “Triangle.” One such transfer, taking place on Aug. 7, 2024, directly traceable to Van’s cryptocurrency wallet, was for over $569,000 in cryptocurrency. On Aug. 9, 2024, Van’s cryptocurrency wallet received six transfers totaling approximately $569,569 in cryptocurrency, traceable to Victim #1. Immediately following the receipt of the funds, Van proceeded to transfer approximately $567,999 worth of cryptocurrency in four transactions to a private, un-hosted cryptocurrency wallet off the centralized blockchain network.
From Feb. 9, 2018, through Dec. 17, 2024, Van’s cryptocurrency wallets received approximately $53,275,939 in cryptocurrency assets from wire fraud schemes targeting United States citizens. The wallet transferred approximately $53,188,466 worth of the same cryptocurrency assets to other accounts off the centralized blockchain network.
In addition to Victim #1, numerous other United States-based victims reported combined losses in the millions to different pig butchering schemes, attributed to several suspicious wallets that then sent funds to Van’s cryptocurrency wallet. Each of the victims were instructed to transfer cryptocurrency to different websites, but each victim reported a similar story. In each of these schemes, victims were guided by an individual they met online to invest cryptocurrency in a specified “website” with a promise of high financial returns. Ultimately, each victim was never able to withdraw funds they invested and eventually discovered they had been defrauded.
The charges contained in the complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must eventually be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey Q. McCarther and James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States Files Fair Housing Act Lawsuit Against Stagg Group for Failure to Construct Apartment Buildings with Features Accessible to Persons with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that the United States has filed a federal Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) lawsuit against STAGG GROUP (“STAGG”) relating to its failure to design and construct new apartment buildings so as to be accessible to persons with physical disabilities. The specific buildings allegedly designed in violation of the FHA’s requirements are 3745 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10463 (“Riverdale Tower”), 5959 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10463 (“The Station”), 6327 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10471 (“The Hudson”), 6375 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10471 (“The Stables”), 1680 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461 (“The Equestrian”), and 26 Garden Street, New Rochelle, New York (“West View”).
“Over the past two decades, this Office has brought twenty-one lawsuits against developers, architects, and construction companies to remedy their failure to comply with the Fair Housing Act,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Every New Yorker should be able to enjoy their homes, regardless of whether they have disabilities.”
The FHA’s accessible design and construction provisions require multifamily housing complexes constructed after January 1991 to have basic features accessible to persons with disabilities. To enforce these provisions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has filed suits and obtained settlements with a wide array of developers and related entities that construct multifamily housing, including the Related Companies, the Durst Organization, Glenwood Management, Silverstein Properties, Atlantic Development Group, and Toll Brothers.
According to the allegations in the Complaint, inaccessible conditions at certain of the specified buildings include:
- The front entry to the building is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because there is a non-automatic door requiring excessive force.
- Mailboxes are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because they are located too high.
- The curb ramp near the entrance of the building is inaccessible to persons who use wheelchairs due to its running slope.
- The ramp at the entrance to the outdoor entertainment space is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is excessively steep and missing a handrail.
- In individual units, the entry threshold is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too high.
- In individual units, the threshold to the bathroom is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too high.
- In individual units, the doorway to the bathroom is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too narrow.
- In individual units, there is insufficient clear floor space outside the swing of the door in the studio bathroom.
- In individual units, the balcony door is inaccessible to persons who use wheelchairs because the doorway is not wide enough.
- In individual units, the threshold to the balcony is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too high and unbeveled.
Due to the inaccessible conditions at the buildings that STAGG designed and constructed, STAGG engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of rights protected by the FHA and denied such rights to people with disabilities. The Complaint seeks a court order directing STAGG to retrofit individual apartments as well as the public and common use areas of the buildings so that they are accessible, to adopt policies and procedures to ensure FHA compliance in future constructions, and to compensate individuals who suffered discrimination due to the inaccessible conditions.
People who believe they may have experienced discrimination due to the inaccessible conditions at the above-named buildings designed and constructed by STAGG may contact the Civil Rights Complaint account at USANYS-CivilRights@usdoj.gov, use the Civil Rights Complaint Form available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/civilrights.html, or send a written report to:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York
86 Chambers Street, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10007
Attention: Chief, Civil Rights Unit
* * *
Mr. McDonald thanked the Fair Housing Testing Program of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for its assistance with the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallika Balachandran and David J. Kennedy are in charge of the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 114 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 114 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On September 20, Sebastian Ulises Galeana Pierce, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 74 pounds of cocaine hidden beneath his feet on the driver’s side of his 2021 Toyota RAV4 as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On September 18, Daniel Herriberto Vega Laura, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 58 pounds of methamphetamine and 16 grams of fentanyl concealed in the quarter panels of the trunk, center console, and engine firewall of the 2025 Chevrolet Aveo the defendant was driving as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On September 23, Fernando Contreras Santiago, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, the defendant arrived at the Campo Border Patrol Station’s Immigration Checkpoint. During the immigration inspection, Agents observed movement on the floorboard of the backseat beneath what appeared to be plastic. Before agents could further inspect the vehicle, the defendant fled the checkpoint at a high rate of speed, striking a Vehicle Immobilization Device, which is designed to stop or disable a vehicle typically by damaging or obstructing its tires. The vehicle then lost control, struck a light post, and all occupants fled on foot. Agents subsequently located two Mexican individuals who were illegally present in the United States and had been passengers in the vehicle driven by the defendant.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Combs takes part in unprecedented meeting with Guatemalan President and Attorney General to strengthen coordination against transnational crime, accompanies extradited defendants to TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs and Criminal Chief Matt Quinn were part of a delegation including five U.S. Attorneys and lead prosecutors from nine federal districts in an unprecedented visit to Guatemala this week.
Chargé d’Affaires Jorgan Andrews welcomed a delegation of senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice in a visit to Guatemala to advance the Trump Administration’s policy of eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, securing borders, and protecting American citizens from transnational threats. Their presence in the country reflects the seriousness with which the U.S. government addresses transnational crime and our commitment to confronting it together with Guatemala, by pursuing drug traffickers and human smugglers, their enablers, and those who provide them protection, including narco-linked politicians.
“The Eastern District of Texas, in coordination with the DEA and the government of Guatemala, has made great strides in stripping corrupt mayors of their immunity under Guatemalan law so they may be prosecuted for their crimes in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “We have successfully brought four corrupt Guatemalan mayors and one corrupt member of congress in Guatemala to justice.”
The delegation met with President Bernardo Arévalo, Attorney General Gabriel García Luna, and Minister of the Interior Marco Antonio Villeda to strengthen coordination and reaffirm the U.S commitment to supporting Guatemala’s investigative capacity and judicial processes to build criminal cases for prosecution in U.S. courts. Curbing the flow of narcotics, money laundering, and human trafficking and smuggling into the United States makes our countries and the Western Hemisphere safer.
At the conclusion of the meeting, U.S. Attorney Combs boarded a plane and accompanied four indicted individuals from Guatemala to the United States, including Juan Carlos Cruz Ovalle. Ovalle was indicted in 2018 and is alleged to have trafficked multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Guatemala for distribution to the United States. The defendants appeared in federal court in Plano on September 25, 2026. It is important to note that a federal indictment is not evidence of guilt and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for making the extraditions possible. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) secured the defendants’ arrests and extraditions from Guatemala.
These cases are in support of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CD); United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas.
The Guatemala delegation meeting included federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, Southern District of Florida, and Northern District of New York, along with senior leaders of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, represented by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Skaret, Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and Vulcan (JTFV), and officials from the DEA, FBI, and HSI. The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), represented by Director Erik Peterson, coordinated the visit.
###Two Men Sentenced to Prison for 2023 Armed Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deondre Rogers, 20, and Hanif Brown,20, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to 17 years and 14 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in anarmed carjacking and robbery spree committed in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“At 17-years-old in 2023, these defendants went on a crime spree—stealing cars, jewelry, and other personal possessions from their victims, with complete disregard for the people they harmed, and then callously showing off their stolen property on social media,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who terrorize our community with violence and firearms will be held fully accountable.”
Both Rogers and Brown pleaded guilty on August 3, 2026, to one count each of carjacking, armed robbery, robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of carrying a pistol without a license. The defendants were originally charged in an 87-count indictment.Brown was 17 years old at the time of the offenses, while Rogers turned 17 in April 2023 during the crime spree; both defendants were charged as adults pursuant to Title 16. The government sought a 17-year prison sentence for each defendant. Superior Court Judge Jason Park imposed the requested sentence on Rogers but sentenced Brown to 14 years pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, citing Brown’s lack of criminal history and expressed remorse.
According to the government’s evidence, on the afternoon of April 7, 2023, Rogers and Brown rear-ended a white Jeep inside the Third Street Tunnel while driving a stolen Mercedes sedan. The defendants exited the Mercedes sedan, pointed firearms at the Jeep’s two occupants, and demanded that they exit the vehicle. After the victims complied, the defendants entered the Jeep and drove away.
In the early morning hours of April 16, 2023, Rogers and Brown robbed another victim at gunpoint in the 1600 block of 5th Street NW. As the victim was walking with a friend, the defendants pulled up alongside them in a white Chevrolet sedan, and one of the defendants got out. Hepointed a firearm at the victim and demanded his keys and cell phone, as the second defendant remained seated in the Chevrolet sedan. The victim handed over his vehicle keys and cell phone. The defendants drove away in the Chevrolet sedan and the victim’s vehicle.
In the early morning hours of May 4, 2023, the defendants robbed two victims at gunpoint in the 1400 block of U Street NW. Rogers and Brown exited a white sedan, carrying handguns, and demanded the victims’ property. The defendants took two necklaces, an iPhone, a Louis Vuitton belt, a rose/white gold Audemars Piquet watch valued at approximately $40,000, and a gold and silver Rolex valued at approximately $7,000.
On the night of the robbery and in the days that followed, Rogers and Brown appeared in multiple videos, photographs, and a music video posted to social media that showed them wearing the stolen watches.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Travis Wolf and Brian Hanley, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 003623; 2023 CF3 004265
Two Former USPS Employees Charged in Connection with Scheme to Steal More Than 200 Gift Cards Out of the MailRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), Matthew M. Modafferi, announced today that PIAN PIAN WONG-TAM, a former United States Postal Service (“USPS”) Mail Processing Clerk in White Plains, New York, and WILLIAM WONG, a former USPS Mail Clerk in Millwood, New York, were presented today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on charges that they engaged in a scheme and conspiracy in which WONG-TAM removed mail entrusted to her by USPS, stole gift cards and other items out of that mail, and then, together with WONG, used those gift cards and other items for their own personal gain.
“The charges against the defendants reflect this Office’s and our law enforcement partners’ continued commitment to ensuring the integrity of the U.S. postal system,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “As alleged, Pian Pian Wong-Tam stole more than 200 gift cards out of mail entrusted to her for processing, and then, together with William Wong, used those gift cards for their own benefit, abusing their positions of trust and victimizing hundreds of people in the process. The complaint against Wong-Tam and Wong should send a clear message that stealing from the mail entrusted to USPS for delivery is a serious federal offense that will not be tolerated.”
“Misconduct by postal employees undermines the trust placed in the Postal Service and will not be tolerated,” said USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Matthew M. Modafferi. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General remains committed to protecting the integrity of the Postal Service and ensuring accountability. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its partnership in this investigation.”
According to the Complaint:
Until July 24, 2026, WONG-TAM was working as a Mail Processing Clerk at the USPS White Plains Processing & Distribution Center (“P&DC”) in White Plains, New York, while WONG was working as a Mail Clerk at a post office in Millwood, New York.
After receiving multiple customer complaints about mail that had been processed through the P&DC being delivered damaged, with expected gift cards missing, USPS-OIG’s investigation revealed that, from April 2025 to July 24, 2026, WONG-TAM took advantage of her position of trust at the P&DC to steal, among other things, gift cards from the mail she was responsible for processing. WONG-TAM then shared the gift cards she stole with WONG and, together, they used those gift cards at a variety of businesses in multiple states for their own personal benefit. All told, WONG-TAM and WONG’s scheme resulted in the theft of no less than 200 gift cards, ranging in value from $25 to $500 each.
* * *
WONG-TAM, 59, of New York, New York, and WONG, 57, of New York, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal and unlawfully possess mail, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of unlawful possession of mail, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and two counts of access device fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. WONG-TAM is also charged with one count of theft of mail by a Postal Service officer or employee, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the Northeast Area Field Office of the USPS-OIG.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Deal is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Texas Mental Health Clinic Owner Convicted in $26M Scheme to Defraud Military Health Benefits ProgramRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted a Texas licensed professional counselor yesterday for his role in a $26 million health care fraud, kickbacks, and money laundering scheme.
“Yesterday’s verdict makes clear that those who try to defraud the United States will be met with swift and decisive justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This defendant exploited a critical health care program serving active-duty servicemembers and their families, diverting taxpayer dollars to bankroll personal luxuries ranging from hotel stays to a casino-themed party and even a gold‑plated Tesla Cybertruck. Such conduct is an affront to the military community and the American public. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who abuses federal programs for personal gain.”
“Kevin Curry shamelessly preyed on the trust of servicemembers, veterans, and their families, siphoning millions from TRICARE through lies and coercion, said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “He fabricated medical records, stole doctors’ identities and clogged the system with fraudulent claims, all while lining his pockets with kickback‑tainted money. This conviction sends an unmistakable message that those who manipulate our military community and defraud federal healthcare programs will face the full force of federal prosecution.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kevin D. Curry, 64, of Frisco, Texas, orchestrated a scheme to bill TRICARE for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy that was medically unnecessary or not provided. Curry, the owner and operator of two purported mental health clinics in Texas, Acuity TMS of Plano LLC and Acuity TMS of Fort Worth LLC, and one purported mental health clinic in Florida, Emerald Coast TMS of Fort Walton Beach LLC (collectively, Acuity), offered and paid over $5.5 million in kickbacks to convince active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and their family members to consent to TMS therapy they did not qualify for and, in many instances, did not receive. Curry, who falsely held himself out to be a medical doctor, used actual doctors’ credentials without their knowledge and consent to bill TRICARE as part of the scheme.
In an effort to conceal his fraud, Curry directed employees to fabricate medical records that he submitted to TRICARE to justify his fraudulent billings. Acuity billed TRICARE over $26 million in false, fraudulent, and kickback-tainted TMS claims, based on which TRICARE paid approximately $17 million. Curry laundered some of the proceeds by spending his ill-gotten gains on hotels, a lavish casino-themed party, and a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck worth over $100,000:
Kevin Curry's gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck, purchased with his fraudulent proceeds.The jury convicted Curry of three counts of health care fraud, three counts of offering and paying illegal health care kickbacks, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminal derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division; United States Attorney Ryan Raybould of the Northern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Department’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southwest Field Office; Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office; Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); and Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), South Central Field Office, made the announcement.
DCIS, FBI, MFCU, and VA-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Womble for the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Adam Tisdall and Yael Mash of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Tampa Men Responsible for Fentanyl Death of University of South Florida Student Sentenced to Life and over 21 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Miguel Cintron (38, Tampa) and Darrius Gustafson (23, Tampa) have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Badalamenti to life and 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. A federal jury found both guilty on May 4, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, testimony, and evidence presented at trial, Cintron, Gustafson, and two co-defendants distributed a lethal amount of fentanyl that resulted in the death of Victim-1. At the time, Victim-1 was a freshman at the University of South Florida. After Victim-1’s death, all four defendants continued to distribute fentanyl to undercover deputies and detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. On April 10, 2024, all four were arrested and a search warrant was executed at Cintron’s residence. Law enforcement recovered more than seven kilograms of cocaine, heroin, black tar heroin, fentanyl, firearms, and more than $200,000 in cash from inside Cintron’s home.
Co-defendants David Chudhabuddhi and Marquis Trant previously entered guilty pleas and were sentenced on June 18, 2026. Chudhabuddhi was sentenced to eight years and one month in federal prison. Trant was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the University of South Florida Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
Sun Prairie Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dushaun Mims, 40, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Mims pleaded guilty to this charge on June 18, 2026.
On May 6, 2025, Fitchburg and Madison Police Department officers were investigating a fatal stabbing incident that occurred at a bar in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. The investigation led them to Mims’s residence in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where the stabbing suspect was located. After the suspect was arrested, officers executed a search warrant at the residence to look for evidence connected to the stabbing. During the search, officers found a black Colt Defense 5.56mm AR style rifle in the bathroom and three loaded AR magazines and 498 grams of counterfeit pills, some of which tested positive for para-flurofentanyl and fentanyl, in Mims’s bedroom. Mims’s DNA was found on the charging handle and backstrap of the AR style rifle and on the outside of one of the drug baggies. Mims is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition because of numerous prior felony convictions.
In imposing a sentence, Judge Conley weighed an “egregious” crime – possessing a firearm and fentanyl – along with aggravating factors like Mims’s serious prior record, including a history of domestic violence, which he called a “theme of his adult life,” against his severe medical issues and addictions.
The charge against Mims was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg and Madison Police Departments and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Remington and Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm as Felon and Drug UserRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 21, 2026.
Jackson Wayne Sully, 37, was sentenced to three years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sully was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2026. He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.
According to court documents, on November 6, 2025, Violent Crime Unit Detectives with the Sioux Falls Police Department assisted members of the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office Civil Division with a lockout eviction at Sully’s residence. While clearing the apartment, law enforcement observed items containing methamphetamine, residue, and paraphernalia. Sully’s recent drug use prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
During the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement located a loaded black Springfield XD 9mm handgun. This handgun was found in Sully’s bedroom, and his DNA was present on the firearm. As a result of prior felony convictions, Sully was likewise prohibited from possessing any firearms.
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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Sully was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.Sioux City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Cars at GunpointRead the Press Release
A man who stole two motor vehicles, during a 13-day crime spree, was sentenced today 20 years in federal prison.
Manaen Rave, age 27, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a June 1, 2026, guilty plea to two counts of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Motor Vehicle and one count of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon.
Evidence in the case revealed on February 16, 2025, Rave carjacked a motor vehicle by pistol whipping his victim in the head with a .22 revolver, requiring her to receive treatment at a hospital. He drove the car to ditch near Homer, Nebraska, where he abandoned it.
9 days later, on or about February 27, 2025, Rave stole a second vehicle, leaving his victim standing in a gas station parking lot. On March 1, 2025, Sioux City officers located the second stolen vehicle in a neighborhood a block away from a residence Rave was known to frequent. In the vehicle, officers located an empty firearm holster. Rave refused commands to exit the nearby house, resulting in officers obtaining a search warrant and SWAT deploying and pulling Rave out from behind a wall in a bedroom closet. Keys to the stolen car were located in the same room.
Rave has an extensive criminal history including conspiracy with intent to manufacture/deliver methamphetamine, felony failure to appear, assault on persons in certain occupations – use/display weapon, and theft 2nd degree – motor vehicle not over $10,000 in value.
Rave was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rave is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department, Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, Sgt. Buff Iowa, Police Department, Sgt. Bluff Fire & Rescue, Dakota County, Nebraska Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Department of Transportation, the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4032.
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Sheboygan Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Brad Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 22, 2026, Nolan M. Pitsch, (age 32) of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, was sentenced to six years in federal prison by Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper.
According to court documents and arguments presented in court, Pitsch met multiple children on various social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat. While chatting online with these minors, Pitsch pretended to be 14 or 15 years old, but in reality, he was approximately 30 years old. He then convinced several girls between the ages of 11 and 15 whom he met on these platforms to take and send him images and videos of themselves posed in sexually explicit positions. In at least one instance, he threatened to expose a minor victim’s explicit images to others if she stopped sending him sexually explicit depictions of herself.
At his sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Pepper described Pitsch’s crimes as extremely heinous. She emphasized that these offenses have a lasting impact on real human beings, that Pitsch hurt real children, and that this hurt will stay with the victims forever. Upon completion of his federal prison sentence, the defendant will spend five years on supervised release. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
“We have no higher priority than protecting our children,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel, “and we should all be proud of the investigators and prosecutors who work every day to bring predators like this to justice.”
“Pitsch hid behind fake profiles to manipulate children, coerce them into producing sexually explicit images, and threaten them when they tried to stop,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue predators who exploit children online and ensure they are held accountable for the lasting harm they cause.”
This case was investigated by the Sheboygan Police Department and by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan J. Thomas and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman, formerly of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Red Lake Man Indicted for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Courtney John Barrett Sr., 56, of Red Lake, had his initial appearance hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby. The defendant was indicted on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor on September 22, 2026.
According to the indictment, Barrett knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a minor victim on at least two occasions from on or about June 2023 to February 2025.
This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI and Red Lake Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Dana Joseph is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Presunto líder narcoterrorista “la Araña” extraditado de Colombia como parte de una investigación del Grupo de Trabajo de Seguridad NacionalRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Geovany Andrés Rojas, alias “Araña”, ciudadano colombiano, presunto narcoterrorista de alto nivel y prolífico traficante de cocaína, fue extraditado hoy de Colombia a Estados Unidos.
Esta mañana, Rojas fue entregado a funcionarios estadounidenses bajo un fuerte dispositivo de seguridad en una base aérea de la Policía Nacional de Colombia en Bogotá, con la presencia del presidente colombiano, Abelardo de la Espriella. Rojas llegó a un lugar no revelado en San Diego a las 4:30 p.m. flanqueado por agentes de la DEA y del FBI.
Fotografía de Rojas (centro), flanqueado por agentes de las fuerzas del orden tras su extradición de Colombia a Estados Unidos. De izquierda a derecha, sin contar a los agentes uniformados: Kristopher Jarvis, agregado judicial del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos en Bogotá; Adam Gordon, fiscal federal de EE. UU. para el Distrito Sur de California; James Nunnallee, agente especial a cargo de la DEA en San Diego; “Araña”; Jacob Galvan, agente especial adjunto a cargo de la DEA en San Diego; Jagdeep Khangura, agente especial adjunto a cargo del FBI en San Diego; y Kevin Murphy, agente especial interino a cargo de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) en San Diego.
El 7 de marzo de 2025, un gran jurado federal del Distrito Sur de California emitió una imputación sustitutiva de dos cargos contra Rojas, cuyo alias es “la Araña”, por conspiración internacional para distribuir cocaína y por narcoterrorismo.
Las autoridades colombianas detuvieron a Rojas el 12 de febrero de 2025 en virtud de una notificación roja de la INTERPOL basada en delitos relacionados con estupefacientes. La Corte Suprema de Justicia de Colombia aprobó por unanimidad la extradición de Rojas en octubre de 2025. El presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro suspendió la extradición de Rojas posteriormente ese mismo año, mientras este participaba en una nueva ronda de conversaciones de paz entre grupos armados y el Gobierno colombiano. El 26 de agosto de 2026, el presidente colombiano Abelardo de la Espriella ordenó que la extradición de Rojas prosiguiera.
“Colombia y el Departamento de Justicia están realizando una barrida a fondo contra los narcoterroristas, comenzando por la Araña”, dijo el Fiscal Federal de EE. UU. para el Distrito Sur de California, Adam Gordon. “Antes de que el presidente De la Espriella asumiera el cargo, los grupos criminales armados en Colombia casi duplicaron su tamaño. Su cocaína alimentaba a los cárteles mexicanos que inyectan veneno en nuestras comunidades. Con la extradición de la Araña cae la telaraña que se extiende desde las montañas del Putumayo hasta las plazas de Tijuana que los cárteles se disputan brutalmente”.
“La extradición de hoy demuestra lo que Estados Unidos y Colombia podemos lograr cuando trabajamos juntos para desmantelar las redes criminales que trafican con drogas letales, corrompen instituciones y amenazan a nuestras comunidades”, afirmó el administrador de la DEA, Terry Cole. “Geovany Andrés Rojas enfrenta cargos de narcoterrorismo y tráfico de drogas por presuntamente haber orquestado cargamentos de varias toneladas de cocaína con destino a Estados Unidos. Su extradición demuestra que ni las fronteras, ni la influencia criminal, ni los esfuerzos por ocultar actividades ilícitas impedirán que la DEA y nuestros aliados lleven ante la justicia a importantes narcotraficantes transnacionales”.
“La extradición de Rojas debe enviar un claro mensaje a los líderes de los cárteles: el FBI y nuestros aliados del HSTF seguimos luchando sin tregua para desmantelar las organizaciones de narcotráfico que facilitan el flujo de drogas letales hacia nuestras comunidades”, declaró el agente especial a cargo Mark Remily, de la Oficina Local del FBI en San Diego. “La Oficina del FBI en San Diego seguirá trabajando estrechamente con nuestros aliados de las fuerzas del orden nacionales e internacionales para eliminar a los cárteles criminales, hacer que sus líderes rindan cuentas y proteger al pueblo estadounidense”.
En los años anteriores a su detención, Rojas fue portavoz y líder de Comandos de la Frontera, una organización paramilitar con unos 1,000 miembros que opera en el suroeste de Colombia. Rojas se presentaba como un líder de alto rango de Comandos de la Frontera y posaba con armas y combatientes fuertemente armados en publicaciones de redes sociales y en entrevistas con medios de comunicación en nombre del grupo terrorista.
En declaraciones públicas, Rojas describió a Comandos de la Frontera como parte de la Segunda Marquetalia, una organización integrada por excombatientes de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) que retomaron las armas y volvieron a combatir tras el acuerdo de paz de 2016 entre Colombia y las FARC. El propio Rojas fue miembro de las FARC y firmó el Acuerdo de Paz de 2016 antes de rechazar la paz y convertirse en líder guerrillero. El 1 de diciembre de 2021, el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos designó a la Segunda Marquetalia como Organización Terrorista Extranjera (FTO).
Los cargos por tráfico de drogas y narcoterrorismo contra Rojas surgieron de una investigación prolongada del Grupo de Trabajo de Seguridad Nacional (HSTF), que reveló que Comandos de la Frontera, bajo el liderazgo de Rojas, se lucraba del cultivo y la producción de cocaína en el suroeste de Colombia y mantenía el control de su territorio mediante las armas y la violencia. La zona es una de las principales regiones productoras de cocaína de Colombia y tiene una influencia considerable en la cadena mundial de suministro de cocaína.
Se prevé que Rojas comparezca por primera vez en el tribunal federal el 28 de septiembre de 2026, a las 2 p. m., ante el juez federal adjunto Steve B. Chu.
El agregado judicial del Departamento de Justicia en Bogotá, Kristopher Jarvis, y el abogado litigante Aaron York, de la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales, hicieron posible la detención y la extradición de Rojas. El Servicio de Marshals de EE. UU. brindó una asistencia significativa para garantizar que el traspaso de la custodia se realizara de manera segura y sin contratiempos, y para trasladar a Rojas a Estados Unidos.
Los cargos y alegatos contenidos en una imputación o denuncia penal son solo acusaciones, y a la persona imputada se le considera inocente a menos y hasta que se pruebe su culpabilidad.
IMPUTADO Número de caso 25CR442H
Geovany Andrés Rojas, alias “Araña” Edad: 45 Colombia
RESUMEN DE LOS CARGOS
Conspiración internacional para distribuir cocaína – Título 21 del Código de los Estados Unidos (U.S.C.), secciones 959, 960 y 963
Pena máxima: mínimo obligatorio de 10 años y hasta cadena perpetua
Narcoterrorismo – Título 21 del Código de los Estados Unidos (U.S.C.), secciones 960a y 841
Pena máxima: mínimo obligatorio de 20 años y hasta cadena perpetua
AGENCIAS INVESTIGADORAS
Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA)
Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI)
Este caso fue investigado y perseguido penalmente por el Grupo de Trabajo de Seguridad Nacional de California (HSTF) como parte de la iniciativa de los HSTF establecida mediante la Orden Ejecutiva 14159, Protegiendo al Pueblo Estadounidense Contra una Invasión (Protecting the American People Against Invasion). El HSTF es una alianza que abarca a todo el gobierno dedicada a eliminar los cárteles criminales, las pandillas extranjeras, las organizaciones criminales transnacionales y las redes de tráfico y trata de personas que operan en Estados Unidos y en el extranjero. Mediante una colaboración interinstitucional histórica, el HSTF dirige todo el poderío de las autoridades del orden público de Estados Unidos hacia la identificación, investigación y persecución penal de todo el espectro de delitos cometidos por estas organizaciones, que por mucho tiempo han alimentado la violencia y la inestabilidad dentro de nuestras fronteras. Al realizar este trabajo, el HSTF pone especial énfasis en investigar y perseguir penalmente a quienes participan en la trata de niños u otros delitos que involucran a niños. Además, el HSTF utiliza todas las herramientas disponibles para perseguir penalmente y expulsar de Estados Unidos a los delincuentes extranjeros más violentos.
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Pensacola Gang Member Found Guilty of Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm Offenses, Faces Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida - A federal jury has found Ke Anthony Javon Blackmon, 30, of Pensacola, guilty of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and carrying and possessing a firearm during, in relation, and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the verdict.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This armed drug trafficker’s days of flooding our streets with deadly poison are over thanks to the outstanding trial work of my federal prosecutors who delivered a win that will benefit our entire community. I deeply appreciate the excellent investigative work by our Okaloosa and Escambia County sheriffs’ offices and our federal law enforcement partners that dismantled this drug trafficker’s operations and helped my team secure this successful prosecution. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute every drug peddler operating in my district to deliver the safe, drug-free streets that our citizens deserve.”
According to evidence presented at trial, between around November 2024 and May 2025, Blackmon conspired with others to distribute large quantities of fentanyl throughout Escambia and Okaloosa Counties. During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Blackmon. A subsequent search at two residences in Pensacola connected to him led to the seizure of over 3 kilograms of fentanyl, multiple firearms, and ammunition. The evidence further showed that Blackmon supplied fentanyl to other dealers, including up to a kilogram at a time and sometimes in exchange for firearms, which were illegal for him to possess as a convicted felon.
Due to multiple prior convictions for serious violent felonies, Blackmon faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years up to life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for December 22, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
The case was the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton, Alicia Forbes, and Brooke Lindsay prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Owner of Semi-truck Business Indicted for Operating $105 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Kristopher Lunsford (46, Henderson, Nevada, formerly of Georgia) has been charged by indictment with six counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering count. The indictment also notifies Lunsford that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $105,940,214.93, the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Lunsford and others solicited hundreds of victim-investors to invest in his semi-truck business by purchasing leases for semi-trucks. Lunsford falsely and fraudulently represented that he would handle all aspects of the business, including purchasing semi-trucks, hiring drivers, and insuring and employing the semi-trucks while the investors performed no work and earned passive income. Lunsford and others represented to victim-investors that they could invest in a semi-truck, typically in an amount between $25,000 and $40,000 per truck, and, in exchange, earn a guaranteed weekly payout, typically in an amount between approximately $1,000 and $1,250, generated from profits of Lunsford’s operation of the trucks.
Between approximately December 2023 and May 2025, Lunsford and others solicited more than $105 million from victim-investors. Rather than paying victim-investors with profits generated from the business, Lunsford used approximately $75 million of new investors’ funds to pay earlier investors and used over $25 million for his personal enrichment, to include purchases of real estate, sports cars, jewelry, luxury brand items, private charters, and expenditures at resorts, casinos, and nightclubs. Lunsford used approximately $2 million of victim-investors’ funds on business-related expenses and operations.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The SEC has also filed a civil enforcement action against Lunsford, AKL Transport LLC, and Southern Truck Leasing LLC in the Middle District of Florida.
If you believe you are a victim of these offenses and have not already completed the FBI’s online questionnaire, please consider visiting https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/TruckLeaseFraud/view. If you have any questions regarding this questionnaire, please email TruckLeaseFraud@fbi.gov. Information about victims’ rights and upcoming hearings is available at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/kristopher_lunsford.
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison in Child Neglect Case on Eglin Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Devon Mae Witryk, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to felony child neglect occurring on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our Air Force partners, the child in this case was rescued from absolutely deplorable conditions, and my office has ensured this despicable defendant is held accountable for her criminal neglect.”
Court documents reveal that in June 2023, a welfare investigation was initiated for a child residing on Eglin Air Force Base. The defendant was the child’s mother and a military spouse. Investigation revealed the home was in deplorable condition and the young child needed medical attention. Due to the child not receiving appropriate care and supervision, the defendant’s home was inspected and investigators rescued the child. Witryk no longer has custody of or contact with the child. The child’s father was court-martialed by the U.S. Air Force for his role in the offense.
This case was investigated by Eglin Air Force Base Security Forces Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Walter E. Narramore.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Oahu Girls’ Wrestling Coach Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Sean Sakaida, 44, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. He was arrested and taken into custody on September 24, 2026.
According to the complaint, Sakaida, a former coach of the girls’ wrestling team at Moanalua High School, frequently communicated with a minor victim using the messaging application WhatsApp between 2025 and 2026. In these communications, Sakaida received multiple sexually explicit photographs of the minor victim.
If convicted, Sakaida faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.
The FBI’s Honolulu Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of Sean Sakaida. If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Sean Sakaida or have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out this short form: https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/SakaidaVictims/view
If you know of someone else who has possibly been victimized by Sean Sakaida, please encourage them to complete the form themselves.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 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
OPERATION TAKE BACK AMERICA: Guatemalan National Sentenced to More than 2 Years in Prison for Illegally Re-entering After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
Anniston, Ala. – A Guatemalan national has been sentenced for illegally returning to the United States after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Eladio Pascual-Gaspar, 28, to 31 months in prison. Pascual-Gaspar pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after deportation.
“This defendant was released from a state prison and deported in 2023. He illegally reentered the United States and engaged in further criminal activity. This conduct will not be tolerated.” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who enter our country illegally and engage in criminal conduct.”
“HSI remains committed to protecting our communities by enforcing federal immigration laws and facilitating the prosecution of individuals who unlawfully reenter the United States after removal,” said Ellen Johnson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Georgia and Alabama. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who disregard our immigration laws, use false identities, and engage in criminal activity will be held accountable.”
According to court documents, in May 2015, Pascual-Gaspar entered the United States illegally as an unaccompanied minor. He was released on an Order of Release on Recognizance to a sponsor in the United States in June 2015. In April 2021, Pascual-Gaspar pleaded guilty in Circuit Court of Madison County Mississippi to aiding and abetting of armed robbery. In May 2023, the defendant was removed from the United States. In June 2026, the Talladega Police Department encountered a 15-year-old, unaccompanied, illegal alien driver in a car registered to Henry Vegas Mondragon. The vehicle was towed. Pascual-Gaspar appeared at the tow lot to claim the car and presented false Guatemalan identification and documents in the alias name Henry Vegas Mondragon.
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.
Homeland Security Investigation investigated the cases along with the Talladega County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
Northumberland County Woman Indicted on Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Hailey Marie Monterosso, age 27, of Kulpmont, Pennsylvania was indicted by a federal grand jury on a drug trafficking charge.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Monterosso with possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on August 26, 2026, in Northumberland County.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency, Mount Carmel Borough Police Department, Northumberland County Adult Probation Department, and Shamokin City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most significant offense is 40 years imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Northumberland County Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua A. Dinklocker, age 28, of Coal Township, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Dinklocker with distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on June 28, 2026, in Northumberland County.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Shamokin Police Department with the assistance of the FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most significant offense is 40 years imprisonment and a fine. A sentence for each of these offenses also includes a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Northeast D.C. Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography and Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tevon Stephens, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 216 months in prison in connection with his distribution of child sexual abuse material and his sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Stephens deliberately sought out vulnerable minors online, traded in images documenting their exploitation, and gained access to a child in person,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will not relent in pursuing predators who target our community’s children, and we remain committed to protecting them.”
Stephens pleaded guilty on January 14 before U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of first-degree child sexual abuse. In addition to the 216month prison sentence, Judge Walton also ordered Stephens to serve 15 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison term of 216 months.
According to court papers, Stephens used a dating application profile that misrepresented his age. He then communicated with an undercover officer whom he believed was the father of a young boy. During the exchange, Stephens expressed a sexual interest in children and admitted to prior sexual contact with underage girls. He also sent the undercover officer videos of child sexual abuse material.
In March 2025, law enforcement arrested Stephens at his home in Northeast Washington. Investigators recovered thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material from one of his cell phones, including material Stephens is alleged to have personally produced depicting the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl.
Investigators also determined that Stephens had used two Instagram accounts to contact minor girls online. He later had sexual contact with one of the girls, who was 15 years old at the time, at his home.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Burrell.
It was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
The matter 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Milton Man Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on September 10, 2026, charging a Milton, Delaware, man with a crack cocaine trafficking offense and related firearm offenses.
According to court documents, David Harmon, 35, of Milton, possessed with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine, on or about May 27, 2026, and unlawfully possessed a loaded 9mm handgun and ammunition in furtherance of that drug trafficking offense. Harmon made his initial appearance and arraignment yesterday, September 24, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sherry R. Fallon and entered a plea of not guilty. The Court ordered Harmon detained pending trial.
The indictment charges Harmon with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B); possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
If convicted, Harmon faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace and Baltimore Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer made the announcement.
The Baltimore Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the Milford Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin B. Smith and M. David Tambussi are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-00138-CFC.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican citizen sentenced to six months for illegally reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Mexican national who illegally reentered the U.S. after having been previously removed at least once was sentenced Thursday to six months in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Saul Partida-Ventura, 50, pleaded guilty in August 2026 to illegally reentering the United States.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement encountered Partida-Ventura in Billings on July 9, 2026, when they pulled over a dark-colored Nissan Frontier with Nevada license plates. Partida-Ventura, who was in the vehicle, had previously been identified as potentially being in the country illegally. Partida-Ventura has been previously removed from the United States four times. Law enforcement detained him and confirmed he was a Mexican citizen who last had been removed from the U.S. in 2011.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
Maryland Men Indicted in Connection with Federal Drug-Trafficking TakedownRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Two Baltimore men are facing indictment, today, stemming from a federal drug-trafficking takedown operation.
Charles “Bok” Byers, 48, and Darryl “DJ” Hairston, Jr., 48, who operated a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Baltimore, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person; and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime in connection with the takedown. Byers and Hairston are also charged with illegally possessing three loaded firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Both co-conspirators are prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to prior convictions.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); Sheriff Sam Cogen, Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to the indictment, law enforcement found that Byers and Hairston possessed and conspired to traffic 400 grams or more of a substance or mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, along with a substance or mixture containing a detectable amount of cocaine base (“crack” cocaine). Court documents state that beginning in May 2026, investigators observed Byers consistently purchasing large quantities of cutting agents, such as quinine and mannitol, along with drug-packaging materials, from a Baltimore County store. The investigation revealed that this usually indicated that the DTO had recently received a bulk supply of narcotics.
Then investigators observed Byers taking the drugs and supplies to a Northeast Baltimore stash house for processing. Byers and/or Hairston then transported the processed drugs to different locations, often including an open-air street shop, that Hairston oversaw, on Druid Hill Avenue in West Baltimore.
After bringing the narcotics to the street shop, the co-conspirators allegedly put the drugs in a secondary indoor stash location or at an outdoor ground stash for his subordinates, who were teenagers, to distribute. During the investigation, agents observed adolescent males conducting hand-to-hand transactions at the street shop. Shortly after law enforcement identified the Druid Hill street shop, an undercover agent began conducting controlled purchases of larger quantities of drugs from Hairston directly.
Later, state and local law enforcement executed search warrants at stash locations in July and August, respectively. Then on Sept. 22, agents executed federal arrest and search warrants for multiple locations and vehicles linked to Byers, Hairston, and other DTO members. When law enforcement executed the arrest warrants, the co-conspirators immediately began smashing all cell phones in their possession.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered thousands of gel capsules of confirmed and suspected fentanyl, multiple kilograms of powdered confirmed and suspected fentanyl, confirmed and suspected crack cocaine, and confirmed and suspected powder cocaine, along with several firearms. Agents also found bags of suspected fentanyl marked “East Side” and “West Side” at a stash location searched on Sept. 22.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Byers and Hairston face a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison for both the conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and the possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, as well as a minimum of five years and a maximum of life for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Byers and Hairston are also facing a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, ATF, FBI, BPD, BCSO, DPSCS, and BCPD for their work in the investigation, along with the Natural Resources Police and Howard County Police Department, for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and Ty Pittinger who are prosecuting this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Manchester Property Management Company Enters Settlement Agreement with the United States to Resolve Allegations That It Violated the Fair Housing ActRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Manchester property management company Greenview Associates L.P. along with two other defendants have entered into a Settlement Agreement with the United States that resolves allegations that the company and one of its employees violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
In a complaint filed on January 8, 2025, the United States alleged that the defendants—Greenview Associates L.P., Palmer Asset Management, LLC, and John Martin—violated the Fair Housing Act by retaliating against a tenant at one of the defendants’ properties. The complaint alleged that the defendants attempted to evict the tenant in late 2023 because he had filed a discrimination claim against them with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The Settlement Agreement resolves the claims in the United States’ complaint. The defendants have agreed to pay the tenant $20,000 and provide credits for certain rents owed, ensure FHA compliance policies are in place at all of their properties, and provide FHA training to all employees.
The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1- 833-591-0291 or submit a report online, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo from the District of New Hampshire and the Department of Justice’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section.
Lindsay Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Money Laundering Charges Related to Failed BankRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – SHAUN U. CHRISTIAN, 57, of Lindsay, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and to money laundering in connection with the now-defunct First National Bank of Lindsay (FNBL), announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to court documents, Christian and FNBL’s former president and CEO, Danny Seibel, submitted false information in connection with multiple loans in 2021. Court records allege that Seibel also manipulated bank records related to Christian’s accounts to conceal overdrafts and past-due balances, allowing additional funds to be extended to Christian. The alleged scheme continued until shortly before FNBL failed in October 2024.
On April 7, 2026, a federal grand jury charged Christian with conspiring to commit bank fraud and with money laundering. Christian pleaded guilty on September 24, 2026, and admitted that he conspired with Seibel to enrich himself and his businesses while allowing Seibel to maintain his position and stature in the community, as well as his salary, by concealing FNBL’s true financial condition. Christian also admitted to laundering some of the resulting proceeds. Seibel pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on May 6, 2026.
At sentencing, both Christian and Seibel face up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million each.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, FBI Oklahoma City Field Office – Norman Resident Agency, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia E. Barry and Jackson D. Eldridge for the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorneys Mark Goldberg, Elysa Q. Wan, and J. Ryan McLaren of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Las Vegas Woman Charged for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A Las Vegas woman made her initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and possession of two firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime as a result of a Las Vegas Homeland Security Task Force investigation.
“Fentanyl is a deadly poison that is devastating our communities,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to use every federal resource to target, disrupt, and prosecute the networks flooding our streets with these lethal drugs and illegal weapons.”
“Fentanyl traffickers who use the mail to move deadly drugs into our communities should know there is no safe route and no hiding place,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Sherwin for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas. “Through the Las Vegas Homeland Security Task Force, HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Henderson Police Department and our partners will continue to intercept fentanyl, seize the firearms and cash that fuel these crimes and hold accountable those who endanger the public for profit.”
“The City of Henderson takes a strong stance against fentanyl and illegal drug activity,” said Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader. “We do not tolerate these actions here or in the surrounding area, and we are proud to work alongside our local and federal law enforcement partners to help keep our residents and neighbors safe.”
According to allegations in the complaint, on September 21, inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted a controlled delivery of approximately one kilogram of fentanyl to the residence of Olga Josefina Mexia. Upon delivery of the package, Henderson SWAT entered into the residence. During a search of the residence, law enforcement found bulk cash, fentanyl powder in bulk and individually packaged, and two firearms.
Photos of cash, fentanyl powder in individual bags, and a firearm found in defendant’s residence, U.S. v. Olga Josephina Mexia, Case No. 2:26-mj-00722-BNW
Mexia is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 7, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler for the District of Nevada.
This case was investigated by HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Henderson Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Brister for the District of Nevada.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Las Vegas HSTF comprises agents and officers with the FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS-CI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Nevada Gaming Control Board with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lakeview sex offender pleads guilty to new child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Bernard J. Keller, 28, of Lakeview, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession of child pornography following a prior conviction under New York law relating to possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
In August 2022, Keller was convicted of Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child in New York State Court and sentenced to serve 10 years’ probation. In May 2025, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at his residence after he distributed child pornography to other individuals using the Kik application. During the search, Keller’s cellular telephone was seized and found to contain approximately 96 images and 248 videos of child pornography. Some of the child pornography involved a prepubescent minor, the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler, and depictions of violence against children.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and Hamburg Police, under the direction of Chief Peter Dienes.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date before Judge Sinatra.
Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing an Unregistered Destructive DevicesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On September 24, 2026, Lake Ethan Roberts, 26, entered a plea of guilty to an indictment that charged him with one count of possession of unregistered destructive devices in violation of U.S. law.
On May 28, 2026, an initial complaint was filed against Roberts, alleging that he was a member of a group that called themselves the “Red Legs.” The Red Legs group has been active since at least November 2023. Red Legs members frequently communicated with each other using a Signal private chat group. Signal is a private messaging application that emphasizes privacy and security through end-to-end encryption. In their private Signal chat group, Red Legs members have engaged in discussions regarding the plans to engage in acts of violence directed towards government entities and property, particularly the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (“ICE”), the National Guard, and other opposing political groups. Some of Roberts’s communications to the group included the following messages: “We need to plan decisive action against ice and dhs;” “What are the chances we could get away with using drones to drop incendiary’s [sic] to demolish key infrastructure;” “I like the idea of using drones carrying cocktails to demolish key structures…Frozen water areas [this is an apparent reference to ICE structures];” “After we build our ranks and adequately arm ourselves, we can look into escalation;” “If ice moves to kc, thoughts on an armed response.” As part of their preparations for armed conflict with the federal government, Red Legs members also periodically trained by shooting firearms at a local firearm range.
According to the complaint, on May 14, 2026, Roberts and another Red Legs member met with an undercover law enforcement officer in Richmond, Mo. Roberts had brought with him two devices that were wrapped in duct tape and had an apparent fuse. Roberts referred to the devices as “alcohol shooters filled with black powder surrounded with steel BBs.” Roberts brought the devices to detonate them to test how they worked. Roberts detonated both devices in a rock quarry area. The FBI Laboratory Explosives Unit provided an opinion that the two devices constituted improvised explosive devices (“IEDs”). According to an explosive expert’s opinion, IEDs, also called homemade bombs, generally consist of an explosive main charge, method of initiation, and sometimes a container and/or enhancements. These devices were described as small liquor bottles containing the low explosive black powder with a cannon fuse being utilized as the method of initiation. Properly assembled, the described IEDs would be capable of causing property damage, injury, and/or death. Investigators conducted an inquiry of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Firearms Act Branch and determined that Roberts had not registered any destructive devices as required by the National Firearms Act of 1934.
Under federal statutes, Roberts is subject to a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole for his charge of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device.
The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys James Donnelly and Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Justice Department Holds the First Attorney General’s Summit on Victims of Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
On Thursday, the Attorney General gathered victims and survivor families together at the first Summit on Victims of Violent Crime ahead of a memorial on the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. At the Summit, Justice Department officials also announced the “Assisting Neighborhoods and Governments with Enforcement of Laws” (ANGEL) Grant Program in honor of Americans killed by illegal aliens, violent offenders, and illicit drugs. Local law enforcement can apply by October 20, 2026 and are eligible to receive up to $500,000. Applicants can find more information here.
“This event was extraordinarily helpful, insightful, and motivational,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “When victims of violent crime and surviving families share their testimonies, you make a difference. Our prosecutors are spending every day focused on violent crime and illegal immigration and for the first time in history, DEA, FBI, and Marshals are doing Title 8 work. This isn’t the end of the conversation, it is just the beginning.”“This Summit brought us together to acknowledge and discuss our shared obligation to make our communities safer and ensure that fewer families have to carry the heavy weight of violent crime,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. “That mission is advanced every day by the leadership of Attorney General Blanche and President Trump, whose commitment to restoring public safety and the rule of law has resulted in historically low violent crime figures.”
“Our Angel Families are the most powerful advocates for building a brighter, drug-free future,” said Director Sarah Carter of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. “We want to empower your voices as they carry forth the memory of your children to save the lives of others. Through it all, you are making a difference and this Administration will stand beside you.”
“Angel Families remind us why we must be a nation governed by the rule of law and committed to law and order,” said Director Kash Patel of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. “The FBI will continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our state, local, tribal, federal, and international law enforcement partners to protect the American people, uphold the Constitution, and ensure our communities remain safe.”
“Every criminal alien we remove from this country makes our communities safer,” said White House Border Czar Tom Homan. “We're going to keep pushing. We're not going to apologize. We're not going anywhere. ICE will continue doing their job every day across this country, especially in sanctuary cities where we'll surge resources and flood the zone. We're going to enforce the law without apology, you have my word on that.”
“Few understand loss firsthand-- we must never forget the testimonies we've heard over the past two days,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “Under the leadership of President Trump, the Department of Justice is committed to supporting communities impacted by violent crime and to cultivating a strong partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement in our continued effort to Make America Safe Again.”
“Today, we stood with the families and survivors whose lives have been forever changed by violent crime and the devastating loss of a loved one. For far too many Americans, that violence is connected to illicit fentanyl—a poison trafficked by cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations and concealed in counterfeit pills and other drugs,” said Principal Deputy Administrator Daniel Salter. “The Drug Enforcement Administration is working tirelessly to identify and hold accountable those responsible for distributing this deadly poison. Through enforcement, prevention, and public awareness, DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to build a Fentanyl Free America.”
“On behalf of the 93 United States Attorneys, I want to reaffirm our collective commitment to work hand in hand with the victims of violent crime to bring the perpetrators to justice, and to develop strategies to prevent the next victim,” said US Attorney Tom Wheeler for the Southern District of Indiana.
Other speakers included:
Joe Abraham- Joe is a lifelong Illinois resident, husband, and father of three. A corporate finance professional at a Fortune 50 company, he has dedicated his life to family and community. Joe is also the father of Katie, who was killed by a drunk-driving illegal alien in January 2025. Since her death, he has spoken on national media, including Fox News, and published multiple op-eds to raise awareness about the impact of current policies on families like his.
Jennifer Bos- Jennifer lives in Illinois and is the mother of Megan Bos. Her daughter’s tragic and gruesome death exposed catastrophic failures in immigration enforcement and drug trafficking policy. The investigation into her death continues, but one truth is already painfully clear: dangerous gaps in our system allowed an illegal alien to exploit our laws—and her daughter paid the ultimate price. Jennifer speaks locally and nationally about the four crises that compounded her tragedy: illegal immigration, sanctuary policies, fentanyl, and cashless bail.
Michelle Esquenazi- Michelle is the President and CEO of Empire Bail Bonds, the largest bond company in New York State, offering bail bond services to clients in almost every area. She is a proud Mom of four children, a grandmother and a Domestic Violence Survivor and escapee. Michelle was thrust into the bail profession about three decades ago, as she became a single Mom of public assistance and saw a way to help people in need of navigating the criminal justice system. She speaks with victims at all hours of the night and equips them with resources, including safe housing and legal assistance. Michelle has been advocating for crime victims and accountable bail release policies since 2012.
Patti Fox- Patti is a Colorado mother, speaker, and advocate for lawfulness, public safety, and victims’ rights. After her daughter, Carissa, was critically injured in a hit-and-run by an unlicensed, uninsured illegal alien who fled the scene, Patti left her career in marketing to become a full-time caregiver. She now speaks out on the real-world consequences of failed sanctuary policies, the cost of selective law enforcement, and the urgent need to uphold the rule of law to keep American communities safe.
Stephen Federico- Stephen Federico is the father of Logan Hailey Federico, a 22-year-old from Waxhaw, North Carolina, who was killed during a home invasion in Columbia, South Carolina, in May 2025. Since Logan's death, Stephen has become an advocate for changes to how repeat violent offenders' criminal histories are tracked and handled. His advocacy has led him to testify before lawmakers and speak publicly about Logan’s case. Stephen has also worked with lawmakers, including Rep. Russell Fry, on proposed legislation commonly referred to as Logan's Law, aimed at creating a nationwide registry/database containing information about people convicted of serious offenses.
Anne Fundner- Anne is a mother, advocate, public speaker and national voice in the fight against the fentanyl crisis. Her advocacy began after the devastating loss of her 15-year-old son, Weston, who died in 2022 after taking a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl. Since Weston’s death, Anne has dedicated herself to raising awareness about fentanyl, counterfeit pills, youth drug exposure and the devastating consequences of the nation’s addiction and illicit-drug crisis. She founded the Forever Weston Foundation in honor of her son and works to educate families and communities while advocating for policies intended to prevent other families from experiencing the loss she endured. Anne gained national attention in 2024 when she spoke at the Republican National Convention, sharing Weston’s story with a national audience. She has subsequently testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, where she urged policymakers to recognize the human cost of the fentanyl crisis and take action to prevent additional deaths.
Anne Giaritelli- Anna is an investigative journalist who joined the Washington Examiner in 2015. As homeland security reporter, she spearheads coverage of immigration and national security. She has deployed to the nation's borders on more than 60 occasions, delivering on-the-ground reports on complex cartel infrastructure, shifting migration dynamics, domestic terrorism, the multi-front war on drugs and aviation security. Her dedicated reporting made her a finalist for the 2024 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. Beyond her reporting on federal law enforcement, Anna is a prominent victim advocate and the author of the memoir, “Under Assault: A Crime Reporter's True Story of Overcoming Sexual Trauma and Exposing Injustice.” The book details her personal survival of a violent daylight attack in Washington, D.C. and chronicles her investigation into how local law enforcement manipulated crime data to erase cases like her own from public statistics.
Jessica Gorman- Jessica Gorman is a grieving mother, victims’ advocate and national voice for public safety following the tragic death of her 18-year-old daughter, Sheridan Grace Gorman. Sheridan was a freshman at Loyola University Chicago with a bright future ahead of her. On March 19, 2026, Sheridan was shot and killed near Chicago’s lakefront while out with friends. In the months following her daughter’s death, Jessica has courageously shared Sheridan’s story and called for meaningful changes to policies and systems that she believes failed to protect her daughter. Jessica recently spoke at the 2026 Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas with her husband, Tom Gorman, and daughter Madelon.
Jennifer Harrison- Jennifer serves as the executive director of Victims Rights Reform Council. She was forced to become an expert on victims' rights and criminal justice issues when both her boyfriend of 6 years and his best friend were murdered on January 15, 2005. Ultimately only one person served just 9.5 years for killing two people. Jessica has dedicated her life to helping other victims ever since, connecting with support groups on both the national and local level. She has become an advocate against some of the atrocities she witnessed and helps other survivors of homicide victims connect with the resources they need to navigate through their endless nightmare. Jennifer continues to advocate against dangerous criminal justice reforms that have been implemented in multiple states across the country, such as Bail Reform, along with other dangerous social justice initiatives.
Nicole Kiprilov- Nicole is a Republican political operative and strategist. A native New Yorker, she graduated in 2019 from Duke University with a double B.A. in Political Science and French, a specialization in political theory, a minor in Philosophy, and a certification in Philosophy Politics and Economics (PPE). Nicole is the Executive Director of The American Border Story (TABS), the President of the Coalition for Military Excellence (CME), and leads several initiatives at The America Fund focused on fighting for the America-First movement. Nicole is also an Independent Women’s Forum Fellow. Nicole frequently appears on Newsmax, One America News, and Real America’s Voice. She is a contributor at Daily Caller and writes for several other publications.
Connie Sheely- Connie has served as the president of the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children since 2005. She became involved in the organization following the murder of her brother, Joel Holbrook who was found murdered in his home in Kansas City, Missouri in 1999. His case remains unsolved. Connie found POMC to be a tremendous help in dealing with her brother’s murder. She values the importance of POMC, its members and advocating for other survivors. She has shared her experience with community groups, promoting public awareness of POMC and has spoken to prison inmates on victim impact.
Johnson City Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On September 24, 2026, Ronnie Lee Miller, 53, of Johnson City, Tennessee was sentenced to 150 months imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his imprisonment, he will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
Miller pleaded guilty to one count of possession of CSAM, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2), and to violating his term of supervised release.
According to filed court documents and statements made in court, Miller was previously sentenced to prison for 110-months for possession of CSAM in 2009 in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Upon his release from imprisonment, in November of 2017, Miller began serving a term of federal supervised release in the Eastern District of Tennessee that required him to submit truthful monthly reports to his supervising probation officer as well as participate in sexual offender treatment.
In April of 2025, during a routine sex offender check-in, detectives with the Johnson City Special Victims Unit discovered that Miller was in possession of two cellular phones, three memory cards, and three USB drives. Across the different devices and storage media, detectives located thousands of CSAM images and videos.
This case was investigated by the Johnson City Police Department Special Victims Unit.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McCauley represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Iranian national sentenced for scheme to ship sensitive technology to Iran via ChinaRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Iran was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for his scheme to violate trade sanctions against Iran, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Reza Dindar, aka Renda Dindar was indicted by the grand jury in August 2014. Dindar was arrested in Panama in July 2025 at the request of the United States. Dindar was extradited to the U.S. in April 2026. A mere six weeks later he pleaded guilty to two counts of export to an embargoed country and two counts of smuggling goods from the United States. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The offense was well over 10 years ago and Mr. Dindar spent significant time in a Panamanian prison.” The judge imposed a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
According to records filed in the case, the smuggling in this case violates sanctions against Iran imposed by the President’s Executive Order in March 1995 and reimposed in 2001. The orders prohibit the unauthorized exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran; as well as the exportation or supply of goods, technology, or services to persons in third countries knowing or with reason to know that the goods, technology or services are intended for supply, trans-shipment, or re-exportation to Iran.
According to the plea agreement, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar managed a business called New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China. The company hid the fact that it was procuring items in the U.S. for companies in Iran. It fraudulently claimed the goods were destined for China. In 2011 and 2012, Dindar and his coconspirators used deception to purchase parts for three military sonar systems from a business in the Western District of Washington. Dindar and his coconspirators claimed the systems would be used by a company in China. In fact, the plan was to ship the parts through China to Iran in violation of export controls.
In asking for an 18-month prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “The export controls put into effect through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are essential to the United States’ national security interests. Therefore, it is important for the Court’s sentence to provide adequate deterrence against similar offenses moving forward. A custodial sentence of 18 months would achieve the statutory goal of deterrence by exceeding the national average and median sentences for similar offenses committed by defendants with similar backgrounds.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security - Office of Export Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Panama to secure the arrest and extradition from Panama of Dindar. Significant assistance was provided by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
Huron County Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 46-year-old man was sentenced to federal prison for sending and receiving child pornography through a social media platform and for committing firearms offenses.
Ricardo Gibson, of Willard, Ohio, was sentenced to 292 months (24.33 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in May to the charges in the indictment:
- Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous conviction for same offense in 2002
Gibson was also ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution to victims, and to serve 20 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.
According to court documents and evidence, in May 2023 federal agents investigated a report made about a man who was buying used children’s clothing from an online marketplace. The seller reported that he was sending her provocative images of prepubescent girls through the platform’s chat function and was expressing his sexual interest in children. Agents subsequently identified Gibson. During a search warrant executed where he was residing, investigators found two cellphones, adult sex toys, little girl’s clothing, two handguns, three magazines and 19, 9mm rounds of ammunition. A forensic analysis of his seized electronic devices determined that approximately 6,448 CSAM files were in his possession.
This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Willard Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
HSTF Investigation Leads to 17 Years in Prison for Tucson's "Queen of the South," Bringing Her Reign to a CloseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Sep. 22, 2026, Senior United States District Judge Raner C. Collins sentenced Amanda Rachelle Miller, 35, of Tucson, to 204 months (17 years) in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for leading a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other dangerous drugs in Arizona. Miller was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, $25,000 in community restitution, and a $400 special assessment.
Miller directed the enterprise for more than three years while a fugitive in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, leading to three separate federal criminal indictments. As the self-described “Queen of the South,” she supervised couriers, orchestrated bulk drug deliveries, and managed cross‑border money laundering, in total involving dozens of co-conspirators. She also claimed to have conceived the idea for brightly colored “rainbow fentanyl” to boost slumping sales for the Sinaloa Cartel—a marketing tactic the DEA has identified as targeting children and young adults.
Several of Miller’s co-conspirators also received significant sentences.
Alberto Gabriel Aranda-Ramon, a Tucson-based principal leader who coordinated multi‑kilogram fentanyl and methamphetamine deliveries, supervised couriers, and laundered proceeds through straw purchases of luxury vehicles, was sentenced on Aug. 26, 2025, to 198 months (16.5 years) in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Judge Collins also imposed a $25,000 fine, $25,000 in community restitution, and a $900 special assessment.
Michele Oller was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $5,000 in community restitution on Feb. 4, 2025. Oller supervised regional distribution, coordinated deliveries, and collected commissions on multi‑kilogram drug transactions.
On Aug. 27, 2024, Rodrigo Lopez‑Lozoya was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Lopez-Lozoya transported 17 kilograms of methamphetamine from a Tucson stash house where agents later seized an additional 115 kilograms of methamphetamine, 16.5 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, and 12 firearms.
Yehoshua Kilp, identified as one of Miller’s bulk drug customers, was separately prosecuted in the Western District of Washington, where Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo sentenced him to 168 months (14 years) in prison for leading a drug cell tied to Aryan prison gangs in the Pacific Northwest. His sentence included accountability for laundering proceeds benefiting Miller. The Arizona charges were later dismissed.During the multi‑year investigation, law enforcement seized substantial criminal proceeds from the organization, including approximately $134,444 in U.S. currency; luxury clothing, accessories, and jewelry valued at approximately $87,158; eight vehicles valued at $211,213 (including Forgiato Technica 22” rims worth $12,000); and fourteen firearms valued at over $9,000. Agents also seized Aranda-Ramon’s high‑end sneaker collection, which was forfeited to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Southern Arizona, where it was sold and 100% of the proceeds were used to assist families experiencing poverty in central Tucson.
In total, $58,000 in community restitution was ordered. Sixty‑five percent will be paid to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission’s Crime Victim Services, which administers crime victim assistance statewide, and 35% will be paid to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, designated to receive federal substance abuse block grant funds.
“These sentences reflect the strength of the partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement in confronting one of the most prolific fentanyl trafficking networks operating in southern Arizona,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Miller, Aranda-Ramon, and Oller led a coordinated effort to flood our streets with extremely destructive narcotics, and their incarceration makes our community safer. We will continue to relentlessly pursue every organization that threatens the people of Arizona with fentanyl and other dangerous drugs.”
“DEA continues working diligently at targeting and dismantling these dangerous drug trafficking organizations who are poisoning Americans,” said, DEA Special Agent in Charge Apolonio “Polo” Ruiz. “Working with our law enforcement partners is paramount and necessary when standing united to build a Fentanyl Free America.”
“Today’s sentence brings a major drug trafficking organization to justice and sends a clear message to those who profit from poisoning our communities: the Homeland Security Task Force will find you, investigate you, and hold you accountable,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge for HSI Arizona. “Amanda Rachelle Miller directed a network responsible for moving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other dangerous narcotics throughout southern Arizona while attempting to shield herself from accountability across the border. Through sustained collaboration among our federal, state, and local partners, this investigation dismantled that network, seized its illicit proceeds, and helped make our communities safer.”
“Leading a drug trafficking organization from outside the United States did not put Amanda Miller beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said U.S. Marshal Van Bayless for the District of Arizona. “This sentence reflects years of work by investigators and prosecutors across agencies to hold her accountable. The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to stand with our partners in protecting Arizona communities from the harm caused by fentanyl and other dangerous drugs.”
This investigation and prosecution are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Arizona comprises agents and officers from HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Tucson Police Department, Pima County Sheriff’s Office, Oro Valley Police Department, Marana Police Department, and Arizona HIDTA. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Lizano, Ashley Culver, and David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBERS: 21-CR-03072-TUC-RCC
21-CR-02360-TUC-JGZ
22-CR-02454-TUC-RCCRELEASE NUMBER: 2026-165_Miller, et al.
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Greenville Felon Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Khalil DeShawn Gilliam, 31, of Greenville, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 29, 2024, a Greenville Police Department officer patrolling the area near South Pleasantburg Drive and Lowndes Hill Road observed a black sedan driven by Gilliam, whom the officer recognized from prior encounters and believed to have a suspended South Carolina driver’s license. After confirming the vehicle was registered to Gilliam and that his license was suspended, the officer conducted a traffic stop. Gilliam initially provided false identifying information but was subsequently confirmed as the driver and arrested for driving under suspension and providing false information to police. A search of the vehicle following his arrest revealed a loaded 9mm pistol with an extended magazine near the center console, along with three grams of fentanyl, four oxycodone pills, and a digital scale. Gilliam, who has four prior felony firearm convictions, is federally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
United States District Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin sentenced Gilliam to 84 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Greenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Culbreath and Ryan Bondura prosecuted the case.###
Grand jury indicts Buffalo man for his role in mail theft conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jaquan Greene, 20, of Buffalo, with conspiracy to commit mail theft, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
According to the indictment, between February 18 and April 23, 2026, Greene conspired with others to unlawfully obtain keys used by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to unlock mail collection boxes. Greene and others used the keys to unlock collection boxes and steal mail, including checks, which they deposited into bank accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy. Greene and the others then withdrew or transferred the funds for their benefit. During the conspiracy, Greene possessed checks stolen from collection boxes on Cayuga Road in Cheektowaga, NY, which were then deposited into an account at Citizens Bank controlled by members of the conspiracy.
On April 23, 2026, Greene and two other members of the conspiracy drove to the USPS mail collection box on Cayuga Road with a stolen key, which they used to open the box and remove the collection basket containing letters, packages, and mail. As law enforcement arrived at the scene, Greene and the others fled in their vehicle, and then on foot and were taken into custody a short time later.
Greene made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sasha Mascarenhas and Paul E. Bonanno. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Justin Page.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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