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6 February 2025
South Lake Tahoe Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Prison for Impersonating Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Anton Andreyevich Iagounov, 38, of South Lake Tahoe, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to two years and three months in prison for four counts of impersonating a federal officer, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, and evidence presented at a three-day trial in July 2024, Iagounov pretended to be a federal law enforcement agent by creating and sending counterfeit investigative documents, which he signed in the name of a fictional federal agent, seeking highly protected information from the Department of Defense.
“The defendant impersonated federal officers and tried multiple times to obtain protected information using fake court documents,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “Many federal agencies including NASA have devoted law enforcement officers, and we will not tolerate federal officers being illegally impersonated.”
“Mr. Iagounov’s attempt to undermine public trust in order to obtain sensitive government information posed a significant risk, potentially endangering national security and the integrity of NASA and government operations,” said Michael Graham, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. “This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of NASA OIG, the USAO, and our law enforcement partners to safeguarding Federal assets and holding accountable those who undermine justice.”
“The defendant impersonated a federal law enforcement officer and took advantage of the trust that exists between federal agencies,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy N. Schwartz of the FBI Las Vegas Division. “All officers carry badges and credentials that are used to verify their identity. If you believe someone is impersonating an officer, you may ask their agency to confirm their official business. This sentencing demonstrates the excellent work achievable through partnerships.”
On July 5, 2022, Iagounov sent a search warrant he had created to the U.S. Capitol Police, falsely claiming it was signed by a Special Agent of NASA Office of Inspector General (NASA‑OIG) and appearing to be authorized by a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia. The Capitol Police investigated the document, determined it was fake, and referred it to NASA-OIG for further investigation.
On July 11, 2022, Iagounov again pretended to be the same fictional NASA-OIG agent and sent the warrant to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. This time, he sent it without a judge’s signature, indicating it was for an “emergency filing” and required a judge’s signature. He sent it from an email address designed to look like it was from a United States government agency, but which Iagounov owned and had named to look like a government agency’s internet domain.
On July 18, 2022, Iagounov again sent the fake search warrant, purporting to be signed by the same fictitious NASA-OIG agent. He sent it to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia, again indicating that it was for an emergency filing and needed a judge’s signature immediately.
Finally, on July 24, 2022, Iagounov faxed a letter, under the name of a real NASA-OIG supervising agent, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. In that letter, he claimed to be following up on the warrant, stating that an “exigent circumstance” required a judge’s signature immediately. The faxed letter included an anonymous email address for the agent that actually belonged to Iagounov. Several days earlier, on July 15, Iagounov had sent his warrant to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida but had received no response.
In each case, given the apparently sensitive nature of the materials Iagounov’s warrant sought, the receiving personnel for the Courts referred the matter to NASA-OIG for review and investigation.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NASA Office of Inspector General, with assistance by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department and the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Conolly and Audrey Hemesath prosecuted the case.
South Deerfield Resident Arrested for Alleged Assault on Federal AgentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Deerfield resident has been arrested and charged for allegedly assaulting a federal agent executing a search warrant in connection with a U.S. Capitol Police investigation. The defendant allegedly spit in the face and eye of an agent during a residential search.
James Gerard Pepe III, a/k/a “Judith Pepe,” 25, is charged with one count of assaulting a federal officer. Pepe was arrested on Feb. 4, 2025 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield, Mass., was released on conditions.
According to the charging document, on Feb. 4, 2025, federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant of a bedroom inside a South Deerfield apartment believed to be used by the subject of a U.S. Capitol Police investigation. Pepe allegedly resided in the same apartment where the target bedroom was located.
During the search, Pepe was directed to sit in a kitchen chair, unhandcuffed. Shortly thereafter, it is alleged that Pepe became visibly agitated. Specifically, Pepe allegedly yelled and directed profanity, insults, taunts and threats at agents, as well as threatened to spit in an agent’s face. Agents warned Pepe to remain calm and allow agents to complete the search or be placed in handcuffs. According to the charging document, Pepe continued to behave in an agitated and aggressive manner after the warning. Pepe was subsequently placed in handcuffs and, while being escorted out of the apartment, allegedly spit in the face and eye of the escorting agent.
The charge of assaulting a federal officer provides for a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Barnico, Jr. of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Slovakian Man Sentenced for $738,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man from the Slovak Republic who fraudulently obtained pandemic relief loans to 38 months in prison and ordered him to repay $738,118.
Mark Ethan Jermain submitted three false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications from April 26, 2020, to July 16, 2021, while he was in the Slovak Republic. Jermain used his prior legal name, Arsene Millogo. The April 26, 2020, application sought $80,000 for Crazyeats LLC, which Jermain established in Missouri in 2017. On May 13, 2020, Jermain sought $325,275 for a company he’d set up called Unimentors LLC. After the loan was approved, Jermain submitted a Second Draw PPP loan application for $325,275 on Feb. 5, 2021.
Jermain transferred the loan money to Slovakia. The PPP loans were intended to help struggling American businesses and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jermain instead used the money for personal purchases and other unapproved purposes.
“Mark Ethan Jermain fraudulently applied for and received PPP loans for businesses that didn’t exist anywhere but on paper. Furthermore, he used the identity of a former business partner, unbeknownst to the partner, to defraud the taxpayer funded program out of nearly three quarters of a million dollars,” said FBI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson. “Jermain is being held accountable in timely fashion after FBI special agents nabbed him at the airport in New York before he tried to fly out of the country.”
Jermain returned to the U.S. on August 17, 2023. He was indicted on August 30 and arrested by FBI agents on September 7, the day he was scheduled to leave the country.
Jermain, now 42, pleaded guilty in June to three counts of wire fraud.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United States as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally re-entered the United States as a felon was sentenced yesterday to 2 years in federal prison.
Erasmo Roberto Mendez-Lopez, age 29, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.
At the guilty plea, Mendez-Lopez admitted he illegally re-entered the United States after being deported as a felon in 2019. On May 17, 2024, he was arrested by Sioux City police for operating while under the influence (OWI) 2nd offense, eluding, and an active failure to appear warrant for a prior OWI 2nd offense charge out of Woodbury County. He also had 4 active warrants out of Plymouth County, Iowa for Eluding - speed over 25 over limit, speeding, open container, and improper use of lanes from 2022. Mendez-Lopez is a citizen of Guatemala and has been removed from the United States on two separate occasions.
Mendez-Lopez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mendez-Lopez was sentenced to 24 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.
Mendez-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and investigated by the Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-04038.
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Second defendant in organized refunding fraud ring sentenced to 30 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 29- year-old Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering crimes related to his operation of a fraudulent online shopping refund scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Leonardo Vidal is the second defendant sentenced in an online refunding scheme that stole millions of dollars from retailers. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik ordered Vidal to be on three years of supervised release following prison.
“Those running these refunding schemes induced others to essentially steal and cheat while claiming there would be no consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These prison sentences are appropriate for the damage done to retailers and to our community in promoting these illegal schemes.”
According to records in the case, Vidal operated his own fraudulent refunding fraud scheme from June 2021 until April 2023 called Ressu Refunds. The scheme amassed 2,800 subscribers and obtained $6 million in fraudulent refunds for followers. Beginning in June 2022, Vidal conspired with 25-year-old Dearborn, Michigan, man Sajed Al-Maarej who operated a different refund site called “Simple Refunds.” As with the Ressu refund site, Simple Refunds operated through the messaging service Telegram.
Sajed Al-Maarej was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2024.
The Telegram channels represented to prospective purchasers that they could buy high value goods and keep them, while falsely claiming to the merchant company that a refund was due. Purchasers provided Al-Maarej and Vidal with information about their purchase (order number, name, address, value). For a cut of the refund, Al-Maarej, Vidal and their coconspirators would seek a refund by making false representations to the retailers about the status of the order. For example, Simple Refunds or Ressu Refunds would claim the item had not been delivered; was irretrievably damaged; or would have the purchaser mail a box of garbage or junk back to the company – once the package was scanned at the shipping point the refund was issued before the box arrived back and the fraud was discovered.
The men recruited “insiders” at UPS and the US Postal Service who would input false scans into the order tracking history to make it appear items had been lost in shipping, stolen from the mail, or returned to the company. The end goal was for the purchaser to keep the product and get their money back. The purchaser then paid Al-Maarej or Vidal 10-15% of the purchase price as a fee, enabling Al-Maarej and Vidal to enrich themselves.
In December 2022, Vidal acquired Simple Refunds from Al-Maarej. Vidal sold Ressu Refunds and Simple Refunds to a different Telegram user in April 2023. After selling the refunding scheme, Vidal began another illegal enterprise: purchasing the illegally refunded items and selling them. When confronted by law enforcement Vidal took investigators to the locations where he was storing the stolen goods in four shipping containers before selling them online. In one storage container, they found approximately 245 Dewalt Drills, approximately 92 Coway Airmega Air Purifiers, and approximately 78 M18 Fuel High Torque Wrenches, all commonly refunded items.
During an 8-month period that Vidal operated Ressu Refunds it facilitated more than 3,000 fraudulent refunds worth at least $5.3 million.
The total value of the fraudulent refunds through Simple Refunds and Ressu Refunds while Vidal was running them is $6,067,168. Vidal agreed to pay restitution of that amount.
Speaking at sentencing Vidal said, “I want to thank the FBI, because I was going down a very dark path…. I was not a bad person, but I knew it was wrong.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.
Scranton Man Charged with Production of and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Clyde Hoffman, age 29, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 4, 2025, by a federal grand jury, for both production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, in November of 2024, Hoffman was in possession of over 800 unique images and videos of child exploitation material when agents executed a search warrant at his home. Additionally, a review of those images and videos revealed that in May of 2024, Hoffman had produced child exploitation images of a toddler using his cell phone.
The investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Wyoming Valley Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, which was formed in late 2023, and is comprised of federal, state and local investigators and District Attorney’s Offices from counties throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
“This indictment underscores the dedication and cooperation between HSI and our federal, state, and local partners within the Wyoming Valley Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “One of our primary missions is to protect the most vulnerable among us, and we will continue to leverage all available resources to combat child exploitation and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
“Successful cooperation between the partners of the Wyoming Valley Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force allows for collaborative prosecutions such as this one and is why we formed this task force,” said Task Force Chair and Wyoming County District Attorney Joe Peters. “We thank the investigators and prosecutors involved and send the message that we will only increase our combined efforts to keep the children of Northeastern Pennsylvania safe.”
“Children are our most precious resource in every community,” said District Attorney Raymond J. Tonkin. “The Pike County District Attorney’s Office joined the Wyoming Valley Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force to further the mission of law enforcement and prosecutors working together to protect children from predators.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 50 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Sacramento and Fairfield Residents Indicted for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. At the core of PSN is setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announces the following indictments in federal PSN cases.
Marcus Anderson, 26, of Sacramento, was indicted today and charged with nine counts of firearms trafficking, unlicensed firearms dealing, and other firearms charges. According to court documents, from February 2022 to March 2023, Anderson unlawfully trafficked and possessed multiple firearms, and engaged in the business of unlawful firearms dealing in the Sacramento area. Anderson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions. This case is the product of an investigation by the ATF with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Service Unit, the Placer County Special Investigations Unit, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case.
Armond Bass, 39, of Fairfield, was indicted on Jan. 23, 2025, and charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, in October 2024, Bass was found to have possessed a Colt .22‑caliber semi-automatic rifle and ammunition. Bass is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has previous felony convictions for domestic violence, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of a controlled substance. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Vacaville Police Department, with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Anderson also faces up to five years in prison, if convicted for unlicensed firearms dealing. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Richmond felon convicted of illegally possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Richmond man today on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 12, 2022, investigators with the Richmond Police (RPD) Youth and Family Crimes Unit were conducting an investigation at 3443 Walmsley Ave. During that investigation, investigators learned that Randel Douglas Hoggard, 39, and his significant other, K.B. had outstanding arrest warrants and requested the assistance of the U.S. Marshals to complete the arrest at the couple’s Richmond apartment.
Marshals arrested Hoggard and RPD procured a search warrant for items relevant to the investigation at the apartment. During the search, investigators observed multiple firearms and indicia of narcotics trafficking in the residence. Investigators obtained and executed a second search warrant and recovered four firearms, ammunition, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia. Hoggard was a convicted felon at the time and could not legally possess firearms or ammunition.
On Jan. 16, 2024, the Chesterfield County Police Department Homicide Unit, assisted by RPD, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Virginia State Police, executed a search warrant at another apartment at 3447 Walmsley Ave. Hoggard was present during the execution of the search warrant. Investigators located a loaded .40 caliber handgun hidden within the void of his closet door. Investigators also located .40 caliber ammunition in the defendant’s bedroom and suspected drugs. Hoggard was arrested on and has been in custody since Jan. 16, 2024.
Hoggard faces a up to 10 years in prison for the 2022 charge and up to 15 years in prison for the 2024 charge when sentenced on June 3. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Col. Edward F. Carpenter Jr., Chief of Chesterfield County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Janet Jin Ah Lee is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-66.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – James E. Monroe Jr., 59, of Daniels, pleaded guilty today to money laundering.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2022, Monroe filed a petition for personal bankruptcy. Monroe knew he was required to submit true and correct schedules listing his assets and a statement detailing his financial affairs as part of the bankruptcy process. Monroe admitted that he sold his collection of over 10,000 sports trading cards after filing for bankruptcy and without disclosing its existence or its post-petition sale in the bankruptcy filings as required. Monroe further admitted that he sold the collection to a friend online to convert the collection into cash and disguise the nature of the resulting proceeds.
Monroe admitted that his asset schedules and statement of financial affairs also did not disclose the December 2021 sale of his marital home in the Glade Springs residential development for $525,000, or the existence of a retirement account, two loans he obtained by using the equity associated with his whole-life insurance policy as collateral, and a storage unit he rented in the Shady Spring area that contained property belonging to the bankruptcy estate. Monroe further admitted that his schedules falsely stated that his then-minor daughter lived with him and was his dependent when neither was true.
Monroe is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-121.
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Pointing laser at aircraft sends Kalispell man to prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft was sentenced today to two and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Nolan Wayne Hamman, 32, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Nov. 25, 2023, a flight instructor operating a plane over Kalispell called 911 to report a person shining a laser pointer at her plane while she was flying with a minor student. Flathead County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded and located Hamman on the ground with the laser pointer. Hamman admitted to shining the laser at the plane while it was in flight. Further, Hamman engaged in this behavior over several months, and evidence demonstrated he pursued these planes because he believed they were tracking him. Hamman’s actions continually endangered multiple pilots, including two juveniles, and the safety of those on the ground in the Kalispell area.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Federal Aviation Administration, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Kalispell Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Pinellas County Child Sex Offender Indicted for Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Distributing Videos of the Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that a federal grand jury in Jacksonville has returned a superseding indictment charging Joshua Andrew Finley (46, St. Petersburg) with attempting to entice a minor child to engage in sexual activity and with distributing child sexual abuse videos over the internet. If convicted, Finley faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, plus 80 years’ imprisonment, and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Finley is detained pending his trial scheduled for May 5, 2025.
Finley is a convicted child sex offender, having been convicted in 2009 in federal court (Wisconsin) of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and convicted in Florida state court (2023) of possessing child sexual abuse materials.
A superseding indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lee
County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Pasco County Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Carlos Solorio (25, Dade City) to nine years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Solorio pled guilty on November 7, 2024.
According to court documents, on May 31, 2023, Solorio sold 3 kilograms of methamphetamine to another person at a grocery store parking lot in Dade City, Florida. This narcotics transaction was arranged by brokers in Mexico and Atlanta, Georgia.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Pair Sentenced for Roanoke Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A pair of Roanoke fentanyl traffickers were sentenced recently to substantial federal prison sentences.
Dejuan Lemons, 35, pled guilty to possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced to 195 months.
Kelvin Robertson, 47, pled guilty to distribution of fentanyl. He was sentenced to 60 months.
According to court documents, between May and August of 2023, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), conducted multiple confidential purchases of fentanyl from Robertson. Before and after these sales, Robertson met with Lemons.
Authorities ultimately executed a search warrant at a residence on Rorer Avenue in Roanoke, a single-family home occupied by Lemons and his grandfather. In the back room of the residence, authorities located more than 700 grams of powder fentanyl, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, and a loaded .22 caliber pistol. Agents also located approximately $1,000 in cash that had been used to purchase drugs from Robertson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Valuable assistance to the investigation was provided by the Lynchburg Police Department, the City of Roanoke Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett prosecuted the case.
Owensboro Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – An Evansville, Indiana, man was sentenced today to 13 years and 7 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division, and Chief Billy Bolin of the Henderson Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Austin Jenkins, 26, of Evansville was sentenced to 13 years and 7 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The distribution resulted in the death of a 17-year-old in Henderson, Kentucky, on October 16, 2022.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the DEA and Henderson Police Department, with assistance from the Vanderburgh County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case.
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Out of state man pleads guilty to laundering email scam proceedsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A California man has admitted to operating an illegal money transmitting business, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Victor Rubio Jr. admitted that from 2021 to 2022, he operated an unlicensed money transmitting business that received and transmitted funds from a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Rubio ran the unlicensed money transmitting business by using shell companies that existed only on paper.
As part of the plea, Rubio acknowledged opening and maintaining bank accounts to collect money from at least two victims in a BEC scheme, including a healthcare liability insurance company headquartered in Georgia and a township in New Jersey. Then, for a fee, he transmitted the fraud proceeds to co-conspirators.
In response to fraudulent wire instructions from spoofed email accounts, victims sent interstate wire transfers for payment to Rubio instead of to the true creditors to whom the victims owed money.
More than 45 people in multiple states, including Rubio and seven others in the Southern District of Texas, have been charged in separate business email compromise schemes that affected numerous victims.
U.S. District Judge George Hanks will impose sentencing April 22. At that time, Rubio faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI - Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Thomas Carter are prosecuting the case.
Orlando Man Arrested for Using the Internet to Entice A Minor to Engage in Illicit Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and charging by criminal complaint of Italo Rafael Brett Bonini (25, Orlando) for coercion or enticement of a minor using a facility of interstate commerce. If convicted, Brett Bonini faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, on January 12, 2025, Brett Bonini had a video chat with two prepubescent child victims in Maryland through Discord, an online communication platform. During that video chat, both child victims were enticed into pulling down their pants, and one of the child victims complied with Brett Bonini’s request to display their genitals on screen. Law enforcement also reviewed messages from Brett Bonini to the victims in which Brett Bonini offered currency in an online video game in exchange for the victims to show their genitalia on screen.
The FBI obtained a search warrant for Brett Bonini’s residence and electronic devices. During the execution of that warrant, Brett Bonini admitted that he utilized his desktop computer to communicate with children, stating that children were easier to talk to. He further admitted to communicating with one of the victims on the date in question.
A criminal complaint 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, Maryland State Police, and the Harford County Child Advocacy Center. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Cruz.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Organizer of Nationwide Rental Car Theft Scheme Sentenced to 90 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man who organized a nationwide scheme that stole $1.17 million worth of rental cars to 90 months in prison.
Tyrell A. Oliver, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, was also ordered to repay the money. Oliver hatched a scheme in which he reserved luxury rental vehicles using stolen credit card information and stolen identities. Oliver and others then picked up the rental cars by assuming the stolen identities and presenting false driver’s licenses and counterfeit credit cards at the rental location.
Oliver began the scheme in August of 2021 by trying to steal three rental vehicles, according to a sentencing memo filed in his case. On the third attempt, staff of the rental car company suspected fraud. Oliver fled and was arrested while trying to board a flight back to Atlanta. That arrest did not dissuade Oliver. Instead, he expanded his operation, recruiting others “to do his dirty work,” the memo says. Oliver paid his co-conspirators to fly to airports around the country, including in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, to steal cars on his behalf.
In all, Oliver and his co-conspirators used the stolen identities of at least 23 victims to steal 19 rental vehicles, Oliver’s plea agreement says.
Oliver pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. James E. McGhaney, 36, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. McGhaney recruited and supervised some of the other participants in the scheme, his plea agreement says. He is scheduled to be sentenced February 19.
Steven B. Matthews, 40, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. New York residents Shawnta B. Fonseca, 34, Reginald M. Glenn, 36, Marlique J. McGhaney, 35, and Daquasia M. Robinson, 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Rashad Holder, 35, of New York, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Holder was sentenced to 65 months in prison in December and ordered to repay $581,711. Marlique McGhaney was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $237,447. Matthews was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to repay $107,072. Glenn was sentenced to 13 months in prison. Fonseca and Robinson are scheduled to be sentenced in March.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Northern California Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to 3 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Lane Winslett, 66, of Corning, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to three years in prison to be followed by a year of supervised release for unlawfully dealing in and manufacturing firearms without a license, selling a firearm to a convicted felon, and possession of an unregistered firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Winslett was a firearms trafficker who sold hundreds of firearms and silencers without a license to deal in or manufacture firearms. Winslett purchased firearm parts online and from licensed dealers, privately manufactured firearms using his home equipment and tools, and sold completed firearms to other people. In 2020, Winslett sold an AR‑15 style privately made firearm to a customer whom Winslett knew was prohibited from possessing firearms because the customer had previously been convicted of a felony.
Winslett also sold silencers, which he falsely labeled as “fuel filters” or “solvent traps.” In 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a parcel addressed to Winslett’s house in Corning. The package contained 25 firearm silencers that were erroneously described as “car fuel filters.” ATF tested the items and determined they were all firearms silencers. Law enforcement later searched Winslett’s home and found 36 silencers, over 30 firearms, additional firearms parts, ammunition, and tools used to privately manufacture firearms.
Winslett did not and does not have a license to deal in firearms, and none of the silencers he possessed were registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily G. Sauvageau and Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOHNNIE HAGANS (“HAGANS”), age 32, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier, after previously pleading guilty to a multi-count indictment. Count 1 charged him with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Count 2 charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(1). Counts 3 and 4 charged him with being a felon in possession a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
HAGANS was sentenced to 157 months imprisonment as to all counts of the indictment, with Counts 1, 3, and 4 to run concurrently, and the sentence for Count 2 to run consecutively to those counts. Judge Barbier also placed HAGANS on supervised release for 3 years and ordered payment of a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on January 23, 2024, a New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer surveilling a Valero gas station in New Orleans saw HAGANS making multiple hand-to-hand drug sales. NOPD patrol officers detected an object in HAGANS’s waistband recognizable as a firearm. HAGANS fled from the officers and discarded a Ruger Model LCPII, .380 caliber pistol, that officers later recovered, in an open lot. Officers also obtained a search warrant for a Nissan Rogue SUV located in the Valero gas station parking lot that HAGANS had previously accessed. Inside the SUV, officers found a Kahr Arms Model CW40, .40 caliber pistol, and a plastic bag containing cocaine. Officers later obtained a search warrant for HAGANS’s residence and recovered a Romarm/Cugir Model Micro Draco, 7.62-millimeter pistol and an Anderson Arms Model AM-15, .223 caliber /5.56-millimeter pistol.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Drug Trafficking and Possessing Two MachinegunsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TIERON PRICE (“PRICE”), age 22, pled guilty on February 4, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion, to two counts of possessing a machinegun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(o) and 924(a)(2); possession with intent to distribute tapentadol, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on May 22, 2023, PRICE was driving a stolen vehicle in New Orleans. When Louisiana State Police troopers attempted to pull him over, PRICE accelerated and led troopers on a dangerous, and potentially life threatening, car chase. The chase ended when PRICE struck a vehicle stopped at a red light. PRICE, and two other occupants, fled but were caught. Inside a backpack carried by one of the other occupants was a Glock Model 17, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, equipped with a Glock auto-sear, making the firearm a fully-automatic machinegun. The machinegun had a bullet in the chamber and was loaded with an extended magazine containing 23 rounds of ammunition.
PRICE was arrested after the car chase but subsequently released on bond. On January 19, 2024, New Orleans Police Department detectives executed a search warrant at PRICE’s residence. During the search, officers found a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, a black Glock auto-sear hidden in a baby bassinet, and a drum magazine loaded with 49 rounds. PRICE was seen the day before the search with the same gun equipped with the auto-sear and the drum magazine. During the search, officers also found over $6,000 in cash, and 95 tapentadol pills that PRICE intended to distribute.
As to each of his convictions for possession of a machinegun, PRICE faces up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. As to his drug trafficking conviction, he faces up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Native of Mexico Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eustolio Sanchez-Ramirez, age 38, of Chiapas, Mexico, was indicted on February 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury on a charge of Illegal Reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about December 19, 2024, Sanchez-Ramirez was found in Dauphin County Pennsylvania after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Sanchez-Ramirez had been removed from the United States through Brownsville, Texas, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Nurse Charged with Tampering with Vials of FentanylRead the Press Release
DETROIT - An indictment was unsealed charging registered nurse Travis Eskridge, 53, of Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, with three counts of tampering with a consumer product, specifically the Schedule II controlled substance fentanyl. He also was charged with one count of theft of medical products by an employee and one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck.
Beck was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office.
According to the indictment, while working as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Ascension St. John Hospital, Eskridge tampered with vials containing fentanyl, a powerful narcotic pain reliever, which he knew were intended to be administered to patients in the hospital’s emergency room. The indictment charges that Eskridge removed fentanyl from the vials, replaced fentanyl with another liquid, and returned the tampered vials to the locked drug storage system. Eskridge did this with reckless disregard for the dangerous risk to patients that results from such tampering. The indictment also charges that he stole fentanyl vials as part of a pattern of thefts over a nine-month period and obtained fentanyl by fraud for his personal use. Nurse Eskridge was removed from his position at Ascension St. John Hospital in August of 2022 when the tampering and thefts were discovered.
Acting United States Attorney Beck stated, “Such crimes are a betrayal of the trust placed in licensed medical professionals. To protect the health and safety of our citizens, we take crimes like this seriously and pursue those in positions of trust who choose to harm others.”
Travis Eskridge made his initial appearance on the Indictment today before a Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He was released on a bond with conditions that included not seeking employment as a nurse.
The maximum penalties provided by statute for these offenses include up to 10 years of imprisonment for each of the three tampering counts, up to 5 years of imprisonment for the theft count, and up to 4 years of imprisonment for the acquiring by fraud count. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. The actual sentence imposed upon any conviction would be decided after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The case is investigated by special agents of the Food and Drug Administration.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Machinegun Conversion DeviceRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – On February 5, 2025, 24-year-old Domonique McKee, from Montgomery, Alabama, received a sentence of 60 months in prison for possession of a machinegun, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following his prison sentence, McKee will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, on December 2, 2023, a Montgomery police officer stopped a vehicle suspected of containing illegal narcotics. The officer identified McKee as the driver and conducted a search of the vehicle. In addition to finding a substance suspected of being methamphetamine, law enforcement found three handguns, numerous rounds of ammunition, and multiple magazines, including extended capacity magazines. One of the handguns seized was equipped with a machinegun conversion device. On September 25, 2024, McKee pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing a machinegun.
“When installed on a firearm, a machinegun conversion device, or ‘switch,’ allows a gun to function as a fully automatic weapon capable of firing a continuous spray of bullets with a single pull of the trigger,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “The mere possession of a machinegun conversion device, regardless of whether it is installed on a firearm, is a federal crime. My office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of those carrying these dangerous devices and to work with our law enforcement partners to remove them from our communities.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Justin L. Jones prosecuted the case.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison Following Federal Drug and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Montgomery, Alabama man following federal drug and gun convictions. On February 5, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 37-year-old Richard Eugene Moore, Jr., to 180 months in prison. In addition, the judge ordered that Moore serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on September 20, 2023, an Alabama state trooper attempted to stop a vehicle in the city of Montgomery after observing a traffic violation. Inside the vehicle was a male driver, two female passengers, and a toddler. The driver, later identified as Moore, refused to stop. A pursuit ensued and the trooper observed Moore throwing objects out of the driver-side window. Moore continued to flee through a residential area, often driving at a high rate of speed. The pursuit ended when Moore ran a stop sign and struck an unmarked police car. Moore then attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended just a few feet from the vehicle. All four occupants of the vehicle, including the toddler, sustained minor injuries. The police officer in the unmarked vehicle sustained more serious injuries and was hospitalized for several days.
Investigators recovered the items discarded by Moore during the pursuit. The items included a Glock handgun and a backpack. Moore has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Inside the backpack, investigators found several bags of suspected marijuana and a digital scale. Laboratory analysis confirmed the substance in the bags to be marijuana.
On September 16, 2024, Moore pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute the illegal drug and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Moore also enter a plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“On a weekday afternoon, Moore led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through the streets of Montgomery when school traffic was at its peak,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “This type of reckless behavior cannot be tolerated. The 15-year sentence ordered by the judge was completely justified due to Moore’s total disregard for the safety of everyone on the road that day, including law enforcement and his passengers.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted.
Mexico National Sentenced to over 3 1/2 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Nicandro Garcia Perez, age 40, of Mexico, was sentenced on February 6, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Garcia Perez to a total of 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Garcia Perez’s release from prison, he will begin a 2-year term of supervised release.
On June 9, 2023, Garcia Perez was contacted by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper at a rest stop along Interstate 80 outside of York, Nebraska. The two engaged in conversation for a period of time before the trooper asked Garcia Perez for consent to search the vehicle. Garcia Perez consented to the search. The trooper began the search and in the back of the vehicle, under the spare tire area, the trooper found multiple square white packages, consistent with cocaine. The trooper also found additional bricks underneath the second and third row seats in the vehicle. Twenty-two bricks in total were found, for a total weight of 55.86 pounds or 25.33 kilograms.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Mexican National Sentenced to More Than 12 Months for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Jose Cruz Cienega-Gaona (41, Mexico) to one year and one day in federal prison for possessing a firearm while unlawfully in the United States. Cienega-Gaona entered a guilty plea in November 2024.
According to court documents, in May 2024, agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection began an investigation into Cienega-Gaona. Through their investigation, agents determined that Cienega-Gaona is a native and citizen of Mexico. Cienega-Gaona had been removed from the United States in 2006 and 2019 after it was determined he was illegally in the United States.
On July 9, 2024, agents spoke with Cienega-Gaona at a gas station near his home and he was arrested for being illegally in the United States. While interviewing Cienega-Gaona, agents learned that he had guns in his home. Agents executed a search warrant at Cienega-Gaona’s home and found four guns and ammunition. Because Cienega-Gaona was in the United States illegally, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Man Who Fired Shots into the Air Outside San Angelo Home Sentenced to 2.5 Years for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
A man who fired shots outside a San Angelo residence was sentenced to 30 months in prison for a federal gun crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.
Edgar Eduardo Gamez-Rodriguez, a 22-year-old citizen of Mexico, was indicted in September 2024 and pleaded guilty in October 2024 to illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to a plea papers, at around 5:05 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2023, law enforcement responded to a call of “shots fired” outside a home in San Angelo. Witnesses, who were attending a party there, reported that Mr. Gamez-Rodriguez had fired several rounds from a handgun into the air.
A sheriff’s office incident report details how Mr. Gamez-Rodriguez – intoxicated and irate at having his keys taken away – pulled out his gun, racked the slide, and pointed it straight at two musicians who’d been hired to play at the party. He climbed into his vehicle, then fired four to six shots into the air before driving off, according to multiple witnesses. He later allegedly told a partygoer he “knows people” who could “shoot up” the house.
According to plea papers, law enforcement later executed a search warrant at Mr. Gamez-Rodriguez’s residence, where they recovered a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun along with two 9mm magazines. In the drawer where the gun and ammunition were stored, they found an employment contract with Mr. Gamez-Rodriguez’s signature and the keys to his vehicle.
Officers also reviewed Mr. Gamez-Rodriguez’s facebook profile photo, which showed him holding a black handgun.
A query of the defendant’s immigration records showed that he was a citizen of Mexico based on his birth in Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico. Mr. Gamez-Rodriguez had never been given permission to enter or remain in the United States, and had been removed to Mexico previously via Laredo.
After serving his sentence, Mr. Gamez-Rodriguez will once again face deportation proceedings.
Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Haag prosecuted the case.
Maine Return Preparer Charged with Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Maine man with preparing false tax returns for clients and scheming to defraud clients, among other crimes.
According to the indictment, Thierry Musese, a paid return preparer, ran a tax preparation business out of a barbershop he owned and operated in Auburn, Maine. During the 2021 and 2022 tax years, Musese allegedly prepared and filed with the IRS false tax returns on behalf of 17 taxpayers. These tax returns allegedly included false business losses, fuel tax credits and residential energy credits, resulting in tax refunds these clients were not entitled to receive. For the 2023 tax year, Musese allegedly continued to prepare false tax returns for clients even after his electronic filing identification number was revoked by the IRS. According to the indictment, Musese also falsified his own tax returns for 2021 and 2022.
Musese also allegedly defrauded some of his clients by diverting to himself a portion of their tax refunds without their permission. According to the indictment, he provided these clients with copies of their tax returns that differed from the versions he filed with the IRS.
Musese will make his initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Maine at a later date. If convicted, Musese faces up to three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Perry for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Madison Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Possessing a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Andre Miller Jr., 24, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 years in federal prison for possessing a machinegun. Miller pleaded guilty to this charge on November 8, 2024. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On October 27, 2021, Town of Madison Police Department officers responded to a reported stolen vehicle parked in Madison. Miller was identified as the driver of the stolen vehicle. When an officer attempted to make contact with Miller, he fled. When officers caught up with Miller, they saw a gun magazine in the backpack he had been carrying. Officers then searched Miller’s backpack and recovered a loaded Glock 26 9mm handgun with a machinegun conversion device. A machinegun conversion device is an illegal, after-market device that converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully functioning machinegun. In the backpack, officers also located 48 grams of cocaine and 10 grams of heroin.
“Machinegun conversion devices are extraordinarily dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea. “These devices are often used in weapons that are not designed to function as machine guns, thus making the weapons incredibly difficult to aim. Discharging a weapon equipped with such a device in a public area endangers every child and adult within range. Keeping these illegal devices off the streets in Wisconsin and keeping our citizens free of fear from these weapons is one of my highest priorities,” said O’Shea.
At sentencing, Judge Conley said that he found it very troubling that Miller was going around with a machinegun that was connected to drug trafficking.
The charge against Miller was the result of an investigation conducted by the Town of Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Madison Couple Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Yelitzia Ortiz Chaparro, 29, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 3 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Her husband, Emanuel Gonzalez, 25, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, by Judge Peterson to 8 years in federal prison for possessing 500 grams of more of cocaine intended for distribution. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to this charge on November 4, 2024. Ortiz Chaparro pleaded guilty to the methamphetamine charge on November 6, 2024.
Between November of 2022 and February of 2023, Ortiz Chaparro sold cocaine to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration on three occasions for a total of 362 grams. On March 17, 2023, Gonzalez and Ortiz Chaparro worked together to deliver one pound of methamphetamine to the confidential source in Madison.
On May 9, 2024, and again on May 15, 2024, Gonzalez sold cocaine to a second confidential source for a total of 198 grams. On June 13, 2024, the second confidential source contacted Gonzalez in order to purchase one pound of methamphetamine. During a telephone call with Gonzalez and Ortiz Chaparro to set up the deal, Ortiz Chaparro told the second confidential source that the price for the methamphetamine was $2,100. Later that day, Gonzalez delivered one pound of methamphetamine to the second confidential source in Madison.
On July 15, 2024, the second confidential source contacted Gonzalez and negotiated the purchase of two ounces of cocaine. Later that day, Gonzalez delivered 56 grams of cocaine to the second confidential source in Madison.
On July 18, 2024, agents executed a federal search warrant at Gonzalez and Ortiz Chaparro’s residence in Madison. Prior to the search, agents arrested Gonzalez and found $9,660 on his person. During the search of the master bedroom of the residence, agents found nearly a kilogram of cocaine in a closet and a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun in a dresser drawer. Agents also found $8,600 inside of a safe in a second bedroom. Agents performed a firearms trace on the recovered 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun and discovered that Gonzalez had purchased it in 2020.
At the sentencing hearing for Ortiz Chaparro, Judge Peterson stated that the large amounts of drugs she distributed for a significant period of time made it a very serious crime. Judge Peterson noted that the while the evidence showed that Gonzalez initially got Ortiz Chaparro involved in drug trafficking, she quickly “leaned into” selling significant quantities of drugs on her own.
At the sentencing hearing for Gonzalez, Judge Peterson stated that the evidence showed that Gonzalez had been responsible for distributing large amounts of illegal drugs prior to selling drugs to the confidential sources during the investigation. Judge Peterson also stated that Gonzalez made the situation worse by keeping a loaded firearm in an unlocked dresser drawer that was accessible to his young child and in close proximity to a large amount of cocaine.
The charges against Gonzalez and Ortiz Chaparro were the result of an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Madison Police Department. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Jordan Vega, age 29, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 188 months’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute, and distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Vega was involved in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and other controlled substances throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties beginning in January 2022 until the time of his arrest on April 20, 2023. The investigation revealed that Vega managed a network of drug traffickers and utilized co-conspirators to facilitate drug orders and drug distributions. After a series of undercover purchases of controlled substances from Vega and others beginning in February through March 2023, Vega was arrested on April 20, 2023. At the time of his arrest, Vega attempted to obstruct justice by directing the concealment of approximately 5,000 bags of fentanyl and other contraband located in a stash house in Hazleton. The obstruction attempt and managerial role were taken into consideration at sentencing.
Vega was indicted by a grand jury in Scranton on April 18, 2023, along with Alex Hernandez, age 25, also from Hazleton and a member of Vega’s conspiracy. Vega appeared in federal court in Scranton on July 19, 2024, and plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Hernandez was previously sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.
The charges stem from a joint investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Scranton - Safe Streets Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Louisville Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Distribution and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A local man was sentenced this week to 8 years and 1 month for conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Roger Bailey, 42, was sentenced to 8 years and 1 month in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Between April 9, 2024, and May 29, 2024, Bailey conspired with other persons to possess with intent to distribute cocaine by selling cocaine on four occasions. On May 29, 2024, a residential search warrant was executed on Bailey’s residence located at 441 South 29th Street, Louisville, Kentucky. During the search, cocaine, a Mossberg, Model MMR, 5.56 caliber rifle, a Glock, Model 19, 9-millimeter pistol, an American Tactical Imports, Model Omni Hybrid, multi-caliber pistol, and ammunition were found and seized.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Louisville Man Sentenced to 3 Months Federal Incarceration and 3 Months Home Incarceration for Aiming a Laser at Police HelicopterRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced this week to 3 months incarceration to be followed by 3 months home incarceration aiming the beam of laser at a Louisville Metropolitan Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
“This senseless act could easily have resulted in tragedy for the crew of the helicopter, other aircraft, and citizens on the ground,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively identify and charge anyone who engages in this type of criminal conduct. I commend the FBI and LMPD for their prompt investigative work in identifying and apprehending Mr. Freeman.”
According to court documents, Justin E. Freeman, 33, of Louisville, Kentucky, was sentenced 3 months incarceration and 3 months home incarceration, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for aiming the beam of a laser at an aircraft. On or about September 30, 2023, Freeman directed the beam of a laser at an LMPD helicopter operating in Louisville, Kentucky.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Judd prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Louisiana Doctor Sentenced for Illegally Distributing over 1.8M Doses of Opioids in $5.4M Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Louisiana physician was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in prison for conspiring to illegally distribute over 1.8 million doses of Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, and for defrauding health care benefit programs of more than $5.4 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Adrian Dexter Talbot M.D., 59, of Slidell, owned and operated Medex Clinical Consultants (Medex), located in Slidell. Medex was a medical clinic that accepted cash payments from individuals seeking prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances. Talbot routinely ignored signs that individuals frequenting Medex were drug-seeking or abusing the drugs prescribed. In 2015, Talbot took a full-time job in Pineville, Louisiana, and although he was no longer physically present at the Slidell clinic, he pre-signed prescriptions, including for opioids and other controlled substances, to be distributed to individuals there whom he did not see or examine. In 2016, Talbot hired another practitioner who, at Talbot’s direction, also pre-signed prescriptions to be distributed to individuals in exchange for cash deposited into a Medex bank account. The evidence also demonstrated that Talbot falsified patient records to cover up the scheme and to make it appear as though he was routinely examining the patients. With Talbot’s knowledge, these individuals filled their prescriptions using their insurance benefits, thereby causing health care benefit programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, to be fraudulently billed for controlled substances that were prescribed without an appropriate patient examination or determination of medical necessity.
On July 22, 2024, Talbot was convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances, four counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s South Central Field Office, Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI New Orleans Field Office, and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, VA-OIG, FBI, and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Sara E. Porter and Gary A. Crosby II, Assistant Chief Justin Woodard, and Deputy Chief Kate Payerle of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Louisiana Doctor Sentenced for Illegally Distributing over 1.8M Doses of Opioids in $5.4M Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Louisiana physician was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in prison for conspiring to illegally distribute over 1.8 million doses of Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, and for defrauding health care benefit programs of more than $5.4 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Adrian Dexter Talbot M.D., 59, of Slidell, owned and operated Medex Clinical Consultants (Medex), located in Slidell. Medex was a medical clinic that accepted cash payments from individuals seeking prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances. Talbot routinely ignored signs that individuals frequenting Medex were drug-seeking or abusing the drugs prescribed. In 2015, Talbot took a full-time job in Pineville, Louisiana, and although he was no longer physically present at the Slidell clinic, he pre-signed prescriptions, including for opioids and other controlled substances, to be distributed to individuals there whom he did not see or examine. In 2016, Talbot hired another practitioner who, at Talbot’s direction, also pre-signed prescriptions to be distributed to individuals in exchange for cash deposited into a Medex bank account. The evidence also demonstrated that Talbot falsified patient records to cover up the scheme and to make it appear as though he was routinely examining the patients. With Talbot’s knowledge, these individuals filled their prescriptions using their insurance benefits, thereby causing health care benefit programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, to be fraudulently billed for controlled substances that were prescribed without an appropriate patient examination or determination of medical necessity.
On July 22, 2024, Talbot was convicted by a jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances, four counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG)’s South Central Field Office, Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI New Orleans Field Office, and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, VA-OIG, FBI, and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Sara E. Porter and Gary A. Crosby II, Assistant Chief Justin Woodard, and Deputy Chief Kate Payerle of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Found Guilty of Federal Civil Rights Violation for Using Excessive Force Against WomanRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy was found guilty by a jury today of using excessive force when he assaulted and pepper-sprayed a woman outside a supermarket in Lancaster in June 2023.
Trevor James Kirk, 32, of Santa Clarita, was found guilty of one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, on June 24, 2023, Kirk and another deputy were responding to a possible robbery at a WinCo Foods supermarket by a man and a woman. Kirk and the other deputy arrived on scene and handcuffed and detained a man matching the description of the male suspect, while the victim, identified in court documents as “J.H.” – who matched the description of the female suspect – recorded the deputies on her cellphone. While recording, J.H. told Kirk that he had a legal obligation to inform the man of the basis for his detention and that she was broadcasting his actions on social media.
Kirk then approached J.H. and, without giving any commands, attempted to grab her phone. J.H. turned away, at which point Kirk grabbed J.H. by her arm, hooked his left hand behind her neck, and violently threw her face first to the ground. While on the ground, Kirk yelled at J.H. to “get on the ground,” and she told him that “It’s already on YouTube Live,” implying her video of Kirk and the other deputy handcuffing D.B. had already been shared on social media.
Kirk then placed his knee on J.H.’s shoulder and, when J.H. yelled for Kirk to “stop,” Kirk cocked his right arm back with a clenched fist and said, “Stop or you’re gonna get punched in the face.” Kirk then pressed his knee into J.H.’s neck, and she said, “Get your neck [sic] off my… off my… I can’t breathe.” While on top of J.H., Kirk used his LASD radio to give a misleading report that he was in a “fight.”
Without giving any additional commands to J.H., Kirk pepper-sprayed her twice in the face. While Kirk pepper sprayed J.H., her hands were holding only prescription sunglasses and a cloth surgical mask. J.H. received medical attention for her injuries sustained from the pepper spray and from being thrown to the ground. J.H. was treated for blunt-force head trauma and injuries to her head, arms, and wrist.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson scheduled an April 21, sentencing hearing, at which point Kirk will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eli A. Alcaraz, Brian R. Faerstein and Michael J. Morse of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Long Island-Based Bloods Gang Members Charged with Attempted Murders, Armed Robberies, Firearms Trafficking and Fraud in Second Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Central Islip, three Bloods gang members, Dwayne Murray, Kendrick Seymore and Lavalle Wilson, were arraigned on new charges in a 46-count second superseding indictment before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. That indictment also charges an additional defendant, high-ranking Bloods gang member Sheim Tevin Ramsey-Davis (Ramsey-Davis), with racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes in-aid-of racketeering, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, robbery, fraud and narcotics trafficking. Ramsey-Davis was arrested on January 30, 2025, in Augusta, Georgia and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
The second superseding indictment includes the following new charges against Murray, Seymore and Wilson for crimes they allegedly committed in Suffolk County between 2016 and 2022:
- Murray is charged with a September 26, 2016 attempted murder; a May 28, 2020 attempted murder; a May 2020 gunpoint robbery; and firearms trafficking. Murray was previously charged with the June 12, 2020 murder of Wayne Cherry and Seymore was previously charged with the July 23, 2021 execution-style murders of Nyasia Knox, Diamond Schick and Richard Castano.
- Seymore is charged with a May 2020 gunpoint robbery; an October 23, 2020 armed home invasion robbery; a September 25, 2021 armed home invasion robbery; and an October 1, 2021 attempted armed home invasion robbery.
- Murray and Wilson are charged with conspiring with other members of the gang to defraud victims of significant amounts of money between 2020 and 2022.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney; James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Office (ATF NY); and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the arrest and charges.
“With these new and very serious charges, law enforcement continues its objective of dismantling the Bloods on Long Island, and of prosecuting gang members who are drivers of gun violence and numerous other crimes in Suffolk County,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office and our federal and local partners will not relent in our efforts to remove this threat in order to make our communities safer.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia and FBI’s Resident Agency in Augusta, Georgia, for their assistance with the case.
“The crimes alleged here strike at the very fabric of our community through violence, intimidation and corruption. Each count in this indictment, from murder to firearms trafficking, represents not just a crime, but a family traumatized, a neighborhood living in fear, or young people pulled into a cycle of violence,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney. “My office will continue working alongside our federal and local partners to dismantle all such criminal enterprises and restore safety to the communities they have terrorized.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated: “These three gang members allegedly engaged in an array of criminal activity –murders, armed robberies, and narcotics trafficking – designed to bolster their financial and internal social statuses as well as punish rival entities. This series of new charges emphasizes the various extreme measures the defendants will allegedly implement to support their gang’s operations. Alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains steadfast in its mission to eradicate the gang violence and criminality polluting our communities.”
“This indictment underscores the collective commitment with ATF NY and our law enforcement partners,” stated ATF NY Special Agent in Charge Miller. “Dismantling violent gangs that terrorize our communities and threaten public safety remain a top priority. It is our obligation to bring every resource to bear in the face of brazen acts of violence. We remain fully committed to enhancing public safety through identifying and eliminating the key drivers of violence. Thank you to the efforts of the men and women of ATF NY Long Island Joint Firearms Task Force, FBI, Suffolk County Police Department and EDNY.”
“These defendants have terrorized the community for years, committing a spree of violent crimes,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “It is through the diligent work of investigators from multiple agencies that we are able to levy new charges. The department along with our law enforcement partners remains committed to working together to fight the brutality of gang members.”
As alleged in court filings, the defendants engaged in numerous acts of violence on behalf of the Bloods gang, including robberies, home invasions, numerous shootings and four murders. The defendants are members of a Bloods set known as the Gorilla Stone Bloods (GSB), which have “kaves” located in various towns on Long Island. Murray and Ramsey-Davis were the leaders of the “Money Gang Kave.” The second superseding indictment adds charges stemming from the defendants’ years-long use of violence to target their rivals and armed robberies to enrich the members of the gang.
Specifically, on September 26, 2016, Murray, who was the leader of a set of the Bloods, shot a victim multiple times to increase his own status within the Bloods. On May 28, 2020, Ramsey-Davis, at Murray’s direction, fired numerous shots at two individuals believed to be associated with a rival gang who were seated in a parked car in front of a residence in Bellport. Murray, Seymore and Ramsey-Davis, along with other gang members, also routinely scouted lucrative robbery targets and committed several armed robberies and home invasions in Suffolk County in 2020 and 2021. In addition, Ramsey-Davis and his co-conspirators sold large amounts of narcotics, including fentanyl. They also engaged in numerous fraud schemes, including identity theft, credit card and bank fraud and defrauding state unemployment systems. Ramsey-Davis also purchased and sold firearms, and supplied lower-level members of the gang with guns.
Previously, Murray and Seymore were charged with racketeering, murder, attempted murder, firearms offenses and narcotics trafficking, and Wilson was charged with attempted murder, firearms offenses and narcotics trafficking.
The charges in the second superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Misorek and Andrew P. Wenzel and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Donald N. Barclay and Dena C. Rizopoulos are in charge of the prosecution, along with Paralegal Specialist Dejah Turla.
The Defendants:
DWAYNE MURRAY (also known as “Wayno”)
Age: 33
Residence: Coram, Long IslandSHEIM TEVIN RAMSEY-DAVIS (also known as “KG”)
Age: 26
Residence: Augusta, GeorgiaKENDRICK SEYMORE (also known as “KR”)
Age: 22
Residence: Coram, Long IslandLAVALLE WILSON (also known as “Val,” Skip,” “Flip” and “Wes”)
Age: 30
Residence: Shirley, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-401 (S-2) (JMA)
Lockheed Martin Corporation Agrees to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Defective PricingRead the Press Release
Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC) has agreed to pay $29.74 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations of defective pricing on contracts for F-35 military aircraft. This payment is in addition to $11.3 million that LMC previously paid to the Department of Defense (DOD) for the same undisclosed cost and pricing data on some of the same contracts. LMC, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the world’s largest defense contractors.
According to court documents, between 2013 and 2015, LMC inflated pricing proposals it submitted to obtain contracts for the F-35 by failing to provide to DOD’s F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) accurate, complete, and current cost and pricing data during the negotiations leading to the award of five contracts for the production or sustainment of the F-35. The United States alleged that LMC had knowledge of suppliers’ cost or pricing data that it did not disclose to the JPO in violation of the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA). Congress enacted TINA in 1962 to help level the playing field in sole source contracts — where there is no price competition — by making sure that government negotiators have access to the cost or pricing data that the offeror used when developing its proposal. The United States alleged that had LMC provided accurate, complete, and current cost and pricing data, JPO would have awarded the contracts in lower amounts.
“Those who do business with the government must do so fairly and honestly,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will pursue contractors that knowingly misuse taxpayer funds.”
“The United States relies on contractors such as Lockheed Martin to provide accurate, complete, and current information, including pricing data, when negotiating contracts with the government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr, for the Eastern District of Texas. “If a contractor fails to do so, and that failure affects the value of its contract with the government, the Eastern District of Texas will take steps to ensure that the contractor is held accountable.”
“The F-35 program is at the heart of our nation’s defense,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, Director and Program Executive Officer, F-35 Joint Program Office. “The F-35 Joint Program Office will continue to insist on integrity and honesty in all business transactions. We demand 100% accountability for every dollar spent on this program on behalf of U.S. taxpayers and international customers and taxpayers.”
“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) will methodically pursue all alleged violations of the False Claims Act and Truth in Negotiations Act,” said Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of DCIS. “Today’s outcome reflects the unwavering commitment of DCIS and our investigative partners to hold accountable those who bilk the American taxpayer by perpetrating fraud against the DOD.”
“Overinflation of production and sustainment costs for an aircraft critical to our national defense undermines operational readiness and erodes the trust placed in the Department of Defense by the American people,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our investigative partners remain steadfast in our commitment to investigating entities that compromise the integrity of government contracts.”
The settlement derives from allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Texas by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Patrick Girard v. Lockheed Martin Corp., No. 4:17-CV-147 (EDTX). The relator’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section of the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas with assistance from JPO, DCIS, NCIS, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
Trial Attorney Arnold M. Auerhan of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gillingham for the Eastern District of Texas handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability
Laredo felon guilty in conspiracy to smuggle hundreds of aliensRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 34-year-old Laredo man has admitted guilt in a multi-year conspiracy to smuggle aliens for financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Since March 2023, Danny Nunez operated and coordinated an organization in Laredo that smuggled and harbored hundreds of aliens.
The investigation tied Nunez to coordinating numerous smuggling events such as one involving over 100 aliens Dec. 2, 2023. On that date, law enforcement observed several people being loading into a white trailer in a warehouse parking lot. A subsequent search resulted in the discovery of 101 aliens locked inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied children. Multiple people reported they had difficulty breathing and feared for their life due to the conditions in the trailer.
Juan Manuel Aguirre, 49, Laredo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens in the United States, admitting his role in the transportation and smuggling of this group.
At the time of Nunez’s arrest, authorities also conducted a search of his residence resulting in the seizure of cell phones and ledgers documenting the aliens Nunez and others had smuggled over the course of the conspiracy. They also found over $36,000 in resulting proceeds and two illegal aliens on the premises.
“The road to a secure border runs through the Southern District of Texas,” said Ganjei. “Human smuggling is a terrible practice, one that the Department is focused on eradicating. My advice to those in the human smuggling business is to find a new line of work.”
Both Nunez and Aguirre face up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to smuggle aliens in the United States. They could also be ordered to pay up to $250,000 in fines.
They will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety. and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, the Laredo Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling is prosecuting the case.
Jasper County felon guilty of federal firearms and drug trafficking crimesRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Buna man has been convicted of federal firearms and drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Leotis Cornelius McMahon, 48, was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 5, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in 2023, law enforcement was investigating McMahon for distributing narcotics within Southeast Texas. After a prolonged surveillance operation, a traffic stop was conducted on McMahon where he was found to be transporting large amounts of marijuana, cocaine, and nearly a kilogram of “actual” methamphetamine. After the traffic stop, a search warrant for McMahon’s residence in Buna was obtained and executed. Law enforcement discovered materials used in the distribution of narcotics as well as four separate firearms, one being an AR style pistol. One of the firearms seized from McMahon’s residence was stolen.
McMahon was operating what was described as a mobile illegal drug shop. The amounts of controlled substances, along with the tools used in trafficking such as scales and bags used for distribution, seized from McMahon indicated that he was dealing significant quantities of drugs for profit.
Further investigation revealed McMahon is a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
McMahon was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 10, 2024. He faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations; Lumberton Police Department; Jasper County Sheriff’s Office; Beaumont Police Department; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and John B. Ross.
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Janesville Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Taiwan Edwards, 29, Janesville, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in federal prison for possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine intended for distribution. Edwards pleaded guilty to this charge on October 28, 2024.
In October 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit connected to Edwards. Officers recovered more than a kilogram of cocaine and $72,573. Officers also found six firearms, including two “ghost guns,” and ammunition. A “ghost gun” is a privately made firearm that does not have a serial number.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson described the storage unit as a “mini armory,” and noted that Edwards had engaged in a “very substantial” amount of drug trafficking.
The charge against Edwards was the result of an investigation conducted by the Janesville Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan R. Stelljes prosecuted this case.
Indian National Sentenced for Making False Statements in an Application for a U.S. Passport and to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Indian national living in Chelsea, Mass. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for making false statements in an application for a U.S. passport and making false statements to federal agents.
Sharn Parzival, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (approximately five months) and one year of supervised release. Parzival is subject to deportation. In December 2024, Parzival pleaded guilty to an Information.
On Jan. 31, 2023, Parzival submitted an application for a U.S. passport at a post office in Somerville, Mass. In the application he claimed to have been born in Maryland and declared under penalty of perjury that he was a citizen or national of the United States. As proof of identity and citizenship, Parzival submitted copies of a Massachusetts driver’s license and a purported Maryland birth certificate. The investigation revealed, however, that Parzival had entered the country in 2021 from India on a non-immigrant student Visa but had thereafter been expelled by the school he was attending. Further investigation revealed that the birth certificate was fraudulent and that Maryland had never issued a birth certificate in Parzival’s name.
On April 26, 2023, Parzival went to the office of the U.S. Department of State (DOS) in Boston to inquire about the status of his passport application. He agreed to be interviewed by DOS agents and made a number of false statements, including that he had been born in Maryland, that he had no affiliation with India and that he had never applied for a Visa. A fingerprint analyst subsequently compared Parzival’s fingerprints to fingerprints that he provided when he applied for the Visa in India and concluded that they matched.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Houston Man Indicted for Coercing, Enticing Minors and Sexually Exploiting a Minor to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Dazhon Darien, 32, of Houston, Texas, with five counts of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of coercion and enticement of a child, one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material, and four counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the charges with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department.
According to the indictment, between July 2023 and July 2024, the defendant persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor male to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing and transmitting child sexual abuse material. Additionally, the indictment alleges that the defendant enticed two minor males to engage in prohibited sexual conduct and Darien possessed child sexual abuse material in internet-based accounts and on one digital device.
If convicted, Darien faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for each of the two counts of coercion and enticement of a child; a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the single count of receipt of child sexual abuse material, and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of the four counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
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.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the Baltimore FBI Field Office and the Baltimore County Police Department, for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine O. Goo 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Hagerstown Man Faces Federal Indictment for Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted William Foster Alger, 75, of Hagerstown, Maryland, charging him with seven counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of coercion and enticement of a child, and five counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Colonel Paul Joey Kifer, Chief of Police of the Hagerstown Police Department (HPD); and Washington County State’s Attorney Gina Cirincion.
According to the indictment, between November 2023 and December 2024, the defendant persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced three minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing and transmitting child sexual abuse material. Additionally, Alger allegedly enticed the minors to engage in prohibited sexual conduct. He also possessed child sexual abuse material in an internet-based account and on four digital devices.
If convicted, Alger faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor; a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to a maximum of life imprisonment for each of the three counts of coercion and enticement of a child; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each of the four counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
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.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended HSI, HPD, and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Guatemalan National Previously Removed from the United States on Nine Prior Occasions Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dimas Obispo Yuman-Parada (62, Guatemala) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Yuman-Parada faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Yuman-Parada was previously removed from the United States on nine prior occasions—1986, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015. Following his removal from the United States in 2015, Yuman-Parada did not receive the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. Yuman-Parada was found to be voluntarily back in the United States in October 2024, when he was arrested in the Middle District of Florida on a state charge of domestic battery. Yuman-Parada was previously convicted in the Southern District of Texas of illegal reentry in 2014.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Guam Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Ricky Junior O. Quichocho, age 37, from Dededo, Guam, was sentenced by the U.S. District Court of Guam on February 4, 2025 to 10 years imprisonment for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. Quichocho was ordered to register with the Sex Offender Registry anywhere he resides, is employed, or is in school.
In May of 2024, Air Force Office of Special Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations conducted a joint undercover operation to identify and target individuals who were seeking to contact and engage in sexual activity with minor children. Agents created multiple personas on several social networking applications and posted in online forums.
On May 7, 2024, Ricky Junior O. Quichocho, a civilian employee of a military contractor, initiated contact with the undercover persona. Even though the undercover persona said she was 13 years old, Quichocho continued communication and stated he was interested in “sexual fun.” Throughout the month, Quichocho continued text messages of a sexual nature, indicating various sex acts he wanted to do with the undercover persona. On June 10, 2024, after an agreement to meet with the minor at the Anderson Air Force Base Visitor Control Center parking lot, Quichocho instead was met by Air Force Office of Special Investigations Special Agents. In a subsequent interview, Quichocho admitted to his conduct. A forensic analysis of Quichocho’s cellphone confirmed text messages and photographs sent to the undercover persona.
“Interagency partnerships are the key to fighting child exploitation,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “This case is another reminder of the dangers faced by children during online activity. We will continue to target offenders who prey on this vulnerable segment of our communities. I applaud HSI and AFOSI in bringing Quichocho to justice.”
“HSI utilizes partnerships with agencies including AFOSI to protect our communities from child predators. By working together, HSI ensures resources are utilized most effectively to seek out and apprehend those who intend to harm our most vulnerable community members,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas.
“AFOSI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to root out criminal behavior that threatens the mission, equipment and people of the Department of the Air Force,” said Special Agent Eric Beebe, Commander of AFOSI Detachment 602. “We are dedicated to protecting our Airmen, their families, and the broader Guam community, as Operation Island Fever showcased.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 602.
Assistant United States Attorney Devarup Rastogi prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
This was a Project Safe Childhood (PSC) case, 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Gang Member Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for Racketeering and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang was sentenced on Wednesday to 144 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and the sale of cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Kareem Green, a/k/a “Try Me”(“Green”), 32, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) conspiracy and a separate indictment charging him with distribution of cocaine. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence on February 5, 2025 in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Green was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. On April 5, 2021, Green worked with other members of the gang to shoot a victim. On April 11, 2021, Green worked with other members of the gang to shoot another victim. On March 5, 2021, Green worked with another member of the gang to distribute cocaine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Green to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr., as well as investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under Marshal Juan Mattos’ direction; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Amir D. Jones’ direction, the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi, the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan, the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, for the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Health Care Fraud Unit.
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Defense Counsel:
William Strazza, Esq., Chester, NJ
Four Pharmacists Sentenced for Roles in $13M Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurer Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Four pharmacy owners have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.
Pharmacist Raef Hamaed, of Maricopa County, Arizona, was sentenced on Jan. 8 to 10 years in prison; pharmacist Tarek Fakhuri, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, was sentenced on Jan. 13 to seven years in prison; pharmacist Ali Abdelrazzaq, of Macomb County, Michigan, was sentenced on Jan. 15 to two years in prison; and pharmacist Kindy Ghussin, of Greene County, Ohio, was sentenced today to five years and five months in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hamaed, Fakhuri, Ghussin, and Abdelrazzaq billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescription medications that they did not dispense at five pharmacies they owned and operated: Eastside Pharmacy, Harper Drugs, and Wayne Campus Pharmacy in Michigan, and Heartland Pharmacy and Heartland Pharmacy 2 in Ohio. The defendants collectively caused over $13 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
On Sept. 5, 2024, a federal jury convicted Hamaed, Fakhuri, Ghussin, and Abdelrazzaq of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. The jury also convicted Fakhuri of one count of health care fraud. Hamaed was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy at all five pharmacies; Fakhuri was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy at Harper Drugs, Wayne Campus Pharmacy, and Heartland Pharmacy; Ghussin was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy at Wayne Campus Pharmacy and both Heartland pharmacies; and Abdelrazzaq was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy at Wayne Campus Pharmacy.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Claire Sobczak Pacelli, Kelly M. Warner, and S. Babu Kaza of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Four Defendants Charged with Cyberstalking, Kidnapping, and Murder in Parking Lot of Bronx Shopping CenterRead the Press Release
Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge for the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment in Manhattan federal court charging IVAN COLLADO; PATRICIA VILLALBA, a/k/a “Patty,” a/k/a “Sweetz”; ARECIO COLLADO; and JERRY VARGAS, a/k/a “Peligro,” with, among other things, cyberstalking resulting in death, murder through the use of a firearm, conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, and narcotics conspiracy in connection with the stalking and murder of Raymond Resto, a/k/a “Sugar Hill Tone” on November 26, 2023, in the Bronx, New York. IVAN COLLADO was previously arrested and charged with kidnapping conspiracy and attempted kidnapping resulting in death on February 15, 2024, when he was ordered detained. VILLALBA, ARECIO COLLADO, and VARGAS were arrested yesterday and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, these defendants carried out a sophisticated and brazen scheme to stalk, kidnap, and kill Raymond Resto over a drug debt. They murdered Resto in front of his wife in the parking lot of the Throggs Neck Shopping Center in the Bronx. This Office’s commitment to investigate such callous violence is unwavering and we will not relent in our aggressive pursuit of justice against violent criminals.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino said: “Drug trafficking is a dangerous and illegal business, often entangled with violent and deadly consequences. These individuals, who participated in the cyberstalking, attempted kidnapping, and murder of Mr. Resto, chose to use violence and intimidation to further their criminal enterprise. The unsealing of this Superseding Indictment is a result of the partnership DEA New York has with our law enforcement partners in keeping our communities safe and making sure those responsible for these types of violent crimes face consequences for their actions.”
As alleged in the charging documents in the case and in court documents:[1]
Between at least in or around November 2023 through at least in or about February 2024, IVAN COLLADO, VILLALBA, and ARECIO COLLADO participated in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of powder cocaine in New York City and elsewhere. As part of this conspiracy, a particular drug dealer (“CC-1”) who was assisted by Resto, obtained kilograms of cocaine on consignment from IVAN COLLADO, VILLALBA, and ARECIO COLLADO, but CC-1 was unable to repay the debt owed for the cocaine.
In response, IVAN COLLADO, together with ARECIO COLLADO and VILLALBA, harassed and intimidated CC-1, including through threats of violence, in an attempt to secure repayment and identify Resto and CC-1’s customers. IVAN COLLADO, VILLALBA, ARECIO COLLADO, and VARGAS also took steps to locate and place Resto under surveillance in advance of his murder, including through the use of a GPS tracking device installed on Resto’s car.
On or about November 26, 2023, Resto was in the parking lot of the Throggs Neck Shopping Center in the Bronx with his wife when a BMW pulled in front of Resto and his wife, blocking their path to exit. Three gunmen attempted to force Resto into the BMW. During the kidnapping, one of the gunmen began shooting at Resto at close range. Resto struggled to escape while another kidnapper also opened fire. Resto was shot at least four times and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Resto was 49 years old.
Following the murder, IVAN COLLADO, ARECIO COLLADO, and VILLALBA redoubled their efforts to stalk, intimidate, and harass CC-1 and CC-1’s family.
If you believe that you have additional information about this murder, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900, and reference this case.
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A chart containing the names of the defendants, the charges against them, and the associated penalties is set forth below.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA Task Force, which is comprised of members of the DEA, NYPD, and New York State Police, as well as the NYPD’s Bronx Homicide Squad. Ms. Sassoon also thanked the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for their support and assistance in this matter.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley C. Nicolas, Joseph H. Rosenberg, and Courtney L. Heavey are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from investigative analyst Koren Augustin and paralegal specialist Chanel-Ashley Foster.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1Narcotics Conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846
IVAN COLLADO,
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Patty,”
a/k/a “Sweetz,”
ARECIO COLLADO
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum 10 years in prison
2Cyberstalking Resulting in Death
18 U.S.C. §§ 2261A(2)(A) and (B), 2261(b)(1), and 2
IVAN COLLADO,
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Sweetz,”
ARECIO COLLADO,
JERRY VARGAS,
a/k/a “Peligro”
Life in prison3Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping Resulting in Death
18 U.S.C. § 1201(c)
IVAN COLLADO,
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Patty,”
a/k/a “Sweetz,”
ARECIO COLLADO,
JERRY VARGAS,
a/k/a “Peligro”
Life in prison4Firearms Use, Carrying, and Possession
18 U.S.C. § 924(c) and 2
IVAN COLLADO,
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Patty,”
a/k/a “Sweetz,”
ARECIO COLLADO,
JERRY VARGAS,
a/k/a “Peligro”
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum consecutive sentence of 10 years in prison
5Murder Through the Use of a Firearm
18 U.S.C. § 924(j)
IVAN COLLADO,
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Patty,”
a/k/a “Sweetz,”
ARECIO COLLADO,
JERRY VARGAS,
a/k/a “Peligro”
Life in prison or death6Cyberstalking With Use of a Dangerous Weapon
18 U.S.C. §§ 2261A(2)(A) and (B), 2261(b)(3), and 2
IVAN COLLADO,
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Patty,”
a/k/a “Sweetz,”
ARECIO COLLADO,
JERRY VARGAS,
a/k/a “Peligro”
10 years in prison7False Statements
18 U.S.C. § 1001
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Patty,”
a/k/a “Sweetz,”
Five years in prison8False Statements
18 U.S.C. § 1001
PATRICIA VILLALBA,
a/k/a “Patty,”
a/k/a “Sweetz”
Five years in prison9False Statements
18 U.S.C. § 1001
IVAN COLLADOFive years in prison
[1] 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 descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Michael Turner, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa pled guilty February 5, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to felony possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
At the plea hearing, Turner admitted that between March 1, 2024 and March 29, 2024, he possessed a Glock .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, knowing that he was then previously convicted of robbery/no firearm in Cook County, Illinois in March of 2011, and introduction of drugs into a detention facility in Webster County, Iowa, in 2017, each a felony crime punishable of a term of imprisonment for more than one year. On March 8, 2024, a shooting occurred in Fort Dodge, Iowa. On March 29, 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Turner was a passenger and located a .45 caliber Glock pistol under Turner’s seat. Officers found that Turner was wearing a holster that fit the pistol, and upon inquiry admitted that he had possessed the firearm at various times in March 2024.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Turner remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Turner faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3023. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.