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25 September 2026
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of A MinorRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026.
Bucorey Bell, age 29, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by ten years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bell was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023. He pleaded guilty on June 17, 2026.
In August 2023 Bell began a romantic relationship with the victim who was under the age of 16, ultimately culminating in Bell and the victim engaging in sexual acts on multiple occasions. The abuse occurred within the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services and the FBI. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Plains Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Bell was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Veterans Affairs Field Examiner Indicted on Federal Fraud Charge Related to COVID 19 Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Randy Bond, 52, of Fortville, with one count of wire fraud. Bond made his initial appearance in federal court on September 16, 2026. This case was brought as part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court documents, between July 4, 2020, and October 13, 2021, Bond allegedly carried out a scheme to defraud the federal government by submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications. In these submissions, Bond falsely claimed to own a car wash and automotive repair business generating substantial revenue, as well as a pet care business with significant monthly payroll expenses.
Bond allegedly applied for two EIDLs and two PPP loans, ultimately receiving approximately $101,333. He is accused of using the funds for personal expenses, including purchases at Best Buy and Total Wine.
During the period of the alleged fraud, Bond was employed full-time by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a field examiner, working with veterans who required fiduciary support. His responsibilities included meeting with veterans and their fiduciaries to ensure veterans were receiving proper care and reviewing accounting documentation when necessary.
The United States Small Business Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who is prosecuting this case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment is merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former U.S. Soldier Sentenced for Hacking and Extortion Scheme That Exposed Sensitive Data of U.S. Government OfficialRead the Press Release
Seattle — Cameron John Wagenius, 22, a former Army soldier who was most recently stationed in Texas, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $294,978 in restitution for conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid. In November 2024, Wagenius made two online posts that disclosed stolen confidential non-content call detail records belonging to a government official and family members of another former official and threatened to release additional confidential records unless paid a ransom. The text of one of these online posts suggested that Wagenius was motivated by a desire to retaliate for the then-recent arrest of another cybercriminal.
“Cameron Wagenius spent more than a year and a half betraying the trust placed in him as an active duty soldier by carrying out a sweeping cybercrime campaign,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He targeted U.S. and foreign telecommunications companies, compromised the sensitive data of countless people, and even sought to traffic stolen information to a foreign intelligence service. His actions reflect an alarming disregard for the security of the public and the United States. Today’s sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting privacy and security.”
“Mr. Wagenius engaged in a long spree of criminal conduct attempting to blackmail hacking victims for more than $1 million. He has repeatedly shown disregard for the privacy and security of others, the rules of the military, and the law,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “His hacking schemes were not only aimed at getting rich, he was also motivated by a desire to achieve status within criminal hacking communities. This sentence must impose real consequences to deter him, and hopefully other would-be hackers.”
“The FBI and its law enforcement partners moved quickly to identify, locate, and arrest Cameron Wagenius, who abused the trust that came with his military service to break into the networks of U.S. telecommunications companies, steal the private records of Americans, and extort victims for profit,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division. “Today’s sentence of 70 months holds him accountable for those choices. The FBI, working alongside our partners at the Department of Defense (also known as the Department of War) Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Army identified and arrested him within weeks of his public extortion threats. The FBI will continue to pursue cybercriminals wherever they are, until they face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
“Spending more than a year stealing confidential data and then threatening to expose it, Mr. Wagenius attempted to extort multiple organizations for a combined total of more than $1 million,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle field office. “It is especially shocking that a member of our armed forces, sworn to defend Americans and their Constitutional rights, would engage in such a violation of privacy. The FBI takes the theft of data seriously and will investigate, identify, and impose consequences on those who steal data or assist in trafficking and sharing it.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the relentless efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute cybercriminals targeting the Department of Defense, the defense industrial base, and American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “This success is a result of our collaborative partnerships with federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section — sending a clear signal to cybercriminals that their actions will come at a cost.”
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Wagenius used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. Wagenius and his conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that Wagenius helped develop called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, Wagenius and his conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. In other instances, conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Wagenius pleaded guilty in the Western District of Washington to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft on July 15, 2025, and he pleaded guilty in a separate case also in the Western District of Washington to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy on March 5, 2025.
At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King addressed the defendant saying, “Your actions show a shocking disregard for the safety and security of the United States… You took these actions motivated by greed and a desire for notoriety.”
The FBI and investigated the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case along with Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Former U.S. Soldier Sentenced for Hacking and Extortion Scheme That Exposed Sensitive Data of U.S. Government OfficialRead the Press Release
Cameron John Wagenius, 22, a former Army soldier who was most recently stationed in Texas, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $294,978 in restitution for conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid. In November 2024, Wagenius made two online posts that disclosed stolen confidential non-content call detail records belonging to a government official and family members of another former official and threatened to release additional confidential records unless paid a ransom. The text of one of these online posts suggested that Wagenius was motivated by a desire to retaliate for the then-recent arrest of another cybercriminal.
“Cameron Wagenius spent more than a year and a half betraying the trust placed in him as an active duty soldier by carrying out a sweeping cybercrime campaign,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He targeted U.S. and foreign telecommunications companies, compromised the sensitive data of countless people, and even sought to traffic stolen information to a foreign intelligence service. His actions reflect an alarming disregard for the security of the public and the United States. Today’s sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting privacy and security.”
“Mr. Wagenius engaged in a long spree of criminal conduct attempting to blackmail hacking victims for more than $1 million. He has repeatedly shown disregard for the privacy and security of others, the rules of the military, and the law,” said First Assistant Attorney Charles Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “His hacking schemes were not only aimed at getting rich, he was also motivated by a desire to achieve status within criminal hacking communities. This sentence must impose real consequences to deter him, and hopefully other would-be hackers.”
“The FBI and its law enforcement partners moved quickly to identify, locate, and arrest Cameron Wagenius, who abused the trust that came with his military service to break into the networks of U.S. telecommunications companies, steal the private records of Americans, and extort victims for profit,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division. “Today’s sentence of 70 months holds him accountable for those choices. The FBI, working alongside our partners at the Department of Defense (also known as the Department of War) Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Army identified and arrested him within weeks of his public extortion threats. The FBI will continue to pursue cybercriminals wherever they are, until they face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
“Spending more than a year stealing confidential data and then threatening to expose it, Mr. Wagenius attempted to extort multiple organizations for a combined total of more than $1 million,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle field office. “It is especially shocking that a member of our armed forces, sworn to defend Americans and their Constitutional rights, would engage in such a violation of privacy. The FBI takes the theft of data seriously and will investigate, identify, and impose consequences on those who steal data or assist in trafficking and sharing it.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the relentless efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute cybercriminals targeting the Department of Defense, the defense industrial base, and American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Cyber Field Office. “This success is a result of our collaborative partnerships with federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section — sending a clear signal to cybercriminals that their actions will come at a cost.”
According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Wagenius used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. Wagenius and his conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that Wagenius helped develop called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After data was stolen, Wagenius and his conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. In other instances, conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.
Wagenius pleaded guilty in the Western District of Washington to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft on July 15, 2025, and he pleaded guilty in a separate case also in the Western District of Washington to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy on March 5, 2025.
The FBI and DCIS investigated the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.
Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Former Jackson Hole bookkeeper sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for $1.48 million embezzlement and tax fraud schemeRead the Press Release
CHEYENNE, Wyo. Laura Marie Means, 46, of Jackson, Wyoming, was sentenced Tuesday to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for orchestrating a massive, multiyear wire fraud and tax evasion scheme that defrauded her former employer of nearly $1.5 million.
U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson also ordered Means to pay $355,875.32 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and $1,484,104.80 in restitution to her former employer. Means, who was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond following her initial appearance, has been ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on Dec. 2.
According to court documents, Means was hired in late 2015 as the bookkeeper for a prominent Jackson family business that owned several local lodging and hospitality properties. In her role, Means maintained sole control over employee payroll, bank accounts, and tax reporting.
The fraudulent activity began in February 2019, shortly after Means relocated from Wyoming to Hawaii. Although her employer permitted her to retain her position remotely on the condition that she travel back to Jackson once a month, Means instead used her remote status to execute a sophisticated embezzlement scheme that continued through September 2025.
“Laura Means abused her position as bookkeeper to siphon money from her employer's business to line her own pockets. Her scheme impacted the business and was devastating to the victims who considered her part of their family,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski.
To execute and conceal the multiyear theft, Means altered QuickBooks accounting entries by routing unauthorized transfers into her personal bank accounts under the guise of standard business expenses such as "supplies" or "invoices." She also utilized a separate, unapproved bank account to divert corporate funds and issued herself unauthorized payments, including duplicate salary payments and unearned bonuses. Because Means managed these financial transactions electronically while living in Hawaii, the fraudulent transfers traveled through interstate wire communications.
“Means abused her position of trust to steal more than a million dollars from a family-owned business and then compounded that betrayal by concealing the stolen income and filing false tax returns,” said Todd Wacaser, Special Agent in Charge, Phoenix Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to follow the money and hold accountable those who steal from their employers and attempt to hide their crimes from the tax system.”
The federal prosecution moved rapidly following the formal filing of a criminal information and the issuance of a summons on June 22, 2026. Means waived indictment and entered a guilty plea to Count One (Wire Fraud) and Count Two (Filing a False Tax Return) of the Information during a court hearing in Cheyenne on July 16, 2026, leading to Tuesday's sentencing.
Following Tuesday's sentencing, U.S. Attorney Darin Smith issued a stark warning to future fraudsters.
"Wyoming is a state built on honesty, grit, and respect for the law," Smith said. "People like Means who think they can treat fraud as a business model have no place here. Our federal prosecutors do not blink, they do not slow down, and they will absolutely dismantle your operation."
The case was investigated by the FBI, IRS-CI and Teton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Vierbuchen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Case No. 2:26-cr-00072-ABJ
About the United States Attorney's Office
The United States Attorney's Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers.
The Department of Justice's National Fraud Enforcement Division investigates and prosecutes those who commit fraud against the American people. The Fraud Division fulfills its mission by using advanced data-driven investigative techniques; coordinating with agencies responsible for administering taxpayer-funded programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification and investigation of fraud; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The division works every day to protect the financial integrity of the United States of America, ensure the vibrancy of the American economy and seek justice for victims of fraud.
On March 16, 2026, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14395, establishing the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. This sweeping, whole-of-government initiative is designed to orchestrate an aggressive national strategy to dismantle fraud, enforce strict individual eligibility verification and protect hard-earned American tax dollars from systemic exploitation across federal and state-administered benefit networks.
Federal jury convicts two members of multi-state car theft ringRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted Deonte Holden, 30, of Hyattsville, Maryland, and Clifford Flemming Smith Jr., 38, of Columbus, Ohio, yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, and also convicted Smith of aggravated identity theft.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Holden and Smith were part of a multi-state conspiracy to fraudulently purchase or steal vehicles and then prep and transport them for sale. The conspiracy involved over 150 stolen vehicles worth over $6 million.
The conspirators used the identities of real people without the victims’ knowledge to purchase or attempt to purchase new and used cars. They also fraudulently used stolen identities to test drive vehicles, obtain copies of the key fobs, return the vehicles to the dealerships, and then return to the dealerships to steal the vehicles using the key fob copies. The conspirators also used tow trucks to take vehicles from dealerships, rental lots, and residential neighborhoods.
Once vehicles were obtained, the conspirators would remove or conceal the factory-installed Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and disable the vehicles’ Global Positioning Systems (GPS) so the vehicles could be transferred to others without detection.
Holden and Smith are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2027. Holden faces up to 25 years in prison. Smith faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The other seven other conspirators charged in the case already pled guilty.
Roy Lee Jones pled guilty on May 23, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison.
Shaheed McClease Coston pled guilty on June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 29 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison.
Carroll Michael Skipwith pled guilty on June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 22 years in prison.
Timothy Kelly pled guilty on July 18, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Feb. 5, 2026, Kelly was sentenced to six years and four months in prison.
Jonathan Tarrell Smalls pled guilty on Aug. 15, 2025, to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. On Jan. 22, Smalls was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Sharrone Wilson pled guilty on July 9 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15 and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Jenaro Blalock pled guilty on Aug. 6 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, Baltimore County Police Department, Prince George's County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, and Prince William County Police Department with assistance from the FBI Cleveland Field Office, FBI Cincinnati Field Office, and FBI Minneapolis Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Patterson and Reed Sawyers and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Bolzman are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-273.
Federal grand jury returns indictment against ex USCIS official and associate for scheme involving unlawful approval and expedited processing of immigration applicationsRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that on Sept. 23, a federal grand jury indicted a former Senior Immigration Services Officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Lukman Owolabi Ganiyu and his associate Adeniyi Akeem Somoye based on allegations outlined below.
A press release issued Friday, Sept. 4 alleges the following:
- A federal criminal complaint filed Aug. 31 charged the duo with conspiracy to receive illegal gratuities as public officials.
- Federal agents arrested Ganiyu and Somoye on Sept. 2.
- According to the complaint, from December 2019 through March 2026, Ganiyu used his official position to approve immigration applications—I‑130: Petition for Alien Relative; I‑485: Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status; I‑751: Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence; and N‑400: Application for Naturalization—in exchange for money.
- Investigators allege he bypassed required interviews, supervisory reviews, jurisdictional limits, background checks, and USCIS processing protocols.
- Ganiyu and Somoye collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from applicants, many of which corresponded to approvals issued by Ganiyu.
- The scheme involved extensive thousands of WhatsApp messages and calls between the defendants and applicants.
"The indictment makes clear that Ganiyu gravely betrayed his oath as a public servant, and that he and Somoye knowingly violated federal law. Their actions, as alleged, corrupted the integrity of our immigration system and jeopardized national security by letting individuals evade essential vetting requirements. These charges underscore that my office will relentlessly pursue anyone who abuses public trust for personal gain.”
USCIS Office of Investigations, DHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham from the Fraud section is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that a federal jury found Raymundo Olalde-Nieves, 58, guilty on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The defendant was originally indicted by a grand jury on February 12, 2025. The guilty verdicts were returned on September 24, 2026, after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on or about August 22, 2024, investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used a confidential source to arrange the purchase of approximately 54 pounds of methamphetamine from a source. The drug sale was planned to occur at a gas station in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Investigators surveilled the gas station and saw Olalde-Nieves drive up in a gray vehicle. Olalde-Nieves then loitered in the parking lot for approximately 30 minutes, getting in and out of the car, and checking the vehicle’s trunk twice. While the defendant was in the parking lot, investigators then arranged for the transaction to occur at a different location approximately 1.6 miles north of the gas station. Investigators then saw Olalde-Nieves on the phone in the parking lot and then proceeded to travel north.
Investigators coordinated with the Minnesota State Patrol to stop Olalde-Nieves in his car after he left the gas station. Troopers followed the defendant and stopped him approximately one mile north of the gas station, and they suspected the defendant was attempting to evade them by turning into a nearby parking lot.
When the troopers questioned the defendant on where he was going, the troopers received vague and inconsistent responses. The troopers then removed him from the car and conducted a canine sniff of the vehicle, and the canine alerted the troopers to the presence of a controlled substance odor. After a search of the vehicle, the troopers found four black buckets containing approximately 54 pounds of, what was later confirmed to be, methamphetamine in the car’s trunk.
“The defendant chose to traffic dangerous drugs in Minnesota. These guilty verdicts demonstrate the strength of our federal and local law enforcement partnerships and our continued commitment to keeping lethal substances from harming families and communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol and other law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorney Syngen Kanassatega and Special Assistant United States Attorney Sommer Honeycutt prosecuted this case.
Federal Jury Convicts Orleans Parish Man of Drug-Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Following a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry, BRANDON ALEXANDER (“ALEXANDER”), age 39, of New Orleans, was found guilty on September 22, 2026 on all four counts of a superseding indictment pending against him, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The jury found ALEXANDER guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and Suboxone, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(E); carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); and receiving a firearm while having a pending felony charge, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(n) and 924(a)(1)(D).
According to evidence at trial, on August 10, 2024, ALEXANDER was driving a stolen car and made an illegal turn in front of two Louisiana State Police troopers. The troopers attempted to pull ALEXANDER over, but ALEXANDER fled and led the troopers on a car chase. After about a minute, ALEXANDER pulled over and ran to a fence carrying a fully loaded Glock Model 20 firearm and a bag with heroin and Suboxone. ALEXANDER threw the drugs and gun over the fence but was stopped by the troopers before he could jump over the fence and escape. The troopers searched ALEXANDER after he was arrested and found a bag of fentanyl in one pocket and a wad of cash in the other. Messages from ALEXANDER’s phone established that ALEXANDER was a drug dealer and a video from the phone showed ALEXANDER in possession of $90,000 in cash a few months before his arrest. ALEXANDER was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had a prior felony conviction in Jefferson Parish and had a pending felony charge in St. Tammany for aggravated assault with a firearm.
As to his drug-trafficking conviction, ALEXANDER faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release up to life. As to his conviction for carrying a firearm during the commission of a drug-trafficking crime, ALEXANDER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to each other and any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, ALEXANDER faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for receiving a firearm while having a pending felony charge, ALEXANDER faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release Each count also carries a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit, and Chrissy Calogero of the General Crimes Unit, tried the case and are in charge of the prosecution.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Federal Detainee Convicted of Assaulting Kankakee County Correctional OfficersRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. –On September 24, 2026, a federal jury returned two guilty verdicts against Jermaine Turner, 27, of Chicago, for Assaulting a Correctional Officer with a Dangerous Weapon. Sentencing for Turner has been scheduled for January 25, 2027, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
During one day of testimony, the government presented evidence that, on November 20, 2023, Turner was being held by the United States Marshals Service at the Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee, Illinois, pending a federal trial. While detained, Turner assaulted two correctional officers with a wooden broom handle. After being told he would be disciplined for entering another detainee’s cell without permission, Turner picked up a broom and hit a correctional officer on the back of the head, causing a large hematoma. Turner then refused orders from another correctional officer to drop the broom, approached the officer, and attempted to hit him on the head. The officer blocked the blow with his forearm, and correctional officers disarmed and restrained Turner.
Turner remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Turner faces statutory penalties of up to twenty years of imprisonment, up to three of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on each of the two counts of conviction.
Turner is currently serving a 120-month sentence of imprisonment for Armed Bank Robbery in the Northern District of Illinois.The case investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government at trial.
FCI Allenwood Inmate Charged with Assaulting OfficersRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jerome Ellis, 32, from Washington, D.C., an inmate in FCI Allenwood, Union County, Pennsylvania, was charged on September 24, 2026, with assaulting two Federal employees.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Ellis with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees at FCI Allenwood on May 19, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years and a fine. A sentence could also include a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Eleven defendants sentenced to prison in Hampton Roads credit union parking lot scamRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Eleven defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to defraud credit union members in the Hampton Roads area.
According to court documents, since at least January 2023, fraudsters targeted victims in publicly accessible places and convinced victims, through deceit and intimidation, to hand over their mobile devices. Once the thieves obtained possession and control of a victim’s mobile device, they would access the victim’s bank accounts. The perpetrators then committed a variety of fraudulent actions, including unauthorized loan applications, financial disputes, monetary transfers, and withdrawals, and accessed the victims’ personally identifiable information.
Steven Carter Jones, III, 33, pled guilty on April 15 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison. In a separate case in the Eastern District of Virginia, Jones pled guilty on April 17 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Jones was convicted previously for, among other crimes, possession of a firearm by a violent felon, eluding police with endangerment, reckless endangerment, and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud.
Corey Deshawn Smith, 32, pled guilty on Dec. 5, 2025, to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced on Sept. 23 to two years and seven months in prison.
Persia Brown, 25, pled guilty on April 13 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on July 23 to four months in prison.
Troy Lee Davis, III, 26, pled guilty on Jan. 6 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on June 2 to two years and six months in prison.
Andrea Holley pled guilty on Jan. 22 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 6 to a year in prison.
Joy Davis, 48, pled guilty on Jan. 6 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 5 to two years and six months in prison.
Laterrance Octavia Parker Jr., 25, pled guilty on Jan. 23 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 6 to three years and two months in prison.
Jordan Pugh, 34, pled guilty on Feb. 11 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 11 to three years and four months in prison.
Lois Irene Staton, 33, pled guilty on Jan. 5 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 13 to six months in prison.
Jamaica Lavonta Sumner, 26, pled guilty on Feb. 3 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 6 to a year and nine months in prison.
Rodney Demetrius Thornton, 40, pled guilty on Jan. 5 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 13 to three years and six months in prison.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Matthew Lake, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Norfolk Resident Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge prosecuted the case.
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 Nos. 2:25-cr-105 and 2:25-cr-128.
District of Arizona Charges 379 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Sep. 19 through Sep. 25, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 379 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 155 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 191 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 28 cases against 32 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol Agent (BPA).
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Gilda Sabas Martinez. On Sep. 23, 2026, Gilda Martinez, a United States citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien. On Sep. 22, 2026, a Pinal County Sheriff Deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle that Martinez was driving. In addition to Martinez, the Deputy observed one minor passenger. The Deputy observed indicators of alien smuggling during the stop and contacted Border Patrol to investigate further. BPAs arrived and determined that the minor passenger was a Mexican citizen unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3363]
United States v. Percy Anthony Kisto. On Sep. 23, 2026, Percy Kisto, a United States citizen, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of Transportation of an Illegal Alien and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. On Sep. 22, 2026, BPAs assigned to a checkpoint on State Route 85 observed a GMC Acadia make a U-turn as it was approaching the checkpoint. BPAs conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and located the driver, Kisto, and four passengers inside. Three of the passengers, including a minor, were determined to be citizens of Mexico unlawfully present in the United States. BPAs searched Kisto’s backpack and recovered a firearm. Kisto was prohibited from possessing the firearm as he has a 2015 conviction for Transportation of an Illegal Alien, a felony offense. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3364]
United States v. Ivan Rojas-Menera. On Sep. 22, 2026, Ivan Rojas-Menera was charged by criminal complaint with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Chavez-Flores had been previously removed from the United States in April 2019 after being convicted of Conspiracy to Transport a Dangerous Drug for Sale, a felony offense, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. Rojas-Menera was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison in that case. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3346]
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-166_September 25, 2026 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Denham Springs Softball Umpire Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES – On September 24, 2026, United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr., sentenced Leeroy Sidney Hymel, III, 40, of Denham Springs, to 135 months in federal prison for Receipt of Child Pornography after his June 30, 2026, guilty plea.
“Mr. Hymel’s sentencing is yet another reminder to parents that predators can unfortunately turn up anywhere, including even our softball fields,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “No prison term can undo the harm Mr. Hymel has caused, but this investigation, prosecution, and resulting sentence send a clear message to those who would prey upon our children: we will find you, we will charge you, and you will be looking at a lengthy prison sentence.”According to court documents, Hymel was a softball umpire for a tournament for players 16 and under. Beginning around May 20, 2024, Hymel began to send lewd and lascivious pictures and videos of himself engaging in sexual acts to a minor female player. Records show Hymel enticed the victim to reciprocate and send similar explicit pictures and videos of herself through social media applications.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Richmond Stelly with assistance from Legal Assistant Kimberly Blanchard.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Learn more at https://www.justice.gov/psc/about-project-safe-childhood.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 25-CR-00102.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs: Cara.Alexander@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
X: @USAO_WDLA
Facebook: USAO_WDLA
(337) 262-6704
Cuban National Convicted for International Alien Smuggling and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted a Cuban National for his role in an international alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 28, of Hialeah, Florida, conspired with others to operate an alien smuggling organization (ASO), which encouraged thousands of Cuban aliens to enter the U.S. through the southern border. These smugglers charged between $1,500 and $40,000 for the smuggling services, and co-conspirators sometimes chartered private planes to transport groups of aliens.
“This defendant participated in an elaborate conspiracy to breach our nation’s immigration laws and smuggle illegal aliens into the United States for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our task force partners to thwart these illegal activities and ensure that our borders are protected.”
“Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez used his travel agency as a front to illegally smuggle Cuban aliens into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "His travel agency provided a veneer of legitimacy to evade detection when the defendant falsely completed and filed at least 600 applications for visa waivers, arranged to fly the aliens from Cuba to third countries, further coordinated with other smugglers throughout the Americas, and laundered over $20 million through 57 bank accounts. These criminal offenses targeted our immigration laws designed to keep our borders safe and money laundering laws designed to keep criminal proceeds out of the nation’s financial system.”
“This was not help, and it was not humanitarian; It was a criminal enterprise built on treating people like cargo and using their desperation for financial gain,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa. “Alien smuggling organizations do not provide a service; they exploit vulnerable people for profit while undermining the integrity of our borders and immigration system. This conviction reflects the strength of our commitment to dismantling the criminal networks that move people, launder money, and enrich themselves through fraud and deception.”
The defendants often used fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa waivers and advertised their smuggling services and bogus visa services across multiple social media platforms to solicit Cuban nationals and other aliens to attempt to illegally enter the country and fraudulently obtain lawful status in the United States. Financial records show that during the course of the conspiracy, over $20 million passed through upwards of 57 bank accounts controlled by the defendant and his co-conspirators.
The ASO advertised services that included assisting Cubans with false claims of European citizenship to enter the United States on a European tourist visa waiver or ESTA. The ASO also filed hundreds of fraudulent ESTA applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using fake addresses. Cuban nationals are not eligible for the ESTA program, but the defendants falsely represented that the applicants had not been in Cuba since 2011. They did this knowing the applicants were in Cuba at the time the ESTA applications were submitted. Cabrera-Rodriguez furthered the conspiracy by helping move aliens from their country of origin, including Cuba, into the United States, including by purchasing international and domestic flights to transport aliens into and throughout the United States.
Cabrera-Rodriguez and his co-defendants also conspired to regularly move funds to companies outside of the United States. Between 2021 and 2024, Cabrera-Rodriguez and co-conspirators transmitted over $600,000 from the United States to purchase flights for aliens to unlawfully enter the United States.
The jury convicted Cabrera-Rodriguez of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering concealment. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Twelve individuals were charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in the conspiracy. Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 31, Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 31, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30, Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29, Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 31, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 32, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 41, have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Erik Ventura-Castro, 24, pleaded guilty on May 7 and was sentenced on July 29 to 30 months in prison.
The investigation and superseding indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP/U.S. Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 483 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 436 U.S. convictions; and more than 371 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Amanda Brown of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
Cuban National Convicted for International Alien Smuggling and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted a Cuban National for his role in an international alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez, 28, of Hialeah, Florida, conspired with others to operate an alien smuggling organization (ASO), which encouraged thousands of Cuban aliens to enter the U.S. through the southern border. These smugglers charged between $1,500 and $40,000 for the smuggling services, and co-conspirators sometimes chartered private planes to transport groups of aliens.
“Lazaro Alain Cabrera-Rodriguez used his travel agency as a front to illegally smuggle Cuban aliens into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "His travel agency provided a veneer of legitimacy to evade detection when the defendant falsely completed and filed at least 600 applications for visa waivers, arranged to fly the aliens from Cuba to third countries, further coordinated with other smugglers throughout the Americas, and laundered over $20 million through 57 bank accounts. These criminal offenses targeted our immigration laws designed to keep our borders safe and money laundering laws designed to keep criminal proceeds out of the nation’s financial system.”
“This defendant participated in an elaborate conspiracy to breach our nation’s immigration laws and smuggle illegal aliens into the United States for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our task force partners to thwart these illegal activities and ensure that our borders are protected.”
“This was not help, and it was not humanitarian; It was a criminal enterprise built on treating people like cargo and using their desperation for financial gain,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa. “Alien smuggling organizations do not provide a service; they exploit vulnerable people for profit while undermining the integrity of our borders and immigration system. This conviction reflects the strength of our commitment to dismantling the criminal networks that move people, launder money, and enrich themselves through fraud and deception.”
The defendants often used fraudulent Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa waivers and advertised their smuggling services and bogus visa services across multiple social media platforms to solicit Cuban nationals and other aliens to attempt to illegally enter the country and fraudulently obtain lawful status in the United States. Financial records show that during the course of the conspiracy, over $20 million passed through upwards of 57 bank accounts controlled by the defendant and his co-conspirators.
The ASO advertised services that included assisting Cubans with false claims of European citizenship to enter the United States on a European tourist visa waiver or ESTA. The ASO also filed hundreds of fraudulent ESTA applications with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using fake addresses. Cuban nationals are not eligible for the ESTA program, but the defendants falsely represented that the applicants had not been in Cuba since 2011. They did this knowing the applicants were in Cuba at the time the ESTA applications were submitted. Cabrera-Rodriguez furthered the conspiracy by helping move aliens from their country of origin, including Cuba, into the United States, including by purchasing international and domestic flights to transport aliens into and throughout the United States.
Cabrera-Rodriguez and his co-defendants also conspired to regularly move funds to companies outside of the United States. Between 2021 and 2024, Cabrera-Rodriguez and co-conspirators transmitted over $600,000 from the United States to purchase flights for aliens to unlawfully enter the United States.
The jury convicted Cabrera-Rodriguez of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering concealment. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Twelve individuals were charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in the conspiracy. Liannys Yaiselys Vega-Perez, 31, Miguel Alejandro Martinez Vasconcelos, 31, Layra Libertad Treto Santos, 30, Emanuel Martinez Gonzalez, 29, Walbis Pozo-Dutel, 31, Luis Emmanuel Escalona-Marrero, 32, and Gisleivy Peralta Consuegra, 41, have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Erik Ventura-Castro, 24, pleaded guilty on May 7 and was sentenced on July 29 to 30 months in prison.
The investigation and superseding indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated prosecutors from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP/U.S. Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 483 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 436 U.S. convictions; and more than 371 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
HSI Tampa, U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in the Cayman Islands provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorney Amanda Brown of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces More Than $9.2 Million in Settlements Connected to PPP Fraud Enforcement InitiativeRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut recovered more than $9.2 million since June 2026 through settlement agreements resolving allegations that various companies violated the False Claims Act by providing false information to obtain millions of dollars in pandemic-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for which they were not eligible.
“PPP loans were intended to help eligible small businesses experiencing economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “These settlements reflect our office’s strong commitment to protecting government programs and American taxpayers from fraud. We will continue to aggressively pursue and hold accountable individuals and businesses that disregard federal program requirements.”
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The PPP was administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the requested loans and that the information they provided was true and accurate. In December 2020, Congress approved funding for a second round of forgivable PPP loans, which became available to borrowers beginning in January 2021. This “second-draw” loan program included additional eligibility requirements. Applicants for second-draw loans were required to certify, among other things, that they had fewer than 300 employees. Applicants were required to include the employees of any foreign and domestic affiliated entities.
The District of Connecticut has entered into settlement agreements with the following companies to resolve allegations related to false certifications on their PPP loan and forgiveness applications:
Beaver Paper & Graphic Media, Inc. (“Beaver Paper”) and its affiliated companies have paid $2,933,219.96 to resolve False Claims Act (“FCA”) allegations related to a $1,203,787 second-draw PPP loan. Beaver Paper, headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, is a company that distributes sublimation paper, tissue, and graphic fabrics for the dye-sublimation and digital print industry. It is owned by Delaware-based Koehler Invest Inc. Koehler America Inc. is an affiliate of Beaver Paper and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Koehler Paper SE, Beaver Paper GmbH, and Koehler Holding SE & CO., KG are German corporations that are affiliated with and/or share certain management with Beaver Paper.
The government contends that, together with its affiliates, Beaver Paper had more than 300 employees in March 2021 and therefore was ineligible for the second-draw PPP loan. The government alleges that Beaver Paper applied for the second-draw loan despite its accountants’ advice that it was ineligible due to its size, and excluded its affiliates’ employees on the application despite knowing it was required to include them. After receiving forgiveness of the loan, the government contends that Beaver Paper and its affiliates opted to keep the loan proceeds rather than following their accountants’ advice to return the money. Instead of repaying the loan, Beaver Paper considered the forgiven loan funds a financial liability until it believed the risk of a government audit expired. This settlement resolves allegations originally brought by a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut under the qui tam provisions of the FCA, captioned U.S. ex rel GNGH2 Inc. v. Koehler America, Inc., et al. (Docket No. 3:24cv1463). The relator, GNGH2 Inc., will receive $293,322 as its share of the recovery.
Fabbrica LLC (“Fabbrica”) has agreed to pay $2,581,250 to resolve FCA allegations relating to a $2,000,000 second-draw PPP loan. Fabbrica is a company that produces building façade systems and has its principal place of business in Windsor, Connecticut. Fabbrica is an indirect subsidiary of a global construction company headquartered in Italy. The government alleges that, in March 2021, Fabbrica falsely certified on a second-draw PPP loan application that it had fewer than 300 employees. The government contends that Fabbrica knew or should have known that it was ineligible for the second-draw loan because Fabbrica and its foreign affiliates collectively employed more than 300 individuals. This settlement resolves FCA allegations that were originally brought in lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut under the qui tam provisions of the FCA, captioned U.S. ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Fabbrica LLC (Docket No. 3:24cv1004), and U.S. ex rel. Blockquote Inc. v. Fabbrica LLC (Docket No. 3:24-cv-1362). The relator, GNGH2 Inc., will receive $258,125 as its share of the recovery.
United Abrasives, Inc. has paid $3,088,605.45 to resolve FCA allegations related to a second-draw PPP loan. United Abrasives, a North Windham company, manufactures industrial-grade abrasives and accessories. It is a subsidiary of SAIT Finanziaria S.p.A., a company headquartered in Italy. The government alleges that, in February 2021, United Abrasives applied for a second-draw PPP loan for $1,983,555, falsely certifying it had fewer than 300 employees. At the time, United Abrasives and its affiliates collectively employed more than 300 employees. The government contends that United Abrasives should have known that it did not satisfy the size standards for the second-draw loan. This settlement resolves FCA allegations that were originally brought in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut under the qui tam provisions of the FCA, captioned U.S. ex rel. Daniel Foster. v. United Abrasives, Inc. (Docket No. 3:25cv1732). The relator, Daniel Foster, will receive $308,860 as its share of the recovery.
Connecticut Pharmacy, LLC (“Connecticut Pharmacy”), Connecticut Pharmacy East Rock LTC LLC (“East Rock”), Scott Wolak, and Bryan Lentini agreed to pay, on an ability to pay basis, $400,000 pursuant to the FCA to settle allegations that they made false representations in connection with the forgiveness of two first-draw PPP loans and two second-draw PPP loans. Connecticut Pharmacy and East Rock are pharmacies that service primarily a senior population of nursing homes, group homes, and hospice-at-home patients. Connecticut Pharmacy has its principal place of business in Norwalk, Connecticut. East Rock has its principal place of business in Wallingford, Connecticut. Wolak and Lentini are Connecticut residents and the majority owners of both Connecticut Pharmacy and East Rock.
Connecticut Pharmacy received a $531,700 first-draw PPP loan in April 2020 and a $448,150 second-draw PPP loan in January 2021. East Rock received a $374,100 first-draw PPP loan in April 2020 and a $334,277 second-draw PPP loan in February 2021. Connecticut Pharmacy and East Rock applied for forgiveness of those loans, and the loans were subsequently forgiven, including accrued interest, by the SBA. The government alleges that Connecticut Pharmacy, East Rock, Wolak and Lentini falsely certified on their loan forgiveness applications that the funds were used for authorized purposes, including payroll costs. Connecticut Pharmacy, East Rock, Wolak and Lentini in fact used the majority of the PPP funds to repay outstanding business loans borrowed by a separate Wolak and Lentini-owned company, which was not an authorized use of either first-draw or second-draw PPP loans. This settlement resolves allegations originally brought by a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut under the qui tam provisions of the FCA, captioned U.S. ex rel Gettings and Chan v. Connecticut Pharmacy East Rock LTC, et al. (Docket No. 3:22cv348). The relators, Angela Gettings and Kawa Chan, will receive $60,000 as their share of the recovery.
National Mental Health Corps, formerly known as Health360, Inc. (“Health360”) and Particia Harrity have paid $217,978 pursuant to the FCA to settle allegations that they made false representations in connection with the receipt and forgiveness of a PPP loan. Health360, located in Newtown, Connecticut, was a non-profit entity with a stated mission to promote health equality in underserved communities. Harrity was its Chief Executive Officer. In May 2020, Health360 received a PPP loan in the amount of $137,638. Health360 applied for forgiveness of that loan in October 2020 and the loan was subsequently forgiven, including accrued interest, by the SBA.
Prior to SBA forgiving the loan, Health360 received several grants from AmeriCorps and from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. AmeriCorps is a federal agency that manages and funds, through grants, national service programs focused on education and health. AmeriCorps provides grants to entities such as Health360 to recruit and place AmeriCorps volunteers, generally known as “members” into national service programs. As part of that process, AmeriCorps members are provided with modest living allowances/stipends.
The government alleges that Health360 and Harrity committed fraud in several ways related to the PPP loan. Harrity falsely represented that the AmeriCorps members were its “employees” and she also falsely inflated Health360’s average monthly payroll by including the stipend payments made to the AmeriCorps members as wages. In addition, Health360 “double-dipped” from federal funds by falsely claiming that the PPP loan proceeds had been used to pay employee payroll after already having sought and received reimbursement for those same costs from federal grant money provided by AmeriCorps and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The government’s investigations were led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Kaczmarek, Anne Thidemann, and Richard Molot. U.S. Attorney Sullivan also recognized attorneys Christopher McClintock, Caitlin Kelly, and Franka Cepele of the SBA Office of General Counsel for their assistance with these investigations.
In addition, the Connecticut Pharmacy matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Investigations and the Health360 matter was investigated by the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Cleveland Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after threatening three victims at gunpoint during carjackings he carried out in Cleveland in July 2025.
Mickey Hodge, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison and five years of supervised released by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after pleading guilty to:
- Carjacking (3 counts)
- Using or Carrying and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (3 counts)
Judge Gaughan also ordered him to pay $25,1991.81 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants Tayveonn Elliott, 22, of Cleveland, and Tye Campbell, 20, also of Cleveland. Elliott and Campbell are scheduled to be sentenced in October after pleading guilty to their roles in the carjackings, as well as firearms offenses.
U.S. v. Hodge et al.According to court documents, on July 16, 2025, three victims were carjacked by a coordinated group of armed assailants, later identified as Hodge, Elliott, and Campbell. The day before the carjackings, a food delivery service employee had left his Honda Civic briefly to go and deliver food to a residence. But when he returned, his car was gone. The next morning at 4 a.m., the defendants threatened a valet at a downtown hotel and demanded the keys to vehicles she had parked. In fear of her life, she complied and the suspects took a Nissan Altima, while a third co-conspirator that was nearby, drove away in the Honda stolen from the delivery service driver. At about 7:30 a.m. the same morning, a woman sitting in her Toyota RAV4 was carjacked at gunpoint in a gym parking lot. Also fearing for her life, she gave the suspects the key fob and they drove off. Later, at about 6 p.m., a third victim was threatened at gunpoint, and he gave the suspects the keys to his Ford Explorer. About four hours later, law enforcement located the Honda and activated lights to initiate a traffic stop. However, the Honda sped away and crashed into two other vehicles at an intersection. Several suspects, including Hodge and Elliott, got out of the car and fled on foot but were apprehended. Campbell was arrested on a later date.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Cleveland Division of Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Scott Zarzycki led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Trafficking More Than 100 Guns to New York CityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), Bryan DiGirolamo, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today that EDSON BROWN was sentenced to 135 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan for trafficking more than 100 guns from North Carolina and South Carolina to New York City.
“Our Office will do everything in our power to keep New Yorkers safe,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Gun traffickers like Edson Brown fuel violent crime in New York City by putting guns into the hands of violent criminals. Today’s sentence protects New Yorkers and puts gun traffickers on notice that we and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who profit from gun crime and hold them accountable for the harm they cause.”
“Firearms trafficking puts guns into the hands of individuals who can use them to fuel violence in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. “Trafficking more than 100 firearms into New York City is not simply moving illegal guns—it is creating opportunities for those firearms to be used in violent crime. This 135-month sentence reflects the seriousness of that conduct and the importance of identifying and disrupting firearms trafficking networks. I commend the dedicated work of the ATF/NYPD Joint Firearms Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. This is impactful work at the heart of ATF’s mission: stemming the illegal flow of firearms and reducing violent gun crime.”
“Edson Brown crossed state lines at least a dozen times to traffic more than 100 guns onto New York City streets,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “He then removed their serial numbers and sold the guns , knowing exactly what they would be used for. This is yet another example of the dangerous work that NYPD investigators do to make our communities safer—putting their lives at risk to shut down this operation. Thanks to our partners at the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District for their work on this case.”
As alleged in public court filings, statements in public court proceedings, and the charging documents in the case:
Beginning in 2023, and continuing until he was arrested in February 2025, BROWN trafficked at least 115 handguns from North Carolina and South Carolina to New York City. BROWN made more than a dozen trips to North Carolina and South Carolina to buy guns and bring them back to New York. To purchase many of the guns he trafficked, BROWN used straw purchasers, i.e., individuals who could ostensibly buy guns legally in North Carolina and South Carolina. For others, BROWN used the identification of a straw purchaser in South Carolina to impersonate the straw purchaser and buy the guns himself. BROWN was arrested in February 2025 in South Carolina, after purchasing three additional guns to traffic back to New York.
Once the guns were in New York, BROWN removed their serial numbers using power tools and then sold the guns to others, including buyers whom he knew would possess and use the guns illegally. Already, the NYPD has recovered nine of the guns that BROWN trafficked, including one that was used in an armed robbery, another that was used to threaten a victim, and seven more that were illegally possessed in public.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, BROWN, 37, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. McDonald thanked the ATF and the NYPD for their excellent work in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Jones and Joseph H. Rosenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
Bradford County Man Indicted on Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodney Edward Randall, age 45, of Athens, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Randall with distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 10, 2026, in Bradford County. Randall is also charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency and the Athens Township Police Department with the assistance of the Bradford County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most significant offense is 40 years imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Insider TradingRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho Bart M. Davis announced today that Michael Christensen pleaded guilty to securities fraud in connection with insider trading based on material, nonpublic information that he misappropriated from an executive at a publicly traded company headquartered in Idaho.
According to court documents, Michael Christensen, 52, of Boise, had a close personal relationship with an executive of Company-1. On August 4, 2024, the executive texted Christensen: “Watch for the headlines Wednesday morning.” Christensen understood this text to be material, nonpublic information, and that a positive development would occur in connection with Company-1 in the coming days. On the basis of this information, Christensen purchased 4,900 Company-1 shares for approximately $99,350.27. Christensen did not inform the executive that he had purchased these shares.
On August 7, 2024, Company-1 and Company-2 publicly announced an acquisition of Company-1 by Company-2, after which Company-1’s stock price increased significantly. Christensen then sold his Company-1 stock and illegally profited approximately $49,609.73 from the sale of the 4,900 Company-1 shares. In doing so, Christensen knowingly and willfully misappropriated confidential, material, nonpublic information that he received from the senior executive at Company-1 for securities trading purposes.
Christensen pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15. Christensen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group (USPIS-CI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol for the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section are prosecuting the case.
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Billings man captured in Mexico sentenced to 14 years for trafficking large quantities of narcoticsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man, who was a main figure in a drug trafficking organization that moved significant amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine, was sentenced Thursday to 14 years and two months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Raymond Eugene Best, Jr., 44, pleaded guilty in May 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2023, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking ring based out of Mexico that was bringing illegal narcotics to Wyoming, South Dakota, California, Montana, including Billings, and elsewhere. The group, which included Best, was distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
The Billings Police Department received information from a source on June 12, 2023, that Best was the “main man” in Billings, bringing in 50 to 100 pounds of meth and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills. Best was described as a non-user, but a dealer who stored drugs at other people’s houses. Another source provided additional insight into Best’s dealing in Billings.
Later that month, BPD learned about an apartment belonging to Stephanie Marie Nava, a member of the ring, that was used for storing drugs for Best. Using a search warrant, officers found 7 grams of fentanyl pills and 16.7 grams of meth in a back bedroom.
Nava, 38, was sentenced in January 2026 to five years in prison on drug trafficking charges.
In August 2023, law enforcement searched a co-conspirator’s hotel room in Billings and found nearly 3 pounds of methamphetamine. Investigators determined the original amount was 8 pounds, but most had been distributed to other people. Best and Nava, who were in Mexico at the time, coordinated the re-distribution of the original 8-pound quantity. An additional search on another house turned up 8 more ounces of meth.
Phone messages and other electronic communications showed Best’s continued involvement in the distribution of meth and cocaine in 2023. Messages were also being sent by Nava using the same Facebook account, including: “Are you ready for another pound yet?” and “Cause you almost paid off.”
Best was previously convicted in federal court of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2012, when he was sentenced to prison for over 13 years. Best was still on federal supervised release when he committed these latest crimes.
He was eventually apprehended in Mexico after fleeing the country. Working closely with Mexican authorities, the DEA and U.S. Marshal Service captured Best and brought him back to the U.S. to face prosecution.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Montana comprises agents and officers from a number of federal agencies as well as drug task forces throughout the state, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation as part of the HSTF.
Barnhart, Mo. Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Connection with Tesla ArsonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Barnhart, Mo. man pleaded guilty to destroying property at a Telsa dealership in Kansas City, Mo. and to unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device.
Kevin Harkins, 28, entered a guilty plea today in federal court to one count of malicious destruction of property related to arson and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device. Harkins was initially charged by complaint on Sept. 12, 2025. According to court documents, on Feb. 13, 2025, at approximately 9:25 p.m., Kansas City, Missouri Police officers were dispatched in the vicinity of the Kansas City Tesla Center to investigate reports of the sounds of gunshots. At the same time, Kansas City Fire Department officials were also dispatched to the same location due to a reported fire. Police and Fire Department personnel discovered that a Telsa Cybertruck had sustained fire damage and had been shot with a firearm approximately nine times.
Officers observed what appeared to be a flammable fluid on the vehicle, broken glass, a charred cloth, propane hand torch, and a cigarette lighter on the ground. Officers also noticed that a nearby Tesla Model Y vehicle had approximately seven bullet holes located on the hood. Officers also discovered an unbroken suspected incendiary device with a cloth wick sticking out of the bottle and having an odor of suspected gasoline.
Police recovered the unbroken suspected incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. Investigators also discovered that a second Telsa Cybertruck was damaged by a bullet that was an apparent ricochet from one of the rounds that was aimed at the first Cybertruck.
The Cybertruck that was damaged by fire had a sale price of $81,985.
Under federal statutes, Harkins is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years maximum in federal prison without parole for his charge of malicious destruction of property related to arson. Harkins is subject to 10 years maximum in federal prison without parole for his charge of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device.
The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Field Office-Kansas City, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Missouri.
Annandale man pleads guilty to impersonating an FBI agent at a voting siteRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Annandale man pled guilty today to impersonating a federal officer and possessing imitation federal law enforcement credentials.
According to court documents, on Nov. 5, 2024, the date of the 2024 federal general elections, Alex Chieu Nguyen, 44, traveled to Timber Lane Elementary School, which was a polling site in Falls Church. Nguyen arrived in a black SUV wearing dark sunglasses, a blue zip-up sweatshirt emblazoned with the FBI logo, and a fraudulent badge. In a holster, Nguyen was carrying an air pistol resembling a Glock handgun. Nguyen approached election officials and greeters and falsely informed them that he was assigned to the FBI’s “Election Security.” Nguyen has never been an employee of the FBI and was not authorized to possess or use a badge or credential identifying him as a federal law enforcement officer.
Nguyen returned later and entered the building where active polling was taking place. When the polling site’s chief election official asked to see Nguyen’s credentials, Nguyen presented his fake FBI badge and a fraudulent credential identifying him as a special agent of the FBI. Nguyen again left the school, but was arrested later that day.
Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2027. He faces up to three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack Morgan and Robert McManigal are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-147.
Amherst Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Threats Targeting Law Enforcement and Grocery StoreRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Amherst, Mass., man pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2026 in federal court in Springfield to making violent threats via social media targeting a variety of law enforcement officers and sensitive locations such as a grocery store and a federal building in Boston.
Luke Brissie, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of threatening communications. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 5, 2027. Brissie was arrested and charged in June 2025 and remains in federal custody.
On April 5, 2025, Brissie sent numerous threatening communications through Instagram to a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officer in Tennessee. In the messages, Brissie threatened to bomb the officer’s patrol vehicle or home, shoot the officer, kill another Nashville police officer, commit a mass stabbing at a grocery store near his home in Massachusetts and bomb an FBI building. Specifically, Brissie sent threatening messages that said: “I will put a bomb in your police car or better yet your house,” “I’m going to commit mass stabbing at a grocery store called big [] y…” and “…then I’ll bomb an fbi building.”
Brissie was arrested at his residence in Amherst, Mass., after the threats were reported. Law enforcement learned that Brissie had intended to lure the Nashville police officer to Massachusetts so he could carry out the threatened violence. Law enforcement also became aware of Brissie’s intentions to bomb the FBI Boston Field Office and conduct a mass stabbing at a nearby grocery store.
The charge of interstate transmission of threatening communications provides for a sentence of up to five 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Amherst Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office is prosecuting the case.
Alleged Narco-Terrorist Leader “Araña” Extradited from Colombia as Part of Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Geovany Andres Rojas, aka “Araña,” a Colombian national and alleged high-level narco-terrorist and prolific cocaine trafficker, was extradited from Colombia to the United States today.
Rojas was handed over to U.S. officials this morning under heavy security at a Colombian National Police air base in Bogotá. The sendoff was attended by Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella. Rojas arrived at an undisclosed location in San Diego at 4:30 p.m. PST, flanked by DEA and FBI agents.
Photo of Rojas (center) flanked by law enforcement after being extradited from Colombia to the United States. Left to right, excluding uniformed agents: U.S. Department of Justice’s Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Kristopher Jarvis; U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, Southern District of California; San Diego DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee; Araña; DEA San Diego Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jacob Galvan; FBI San Diego Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jagdeep Khangura; Acting Special Agent in Charge HSI San Diego Kevin Murphy
On March 7, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of California returned a two-count superseding indictment charging Rojas, whose alias translates to “Spider,” with International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Narco-Terrorism.
Colombian authorities apprehended Rojas on February 12, 2025, pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice based on narcotics-related offenses. The Supreme Court of Colombia unanimously approved Rojas’s extradition in October 2025. Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspended Rojas’ extradition later that year, while Rojas participated in a new round of peace talks between armed groups and the Colombian government. On August 26, 2026, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered that Rojas’ extradition should proceed.
“Colombia and the Department of Justice are making a clean sweep of narcoterrorists, starting with Araña,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Before President de la Espriella, armed criminal groups in Colombia roughly doubled in size. Their cocaine fueled the Mexican cartels pumping poison into our communities. The Araña extradition sweeps away a web that starts in the mountains of Putumayo and ends in the brutal, cartel contested plazas of Tijuana.”
“Today’s extradition demonstrates what the United States and Colombia can accomplish when we work together to dismantle the criminal networks that traffic deadly drugs, corrupt institutions, and threaten our communities,” said DEA Administrator Terry Cole. “Geovany Andres Rojas faces narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges for allegedly orchestrating multi-ton cocaine shipments bound for the United States. His extradition shows that borders, criminal influence, and efforts to conceal illegal activity will not prevent DEA and our partners from bringing major transnational traffickers to justice.”
“Rojas’ extradition should send a clear message to cartel leaders: the FBI and our HSTF partners remain relentless in our fight to dismantle drug trafficking organizations that facilitate the flow of deadly drugs into our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “FBI San Diego will continue working closely with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to eliminate criminal cartels, hold their leaders accountable, and protect the American people.”
In the years leading up to Rojas’ arrest, he served as the spokesman and leader of Comandos de la Frontera, a paramilitary organization with an estimated 1,000 members operating in southwestern Colombia. Rojas identified himself as a high-level leader of Comandos de la Frontera, posing with weapons and heavily armed fighters in appearances on social media and in interviews with news organizations on behalf of the terrorist group.
In public statements, Rojas described Comandos de la Frontera as part of the Segunda Marquetalia, an organization of former Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) combatants who rearmed and returned to fighting following Colombia’s 2016 peace accord with FARC. Rojas himself was a member of the FARC who signed the 2016 Peace Agreement before rejecting peace and becoming a guerilla leader. The United States Secretary of State designated Segunda Marquetalia a foreign terrorist organization on December 1, 2021.
The drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges against Rojas stemmed from a long-term Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation which revealed that Comandos de la Frontera, under Rojas’ leadership, profited from the cultivation and production of cocaine in southwestern Colombia, maintaining control of its territory using weapons and violence. The area is one of Colombia’s top cocaine producing regions, with significant influence over the cocaine supply chain worldwide.
Rojas is expected to make his initial court appearance at 2 p.m. on September 28, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steve B. Chu.
The Justice Department’s Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Kristopher Jarvis, and Office of International Affairs Trial Attorney Aaron York, secured the arrest and extradition of Rojas. The U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in ensuring a smooth and safe transfer of custody and transporting Rojas back to the United States.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25cr442H
Geovany Andres Rojas, aka Araña Age: 45 Colombia
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, and 963
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison
Narco-Terrorism – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 960a and 841
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years and up to life in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Alien smuggler who caused death of grandmother, child and two Mexican nationals during smuggling run sentenced to life in federal prisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANGELO, Texas — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that Rassian Nateray Comer, 21, from Louisiana, was sentenced to life in federal prison for his role in a fatal alien smuggling conspiracy that claimed the lives of a grandmother, her 7-year-old granddaughter and two illegally present Mexican nationals.
“This case lays bare a heartbreaking human tragedy — a grandmother, a 7-year-old child and two Mexican nationals were all killed because of Mr. Comer’s criminal and depraved actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “These were innocent lives, stolen in an instant by an alien smuggler whose criminal actions showed complete disregard for everyone on the road. No sentence can restore what was lost, but it does send a clear message: when criminals gamble with human lives, we will respond with the full weight of the federal government to ensure victims receive justice.”
“Comer’s reckless actions turned a human-smuggling run into an unimaginable tragedy that took the lives of four people, including a grandmother and her young granddaughter,” said Homeland Security Investigations Dallas acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Judy Pardo. “He showed a callous disregard for the lives of the people he transported, the law enforcement officers pursuing him, and the innocent family sharing the road that night. This sentence holds him accountable for that devastating choice. HSI will continue to work with our partners to pursue the smuggling networks that profit from human lives and leave tragedy in their wake.”
According to court records, on March 13, 2023, Comer was transporting 11 illegal aliens when he fled from a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. During the chase, he drove eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 and ultimately ran a red light in Ozona, Texas, colliding with a red pickup truck carrying the grandmother and her 7-year-old granddaughter. Both were killed at the scene. Two of the illegal aliens in Comer’s vehicle, identified as R.S. and I.C.G., also died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision, while the remaining nine suffered serious injuries.
Mangled red pickup truck the grandmother was driving and the granddaughter was riding in at scene of the crash 2021 Silver Ram 1500 truck Comer was driving at scene of the crashFurther highlighting the defendant’s recklessness, at one point during the pursuit, Comer streamed the chase on Facebook Live, showing police lights in his rearview mirror and a speedometer reading 105 mph as voices in Spanish were heard in the background.
Screenshots of police chase and speedometer from Comer's Facebook Live videoComer admitted that this was his fourth smuggling trip for an organization operated by a relative. He coordinated pickup locations through WhatsApp and on that day retrieved 11 migrants in Sheffield, Texas. Comer admitted that the 11 migrants had entered, come to, or remained in the United States in violation of the law. He also admitted he knew that the 11 aliens were in the U.S. in violation of the law and when he transported, moved, or attempted to transport or move them within the U.S., he did so with intent to further each alien’s unlawful presence.
A Springfield XD9 9mm handgun was found under the brake pedal of Comer’s vehicle. Comer acknowledged possessing the weapon, admitting he believed that it was stolen. The firearm had traveled in interstate and foreign commerce prior to Comer’s possession.
On June 18, Comer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, 11 counts of transportation of an illegal alien resulting in death and one count of possession of a stolen firearm. Today, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix imposed the Life sentence for Counts One through Twelve and 5 years of supervised release. Comer was also sentenced to 120 months for Count Thirteen to run concurrently with each other and 3 years supervised release, plus a $1,300 special assessment.
VICTIM STATEMENT
We want to thank U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould of the Northern District of Texas and his staff for the immediate and decisive action he and his office took to move this matter forward for us. A unique and special thank you goes out to Jeff Haag, West Texas Branch Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas. Mr. Haag is a diligent force and means what he says. He built trust with our family by continuously keeping us informed and following through on his commitment at each step.
“Thank you!” to all the Texas teams and investigators for the extraordinary dedication, compassion, and determination you have shown throughout this tragic journey.
There are no words that can adequately express the unbearable impact of losing Mom and Emilia. The killing of Mom and Emilia is immeasurable. Losing our seven-year-old daughter, granddaughter and niece, Emilia Brooke Tambunga and Mom Coke, left us only with fierce commitment and determination to enact sweeping change and to hold this animal accountable. Losing Mom, wife, and Grandma Maria “Coke” Tambunga has left us untethered. Losing Emilia Brooke left us fractured with a gaping wound. Nothing can undo what this animal did, but it does affirm something important: their lives mattered, their deaths mattered, and what was done to them could not simply go unanswered.
Today is not about closure—because a loss of this magnitude does not simply close.
This Texas team stood up as our voices—their voices, Mom’s and Emi’s—and they carried the facts into the courtroom and pursued justice. For that, we will always be grateful.
Thank you for standing with the victims, for standing with their families, and for seeing this case through to this moment. Your work has mattered more than words can say.
With deepest gratitude and respect,
Emilio Tambunga, Father & Husband
Elisa Tambunga, Mother and Daughter
Gin & Tim Jespersen, Daughter, Aunt & UncleHomeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Crockett County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Border Prosecution Unit, and the 112th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag, West Texas Branch Chief, prosecuted the case.
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Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Airport Bomb Threat HoaxRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Alabama man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to engaging in a hoax to detonate a bomb at an airport.
According to court records, on February 13 and 14, 2025, an individual threatened to detonate a bomb at the Bangor International Airport (“BIA”) in text messages to American Airlines (“AA”) employees and calls to the BIA switchboard. FBI investigators traced the texts and calls to Robert Tyler Wicks, 25, in Alabama. When investigators interviewed Wicks, he admitted that he made the bomb threats. He further admitted that he had used a mobile app that allowed the user to communicate from a personal cellular telephone using a different telephone number. A subsequent forensic review of Wicks’s cellular telephones revealed multiple calls to the BIA on February 13 and 14, 2025.
During the investigation, the FBI determined that Wicks was in an online relationship with an AA employee working at the BIA. As a result of this relationship, Wicks was able to obtain contact information for other AA employees. In addition, through video chat, Wicks was able to observe law enforcement and AA employee activity while he was making his bomb threats.
Wicks faces up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Bangor Police Department, the Army National Guard, the Huntsville, Alabama, Police Department, and the Decatur, Alabama, Police Department.
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Abbeville Man Who Fled to Mexico Sentenced to Nearly 23 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – An Abbeville, Alabama man has been sentenced to federal prison following his June 2026 conviction on methamphetamine and firearms charges.
On September 24, 2026, a federal district court judge sentenced 42-year-old Cassime Dion Lingo to 273 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a 2017 felony drug offense in Houston County, Alabama. Following his prison term, Lingo will serve five years of supervised release.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in April 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search at Lingo’s residence and found more than 100 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, cocaine, MDMA tablets, and marijuana. He was arrested on state charges and released on bond, after which he fled to Mexico.
After a federal indictment was returned, the United States Marshals Service, working with its law enforcement partners, located Lingo in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2022. Mexican authorities deported Lingo to the United States in 2025, where he was taken into federal custody to face the charges for which he was ultimately convicted.
“The defendant fled the country to avoid facing the consequences of his criminal conduct, but our law enforcement partners never stopped working to bring him back to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Govan. “This sentence holds him accountable for possessing significant quantities of methamphetamine and firearms and demonstrates our commitment to pursuing defendants who endanger our communities wherever they may attempt to hide.”
The United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Alabama Drug Task Force, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Eufaula Police Department, and Abbeville Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Geer III and Christine Levi prosecuted the case.
A McDuffie County man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug-related chargesRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, Georgia: A Dearing man has been sentenced in federal court for distributing methamphetamine.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Shawn Duwell Grier, 54, of Dearing, Georgia, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and a $2,500 fine followed by four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Grier’s co-defendant, Willie Miles, 80, of Augusta, was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and testimony, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated an investigation into the distribution of narcotics by Grier. With the assistance of the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office, investigators conducted a search of Grier’s residence where large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine were discovered.
Investigators determined that Grier would receive quantities of methamphetamine from a distributor in Atlanta, and on at least one occasion, he directed Miles to make the pick-up and delivery.
“Peddling dangerous narcotics inflicts profound harm on our communities, fueling addiction and undermining public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Thanks to the dedicated, collaborative efforts of the DEA and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office, these individuals have been held accountable, and a significant supply of dangerous drugs have been permanently removed from our streets.”
“Methamphetamine distribution threatens the safety and well-being of our communities,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This 10-year sentence represents accountability and is the result of law-enforcement officers working together to investigate and disrupt the illegal drug trade. We thank the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership and continued commitment to keeping dangerous drugs out of our communities.”
The DEA and McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation of this case and was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Scanlon.
54-Year-Old Brentwood Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - Zane Ishmael Covington was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for production, receipt, and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar handed down the sentence.
Covington, a 54-year-old Brentwood resident, was charged by complaint on September 29, 2025, and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on October 30, 2025, for these charges. Covington pleaded guilty on June 5, 2026, to all counts charged in the federal indictment. According to the plea agreement, Covington admitted to producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct in May 2021 and February 2022, involving two minor victims, both of whom were under 5 years old and to whom he held a position of trust.
In addition, Covington received child pornography involving a minor younger than 10 years old in August 2025, and, beginning from an unknown date continuing through October 1, 2025, Covington possessed hundreds of videos and images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and toddlers.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Brannigan made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Jon S. Tigar also sentenced the defendant to a 10-year period of supervised release and ordered a $400 special assessment, forfeiture of electronic devices, and restitution in an amount to be determined on November 20, 2026. Covington remains in federal custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly I. Volkar is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea, Amala James, Andy Ding, and Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the HSI San Francisco, the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
**MEDIA ADVISORY: U.S. Attorney, FBI Announce Formation of Gator Task Force to Strengthen Resources in the Fight Against Violent Crime and Drug Trafficking in North LouisianaRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE/SHREVEPORT - Zachary A. Keller, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, and the FBI New Orleans Field Office, will host a press conference to announce the formation of Gator Task Force, a new initiative to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in North Louisiana.
The purpose of the Task Force is to surge resources alongside federal, state, and local partners, continue to proactively arrest violent criminals and fugitives, and increase the swift dismantling of violent gangs. Through this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI, with their law enforcement partners, seek to aggressively restore safety in our communities.
WHEN: Monday, September 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana
300 Fannin Street, Suite 3201
Shreveport, LouisianaMEDIA INSTRUCTIONS: • Members of the media should check in on the first floor with Court Security.
• Weapons may need to be secured in the lockbox.
• After checking in, proceed to the 3rd floor, check in at the front desk; proceed to library.
• Parking is not designated.The following officials are scheduled to speak: • U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller
• Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry
• FBI New Orleans SAC Jonathan Tapp
• ATF SAC Joshua Jackson
• Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Frank Besson
• Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith
• Caddo Parish Sheriff Henry Whitehorn, Sr.
• Caddo Parish District Attorney James StewartIn addition to the agencies represented above, the following agencies also provide crucial assistance to operations initiated by the new Task Force:
Louisiana Attorney General’s Office
Drug Enforcement Administration
Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office
Homeland Security Investigations
Louisiana Division of Probation & ParoleA link to FBI operational photos will be provided following the press conference.
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Event Contact: Ginger Green
Ginger.Green@usdoj.gov
(318) 676-3617 (office)
(318) 614-5240 (cell)Lesley Hill, Public Affairs - FBI
(504) 816-3274
Media.NewOrleans@fbi.govPublic Affairs: U.S. Attorney's Office - WDLA
Cara.Alexander@usdoj.gov
(337) 262-6704
24 September 2026
York Tax Preparer Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison in Bank Fraud Scheme for Submission of Fraudulent PPP Loan ApplicationsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dommonick T. Chatman, age 50, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years supervised release by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for one count of bank fraud in connection with numerous fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications that were filed, with his knowledge and approval, through his business, The Chatman Group, LLC. Judge Mannion also ordered Chatman to pay $341,438.82 in restitution to the U.S. Government.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Chatman previously pleaded guilty and admitted that over the course of several months in 2021, he either participated in preparing, or approved of another employee’s preparation of, fraudulent PPP loan applications for almost twenty different individuals. The total amount of funds requested in connection with such loans exceeded $400,000, and the amount disbursed in response to such applications was approximately $341,438.82.
To obtain a PPP loan, a qualifying small business was required to apply for it and provide information on its operations, including the number of employees and expenses. In addition, businesses generally had to provide supporting documentation.
Numerous applications filed through Chatman’s business were fraudulent because the applicants either did not have businesses that were in existence as of February 15, 2020, as required by the PPP rules, or did not have the income required to get a PPP loan for the amounts that they were requesting in their respective applications. Chatman admitted that he had prepared tax returns for a number of these applicants, as they were existing clients of The Chatman Group whom he knew personally. Chatman therefore knew that these clients’ applications were fraudulent.
Chatman also received approximately 5% of each individual loan, or about $1,000, for each loan application that his company filed. When an employee assisted in the processing of these applications, Chatman shared the proceeds with this employee.
Chatman also obstructed the government’s investigation by disposing of a handwritten list of the names of clients who had received PPP loan applications through his company.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe prosecuted the case.
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York Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Charles D. Smalley, age 44, of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 22, 2026, to 72 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Smalley was sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking ring that involved shipping kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to York, Pennsylvania. Smalley pled guilty to conspiring to distribute crystal methamphetamine.
The case arose from investigation of the drug trafficking operation of Jashan Moore, a/k/a
“Dream.” During this investigation, police intercepted a parcel containing over seven kilograms of methamphetamine destined for Smalley’s home. On June 5, 2023, the police delivered a parcel to the home and watched Smalley and Natasha Myers handle and then turn over the parcel to Moore.When imposing sentence, Judge Wilson highlighted Smalley’s criminal history and the seriousness of the offense. The judge also considered that Smalley was a fugitive for a year after he pled guilty. In March 2025, co-defendant Natasha Myers was sentenced to 40 months in prison. In December 2025, co-defendant Jashan Moore was sentenced to 186 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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York County Man Indicted for Robbery Spree in YorkRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Clyde Fa, age 52, of York, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for a string of robberies in York as well as firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Fa committed five armed robberies and one attempted robbery of various businesses in York, Pennsylvania, between October 20, 2025 and December 12, 2025. The indictment also alleges that Fa possessed and brandished a Glock semi-automatic handgun during the robberies. Further, the Indictment also alleges that at the times he possessed the firearm, Fa was a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
The FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency, the York City Police Department, and the West Manchester Township Police Department investigated the case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Mark Monroe is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense of Interference of Commerce by Robbery is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense of possession of a firearm in furtherance of interference of commerce by robbery is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense of felon in possession is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments 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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Vermont Man Indicted for Distribution of Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Vermont resident Alexander Henry, 20, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on one count of distribution of child sex abuse materials (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. The defendant was arrested and first appeared in federal court in Vermont yesterday. He will appear in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire at a later date.
The charge of CSAM distribution carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of twenty years. 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. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case with valuable assistance from the Newport Police Department and Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Mignanelli and Matthew Vicinanzo are prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Uzbek National Extradited to the United States to Face Charges for Providing Material Support to Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsRead the Press Release
Davud Ansariy, a citizen of Uzbekistan and naturalized citizen of the United States, also known as “Kozimjon Gafurov” and “Kozim,” will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi on an indictment charging him with one count of conspiring and one count of provision of material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and Al-Nusrah Front (ANF), both foreign terrorist organizations at the time of the charged conduct. Ansariy was extradited to the Eastern District of New York from Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sept. 23, where he was arrested in August 2026.
“After a decade on the run, Ansariy is back in the United States where he must answer to the charge that he supported two of the most ruthless terrorist groups in the world, ISIS and the al‑Nusrah Front,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “As alleged in the indictment, Ansariy ran a network that raised money, arranged travel, and paved the way for individuals who hoped to fight for these foreign terrorist organizations. We thank our partners, domestic and otherwise, for helping us to ensure that terrorists are apprehended wherever they hide.”
“More than a decade ago, the defendant fled the United States in an effort to evade justice for his extremely serious crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, the defendant facilitated an expansive network that sought to finance the travel of foreign fighters to wage violent jihad. His extradition and prosecution should serve as a reminder that our office and our law enforcement partners will work relentlessly to hold accountable those who would provide support to terrorists seeking to harm the United States. Ansariy will now face justice for his actions in a U.S. courtroom.”
“This individual allegedly raised funds to help two foreign terrorist organizations and left the U.S. before he could be held accountable,” said Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The passage of years and geographic distance will not stop the FBI; we will find those who help foreign terrorist groups and work with our partners to see justice is served. The FBI is committed to finding networks set up to fund terrorist acts and will shut them down.”
According to court filings, Ansariy was the leader of a group of radicalized individuals based primarily in Brooklyn, New York, who planned to travel to Syria to become ISIS or ANF fighters, or who financed the travel of aspiring fighters. The government’s investigation uncovered an extensive financial support network that raised money for those seeking to travel to Syria to join and fight for foreign terrorist organizations. The network’s participants referred to the group as “chayxona,” an Uzbek word which translates to “tea house” or “tea party.” The group also raised money to help support the families that fighters left behind when they traveled to Syria, and to help support the widows and families of those who were killed fighting. As a result of these “tea party” collections, Ansariy and others funded the travel of at least three individuals to Syria in 2013. All three are believed to have been killed in Syria.
In May 2016, Ansariy departed the United States for Turkey on a one-way ticket that he purchased the previous day. His departure from the United States came five days after the arrest of one of Ansariy’s co-conspirators, on May 11, 2016. Since then, Ansariy has remained a fugitive. A federal grand jury in Brooklyn returned an indictment against the defendant in November 2021.
If convicted of the charges, Ansariy faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
The FBI investigated the case, with the assistance of the New York Police Department, New York State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Port Authority Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Office of the Law Enforcement Attache in Tbilisi and the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia secured the arrest and extradition of Ansariy.
The government’s case is being handled by the Eastern District of New York’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey R. Oken is prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Joseph Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Irisa Chen and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Pravda for the Eastern District of New York.
Uzbek National Extradited to the United States to Face Charges for Providing Material Support to Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsRead the Press Release
Davud Ansariy, a citizen of Uzbekistan and naturalized citizen of the United States, also known as “Kozimjon Gafurov” and “Kozim,” will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi on an indictment charging him with one count of conspiring to and one count of provision of material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and Al-Nusrah Front (ANF), both foreign terrorist organizations at the time of the charged conduct. Ansariy was extradited to the Eastern District of New York from Tbilisi, Georgia on Sept. 23, 2026 where he was arrested in August 2026.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges and extradition.“More than a decade ago, the defendant fled the United States in an effort to evade justice for his extremely serious crimes,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “As alleged, the defendant facilitated an expansive network that sought to finance the travel of foreign fighters to wage violent jihad. His extradition and prosecution should serve as a reminder that our Office and our law enforcement partners will work relentlessly to hold accountable those who would provide support to terrorists seeking to harm the United States. Ansariy will now face justice for his actions in a United States courtroom.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Office of the Law Enforcement Attache in Tbilisi and the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia which secured the arrest and extradition of Ansariy.
“After a decade on the run, Ansariy is back in the United States where he must answer to the charge that he supported two of the most ruthless terrorist groups in the world, ISIS and the al‑Nusrah Front,” stated Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg. “As alleged in the indictment, Ansariy ran a network that raised money, arranged travel, and paved the way for individuals who hoped to fight for these foreign terrorist organizations. We thank our partners, domestic and otherwise, for helping us to ensure that terrorists are apprehended wherever they hide.”
“Ansariy’s era as a fugitive from justice has come to an end after nearly a decades’ long search by the FBI and our partner agencies,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “The FBI will not relent in its mission to protect the homeland, by rooting out extremists who support these violent terrorist organizations. By cutting off the stream of money overseas to ISIS and ANF, we weaken their network, and send a strong message to their followers: they can run, but they cannot hide from the FBI.”
According to court filings, Ansariy was the leader of a group of radicalized individuals, based primarily in Brooklyn, New York, who either planned to travel to Syria to become ISIS or ANF fighters, and/or who financed the travel of aspiring fighters. The government’s investigation uncovered an extensive financial support network that raised money for those seeking to travel to Syria to join and fight for foreign terrorist organizations. The network’s participants referred to the group as “chayxona,” an Uzbek word which translates to “tea house” or “tea party.” The group also raised money to help support the families that fighters left behind when they traveled to Syria, and to help support the widows and families of those who were killed fighting. As a result of these “tea party” collections, Ansariy and others funded the travel of at least three individuals to Syria in 2013. All three are believed to have been killed in Syria.
In May 2016, Ansariy departed the United States for Turkey on a one-way ticket that he purchased the previous day, just five days after the arrest of one of Ansariy’s co-conspirators. Ansariy did not return to the United States until his extradition. A federal grand jury in Brooklyn returned an indictment against the defendant in November 2021.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and Ansariy is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, Ansariy faces up to 35 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey R. Oken is in charge of the prosecution and was assisted by Assistant United States Attorney Irisa Chen, Trial Attorney Joseph Kaster of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and former Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Pravda.
The Defendant:
DAVUD ANSARIY (also known as “Kozimjon Gafurov” and “Kozim”)
Age: 41
UzbekistanE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-594 (WFK)
ansariy_indictment.pdf ansariy_detention_letter.pdfUnited States Recovers $375,000 in Fraud Proceeds from a Business Email Compromise ScamRead the Press Release
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa entered a judgment Tuesday forfeiting to the United States roughly $375,000 in proceeds from a scam that targeted an Iowa business.
In a business email compromise scam, criminals impersonate a company’s executives or vendors to trick the company’s employees into transferring money or clicking a malicious link. Often, the criminals will use an altered email header or deceptively similar email address to make the company’s employee believe the email is from a trusted source. According to the FBI, these scams cost businesses more than $55 billion from 2013 to 2023.
In this case, the scammer impersonated the Iowa company’s vendors and instructed the employee to direct a payment to a scammer-controlled bank account. The Iowa company, thinking it was paying real invoices as instructed, sent payments in mid-2022 totaling more than $800,000 to the scammer’s account. From there, the scammer transferred the funds to other bank accounts to make it difficult to track the stolen money. Among other seizures, the United States seized $372,583.77 of the fraud proceeds from a Wells Fargo bank account belonging to Manuel and Ibrahim Hazim. The scammer deposited the fraud proceeds into the Hazims’ account with a series of checks indicating in the memo line that they were for a “Mack Truck,” “procurement,” and “payment.” The Iowa company reported the fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The Hazims claimed that they did not know about the scam and were therefore the rightful owners of the money. They claimed the money was from a currency exchange in which an unknown source would deposit dollars directly into the Hazims’ Wells Fargo account and they would then wire Nigerian currency to a Nigerian broker. Investigation showed that the Hazims did not own or sell a Mack Truck or engage in any other legitimate business transaction with the individual who deposited the funds.
The District Court found that the money was involved in a crime and was therefore subject to being forfeited. It also found that the Hazims had not sworn to the truth of their claims as required by the law and thus could not show that they were innocent owners. It ordered that the money be paid to the United States.
“Criminals continue to target Americans with email compromise scams,” said U.S. Attorney Leif Olson. “Protect yourself by examining the addresses of incoming emails for differences from previous emails. Follow up in person or by phone to make sure requests are legitimate, especially when someone asks you to change where to send payment. If you or your company are targeted by one of these scams, report it to your bank, to law enforcement, and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. We will use every available tool to track down scammers and recover the money they stole”
The Internet Crime Complaint Center is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. Visit www.ic3.gov for updated information regarding business email compromise scams as well as other cyber fraud schemes.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon J. Gray and Brian J. Keogh and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
If you have information about money in or laundered through the United States that was involved in fraud, contact law enforcement or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-CV-102.
United States Files Request to Intervene in Case Brought by X Corp. and Elon Musk Seeking to Annul Decision by European CommissionRead the Press Release
The United States filed an application to intervene in the captioned cases, X Internet and X Holdings v. Commission, Case No. T-114/26 and Musk v. Commission, Case No. T-121/26, before the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union (GCEU) in Luxembourg in support of the applications to annul the Dec. 5, 2025, Decision of the European Commission that found them liable for violations of the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and imposed a fine of €120,000,000 jointly and severally, based on “the total worldwide annual turnover of the single economic unit ultimately controlled by Elon Musk or that of X Holdings Corp.”
“The European Commission inappropriately attempted to expand its regulatory authority to reach American companies not present or operating within its jurisdiction,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will not tolerate the European Commission engaging in regulatory overreach to try and control American engines of innovation and economic growth.”
Article 40 of the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union provides that a natural or legal person, including a State, may intervene in disputes before the Court where that person “can establish an interest in the result of the case to the Court.”
This is the first case challenging an enforcement action under the DSA to reach the General Court. The Department of Justice coordinated with the Department of State in preparing the intervention application, given the broad interest in protecting American companies from foreign extraterritorial enforcement action and the implications for U.S.-EU relations. The United States has a clear interest in ensuring that the effect of any judgment concerning the Commission’s Decision is consistent with how territorial jurisdiction is generally understood in international law, and does not otherwise prejudice, U.S.-headquartered digital services companies, which contribute significantly to the U.S. economy. The United States has significant concerns about the European Commission’s approach to determining who is the “provider” of digital services for the purposes of attributing liability under the DSA, and whether this approach is consistent with established principles and limitations on the appropriate reach of extraterritorial jurisdiction and the “corporate veil” principle, which is fundamental to the U.S. economic and legal system, and many others, which provides that that there is, in general, no entitlement to look behind the corporate structure in order to take action against shareholders. Critically, the Commission’s approach extended legal scrutiny to Mr. Musk himself as a private individual and implicated entirely separate and unrelated American corporate entities under his ownership, despite those entities having no connections to the digital services at issue.
If the approach in the European Commission Decision is upheld, this may have significant implications for “very large online platforms” and other similar entities operating in the digital services sector within the EU, many of which are domiciled (at parent level) within the United States. The United States looks forward to the opportunity to address these concerns and issues in detail before the General Court.
U.S. Postal Carrier Charged with Destroying Campaign MailersRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a U.S. Postal employee for destroying U.S. mail, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Sekondi Watts, 43, Center Point, Alabama, with destruction of mail by a U.S. Postal employee.
According to the indictment, in April 2026, Watts destroyed a batch of campaign mailers for a candidate running for state Senate. The incident occurred in Shelby County, Alabama.
“This indictment reflects our commitment to protecting the integrity of our elections and the U.S. Mail, and we stand ready to prosecute anyone who interferes with fair and honest elections,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “We appreciate the work of our law enforcement partners in investigating this matter.”
“With Election Day just around the corner, our office is on high alert and is committed to rooting out election integrity crimes in whatever form they take,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney and Election Crimes Coordinator Brett A. Janich.
The U.S. Postal Service-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould meets with Guatemalan leaders to strengthen joint efforts against cartel networksRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney Ryan Raybould and Criminal Chief Fabio Leonardi of the Northern District of Texas traveled to Guatemala this week to expand cooperative efforts with Guatemalan justice‑sector partners to prosecute transnational cartels and disrupt the financial networks that support them.
During the visit, Raybould met with the President of Guatemala, the Attorney General, vetted investigative units, Guatemalan prosecutors and leadership from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The trip focused on strengthening joint investigations targeting cartel money‑movement systems, including fraud networks, bulk‑cash operations, trade‑based laundering, cryptocurrency channels and other financial mechanisms that cartels use to move illicit proceeds across borders.
“Cartels are not just violent criminal organizations—they are global financial machines built to exploit international borders. And We will not allow those borders to protect them,’ said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our message is unequivocal: we will follow their money, expose their networks and work with our Guatemalan partners to bring every facilitator, broker and launderer to justice. If you move cartel money, we will find you.”
Officials emphasized that Dallas–Fort Worth is a critical choke point in cartel finance investigations due to its rapidly expanding financial sector, central transportation hub and concentration of federal agencies specializing in financial crime, cyber operations, cryptocurrency tracing and money‑laundering enforcement.
The Department of Justice and Guatemalan authorities reaffirmed their commitment to coordinated operations, expanded evidence sharing, and joint prosecution strategies targeting cartel financial infrastructures.
U.S. Attorney Aaron F. Reitz announces strategic priorities for Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – U.S. Attorney Aaron F. Reitz has issued strategic guidance outlining the Southern District of Texas’s law enforcement, prosecution, and investigation priorities, as well as the principles he expects to guide the office’s work.
See full text linked here and below:
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We all swore an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies—foreign and domestic.” That’s our mission as a U.S. Attorney’s Office: to uphold the Constitution and Rule of Law against their enemies in federal court.
The survival of our republic depends on the foundation of a self-governing people. Written law—like the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and federal statutes—orders complex civilizations like ours. But that only works for a people who first rule themselves. Law-followers get freedom, peace, and independence. Law-breakers get the sword—removed from civil society and punished through swift, certain, and fair prosecution.
That’s where we come in: advancing the Rule of Law so that law-abiding individuals, families, and communities can flourish, free from the predations of criminals and criminality.
To that end, we will organize our resources, focus our efforts, and use our prosecutorial discretion in the aggressive pursuit of the following law-enforcement priorities.
PRIORITIES
- Enhance public safety
We will relentlessly reduce the violence that flows from gangs, recidivists, drug and human traffickers, and those with no respect for human life.
- Destroy transnational criminal and foreign terrorist organizations
We will hunt down cartels and other criminal enterprises that deal in drugs, women and children, weapons, and illegal aliens, and smoke out their networks of bosses, money launderers, stash houses, suppliers, and allies.
- Defend American sovereignty
We will secure our border and help deport and punish illegal aliens, whose very existence on American soil is criminal. We will protect the integrity of our elections. We will guard our institutions against foreign interference.
- Eradicate public corruption
We will hold accountable those in power who betray public trust through bribery, procurement or grant fraud, election crimes, and abuse of office.
- Protect the American taxpayer against fraud
We will ensure that taxpayer dollars are used only for their lawful intended purpose by prosecuting those who fraudulently steal funds or rig systems related to federal benefits, government contracts, natural disasters, and immigration.
CHARACTER
As we pursue these priorities, we will do so with the following character traits:
- Judgment
Understanding right and wrong, good and evil, and how to distinguish between them, weigh consequences wisely, and act with prudence.
- Justice
Giving to every person what he is owed, without fear or favor, in fidelity to law and truth.
- Integrity
Doing the right thing every time—aligning word, deed, and conscience so that our conduct in the dark is the same as in the light.
- Courage
Exercising the moral strength to do what is right despite danger, pressure, or personal cost in the pursuit of worthy objectives.
- Loyalty
Showing faithfulness to and solidarity with America’s founding principles, the Constitution and our Article II Executive Power role within it, the law, our oath, the Office, and your colleagues.
SDTX LEADS THE WAY
The Southern District of Texas is at the forefront of the most sophisticated federal law enforcement work in the nation. No other district has the combined diversity and complexity of scale, geography, population, coastline, economy, or border like we do. The sheer scope of SDTX means we carry a responsibility that no other district carries.
I intend for us to meet that responsibility. Together, we will drive the President’s and Attorney General’s law enforcement priorities harder, faster, more effectively, and more aggressively than any office in the country. The stakes here are higher than anywhere else. We must seek justice. And we must win. Duty demands it and the citizens of this district deserve nothing less.
Two Sisters Accused of Stealing from Federally Funded Tribal Housing EntityRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two sisters are accused of paying fake vendors with money from a federally funded housing entity serving Santa Ana Pueblo in order to collect most of that money back in cash.
According to the indictment and statements made in court, Tamaya Housing Incorporated is the tribally designated housing entity for Santa Ana Pueblo and receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Housing Block Grant Program to provide affordable housing to Pueblo members.
At the time of the alleged offenses, Sharilene Jeff, 51, served as Interim Executive Director of Tamaya Housing Inc. and had access to the organization’s financial accounts as well as federal grant funds. At the time, Sandra Jeff, 58, served as the office manager. Sandra and Sharilene Jeff are sisters. According to public records, Sandra Jeff previously served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives.
From November 2021 through May 2022, Sharilene Jeff and Sandra Jeff allegedly conspired to cause Tamaya Housing Inc. to pay individuals for work they had not performed in exchange for those individuals returning most of the money to them in cash.
In April 2022, Sharilene Jeff allegedly caused approximately $50,000 to be transferred from Tamaya Housing Inc.’s bank account to an individual who had performed no work for Tamaya Housing Inc. Later that month, Sandra Jeff traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she allegedly collected approximately $40,000 in cash from that individual.
The following month, Sharilene Jeff allegedly caused approximately $63,500 to be transferred from Tamaya Housing Inc.’s bank account to another individual and instructed the recipient to withdraw $40,500 in cash while keeping $23,000. According to the indictment, Sharilene Jeff later collected cash from that individual while attending a work conference in Seattle, Washington, and Sandra Jeff subsequently collected additional cash from that individual in Arizona.
The indictment further alleges that as part of the conspiracy the Defendants instructed recipients to withdraw cash in small amounts to avoid detection and to falsely claim that contracts existed with Tamaya Housing Inc. if questioned about the payments.
“Every dollar stolen from a federally funded housing program is a dollar that cannot be used to serve the families who depend on it,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “These programs depend on the integrity of the people responsible for administering them, and allegations of theft undermine the trust that makes them work. We will work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who divert federal resources for personal gain, regardless of the positions they hold.”
“Sharilene Jeff and Sandra Jeff’s alleged abuse of their positions by orchestrating a scheme to divert funds intended to provide affordable housing to Santa Ana Pueblo members in order to line their own pockets is intolerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Grant Permenter of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “The funds entrusted to them were meant to provide a service for the vulnerable community members—not for personal gain. HUD OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to follow the money, expose fraud schemes, and hold accountable those who misuse federal funds and betray the trust placed in them.”
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Sharilene Jeff is charged with five other counts of theft from Tamaya Housing Inc., and Sandra Jeff is charged with two additional counts of theft from Tamaya Housing Inc. Each alleged theft is for property valued at $5,000 or more.
Sharilene Jeff is currently detained pending trial. Sandra Jeff is on release but under federal supervision pending trial. Trial has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, they both face up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Grant Permenter of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General and the Santa Ana Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jena Ritchey and Sean Sullivan 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.
Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud Conspiracy, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Two defendants were sentenced to 69 months and 40 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring to commit bank fraud involving stolen mail, aggravated identity theft, and illegal firearms possession.
According to court documents, EW Nelson, 39, of Coden, and Thomas William Peters, III, 45, of Irvington, participated in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud involving items stolen from the U.S. mail between March 2024 and May 2024. Nelson and Peters each pleaded guilty and admitted that they stole U.S. mail to obtain checks, credit cards, debit cards, money orders, and other personal identifying information of victims, which they used to generate counterfeited and forged financial instruments and commit fraudulent transactions to obtain illicit profits.
In April 2024, Peters and Nelson worked together to conduct several fraudulent transactions at banks in Tillman’s Corner and Theodore using stolen identifying information of mail-theft victims. Bank surveillance video captured Peters making the unauthorized transactions.
On May 9, 2024, a business in Mobile reported that a white Chevrolet Equinox had been captured on video stealing mail from the business. Three days later, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the Equinox, which Peters was driving. Peters led deputies on a high-speed chase, crashing the Equinox in a ditch in south Mobile County. Deputies arrested Peters and seized two loaded pistols, drug paraphernalia, several stolen checks, altered money orders, and deposit slips and receipts from the Equinox. Peters admitted that he illegally possessed the guns after having previously been convicted of several felonies, mostly theft and drug-related offenses. Peters also admitted to engaging in a fraud scheme with Nelson, who manufactured the counterfeited financial instruments that Peters fraudulently deposited at various banks.
On May 15, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Nelson’s residence in Coden. There, agents located and seized stolen mail, driver’s licenses, debit cards, credit cards, and other evidence of fraud. Nelson admitted to agents that he stole mail and manufactured counterfeited checks. Evidence extracted from phones and laptops belonging to Nelson and Peters confirmed their extensive involvement in mail theft and bank fraud.
U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Nelson to serve 69 months in prison and Peters to serve 40 months in prison. In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered Nelson and Peters to pay $2,817.65 in victim restitution. Upon their release from prison, Nelson and Peters will each serve five-year terms of supervised release, during which time they will be subject to drug testing and treatment and credit restrictions. The court also ordered the defendants to pay a total of $500 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Mobile Police Department, and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Two Accused of Using Homeless Persons to Cash Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have been accused of recruiting homeless persons to cash checks at St. Louis-area financial institutions that had been stolen from the mail.
Eight people have been indicted in connection with the investigation and accused of depositing U.S. Treasury checks with a total value of $3.4 million and then withdrawing or attempting to withdraw the money. Samuel Stewart, 27, of St. Louis, was indicted May 6 on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, five counts of bank fraud, ten counts of possession of stolen mail, eight counts of aggravated identity theft and nine counts of forging endorsement on Treasury checks. Royce Finger, 22, of Maryland Heights, faces one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, six counts of bank fraud, ten counts of possession of stolen mail, eight counts of aggravated identity theft and nine counts of forging endorsement on Treasury checks.
The final defendant to be arrested, David Sims, appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday for a detention hearing.
The indictment says that from as early as November 2024 through January 2026, Stewart and Finger received Treasury checks that had been stolen in Florida, Minnesota, California and Tennessee. They then created fraudulent driver’s licenses, U.S. passports and other identification documents so the checks could be cashed, the indictment says. The pair provided housing and clothing to their co-conspirators, the indictment says. They took them to the banks after coaching them so they could answer questions from bank staff about why the checks bore addresses in other states, the indictment says. The defendants told bank employees that they had recently moved to the St. Louis and provided fake utility bills and identification to bolster the lies, the indictment says.
Sims, 68, Jose Marti, 37, and Christopher Brown, 50, face various counts of all five charges. Cynthia Conner, 51, Ryan Ewald, 47, and Lisa Taca, 48, also face various counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession of stolen mail and aggravated identity theft. The indictment says they deposited the checks and withdrew the money.
In one example provided in the indictment, Stewart and Finger gave Sims a fake ID that he used to deposit a stolen $937,809 Treasury check. The defendants then caused the withdrawal of $597,890. On July 21, 2025, Stewart and Finger gave Sims a fake passport and a stolen $669,185 Treasury check, the indictment says. Sims later returned to the bank and withdrew $6,500.
The conspiracy and bank fraud charges are punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. The forging charge is punishable by up to 10 years and the same fine. Possession of stolen mail carries a penalty of up to five years and/or a $250,000 fine and aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence.
All defendants have appeared in court and pleaded not guilty. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting the case.
Three California Women Sentenced to Prison for Cross-Country Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that three Oakland, California women were sentenced by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for their roles in a cross-country fraud scheme.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Judge Neary recently sentenced Chartanae Ajanee Lovely, age 29, Davida Algie Fortenberry, age 30, and Laje Elise Ford, age 30, for their involvement in a years-long fraud scheme. All defendants were required to pay restitution and were sentenced as follows:
- On August 26, 2026, Ford was sentenced to 6 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
- On September 1, 2026, Fortenberry was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
- On September 22, 2026, Lovely was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The women pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They were caught in 2021 by members of the Susquehanna Township Police after they used stolen bank account information to buy gift cards at a Giant Food Store.
Investigators uncovered that Fortenberry, Lovely, and Ford had flown in that day from Oakland, California, to Pittsburgh where they rented a car and drove to five different Giant Food Stores across Central Pennsylvania. At the stores, they bought thousands of dollars in gift cards using the stolen bank account information. The stolen bank account information was from Middle Eastern banks, including Emirates NBD Bank, Gulf International Bank, and Saudi National Bank. Police also found that the women had flown to Pennsylvania two weeks before and did the same thing at Giant Food Stores in the Philadelphia area. Thereafter, investigators uncovered that Fortenberry, Lovely, and Ford had been a part of a multi-year fraud scheme doing similar conduct at retailers across the nation.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Susquehanna Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio prosecuted the case.
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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Possess Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A Dallas man pleaded guilty today to Attempted Possession of Contraband in Prison.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Guillermo Perez, 29, arranged for a large amount of marijuana and suboxone strips to be delivered, via drone, to the federal prison where he was incarcerated. Law enforcement officers stopped the delivery before it could be completed. Perez had previously been convicted of violent firearm offenses in Texas and was serving sentences for those convictions at the time of this offense. It is contrary to federal law for an inmate of a federal prison to attempt to possess contraband items, such as controlled substances.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison consecutive to the sentences he is already serving. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi; FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff; and BOP Director William K. Marshall III made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael FiggsGanter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham are prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A St. Louis, Missouri man was sentenced on September 22, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor and possessing child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, on August 5, 2025, Bryan Nicholas Williams, 40, began messaging an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female about sex acts and requesting photos. Williams arranged to meet in Iowa City less than a week later and he was arrested. Williams's phone was seized and a forensic search revealed Willams used the device to receive, view, and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Williams will be required to serve a seven-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Springfield Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of firearms.
Jayden Lamar Wright, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Megan Blair Benton to 84 months in federal prison without parole and three years of supervised release. Wright pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully possessing firearms as a user of a controlled substance on April 9, 2026.
On Feb. 22, 2024, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a search of Wright’s vehicle after it was present at the scene of a double homicide and seized four semi-automatic pistols belonging to Wright. Wright admitted that he was an active user of marijuana.
On March 8, 2024, ATF agents observed Wright carrying a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine as he entered a gun show in Springfield. An undercover ATF agent approached Wright and negotiated the purchase of the 9mm pistol and a magazine. Investigators later observed Wright purchasing a new semi-automatic pistol and extended magazine at the gun show. That firearm was seized during a traffic stop along with a third firearm that Wright had purchased at the gun show.
A year later, police approached Wright in connection with another investigation. Wright fled but was detained shortly thereafter and was found to be carrying another firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alfredo De La Rosa and Jessica Eatmon. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, M Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.