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29 July 2026
15 Charged in Two Conspiracies to Traffic Meth to OhioRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Fifteen individuals have been charged in two cases for their alleged roles in a large-scale operation to traffic illegal drugs throughout Northeast Ohio and Pennsylvania. The charges are the result of a year-long investigation by federal and local officials.
According to court documents, conspiracy members allegedly obtained methamphetamine from drug suppliers in Akron, Ohio, as well as arranged shipments from the U.S. border with Mexico. Methamphetamine was purchased in pound quantities and then re-sold to drug customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the region. Four residences in Akron were used as stash houses to store, process and distribute methamphetamine. Investigators seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm. The investigation revealed drug transactions totaling more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine.
Defendants were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests from April to May resulting from criminal complaints and a federal 21-count indictment returned in May. The following are charged with:
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Clarence Daniels, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Larry Finch, 43, of Akron, Ohio
- Nicholas Helfrick, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Ricardo Allison, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Sheldon Bell, 45, of Akron, Ohio
- John Townsend, 41, of Akron, Ohio
- Bryce Dittman, 27, of St. Petersburg, Pennsylvania
- Tyler Smith, 28, of East Brady, Pennsylvania
- Anthony Raunikar, 44, of Akron, Ohio
- Marcus Nixon, 45, of Akron, Ohio
- John Koza, 45, of Akron, Ohio
- Earl Breckenridge, 56, of Oil City, Pennsylvania
- Jazzmin Thomas, 30, of Akron, Ohio
- Samantha Lentz, 30, of Doylestown, Ohio
- Craig Consilio, 62, of Akron, Ohio
Additional charges include:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine –Dittman, Smith, Breckenridge, Lentz, Raunikar, Finch, Allison, and Consilio
- Maintaining Drug Premises – Finch, Helfrick, and Consilio
- Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate a Drug Offense – Daniels, Finch, Helfrick, Allison, Bell, Townsend, Raunikar, Dixon, Koza, Breckenridge, Lentz, and Consilio
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition – Nixon; previous convictions include Illegal Manufacture of Drugs in 2001, and Illegal Assembly or Possession of Chemicals for the Manufacture of Drugs in 2016.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Akron Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen Rolph and Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel are leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
Criminal complaints and indictments are charges only and are not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
28 July 2026
Wise County Man Found Guilty of Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Johnny Lorrain Dishman, 68, of Wise County, Virginia was recently found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony. Since 1990, Dishman had been convicted of nine felony offenses in both federal and state court, most recently in 2022 in Wise County Circuit Court for unlawfully possessing a firearm and Schedule I/II controlled substance.
On February 13, 2025, officers with Wise Police Department were searching for a wanted individual at Dishman’s residence in Wise County. After announcing themselves for over 20 minutes, Dishman finally responded to the officers by racking a Mossberg 500AT, 12-gauge shotgun and greeting the officers with the loaded shotgun in his hands.
Dishman faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, and he is scheduled to be sentenced in October of this year.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wise Police Department, and Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Hall and Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case.
Westlake Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Throwing Rocks and Lighted Debris at CHP Officers During Anti-ICE RiotRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A man from the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for throwing rocks and ignited debris at California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers trapped underneath a downtown Los Angeles freeway overpass – with a CHP vehicle set ablaze during a violent anti-immigration law enforcement protest last year, the Justice Department announced today.
Ismael Vega, 42, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $253,415 in restitution.
Vega pleaded guilty on April 29 to one count of obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder.
According to his plea agreement, during the evening of June 8, 2025, two days after violence erupted against federal agents enforcing U.S. immigration laws, Vega was part of a large group of protesters on the Main Street overpass above U.S. Highway 101 in downtown Los Angeles. These protesters picked up debris – including cardboard and vegetation – and fireworks, lit them on fire and dropped them over the freeway overpass’s railing, aiming for a nearby CHP vehicle, which was within feet of CHP officers trapped underneath the overpass.
Vega admitted in his plea agreement that he knew the officers were under the freeway overpass and that the objects thrown and burning debris dropped onto a vehicle created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to the officers.
Multiple times, Vega attempted to help other individuals who were trying to light debris on fire on the 101 Freeway overpass. He lit a large piece of cardboard on fire, held it over the railing to line it up to land on the hood of a CHP vehicle, which it did after he dropped it. Then, as another individual – co-defendant Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights – poured a liquid increasing the size of the flames, Vega was next to co-defendant Flores and used his hands to motion towards and gesture at the flames.
Vega also picked up and threw multiple rocks at law enforcement officers as these officers attempted to clear the overpass. He further admitted that he knowingly engaged in that behavior intending that it obstruct, impede, and interfere with the law enforcement officers and their duties.
“This civil disorder stood apart in its magnitude,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “A sergeant in the California Highway Patrol with nearly three decades in law enforcement wrote a statement about how this incident stood apart and the impact it had on him and his son. His experience underscores how violent this incident became and the deep toll it took on all law enforcement present.”
Vega is the fifth defendant sentenced in connection with this case. Flores faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison at his August 3 sentencing hearing. The case’s lead defendant, Adam Charles Palermo, 40, of Rampart Village, has a December 14 sentencing hearing scheduled, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI, with assistance from CHP and the Los Angeles Police Department, investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna W. Long and Lana Morton Owens of the National Security Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Sebastian Bellm of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
West Lawn Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Stolen Human RemainsRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Taylor, age 49, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 27, 2026, to 24 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Taylor admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains, including remains stolen from Harvard Medical School. Taylor purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen.
Other individuals were indicted with Taylor on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. From 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.
Maclean and Taylor sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Several other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, Katrina Maclean, Cedric and Denise Lodge, and Angelo Pereyra. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison; Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months in prison; Ensanian was sentenced to 6 months in prison; Denise and Cedric Lodge were sentenced to 96 months and 12 months in prison respectively. Katrina Maclean is awaiting sentencing. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
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Venezuelan National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Pleads Guilty to Damaging Government VehicleRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Yesterday, Luis Nino-Moncada, 33, a Venezuelan national unlawfully residing in the United States, pleaded guilty to felony Depredation of Government Property, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford.
According to court documents, on January 8, 2026, Nino-Moncada drove into the parking lot of Adventist Health Portland in a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. Nino-Moncada had a female passenger in the truck. After Nino-Moncada parked, a Border Patrol agent parked his government black Hyundai Sonata behind the Toyota Tacoma. Six Border Patrol agents exited their vehicles and surrounded the Toyota Tacoma in an effort to arrest defendant and the female passenger because they were unlawfully in the country. Nino-Moncada believed they were “ICE” agents. Then, Nino-Moncada began forcefully ramming his pickup truck, by backing up and striking the black Hyundai several times. Nino-Moncada’s conduct placed others at risk of serious bodily injury, and Nino-Moncada was conscious of or recklessly disregarded that risk. When Nino-Moncada was ramming into the Hyundai Sonata, a federal officer fired his service weapon at him. The Hyundai Sonata was declared a total loss.
Nino-Moncada faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. As part of the plea agreement, Nino-Moncada has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $24,413.00. He also admitted he is not a U.S. citizen, is present in the United States illegally, and is subject to an order of removal entered by an Immigration Judge in November 2024. He will be sentenced September 16, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (H.S.I.). The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Ukrainian-Israeli Citizen Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fake Brokerage SchemeRead the Press Release
Yaroslav Shilkloper, 50, a dual citizen of Ukraine and Israel, was sentenced today to four years in prison for his participation in a conspiracy that utilized a sophisticated phony brokerage-business to scam U.S. citizens out of millions of dollars. Shilkloper was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and $1.43 million in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Shilkloper and his co-conspirators defrauded victims in the United States of more than $3 million dollars by promising high rates of return on investments made through their “K6 Investing,” “Neotron Holding LTD.,” and “Goldex Technology” companies. As part of the scheme, the defendant provided access to a digital platform that allowed victims to see what they believed were real-time investment performance data. The victims’ money, however, was never invested, but instead diverted and laundered through a series of bank accounts in Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic, and elsewhere, all controlled by Shilkloper and his co-conspirators. When victims attempted to withdraw their money, they were prevented from doing so, threatened with legal action, or manipulated into sending more money to the fraud ring.
Shilkloper is the first of three defendants charged in the case to be sentenced. He was extradited from Poland after being arrested there in 2023. Today’s U.S. forfeiture order adds to the $2.8 million already previously returned to the victims as a result of forfeiture proceedings against Shilkloper and co-conspirators in the Republic of Georgia.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Ben Tonkin and Justin G. Bish of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight for the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Polish authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Shilkloper.
U.S.-Congolese Citizen Sentenced to Nine Years’ Imprisonment for Sprawling Check Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was sentenced today to 108 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to running a check fraud scheme between 2022–2025, stealing upwards of $1.7 million from banks with the help of a small network of African expats.
Pitshou Yunga Kafuku, 43, of Millcreek, Utah, pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy, bank fraud, theft of government funds, and money laundering on April 21, 2026. In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell ordered Kafuku to pay $1,749,158.73 in restitution.
According to court documents and admissions made at Kafuku’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between 2022 and 2025, Kafuku orchestrated an elaborate scheme to obtain money from banks through fraud. As part of the scheme, Kafuku worked with individuals in South Africa to obtain stolen checks from the mail. With the help of a small network of African expats in Utah—recruited and directed by Kafuku—the conspirators opened bank accounts using fraudulent identification documents to deposit the stolen checks. Afterwards, they withdrew the funds as cash, transferred the money to other fraudulent accounts, or purchased heavy equipment bound for Africa.
Kafuku’s criminal history includes a 2018 federal felony case for identity theft and unlawful possession of identity documents. He is the last defendant to be sentenced in this current scheme. His coconspirators, Hugues Thierry Simo-Fotue and Beni Musogo Kahwara, both illegal aliens, were previously sentenced to 24 and 18 months’ imprisonment, respectively. Upon their release, both defendants will be remanded to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.
“Like his coconspirators, Kafuku’s arrival in the United States presented opportunity and promise. Instead, he chose to become a serial fraudster,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office has zero tolerance for those who steal to fund an extravagant lifestyle while our financial institutions bear the consequences. It is our hope that Kafuku’s sentence will deter others from engaging in this type of criminal activity.”“The sentencing of Pitshou Kafuku underscores the seriousness of this extensive fraud operation,” stated IRS-CI Phoenix Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown. “Kafuku employed sophisticated tactics—leveraging stolen Treasury and business checks, fabricated identities, and numerous shell companies—to orchestrate the theft of more than $1.7 million. This outcome serves as a powerful reminder of IRS Criminal Investigation’s steadfast commitment to pursuing complex financial fraud and preserving the integrity of our nation’s financial systems.”
“Today, Pitshou Yunga Kafuku was held accountable for stealing checks out of the U.S. Mail and fraudulently passing those checks through the financial system. Postal Inspectors relentlessly pursue criminals who exploit the U.S. Mail for such unlawful purposes. We will steadfastly work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will hold criminals accountable for their actions,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division.
The case was jointly investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigations Salt Lake City Field Office and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island Announces Appointment of Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor J. GriffinRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE– First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda today announced that Trevor J. Griffin has been appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division of the District of Rhode Island.
“Trevor Griffin’s civil litigation experience, commitment to public service, and dedication to serving the people of Rhode Island make him an outstanding addition to our Civil Division,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “We are pleased to welcome him back to the office.”
Griffin joins the office from Morrissey, Hawkins & Lynch in Boston, where he represented clients in complex civil litigation in state and federal court. His practice included drafting complaints, motions, discovery, and other litigation filings.
Prior to entering private practice, Griffin served as a 3L Legal Intern with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, where he drafted motions, briefs, and legal memoranda in civil and criminal matters and represented the United States under attorney supervision during court appearances and legal proceedings.
He also served as a 2L Legal Intern with the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means, researching state and federal law and preparing legal memoranda and bill summaries on legislative matters. Earlier legal experience included an internship with Fidelity Management & Research, where he conducted legal research on tax matters and prepared memoranda for senior counsel.
Before attending law school, Griffin worked as a Senior Associate in the Tax Group at CBIZ & MHM in Providence, where he advised private equity and venture capital clients on complex tax compliance matters.
Griffin earned his Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law, where he participated in the Community Business Clinic, providing legal services to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Two Schenectady County, New York Men Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Crack Cocaine in Burlington, VermontRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Donald Stewart, 42, of Schenectady, New York, and Lisandro Brown, 49, of Rotterdam, New York, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base.
On July 27, 2026, Stewart and Brown both appeared before United States Magistrate Judge James O’Hara. Judge O’Hara ordered that both Stewart and Brown be detained pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
According to court records, Stewart and Brown sold cocaine base to a confidential source throughout June and July of 2026. On July 24, 2026, law enforcement executed search warrants at apartments located at 60 Colchester Avenue in Burlington, Vermont; 157 North Avenue in Burlington, Vermont; and 134 North Street in Burlington, Vermont. The searches resulted in the seizure of over 200 grams of powder cocaine, a loaded SKS rifle, and over $27,000 of cash.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Stewart and Brown are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Both men face up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The prosecutor is First Assistant United States Attorney Ophardt. Stewart is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. Brown is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
Two Lafayette Women Indicted for Sophisticated Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme Targeting Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On July 15, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Felicia Young, 58, of Lafayette, and Leisa Fuselier, 59, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, and a lawful permanent resident of the United States, with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud. Young was additionally charged with Obstruction of Justice. Young and Fuselier both face up to 20 years imprisonment.
“Protecting the public from financial predators is a top priority for this Office,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “These defendants allegedly exploited trust, manipulated victims, and abused financial systems for personal gain. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who defraud and harm hard-working members of our community.”
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Young orchestrated a fraud scheme beginning in March 2020 that lasted several years. She allegedly gained the trust of her victims through legitimate business dealings using several companies she owned, including ALA Floral 2, Kreole Ala 2, Johnston Street Drive-Thru, and F&B Rentals. After building a relationship with her victims, Young started the scam by asking them to lend her money.
Once victims provided funds, Young allegedly claimed her bank accounts were “frozen” and requested additional deposits to unlock the accounts in order to “repay them.” To keep the scheme going, Young initiated three-way calls between herself, the victims, and Fuselier. During these calls, Fuselier falsely posed as a representative of Young’s financial institution and confirmed Young’s lies to her victims that her accounts were frozen due to an outstanding debt. The co-conspirators allegedly instructed the victims that the accounts could only be accessed if they deposited specific amounts of money by a certain day and time.
Because of these false representations, victims paid at least $1.5 million to Young through CashApp, Venmo, checks, and cash withdrawals, transactions that triggered interstate wire transmissions. Young is accused of using the funds for her own enrichment, to pay Fuselier for her role in the scheme, and to continue the ongoing fraud. The indictment further alleges that on December 30, 2023, Young obstructed justice by destroying or concealing records with the intent to prevent their use in an official proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren L. Nickel with the assistance of Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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. The case number for this matter is 6:26-CR-00269.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs
USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Western District of Louisiana
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Three Shreveport-Area Men Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses; Prosecutions Part of Nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods InitiativeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT–On July 20, 2026, United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced three defendants to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. All three defendants had pled guilty to the charges.
Cameron Boatwin, 24, of Shreveport, was sentenced to six years in prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. According to court documents, on September 29, 2025, Shreveport Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Boatwin, who was the sole occupant. Officers saw a Palmetto State Armory Dagger Compact 9mm pistol in plain view on the driver’s seat, which Boatwin admitted to knowing he could not possess due to a prior felony conviction.
Malachi Bailey, 48, of Bossier City, was sentenced to three years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. According to court documents, on February 10, 2026, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Bossier City. They found a sole occupant inside, Bailey, and found approximately 635 grams of cocaine and $3,700 in US currency in the residence.
Dezjuante Lockett, 36, of Shreveport, was sentenced to two years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. According to court documents, the Shreveport Police Street Level Interdiction Unit received complaints of illegal drug activity at a residence in Shreveport. On April 9, 2025, Shreveport Police executed a search warrant at the residence; Lockett was the sole occupant at the time the warrant was executed and admitted he was the only person who lived at the residence. A search of the residence and Lockett’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 33.339 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, approximately 5.332 grams of cocaine base, a digital scale and packaging material, a loaded Glock Model 19 pistol, and $5,290.00 in cash. Lockett admitted he knew he could not possess a firearm due to a prior felony conviction.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Shreveport Police Department (SPD) and ATF investigated these cases. The Boatwin case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheynne Wilson with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan. The Bailey case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Crawford with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan. The Lockett case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Foster with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Emily Favrot.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America (TBA), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s agencies, and coordinates efforts with state and local law enforcement and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF), ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. Learn more about PSN at https://www.justice.gov/psn
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 their respective Case Numbers:
Cameron Boatwin: 5:25-cr-00334
Malachi Bailey: 5:26-cr-00091
Dezjuante Lockett: 5:25-cr-00245
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CONTACT: Public Affairs
USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Western District of Louisiana
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Unaccompanied Alien Children into the United StatesRead the Press Release
An El Paso, Texas, woman pleaded guilty today to smuggling unaccompanied alien children into the United States.
According to court documents, Dianne Guadian, 33, and three other members of an alien smuggling organization brought unaccompanied alien children between the ages of five and 13 illegally into the United States from Juarez, Mexico, sometimes using candy laced with THC to sedate them during smuggling events. The drivers and their co-conspirators would then present U.S. documents to inspecting officers falsely claiming the documents belonged to the children, and that they were the parents of the children. Once inside the United States, the children were then transported to El Paso. During one smuggling event, a child was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with THC poisoning. One of Guadian’s co-defendants, Manuel Valenzuela, was sentenced on July 1 to five years in prison for his role in the child smuggling scheme.
A photo of THC gummies recovered by agents during secondary inspection at the port of entry“This defendant and her co-conspirators engaged in serious and dangerous conduct, which included giving THC laced gummies to children to sedate them while smuggling them from Mexico into the United States, all in order to make money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The smuggling of unaccompanied children can expose them to the additional crimes and societal ills of human trafficking and sexual assault. This robs them of their innocence and youth, and it must be stopped.”
“Dianne Guadian was just one conspirator in a sickening smuggling operation, toying with the lives of children by drugging them in order to bring them into the United States from Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Fortunately, our partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recognized something was off. Their keen instincts resulted in the successful medical treatment of THC-poisoned children and the arrests of the smugglers. While we will aggressively prosecute all alien smugglers, those who smuggle children and risk the lives of those children in the process, should be especially aware that their date with American justice is coming at the hands of prosecutors in the Western District of Texas.”
“Dianne Guadian’s actions were not only unscrupulous, they put innocent children in grave danger,” said Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Human smuggling is never a victimless crime. Smugglers routinely expose vulnerable people, including children, exploitation and life-threatening risk. HSI is committed to holding individuals like Guadian accountable and dismantling criminal organizations that profit from the desperation and suffering of others.”
“Criminal human smugglers exploit vulnerable children in horrific ways,” said Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Munoz of U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector. “I am glad our Border Patrol agents investigating this case were able to contribute to the successful prosecution of a criminal who will be held accountable for this terrible crime.”
Guadian pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding and abetting bringing of aliens without authorization for profit. She faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) led 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.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hines for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The indictment and plea announced today were coordinated 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). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). 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 Assistant U.S. Attorneys 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/USBP and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 424 U.S. convictions; and more than 368 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 75 Months for Gun and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Lomere Holliman, 23, of Syracuse, New York, was sentenced July 8th 2026, to 75 months in prison for possessing and distributing fentanyl and carrying a firearm during those crimes.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Bryan DiGirolamo and Syracuse Police Chief Mark Rusin made the announcement.
As part of his earlier plea, Holliman admitted that, from March to September 2025, the defendant repeatedly sold firearms, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and fentanyl in Syracuse. He further admitted that he used his firearm sales to foster his drug trafficking business.
“This defendant’s blatant disregard for public safety is evident in his trafficking of both dangerous firearms and fentanyl,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone. “Working in partnership with our federal and local law enforcement colleagues, we are aggressively targeting violent offenders whose actions endanger our communities. My office remains firmly committed to working with our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice and removing these violent criminals from our streets.”
ATF - New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo said, “When firearms are used to support drug trafficking, the threat to public safety is amplified. This sentence sends a clear message to those who profit from illegally trafficking guns and fentanyl will be held accountable. ATF is proud to stand alongside the Syracuse Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in our shared commitment to reducing violent crime and protecting our communities.”
“The sentencing of Lomere Holliman sends a clear message that those who traffic deadly narcotics and illegally sell firearms will be held accountable,” said Chief Mark Rusin. “This case highlights the strong partnership between the Syracuse Police Department, ATF, and the United States Attorney's Office. Together, we remain committed to reducing gun violence, disrupting illegal drug trafficking, and making our neighborhoods safer.”In imposing sentence, United States District Court Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe also ordered that, once released from federal prison, Holliman be supervised by the office of United States Probation and Pretrial Services for a term of four years.
ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Syracuse Police Department’s Intelligence Division. Jessica N. Carbone prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Superseding Indictment Charges Two Men for Their Alleged Roles in the Murder of a WomanRead the Press Release
RENO – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Delshay Astor with the alleged murder of a woman in February 2022, and Joel Christy for assisting Astor to avoid apprehension.
Astor was initially indicted in May 2026 on one count of murder in the second-degree within Indian Country. The superseding indictment charges Astor with one count of murder in the first degree within Indian Country, and a second defendant, Joel Christy, is charged with one count of accessory after the fact.
“While these new charges reflect the expanding scope and strength of our ongoing investigation, our primary focus today remains exactly where it belongs, on Anna Marie Scott, her family, and everyone who loved her,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Our office, alongside our partners in law enforcement, will continue to work tirelessly as this case moves toward trial until justice is fully served.”
“We hope the arrest of a second subject on charges of aiding and abetting brings some measure of relief to the family of Anna Scott after many years of awaiting justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas office. “The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners, specifically the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, the Reno Sparks Tribal Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, remain committed to combating violent crime in all its forms on tribal lands and throughout the state of Nevada.”
According to allegations in the superseding indictment, on or about February 2, 2022, Delshay Astor, with premeditation and malice, murdered Anna Scott on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. As alleged, Scott, who was a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, was shot and killed, and her body was put into her car and set on fire.
As charged in the superseding indictment, on or about February 2, 2022, Joel Christy assisted Astor and another individual to hinder and prevent the apprehension of Astor and the individual.
If convicted, Astor faces a statutory minimum penalty of life imprisonment. If convicted, Christy faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A jury trial has been scheduled for September 29, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service also assisted with operational support. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Brister is prosecuting the case.
A superseding indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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St. Albans Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on July 27, 2026, Richard Bailey Jr., 35, of St. Albans, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 22 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Richard Bailey previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on January 9, 2026.
According to court records, on June 2, 2025, police in St. Albans, Vermont, received a report of a domestic violence incident in which Bailey was reported to have struck a woman in the face and strangled her approximately six times, leaving her unable to breathe. Police observed bruising on the woman’s neck. Police also were informed that the woman was dropping her and Bailey’s child off at school and that Bailey was on his way there, threatening to shoot them. Police later escorted the woman to her workplace and observed Bailey standing at a nearby intersection. Bailey thereafter fled from police and discarded a fanny pack containing a loaded Sig Sauer pistol with a round chambered, as well as 9.6 grams of cocaine base. Bailey was prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of the incident because on September 15, 2015, Bailey was convicted of felony escape in Chittenden County Superior Court. During the sentencing hearing on July 27, 2026, the Court and the government were informed that Bailey’s felony conviction for escape was expunged after his federal guilty plea but prior to the sentencing hearing. Bailey has a long history of arrests related to domestic violence that resulted in misdemeanor resolutions for simple assault and stalking despite Bailey causing his victims physical harm. After the expungement, Bailey’s only felony conviction is his federal firearm conviction.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt stated: “Those who terrorize their domestic partners with violence cannot be allowed to possess firearms; the consequences of domestic abusers arming themselves with lethal weapons are too dire to tolerate. I applaud the collaborative investigatory work in this case of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Albans Police Department, and the Burlington Police Department. Their quick actions prevented a potential tragedy. Bailey’s federal conviction now ensures that he will be prohibited from possessing firearms regardless of any future expungements of state convictions.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Burris. Bailey was represented by Samuel Ansell of the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
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.
Springfield, Missouri, Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Failure to Pay Employment Taxes Associated with his Time Share Exit BusinessesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his commission of a fraud scheme and his failure to pay employment taxes that stemmed from his operation and ownership of multiple time share exit businesses.
Brian Scroggs, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of wire fraud and one count of failure to pay employment taxes. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. According to the plea agreement, Scroggs owned and operated several time-share exit businesses, namely, Vacation Consulting Services, LLC., The Transfer Group, VCS Communication, LLC., and Real Travel, LLC. Through these businesses, Scroggs offered services to get clients out of their time shares. The individuals who hired Scroggs paid him substantial fees to cover costs for the services.
Scroggs took monies from each of his clients while making promises that guaranteed he would either get his clients out of their times shares, give each client a full refund, or assume financial responsibility over the client’s time share moving forward.
Scroggs failed to honor the representations and guarantees made to each of his clients despite them paying Scroggs considerable amounts of money. In addition to the fraud associated with his time share exit business, Scroggs also employed numerous sales and administrative employees. While operating these businesses and collecting employment taxes from each employee, Scroggs failed to pay those monies forward to the Internal Revenue Service and the state of Missouri and failed to pay any matching monies that he was obligated to pay as the owner and operator of these businesses.
Under federal statutes, Scroggs is subject to sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum fine of $250,000 for Count One, Wire Fraud, and up to five years in federal prison without parole. In addition, Scroggs is subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 for Count Six, Failure to Pay Employment Taxes. 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 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 Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the IRS-CI, the FBI and the Missouri Department of Revenue.
South Riding man sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually exploiting a childRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A South Riding man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to court documents, on June 28, 2023, Michael David Seeds, 28, began communicating online with a 14-year-old victim via Discord, an Internet-based text, voice, and video messaging chat forum. Seeds purchased and gifted a new Discord subscription to the victim and created a username for her that included the word “victim.”
From July through August 2023, Seeds directed the victim to record images and videos of herself that were sexual in nature. During video chats, Seeds would instruct the victim on how to pose, remove her clothing, and what sexual actions to perform during the live stream.
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 sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa K. Strobbe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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-55.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jakari K. Lawson, 20 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty to a term of 24 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release after pleading guilty to illegal possession of a machinegun, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
“The Defendant chose to possess a machine gun while driving around South Bend and will have two years to think through those choices, thanks to the coalition of local, state, and federal law enforcement through Project Safe Neighborhoods and Operation Take Back America. South Bend Police pulled over a car driven by the Defendant and found two guns, one sitting in his lap and the other placed next to his right leg and the center console of the car. The gun in his lap had a “switch” attached, which enabled the gun to fire in a fully automatic fashion, firing multiple rounds with one function of the trigger. The gun was loaded with an extended magazine holding 19 rounds of ammunition with one round loaded in the chamber. Thanks to the intervention of the South Bend Police Department, investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and assistance from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office led by Ken Cotter, the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander. Our community and streets are safer due to their collaborative efforts,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.
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.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 228 Months in Prison for Controlled Substance and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - DeCarlos Christopher Smallwood, 29 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Smallwood was sentenced to 228 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
“An armed drug dealer possessed nearly a pound and a half of pure methamphetamine intending to profit from unleashing that poison in our community. He will spend the next nineteen years in prison and will be supervised for five years once he is released. He is no stranger to the system as he has convictions for perjury and a prior federal felony conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, which prohibited him from lawfully possessing firearms. On November 6, 2025, law enforcement executed search warrants on Smallwood’s home and a vehicle on the property. Officers found approximately 669 grams of pure methamphetamine and a loaded Ruger firearm. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the DEA Merrillville District Office, DEA Chicago Special Response Team, DEA Detroit Special Response Team, DEA St. Louis Special Response Team, and DEA North Central Laboratory; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Indiana State Police; the South Bend Police Department; the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office; the Mishawaka Police Department; and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office led by Ken Cotter, the case was brought and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius. Our community and nation are safer because of their partnership as part of the Homeland Security Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
“There is no room in north central Indiana for violent drug dealers, let alone for those with prior felony convictions. Mr. Smallwood will soon depart our community for a long, 19 year stay at a federal correctional institution. While there, he can contemplate the pain and suffering he brought to fellow Hoosiers; and hopefully he will work towards being a productive member of society upon his return. In the meantime, the Drug Enforcement Administration, its law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who traffic drugs and bring violence to our cherished northern Indiana,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the DEA Merrillville District Office, DEA Chicago Special Response Team, DEA Detroit Special Response Team, DEA St. Louis Special Response Team, and DEA North Central Laboratory, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, Mishawaka Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
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 Indianapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Indiana State Police, and other partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.
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.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Distribute, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 23, 2026.
Courtney Richmond, 49, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Richmond was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Distribute, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in November of 2024. He was found guilty following a 4-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls. The verdict was returned on April 10, 2026.
Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations started investigating Richmond late in 2022 and the DEA started looking into him in the Fall of 2023. Investigators discovered that Richmond was sourcing methamphetamine to at least one other person who was then reselling it to others. They observed text and Facebook messages between the two that confirmed their drug-related dealings. Eventually, investigators obtained warrants for Richmond’s person, residences, and vehicles. On December 14, 2023, investigators stopped Richmond in a vehicle that had his company’s BBQ food truck logo on the side. They searched the vehicle and found approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded pistol. They then searched his home and found an additional 216 grams of methamphetamine and another loaded firearm. Richmond is not allowed to possess firearms due to four prior felony convictions from the state of Minnesota. The investigation into Richmond and his associates resulted in the seizure of approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Brookings Police Department, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Richmond was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Shiprock Man Sentenced for Assault and KidnappingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for carrying out a series of violent assaults and a kidnapping that resulted in serious injuries to the victim.
According to court documents, on or about June 30, 2025, Darrin Begay, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted the victim by punching, kicking, and strangling them, causing visible injuries to the victim’s face, neck, and arms. Then, on July 2, 2025, Begay went to the victim’s home, threatened to harm the victim’s family members, and forced the victim into a vehicle. Begay then drove the victim away from their residence. He reportedly assaulted the victim again before pushing them out of the vehicle and leaving them on the roadside.
Begay pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and kidnapping. On July 28, 2026, he was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Nicholas Marshall are prosecuting the case.
Reno Woman Indicted for Embezzling Nearly $400,000 in Federal Grant FundsRead the Press Release
RENO – A Reno resident made her initial appearance in court yesterday for allegedly stealing federal grant award money intended for the improvement and maintenance of tribal lands.
"The Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that anyone who attempts to enrich themselves through theft and deceit is held fully accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Financial fraud of this magnitude compromises the integrity of our economic systems and directly threatens the security of hardworking people who trust and rely on those systems.”
"Every dollar stolen through fraud is a dollar taken away from critical public services, infrastructure, and the communities that rely on them," said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. "Taxpayers deserve full transparency and absolute accountability. We are drawing a hard line: if you attempt to defraud public programs, we will find you, we will stop you, and you will face the full force of the law."
“Our Agency is steadfast in its commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Nevada State Director Alida Ceballos for the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development. “This indictment marks an important step toward ensuring that resources meant to support rural Nevadans are used for their intended purposes, not stolen by bad actors. We are thankful for the strong partnership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah, Assistant AG Colin McDonald of the Fraud Division, the USDA Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI, whose cross‑agency collaboration made this multi‑year investigation possible.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, from April 2024 to May 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the Yomba Shoshone Tribe grant money for an ongoing project to bring clean water to the members of the tribe and residents living on tribal lands. As alleged in the indictment, Blair Smith embezzled about $392,582 of funds awarded by the federal grant for the project.
Smith was charged with one count of federal program theft. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 10 years in prison. A jury trial has been scheduled for September 29, 2026.
The USDA Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Skyler Pearson is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Christopher Allan Amelsberg, 36, of Minneapolis, pleaded guilty to the production and attempted production of child pornography.
Amelsberg pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud on July 27, 2026. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date, and Amelsberg faces a statutory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment.
According to court documents, Amelsberg admitted that between August 2023 through around May 2026, he used text messaging and other internet-based social media and communication applications to engage female minor victims in sexually focused conversations for the purposes of producing or attempting to produce child pornography.
In one case, from August 2025 to October 2025, Amelsberg used online messaging platforms to engage in sexually focused conversations and to solicit and direct Minor Victim 1, of whom Amelsberg knew was 15 years old at the time, to produce videos and images of Minor Victim 1 performing sexually explicit conduct.
Amelsberg knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced multiple victims between the ages of 14 and 17 years old and admitted to “trading” lascivious or sexually explicit images of children. The United States has identified a total of at least 12 minor victims of whom Amelsberg solicited and enticed, or attempted to solicit and entice, to produce child pornography and engage in unlawful sexual acts.
At the time of this conduct, Amelsberg was on the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry due to his prior conviction for possession of child pornography.
“Amelsberg is a child predator, and today’s plea is an important step towards justice for the victims and families he harmed,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “Protecting children is our office’s highest priority, and we will continue working with federal and local law enforcement to hold accountable those who prey on them.”
“Identifying and holding online predators accountable for their actions is one of the BCA’s highest priorities,” said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans. “Predators like Amelsberg target the most vulnerable members of our society, our children. We must do everything we can to stop them, bring them to justice, and support the victims and families whose lives they have forever changed.”
“For years, and while being a registered sex offender, Christopher Amelsberg sexually exploited at least a dozen children from his home in Minneapolis,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Even after a previous state conviction for possessing child sexual abuse material, this defendant did not learn his lesson. Federal charges for child sexual exploitation come with significant mandatory minimum penalties to hold child predators accountable. The FBI, BCA, and our law enforcement partners around Minnesota have and will continue to work together tirelessly to stop child predators, rescue child victims from abuse and exploitation, and help victims on their path to recovery.”
Investigators believe there may be additional child victims of Amelsberg’s online sexual exploitation activity. If you or your child has information about online exploitation committed by Christopher Allan Amelsberg, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit information to tips.fbi.gov.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI Minneapolis Division with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Austin L. Bowyer.
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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on July 24, 2026.
Parker Behrns, 27, was sentenced to eight years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $6,095 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture was also ordered.
Behrns was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026.
Between September 2022 and July 2024, Behrns used his cellular phone and the internet-based application Discord, to search for and receive images and video files containing sexually explicit visual depictions of minors. In some instances, Behrns posed as a minor female to request child pornography from other Discord users.
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 was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Peterman prosecuted the case.
Behrns was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on July 24, 2026.
Kyle Beck, age 23, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Beck was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He was convicted following a court trial on May 12, 2026.
At his trial, the evidence established that on May 28, 2023, Beck messaged a 15-year-old girl via Instagram and requested sexually explicit photographs of her. Beck was subsequently interviewed and admitted to his conduct.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as a 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. Attorney’s 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.
Beck was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeremy Dale Shuck, 47, of Coal City, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 16, 2024, Shuck sold approximately 13.92 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $200 in a service station parking lot in Beaver. Shuck admitted to the transaction as part of his guilty plea.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-41.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 50-year-old Niles man was sentenced to prison after he admitted to downloading and sharing thousands of child pornography files. The defendant had a pattern of related criminal activity and was previously convicted at the state level for engaging in the same exact conduct in 2019.
Daniel Scharmer was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after pleading guilty in April to:
- Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
- Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. In addition, Scharmer was ordered to pay $71,500 in restitution to victims and $10,000 toward the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which was established in 2015 to impose additional assessment to offenders who commit certain crimes, including sexual exploitation and other abuse of children.
According to court documents and evidence, in June 2024, Scharmer was identified as an active participant in criminal activities involving CSAM. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Scharmer’s residence and seized his electronic devices including two desktop computers, several hard disk drives, two portable hard drives, and five laptops. Investigators found that between Oct. 13, 2022, and Jan. 9, 2025, he received or distributed more than 32,000 files containing CSAM, including more than 11,000 involving sadism and masochism and videos of children engaged in sex acts as well as being abused by adults. Investigators identified Scharmer as one of the top three CSAM downloaders in the state of Ohio in October 2024.
In 2019, Scharmer was convicted in Trumbull County for Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor and Illegal Use of a Minor in a Nudity-Oriented Material or Performance.
This case was investigated by the FBI Youngstown Resident Agency, the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Niles Police Department.
This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Portland Woman Pleads Guilty to Interfering with Federal Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Today Katherine Vogel, 39, pleaded guilty to Interfering with Federal Law Enforcement.
According to court documents, on or about September 30, 2025, Vogel was on the federal property grounds of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Building applying red paint to the ICE facility. Federal law enforcement agents then attempted to arrest Vogel. She failed to comply and forcibly interfered with the lawful direction of the federal officers during the arrest.
On June 22, 2026, Vogel was charged by superseding information with interfering with federal law enforcement and failing to obey a lawful order.
Vogel faces a maximum sentence of 1 year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and 1 year of probation.
She will be sentenced on October 21, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.
The FBI and Federal Protective Service are investigating the case. The U. S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
Pine Ridge Couple Indicted for Fraud, Larceny, and Embezzlement from the Oglala Sioux TribeRead the Press Release
Rapid City - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge married couple on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, 14 counts of Wire Fraud, one count of Larceny, and one count of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Patrick Fire Thunder and Tracie Renay Gallego, both 51, were indicted in July 2026. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Haigh and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 assessment on each count to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture and restitution may also be ordered.
Between November 2022 and November 2024, at Pine Ridge, Fire Thunder and Gallego, both enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST), acted together to obtain and embezzle checks from OST intended to be paid to Emergency Youth Shelter (EYS) vendors or reimbursement checks from the State of South Dakota to OST for social services provided to youth at the EYS. Gallego was the Administrative Assistant for the EYS and responsible for submitting vouchers to OST for payment to the EYS vendors. After submitting the vouchers and obtaining OST checks for payment to the EYS vendors, Fire Thunder and Gallego deposited the checks into Fire Thunder’s personal bank account and then transferred the money to various other accounts and used the money for their own personal benefit.
“Our office is committed to uncovering government fraud at every level and prosecuting those who commit it,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “It’s outrageous that enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe would be stealing government funds meant to fund essential services for tribal youth. The people deserve better. Our prosecutors look forward to proving these charges in federal court and holding these defendants responsible for their shameless theft.”
“As alleged in this case, this scheme to divert scarce funds for the schemers’ personal use instead of for the intended use -- to support vulnerable youth in the Pine Ridge Indian reservation -- represents a serious breach of trust and an abuse of safety net programs designed to serve individuals in genuine need,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Protecting federally funded social service programs — including those supporting tribal communities — and the people served by them is central to HHS‑OIG’s mission. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate allegations of fraud to ensure that those who attempt to exploit public resources for personal gain are held accountable.”
The charges are merely accusations and Fire Thunder and Gallego are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Fire Thunder and Gallego were released pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Parkersburg Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Wayne Gardner, 42, of Parkersburg, was sentenced on Monday, July 27, 2026, to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 16, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Gardner in the Parkersburg area of Wood County. Officers seized approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine during a search of the vehicle.
Gardner has a criminal history that includes 10 prior felony convictions and multiple revocations of probation and parole.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force and the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-190.
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Ohio Man with Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to 7+ Years in Prison for Lurking Outside a Cleveland Home with a Loaded GunRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 46-year-old man was sentenced to prison after he was found with a loaded gun while lurking outside a Cleveland home.
Adam Hall, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 87 months (7.25 years) in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Sara Lioi. After a three-day trial in April, a federal jury convicted Hall of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Hall was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, on Oct. 3, 2025, Cleveland Police officers responded to a 911 call about an unknown man lurking around a home. The caller reported that the man was repeatedly ringing the doorbell and knocking on windows, and that he refused to leave the property. The caller also reported to 911 dispatchers that the man was dressed in all black and was carrying a backpack. Once on scene, the officers quickly located the man, who was later identified as Hall, in the home’s backyard. Hall was instructed to raise his hands, but he refused and engaged in a physical struggle with several officers. During that struggle, officers recovered a loaded firearm from Hall’s pants. A subsequent search of Hall revealed that he was also carrying ammunition, knives, narcotics, and a condom. At the time he possessed the loaded gun, Hall was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of several prior felonies, including drug trafficking, burglary, and domestic violence against women.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Cleveland Division of Police.
This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph H. Walsh and Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.
North Texas men sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – Two North Texas men have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Heath Darrian Denson, 28, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, on July 28, 2026.
Tyson Lamar Johnson, also known as TY, or TeeWhy, 38, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, on July 28, 2026.
According to information presented in court, Denson and Johnson were part of a drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for distributing was thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area including the Eastern District of Texas. Johnson was also operating a trap, or drug distribution house on McCallum Avenue in Dallas. During a search of the house, a firearm used in support of the illicit drug trafficking conspiracy was found.
“The scourge of fentanyl has caused devastation and destruction across all of our communities. Trap houses filled with drugs and guns aren’t just figments of Hollywood’s imagination. They are real, tangible, and active in all of our neighborhoods. Texoma HIDTA will remain committed to assisting all of our partners in helping attack this plague on our society. Texoma HIDTA’s commitment to supporting public safety will remain unwavering,” stated Texoma HIDTA Director Keith Brown.
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.
This case was part of the Texoma HIDTA and investigated by the Plano Police Department, FBI, and the Texas Department of Public Safety with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Smith.
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North Carolina Woman Charged for Allegedly Orchestrating Fraud Scheme Involving $9 Million in USDA Discrimination Financial AssistanceRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina woman is facing federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) of millions of dollars, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned an indictment charging Linda Faye Hough, 64, of Rockingham, N.C., with one count of mail fraud and six counts of making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims to a federal program in connection with more than $9 million in DFAP applications.
“Regardless of the program, hard-earned taxpayer dollars should be spent where Congress intended, not to personally benefit those who exploit the system,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “My office is committed to rooting out fraud, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and preserving the integrity of federal assistance programs.”
“A program designed to remedy wrongdoing instead turned into another vector for criminals to defraud the taxpayer. The USDA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring taxpayer money is wisely spent. Those who steal from the public can expect to be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said USDA Inspector General John Walk.
“When a federal program is defrauded, every taxpayer becomes a victim and those deserving of assistance are essentially robbed of much needed financial help. Fighting fraud is one of the highest priorities in the FBI. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to take down anyone who unlawfully obtains federal assistance to use in their personal piggy banks," said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge.
The DFAP (or Program) was established by the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which appropriated $2.2 billion in federal funding, to compensate farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. To be eligible to receive funding, applicants were required to submit documentation to prove eligibility, including that they owned or leased farmland; that they participated in or attempted to participate in a USDA farm loan program; that they experienced discrimination by USDA employees; and that they suffered financial losses. Individual DFAP awards were capped at $500,000 per applicant.
According to allegations in the indictment, from January 2024 to August 2024, Hough allegedly orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from the DFAP, both for herself and for others. As a promoter of the scheme, the indictment alleges that Hough submitted fraudulent DFAP applications for herself and others that contained false information that falsely made the applicants appear eligible for a DFAP award. In some instances, Hough solicited and received kickback payments from applicants, after they received DFAP awards.
As are result of the fraudulent applications, it is alleged that Hough caused approximately $9 million in fraudulently obtained DFAP funds to be disbursed to her and other applicants.
Hough had her initial appearance in federal court today. If convicted, Hough faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the mail fraud offense, and five years in prison for each count of filing false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The USDA Office of Inspector General and the FBI handled the investigation with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Financial Crimes.
Special Assistant U.S. Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The charges against the defendant are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
New York man pleads guilty to transporting Colerain teenager with intent to engage in sexual activityRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Kyle D. Lawrence, 43, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati today to transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Lawrence was arrested in late February after investigation into a missing Colerain teenager revealed he was previously involved with the minor.
Transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity is punishable by at least 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, on Feb. 16, Colerain Township police began investigating the circumstances surrounding a missing teenager. Officers reviewed video surveillance from the minor’s home and discovered that in January, the teenager entered a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with New York license plates. License plate readers and receipts confirm that Lawrence rented the vehicle and that he and the minor stayed at a Cincinnati hotel together on Jan. 31.
It was discovered that Lawrence was the subject of a report to the FBI in May 2024. Lawrence was confronted by a citizen vigilante group while in Canada for traveling to Canada to have sexual contact with a purported 15-year-old girl. Agents in Buffalo had previously been in contact with Lawrence in response to the report.
Further investigation by the FBI revealed two cyber tip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding Lawrence’s Snapchat account and child exploitation activity.
On Feb. 26, FBI agents in Buffalo executed a federal search warrant at Lawrence’s residence and seized several electronic devices, which contained child sexual abuse material.
Court documents detail that Lawrence told agents he communicated with the minor from Colerain on Snapchat and traveled to the Cincinnati area twice in January to meet up. He used the location services on Snapchat to locate the minor when he picked her up.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III and Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland.
This was a joint investigation being conducted by the FBI divisions in Cincinnati and Buffalo, Colerain Township Police Department, New York State Police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Mobile Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Illegal Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. – Marvell Jawawn Williams, 41, of Mobile, was sentenced on July 28, 2026, to 84 months in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Illegal Possession of a Machinegun.
According to court documents, Williams has multiple prior felony convictions, including Possession of Controlled Substances, Possession of Marijuana in the First Degree, and Attempting to Elude.
On October 15, 2024, after receiving information that Williams was distributing fentanyl, the Mobile County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at his residence. During the search of Williams's bedroom, deputies recovered six firearms, fentanyl pills, two Glock switches, and ammunition.
After being advised of his rights, Williams stated that he had recently come off his ankle monitor and was nearing completion of drug court. He also admitted that he was a convicted felon and knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Following his term of imprisonment, Williams will serve three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office along with the Department of Homeland Security Investigation, and The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Hutchins III prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Missouri Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Social Security Administration EmployeesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man who threatened employees of the Social Security Administration twice in 2025 was sentenced Tuesday to a year and a day in prison.
After his release from prison, Timothy Wells Stevens, 57, will be on supervised release for two years.
On Oct. 1, 2025, Stevens was told in a phone call with an SSA employee in Pennsylvania that there was no record showing that he was due payments. Stevens said that if he did not receive payments, “I’m commin’ gunning for you all.” The employee told Stevens that the SSA takes all threats seriously, and he responded “No, I am going gunnin’ trust me, and I’m going to blow up every (expletive) office around here.”
About 30 minutes later Stevens called again and reached an SSA employee in California. During that call, he said, “Cause I’m telling you now, if I have to sell my place I’ve owned for 17 years and go live under a bridge, I’m hunting every last one of you (expletives) down and I’m gonna blow you up,” his plea agreement says.
Stevens, of Wayne County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to two counts of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.
The Federal Protective Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.
Mexican national convicted in Homeland Security Task Force investigation involving $157M smuggling operation that included drug shipments in produce, charcoal, and fruit pureeRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 30-year-old citizen of Mexico who had resided in Atlanta, Georgia, has been found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and cocaine into the United States.
The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before convicting Wblester Villanueva Echeverria on July 27 following a five-day trial.
From June 7, 2019, until at least Aug. 8, 2023, Echeverria and others conspired to import meth and cocaine from Mexico through Laredo and distributed it in the Atlanta area and throughout the east coast. In total, the drug trafficking organization was responsible for importing approximately 10,460 kilograms of meth, valued at approximately $157 million.
Evidence showed Echeverria’s ties to approximately a dozen shipments of narcotics concealed in produce, charcoal, and frozen strawberry puree, while he had been residing in the Atlanta area.
The investigation began in November 2021 when law enforcement seized 1,184 kilograms of meth and 51.4 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a cauliflower shipment that entered through the World Trade Bridge Port of Entry in Laredo. Authorities then identified numerous other shipments tied to Echeverria and his co-conspirators which included nearly 800 kilograms of meth hidden within a shipment of strawberry puree and over 460 kilograms of meth within a load of charcoal, all of which entered through Laredo.
The jury also heard about the vast conspiracy linking Mexican drug importers, a Dallas cell, as well as Echeverria and his Georgia-based co-conspirators.
The evidence showed that Echeverria created a Facebook account under a fake name of Alexis Maldonado and that he used that account to communicate with co-conspirators. It also showed he had cycled through numerous cell phone numbers, and was very careful to delete his communications, and tell co-conspirators to erase or delete messages as well.
Sentencing will be set at a later date before U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen. At that time, Echeverria faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day, Leslie Cortez, and Thomas Sekula prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State; and Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Mexican National Sentenced to 9 1/2 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine.
Pablo DeJesus Peralta Anguis, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 9 1/2 years in prison without parole for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and unlawful reentry after removal.
On Sept. 3, 2024, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 29 in Kansas City, Mo. Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 22, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the vehicle, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 26, and Anguis in the back seat.
When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area containing approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. Also found was a grocery bag containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.
When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued and both were apprehended a short time later.
Ayala told investigators he, Pacheco, and Anguis drove to Omaha, Neb., to pick up drugs in exchange for approximately $2,000 for his help in transporting the drugs.
Pacheco told investigators he arrived in the United States approximately two weeks earlier from Nogales Sonora, Mexico. Pacheco said he paid $6,000 to cross the border illegally. Pacheco said he was asked to travel from Kansas City, Kan., to Omaha to pick up drugs by Anguis. Pacheco said he was promised to receive a significant amount of U.S. currency for assisting with the transportation of the drugs from Omaha to the Kansas City area.
Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Anguis and Pacheco had previously been found illegally in the United States by Border Patrol Agents near Nogalez, Ariz. on Aug. 22, 2024. Anguis and Pacheco were removed from the United States to Mexico that same day.
Ayala pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and on May 6, 2026, was sentenced to 11 years in prison without parole.
Pacheco pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and unlawful reentry after removal, and on April 2, 2026, was sentenced to eight years in prison without parole.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, , Drug Enforcement Administration, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Maryland Man Admits to Role in Kidnapping and Multiple MurdersRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — A Carroll County, Maryland man has admitted to his role in a multi-state violent crime spree involving kidnapping, murder, and witness tampering causing death following a lengthy investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Monroe Merrell, 29, of Westminster, Maryland, pled guilty today to three charges, admitting he worked with others to kidnap and murder J.R. in an apartment in Westminster, Maryland in March 2020. J.R. was severely beaten and stabbed multiple times before Merrell and others transported him across state lines into West Virginia. During J.R.’s transport Merrell stabbed him multiple times, killing him. Merrell and others attempted to dispose of his body in the woods of a rural, isolated section of Rippon in Jefferson County by dousing him with gasoline and burning his body. The following morning, a nearby resident driving by called in a report for emergency services after seeing a body burning in the woods near the roadway, prompting a multi-state investigation involving collaboration between state and federal agencies.
In April 2020, Merrell became concerned that two witnesses to J.R.’s beating and kidnapping, D.T. and H.G., would communicate what they knew to law enforcement. Merrell and others brought the pair from Maryland to the Falling Waters area of Berkeley County, West Virginia, where they drugged and partially incapacitated them. D.T., 18, of Taneytown, Maryland, and H.G., 33, of Westminster, Maryland, were then both killed, their bodies burned, and their remains disposed of in the Potomac River.
By entering his plea of guilty, Merrell is the last defendant in the multi-defendant case to accept responsibility for the kidnapping and murders. Merrell’s acceptance of responsibility encompasses a fourth victim, E.D. (previously identified in Counts Eight and Nine of the Indictment as “Jane Doe”), who Merrell targeted in a solicitation of murder plot in his continued effort to conceal the crimes. Merrell is facing a life sentence on each of the counts to which he has pled guilty after a United States motion to re-seek the death penalty was denied in October 2025.
Three other co-defendants named in the Indictment, all Maryland residents, David Sanford, Jr.; John Black, III; and Jeffrey Smith, Jr.; previously pled guilty for their roles in the kidnapping and murders. Additionally, April Braner, 43, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, and Norman Bradford, 55, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, also entered guilty pleas by Information for their roles in the crimes. All sentencing hearings are scheduled for January 25, 2027.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett and Kyle R. Kane are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Berkeley and Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorneys’ Offices investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Maryland Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man learned his fate in federal court, stemming from a firearms incident in a convenience store.
U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Tevin Williams, 33, of Halethorpe, to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. Williams, a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, attempted to conceal a backpack containing the firearm in a convenience store.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to court documents, on July 28, 2025, a BPD officer performed a business check at a convenience store located in Baltimore. While inside, the officer observed an individual in the back corner of the store standing next to a backpack stuffed between an ice-cream cooler and the wall. The officer asked the individual if the backpack belonged to him and the individual responded, “no.” Then the officer picked up the backpack and immediately recognized the shape and weight of a firearm inside. The officer opened the black backpack and recovered a pistol, equipped with a large-capacity magazine loaded with 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Law enforcement later reviewed the convenience store surveillance footage from that day and confirmed that the individual standing near the backpack did not manipulate or possess the backpack prior to its recovery. Instead, further review of surveillance footage revealed that Williams entered the convenience store after an unidentified individual approached him and they walked to the back of the store to the location of the backpack. He reached into the narrow space between the ice-cream cooler and the wall and pulled out the backpack.
Williams eventually opened the backpack and handed items to the unidentified individual. THhen Williams closed the backpack and placed it back between the ice cream cooler and the wall. He later admitted that he possessed the recovered firearm and ammunition equipped with a large-capacity magazine.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Tsuei who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Maple Heights Man with History of Violent Crimes Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 38-year-old, previously convicted felon, was sentenced to prison after he was found illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
Brandon Blackman, of Maple Heights, was sentenced to 137 months (11.41 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after a federal jury convicted him in January of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm or Ammunition. His prior convictions include Domestic Violence in 2023, Kidnapping and Felonious Assault in 2010, Drug Trafficking in 2019, and Drug Possession in 2008. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents and evidence, Blackman was sought by local law enforcement after he was suspected of being involved in several criminal incidents in July 2024, including fleeing from police during an attempted traffic stop. A short time later, Blackman entered a police station lobby where he was arrested. Police later located the BMW that he was observed driving. While searching the vehicle, officers located a 9mm loaded pistol, a shoebox containing $56,000 in cash, two cellphones, and several designer apparel items. Evidence presented at trial established that Blackman had $6,165 in cash on his person at the time of arrest, and $3,000 in cash inside his apartment, along with a scale, a Pyrex container with cocaine residue, and other evidence of drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Fairview Park Police Department.
This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen Rolph and Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.
Liverpool Man Indicted for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in Decade Long Social Security SchemeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Zvonko Klapan, age 68, of Liverpool NY was arraigned Friday in Binghamton, NY before Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric on multiple counts of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and theft of government property. A grand jury indicted Klapan on June 18, 2026. This action is part of an ongoing effort of the Trump Administration’s Fraud Task Force aimed at eliminating fraud across the country.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge, Boston/New York Field Division, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that Klapan’s mother-in-law passed away in 2016, that the Social Security Administration was not informed of the death, and that Klapan converted her social security benefits checks to his own use for nearly ten years. Between August 2016 and September 2025, Klapan forged his mother-in-law’s signature on monthly SSA benefits checks and deposited them into his own bank account. According to the indictment, Social Security switched from paper checks to direct deposit only in September 2025. Klapan then continued his scheme by posing online as his dead mother-in-law to apply for and arrange direct wire transfer deposits of social security benefits checks to his personal bank account from September 2025 until April 2026. The indictment alleges that Klapan defrauded the program of more than $142,400. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“This defendant is finally facing justice after ten years of fraud, during which he stole, and forged Social Security benefits checks intended for his deceased mother‑in‑law,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone. “He then brazenly expanded the scheme by using her name to apply online for direct deposit payments from the Social Security Administration into his own bank account. My office remains committed to uncovering and prosecuting fraudulent schemes like this that callously divert resources from legitimate surviving beneficiaries.”
“Allegedly exploiting a deceased beneficiary’s identity for personal gain over a decade is a deliberate theft from a program that millions of vulnerable Americans rely on,” said Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA OIG), Boston–New York Field-Philadelphia Division. “Together with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners, SSA OIG will continue pursuing those who steal taxpayer dollars through fraud and identity theft, regardless of how long they attempt to evade detection.”
The charges filed against Klapan include a maximum term of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud counts, up to 10 years for theft of government property, and a mandatory 2 years for Aggravated Identity Theft. Klapan may also be ordered to pay restitution to the government. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
A jury trial is currently scheduled for September 21, 2026 before Chief Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse.
SSA-OIG is investigating the case, and it is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Arne F. Soldwedel.
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.
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Laredo man receives federal prison sentence for trying to meet minor for sexRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 41-year-old man has been sent to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.
Robert Steven Lanier pleaded guilty March 6.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Lanier to 151 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison term, the court noted Lanier expressed a proclivity for children and commented on how he left his home twice—while caring for his own minor children—to go engage in sexual acts with a 12-year-old child. Lanier was further ordered to serve 15 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Lanier will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Authorities identified Lanier in 2025 when conducting investigations into a Kik chatroom. Kik is a messaging app that, like many similar apps, is often exploited by predators to get access to children.
Lanier had been communicating with someone he believed to be the father of a 12-year-old minor female. In those conversations, he expressed interest in engaging in sexual activities with the child.
He had also mentioned how he preferred children under the age of 16, considered child pornography to be “window shopping,” and wanted to be the child’s “sugar daddy.” He expressed the desire to meet the minor and described all the sexual acts he wanted to conduct with her.
On March 18, Lanier arrived at a gas station where he intended to have sexual relations with the minor in his car. Law enforcement took him into custody upon his arrival.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Lake County Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Funds and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Jose Valles Villamizar (29, Tavares) has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for the theft of government funds offense and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft offense. As part of his plea, Villamizar has also agreed to forfeit $73,655.27, which are traceable as the proceeds of his criminal conduct. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Villamizar fraudulently used $73,655.27 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits. He personally used the benefits and aided and abetted others to fraudulently use the benefits. SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) program established by the United States government to help low-income individuals and families by providing monthly benefits to purchase food items. SNAP benefits are issued to recipients through Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards.
Between September 2023 and February 2025, 650 SNAP applications were submitted in the names of various individuals. All the applications listed residential and mailing addresses that were associated with Villamizar. Once the applications were approved, SNAP benefits were issued under the names of the applicants. The USDA subsequently obtained surveillance footage of Villamizar using the SNAP benefit EBT cards issued in the other names.
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.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the Florida Division of Public Assistance Fraud. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Jury Finds D.C. Man Guilty of Road Rage ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marcus Reavenell, 48, of Washington, D.C., was convicted on charges related to a road rage shooting that occurred on May 14, 2025, in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Reavenell was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless driving, and destruction of property less than $1,000 on July 27, 2026. The possession of a firearm during a crime of violence conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 2, 2026, before Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur.
According to the Government’s evidence, on May 14, 2025, at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Division Avenue NE, Reavenell attempted to cut off the victim in traffic before tailgating the victim and driving erratically. The defendant continued to follow the victim until he pointed a pistol out of his van and fired a round at the victim’s work vehicle, striking its rear door. Reavenell then fled the scene in his van.
Reavenell was arrested on July 9, 2025, and has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randle Wilson and Kadian Carter.
2025 CF2 007835
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and Failing to AppearRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – McKenzie Phillip Storm Scott (30, Jacksonville) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger to three years and six months in federal prison for bank fraud conspiracy and one year and six months for failure to appear, to be served consecutively, for a total of 5 years’ imprisonment. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $21,097.49, the proceeds of the bank fraud conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Scott and others conspired to defraud financial institutions by stealing checks from the United States mail, altering the payees and payment amounts for the purposes of manufacturing counterfeit checks, depositing them into bank accounts belonging to accomplices, then withdrawing as much of the fraudulent checks as possible in cash. The intended loss attributable to Scott’s conduct was approximately $526,000. He obtained $21,097.49 in cash.
Scott was due to be sentenced for the bank fraud case on February 7, 2025, but failed to appear for the hearing. He was subsequently indicted for his failure to appear. Law enforcement ultimately located Scott traveling in Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrested him on December 2, 2025.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
Inmate receives additional sentence for punching law enforcement officerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for forcibly assaulting a federal correctional officer.
Melvin Jones pleaded guilty April 16.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Jones to serve two years in federal prison, consecutive to his existing sentence, to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jones had been in three additional altercations with other inmates since entering his plea of guilty.
In 2025, Jones was an inmate at Three Rivers Federal Correctional Institution.
On Sept. 25, 2025, a federal correctional officer attempted to search Jones after suspecting he possessed a contraband cell phone. When the officer attempted to retrieve it, Jones resisted and repeatedly punched the officer in the head and neck.
Other officers intervened, restrained Jones, and separated him from the officer. The victim sustained abrasions and soreness to his head and neck.
Jones has been and will remain in custody.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Martin and Patrick Overman prosecuted the case.
Inmate Sentenced for Leading Drug Conspiracy from PrisonRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An inmate in federal prison was sentenced today for Drug Conspiracy after coordinating the delivery of nearly five kilograms of cocaine to the Tulsa area, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Rafael Gonzalez, 33, to 180 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation into individuals bringing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into Tulsa, Oklahoma. The investigation revealed that Gonzalez coordinated with other inmates and people outside of prison to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Court documents show that he coordinated the delivery of nearly five kilograms of cocaine to the Tulsa area and drug proceeds to various locations in Texas.
Gonzalez will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. This sentence is to run consecutively to Gonzalez's previous federal case where he was conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine from the Department of Corrections.
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 Tulsa comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the FBI, the Bureau of Prisons, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma
Illegal alien from Venezuela sentenced to federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Venezuelan national, illegally in the United States, has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Anthony Juber Viloria Colina, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on July 28, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on January 22, 2025, Colina was stopped for a traffic violation in Grayson County. After consenting to a search of the vehicle and opening the trunk, Colina fled on foot. Law enforcement discovered 100 individually wrapped “bricks” of methamphetamine in the trunk of the vehicle, totaling approximately 100 kilograms.
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.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Erlandson.
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Illegal Alien from Guatemala Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry After Previous DeportationRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – An illegal alien from Guatemala, residing in Beltsville, Maryland, pled guilty in federal court, today, to illegal re-entry after prior removal.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland.
According to federal and state court documents, Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 64, unlawfully re-entered the United States after authorities removed him on three separate occasions. Authorities removed Perez Batres in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010.
Then on Sept. 6, 2024, law enforcement arrested Perez Batres in Maryland on state charges relating to sexual abuse of a minor. Perez Batres pled guilty to the charges on Sept. 2, 2025. At no time did Perez Batres receive consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, as required for him to legally enter the country.
Perez Batres faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Li and Brooke Oki, along with Trial Attorneys Matthew Thiman and Sean F. Mulryne, Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, who are prosecuting the federal case.
The indictment and plea announced today were coordinated 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). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). 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 and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees 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 ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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