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23 July 2026
Ohio Babysitter Sentenced to 70 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Toddlers to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 26-year-old woman was sentenced to prison after admitting to sexually abusing two children in her care while she was employed as their babysitter and producing videos of the abuse to share with other sexually deviant individuals on social media.
Molly Elisabeth Duncan, of Beachwood, Ohio, was sentenced to 840 months (70 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in April to:
- Sexual Exploitation of Children (two counts)
- Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
- Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM)
She was also ordered to serve 25 years of supervised release after imprisonment.
She was additionally ordered to pay the following:
- $20,000 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.
- $8,000 toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act which was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse.
Judge Barker imposed the sentence on July 22.
According to court documents and evidence, the defendant worked as a nanny in Northeast Ohio for the minor victims’ families from about November 2023 to July 2024. However, court records also indicate that Duncan worked as a nanny in the Northern District of Ohio for approximately 10 years. Duncan sexually abused one victim in Portage County and another in Geauga County—both under the age of two—and recorded the visual depictions on her cellphone. She then shared the videos with others who also had a sexual interest in children through a social media platform. During a forensic analysis of Duncan’s electronic devices, investigators found several CSAM files of each minor victim.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
Anyone with additional information about this matter is asked to please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.
This prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler 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.
Northern District of Texas Elevates Airspace Security During FIFA World Cup 2026 – Sets Foundation for Future EventsRead the Press Release
DALLAS—United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, in collaboration with the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Secret Service; Federal Aviation Administration; Texas Department of Public Safety; and other federal, state, and local partners, highlights the strengthened airspace security strategy and operational plan implemented during the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North Texas.
An active Joint Operations Center, advanced counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones), rigorous enforcement, and a proactive public education campaign contributed to the success of this operation.
From the outset, the FAA established Temporary Flight Restrictions over key locations in the Metroplex. One included a 3 nautical mile radius up to 3,000 feet around AT&T Stadium (“Dallas Stadium”) beginning three hours before each match and ending three hours after each match concluded. A second included a 1 nautical mile up to 1,000 feet TFR was enforced during daily Fan Festival activities at Fair Park through the entirety of the World Cup (June 11-July 19).
During the operation, law enforcement deployed counter UAS teams equipped to detect and intercept unauthorized drones. Law enforcement seized 65 drones at Dallas Stadium and 29 more at Fair Park, the location of Fan Fest in Dallas. As a result of these seizures, we undertook various enforcement actions, including seizing the drones, issuing fines, documenting the drone incursion, and, in some instances, charging the drone operators with federal crimes.
As a result of the 94 drone seizures during the TFRs, various drone investigations remain ongoing.
Some of the key enforcement actions include the following:
- Luis Mauricio Flores Ordonez, a Honduran national, was charged with violation of national defense airspace for flying a drone near “Dallas Stadium” during the June 14 match; his guilty plea and sentencing hearing are set for Aug. 19.
- Cristobal Torres Alvarez, a Mexican national, was charged for operating a drone without an airman’s certificate in restricted airspace near “Dallas Stadium” during the June 27 match. Alvarez faces up to three years in federal prison.
- Servando Piedra Munoz, a Mexican national, was charged for operating a drone without an airman’s certificate in restricted airspace near “Dallas Stadium” during the July 14 semi-final match. Munoz faces up to three years in federal prison.
These efforts were supported by the Northern District’s 24/7 Joint Operations Center, facilitating real-time sharing of intelligence and coordination of field responses. The Texas DPS, aided by a $3.2 million FEMA grant, deployed mobile and fixed drone detection and mitigation systems—using radio-frequency monitoring, Remote ID tracking, and non-kinetic countermeasures—with personnel trained by the FBI.
A broad Public Service Campaign accompanied these measures, urging drone operators to:
- Register and label their drones
- Obtain a Part 107 certification or TRUST certificate
- Check TFRs via FAA-approved B4UFLY tools
- Report suspicious drone activity to 911, local law enforcement or the FBI
U.S. Attorney Raybould on the operation’s significance:
“What we learned is that robust planning, advanced technology, and interagency unity can effectively neutralize airborne threats. Drones are here to stay—and so must our vigilance. As we look to future major events, we will sharpen these systems and partnerships to uphold safety in our skies. We also showed the world that more major sporting events - like the Women’s World Cup - belong in North Texas!”FBI Dallas SAC R. Joseph Rothrock added: “Over the past 5 weeks, the FBI helped to secure one of the largest sporting events in our country’s history. In Dallas, those efforts included protecting the matches at Dallas Stadium and Fan Fest at Fair Park from unauthorized drone activity. These efforts culminated in the seizure of over 90 drones,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We want to thank our state, local, and federal partners for their assistance in drone operations. The success and safety of the tournament would not have been possible without these partnerships.”
Lessons Learned
- Advanced Detection + Skilled Personnel: The integration of real-time UAS technology and trained operators enabled rapid detection and neutralization of airborne threats.
- Constant Command and Control: The 24/7 Joint Operations Center ensured coordination and swift action across all responding agencies.
- Enhanced Public Awareness: Clear messaging and outreach reduced inadvertent violations and encouraged active community reporting.
- Legal Deterrence: Prompt prosecutions signaled the seriousness of violations and reinforced the consequences of non-compliance.
- Future Preparedness: Drones will remain a persistent presence at public gatherings—our successes here establish a blueprint for proactive, scalable responses at future events.
The Northern District of Texas reaffirms its commitment to securing large-scale gatherings and protecting the public. Through coordinated strategy, resource investment, and community engagement, we aim to maintain airspace integrity and public trust.
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Norfolk man pleads guilty to attempted witness tampering while under investigation for murder threatsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man pled guilty today to attempted witness tampering.
According to court documents, on May 3, 2025, Christopher Martin Herr, 33, called his then-ex-girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe, dozens of times and left multiple voicemails in which he threatened to kill Jane Doe, murder her boyfriend, and assault her father. On Sept. 29, 2025, Herr drove to Jane Doe’s apartment in Virginia Beach and threw her trash can at her car. Between Sept. 27 and Oct. 28, 2025, Herr sent messages to Jane Doe in which he threatened to murder her boyfriend, her family, and an FBI agent.
On Oct. 26, 2025, Herr again drove to Jane Doe’s apartment and attempted to open her locked door. Jane Doe reported Herr’s behavior to Virginia Beach Police.
On Dec. 19, 2025, Herr contacted a relative who was an officer with the Norfolk Police Department and requested that the relative arrange for Jane Doe’s arrest for a DUI. Herr told the relative exactly where Jane Doe lived, described the make and model of her vehicle, and described her license plate. The relative declined Herr’s request. On Jan. 9, Herr contacted another relative who works in law enforcement and again requested that Jane Doe be arrested.
Herr is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 19 and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikolas Nelson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-17.
New York Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for His Role in Car Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Amadou Diol, 43, of New York, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months' imprisonment, three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for his role in a scheme to steal and sell more than 20 rental cars.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in September of last year and pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and two counts of transportation of stolen vehicles.
As detailed in court filings and statements, from about December 2020 to December 2021, Diol and others conspired to rent vehicles from car rental companies throughout the central and eastern United States by fraudulent means, transport the vehicles in interstate commerce, and sell the stolen vehicles to various purchasers, who then exported the vehicles overseas.
Diol and others would rent the cars by obtaining and using genuine driver’s licenses belonging to third parties, who were not aware their licenses were being used for the scheme, or by causing fake driver’s licenses to be created and used.
The defendant and co-conspirators frequently transported, and caused to be transported, the stolen vehicles across state lines to facilitate their sale. They received payment for the stolen vehicles by various means, including cash, electronic payments via money transfer apps, and in the form of a luxury vehicle.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne Bisio and Kara Traster.
New Orleans Man Sentenced in Drug Conspiracy and Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – DESHAWN JONES (“JONES”), age 44, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 21, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced JONES to 200 months imprisonment, followed by 8 years of supervised release, and payment of a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, beginning at a time unknown, but prior to December 27, 2021, and continuing to on or about November 25, 2024, JONES conspired with others to distribute fentanyl, crack, and cocaine in the Eastern District of Louisiana. On November 25, 2024, JONES possessed with the intent to distribute 40grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, 28 grams or more of a mixture containing crack, cocaine, and 2 guns, including a Smith and Wesson, Model 67, .38 special caliber revolver, and a DPMS Panther Arms, Model A-15, .223 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
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.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Bedford Couple Sentenced for Defrauding at Least 50 Clients of over $750,000 in Connection with Their Insurance BusinessRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A married couple from New Bedford was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a scheme to defraud individuals seeking insurance coverage through the couple’s business, BL Insurance Brokerage, LLC.
Brendan Lawler, 59, and Lisa Lawler, 46, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In March 2026, the Lawlers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Lawlers were charged by criminal complaint in August 2025.
From March 2023 through March 2024, the Lawlers solicited and collected insurance payments from BL Insurance’s clients, which should have been paid to the clients’ insurance providers. Instead of paying the insurance companies, the Lawlers pocketed their clients’ payments and used the money for their own purposes. To conceal this theft of client funds and to keep their BL Insurance afloat to perpetuate the scheme, the Lawlers used incoming client funds to pay outstanding balances due to other clients’ insurers. The Lawlers also created and distributed certain insurance documents to clients that falsely suggested that the clients were insured. In total, through this scheme, the Lawlers defrauded at least 50 individuals or insurance providers and stole more than $962,000 from individual customers, insurance providers, premium finance companies and hard money lenders.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance and Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Nevada Tax Preparers Indicted for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging three Las Vegas tax return preparers with conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully preparing false tax returns for clients.
According to the indictment, Jadee Glover owned and operated CashBack Tax Service, a Las Vegas tax preparation business, where Julia Brainerd and Shamoya Perkins worked as tax return preparers. The three allegedly conspired to prepare and file fraudulent income tax returns for clients that in some instances reported completely fictitious businesses and in other instances reported fictitious receipts and expenses for businesses the clients actually owned. Glover, Brainerd, and Perkins allegedly agreed to include false tax credits on client returns based on false assertions that the clients had missed substantial amounts of work at their purported businesses because they had contracted COVID-19 or were providing care to others that had contracted COVID-19. Based on these false claims, the tax returns allegedly generated large tax refunds that clients were not entitled to receive, a portion of which was directed to CashBack Tax Service as tax preparation fees.
According to the indictment, Glover, Brainerd and Perkins each willfully prepared and filed a number of false tax returns for clients in this manner. In addition to their work for CashBack Tax Service, Brainerd allegedly prepared false returns for clients of Royalty Tax Services, a Las Vegas tax preparation business she separately owned and operated, and Perkins allegedly prepared false returns for clients of Jewels Tax Services, a Las Vegas tax preparation business she separately owned and operated.
If convicted, Glover, Brainerd, and Perkins face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each count of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for clients. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Regina Jeon and Megan E. Wessel of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Nevada Tax Preparers Indicted for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging three Las Vegas tax return preparers with conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully preparing false tax returns for clients.
According to the indictment, Jadee Glover owned and operated CashBack Tax Service, a Las Vegas tax preparation business, where Julia Brainerd and Shamoya Perkins worked as tax return preparers. The three allegedly conspired to prepare and file fraudulent income tax returns for clients that in some instances reported completely fictitious businesses and in other instances reported fictitious receipts and expenses for businesses the clients actually owned. Glover, Brainerd, and Perkins allegedly agreed to include false tax credits on client returns based on false assertions that the clients had missed substantial amounts of work at their purported businesses because they had contracted COVID-19 or were providing care to others that had contracted COVID-19. Based on these false claims, the tax returns allegedly generated large tax refunds that clients were not entitled to receive, a portion of which was directed to CashBack Tax Service as tax preparation fees.
According to the indictment, Glover, Brainerd and Perkins each willfully prepared and filed a number of false tax returns for clients in this manner. In addition to their work for CashBack Tax Service, Brainerd allegedly prepared false returns for clients of Royalty Tax Services, a Las Vegas tax preparation business she separately owned and operated, and Perkins allegedly prepared false returns for clients of Jewels Tax Services, a Las Vegas tax preparation business she separately owned and operated.
If convicted, Glover, Brainerd, and Perkins face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each count of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for clients. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Regina Jeon and Megan E. Wessel of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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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Nashua Man Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
Nashua Man Indicted for Possession With Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine
CONCORD – Juan Nolasco Batlle, age 42, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. He will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date.
If convicted, Batlle faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life, a maximum fine of $10,000,000, or both. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Hillsborough County Street Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon is prosecuting the case.
Multinational Software Company Agrees to Pay over Three Million Dollars to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – IGEL Technology Corporation, a multinational software company with a North American headquarters in San Francisco, has agreed to pay a total of $3,168,901.75 to settle allegations that it knowingly violated the False Claims Act when it received and retained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in violation of PPP rules.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Applicants for a “first-draw” PPP loan were required to certify that they met certain size standards based on, for example, the number of employees that they employed, including in most cases employees of any U.S. and foreign affiliates.
The United States alleged that IGEL’s North American affiliate, claiming to have only 105 employees, applied for and obtained a first-draw PPP loan in June 2020, even though the company was not eligible because it exceeded the size standards when including affiliated entities, including its multinational parent company. According to the United States, despite knowing that it was not eligible for the first-draw loan, IGEL also sought and obtained forgiveness of the loan.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis made the announcement.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Verity Investigations, LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. IGEL Technology Corporation, No. 3:25-cv-03290-SK (N.D. Cal.). Verity Investigations, LLC will receive $316,890.17 in connection with the settlement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Savith Iyengar handled this matter, with assistance from Jacqueline Hollar. The resolution resulted from a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Multinational Investment Firm Subsidiary Pays $3.5M+ to Settle PPP False Claims Act CaseRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – SoftBank Robotics America, Inc. (SoftBank Robotics America), a San Francisco-headquartered robotics business within SoftBank Group Corp., a Japanese multinational investment holding company, has agreed to pay a total of $3,637,499.09 to settle allegations that it knowingly violated the False Claims Act when it received and retained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in violation of PPP rules.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Applicants for a “first-draw” PPP loan were required to certify that they met certain size standards based on, for example, the number of employees that they employed, including in most cases employees of any U.S. and foreign affiliates.
The United States alleged that SoftBank Robotics America, claiming to have only 16 employees, applied for and obtained a first-draw PPP loan in March 2021, even though the company was not eligible because it exceeded the size standards when including affiliated entities, including its multinational parent company. According to the United States, despite knowing that it was not eligible for the first-draw loan, SoftBank Robotics America also sought and obtained forgiveness of the loan.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis made the announcement.
The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Verity Investigations, LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States of America ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. SoftBank Robotics America, Inc., No. 3:25-cv-1442-SK (N.D. Cal.). Verity Investigations, LLC will receive $363,749.91 in connection with the settlement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Savith Iyengar handled this matter. The resolution resulted from a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Multi-Agency Team Recognized for Outstanding Overdose Investigative Effort of the YearRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that the multi-agency team involved in the investigation and prosecution of United States v. Curtis Cummings, et al., has been selected by the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) as the Outstanding Overdose Investigative Effort of the Year. The lead prosecutor, Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Dilges, and lead investigator, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Patrick Rose, were presented the award by Dan Neill, Executive Director, Midwest HIDTA, Office of National Drug Control Policy, during a ceremony at the Public Safety Building in Rapid City on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
“This was an incredible investigative effort that delivered justice for the victims of this horrible crime and improved public safety by preventing further deaths that would have resulted from the illegal activities of these defendants,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “I could not be more proud of this law enforcement team and I am so grateful their outstanding efforts have been recognized and honored with this award.”
“Midwest HIDTA, in partnership with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), is proud to support our federal, state, local, Tribal, and prosecutorial partners in identifying, disrupting, and dismantling criminal organizations that exploit vulnerable communities. While no investigation can undo the tragic loss of life in this case,
we recognize the dedication and professionalism of the investigators, analysts, prosecutors, and support personnel whose tireless efforts helped bring those responsible to justice,” said Executive Director, Midwest HIDTA, Office of Drug Control Policy Dan Neill.
In late April 2022, a young man was found deceased in the driver’s seat of his vehicle at a gas station in Rapid City, South Dakota. On the center console of his vehicle were two aluminum foil pieces with remnants of a partially melted blue-green pill. An autopsy indicated the victim died from fentanyl toxicity. The investigation was led by the South Dakota Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), which includes the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard.
Utilizing a variety of investigative techniques – including digital forensics, surveillance video, social media records, GPS information, and witness interviews – UNET identified four individuals – Curtis Cummings, Katey McGruder, Christina Sanchez, and Wyatt Nygaard – who were involved in the distribution of fentanyl to the victim.
The investigation revealed that Cummings and his wife, McGruder, obtained large amounts of fentanyl from a source of supply in Colorado on a weekly basis. They would then bring the fentanyl back to their home in Rapid City, where it was further distributed by Sanchez and other co-conspirators. On April 26, 2022, Cummings and McGruder provided fentanyl to Sanchez, who provided the fentanyl to Nygaard. Nygaard then provided the fentanyl to the victim, who overdosed and died within minutes of ingesting the fentanyl.
In 2023, Cummings, McGruder, Sanchez, and Nygaard were indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.
Sanchez, McGruder, and Nygaard each pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. On January 24, 2024, Nygaard was sentenced to 23 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On August 9, 2024, Sanchez and McGruder were each sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Cummings was convicted following a jury trial of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. On January 24, 2025, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Comprised of 73 designated counties in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Illinois, the Midwest HIDTA is designed to disrupt the market for illegal drugs throughout the “heartland” of America by identifying, targeting, and dismantling the most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations operating in the Midwest. Its goal is to enhance and facilitate the coordination of regional drug-control efforts among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies—through information and intelligence sharing, cooperative investigations, and joint operations—to reduce drug trafficking and its deadly consequences across the region. The Midwest HIDTA currently supports 61 different initiatives across seven states, including 44 drug task forces, six domestic highway interdiction programs, and five intelligence initiatives.
Montgomery County Man Charged with Impersonating an FBI AgentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Seok Joon Lee, 54, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with impersonating a federal officer, and acting as such.
The indictment alleges that, on or about April 22, 2026, the defendant falsely assumed and pretended to be an agent and employee of the FBI, in that the defendant entered a Philadelphia supermarket wearing a bulletproof vest, a law enforcement-type duty belt, a holstered firearm loaded with 13 rounds of live ammunition, and two spare magazines, identified himself as an FBI agent to a security guard, and attempted to conduct a security check of the supermarket. Lee subsequently stated to responding officers from the Philadelphia Police Department that he was “undercover FBI” and that his credentials and FBI number could be located elsewhere.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of a monetary fine and three years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Miller and Nelson S.T. Thayer Jr.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on July 20, 2026.
Ricky Wayne Hettich, Jr., age 26, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hettich was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026.
Around Christmas 2024, Hettich picked up a 15-year-old girl by the waist against her will. He laid her down on his bed in his father’s basement in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. Hettich took off the minor’s clothes, then his own, and had sexual intercourse with her. Whenever the girl tried to escape, Hettich forced her back down. The intercourse resulted in pregnancy. Investigators learned Hettich also had sexual intercourse with the girl on a prior occasion.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal Court as opposed to State Court.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Hettich was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
Man to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally reentered the United States from Guatemala was sentenced July 23, 2026, to eight months in federal prison.
Rigoberto Corado-Hernandes, age 63, from Guatemala but illegally residing in Rock Valley, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 20, 2026, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry.
At the hearings, Corado-Hernandes admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been previously removed from the United States on two occasions. He had previously been convicted in Sioux County, Iowa, in 2024 of domestic abuse assault, first offense, with a dangerous weapon after he attempted to stab his nephew with a knife. He was then located by immigration officials in the Sioux County jail on January 13, 2026, where he was being held on a probation violation stemming from the 2024 sentence. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Guatemala, had no legal status to be in the United States, and had previously been deported from the United States to Guatemala.
Corado-Hernandes was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Corado-Hernandes is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-CR-04011.
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Local woman sent to prison for unlawfully smuggling expensive poultry from Southeast AsiaRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 47-year-old Aransas Pass resident has been ordered to prison for smuggling over 60 rare Dong Tao chickens into the country.
Jennifer Mayo pleaded guilty July 30, 2025.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Mayo to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony regarding the serious risk of disease that the poultry presented, the numerous dead birds found on Mayo’s property, and how Mayo repeatedly lied to law enforcement. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Mayo’s conduct was extremely serious and put a lot of animals at risk.
The investigation began in 2023 after authorities discovered Facebook messages in which Mayo discussed traveling to Southeast Asia to obtain Dong Tao chicken eggs.
Dong Tao chickens aka Dragon chickens are a rare, expensive breed native to Vietnam that are recognized for their unusually large legs. Federal law prohibits the importation of poultry from regions affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza or Newcastle disease unless specific import requirements are met. Vietnam and Cambodia are among the regions subject to those restrictions.
Mayo smuggled approximately 60 fertilized Dong Tao chicken eggs into the United States by concealing them on her body and in her luggage. She intended to hatch the birds and sell them for breeding, eggs, and meat. Upon questioning, Mayo falsely claimed the chickens had died.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mayo’s residence where they discovered five surviving chickens suffering from disease, along with other dead and dying birds. The five birds were the only surviving Dong Tao chickens from the original shipment.
Due to the risk of spreading disease to other flocks, veterinarians determined the birds could not be removed from the property and were humanely euthanized.
As part of her plea, Mayo admitted knowing the eggs could not legally be imported into the United States.
She was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Department of Agriculture, Texas Animal Health Commission, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.
Lexington Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Manuel Enrique Corona-Ramirez, 52, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 23, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Corona-Ramirez to a total of 125 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Corona-Ramirez’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
In 2023, Corona-Ramirez was arrested with Joette Romero in Hall County after an individual called in a terroristic threat at their residence. Corona-Ramirez and Romero arrived at the residence with a gun and demanded money from the individual over a drug debt. This arrest prompted further investigation which later revealed that Corona-Ramirez was working with others to distribute methamphetamine around the central Nebraska area. Over the course of his drug dealing, Corona-Ramirez was responsible for more than 3 kilograms of methamphetamine. He also possessed a firearm and threatened others in furtherance of that drug dealing.
Joette Romero was indicted separately for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. She was sentenced on September 22, 2025, to 87 months’ imprisonment with 4 years of supervised release to follow.
This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes federal partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, and Army National Guard Counter Drug Unit.
Laurel County Man Sentenced to 28 Years for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lily, Ky., man, Daniel Hoskins, 56, was sentenced on Thursday to 28 years by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for two counts of production of child pornography.
According to Hoskins’ plea agreement, on June 2 and June 3, 2025, Hoskins produced child pornography with a minor victim while he was incarcerated in the Madison County Detention Center. He instructed the minor to produce child pornography using the detention center’s video jail call system.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office; jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, KSP, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Lafayette Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Trafficking; Defendant was Identified on I-10 During Routine Traffic StopRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On July 22, 2026, United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Jeremy Black, 52, of Lafayette, to 84 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).
According to court documents, on March 25, 2025, police initiated a traffic stop on Black’s vehicle after observing several traffic violations on Interstate 10 (I‑10), which included following too closely and improper lane usage. During an authorized search, officers found a black and gray bag containing two kilogram‑sized bundles of suspected narcotics wrapped in brown tape. A field test confirmed the presence of cocaine. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratory testing later verified that the bundles contained 1,999.8 grams of cocaine, an amount consistent with large-scale trafficking operations.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Criminal Patrol Unit (LPSONU CPU) and the DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy prosecuted the case with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
This case was 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.
This press release (and any updates) will be available on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Court documents and information can be found at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer under Case Number 6:25-CR-00192.
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United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
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Twitter @USAO_WDLAKansas cousins sentenced for robbing & assaulting food truck ownersRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – Two Kansas men were sentenced to prison for robbing a food truck during which they violently assaulted a victim.
According to court documents, Deon Ikner, 21, and Aaron Whitehead, 25, both of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery.
Ikner was sentenced to 71 months in prison. Whitehead was sentenced to 71 months in prison.
In March 2024, Whitehead and Ikner robbed a couple at gunpoint while the victims were unloading their food truck in Topeka. Whitehead and Ikner struck the male victim with a handgun and threatened to shoot him if he moved. The defendants stole cash the business owners had earned from their sales that day. The owners were able to identify Whitehead and Ikner from mugshots.
“These defendants felt so entitled to money they didn’t earn that they violently accosted a husband and wife who had just finished a hard day of work,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Violently robbing a hardworking family is only going to earn you a hefty prison sentence.”
“By their own admission, these two defendants used a firearm and threats to rob a commercial food truck in Topeka. Make no mistake – if you participate in violent crime in Kansas, the FBI and its partners stand ready to hold you accountable,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Topeka Police Department investigated the case.
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Justice Department Resumes Targeted HSR Merger Review ProcessRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced today that it has returned to implementing targeted Second Request investigations to expedite merger review. The Division is also publishing a model timing agreement in connection with this release.
“This Department of Justice is working to eliminate bureaucratic burdens while still preserving the integrity of Second Request investigations, which are aimed at protecting American consumers and affordability,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “A more targeted process strengthens the Department’s ability to appropriately enforce antitrust laws through focusing its review. This change will allow for quicker and more efficient review of proposed transactions; more effective use of taxpayer resources; and above all, helps the Department do its job to safeguard a competitive marketplace while keeping America open for business.”
Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act, mergers or acquisitions above certain numerical thresholds must notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Antitrust Division prior to consummating a reportable transaction. The FTC or the Division may require the merging parties to submit additional information and documents relevant to the proposed transaction. This is generally referred to as a “Second Request.”
Historically, the Division implemented targeted Second Request investigations to reduce administrative burden and focus government resources on the specific aspects of proposed transactions that raise competitive concerns. Under a targeted Second Request investigation, the Division and the merging parties enter into a timing agreement that prioritizes the submission of certain information and documents called for by the Second Request that could resolve the Division’s questions prior to full compliance. In exchange, the Division benefits from receiving information and documents on an efficient schedule with greater certainty on the timing of key milestones to facilitate review. After reviewing this priority information and carefully analyzing potential competitive concerns, the Division may close its investigation, modify the Second Request, or require full compliance with the Second Request.
This return to historical practice is part of the Division’s commitment to reducing the burden and costs on merging parties without compromising the Division’s ability to thoroughly investigate transactions that raise potential competitive concerns.
Through these efforts, the Division is committed to promoting competition and protecting American consumers without imposing undue costs on the workings of the free market. The Division remains open to good faith negotiations regarding modifications to Second Requests in all cases. The Division will continue to require full compliance in circumstances in which broader information is necessary to reach an enforcement decision.
Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Milwaukee Mask Ban and Identification Requirements for Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, City Attorney Evan Goyke, and Chief of Police Jeffrey Norman, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers by prohibiting federal officers from wearing masks and requiring they wear individual identifiers in Milwaukee, Wis., Code of Ordinances§ 105-140.
Not only is the law an illegal attempt to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the law threatens the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedent wave of harassment, doxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations.
“State and local leaders cannot tell Federal officers how to do their job,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “And they certainly cannot prohibit them from ensuring their own safety in safeguarding our communities and enforcing federal law. We will never tolerate the doxxing or harassment of federal officers, or any law like Milwaukee’s that enables violent behavior against law enforcement officers and their families.”
“Milwaukee’s direct regulation of federal law enforcement operations threatens severe consequences for officers and public safety alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Federal Government, not the city, gets to decide which equipment federal agents may or may not wear when performing their official duties.”
“Not only is this ordinance an affront to the Constitution, but it jeopardizes the safety of our courageous sworn law enforcement officers,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “Further, it puts local and federal law enforcement officers at odds with each other when they should be working together on the common goals to enforce the rule of law and keep our communities safe.”
Acting Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, and Philadelphia. The United States has secured preliminary relief from each court to have ruled on its claims so far.
Jury Convicts Walnut Ridge Man of Multiple Charges in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JONESBORO—A federal jury has convicted Bobby Scott Glenn of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. The trial, which spanned one day, ended on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, with guilty verdicts for Glenn, 40, of Walnut Ridge. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the verdict.
Glenn and his co-defendant, Harry Keith Lane, 71, of Corning, were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 9, 2024, in a three-count Indictment charging Glenn and Lane with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Glenn and Lane were also charged with one count each for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. On June 24, 2026, Lane pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and is currently awaiting sentencing.
In January 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into Alex Dillard, a large-scale methamphetamine distributor in the northeast Arkansas area. Dillard, 43, of Jonesboro, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2024, in a three-count Indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Dillard is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty on January 21, 2026, in the separate Indictment to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
The evidence at trial proved that during the late evening on January 17, 2024, Dillard distributed methamphetamine to Glenn, who is on parole with a search waiver on file. On January 18, 2024, investigators located Glenn at his residence in Hoxie and in the home were two minors who were asleep and a man who stated his name was “Keith Mangrum.” Investigators advised Glenn the reason for their visit and instructed the man who stated his name was “Mangrum,” but he was later identified as Lane, to leave the premises.
While departing the residence, investigators noticed Lane walking and behaving nervously and concerned that Lane may be in possession of a weapon, investigators searched his person and during the search, Lane removed a methamphetamine pipe from his jacket pocket. Investigators also located in Lane’s jacket sleeve a large bag of methamphetamine and $2,146 in U.S. currency. When questioned by investigators, Lane stated he purchased the methamphetamine from Glenn.
At trial, evidence proved that investigators located $3,100 in U.S. currency on top of Glenn’s dresser and after being Mirandized, Glenn admitted that Dillard provided the methamphetamine that was located in Lane’s jacket the day before and that he (Glenn) sold it to Lane for $3,100 just before investigators arrived at his residence. The methamphetamine was confirmed by the HIS laboratory to be 382.06 grams with 70% purity, rendering the remaining substance to contain 269.74 grams of methamphetamine (actual).
Glenn was detained following the jury’s verdict and will be sentenced at a later date. Glenn and Lane’s conspiracy charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a minimum of five years’ supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin O’Leary and Amanda Fields.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
July 2026 Grand Jury for the District of NebraskaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 20 unsealed Indictments charging 21 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Steven R. Harper, age 57, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession of child pornography with a prior conviction on or about October 30, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years and up to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Scott Wellensiek, age 53, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession of child pornography with a prior conviction beginning on or about an unknown date, and continuing until on or about May 8, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years and up to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Diego J. Vigil, age 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender from at least on or about May 26, 2026, continuing to on or about June 26, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Jose Alfredo Sandoval-Huitzil, age 27, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about May 14, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years and up to life of imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Aaron Torres, age 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about March 17, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years and up to 40 years of imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 4 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Joel Lopez-Franco, age 32, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about May 6, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years and up to life of imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Jermaine Lewis, age 27, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of obstruction of justice on or about June 30, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl is 20 years of imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 3 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. The maximum possible penalty if convicted of obstruction of justice is 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Peter Lam, age 31, of Garden Grove, California, and Trong Tran, age 23, of Garden Grove, California, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about November 2025, and continuing to on or about June 15, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years and up to life of imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States and were found in the United States, without the Acting Attorney General of the United States or his designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Eli Daniel Rascon-Balderas, age 50
Alberto Antonio Ramos, age 45
Yosimar Cortez-Diaz, age 32
Gerson Mejia-Arenibar, age 28
Rafael Lopez-Miranda, age 30
Pascual Lopez-Coc, age 39
Pedro Ornelas-Soto, age 30
Adolfo Garcia-Luna, age 36
Jose Luis Godinez Chepillo, age 31
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following a felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Acting Attorney General of the United States or his designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Manuel Zavala-Balderas, age 39
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Acting Attorney General of the United States or his designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Angel Heredia-Linares, age 60
Osman Naun Meza-Romero, age 36
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison for armed robbery of a Beaumont tobacco storeRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced for a violent crime in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Bradley Broussard, 39, pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 23, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on July 5, 2025, Broussard entered a tobacco store on Washington Boulevard, pointed a firearm at the clerk, and demanded money. Broussard fled the store with a bag containing money from the register. Broussard’s getaway driver, Dustin Lee Davis, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison by Judge Crone on July 13, 2026.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
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Illinois Man Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Identity Theft and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Illinois man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for phishing the Snapchat access codes of over 750 women in an effort to hack their Snapchat accounts and steal nude photos, which he kept, sold, or traded on the internet. The defendant also lied to investigators on two occasions, claiming he had no interest in child sexual abuse material. Investigators later determined that he possessed over 500 photos and 600 videos of child sexual abuse material, including some involving children between three and four years old having sex with adults.
Kyle Svara, 27, of Oswego, Ill., was sentenced on July 21, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy to 76 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In February 2026, Svara pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, computer fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and false statements related to child pornography. Svara was charged in December 2025.
From at least May 2020 to February 2021, Svara used social engineering and other resources to collect victim emails, phone numbers and/or Snapchat usernames. He used those means of identification to access victim Snapchat accounts, which prompted Snap Inc. to send account security codes to victims. Using anonymized phone numbers, Svara posed as a representative of Snap Inc. and texted more than 4,500 victims requesting those Snapchat access codes. Below in gray are some examples of Svara’s phishing text messages:
When approximately 570 women provided the access codes that Svara requested, Svara then accessed the Snapchat accounts of approximately 517 women without permission to download their nude or semi-nude images. Svara would often activate two-factor authentication to lock his victims out of their Snapchat accounts. Once he had the stolen images he wanted, Svara sold or traded them on internet forums or in transactions with others who had hired him to hack the Snapchat accounts.
Svara advertised on internet forums like Reddit that he could “get into girls snap accounts” for others and provide content “for you or trade.” Below is an example of one of his Reddit advertisements in a forum dedicated to “wifepictrading”:
To track his efforts, Svara maintained spreadsheets and “notes” application lists on his computer and phone that contained victims’ names, contact information and Snapchat and Instagram usernames. These trackers also documented Svara’s degree of hacking success with notes to himself like “priority,” “got in, couldn’t crack meo [My Eyes Only],” “got a few,” “wrong snap,” and “TONS OF HOT NUDES, TRY AGAIN,” and contained personal information about victims that appear to have been provided by individuals purchasing Snapchat hacks from Svara to help Svara guess probable passwords, such as “Likes Harry Potter, likes San Francisco, likes Buenos Aires, bday March 4.”
One of Svara’s co-conspirators, Steve Waithe, a former Track and Field Coach at Northeastern University hired and paid Svara to hack the Snapchat accounts of women Waithe coached or had other relationships with. In November 2023, Waithe was convicted in federal court in Boston of 12 counts of wire fraud; one count of cyberstalking; one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud; and one count of computer fraud, aiding and abetting. In March 2024, Waithe was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
In addition to the women Waithe and others hired Svara to hack, Svara also targeted women who resided in or around the area of Plainfield, Ill., including his neighbors, family friends, grade school classmates, high school classmates, personal friends, family friends and friends of his wife and sister. He also targeted a small group of women who were students at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
When Svara was interviewed by investigators, he falsely stated that he did not know anything about hacking Snapchat. Additionally, he falsely stated that had no interest in child pornography and had never actively sought out or accessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Contrary to these statements, the defendant collected, distributed and solicited CSAM. In Svara’s Mega account, for example, investigators found approximately 530 images and 600 videos depicting CSAM. Several of the videos had the ages three and four in their names and depicted female children of these approximate ages engaging in oral and vaginal sex acts with adult men. And in Svara’s Instagram account, investigators found multiple conversations in which he solicited others to send him CSAM. These included children from whom the defendant attempted to obtain images and videos. In one of these exchanges, a user asked expressly, “[d]oes it bother you that I’m underage?” and stated, “I’m not 18.” Svara replied, “Oh okay. More live pics? (:”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago and the Oswego Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien sentenced to federal prison for immigration violation in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Lufkin, has been sentenced to federal prison for an immigration violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Miguel Garza-Soluga, 45, pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after being deported and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 23, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in August 2025, Garza-Soluga was discovered illegally in the United States after having been previously deported in 2020 and 2022. Garza-Soluga is a convicted felon having prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, delivery of a controlled substance, and illegal reentry.
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 Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Gaston.
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Illegal alien sentenced in cocaine conspiracyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 48-year-old illegal alien from Mexico living in Donna has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to traffic multiple drug loads.
Hector Rodriguez-Ramos pleaded guilty Dec. 30, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Rodriguez-Ramos to serve 72 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
In 2024, Rodriguez-Ramos recruited another individual to act as a drug courier for the cocaine trafficking organization. He took that person’s vehicle to a car shop associated with the conspiracy where others installed a hidden compartment.
Law enforcement ultimately uncovered the conspiracy after they found 14 kilograms of cocaine in that compartment.
The investigation revealed Rodriguez-Ramos coordinated multiple drug deliveries and completed a drug run himself. He was also in communication with others involved in the conspiracy during the events.
Rodriguez-Ramos has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and Yasmine Tucker prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien Charged with Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jose Gerardo Ruiz Alonso, 36, of Mexico, was charged in a criminal complaint in federal court in the District of Nebraska for being an alien unlawfully in the United States in possession of firearms. On July 22, 2026, Ruiz Alonso appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson and was detained pending trial.
Per the criminal complaint, on July 21, 2026, the FBI executed search warrants on Ruiz Alonso’s Omaha residence and business. As a result of the search warrants, law enforcement seized approximately 71 firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition from the business. Law enforcement seized two additional firearms and ammunition from his residence. Ruiz Alonso is not a United States citizen and was not legally in the United States. It is illegal under federal law for an alien unlawfully in the United States to possess a firearm.
U.S. v. Jose Gerardo Ruiz Alonso, 8:26MJ321The case is being investigated by the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Omaha Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Bellevue Police Department, La Vista Police Department, and Council Bluffs, Iowa Police Department.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. v. Jose Gerardo Ruiz Alonso, 8:26MJ321Huxley Man Convicted of Violating Migratory Bird Treaty ActRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal magistrate judge in Des Moines convicted a Huxley man today for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by intentionally striking two Canada Geese with his vehicle.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at the bench trial, on March 3, 2026, Wyatt Christian Greenfield, 19, knowingly and intentionally struck two Canada Geese with his vehicle near NE 70th Avenue in Ankeny, Iowa. Greenfield was driving his truck east bound and accelerated and swerved to strike a Canada Goose in the westbound lane and then swerved back to the eastbound lane to strike a second Canada Goose.
The Canada Goose is a migratory bird protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service maintains a list of birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Greenfield faces a maximum sentence of up to six months imprisonment or a five-year term of probation, up to a one-year term of supervised release, and up to a $15,000 fine. A date for sentencing has not yet been set.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
Humboldt County Woman Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Embezzling over $500,000 from Her Construction Company EmployerRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Christina Ann Mobley was sentenced yesterday to 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges that she defrauded her former employer, a construction company located in Fortuna, California. United States District Judge Charles R. Breyer handed down the sentence.
Mobley, 59, was charged in an indictment filed February 5, 2025, with multiple counts of mail fraud and wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Mobley was employed as the business manager for a Fortuna construction company. When the company’s bookkeeper retired, Mobley took on the accounting and bookkeeping duties. She became essential to the business and was trusted with management of the company’s bank accounts, checks, and payroll systems. The indictment alleges that Mobley used that access to steal over $500,000 from the company.
On December 10, 2025, Mobley pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 and two counts of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, based on the various methods she used to defraud her employer. Mobley admitted that she directed checks mailed from the company’s bank account to be applied to the account for her personal credit cards to pay for personal expenses such as cash advances at casinos and personal travel; issued electronic payments of company funds to her personal credit cards; wrote checks from the company to herself, including for the repayment of her car loan; and inflated her vacation time, work hours, and bonuses in the company’s payroll system, resulting in unearned and excessive payments to herself. Between January 2022 and November 2024, Mobley admitted that she embezzled more than $500,000 from her employer.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer sentenced Mobley to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered restitution in the amount of $586,000. Mobley was ordered to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons in 90 days.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Barry is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Homeland Security Task Force investigation leads to charges against six defendants for their roles in an Elmira drug trafficking ringRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Eric J. Barner a/k/a E a/k/a Dree, 40, Ashanique Graham a/k/a Shorty, 30, Geneno Mable, 51, Matthew R. Swinko, 28, and Ryan Palmieri, 36, all of Elmira, NY, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine. Charged in a separate complaint with conspiracy was Dominic Murphy, 31, also of Elmira. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life, and $10,000,000. Murphy is also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement began investigating the drug trafficking activities of the defendants in October 2025, as part of an ongoing narcotics trafficking investigation. Identified as the Barner Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), the defendants sold cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, using cellular phones to conduct their drug business, in the Elmira, NY, area. The DTO utilized multiple locations to store and sell narcotics including a former store front on Lake Street, and residences on Baldwin Avenue, Mulberry Street, Lackawanna Avenue, W. Thurston Street, Harper Street.
During the execution of multiple search warrants, investigators seized:
- $152,080.57 in cash
- Approximately 69 grams of cocaine
- Approximately three grams of crack cocaine
- Approximately 646 grams of fentanyl
- Approximately 3,306 grams of methamphetamine
- Approximately 65 grams of psilocybin
- Approximately 19 grams of liquid methadone
- Approximately one gram of MDMA
- Approximately 64 grams of Clonazepam
- 34 firearms, including two ghost guns
- Two pipe bombs
- Soft body armor
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of 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 Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola. The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kristen Thorne.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Hardin County convicted felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Kountze man has been sentenced for a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Joshua Kenneth Hope, 33, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 23, 2026.
According to information presented in court, very early on June 21, 2025, local law enforcement responded to a call of shots fired near a Kountze residence when they encountered Hope with a shotgun. Further investigation revealed that Hope was a convicted felon and had been previously convicted in Hardin County of aggravated assault family violence and assault on a public servant. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
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Hampton man sentenced to over five years in prison for federal drug and firearm offensesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to five years and eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Sept. 4, 2025, Damion Chesson, 29, was seated in the front passenger seat of a vehicle during a traffic stop. Chesson told law enforcement that he did not have identification and provided a false name and a social security number with an insufficient number of digits. Officers observed a bag between Chesson’s legs.
A K9 unit alerted to narcotics inside the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, investigators located the bag, which contained a loaded handgun, a digital scale, and narcotics packaging material. When officers searched Chesson, they recovered $1,135.03 from his left front pocket and 25.54 grams of cocaine from his right front pocket.
On January 2, Chesson was arrested after being federally indicted for the Sept. 4, 2025, offense. At the time of his arrest, Chesson was in possession of, among other things, a loaded handgun and 15.76 grams of cocaine.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. The Virginia State Police and Hampton Police Division assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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. 4:25-cr-79.
This release was edited on July 23, 2026, to correct the term of imprisonment.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Israel Castro, 37 years old, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
“An armed illegal alien will serve two years in jail followed by a year of supervised release after yet again violating our nation’s borders, laws, and sovereignty and being in possession of a firearm. On February 2, 2025, law enforcement responded to a report of gunshots fired at a residence on Cardinal Drive in East Chicago, Indiana, involving a white transit van. A witness identified Israel Castro as the shooter. Law enforcement located the van and detained Castro who admitted to having a weapon inside the van. A semi-automatic pistol was later recovered from the van. He had been previously convicted of Illegal Entry on May 15, 2014, in the Northern District of Indiana. As part of Operation Take Back America and Project Safe Neighborhoods, Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office teamed with Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski to bring this case. Our nation is safer when armed illegal aliens are caught, incarcerated, and removed. The Defendant needs to return to his home country and not violate our nation’s laws again,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski.
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.
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.
Half a dozen illegal aliens indicted for returning to the U.S. after deportationRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned separate indictments charging six previously deported foreign nationals with illegally returning to the United States.
According to court documents, the following defendants were indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien:
• Rodrigo Alan Castro-Sosa, 21, an illegal alien from Mexico, • Omar Alejandro Hernandez-Hernandez, 31, an illegal alien from Mexico, • Jorge Luis Landin-Ramirez, 39, an illegal alien from Mexico, • Joaquin Morales-Diaz, 43, an illegal alien from Guatemala, • Lesvia M. Lopez-Pena, 31, an illegal alien from Guatemala, and
• Eber Reyes-Duarte, 44, an illegal alien from Honduras.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating all of the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Greenfield Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – James Anthony Morris, 59, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
The investigation in this case revealed that Morris set up a “spy camera” in one of his bedrooms at his residence in Greenfield, Tennessee and secretly recorded multiple minors in the nude and changing clothes. Morris then distributed some of the child pornographic material that he recorded on his “spy camera” to another individual via the Quora social media application.
On April 1, 2026, Morris pleaded guilty to one count of employing and using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a). On July 22, 2026, Senior United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Morris to 300 months' imprisonment and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Additionally, Morris must comply with the conditions of the Sex Offender Registration & Notification Act (SORNA) upon his release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "Production of child pornography is a disturbing crime that endangers and harms real child victims. We will always seek significant sentences for such despicable and predatory behavior, and this successful prosecution has incapacitated a real threat to our children and our community in West Tennessee."
“This sentence sends a clear message: HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice for victims and safeguard our communities,” said HSI Nashville Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Perez. “HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting children and holding offenders accountable for their actions. Those who exploit minors and distribute child pornography will face the full consequences of the law.”
“This sentence reflects the unwavering commitment of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and our local, state, and federal partners to protect children and hold those who exploit them accountable,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “We hope this outcome sends a clear message that we will continue to dedicate every available resource to investigating these crimes, pursuing justice for victims, and ensuring those who prey upon our most vulnerable residents are brought to justice.”
The case was investigated by members of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the District Attorney’s Office for the 27th Judicial District, the Greenfield Police Department, and the Martin Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Caroline Parish and Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Gobles Man Sentenced for Selling Chinese Drugs Without FDA ApprovalRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Brandon Piper, age 35, of Gobles, Michigan was sentenced to 21 months in prison for conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into the market with the intent to defraud and mislead both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and consumers. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker stated that his sentence was designed to send a message to Piper and to the public about the consequences of ignoring the FDA and the law.
According to sentencing filings, Piper helped perpetrate an extensive scheme to import unapproved, misbranded prescription drugs, including peptides, which are popular weight loss drugs, into the United States from China for distribution to customers. The customers purchased the illicit drugs first on a Canadian website and later on Piper’s own site – www.MilestonePurity.com. Both websites claimed that the drugs were “for research purposes only” even though Piper and his co-conspirators knew that customers would be using them personally. Many of the drugs also purported to be a “Product of the USA” even though conspirators purchased them from China.
Examples of the drugs sold on the websites included semaglutide and tirzepatide. Both drugs require the purchaser to have a prescription from a licensed practitioner before they can be dispensed. However, the drugs were sold without obtaining prescriptions from customers and were shipped to customers without adequate directions for use.
FDA-approved semaglutide products bear a boxed warning, commonly referred to as a “black box warning,” which is the strongest warning FDA requires. This warning indicates that the drug carries a significant risk of serious or even life-threatening adverse effects. The boxed warning addresses the risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. FDA-approved tirzepatide also bears a boxed warning addressing the risk of thyroid C-Cell tumors. Piper’s drugs omitted these warnings.
“Brandon Piper’s business bypassed important drug safeguards that made him a danger to his customers,” said United States Attorney Timothy VerHey. “By going around the prescription requirement, he made drugs available to his customers that are dangerous – and even deadly - when used improperly. Also, the foreign drugs Piper was selling lacked any kind of quality control and could have contained anything. Put those two factors together and you have a recipe for disaster. Because of that, my office will always treat people like Piper just like street level drug dealers.”
“The FDA is committed to disrupting and dismantling the illegal sales of drugs online,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who exploit the internet for profits with reckless disregard for the risk to public health and safety.”
The FDA Office of Criminal Investigations prepared the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Carowan is prosecuting it. One of Piper’s co-defendants, Mayze Nichols, is scheduled to be sentenced on related charges before United States Magistrate Judge Ray Kent on September 15, 2026.
Gloversville Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Angel Ruiz, age 30, of Gloversville, New York, pled guilty on July 14th 2026 to drug trafficking and firearms crimes, including a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and to possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Ruiz admitted to his participation in a drug conspiracy from June 2020 to March 2021. He further admitted to selling cocaine out of a co-defendant’s house where the drugs and multiple firearms were stored. The firearms were stored in a safe where the drugs were kept so that the defendant and his co-conspirator could access them to protect their drugs, drug proceeds and themselves, from potential robbers.
“Because of the outstanding work of the ATF, the Gloversville community is safer today,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone. “This defendant chose to peddle narcotics on our streets and armed himself to protect that criminal trade, but that operation is over. He has been stopped, and now he faces the possibility of life in prison as a result of his actions.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo stated: “Drug trafficking and firearms are a dangerous combination that fuels violence and threatens the safety of our communities. This guilty plea demonstrates the effectiveness of strong partnerships and ATF’s unwavering commitment to investigating those who use firearms to further criminal activity. We appreciate the dedicated efforts of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in bringing this case to a successful resolution.”
Sentencing is scheduled for September 2nd, 2026, before Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. Ruiz faces at least 5 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a supervised release term of at least 3 years and up to life, to begin after he finishes his prison term. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
ATF is investigating the case with assistance from the Gloversville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa and Geoffrey J. L. Brown are prosecuting the case.
Gloucester Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Gloucester man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Robert Burnham, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 3, 2026. Burnham was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2025 and remains detained pending trial.
According to the charging documents, from on or about June 11, 2024 to Oct. 4, 2024, Burnham persuaded and coerced a 13-year-old minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing pictures and videos and transmitting them to him via social media. Additionally, on April 28, 2025, Burnham knowingly possessed files that depict CSAM.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 15 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Harper County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Kansas City, Lincoln Police Department and Gloucester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Fundraiser Connected to Assassination of Haitian President Sentenced to 20 Years for Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A South Florida fundraiser and financier connected to the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds that helped finance the plot.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra sentenced Keegan Harricharan, 42, of Coral Springs, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering. The laundered funds were derived from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“This case is a stark reminder that financial crime is often the engine behind far more dangerous conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant did not simply commit fraud. He exploited pandemic relief programs meant to keep small businesses alive during a national crisis and laundered those stolen taxpayer funds to help advance a conspiracy that ended in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. As a career federal prosecutor and former trial judge, I have seen how following the money exposes the true scope of criminal schemes. When fraud proceeds are funneled into political violence and bloodshed, the threat extends beyond financial loss to the stability of democratic institutions themselves. We will continue to follow the money, dismantle these networks, and ensure that those who finance violence face federal justice.”
According to court documents, Harricharan worked with Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, James Junior Solages, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, Jacob Israel, and others to launder fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds that were used to promote, finance, and support the conspiracy to overthrow the Haitian government and assassinate President Moïse on July 7, 2021, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, and Solages were convicted following a nine-week jury trial in May. Sanon is expected to stand trial later this year. Jacob Israel previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
Beginning in June 2020, Harricharan and Israel fraudulently obtained approximately $840,827 in PPP loan proceeds, from which Israel and his associates received approximately $126,124 in kickbacks. In April and May 2021, Harricharan met repeatedly in South Florida with members of the assassination conspiracy, where they discussed plans to remove President Moïse from power and install a new Haitian government. During those meetings, the conspirators also discussed securing funding, weapons, ammunition, personnel, and military equipment needed to carry out the operation.
Harricharan agreed to use his South Florida company, TNR Holding Group Inc. (TNR Holding), to receive and distribute fraud proceeds in support of the conspiracy. Between May 18 and May 28, 2021, approximately $175,000 in PPP fraud proceeds and other funds were deposited into his TNR Holding’s bank account. At the direction of his co-conspirators, Harricharan quickly transferred the money to Veintemilla, who redistributed it through a series of transactions to other members of the conspiracy.
Between June 9 and June 10, 2021, Harricharan wired an additional $80,000, including EIDL loan proceeds, to Veintemilla for further distribution to members of the conspiracy.
Weeks later, in the early morning hours of July 7, 2021, the conspiracy culminated in the assassination of President Moïse. A team of Colombian mercenaries, financed in part through the laundered proceeds described above, entered the president’s residence in Port-au-Prince after exchanging gunfire with security personnel. The attackers fatally shot President Moïse multiple times and seriously wounded First Lady Martine Moïse while the couple’s children hid inside the home.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami and HSI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean T. McLaughlin, Jason Wu, and Altanese Phenelus prosecuted the case.
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 Miami comprises of agents and task force officers from FBI Miami and HSI Miami with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-cr-20054.
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Fort Thompson Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Judge Eric Schulte, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, convicted of Sexual Assault of a Minor. The sentencing took place on July 13, 2026.
Elijah Brown Thunder, age 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,444.70 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brown Thunder was indicted in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 13, 2026.
In November, 2017 Brown Thunder engaged in a sexual act with a young victim between the age of 12 and 16. Brown Thunder committed multiple acts of sexual abuse upon her, over an extended period. The sexual abuse occurred in the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Plains Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Brown Thunder was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Missouri Police Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Assaulting Handcuffed ManRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former Northwoods, Missouri police officer was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for the assault of a handcuffed man in 2023.
Jurors in April found Samuel Davis, 28, guilty of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, one count of witness tampering by way of misleading conduct for making a misleading statement to a police dispatcher and one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation for turning off his body-worn camera.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s crime,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. “Law enforcement officers are given immense public trust to discharge their vital duties. We will hold accountable those who violate that trust and abuse their authority.”
“Civil rights crimes by police erode the public’s trust in law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “We will continue to hold law enforcement officers to high standards and protect the civil rights of all people.”
"Samuel Davis flagrantly violated the law he swore to uphold. The victim complied with officers' commands and was already in handcuffs, yet Davis still chose to beat and tase him," said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Every law enforcement officer has a duty to enforce the law while safeguarding the constitutional rights and dignity of every person. Davis' actions betrayed that responsibility and undermined the public trust that officers work tirelessly to earn. That is why the FBI remains steadfast in investigating allegations of excessive force and holding those who abuse their authority accountable."
Northwoods police were called to a Walgreens store on the evening of July 4, 2023, about C.G., a man accused of shoplifting and trespassing and someone known to Davis. Davis handcuffed C.G., who was compliant and cooperative, and then placed him in Davis’ police vehicle. Evidence and testimony at the trial showed that instead of taking him to jail, Davis turned off his body worn camera, drove C.G. to an empty field in a desolate area of Kinloch, pepper-sprayed him in the eyes, threw him to the ground and struck him repeatedly in the body and face with his metal baton, breaking his jaw and causing him extreme pain. When Davis spotted a passerby, he shocked the victim with a Taser and threatened to kill him if he returned to Northwoods. He then falsely told his dispatcher that C.G. was not present when he arrived at the Walgreens. When the passerby returned to the scene of the attack, she found C.G., bloodied and crying out for help.
Davis beat C.G. because he wanted to scare him and ensure that he would not return to Northwoods, a sentencing memorandum filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office says. The victim was smaller and weaker than Davis, was left in an isolated area and had no cell phone or way to call for help after the beating. Davis “hurt him with almost every tool at his disposal,” then lied to a dispatcher, supervisors, investigators and the jury about the attack, Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section said in court Thursday.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug for the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Former Law Enforcement Officer is Sentenced for ExtortionRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A former Ruleville police officer was sentenced today to 7 years in prison for extortion under color of law.
According to court documents, Antonio Wade, 37, previously pled guilty to extorting money from an illegal alien during a traffic stop. At sentencing it was revealed that Wade engaged in a pattern of such activity. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Wade to 84 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Wade was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal following sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “Open borders resulted in a tsunami of illegal drugs and a human trafficking crisis. While illegal entry is a crime, those that do enter illegally should never be extorted by those in power. Public service is a public trust and maintaining that trust is essential. In this case, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents demonstrated how seriously they take their duty. HSI Special Agents worked tirelessly to address this wrong. I honor their efforts.”
“Wade’s conviction and sentencing send a clear message that no one is above the law, especially those sworn to enforce it,” said HSI New Orleans Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright. "HSI stands firm in its commitment to bring to justice anyone who betrays their responsibilities and threatens public trust."
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Mims.
Former Kindergarten Assistant Sentenced to 20 Years for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – A Courtland, Mississippi, man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for transporting child sexual abuse materials using social media applications.
According to court documents, Benjamin Wilkes, 31, a former kindergarten assistant, sought out images and videos of children as young as four-years old engaging in sexual conduct then stored those images and videos in a social media cloud for ease of access. Wilkes also had a number of “up-skirt” images of children he was entrusted with from his church community. Multiple community members wrote letters of support for Benjamin Wilkes. In announcing the sentence, Senior District Judge Michael P. Mills noted that, “If the community won’t protect its children, the Government has to.”
In addition to 20 years imprisonment, Wilkes will serve 10 years of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender where he lives, works, or is a student.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “Child exploitation and pornography are an abomination. No ambiguity, it is evil and a civilized society cannot tolerate its existence. We, as citizens of Mississippi, must continue to work tirelessly to redress and stamp out these crimes. Thankfully, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations (MBI) have taken up this cause and joined forces to push such perversion out of this great State. Keep up the excellent work.”
"The sentencing of Benjamin Wilkes demonstrates the commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and our partners at the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations to track down those who exploit children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright. “This sentence sends a clear message that those who abuse positions of trust and use technology to harm children will be held fully accountable, and we will continue to use every resource available to protect our communities."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC
Former Harford County EMT Indicted on Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced, today, a federal grand jury indicted a Maryland man in connection with child sexual exploitation charges.
Jurel Daquone Leo Bowman, 32, of Lusby, is charged with producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, receipt of CSAM, and possession of CSAM. Bowman previously served as a Harford County emergency medical technician.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Chief Andrew Parsons, Upper Allen Police Department (UAPD); Director Greg Mashburn, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI); and Alison M. Healey, Harford County State’s Attorney.
According to the indictment, between August 2022 and April 2026, Bowman sexually exploited minors using his cellphone and an online social media application. Bowman paid hundreds of dollars for sexually explicit images and videos of the minors. Additionally, Bowman repeatedly attempted to coerce minors to meet in person with him to engage in sex acts in exchange for money.
Investigators believe there may be other potential victims. If you have information related to this individual or victims, contact the FBI Baltimore Field Office at 410-265-8080.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MSP, UAPD, and OSBI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Liu who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Former CPA Sentenced to Federal Prison for Laundering Funds Stolen from Children's Healthcare of AtlantaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Ronald Deabler was sentenced to serve four years in prison following his federal conviction for conspiring to launder $5.3 million of fraud proceeds stolen from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc.
“Deabler used his knowledge of the banking system to launder millions of dollars stolen from a not-for-profit pediatric healthcare system that is dedicated to the welfare of Georgia’s infants, children, and teens,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Scammers, swindlers, and thieves who target our vital healthcare institutions, and their associates who launder stolen money, will face the full consequences of their actions.”
“Criminals who steal from a children’s hospital are not just committing financial fraud—they are exploiting an institution that exists to care for vulnerable children and support their families,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Deabler chose to use his financial expertise to help conceal and distribute millions of dollars stolen from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This sentence demonstrates that anyone who profits from these schemes will face serious consequences.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In early June 2023, a hacker gained access to the email system of a commercial furniture vendor for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). Pretending to be one of the vendor’s employees, the unknown hacker contacted CHOA and updated the vendor’s bank account information on file with CHOA for ACH payments. The bank account information provided was, in actuality, for Deabler’s bank account. On or about June 13, 2023, the hacker directed CHOA to wire $5.3 million into Deabler’s bank account.
Deabler, a business owner and former Certified Public Accountant, agreed to distribute the stolen money in exchange for a commission. Shortly after the $5.3 million was deposited into his account, Deabler opened a second bank account into which he attempted to move the entire proceeds of the fraud. When the bank prevented him from doing so, Deabler instead transferred more than $1 million to the new account. Deabler then converted approximately $3.5 million of the fraud proceeds into four cashier’s checks that he promptly mailed to individuals and entities as directed by the hacker.
CHOA and its vendor detected the fraud within a few days after the transfer of funds. CHOA then notified its bank, which traced the funds to Deabler’s bank account. Further tracing of the proceeds resulted in the recovery of approximately $4 million from Deabler’s accounts and the bank accounts that received Deabler’s cashier’s checks.
On July 22, 2026, Ronald Deabler, 66, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $682,860. Deabler was found guilty by a jury on February 12, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tracia M. King and Phyllis Clerk prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Florida Pharmacist Convicted of Massive Oxycodone Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Defendant dispensed 300,000+ pills to patients without a legitimate medical purpose at 10x the price
MIAMI – A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a licensed pharmacist and pharmacy owner yesterday for her role in dispensing over 300,000 oxycodone 30mg pills to pharmacy patrons who had no medical need for the drug.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Olushola Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, dispensed oxycodone to nearly all her pharmacy customers. Yusuf charged customers approximately 10 times the typical cost of the drug and required payment from them in cash. In total, Yusuf dispensed at least 326,079 pills of oxycodone 30mg during the conspiracy. Oxycodone 30mg is the maximum strength available of the drug and is both sought after and potentially dangerous due to its potency. It is typically prescribed to seriously ill patients, such as those suffering from chronic cancer pain or traumatic injuries.
“The defendant abused the public trust by using her pharmacies to unlawfully distribute deadly opioids,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This conviction sends an unmistakable message: whether you deal drugs on a street corner or from behind a pharmacy counter, the Fraud Division will hold you fully accountable under the law.”
“By distributing dangerous and highly addictive narcotics, the defendant demonstrated a clear disregard for their community and endangered countless residents who should have been able to trust their pharmacist,” said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia. “The opioid epidemic continues to plague our nation, which is why the FBI, along with our partners, will continue to hold the criminals poisoning our communities with these drugs accountable.”
“Olushola Yusuf did not simply ignore red flags. She built her business around them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “She knowingly flooded South Florida communities with more than 335,000 high-dose oxycodone pills, even after her employees and the DEA warned her about the dangers of her conduct. Yusuf charged extraordinary cash prices, served drug dealers and customers who traveled long distances, and put profit ahead of patients, public safety, and her responsibilities as a pharmacist. Yesterday, a federal jury held her accountable.”
“Pharmacists occupy a position of public trust and serve as a critical safeguard against the diversion of controlled substances,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen. “By dispensing hundreds of thousands of oxycodone pills to virtually anyone willing to pay inflated cash prices, the defendant abandoned that responsibility, exploited addiction, and endangered lives for personal profit. This conviction reinforces DEA’s commitment to the American people: no one is above the law when they violate the public’s trust and contribute to the unlawful distribution of dangerous drugs.”
“It’s a serious issue when people in the medical field use their positions to distribute illicit substances to those with no medical need for such substances,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Bobbitt of the DEA West Palm Beach District Office. “This pharmacist dispensed thousands of oxycodone pills for profit and in the process contributed to opioid addiction in South Florida. Our diversion investigators have brought many of these criminals to justice and will continue to do so to protect our communities.”
“By unlawfully dispensing massive quantities of addictive controlled substances to people with no legitimate medical need, the pharmacist in this case brazenly disregarded patient safety and the law,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who exploit their professional licenses and endanger the public, and we will ensure they are held fully accountable.”
Yusuf owned and operated two pharmacies, Boots LLC d/b/a Striderite (Boots) in Margate, and Chans Pharmacy Plus, Inc. (Chans) in Pembroke Pines. Yusuf distributed oxycodone 30mg pills through these pharmacies. Customers drove long distances to have Yusuf fill prescriptions that they could not get filled at any other pharmacy. Some customers paid as much as $1,300 a month in cash to Yusuf for the drugs. And some customers were drug dealers, who picked up oxycodone pills purportedly on behalf of dozens of patients at a time who were not present. According to witnesses at trial, Yusuf kept the doors to her pharmacies locked during business hours, directing employees only to open the door for certain identified customers. Yusuf continued to dispense the oxycodone in this way even after repeated warnings from her employees and the DEA about the dangers of her pharmacy operations.
The jury convicted Yusuf of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and five counts of illegal drug distribution. Yusuf’s co-defendant, Saman Gimenez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and is scheduled to be sentenced in October of this year. Yusuf faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each count. Sentencing is scheduled to occur on October 14. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Angela Benoit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-60145.
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Fairhope Woman Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Tampering with Evidence in a Drug InvestigationRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Natalia Mitchell of Fairhope, Alabama, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for tampering with evidence in a federal drug conspiracy.
According to court documents, on the evening of October 8, 2025, a federal defendant called Mitchell on a recorded telephone line from the Baldwin County Corrections Center. During the call, the defendant instructed Mitchell to remove drugs and a firearm from the defendant's property and deliver them to another individual. Mitchell stated that she had already done so. A few hours later, law enforcement officers contacted Mitchell. Although she initially denied any knowledge of the firearm or drugs, she later admitted that she had retrieved and moved the firearm and directed investigators to its location. Law enforcement subsequently recovered the firearm.
Mitchell was indicted for Tampering with Evidence and pled guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Mitchell to 48 months in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica S. Terrill and Alex F. Lankford prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This prosecution was 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 Mobile comprises agents and officers from, among others, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
FBI Arrests Pulaski Town Councilman for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – The Pulaski County Work Report Program Coordinator and current member of the Pulaski Town Council, who previously served as a sheriff’s deputy and corrections officer, was arrested today by the FBI.
Steven Wayne Erickson, 48, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint and charged with one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) and one count of distribution of CSAM.
According to court records, the FBI received a cyber tip regarding potential child sexual exploitation occurring over Kik, a messaging app. Through search warrants and other legal process, agents discovered that Erickson used two Kik accounts prolifically.
Kik records revealed several instances where Erickson solicited and shared CSAM with other Kik users. In 2025, a user referred to as “Cravt” (based on their username) sent Erickson almost 100 photos of Cravt’s purported family, including elementary-aged minors. Erickson encouraged Cravt to use AI to transform the photos. In mid-October 2025, Cravt sent apparently AI-generated CSAM of minors - some depicting at least one of Cravt’s minor children - to Erickson. Erickson sent back videos of himself masturbating to the CSAM.
In late February of this year, another user, “Tribbin,” sent Erickson video taken from a hidden camera that depicted an apparently teenaged minor unknowingly exposing herself to use the bathroom. Erickson sent back a video showing him masturbating to the video. Erickson later asked for more material, but Tribbin said he hadn’t had company over for his hidden camera to capture.
In March, Erickson chatted with another user who claimed they sexually assaulted their 9-year-old daughter. Erickson sent a photo of his genitals in exchange for a sexually explicit photo of the daughter, and he repeatedly urged the user to send images of the daughter being abused.
In early April, Erickson sent another user, “Benji,” photos of a minor, some of which appeared to be taken without the minor’s awareness. With Erickson’s direction, Benji used AI to generate various sexualized and exploitative images of the minor. Erickson sent back videos of himself masturbating to the AI-generated CSAM. Erickson also urged Benji to “abuse” the minor and make them as young as Benji could. At Benji’s prompting, Erickson described his fantasies of sexually assaulting the minor.
In later April, Erickson sent several photos, again including photos of a minor, to another user, “Tony.” Tony used AI to generate a video of individuals stripping nude. Erickson forwarded this video to a second Kik account.
In several instances, Erickson sent images of himself to other users to prove he was real. For example, Erickson sent a photo of himself touching his nose and video of himself relaying the date and time. Erickson also sent a photo of a sheriff’s office badge. The badge displayed “Commonwealth of Virginia,” but Erickson’s thumb blocked the county name.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci District of Virginia, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.