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22 July 2026
Pierre Man and Woman Sentenced to Lengthy Terms in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota man and woman in a case charging Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.
Brandon Hitt, age 41, and Luticia Falcon, age 41, were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2025.
On March 19, 2026, Falcon pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. On June 15, 2026, she was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crimes Victim Fund.
On June 15, 2026, Hitt pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. On July 20, 2026, he was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The court also ordered forfeiture of numerous firearms.
These convictions stemmed from an extensive drug distribution conspiracy beginning in June 2024 and continuing until October 2025. Hitt was the source of supply for several individuals in the Pierre and Rapid City, South Dakota, areas. He obtained his drugs from individuals in Texas. Hitt would acquire up to five kilograms of methamphetamine at a time. Falcon would help transport the methamphetamine from Texas to South Dakota where she and others would distribute it on behalf of Hitt. As part of the conspiracy, Hitt, who is a convicted felon, would routinely carry firearms. The conspiracy involved between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. Five other co-defendants are currently set for trial on November 3, 2026.
“These substantial prison sentences removing these dangerous drug dealers from our community are the result of the incredible cooperation, teamwork and hard work by all levels of law enforcement in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “That work continues until all of our communities are safe.”
“We are removing illegal drugs from our communities thanks to strong partnerships among law enforcement at every level. We share a common goal: keeping our citizens safe,” said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the FBI Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Pierre Police Department, the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Following their sentencing hearings, both Falcon and Hitt were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Philadelphia Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Domonesha Owens, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty this afternoon before United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson to conspiracy to launder a monetary instrument.
The defendant was charged by indictment in December of last year, arising from her role as a money mule who laundered more than $1 million in proceeds from fraud schemes targeting government entities.
As detailed in court filings and statements, starting in approximately August 2020, Owens and others conspired to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions involving interstate and foreign commerce, knowing that the property involved in the financial transactions represented the proceeds of unlawful activity, and which, in fact, involved the proceeds of wire fraud.
As part of the conspiracy, Owens and others caused bank accounts to be opened in the names of businesses, with Owens and others using these business bank accounts to launder fraud proceeds, conducting multiple financial transactions intended to disguise the nature and location of the proceeds, conceal the true ownership and control of the proceeds, and disguise the source of the funds. In return for helping launder these funds, Owens would be permitted to retain a portion of the fraud proceeds.
Specifically, the defendant helped launder the proceeds of business email compromise (“BEC”) schemes targeting multiple local governments, that included Government Entity 1, which the conspirators caused to electronically transfer approximately $352,779 into an account controlled by Owens; Government Entity 2, which the conspirators caused to electronically transfer approximately $486,740 into an account controlled by Owens; and Government Entity 3, which the conspirators caused to electronically transfer approximately $155,210 into an account controlled by Owens.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison and a $2,000,270.94 fine.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys S. Chandler Harris and Nancy Potts.
Paramount Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Throwing Cinderblock at Border Patrol Agent During Violent ProtestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Paramount man has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for throwing chunks of cinderblock at Border Patrol agents and injuring one of them during a protest that turned violent, the Justice Department announced today.
Jacob Daniel Terrazas, 31, of Paramount, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson. The judge also imposed a $100 fine.
“We were clear that if you attack federal agents you will be facing time in federal prison,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This sentence delivers on that promise to hold those accountable who dare to interfere or attack federal agents. Don’t do it.”
Terrazas pleaded guilty on January 20, 2026, to one misdemeanor count of simple assault on a federal officer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a)(1).
According to his plea agreement, on June 7, 2025, a protest near a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) facility in Paramount turned violent. While Border Patrol agents worked to protect federal personnel and property, Terrazas and others threw chunks of a broken cinderblock at the agents. One of those chunks struck a Border Patrol Agent in the right shin, causing bruising and bleeding.
HSI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric Mackie of the Major Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Ozaukee Country Club Agrees to Pay $750,000 to Settle Alleged False Claims Act Violations regarding Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced a settlement with Ozaukee Country Club, whereby the club has paid $750,000.00 to settle claims that it improperly obtained a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), administered by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”).
The PPP loan program, enacted in March 2020, provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program allowed eligible small businesses and nonprofits to receive loans guaranteed by the federal government and, if the borrower spent the funds on qualified expenses, the federal government would repay the loan on the borrower’s behalf.
Congress directed the SBA to guarantee PPP loans “under the same terms, conditions, and processes” as ordinary small business loans administered by the agency. 15 U.S.C. § 636(a)(36)(B). With respect to loan eligibility, Congress expressly endorsed the SBA’s regulation explaining which entities would be ineligible for loans. 15 U.S.C. § 636(a)(37)(A)(iv)(III)(aa). For decades, this regulation has explained that “[p]rivate clubs and businesses which limit the number of memberships for reasons other than capacity” are not eligible for loans through the SBA. 13 C.F.R. § 120.110(i).
Ozaukee Country Club operates a private country club in Mequon, Wisconsin, which is open only to its members. To become a member of Ozaukee Country Club, nominees must be sponsored by current members, undergo various background-check procedures, and be approved by the club’s board of directors. Thus, according to the government, at the time Ozaukee Country Club applied for a PPP loan and for loan forgiveness, the club limited its membership for reasons other than capacity and was ineligible to participate in the PPP.
“Although our criminal division receives most of the high-profile attention, the U.S. Attorney’s Office also has an outstanding civil division,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel. “I am very proud of the excellent work our civil division did on this case and countless others to protect the interests of the United States and its citizens.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other federal law enforcement agencies to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
Assistant United States Attorney Aaron R. Wegrzyn represented the government in connection with this matter, in coordination with Kandace Zelaya in the SBA’s Office of Litigation and Office of General Counsel. While the settlement resolves the government’s allegations against Ozaukee Country Club with respect to its PPP loan, the club does not admit liability and no court has made any determination as to liability.
In addition, on April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Orleans Parish Woman Sentenced to Thirty (30) Months Imprisonment for Federal Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 21, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter sentenced JENTONIA WILLIAMS, (“WILLIAMS”), age 40, of New Orleans, to thirty (30) months imprisonment. WILLIAMS previously pled guilty to bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on September 2, 2025, WILLIAMS robbed a Capital One Bank located on Canal Street, in New Orleans, of United States currency. The deposits of the Capital One Bank branch are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC”).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Task Force in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Orlando Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Kimberly Williams (44, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Williams, co-conspirator Kenneth Blair, and others conspired to create and execute a mortgage fraud scheme directed at financial institutions. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers obtained mortgage loans from financial institutions, Williams created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs that falsely indicated that the borrowers worked at particular companies for certain periods of time and earned income that they did not in exchange for payments from Blair. The fraudulent mortgage loans were subsequently purchased and guaranteed by government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Housing Administration.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Oklahoma City Man Faces Federal Charges in Fatal Synthetic Opioid Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal indictment has been unsealed, charging COLLIN SHANE KIRBY, 37, of Oklahoma City, with distributing a controlled substance analogue resulting in death, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to the Indictment, Kirby is alleged to have distributed a substance containing N-Propionitrile Chlorphine, a synthetic opioid known as cychlorphine, to another individual on December 12, 2025. The Indictment further alleges that the individual later died after using the cychlorphine Kirby distributed.
If found guilty, Kirby faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in federal prison, as well as a fine of up to $1,000,000.
The public is reminded that this charge is merely an allegation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Joynes is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Northern Border Alien Smuggler Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Young Children in Transnational Human Smuggling and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Jesus Hernandez Ortiz, 38, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty today in the District of Vermont to one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens to the United States and one count of illegally bringing at least one alien to the United States for the purpose of private financial gain.
Hernandez Ortiz and a co-defendant, Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado, were charged on Jan. 29. According to court documents, as early as September 2023, Hernandez Ortiz was added to an encrypted chat platform that coordinated drivers for long distance trips, including the pick-up of aliens illegally crossing into the United States from Canada. In mid-September 2023, Hernandez Ortiz agreed to such a trip. Hernandez Ortiz rented a commercial van in New Jersey and drove the van to the designated pick-up location in Holland, Vermont, at the assigned time. Hernandez Ortiz’s co-conspirators updated him on the exact location and time of the pick-up. Once there, Hernandez Ortiz picked up a group of twelve, including two young children, who had just entered the United States illegally. Hernandez Ortiz expected payment of $400 per alien ($4,800 total) upon arrival in New York City.
Images of the rented Home Depot van, which Hernandez drove during a smuggling event, that law enforcement stopped. Text messages between Luna Rosado (left side in blue) and Hernandez (right side in green), with translations into English, discussing the alleged smuggling operation.“The defendant joined a sophisticated illegal alien smuggling network, which spanned at least three continents, and even smuggled young children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Smuggling illegal aliens over our borders — whether southern or northern — puts both aliens and the American people at risk and violates the sanctity of our laws and our national security. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively prosecute alien smugglers to enforce our criminal laws against illegal immigration and keep the American people safe.”
“The northern border is incredibly dangerous and anyone encouraging or facilitating the smuggling of aliens, especially children, across the border in these remote locations is putting lives at risk,” said Acting Deputy Executive Associate Director Matthew Millhollin of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Hernandez Ortiz has admitted to smuggling aliens for profit and now he’s facing real prison time. HSI and our law enforcement partners are using intelligence-focused investigations to secure our borders and stop alien smugglers in their tracks.”
“Human smuggling, especially that of children, is a crime that preys on the most vulnerable populations,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard J. Fortunato of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Swanton Sector. “The incredible work of Swanton Sector’s Intelligence Unit, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations, was essential in preventing the smuggling and potential trafficking of these individuals and children. Border Patrol will continue to ensure these bad actors are apprehended and held accountable for their crimes.”
The Swanton Sector Intelligence Unit assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol Newport Station and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England Office led U.S. investigative efforts, with assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorneys Jake Drucker and Emily Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section's (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 419 U.S. convictions; more than 363 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Northeast D.C. Man Arrested, Charged in July 4 Shooting Death of RoommateRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – George Bernard Shaw, 53, of the District of Columbia., was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed, for the killing of Adeyinka Aderemi in the early morning of July 4, 2026, in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Shaw made his initial appearance today before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond. Judge Raymond found probable cause that Shaw committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed and ordered that Shaw be held without bond pending trial.
According to court documents, Shaw and Aderemi lived for several months in the same apartment on the 1800 block Irving Street, NE. Prior to the homicide, Shaw had made threats to kill Aderemi. On the date of the homicide, Shaw approached the victim in a parking lot outside the apartment and shot him once in the back of the head. Aderemi was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shaw’s apartment and recovered a revolver from his bedroom.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi.
Shaw is scheduled to appear before Judge Raymond for a preliminary hearing on Aug.31, 2026.
These charges are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Niobrara Man Pleads Guilty to Committing Burglary on the Santee Sioux ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that on July 21, 2026, Clifford Jost pleaded guilty in United States District Court in Omaha, Nebraska, to committing burglary in Indian Country. Jost faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2026.
In December 2025, Jost took part in a string of burglaries in Knox and Cedar counties, including within the Santee Sioux Reservation. On about December 22, 2025, Jost unlawfully and without authority entered a garage in Bloomfield, Nebraska, which was within the Santee Sioux Reservation. Jost was involved in stealing numerous items from the residence, including a game camera, deer mounts, and two utility terrain vehicles. As part of the investigation, law enforcement obtained and analyzed surveillance footage, Snapchat data, Facebook data, and Verizon data. Surveillance footage from a gas station in Santee and from the residence showed Jost’s role in the crime. Snapchat messages reflect Jost discussing the stolen utility terrain vehicles.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, and the Santee Sioux Nation Police Department.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possessing over 1,200 Grams of Crack and 3 Loaded GunsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – STEVE BANKS (“BANKS”), age 50, of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 22, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced BANKS to 181 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, law enforcement searched BANKS’s apartment on October 21, 2024, and seized over 1,200 grams of crack cocaine, items used to manufacture and weigh crack cocaine, over $12,000 in cash, 3 loaded guns, ammunition, and identifying information for BANKS. The guns included: (1) Zastava Model ZPAP85, 5.56 millimeter semi-automatic rifle, fully loaded with live ammunition in a 30 round magazine, (2) Glock Model 22, 40 millimeter, semi-automatic pistol, with a loaded extended magazine, which had been reported stolen, and (3) Glock Model 17Gen5, 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol, loaded with a standard magazine.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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.
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Mexican National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Fraudulently Obtain Visas for Alien ‘Victims’ of Staged CrimesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national in the Kansas City area was sentenced in federal court today for his role in helping illegal aliens fraudulently obtain visas permitting them to reside and work in the United States.
Jose Luis Morales Salgado, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Beth Phillips to 21 months of imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The Court ordered Salgado to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $61,200 which constituted the illicit proceeds he obtained as a result of his involvement in the conspiracy to commit visa fraud.
On March 23, 2026, Salgado pleaded guilty to conspiring to fraudulently obtain immigration visas for aliens. Salgado admitted that immigrants contacted Salgado to arrange for themselves to become “victims” of staged robberies so they could submit applications for U-Visas, which are granted to crime victims. These immigrants, who were either illegally present in the United States or in the United States legally through work visas, paid Salgado thousands of dollars to participate. In exchange, Salgado directed them to the location of a planned staged robbery on a particular day and time.
Salgado also admitted that he recruited individuals to pose as robbers during the staged crimes and provided directions to those individuals. Salgado admitted that each robbery involved aliens who told police they had car trouble and pulled over. Soon after stopping, another vehicle would arrive and park next to, or in front of, the purported victim’s vehicle. The robber, wearing a medical mask over their face and brandishing a firearm, would strike the purported victims in the head or face, take their cash, and typically fire two rounds into the purported victim’s vehicle.
Investigators with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department initially identified 11 incidents in which the reported robberies followed this pattern. These cases were linked to each other, based in part, on leads generated from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN utilized ballistic imaging technology to compare cartridge case markings on the expended cartridges from each crime scene. Detectives determined there was likely one firearm used in the commission of all the robberies. Detectives gathered information from city cameras and license plate readers to identify the vehicles used in the robberies.
Salgado instructed the alien “victims” to falsely report to law enforcement officials how the robberies occurred and advised them how to make these false reports in an effort to bolster their applications for U-Visas.
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act was designed to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute certain crimes while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. A foreign national is eligible for a U-Visa if he/she was the victim of qualifying criminal activity, suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of the criminal activity, possessed information about the criminal activity, and was likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime.
According to court documents, a source told investigators the number of purported “victims” involved in the scheme was well over 100. Court documents also indicate that investigators identified 11 robberies involving 33 purported “victims” that occurred as part of the conspiracy between Dec. 29, 2021, and July 13, 2024. Of those 33 immigrants, 18 submitted U-Visa applications falsely claiming to be victims of violent crimes.
An undercover federal agent and a law enforcement source met with Salgado on Jan. 22, 2025, and recorded their meeting. The undercover agent made arrangements to pay Salgado $4,000 for a robbery to be staged in order to fraudulently obtain a U-Visa. Salgado told the undercover agent he would “put on a grand show.” Once the plans were agreed upon, the undercover agent paid Salgado $500 with a promise to pay the balance later. The undercover agent met with Salgado again on , Jan. 30, and Salgado was arrested.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking on Eve of TrialRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Memphis on Tuesday admitted prostituting a teen in St. Louis.
Mack Mitchell, 35, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Mitchell admitted meeting the victim on Tag, a social media app, when she was about 14 years old. They corresponded for several years. On Feb. 23, 2024, the victim, who knew Mitchell had recently traveled from Memphis to St. Louis, contacted him and asked her to pick him up from foster care. Within 30 minutes after finding out her location, Mitchell had an Uber pick her up and deliver her to a gas station in south St. Louis. He picked her up and took her to a casino hotel, where an associate took photos of her and posted them online. The victim engaged in commercial sex acts at the casino hotel, gave the money to Mitchell’s associate, who gave the money to Mitchell.
Mitchell’s trial was scheduled to start Wednesday. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21. The charge carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dianna Edwards and Michael Hayes are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Medical Supply Company Owner Convicted of $30M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted an Oklahoma business owner and chiropractor yesterday for his role in a yearslong scheme that attempted to bilk Medicare, TRICARE, and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of over $30 million by purchasing patient information, medical practitioners’ signatures, and doctors’ orders for orthotic braces and glucose monitors that patients did not want or need.
“The defendant turned private medical data into a pipeline for personal profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Every fake doctor’s order generated was a direct attack on systems built to care for some of our nation’s most vulnerable. Yesterday’s verdict makes clear that if you exploit our seniors and military families to fill your own pockets, you will answer for every dollar stolen.”
“The defendant bought patient data and used it to generate sham medical orders, targeting seniors and people with disabilities for exploitation. This scheme sought to drain millions from federal health care programs meant to support Americans in need,” said Miranda L. Bennett, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “This verdict makes clear that HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable anyone who tries to defraud these programs or prey on the people they serve.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mark Loftis, 39, of Cushing, Oklahoma, paid over a million dollars to marketers who worked with call centers to persuade elderly and disabled Americans to provide their personal information, including their health insurance information. Loftis and his co-conspirators then used that information to obtain signed orders for orthotic braces and continuous glucose monitors that were generated by telemedicine doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never spoke to the patients. Loftis and his co-conspirators used these doctors’ orders to bill federal health care programs. Loftis also concealed a conspirator’s management role in his company and his billing of claims generated by other unenrolled medical suppliers. In total, Loftis obtained over $8 million from the false and fraudulent claims. Loftis continued the scheme for three years despite receiving a steady stream of complaints from beneficiaries and family members of beneficiaries who reported that their elderly parents suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, making them especially vulnerable to the sales tactics of Loftis’s conspirators.
Office of Back Pain Home Supplies, one of Loftis’s medical supply companies in Drumright, OklahomaThe jury convicted Loftis of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HHS-OIG, FBI, DCIS, and VA-OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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.
Massachusetts Woman Charged with Wire Fraud in Connection with $10 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts woman has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Springfield, Mass., in connection with her alleged execution of an approximately $10 million Ponzi scheme involving over 200 victims.
Barbara A. Hirshfield, 83, of Lexington, Mass. was charged with five counts of wire fraud. Hirshfield will make an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Hirshfield owned and operated Ideal Financial Services, Inc. (Ideal) in West Springfield, Mass., as well as Ideal Financial Holdings (Ideal Holdings). Ideal purported to operate a motor vehicle and small loan business and raised money from investors by selling promissory notes that guaranteed investors high rates of returns. It is alleged that investors were led to believe that their money would be used to fund Ideal’s lending business and that the returns on their investments would be generated from borrowers’ loan payments.
In 2012, the Massachusetts Division of Banks (MDB) became concerned about Ideal’s finances and required Ideal to cease soliciting and accepting outside investment funds to finance its business. Nonetheless, it is alleged that Hirshfield did not disclose to investors that the MDB had required Ideal to cease fundraising. Instead, Hirshfield allegedly continued to raise outside funds through the sale of promissory notes.
In 2014, after MDB remained concerned about Ideal’s finances, the MDB revoked Ideal’s licenses to issue motor vehicle and small loans – effectively preventing the company from continuing the lending business, its primary source of revenue. Nonetheless, Hirshfield allegedly did not disclose to investors that the MDB had revoked Ideal’s licenses, nor did she disclose that Ideal was no longer generating revenue by issuing loans. Instead, Hirshfield allegedly continued to solicit investments through the sale of promissory notes.
According to the charging documents, by at least 2019, Ideal was generating little to no revenue from lending and instead relied almost entirely on money raised from new investments. Rather than disclosing the company’s financial condition, Hirshfield allegedly continued marketing promissory notes. It is alleged that Hirshfield used money obtained from new investments to make interest and principal payments owed to earlier investors, operating Ideal as a Ponzi scheme. Hirshfield allegedly continued operating the Ponzi scheme until approximately June 2025, when she was no longer able to make interest payments or repay the principal owed on outstanding promissory notes.
In late 2024, Ideal allegedly failed to make promised interest payments to investors. Rather than disclose the company’s true financial condition, Hirshfield allegedly blamed payment delays on banking issues, fraud, data breaches and stolen or lost checks, while continuing to solicit additional investments through emails offering increasingly high rates of return.
The alleged scheme resulted in losses of approximately $10,930,940 to approximately 204 victims. More than 25 victims allegedly suffered substantial financial hardship as a result of the fraud.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Securities Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Violation of Animal Welfare ActRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts man was sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a 2022 cockfighting operation in which he brought roosters from Massachusetts to Rhode Island for animal fighting.
Luis Castillo, 38, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. Dubose to two years of probation, a $200 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
Castillo previously pleaded guilty on January 21, 2026, to violating the Animal Welfare Act, in connection with his role in a 2022 cockfighting operation. As part of his plea, Castillo admitted that he travelled from Massachusetts to Rhode Island with roosters to participate in cockfighting for, sport, wagering, and entertainment.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation, and the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Rhode Island State Police, Massachusetts State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, Providence, Woonsocket, and Attleboro Police Departments.
The matter was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner and Assistant Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John McAdams for the District of Rhode Island.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Role in Cockfighting OperationRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a 2022 cockfighting operation in which he brought roosters from Massachusetts to Rhode Island for animal fighting.
Luis Castillo, 38, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. Dubose for the District of Rhode Island to two years of probation.
Castillo previously pleaded guilty on Jan. 21 to violating the Animal Welfare Act in connection with his role in a 2022 cockfighting operation. As part of his plea, Castillo admitted that he travelled from Massachusetts to Rhode Island with roosters to participate in cockfighting for, sport, wagering, and entertainment.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles C. Calenda for the District of Rhode Island made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation, and Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Rhode Island State Police, Massachusetts State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, Providence, Woonsocket, and Attleboro Police Departments.
The matter was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner and Assistant Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John McAdams for the District of Rhode Island.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Connection with Filipino Child-Sex Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man pled guilty in federal court, today, to charges connected to purchasing livestreams of Filipino children engaging in sexual activity.
Philip Andrew Turner, 47, of Linthicum Heights, pled guilty to coercion and enticement.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); and Anne Colt Leitess, State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County.
According to his guilty plea, from November 2017, through March 2018, Turner used Skype to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce minor victims, living in the Philippines, to engage in sexual activity. Turner communicated with a known Filipino trafficker who sold the minors, and directed them, as they live-streamed their sexual activity in exchange for monetary payment.
Law enforcement later recovered Turner’s chats with the Filipino trafficker from the platform’s server. Turner facilitated approximately 110 Skype calls and exchanged approximately 40 media files with the trafficker. The files included images of Filipino children for Turner to select who he wanted to engage in live-stream sexual activity along with several child sexual abuse material (CSAM) images of Filipino children.
Turner used online electronic financial transactions to pay for the live-streamed child sexual abuse shows. Records show between 2017 and 2025, Turner completed 437 successful payments, totaling more than $29,000 to traffickers in the Philippines.
On October 28, 2025, law enforcement executed a federal warrant at Turner’s Anne Arundel County residence. During the search, law enforcement recovered a laptop, which was opened to Turner’s Skype account. A forensic analysis revealed that Turner had just downloaded a trove of CSAM using the Tor network between October 11 and October 21. The CSAM collection included more than 600 images.
Turner faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for coercion and enticement. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
Know2Protect is a national public awareness campaign from the Department of Homeland Security. Know2Protect’s aim is to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent, combat and report online child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information, please visit Know2Protect’s YouTube playlists at Know2Protect Campaign PSA Playlist and Know2Protect Digital Safety Series Playlist on DHS’ main channel. Additional resources are available at Know2Protect.gov, Instagram, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the MSP, and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Maryland Man Admits to Role in Sophisticated Scheme to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — A Maryland man has admitted to his role in a financial fraud scheme involving stolen United States Treasury checks, fraudulent business registrations, and illicit withdrawals from newly created bank accounts, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Gregory Dean, 33, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. According to the indictment and statements made in court, Dean and others participated in a scheme beginning in October 2024 to fraudulently obtain U.S. Treasury checks issued to legitimate businesses and individuals. The conspirators allegedly created or incorporated entities with names similar to the intended payees and submitted applications through the IRS’s Modernized Internet Employer Identification Number (MOD IEIN) portal, processed at the IRS facility in Martinsburg, to obtain Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) for those fraudulent entities. They used the EINs to open business bank accounts, deposit stolen Treasury checks, and quickly withdraw funds before the fraud could be detected. Relevant to Dean’s plea, the conspirators submitted an electronic EIN application for “Williams Homes Inc.” that was transmitted to the IRS processing center in Martinsburg. The assigned EIN was used to open a bank account in the business’s name in which a treasury check, in the amount of $342,320.00 and payable to a real business, was deposited.
Two other Maryland men, Tijuan Arrington and David Walters, have also been charged with multiple counts of wire fraud. They are scheduled for trial in November 2026.
Dean is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor F. Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is investigating.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Maplewood Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison After Being Caught Again with Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a Maplewood sex offender to 15 years in prison after he was caught again with child sexual abuse material.
Judge Divine also sentenced Michael R. Throm, now 46, to an additional 18 months for violating his supervised release from a prior case. Throm was convicted of possession and receipt of child pornography in 2014 and sentenced to 65 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. On June 9, 2025, Throm’s probation officer visited his apartment and spotted two unauthorized smart phones. Both phones contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and evidence that Throm tried to text CSAM to his downstairs neighbor, another sex offender on supervised release.
Throm pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt of child pornography.
The U.S. Probation Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes 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 the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Caught in Florida with over 100 Kilos of Marijuana Faces Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – James Craig, 46, of Mokena, Illinois, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.
Craig appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for September 8, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Craig faces between 5 years’ to 40 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Mahoning Valley Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Columbiana County man was sentenced to federal prison for receiving, distributing, and possessing hundreds of child sexual abuse files.
Scotty L. Skiba, 39, of Salem, Ohio, was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after pleading guilty in February to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $40,000 in restitution to victims. He was additionally ordered to pay $10,000 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.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from about July 2024 to June 2025, investigators found that Skiba was knowingly receiving and distributing digital files that contained images of the sexual abuse of children. During the execution of a search warrant execution at his residence, multiple electronic devices were seized. Forensic analysis revealed that Skiba possessed more than 1,500 images and videos of CSAM on his devices. Numerous videos depicting the rape, bondage, and torture of children were more than five minutes long, with at least one video nearly an hour in length. Investigators also learned that Skiba had previously engaged in sexual contact with two minors.
The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Youngstown Resident Agency and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Noble County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeastern Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King led the prosecution 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Mackinac County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax Crime for Failing to Report All IncomeRead the Press Release
Erin Patti-Coveyou Agreed to Pay $535,605 in Income Tax Owed to the United States
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Erin Patti-Coveyou, age 36, of Moran, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on a federal income tax return. She faces a maximum of three years in federal prison and will pay full restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, calculated at $535,605. Patti-Coveyou will be sentenced later this year by the Honorable Hala Y. Jarbou, Chief United States District Judge.
From 2021 through 2024, Patti-Coveyou failed to report $1,666,499.78 of income to the Internal Revenue Service when she filed false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns on Form 1040 in each of those years. For example, in 2022, she falsely reported her 2021 income was $353,055. In fact, she had obtained an additional $279,079.12 of income from embezzling cash from her employer and her gambling activity. Additionally, for calendar years 2022 and 2024, she underreported her income as $39,960; $53,188; and $56,545, when in fact her true income in those years was $424,882; $461,300; and $650,931, respectively. Her failure to report income resulted in a total federal income tax loss of $535,605. Patti-Coveyou also agreed to repay a total of $1,751,059 that she embezzled from her employer between 2021 and 2025.
U.S. Attorney VerHey stated, “Ms. Patti-Coveyou reported only a small fraction of her income because she was an embezzler, a gambler, and wanted to avoid paying her share of taxes. We cannot tolerate people who lie on their taxes because it undermines the integrity of our tax system. Today’s plea demonstrates my office’s commitment to holding individuals accountable when they choose to break our federal tax laws.”
“Taxpayers thinking about participating in fraudulent tax schemes, including failing to report all forms of income, should stop in their tracks and simply look at the consequences of taking the next step,” said Robert Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS-CI. “Those consequences include going to prison, being branded a convicted felon for the rest of their lives, and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.”
This matter was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the law enforcement arm of the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris O’Connor is prosecuting it.
Longmeadow Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Massive Commercial Loan Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Longmeadow man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for defrauding commercial lenders out of more than $18 million over a four-year period. Together with his co-conspirator, they provided false and fraudulent rent rolls and forged lease agreements for numerous properties located in Springfield, Mass.; East Longmeadow, Mass.; and Enfield, Conn.
Louis R. Masaschi, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Masaschi was also ordered to pay $18,203,030 in restitution. In April 2025, Masaschi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to committed wire fraud; two counts of wire fraud; and one count of aggravated identity theft. In June 2025, Norman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. In April 2023, Masaschi and his wife and co-conspirator Jeanette Norman were indicted by a federal grand jury.
Masaschi and Norman were partners in dozens of limited liability companies, including LL Realty Developers, LLC, through which they owned primarily commercial and some residential property in Western Massachusetts, Connecticut and elsewhere. Masaschi and Norman conspired with each other, and others, to fraudulently obtain loans for their companies from financial institutions and commercial lenders by providing materially false, fictitious and fraudulent financial information – including false rent rolls and forged lease agreements. After receiving the loans, Masaschi and Norman defaulted on the loans, causing substantial losses to the financial institutions and commercial lenders, including two community credit unions, and leaving the buildings vacant.
Between May 2016 and November 2018, Masaschi and Norman fraudulently obtained or sought to obtain approximately $60,123,000 in loans and caused a total loss of $18,203,030.
Norman pleaded guilty in September 2025 and is next scheduled to appear in court on Aug.11, 2026.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office are prosecuting the case.
Las Vegas Business Owner Indicted for Fake Armed Robbery of His Store to Defraud Insurance CompanyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas business owner made his initial court appearance yesterday to face charges in connection with a fake armed robbery of his cell phone repair store to collect money from his insurance company.
According to allegations in the indictment, Erwin Lanada owned CPR Cellphone Repair, a store in Las Vegas that repaired and sold cell phones and other electronic devices. As alleged, in October 2023, he arranged for co-defendant Marco Antonio Capistran to rob his store, and he gave Capistran a revolver to use during the robbery. Later, Lanada filed fraudulent insurance claims with his insurance company for property loss and loss of income purportedly resulting from the robbery. In December 2023, the insurance company sent Lanada checks totaling approximately $88,611.23 for his claims.
Lanada is charged with two counts of mail fraud. The maximum statutory penalties for each count are ten years in prison. A jury trial has been scheduled for October 19, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Schiess is 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.
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Kent, Washington, resident pleads guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organizationRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 21-year-old Kent, Washington, resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Saed Ali Mirreh was arrested in November 2025 as he prepared to board a plane to Turkey with the goal of crossing into Syria to fight for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”). Mirreh was originally charged in the District of New Jersey with coconspirator 19-year-old Tomas-Kaan Jimenez-Guzel. Mirreh’s case was transferred earlier this month to the Western District of Washington. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2026.
According to the plea agreement, as early as July 2025, Mirreh began communicating with co-conspirators about traveling to Turkey to ultimately join ISIS as fighters. Mirreh knew ISIS had been declared a foreign terrorist organization. In late October 2025, Mirreh purchased an airline ticket to travel from Seattle to Istanbul on November 16, 2025, to meet other members of the conspiracy and travel onward to Syria.
However, on October 31, 2025, members of the conspiracy residing in Dearborn, Michigan were arrested for plotting an attack in the U.S. on behalf of ISIS. Mirreh and coconspirator Jimenez-Guzel moved up their flight to Turkey to November 5, 2025. Mirreh was arrested at his Kent residence on November 4, 2025.
Communications between the coconspirators reveal they discussed plans to participate in “jihad,” as well as detailed physical training, weapons, including firearms and improvised explosive devices, and how to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mirreh will not appeal his sentence if it is 20 years or less. Similarly, the government agrees it will not appeal the sentence if it is 20 years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg in coordination with Assistant U.S. Attorney Camila A. Garces of the National Security Unit in Newark, New Jersey and Trial Attorneys John Cella, Patrick Cashman, and James Donnelly of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.
Kanawha County Man Found Guilty of Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After a one-day trial, a federal jury convicted Christian Garrett Thornton, 40, of Cross Lanes, on Monday, July 20, 2026, of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at trial showed that on October 29, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thornton’s Cross Lanes residence. Officers found 662 grams of fentanyl and 162 grams of methamphetamine, having a street value of approximately $50,000, a Taurus model PT709 Slim 9mm pistol, a Taurus model Judge Public Defender Poly .45/,410 revolver, and a Colt model Peacemaker .22-caliber revolver in Thornton’s bedroom.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Thornton knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions on four counts of distribution of a quantity of oxymorphone and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxymorphone in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 29, 2017.
Thornton is scheduled to be sentenced on December 3, 2026, and faces a minimum of ten years and a maximum penalty of life in prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; up to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and a minimum of five years and a maximum of life in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hurricane Police Department conducted the investigation.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the jury trial. Assistant United States Attorneys D. Keith Randolph and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-38.
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Justice Department Files Complaint Against Manufacturer and Retailer of Allegedly Imminently Hazardous Immersion Water HeatersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced today the filing of a complaint against Cixi Miaojie Electrical Appliance Co. Ltd., and Changsha Jiayi Tianzhuo Trading Co. Ltd. of China, seeking mandatory recall relief for consumers under the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) for Defendants’ manufacture and sale of allegedly imminently hazardous immersion water heaters.
“The Department of Justice will not allow dangerous products manufactured in China or elsewhere to flow to American consumers and expose unwitting families to the risk of serious injury or death,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This complaint seeks the urgent recall of these products in order to protect American consumers from imminent danger.”
“The Justice Department is committed to protecting Americans from hazardous products, including deadly products made in China and imported into the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Working with the CPSC, we will hold accountable those who put hazardous products in the hands of American consumers.”
“When dangerous products threaten American families, the Commission will not hesitate to use every authority Congress has entrusted to us,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “Today’s action is the Commission’s first use of its Section 12 imminent hazard authority since 1987, underscoring our commitment to making full use of the tools Congress provided to protect consumers. I want to thank the Department of Justice for its outstanding partnership in this effort. Our collaboration has never been stronger, and together we are ensuring that those who place imminently hazardous products into the U.S. marketplace are held accountable.”
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that Defendants manufactured and sold immersion water heaters to consumers in the United States under the label “Lakkzoom” and that Defendants’ immersion water heaters are imminently hazardous consumer products because the immersion heaters can overheat and catch fire within minutes when energized and either completely or partially out of water. The complaint further alleges that the CPSC received 235 fire-related reports, investigated several of those incidents involving Defendants’ immersion water heaters and that the CPSC’s testing of the heaters showed that they could catch fire within minutes in certain circumstances.
The CPSA authorizes lawsuits to be brought against manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to require a recall of consumer products that present an imminent and unreasonable risk of death, serious illness, or severe personal injury.
The United States is represented in this action by Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Trial Attorney Jordan A. Ryan Rinear from the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Tepe for the District of Columbia, with the assistance of Michael Rogal, Joseph Kessler, Renee McCune and Alex Dennis of the CPSC.
For more information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would be required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Jury finds Lame Deer man guilty of assault and attempted witness tamperingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Lame Deer man who assaulted a woman with a metal bar as she and her companion walked in front of his house last fall was found guilty by a federal jury today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Following a three-day trial, Seth Anthony Basler, 41, was found guilty of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of attempted witness tampering. Basler faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for Nov. 24, 2026. Basler was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Basler assaulted a woman as she and her companion walked by his house on the way to pick up their children after school on Sept. 17, 2025. The women were walking with their dog, and as they passed Basler’s yard, they stopped to pet one of Basler’s dogs that had come over to where they were walking.
Basler yelled from his house at the women to get away from his dogs and, as the women responded, he charged at one of them with a metal bar in his hands. He struck the woman on the head, cutting her scalp, and then struck her on the back when she fell to the ground. At some point he dropped the bar and began to punch her. The woman said she lost consciousness for a moment and then, as she came to, crawled over to Basler to grab his legs as he attacked her companion.
The two managed to get away from Basler, who said he was defending himself and his dogs from the two women when they came onto his property. Shortly after the assault, the two women returned to retrieve their phone, which had fallen to the ground during the attack. When they tried, Basler’s wife, who was now in the yard, refused to let them pick it up. The woman who had initially been struck by Basler was hit by him again, this time on the arm, when she tried to grab the phone from the ground.
When police arrived, the woman was taken to Lame Deer Clinic with injuries to her head, back and arm; Basler was arrested. While in jail, Basler called his wife multiple times and told her to exaggerate the severity of her injuries from the confrontation and to falsely state that she was outside when the fight began. He also told his wife to falsely say she was attacked by the woman he had struck with the bar and to say that he then intervened in an effort to protect his wife.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Yerger and Julia Patten prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the BIA.
Jamaican Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Role in International Lottery Scam Targeting ElderlyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of St. James parish in Jamaica was sentenced in federal court on July 21, 2026, to 78 months of incarceration on his conviction of violating federal wire fraud and money laundering laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Troy Williams, 41, of Montego Bay.
According to information presented to the Court, from approximately January 2019 to October 2023, Williams conspired to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering by defrauding elderly victims through a lottery scam. As part of the scam, members of the conspiracy called elderly victims and informed them that they had won a lottery but needed to pay taxes and fees to receive their prize. The victims would send the money as directed but never received the prize money. The conspirators used a network of other conspirators and victims, as well as bank accounts opened in victims’ names, wire transfers, purchases of physical goods, and ATM withdrawals in Jamaica to execute and obfuscate their scheme.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from Jamaican authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs in the arrest and extradition of the defendant, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years for Cyberstalking and Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Mario Jerome Bentley (44, Jacksonville) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday to four years and three months in federal prison for cyberstalking and possessing ammunition as convicted felon. The court also ordered Bentley to forfeit the ammunition and have no contact, directly or indirectly, with the victims. Bentley pleaded guilty in April 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, beginning in April 2023, Bentley harassed, intimidated, and caused emotional distress to two former Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) by calling one AUSA’s direct line hundreds of times and by leaving threatening voicemails. In September 2023, Bentley’s home was searched by law enforcement. Agents recovered four boxes of ammunition, containing 25 cartridges per box. Bentley is a previously convicted felon, and therefore, not permitted to possess firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
Indianapolis Career Offender Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Deontai Williams, 33, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after a federal jury found him guilty of trafficking in fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine; illegally possessing eight firearms as a convicted felon; and possessing those firearms in furtherance of his drug-trafficking crimes. The jury returned its verdict in February 2026.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on January 17, 2025, Williams was attending a pretrial hearing in Marion County for a case in which he was charged—and later convicted—of dealing methamphetamine, cocaine, a narcotic drug, and marijuana. While he was at the courthouse, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence and discovered a cache of drugs, firearms, and high-capacity magazines.
Officers seized 22.4 grams of methamphetamine, 45.5 grams of cocaine, 7.3 grams of cocaine base, and 50.7 grams of fentanyl, along with digital scales. They also recovered eight firearms and multiple high-capacity magazines.
Williams’ conduct in this case caps a long history of drug dealing and violent criminal behavior. In one prior offense, Williams assaulted a woman who was taking a smoke break from her job on Massachusetts Avenue. After she declined to give him a cigarette, Williams took her cell phone and punched her in the face. In another prior case, he physically assaulted a six-year-old child by hitting him on the back with an extension cord, choking him, striking him in the face, and throwing him across a room.
Williams has multiple prior felony convictions including battery resulting in bodily injury to a person under 14, unlawful residential entry, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and dealing in methamphetamine.
“Despite multiple incarcerations and consequent opportunities to change course, Deontai Williams continued to traffic deadly drugs and arm himself illegally. His pattern of violence and criminal behavior put our community at serious risk,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Thanks to the hard work of DEA agents and our federal prosecutors, another reckless, violent offender faces the accountability he has long evaded.”
“Williams’ history of violence and repeated felony convictions demonstrate a pattern of behavior that has absolutely no regard for the law or the safety of our community,” said Gerald C. Dooley, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge. “This federal prison sentence ensures that a dangerous individual is removed from our neighborhoods and sends a clear message that armed drug traffickers will face full accountability in federal court.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, with assistance from the Metro Drug Task Force. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II, with 25 years of the sentence to run consecutive to his state sentence in Marion County Cause No. 49D31-2206-F2-016856.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Spiro and Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this case.
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Indian National Arrested in Hawaii for Role in Gold Bar Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced today that Harsh Fojalal Shah, 25, an Indian national, was arrested in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 20, 2026, and charged by criminal complaint for his alleged role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud targeting elderly victims.
According to the criminal complaint, Shah acted as a courier in a “gold bar purchase” fraud scheme that exploited fear and secrecy to coerce an elderly victim, identified in the complaint as “Jane Doe,” into turning over her life savings. The conspirators impersonated U.S. Marshals, claimed Doe’s identity had been compromised, and directed her to liquidate her savings and purchase gold as a supposed protective measure. Doe ultimately handed over nine gold bars valued at more than $137,000 and was further pressured to liquidate her retirement account for an additional $429,000 before law enforcement intervened.
Investigators later conducted a controlled operation using prop gold. On July 20, 2026, Shah arrived at a meeting location in Kaneohe, provided Doe with a one‑dollar bill as a confirmation “password,” and accepted a box he believed contained ten gold bars. Following the meeting, Shah was observed conducting evasive driving maneuvers throughout Honolulu before being arrested. During a post‑arrest interview, Shah admitted to conducting approximately ten similar pickups from older adults over the past several months.
“The alleged gold bar scheme here underscores a growing national trend in which sophisticated organized criminal networks prey upon vulnerable older Americans using lies, deceit, false impersonation, high‑pressure tactics, and isolation to steal their life savings,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “This case highlights both the courage of an elderly victim who came forward and the commitment of federal and local law enforcement to aggressively pursue the predators who seek to defraud victims of their life savings.”
“HSI is committed to taking down the criminal groups that target vulnerable people in our community. By working closely with our federal and local partners, we’re targeting these scammers and making sure that anyone who steals from our kupuna is held accountable,” said CJ Ammons, Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge.
“This investigation demonstrates that those who exploit and victimize our community will be relentlessly pursued,” said Lieutenant Kawananakoa Saul, District 4 Burglary/Theft Detail I Misdemeanor Follow-Up Detail. “The Honolulu Police Department remains committed to protecting our residents through proactive investigations and coordinated law enforcement efforts.”
“The Hawaii Attorney General’s Investigation Division is committed to protecting our residents from criminals who use technology to impersonate law enforcement officers,” said Tom Alipio, Chief of the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General Investigations Division. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, and city partners to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii urges older adults and their families to take steps to protect themselves from fraud. Never trust unexpected calls, texts, or emails claiming your accounts are compromised or demanding secrecy—legitimate government agencies will never ask you to purchase gold or other precious metals, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to safeguard your identity. Always verify suspicious communications by contacting the agency or company directly using an official phone number, and discuss unusual financial requests with trusted family members or friends. Do not click unsolicited pop-ups on your computer, links sent via texts, or links and attachments embedded in emails from unknown or spoofed senders, and do not call unknown telephone numbers shown in pop-ups, texts, or emails. Do not download software at the request of unknown individuals or let unknown individuals have access to your computer. Anyone who believes they may be the victim of a scam should immediately report it to local or federal law enforcement.
If convicted, Shah faces up to 20 years in prison and fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.
The charge in the criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department and the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib is prosecuting the case.
Illegal aliens face immediate deportation for immigration violationsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants illegally inside the United States were sentenced in federal court and transferred to immigration authorities for immediate deportation.
The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker, and announced by Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
- Homer Esau Vazquez-Mendez, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Vazquez-Mendez was identified as an illegal alien in May 2026 during a targeted enforcement operation in Chatham County and taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Manuel de Jesus Perez-Melgar, 32, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Perez-Melgar was identified as an illegal alien in May 2026 during a traffic stop in Port Wentworth and transferred to ICE custody.
- Didier Mora-Tino, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation. Mara-Tino was identified as an illegal alien in March 2026 in Ware County and transferred to ICE custody.
Illegal Re-entry after Removal or Deportation is a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal.
“Federal immigration laws exist to protect the integrity of our nation’s borders,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Those who repeatedly undermine those laws will be held accountable, removed and returned to their country of citizenship.”
These cases were investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Port Wentworth Police Department, Ware County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Timothy P. Dean, L. Alexander Hamner, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karl I. Knoche.
Illegal alien and Smith County man sentenced to federal prison for operating a meth lab in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – An illegal alien and a Smith County man have been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Daniel Garibay-Barriga, 39, an illegal alien from Mexico, and Craig Allen Wallace, 50, of Tyler, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On July 21, 2026, Garibay-Barriga was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle. Wallace was sentenced to 165 months on the same day.
According to information presented in court, on January 28, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Wallace’s residence on FM 724 in Tyler following a drug trafficking investigation. During the search, investigators located two outbuildings containing numerous items of paraphernalia consistent with a clandestine methamphetamine conversion lab, including heating sources, chemicals such as volatile solvents, filtering items such as mesh screens, and large storage containers. In addition, investigators seized 44.71 liters of liquid containing methamphetamine in various stages of the conversion process and 9.57 kilograms of crystallized methamphetamine ready for distribution.
Officers also discovered an RV on the property that was being used as a makeshift drugstore stocked with methamphetamine, powder cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and numerous THC products. Inside the residence, investigators located nine firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Gregg County Sheriff’s Office; and Smith County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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Illegal Immigrant Caught with Guns and Drugs Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Monday sentenced a man caught in an abandoned hospital with a machete and two firearms to 46 months in prison.
Arlin Alexis Bustillo, 34, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court to one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a false permanent resident card. He admitted being caught on July 31, 2025, by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers in St. Alexius Hospital and arrested for trespassing. He had a large machete on the left side of his waistband and a stolen pistol on the right side. In a backpack, officers found a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle. He also had a fraudulent Social Security card and permanent resident card. Bustillo is a native of Honduras and will be deported when he completes his sentence.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip Voss and Ricardo Dixon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Illegal Aliens from Honduras Charged after Law Enforcement Seized Approximately 7,500 Fentanyl Pills in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging two illegal aliens from Honduras, residing illegally in Utah, with drug crimes after law enforcement allegedly located and seized approximately 7,500 fentanyl pills for distribution in the District of Utah.
Kevin Arrazola-Canaca, 26, residing illegally in Tooele County, Utah; and Eddy Otel Arrazola-Canaca, 34, residing illegally in Kearns, Utah, were charged by complaint on July 16, 2026.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2026, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a vehicle and residence in the District of Utah. Law enforcement first encountered Eddy, the driver and sole occupant, during a traffic stop. Pursuant to a search warrant, detectives located and found approximately 295 grams of pills, which tested positive for fentanyl hidden within the dashboard of the car. That same day, detectives also executed a search warrant at a residence. During the search of the residence, Kevin was the sole occupant inside the residence. Inside the residence, detectives located and seized approximately 455 grams of pills, which tested positive for fentanyl, and $17,503 in cash. In total, Eddy possessed approximately 2,950 fentanyl pills, and Kevin possessed approximately 4,550 fentanyl pills. Both were arrested.
According to court documents, both Kevin and Eddy Arrazola-Canaca are not citizens of the United States.
Kevin Arrazola-Canaca and Eddy Arrazola-Canaca are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 23, 2026, at 2:15 p.m. in courtroom 7.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force (UCMC), and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal Alien with 12 Prior Removals from the United States Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An illegal alien who was previously removed from the United States on 12 separate occasions was arraigned earlier today on a charge of illegal re-entry after previously being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Aedo Cruz Gonzalez, 40, of New Jersey, was charged in a one-count Indictment with illegal re-entry by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(1).
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Cruz Gonzalez, a citizen of Mexico, was removed from the United States to Mexico 12 separate times for illegally entering the United States between 2011 and September 2024.
On February 6, 2012, Cruz Gonzalez pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to a felony offense of illegally re-entering the United States, and was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment. He was subsequently removed from the United States to Mexico for the third time on or about August 20, 2012.
Following his removal in August 2012, Cruz Gonzalez illegally entered the United States on nine additional occasions and was removed to Mexico each time. After his most recent removal on or about September 24, 2024, Cruz Gonzalez again unlawfully re-entered the United States. He was subsequently arrested by the Hillsborough Police Department on or about December 7, 2024 and charged with numerous crimes, including exhibiting a false motor vehicle insurance card and operating a motor vehicle during license suspension. Cruz Gonzalez was convicted in Somerset County Superior Court on those two charges on May 22, 2025.
The charge of unlawful re-entry by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant as a result of the offense, or twice the gross loss to a person other than the defendant as a result of the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations – Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Field Officer Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr., for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Miller of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Adam Axel, Esq. and Meagan McGurl, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defenders
cruzgonzalez.indictment.pdfIllegal Alien from Mexico Charged with Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carlos Alonso Hernandez Urbina, 38, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States, is facing multiple charges for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and for possessing CSAM involving prepubescent minors, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“Child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors is disgusting,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Those that come to this country illegally to engage in such conduct will serve time in federal prison before being deported.”
According to allegations in the indictment, from May to June 2026, in Mecklenburg County, Urbina knowingly distributed CSAM on multiple occasions to five individuals. It is further alleged that from 2024 to 2026, Urbina did knowingly possess and accessed with intent to view CSAM that involved a prepubescent minor and a minor that had not yet attained 12 years of age.
If Urbina is convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years prison for each of the five counts of distribution of CSAM in the indictment, and up to 20 years in prison for the charge of possession and access with intent to view CSAM involving a prepubescent minor. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI in Charlotte investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The charges against the defendant are allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marcus Allen Johnson, also known as “Mook,” 42, of Huntington, was sentenced on July 20, 2026, to seven years and eight months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson sold approximately 53.76 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl on January 14, 2025, and approximately 56.68 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl on January 28, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Huntington. As part of his guilty pleas, Johnson admitted that he conducted each transaction and arranged them beforehand. Johnson’s sentence was enhanced based on his role in having threats made to a government witness during the prosecution.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the cases.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:25-cr-96 and 3:25-cr-187.
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Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Nigerian National Charged with Money Laundering and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Mail FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Okeoghene Patrick Udugba, age 45, of Frisco, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of Money Laundering and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Udugba and others orchestrated overlapping romance and business email compromise schemes. As part of the scheme, Udugba and others utilized social media and dating websites to meet and establish purported romantic relationships with persons in multiple states. Those persons were groomed and ultimately used by Udugba and others as money mules to receive and cash fraudulently obtained checks.
To obtain the checks, members of the conspiracy sent emails from “spoofed” addresses in Nigeria, claiming to be representatives of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The spoofed emails directed that FWS grant funds be used to pay fabricated invoices, which falsely represented that the money mules were contractors and consultants of FWS who had performed work on grant-eligible projects. As a result of the fraudulent emails and invoices, FWS’s grant administrator issued payments in excess of $300,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Department of Interior Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting 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 comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Department of Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General (OIG) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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HSTF Investigation Leads to Avondale Man Being Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose De Jesus Martinez, 25, of Avondale, was sentenced on July 13, by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
On May 5, 2025, near Phoenix, Martinez was caught delivering approximately 150,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Martinez was arrested and agents seized the 13.3 kilograms of drugs.
Fentanyl is a man-made opioid 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially deadly dose. Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, appearing nearly identical to other prescription pills, are often sold through social media or other illegitimate sources.
Legitimate pharmaceutical pills cannot be bought through social media. The only safe medications are ones prescribed directly to you by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. For additional information and resources, including a Caregivers Fact Sheet, visit DEA.gov/onepill.
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 Phoenix comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, United States Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and the Bureau of Land Management, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
The Glendale Police Department also provided significant assistance in this case.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-00829-PHX-SHD
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-125_Martinez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Gulf Breeze Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Brock A. Westrom, 36, of Gulf Breeze, Florida, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark E. Walker to 48 months in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Sexual predators, like this defendant, are relentless in their pursuit of children online, who they intend to sexually exploit and victimize, but our state and federal law enforcement partners are unified in their commitment to identify and stop those sick individuals before they can harm our kids. My office will continue to back up the outstanding investigative work of our law enforcement partners with aggressive prosecutions to keep these sexual deviants behind bars and away from our communities.”
Evidence at trial demonstrated that in July 2024, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement partners, conducted an undercover operation, directed at finding people who were soliciting minors online for sex. On July 19, 2024, the defendant began talking with someone he believed was a fifteen-year-old child. He told the purported child the sexual acts he wanted the child to perform, the price he was willing to pay for those sexual acts, and then arranged a meeting location. The defendant traveled to meet the purported child at the agreed upon location, and he was arrested by law enforcement when he arrived. Electronic evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant confirmed the defendant had, in fact, talked to the person he believed was a child and traveled to meet them.
After serving his term of imprisonment, Westrom will have to register as a sexual offender and be subject to five years of supervised release.
“If you think you can use the internet to target a child and walk away without consequences, you're making the biggest mistake of your life,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. “We will find you, we will arrest you, and we will work with our state and federal partners to ensure you face every consequence the law allows. Let this sentence serve as a warning: if you come to Bay County looking to exploit a child, you won't find a victim, you'll find deputies waiting to put you in handcuffs.”
“This predator’s vile efforts to exploit and target a child for sexual purposes are reprehensible and will not be tolerated in our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI is unwavering in our commitment to protecting children and holding predators fully accountable for their actions. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who seek to harm minors face the full force of justice.”
“Individuals who travel to exploit children will find no safe haven here,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate these crimes and stop children from being exploited. If you travel to our community to target minors know that we will find you.”
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith L. Steer and Eric W. Welch.
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.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Felony Reentry of Removed Alien for Immigration OffenseRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Fredy Jiguan-Temaj, 23 years old, of Guatemala, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Judge Philip P. Simon sentenced the Defendant to time served, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 Special Assessment. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings.
“An illegal alien from the Republic of Guatemala who had been previously removed from the United States in 2022 was arrested on March 17, 2026, after causing a disturbance while operating a pickup truck in the parking lot of a Merrillville hotel. The defendant, who appeared to be heavily intoxicated at the time, then fled from the Merrillville Police officers responding to the scene, causing property damage to another vehicle. The Defendant was previously removed from the United States in 2022 and had reentered the country without inspection or approval. The Defendant again violated our nation’s borders, sovereignty and laws and was caught because he was endangering our community and then fled from officers. Thanks to the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Merrillville Police Department and Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater, the Defendant has been prosecuted and sentenced. The Defendant needs to respect our nation’s laws and not return illegally,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Gregg County man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for armed robbery of a Longview gun storeRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Longview man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for committing a robbery and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Kip Semauah Hurt, 26, pleaded guilty to a Hobbs Act robbery and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 21, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on August 1, 2024, a Longview gun store was robbed resulting in the theft of 31 firearms. Many of the firearms were recovered by local law enforcement agencies such as the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office, the Marshall Police Department, and the Longview Police Department. It was determined that one of the recovered firearms had been used in the shooting of a Longview Police officer.
“Our priority was securing justice for the Longview community and the victims of this robbery, whose business empowered law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “We have a duty to relentlessly prosecute anyone who threatens innocent lives in East Texas, and today’s success is a direct result of the exceptional collaboration of our law enforcement partners.”
“ATF is proud to stand alongside our local, state, and federal partners in bringing this offender to justice. This case highlights the cascade effects when criminals obtain firearms. Through strong collaboration and determined investigative work, we were able to hold a violent offender accountable and make our communities safer. We will continue to prioritize cases like this to disrupt criminal activity and protect the public.” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner.
“This type of organized criminal behavior will not be tolerated in Longview and the surrounding area,” said Longview Police Chief Anthony Boone. “Local law enforcement in Gregg County will continue working together and will utilize every available state and federal resource to combat crime. We are thankful for the partnership and support of the Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Longview Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak.
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Goose Creek Felon Sentenced to More than 9 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Thomas Lamont Ancrum, 37, of Goose Creek, has been sentenced to more than nine years in federal prison for possessing two firearms as a convicted felon.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Ancrum led officers with the North Charleston Police Department on a dangerous highspeed chase on the night of Aug. 12, 2024. During the chase, Ancrum reached speeds of over 100 miles per hour, weaving in and out of interstate traffic. Eventually, officers used stop sticks to puncture the vehicle’s tires which quickly ended the pursuit. Ancrum then exited the vehicle, dropped a book bag, and ran across the interstate. He was quickly apprehended by a police K9 and arrested. Inside the backpack, officers found two firearms and small quantities of cocaine and marijuana.
As a previously convicted felon, Ancrum is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition. He was indicted in federal court on one count of felon in possession of a firearm in 2025.
United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Ancrum to 115 months' imprisonment—the maximum term called for by the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Ancrum will be under court supervision for three years upon his release from federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the North Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cole Shannon prosecuted the case.###
Georgia Men Guilty in New York State Film Tax Credit Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – Two Southwest Georgia men who used online tax preparation software to file state of New York tax returns falsely claiming film industry credits for people who never worked in New York or in film and television are facing several decades in prison for their crimes.
“We are committed to protecting taxpayers by ensuring that tax credits designed to create and maintain jobs are used lawfully,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “The Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division remains focused on combating fraud. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to prevent financial crimes and uphold the public’s trust.”
"Financial fraud is far from a victimless crime. Schemes like this divert public resources, exploit stolen identities, and erode confidence in programs designed to benefit legitimate businesses and workers," said Thomas Clark, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Valdosta office. "The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who believe they can profit through deception and hold them accountable for their actions."
“Let this serve as a warning to any taxpayers considering lining their pockets for personal gain. The defendants repeatedly submitted fraudulent tax records attempting to steal funds that drive New York State’s creative economy,” said Amanda Hiller, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner. “I commend the dedicated work of our NYS Tax Investigators and thank United States Attorney Keyes and his office for their partnership and diligent efforts in bringing tax criminals to justice.”
Ryan Rugg, 28, of Tifton, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on July 22. Rugg faces a maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Rugg’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29 at 3:00 p.m. in Albany.
Co-defendant, Joshua Jordan, 37, of Tifton, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on March 26. Jordan faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud and a maximum of two years in prison to be served consecutively and a $250,000 fine for aggravated identity theft. In addition, Jordan faces up to five years of supervised release. Jordan’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 3 at 3:00 p.m. in Albany.
U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, a New York State Department of Taxation and Finance investigator began looking into a potential fraud scheme on June 24, 2023, involving the submission of 22 New York State tax documents by 18 Georgia residents. The returns were flagged for several factors, including out-of-state residency, first-time filer status, and other indicators of fraud.
A deep review of these records revealed that Jordan and Rugg committed a tax scheme to obtain
fraudulent New York state tax refunds by falsely claiming film production and post-production tax credits. Investigators discovered that Jordan created an account in February 2023 with a tax preparation software company called Online Taxes, based in Missouri, which provides federal and state online tax preparation and electronic filing for individual taxpayers.
Jordan and Rugg admitted to filing, or helping others file, New York film tax credits for individuals who had never worked in New York and had not produced or incurred any cost producing film or television shows in New York. For example, Jordan admitted to filing a fraudulent tax return for S.B. on April 18, 2023, using the Online Taxes software. The preparation and submission of this document required Jordan to give S.B.’s Social Security number and other identifying information on the required forms without lawful authority to do so. On May 4, 2023, Jordan called the New York tax department line, pretending to be S.B. and requesting information on his fraudulent tax return. The fraudulent return filed on S.B.’s behalf yielded a return of $49,772 paid out by the state of New York.
In total, Jordan and Rugg fraudulently obtained or attempted to obtain more than $550,000 as part of this conspiracy.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement 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 FBI Atlanta’s Valdosta Resident Agency and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Gary Man Sentenced to 192 Months in Prison for Controlled Substance OffensesRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Derek Cast, 48 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing 50 grams of more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Cast was sentenced to 192 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
“A drug and gun dealer will spend the next 16 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for plying his trade of mayhem and poison. On October 2, 2025, the defendant sold just under a pound of methamphetamine to law enforcement. A few weeks later, on October 28, and November 5, 2025, he sold law enforcement 4 semi-automatic pistols and 2 rifles and demonstrated how to use one of the rifles as a fully automatic firearm. He was immediately arrested and law enforcement recovered a firearm from his person. The defendant has multiple felony convictions, including attempted battery involving law enforcement, carrying a handgun without a license, possession of cocaine, and dealing in cocaine, all of which were felonies that disqualified him from possessing any firearm or ammunition, much less selling them along with the methamphetamine. Citizens of our community and nation are safer for the efforts of agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Operation Take Back America,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
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.
Fort Totten, ND, Man Sentenced to Serve 15 Years for Assaults and Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced today that Kolby Jae McKay, also known as Kolby Woods, age 34, from Fort Totten, North Dakota, was sentenced in United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, to serve 15 years in federal prison. McKay previously pleaded guilty to charges of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangulation, and Voluntary Manslaughter.
McKay’s guilty pleas were entered on April 2, 2026, in two separate cases. McKay pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangulation related to an incident on March 13, 2024. McKay became upset with a woman, identified in the case as “Jane Doe,” with whom he was in a dating relationship. McKay grabbed a knife and held it to Jane Doe’s neck. Jane Doe pushed the knife away and McKay strangled Jane Doe by placing his hands tightly around Jane Doe’s neck until she almost lost consciousness.
McKay also pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter as a result of an incident a few weeks after the domestic assault. McKay killed Monte Ray Herman Sr. on April 3, 2024, following a physical fight during which McKay placed his forearm around the neck of Herman.
Both incidents occurred on the Spirit Lake Reservation. According to court documents, McKay fled after killing Herman and was at large for several days, prompting the Spirit Lake Tribal Council to issue a community curfew and offer a reward for information leading to McKay’s whereabouts.
“The Department of Justice is always committed to ensuring violent crimes in Indian country are investigated thoroughly and prosecuted aggressively,” said United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase. “The career prosecutors in this office have worked with our law enforcement partners to increase prosecution of domestic violence involving nonfatal strangulation. This is because strangulation is an undeniable predictor of future lethal violence. Statistical evidence shows attackers who strangle are 75 percent more likely to kill. The more times an attacker strangles, the more likely the attacker is to kill the victim. Our office remains committed to working with our Tribal, federal, and local law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable, protect victims, and make Tribal communities safer.”
“The scope of this defendant's violent conduct is appalling,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “After engaging in an extremely serious episode of domestic violence, Kolby McKay killed a man in response to an argument. Today's significant sentence is a reflection of the FBI's continuing commitment to enhancing public safety on tribal lands. The people of Spirit Lake are safer today because of the work done by this investigative team. It is this team's hope that today's sentence offers a sense of justice and closure to the surviving victim and the families of both victims.”
This case was investigated the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Benson, Eddy, Ramsey and Nelson County Sheriff’s Departments, North Dakota Highway Patrol, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Lake Region Narcotics Task Force, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Schmidt Dahl and Lori Conroy.
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Fort Thompson Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Firing a Gun at Other PersonsRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Fort Thompson man convicted of Using and Carrying a Firearm During and Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentencing took place on July 20, 2026.
Tigh Bagola, age 42, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bagola was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on April 20, 2026.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in July 2023 in the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. On the afternoon of July 5, 2023, Bagola was walking in Ft. Thompson, South Dakota, when he encountered the victims. Bagola argued with the victims and then brandished a handgun at them. Bagola fired the gun in the victims’ direction, and then fled the scene.
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 is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services – Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Bagola was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.