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16 July 2026
Federal Court Terminates Consent Decree Regarding the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility After Successful ReformsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey terminated the consent decree covering the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility (Edna Mahan), marking the end of federal court oversight under the 2021 decree. The Justice Department and the State of New Jersey jointly moved to terminate the consent decree based on Edna Mahan’s successful implementation of reforms related to sexual abuse of prisoners by staff in the women’s prison, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
“We join our Justice Department colleagues in the Civil Rights Division in applauding the collaborative efforts with Edna Mahan that have resulted in this termination. Edna Mahan’s reforms have been consistent and transformational in addressing sexual abuse.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“We are proud to recognize Edna Mahan’s sustained progress and commitment to constitutional conditions that protect women from sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We credit the dedicated staff of Edna Mahan who continue to work every day toward preventing sexual abuse of women in its custody.”
In 2020, the Justice Department completed an investigation into Edna Mahan under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. In 2021, the Department and the State of New Jersey entered into a consent decree to address the investigation’s findings that New Jersey failed to keep women prisoners at Edna Mahan safe from sexual abuse by staff, in violation of the Eighth Amendment. After consistent progress over the last five years, Edna Mahan has fully complied with the agreement.
Resolution of the Edna Mahan case is another example of the Justice Department’s success in partnering with law enforcement to implement reforms that serve Americans.
The United States is represented by Eileen Ulate, Trial Attorney, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thandiwe Boylan.
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ednamahan.termination.pdfFather whose toddler fatally shot himself charged federally for illegally possessing firearm as previously convicted felonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A previously convicted felon whose toddler died by gunshot wound from an unsecured gun now faces a federal charge for illegally possessing a firearm.
Deshawn Levelle Butler, 35, of Columbus, was arrested by federal agents earlier today and appeared in federal court in Columbus at 1:30pm.
“As a previously convicted felon, Butler was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition at the time of this incident,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Nothing can bring back the toddler who tragically died at the hands of Butler’s weapon, but we will use every federal tool at our disposal to ensure justice is accomplished in this matter.”
According to charging documents, on July 11, Columbus police officers responded to a report of a shooting on Quinby Drive in Columbus. When officers arrived, they located a 21-month-old child suffering from an apparent gunshot wound and were told the child had accidentally shot himself. The victim was transported to Mount Carmel East Hospital and later pronounced deceased.
An affidavit details that Butler was allegedly with the child during the shooting and had fled the scene prior to law enforcement officials’ arrival.
Butler turned himself in the next morning to Columbus police headquarters, where he allegedly told officers his son had discovered Butler’s 9mm handgun in an open safe in a bedroom.
Butler was previously convicted of aggravated burglary and, as a result, is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Butler also had outstanding warrants for misdemeanor domestic violence charges.
Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Española Man Sentenced for String of Armed Robberies that Led to MurderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Española man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a 2022 crime spree that left one person dead.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2022, Ricky Eddie Martinez, Jr., 35, entered the Dandy Burger restaurant in Española, brandished a revolver, and robbed an employee of approximately $160. The following day, Martinez robbed a Shell gas station in Española after displaying a firearm and demanding money from the cashier, taking $352.
On August 11, 2022, Martinez robbed a Walgreens in Española. After the cashier was unable to open the register, Martinez became increasingly aggressive, firing a round into a liquor display and wall near the employee before forcibly removing a cash register drawer and fleeing. The employee suffered burns from the close-range gunshot.
On August 16, 2022, Martinez entered a Blake's Lotaburger in Española and demanded money from employees. He then jumped over the counter, shot and killed John Doe 2, and assaulted John Doe 3, the victim's brother and coworker, striking him with the firearm and firing at him. John Doe 3 survived but suffered serious injuries. Martinez fled the scene but was arrested the following day.
Evidence linked Martinez to additional robberies committed during the week-long crime spree, including incidents at a Chevron gas station in Santa Fe, 420 Emporia Smoke Shop in Española, Chalupp's Pizza in Taos, Family Dollar, and Dollar General. During several of those robberies, Martinez discharged his firearm.
At the time of the offenses, Martinez was on federal supervised release following a conviction for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and had absconded from supervision weeks before beginning the robbery spree.
Martinez pleaded guilty to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. As part of global plea negotiations with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, a result of extensive state and federal coordination throughout the investigation, Martinez also agreed to plead guilty in state court to offenses related to the murder of John Doe 2 and other crimes against John Doe 3.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Española Police Department, Taos Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Brittany DuChaussee prosecuted the case.
Surveillance video from Dandy Burger
Surveillance video from Dollar General
Surveillance video from Shell Gas Station
Surveillance video from Walgreens
El Salvador National Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for 1997 Double MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Oscar Diaz Romero, aka Oscar Alonzo Salguero, 47, of El Salvador, was sentenced today for shooting and killing Jose Roberto Molina, 21, and Jose Noel Coreas, 22, in August 1997, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Diaz Romero was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder on March 25, 2026. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered Diaz Romero to serve 24 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised probation.
“Nearly thirty years after fleeing justice, Oscar Diaz Romero’s day of reckoning has come,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Let this be clear: if you commit murder in our community and attempt to escape accountability, my office will never rest until you are brought to justice. Today’s sentencing affirms that violent acts against our residents will be met with consequences.”
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of August 9, 1997, Diaz Romero and several friends were out on the 2nd floor of the then-Las Rocas restaurant in the 2400 block of 18th Street, NW. Just before 2 a.m., a group of young men entered the restaurant and began fighting. Then Diaz Romero pulled out a revolver and fired several times. One round hit and killed Jose Molina, a 22-year-old father of two. Another round hit and killed Jose Coreas, who was out celebrating his 22nd birthday.
Diaz Romero fled the scene to El Salvador, where he was arrested in 2024. He was extradited to the United States in January 2025, where he has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.
They also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Dennis Clark and Richard Carlton, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF1 000555
Department of Justice Awards $1.1 Million to Modernize Rhode Island Criminal History Record SystemsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $1,121,422 to the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety through the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Fiscal Year 2025 Consolidated National Criminal History Improvement Program.
Rhode Island’s criminal justice agencies will use the funding to modernize technology, strengthen criminal history reporting, and improve the quality of criminal history records relied upon by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and for firearm background checks.
“Maintaining accurate criminal history records requires ongoing coordination among our state and local criminal justice partners,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “This funding will support those collaborative efforts and help ensure information used throughout Rhode Island’s criminal justice system remains reliable, complete, and current.”
"A modern and secure criminal records system is essential to protecting public safety and ensuring justice is administered efficiently," said Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety. "This funding will allow us to update our technology, strengthen the integrity of our criminal history records, and ensure compliance with the FBI's Next Generation Identification standards. These investments will help us make better-informed decisions while improving service to the public.”
Planned initiatives include replacing outdated Livescan fingerprinting equipment, reducing criminal history record backlogs, enhancing the security and reliability of the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, strengthening reporting to state and federal criminal justice databases, and supporting compliance with FBI Next Generation Identification standards.
Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug Trafficking Offenses in Tallulah, Monroe, and ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT– United States Chief District Court Judge Terry A. Doughty recently sentenced defendants who resided in Tallulah, Monroe, and Shreveport to federal prison for firearm and drug trafficking offenses. All defendants previously pled guilty to their respective charges.
“The Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative lies at the heart of our Office’s mission to keep our Louisiana communities safe from senseless violence and illicit drugs, and these three cases reflect our Office’s commitment to that work across North Louisiana,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office tirelessly works alongside our federal and state partners to prosecute cases like this across the Western District’s 42 parishes, ensuring that our communities’ biggest disruptors are held accountable for firearm and drug trafficking crime.”
On July 7, 2026, Henry Holloway, 34, of Tallulah, was sentenced to over five years in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Louisiana State Police (LSP) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for having an illegal tint in which Holloway was a passenger. The trooper detected the odor of marijuana and then searched the vehicle. Holloway admitted to possessing a recovered backpack that contained approximately 172 grams of marijuana, 15 grams of cocaine, 2 bottles of Promethazine, sandwich bags, a digital scale, and a firearm loaded with an extended magazine.
On July 7, 2026, Terrance Long, 52, of Monroe, was sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense, with three years supervised release after his sentence is served as to count one and five years supervised release on count four. When officers executed a search warrant at Long’s residence, investigators located a black pouch containing multiple individually wrapped bags of crack cocaine weighing approximately 15 grams and a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun. Long admitted that the narcotics in the residence belonged to him and that he had participated in the distribution of crack (base) cocaine. Long also admitted he had kept the firearm in his home despite knowing that, due to multiple prior felony convictions, he was prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
On July 8, 2026, Chamorea Bell, 30, of Shreveport, was sentenced to over nine years in federal prison for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon and three years of supervised release following his sentence. Bell was pulled over in Shreveport for a traffic violation. The officer smelled marijuana and proceeded to search Bell’s vehicle. This led to the discovery of a small amount of marijuana and a firearm, which, due to a prior felony conviction, Bell was prohibited from possessing.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Louisiana State Police (LSP), the Shreveport Police Department (SPD), the Madison Parish Sheriff’s Office (MPSO), and the Monroe Police Department (MPD) investigated these cases.
The Henry Holloway case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheyenne Wilson with the assistance of Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan. The Terrance Long and Chamorea Bell cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Crichton with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Emily Favrot.
These cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders, and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories.
You may find a copy of these press releases (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer under their respective Case Numbers:
Henry Holloway — 3:25 cr 00268
Terrance Long — 3:25-cr-00295
Chamorea Bell —5:25-cr-00344
###Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
USALAW-News@usdoj.gov www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Dallas man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substanceRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that Demario White, a 40-year-old Dallas man who distributed fentanyl pills to minors, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on July 6.
“Let this lengthy sentence serve as a warning that anyone who distributes deadly drugs to children in the Northern District of Texas will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. "Just two milligrams of fentanyl—equivalent to 10-15 grains of table salt—is considered a lethal dose. My office is laser focused on eradicating this deadly drug from our communities throughout North Texas."
“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” said Ivan Carrera, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Selling drugs alone is a serious transgression, but to sell deadly fentanyl to a juvenile is one of the most shocking and callous ways to hurt a community. The sentence handed down to Mr. White is a clear message that the production and trafficking of fentanyl will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods. DEA Dallas and our partners will continue to work together and keep this poison off our streets.”
According to court documents, White distributed counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl to a juvenile male. The juvenile male and his friend took the pills and the 14-year-old friend overdosed but survived after medical intervention. The juvenile male told the police that “Mario” provided him and his juvenile friend with seven pills for $35.
On April 17, 2024, officers obtained an arrest warrant for White and subsequently executed a search warrant at his residence located on Brookgreen Drive in Dallas. Officers located thousands of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl during the search of White’s apartment. After his arrest, White told officers that he would obtain 3,000 to 4,000 fentanyl pills at a time and sell each pill for $5.
A grand jury indicted White in May 2024 and he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in March. U.S. District Judge Godbey sentenced White to 240 months in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Richardson Police Department, Hickory Creek Police Department, Dallas Police Department, and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa M. Guy prosecuted the case.
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Convictions through Guilty Pleas in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Prosecutions (July 7 through July 11, 2026)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following prosecutorial results for the week of July 7 through July 11, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas:
- On July 7, 2026, Jacier Collazo-Cruz pleaded guilty to drug and firearm charges in case 23-353 (GMM). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with participating in a violent drug trafficking organization that operated out of various public housing projects in and near Manatí, PR including the Enrique Zorilla Public Housing Project. Defendant was arrested on September 22, 2023. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 5, 2026. AUSAs Andres Orr and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 10, 2026, Joe Mercado pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import approximately 340 kilograms of cocaine into the United States in Criminal Case 25-144 (CVR). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to import cocaine; importation of cocaine; conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine- all in excess of 5 kilos of cocaine. Defendant was arrested on March 31, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for October 9, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
Sentencings:
- On July 9, 2026, Vicente González pleaded guilty and was sentenced by United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordán to time served for stowing away on a vessel and improper entry by an alien. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on June 3, 2026, in Criminal Case 26-233. SAUSA Cody A. McKinney oversaw the prosecution of the case.
- On July 9, 2026, Julio Linarez-Cabrera was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón to 30 months of imprisonment and a supervised release term of five years for conspiracy to import approximately 150 kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, defendant was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico on November 6, 2024, in Criminal case 24-416 (ADC), and pleaded guilty to the charge(s) on April 8, 2026. AUSA Luis A. Valentín is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 9, 2026, Camilo Mieses-Guerrero was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll to a term of 36 months of imprisonment for aiding and assisting entry of an aggravated felon to the United States. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on September 18, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-387 (SCC), and pleaded guilty on April 15, 2026. SAUSA Steven Liong-Rodríguez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 9, 2026, Rafelín Zorrilla-Delgado was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll to a term of 15 months of imprisonment for aiding and assisting entry of an aggravated felon to the United States. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on September 18, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-387 (SCC), and pleaded guilty on April 9, 2026. SAUSA Steven Liong-Rodríguez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 9, 2026, Antonio Matrillé-Tejada was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll to a term of 18 months of imprisonment for aiding and assisting entry of an aggravated felon to the United States. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on September 18, 2025, in Criminal Case 25-387 (SCC), and pleaded guilty on April 9, 2026. SAUSA Steven Liong-Rodríguez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 10, 2026, Daniel Morla-Reyes, a.k.a “Bebe/Bebe Murales/El Domi,” was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gina Méndez-Miró to 173 months and 21 days for his participation in a violent drug trafficking organization that operated out of various public housing projects in and near Manatí, PR including the Enrique Zorilla Public Housing Project. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on September 20, 2023, in Criminal Case 23-353(GMM), and pleaded guilty on March 31, 2026. AUSAs Andres Orr and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On July 10, 2026, Michael Mercedes-Vázquez pleaded guilty and was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Silvia L. Carreño-Coll to time served for stowing away on a vessel and improper entry by an alien. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on June 3, 2026, in Criminal Case 26-232. SAUSA Cody A. McKinney oversaw the prosecution of the case.
These prosecutions are 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 San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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Convicted Felon on State Pre-Trial Release Indicted in Federal Court for Trafficking Fentanyl in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly trafficking fentanyl in Chicago while on state pre-trial release for a felony drug charge in Cook County, Ill.
RISHONE RASPBERRY sold approximately 52 grams of fentanyl to an undercover federal law enforcement agent on May 27, 2026, according to an indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case. The transaction occurred in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, the charges allege.
At the time of the undercover federal drug deal, Raspberry was on pre-trial bond for a pending felony drug charge in Cook County, Ill. related to a drug transaction that allegedly occurred three weeks prior to this federal undercover drug deal. In addition, Raspberry was serving a three-year term of probation for a 2025 felony drug conviction in Cook County.
Raspberry, 32, of Chicago, was taken into federal custody on July 7, 2026. The federal indictment charges him with drug distribution. On Monday, Raspberry pleaded not guilty to the charge during his arraignment in federal court in Chicago. U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather K. McShain granted the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s motion that Raspberry be detained pending his trial. A status hearing was set for Aug. 13, 2026, at 9:15 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins.
The indictment and detention order were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Chmura.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
raspberry_indictment.pdf raspberry_complaint.pdfConvicted Felon Who Participated in Exchange of Gunfire Outside Chicago Gas Station Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A convicted felon who participated in an exchange of gunfire outside a Chicago gas station has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison.
On the afternoon of May 27, 2022, MALIK WILLIAMS was standing outside of a gas station on the South Side of Chicago when he fired two shots toward a minivan that was driving nearby. Individuals in the minivan returned fire, and a bystander who was filling up gas in his work van was shot in the leg. The area was busy with traffic at the time of the shooting, and several individuals were present at the gas station, including a woman who was mere feet from Williams when he fired at the minivan.
Williams, 29, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a federal charge of illegal possession of ammunition. Williams had previously been convicted of a felony offense. On July 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Williams to nine years in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department assisted in the investigation.
“Defendant fired twice at the occupied minivan,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Schied argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Had his aim been true, he would have killed one or more people on purpose. Everyone at that intersection that day is fortunate to be alive, including defendant.”
City Man Charged with Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center ArsonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Vincent Lang, 60, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint with one count of maliciously damaging or destroying by means of fire any building or property used in interstate commerce, or attempting to do so, in connection with an arson fire last week at a city mosque.
The criminal complaint alleges that, in the early hours of July 5, 2026, the defendant approached the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center, located on the 1400 block of Tyson Avenue, ignited an improvised incendiary device, and threw the device into the entryway of the mosque, causing a fire inside the structure.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Arson and Explosives Task Force, with assistance from the FBI, Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office Special Investigations Unit, Philadelphia Police Department, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda R. Reinitz and J. Jeanette Kang, with the assistance of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
US_DIS_PAED_2_26mj1378_COMPLAINT_LANG.pdfCincinnati man sentenced to life in prison for ordering murder of family member, running drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A local man who ordered the murder of his own uncle during the summer of 2021 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to life plus a mandatory consecutive 10 years in prison.
Jamal Binford, 34, of Dallas and Cincinnati, was convicted following a jury trial in February 2025.
“The evidence at trial proved that Binford ordered the cold-blooded execution of his own uncle and he did so simply to protect his drug trafficking organization,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “The defendant may not have pulled the trigger, but he ordered the execution and is equally responsible for the murder. A sentence of life in prison reflects the seriousness of Binford’s offenses and is just punishment.”
According to court documents and trial testimony, Binford purported to manage two co-defendants as boxers, presenting himself as a successful boxing promoter aiding young men he wanted to help off the streets. Binford sold young boxers on the dream of becoming pro fighters. Instead, used them as his soldiers in his drug trafficking enterprise.
Between May and November 2021, Binford sold kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine and hundreds of pounds of marijuana. To protect his drug trafficking operation, he ordered co-defendants Antwan Coach, Jr., 23, of Cincinnati, and Markel Hardy, 24, of Cincinnati, to murder his own uncle, Deonte Nuckols.
As the government outlined at trial, Binford paid the two other men $2,000 total to kill Mr. Nuckols, who had had been texting Binford that day about Binford paying a drug debt.
Binford also assisted the co-defendants after the July 2021 robbery and murder of Kamar Williams in North College Hill. Mr. Williams was robbed of marijuana and a firearm and shot to death. Binford helped Hardy flee the scene.
Binford was found guilty at trial of participating in the narcotics conspiracy, being an accessory after the fact, murder in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy, use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and use of a firearm to commit murder.
Binford was arrested in February 2023 at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie; North College Hill Interim Police Chief Craig Chaney; and St. Bernard Police Chief Michael Simos announced the sentence imposed today Senior by U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also aided during the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato and Frederic C. Shadley represented the United States in this case.
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Chula Vista Woman on Supervised Release for Fraud Admits New Forgery and Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – While on supervised release for two prior federal fraud convictions, Ashleigh Lynn Chavez pleaded guilty today in federal court to yet another fraud, admitting she used forged letters purportedly from her former attorney and former employer to obtain employment with a San Diego-area company.
According to court documents, Chavez, 42, submitted six letters by email as part of a job application in November 2024, after she had been terminated from a human resources position at a local nonprofit organization when her criminal convictions were discovered during a background check.
Among the documents Chavez submitted was a forged letter falsely attributed to the attorney who had represented her in a prior federal criminal case. The fabricated letter, supposedly sent by the attorney to Chavez, falsely claimed that Chavez had been exonerated and the prosecution had agreed to dismiss all charges against her. The letter advised Chavez not to share any court records on her cases because they were supposedly sealed.
Chavez also submitted a forged recommendation letter purportedly signed by the chief executive officer of the nonprofit organization that had fired her weeks earlier. The letter praised Chavez's volunteer work for the nonprofit and recommended her for employment.
When contacted by law enforcement, both Chavez's former attorney and former employer confirmed that they had not written the letters and that the signatures on the documents were forged.
As part of her plea agreement, Chavez admitted that the fraudulent letters caused the company to hire her and that she remained employed there from December 2024 through March 2025.
In March 2021, Chavez was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiring to embezzle more than $160,000 from a former employer. In July 2022, Chavez received an additional 24-month sentence after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice for forging medical letters that falsely claimed she had been diagnosed with cancer and causing those forged letters to be submitted to a federal judge. Chavez was released from federal custody onto supervised release in both cases in November 2023.
Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8, 2026, at 9 a.m. by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia.
DEFENDANT Case No. 26-cr-02598-AJB
Ashleigh Lynn Chavez Age 42 Chula Vista, CA
aka “Ashleigh Lynn Coulson”
aka “Ashleigh Chavez Coulson”
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Obstruction of Justice – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in custody and a $250,000 fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Charleston Man and Woman Plead Guilty to Roles in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Kelvin Rydele Myles, also known as “D,” 49, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and Kristina Renea Clark, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl. Myles and Clark admitted to their roles in a conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 14, 2024, Myles sold approximately 2.9 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant while under a train trestle on Charleston’s West Side. As part of his guilty plea, Myles admitted that he conducted the transaction. Myles further admitted that he conducted multiple additional drug transactions. Myles sold approximately 3.28 grams of fentanyl on March 19, 2024, approximately 3.43 grams of fentanyl on March 22, 2024, and approximately 3.7 grams of fentanyl and 1.2 grams of cocaine on December 8, 2025. Each transaction occurred on Charleston’s West Side. Myles also sold approximately 5.1 grams of fentanyl on December 11, 2025, in South Charleston. All four transactions were with a confidential informant.
On May 3, 2024, Clark sold approximately 3.49 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in the driveway of a residence on Charleston’s West Side. As part of her guilty plea, Clark admitted that she conducted the transaction after a co-conspirator arranged it beforehand. Clark also admitted to additional drug transactions. Clark sold approximately 3.45 grams of fentanyl on April 16, 2024, and approximately 3.48 grams of fentanyl on July 10, 2024. Both transactions occurred on Charleston’s West Side. Each was with a confidential informant and was arranged beforehand by a co-conspirator. On September 17, 2024, Clark worked with two co-conspirators to sell approximately 3.51 grams of fentanyl and 2.81 grams of crack to a confidential informant at a residence on Charleston’s West Side. Clark brought the crack and some of the fentanyl from her residence to complete the transaction after one of her co-conspirators did not have enough of the drugs the confidential informant wanted to purchase.
On October 7, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Clark’s residence on Charleston’s West Side and seized 3.62 kilograms of fentanyl, 562 grams of cocaine, and six firearms from Clark’s bedroom. As part of her guilty plea, Clark admitted that she possessed the seized drugs and intended to distribute them and possessed the seized firearms in connection with her drug distribution intentions.
On December 16, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in Hurricane of a vehicle driven by Myles in which Clark was a passenger. Officers searched the vehicle during the traffic stop and seized two vacuum-sealed bags in the vehicle’s trunk that weighed approximately 760 grams and contained fentanyl. As part of their guilty pleas, Myles and Clark each admitted that they knew the fentanyl was in the trunk and that they intended to distribute it within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Myles and Clark are scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2026. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Myles and Clark each admitted to participating in the drug conspiracy between February and October 2024. They are among five defendants indicted by a federal grand jury following an investigation of drug trafficking in the Charleston area. The indictment remains pending against the other defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department-Special Enforcement Unit, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin and former Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon have prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-18.
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Buffalo business owner charged with bank fraud for defrauding customers out of more than a million dollarsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jason Knobloch, 56, of Lancaster, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with bank fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, since February 2021, Knobloch and others have been carrying out a scheme involving the fraudulent sales of forklifts and other similar equipment, claiming to sell these items through various companies that they controlled. The companies included KJJK Equipment Sales d/b/a Kelly Lift Equipment and Clover Lift Equipment d/b/a Lifts 4 Less. Victims conducted online searches for equipment and would either contact, or be contacted by, employees of Knobloch’s companies. Cost negotiations were conducted and once an agreement was reached, victims were provided with payment instructions. However, after ordering and paying for the equipment, it was either never delivered or, in rare instances, equipment of lesser value was sent instead of what was actually ordered.
When victims contacted Knobloch’s businesses regarding their orders, they were initially given various excuses about why the equipment had not been delivered. Eventually, the companies stopped responding to victim emails and phone calls altogether. In the rare instance equipment was delivered, serial numbers for the delivered equipment did not match the serial numbers for the ordered equipment and the hours on the delivered equipment were much higher than what was advertised. Partial and full refunds occurred occasionally, but typically only after the company was confronted and advised that legal action was forthcoming.
In total, Knobloch and his co-conspirators have defrauded approximately 32 victims, resulting in more than a million dollars in fraud loss. The investigation also identified additional fraud attempts in which Knobloch sought to deposit checks utilizing customers’ bank account information without the customers’ knowledge and consent and long after the victims first attempted to purchase equipment. For example, in December 2021, the owner of Plumb Level and Square sent a $59,900.00 check to Lifts 4 Less, which was cashed on December 21, 2021, but the equipment was never delivered. In August 2022, approximately eight months later, the owner stated that an attempt was made to cash a check, made out to Knobloch, utilizing the owner’s bank account information. Another attempt to deposit $59,900.00 utilizing the banking information of Plumb Level and Square was made in September 2022. Several more similar attempts were made to deposit checks totaling $27,000.00, $22,600.00, and $28,400.00, utilizing customers’ bank account information without their knowledge. Impacted financial institutions included Bank of America, Citizens Bank, and Good Neighbors Federal Credit Union.
Knobloch was ordered released on home confinement following a detention hearing this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose. The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Boone County Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Boone County, Ill. man has been sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine.
On Oct. 25, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at BRADLEY WALTERS’s place of business, Black Sheep Vintage, in Roscoe, Ill. Inside the premises, officers located more than a kilogram of fentanyl pills, more than 100 grams of pure methamphetamine, more than four kilograms of methamphetamine pills, and other suspected controlled substances. Officers also located a loaded pellet gun modeled to resemble a Glock firearm.
A search warrant was obtained after law enforcement made several controlled purchases of drugs from Walters, including at his business the day before the execution of the warrant.
Walters, 51, Caledonia, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. On July 10, 2026, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Walters to 24 years and four months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office participated in the investigation with the DEA. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Billings man sentenced to over 9 years in prison for trafficking methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was dealing meth from his Alderson Avenue home was sentenced to prison yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Joshua Mark Rideshorse, 41, who pleaded guilty in February 2026, was sentenced to nine years and five months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to nine years and five months, followed by three years of supervised release, on one count of a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Both sentences will run concurrently.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watter presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Rideshorse was dealing methamphetamine he bought in Washington. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force had learned in September 2024 that Rideshorse was possibly trafficking illicit drugs. On Oct. 16, 2024, the U.S. Marshal Service Montana Violent Offender's Task Force arrested Rideshorse at his Billings home on an outstanding warrant and while there spotted drugs, cash, and a pistol in the open. Rideshorse was convicted of a felony in 2022 and is currently prohibited from possessing a firearm. Law enforcement returned with a warrant and searched the house, where they found 4 ounces of methamphetamine, a stolen Smith & Wesson handgun, and $9,783 in cash.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Montana comprises agents and officers from a number of federal agencies as well as drug task forces throughout the state, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the U.S. Marshal Service Montana Violent Offender's Task Force conducted the investigation as part of the HSTF.
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Billings man sentenced to five years for drug-related crimesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was dealing cocaine armed with a handgun from a strip mall parking lot was sentenced yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Satchel Vernard McDonald, 29, who pleaded guilty in February 2026, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was also sentenced to five years in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The two sentences will run consecutively.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that McDonald, armed with a handgun, was selling cocaine from his car in the parking lot of a Billings shopping plaza.
The Billings Police Department received a complaint on Dec. 28, 2023, from a local business on Central Avenue that they suspected drug deals were happening in the parking lot. The business had seen the same Ford Mustang repeatedly pull into the parking lot, meet with other cars, and then leave shortly after.
Investigators eventually spotted the Mustang and learned that it was registered to McDonald, who had an address nearby. On Jan. 6, 2024, Montana Highway Patrol pulled McDonald over for speeding. In an interview with law enforcement, McDonald acknowledged he had cocaine and a handgun in his car. He also told investigators he had been dealing cocaine for about six months and that he had cocaine, firearms, and a large quantity of cash at his residence.
Investigators obtained a warrant and searched McDonald’s house, where they found an additional handgun, an assault-style rifle, a shotgun, $27,877 in cash, a Rolex, and just under a pound of cocaine.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Montana Highway Patrol, and the ATF conducted the investigation.
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Billings man pleads guilty to trafficking methamphetamine on Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Billings man who trafficked methamphetamine on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, Charles Jesse Sanchez, Jr., 61, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sanchez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided at the change of plea hearing and sentencing will be set for a later date. U.S. District Judge Kathleen S. Lane will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sanchez remained detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Charles “Chuck” Sanchez is known to distribute methamphetamine in Billings, and on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Using a confidential source, BIA and FBI purchased four ounces of methamphetamine from Sanchez on June 19, 2023. The source messaged Sanchez and met with him in Billings. Sanchez provided the methamphetamine hidden inside a package of baby wipes. The source showed agents Facebook messages coordinating the purchase of meth from Sanchez.
Sanchez was previously convicted in U.S. District Court for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (2000) and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (2017).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
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Bellevue, Washington, tax preparer who falsified tax returns sentenced to 18 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 65-year-old Bellevue, Washington tax preparer was sentenced to 18 months in prison late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle for three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Thanjavur Manavalan, the owner and operator of Mano Accounting Services, was convicted following an eight-day jury trial in March 2026. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, Manavalan showed “complete disrespect for the law.” This was a “long standing fraud scheme that ended only when the IRS showed up at your front door.”
“This defendant lined his pockets and grew his business by filing fraudulent tax returns on behalf of his clients,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “He cheated the tax system out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. My office is committed to going after fraud wherever it occurs, especially for those who expand their business through lies and deception.”
“Mr. Manavalan’s actions were deliberate and violated the trust placed in him by his clients and community,” said Carrie Nordyke, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “The sentencing reflects the seriousness of his conduct and underscores our commitment to holding tax professionals accountable for their choices.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Manavalan falsified a variety of items on clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, proceeds and initial price (basis) of investments sold, business losses, rental income, and private loans. Manavalan’s tax preparation business attracted clients who worked in the tech field, many of whom were originally from India, and they testified that they trusted Manavalan to compute and file their taxes correctly.
Prosecutors noted that Manavalan’s tax prep business filed thousands of returns and grew substantially over the course of the fraud scheme. By saving his clients money on their taxes, Manavalan developed a reputation that helped build his business, helping his firm’s year-over-year growth spike from about fifty additional tax returns to almost 300. He was paid per return, so the business growth meant he earned more money.
The trial detailed more than a dozen tax returns for tax years 2018-2020 alleged to contain false and fraudulent information. Judge King found that the total tax loss to the U.S. Treasury exceeded $250,000.
In asking for a two-year prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “This is not a story of greedy taxpayers flocking to a naïve preparer, or inexperienced staff mis-categorizing information, or innocent mistakes by Manavalan, or some combination of those excuses. Manavalan deliberately falsified the fifteen returns as part of his broader scheme to improve client results, and thus his bottom line.”
In addition to restitution of $115,672, Manavalan was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. Judge King ordered him to be on one year of supervised release following his prison term.
Manavalan has owned and operated Mano Accounting Services since 2004. He has indicated he is closing his business.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David T. Martin and Carolyn Forstein.
Barry County Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Drug Trafficking and Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Purdy, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and illegally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Dennis E. McMullen, 69, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Brian C. Wimes to eight years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin with the intent to distribute, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, followed by five years of supervised release. McMullen pleaded guilty to the offenses on Sept. 29, 2025.
On July 30, 2024, investigators with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team (ODET), and Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) executed a search warrant on McMullen’s residence following a controlled purchase of fentanyl from McMullen. Investigators searched the residence and discovered various controlled substances, paraphernalia, and a firearm. In the kitchen, investigators seized plastic baggies containing suspected controlled substances, including a baggie located inside a plastic tub of candy, an additional white rock-like substance, and scales.
In the residence’s upstairs bedroom, investigators located a Jennings model J-22 .22 caliber pistol, several boxes of ammunition, and two additional baggies of a white powder-like substance. Investigators also located a bag of a white powder-like substance from the console area of a vehicle parked outside. The suspected controlled substances were sent to a DEA laboratory for analysis, which resulted in the following substances being identified: 8.1 grams of fentanyl and lidocaine; 2.007 grams of fentanyl (found in the tub of candy); 2.169 grams of fentanyl; 2.501 grams of fentanyl and lidocaine; 5.2 grams of fentanyl, lidocaine, and acetaminophen; 31.874 grams of cocaine; .087 grams of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, lidocaine, and xylazine; and .754 grams of fentanyl, lidocaine, and acetaminophen.
According to court documents, McMullen has a criminal history that extends back decades, including prior felony convictions for forgery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, money laundering, and solicitation to kill a federal witness.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Wyatt A. Cross and Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and the Barry County, Mo. Sheriff’s Office.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Baltimore, Maryland man will spend the next five years in federal prison for selling fentanyl in Harrison County, West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Paul Samuel Williams, 27, was sentenced today to 60 months for distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Williams, also known as “G,” sold 51 grams of fentanyl for $3,500 in the parking lot of a business in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Williams has a criminal history that includes multiple drug convictions.
Williams will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Annandale man sentenced for trafficking “boot” and unlawfully possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Annandale man was sentenced today to five years and four months in prison for possession with intent to distribute N-isopropyl butylone (boot) and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on May 2, 2024, pursuant to a warrant, law enforcement searched the residence of Tyrice Stanton, 37. From Stanton’s bedroom, investigators recovered 36 individually packaged bags of boot, a Schedule 1 controlled substance, in addition to another larger package of boot, for a total of 41.63 grams. Investigators also recovered a privately-made firearm with an extended magazine and a laser light, another handgun, ammunition, four ammunition magazines, and brass knuckles.
On May 22, 2024, after Stanton was charged with armed drug trafficking and had been released, he was photographed in possession of a rifle. On June 26, 2024, while executing a search warrant, investigators found Stanton in possession of another handgun.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the Fairfax County Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-234.
Amsterdam Woman Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bank FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – On July 7, 2026, Nikki Vancuren, age 51, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty to attempted bank fraud. This action is a part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone, made the announcement.
As part of her guilty plea, Vancuren admitted that she used fraudulent passport cards to withdraw or attempt to withdraw money from others’ accounts at banks in New York State for several months in 2022 and 2023. This included on January 19, 2023, when she presented a fraudulent passport card showing identifying information for a real person but the defendant’s photograph and tried to withdraw $4,000 from an NBT bank in Johnson City, New York.
“The Department of Justice’s Fraud Division was established to crack down on cases like this,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone. “Those who seek personal profit by defrauding the system will be caught and held accountable. Because of her repeated actions, Ms. Vancuren is now facing up to 30 years in federal prison. I commend the Special Agents at HSI and their local partners for investigating this case and bringing the defendant to justice.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone said, “By repeatedly using fraudulent passport cards to access bank accounts that did not belong to her, this defendant attacked the integrity of our financial system and put innocent account holders at risk. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that HSI Albany and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate those who perpetrate fraud. These crimes erode community trust and financial stability, and HSI remains firmly committed to uncovering, disrupting, and bringing to justice individuals involved in fraud wherever we find it.”At sentencing on November 4, 2026, the defendant is facing up to 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years.
This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from Broome County Sheriff’s Office and the Vestal Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Mikayla Espinosa.
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.
Albany Woman Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Drasana Johnson, age 28, of Albany, has plead guilty to conducting a monetary transaction involving over $850,000 in stolen government funds, approximately $200,000 of which she used to purchase a residential property. This action is a part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Northeast Region, made the announcement.
As Johnson admitted in pleading guilty, in May 2023, she conducted several transactions for Asjid Parvez, another federal defendant guilty of stealing nearly $1 million in federal funds, including the purchase of an $878,698 teller check. The defendant admitted that she personally obtained over $150,000 in connection with the offense.
“Hardworking American taxpayers fund countless programs across the nation to aid our fellow Americans, and in this case, to aid hardworking farmers feeding our country. This defendant’s shameless actions defrauded those systems and now she will face up to 10 years in prison,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III.
“Ms. Johnson boldly stole almost $1 million from government funds designed to help our farmers,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli. “Americans expect government funds to be used as intended, and this investigation proves the FBI will work with our partners at every level of law enforcement to ensure they are.”
“The defendant in this case defrauded a government assistance program made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act. The program was designed to provide relief for distressed borrowers with certain Farm Service Agency direct and/or guaranteed loans and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations were at financial risk. This investigation should send a message of deterrence that USDA-OIG and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding those accountable who defraud government programs,” said Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge, USDA-OIG.
At sentencing scheduled for 11/5/2026 at 11:00 AM in Albany, NY before U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Johnson faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
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.Alabama man pleads guilty to his role in international drug trafficking ring involving pharmaceuticalsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Leeladhar H. Tandel, 44, of Mobile, AL, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Between July 2024 March 2025, Tandel conspired with others to sell Tapentadol, Alprazolam, Clonazepam, Carisoprodol, and Zolpidem. During the conspiracy, MEDDZONLINE.COM, PHARMACYSTORESONLINE.com, and related websites were part of a larger organized drug trafficking organization operating domestically and internationally using similar versions of the same website under different domain names. After orders were received, the organization sent bulk shipments of drugs via international mail to a US based bulk re-shipper. The drugs were then sent to smaller re-shippers, who were paid for each package they mailed out to customers.
Tandel was a smaller re-shipper. In June 2024, the DEA Buffalo District Office became aware of Tandel operating in the Mobile, Alabama region. On June 6, 2024, DEA Buffalo conducted an undercover purchase of 60 Zolpidem pills at a cost of $489.60 on PHARMACYSTORESONLINE.com. In May 2025, law enforcement recovered 40 packages that had originated in Summerdale, AL, which had previously been mailed out by Tandel. The packages included nine parcels containing 1,620 suspected Tramadol pills; 14 parcels containing 2,100 suspected Zolpidem pills; 13 parcels containing 2,100 suspected Alprazolam pills; and four parcels containing 1,080 suspected Tapentadol pills. The packaging was indicative of shipments being mailed out to customers of the online websites. Labels showed the scope of customers spanning the entire country and individuals such as Tandel played a key role in aiding the online websites to provide controlled substances to their customers in the USA.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division. Additional assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Offices in St. Louis, MO, Atlanta, GA, and Mobile, AL.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2026, before Judge Arcara.
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2022 Murder of Audora Williams Yields Guilty Verdict for Her Children’s FatherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Wonell Jones, Jr., 38, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today in D.C. Superior Court, on charges stemming from the death of 33-year-old Audora Williams in her apartment on July 19, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Jones was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon on July 16, 2026. Superior Court Judge J. Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2026.
“Jones flouted a protective order, put in place to keep Audora Williams and her children safe, and proceeded to murder Williams, with her children just feet away,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He shot Williams over 20 times, traumatizing these children, and changing the trajectory of their lives. Today’s verdict, guilty on all charges, is a step toward justice for Williams and a clear affirmation that such brutality will be met with unwavering accountability.”
According to the government’s evidence, on July 19, 2022, around 1:30 p.m., in the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE, Jones returned to Audora Williams’s apartment following a grocery run with one of her young sons. At the time, there were eight children in the apartment, three were Jones’s, three were Williams’s, and a toddler and a baby were shared by Jones and Williams. Shortly after returning, Jones, who was not supposed to be at the home or in contact with Williams because of a temporary protective order she had against him, with a protective order trial scheduled just days later, closed the door to Williams’s room and began a loud argument with her. Jones could be heard accusing Williams of cheating and growing louder and angrier and then the gunshots began. Jones then partially stepped out of the room and fired more shots before exiting the apartment, leaving the kids behind, and ultimately fleeing to Florida.
Surveillance video shows Jones entering the building and apartment with Williams’s child. The defendant shot Audora Williams more than 20 times, using two different guns.
Jones was arrested and held in Florida on August 29, 2022, and extradited to the District of Columbia on October 26, 2022, and has been in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Horton and Shaniqua Butler.
2022 CF1 006394
15 July 2026
Wolf Point woman sentenced to over 4 years in prison for trafficking meth from Billings motelRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Wolf Point woman who was dealing meth out of a Billings motel room was sentenced Tuesday to four years and eight months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Destinee Fate Rowe, 27, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Rowe, while on probation with the state of Montana, was dealing methamphetamine in Billings. An informant told law enforcement Rowe was operating out of a room at the Vegas Hotel, which law enforcement then searched and found an ounce and a half of meth. About a week later, investigators received another tip that Rowe was now dealing meth out of the Econo Lodge in Billings. A search of the room and her vehicle turned up another ounce and a half of meth, which Rowe acknowledged she was selling.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey prosecuted the case. The ATF and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Washington State Man Sentenced in D.C. for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Davis, 36, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“James Davis exploited online anonymity to engage in the abuse of children and to seek out other predators,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “When investigators closed in, he attempted to destroy evidence rather than take responsibility. This office will continue to track down offenders who believe they can hide behind digital shadows.”
Davis, who used the online screen name “Ulphednar,” pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2026, before Judge Amir H. Ali to distribution of child pornography. In addition to the five-year prison sentence, Judge Ali ordered Davis to serve 10 years of supervised release.
According to court papers, the investigation began when a law enforcement officer, working in an undercover capacity for the Metropolitan Police Department-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, encountered Davis on a website used to trade child sexual abuse material.
Davis began exchanging messages with the undercover officer and later continued the conversation on a messaging application. During those exchanges, Davis said he had sexually abused a minor over a period of years and sent images depicting the abuse.
Davis exchanged similar material with other users of the messaging application and discussed a shared sexual interest in children.
On April 11, 2025, the FBI executed a search warrant at Davis’s residence. As agents arrived, Davis attempted to destroy a cellphone that contained evidence of the offense. Davis later waived his Miranda rights and admitted to trading child sexual abuse material online.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation Task Force, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Seattle Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Venezuelan illegal alien pleads guilty to assaulting federal officerRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An illegal alien from Venezuela pleaded guilty in federal court here today to assaulting a federal officer.
Kendry Jose Cubian-Perez, 40, admitted to punching a federal officer during apprehension.
According to court documents, on May 8, law enforcement officials were conducting surveillance of a residence in Powell, attempting to apprehend a known criminal alien. Cubian-Perez exited the residence and entered a vehicle registered to the target of the enforcement operation.
When an apprehension team officer turned on their emergency vehicle lights, Cubian-Perez attempted to flee. The defendant encountered an Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer and punched the officer in the face, causing the officer’s tooth to puncture his bottom lip. Cubian-Perez tried to escape as the officer and others on scene responded to apprehend him and place him in handcuffs.
Cubian-Perez was charged by criminal complaint on May 8 and indicted by a federal grand jury the same month.
Assault of a federal officer inflicting bodily injury is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Kevin Raycroft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Pakiz and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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U.S. Attorney Urges Senate to Confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney GeneralRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Today, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft issued a public statement urging the Senate to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General.
“As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, I strongly support the confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General," said U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft. “Under his leadership, U.S. Attorneys across the country are laser-focused on the right priorities: combating violent crime, dismantling gangs, targeting transnational criminal organizations, and securing our communities. These are the fights that matter most for the safety of the American people. I urge the Senate to confirm him swiftly.”
Two TD Bank Insiders Sentenced to Prison for Facilitating Money Laundering, FraudRead the Press Release
A New York-based former employee of TD Bank, N.A. was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for facilitating a money laundering network’s movement of millions of dollars through TD Bank accounts. A second New York-based former employee of TD Bank, N.A. and another financial institution was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports as a bank employee.
According to court documents, Wilfredo Aquino, 47, of Manhattan, New York, leveraged his position as a TD Bank assistant store manager to facilitate a money laundering network’s movement of hundreds of millions of dollars through TD Bank accounts from 2019 to February 2021. During that time, the leader of the network, Da Ying Sze, also known as David, and his co-conspirators moved approximately $474 million through TD Bank accounts by depositing cash at TD Bank stores in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere. In February 2022, David pleaded guilty to coordinating a $653 million money laundering conspiracy, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and bribing bank employees in connection with financial transactions.
During David’s money laundering scheme, Aquino processed approximately 1,680 official bank checks at TD Bank for David and his co-conspirators, totaling more than approximately $92 million. Nearly all of these bank checks were funded with a corresponding cash deposit exceeding $10,000, which triggered TD Bank’s legal requirement to file a currency transaction report (CTR). Although Aquino knew that David was conducting these cash deposits, Aquino never identified David as the “conductor” on the CTR. Aquino also knew that TD Bank had closed other accounts linked to David for suspicious activity; one colleague even warned Aquino that David’s activity “looks like money laundering.” In February 2021, Aquino facilitated three of David’s money laundering transactions, totaling almost $2 million in cash, in a third party’s account. He failed to report David as the conductor of the transactions, thus concealing David’s role in the money laundering scheme.
Aquino accepted numerous retail gift cards from David totaling over $11,000 in return for his facilitation of this scheme, including for the three transactions in February 2021.
In January 2026, Aquino pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder monetary instruments.
According to court documents, from January 2021 through May 2021, Edward Low, also known as “a Mang Wah Low” and “Eddie Low,” 31, of Flushing, New York, accepted bribes and leveraged his position as a TD Bank, N.A. retail employee to fraudulently obtain confidential customer information that he passed to outside co-conspirators, who used it to take over accounts and steal money from customers. Low also processed some of their illicit transactions. In total, Low received at least $26,700 in bribes and facilitated $484,572.16 in fraud at TD Bank.
Then, from May 2022 through August 2022, while employed at another financial institution, Low accepted a bribe to falsify bank records to open an account in the name of a shell company. Low’s co-conspirators then used that account to commit at least $47,195 of fraud.
In February 2026, Low pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports as a bank employee.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey; Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) New York Region made the announcement.
The IRS-CI Newark Field Office and the FDIC OIG New York Region investigated the cases. The Department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.
Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea R. Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey, prosecuted 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 Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
Two Defendants Charged with Felony Murder, Child Abuse, Animal CrueltyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. — U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes today announced that a federal grand jury has returned an eight-count indictment charging a couple with allegedly starving their son to death and abusing their pets, causing the death of one of their dogs.
The federal indictment in Case No. 4:26-CR-00011, filed on July 15, charges the following individuals:
Emma Bradshaw, 22, of Carson City, Nevada, and Ladarrion McCray, 23, of Valdosta, Georgia, are both charged with one count of felony murder by child abuse; one count of cruelty to children in the first degree; one count of making false statements; one count of animal crushing; one count of aggravated animal cruelty; and two counts of animal cruelty. They each face a maximum of life in prison.
The defendants will have their initial appearances at times determined by the Court.
According to the indictment and statements made in court, the defendants are alleged to have willfully deprived their son of necessary sustenance between Jan. 14 and Jan. 28, which jeopardized the child’s health and well-being, resulting in the death of their child on Jan. 28. At the time of the alleged conduct, both defendants were residing in housing on Fort Benning. McCray was an active-duty soldier who had recently been transferred to Fort Benning. Bradshaw joined McCray on post shortly after his arrival. At the time Bradshaw arrived at Fort Benning, she was pregnant with their child.
Bradshaw and McCray allegedly abused their three dogs, a female dachshund, a male hound, and a female doberman, by failing to provide adequate food, water, sanitary conditions, and ventilation. On Jan. 28, 2026, members of CID executed a search warrant at the residence the defendants shared on post. While executing that search warrant, they located two dogs, the male hound and female doberman, who appeared severely malnourished. The third dog, the dachshund, was located deceased in a trash barrel outside of the home. The two surviving animals were brought to an animal shelter on Fort Benning, where medical evaluation revealed they were experiencing severe malnourishment and significant muscle wasting. A necropsy was conducted on the dachshund, which concluded the animal died of starvation.
Bradshaw and McCray are accused of lying to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division special agents by claiming their child showed no signs of illness before his death. They also allegedly told investigators that their Dachshund died from illness and was buried at a park off Fort Benning. However, the indictment alleges both knew their son was suffering from severe malnourishment prior to his death, and that the dog's remains were placed in a garbage bag and disposed of in the household trash near their residence. McCray is currently subject to discharge proceedings to remove him from military service as a result of the alleged conduct.
The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case. Deputy Criminal Chief Veronica Hansis is prosecuting the case for the Government.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
Thirty Charged in Takedown of Gang-Associated Crack Cocaine Street MarketRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging 30 alleged West Coast Crips gang members and associates with distributing large amounts of cocaine base to customers at an open-air crack market on Imperial Avenue about a mile and a half east of Petco Park.
In a coordinated takedown this morning, more than 350 members of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force – Gang Group, plus federal, state, and local law enforcement officials executed 21 search warrants on homes and vehicles in San Diego and arrested 28 defendants. As of 1 p.m, two defendants were still being sought.
Surveillance recording of hand-to-hand transactions allegedly being conducted by defendants Elton Wilson (in the reflective vest) and Eric Grady (white shirt at the bottom of the photograph) at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market. All photos are contained in court documents.
The investigation began in 2024 and focused on West Coast Crips (WCC) gang members suspected of drug trafficking and committing acts of violence in San Diego at and near the Crips-controlled outdoor drug market located at 2900 Imperial Avenue, pictured below.
According to court documents, the market functioned as both a retail outlet and a wholesale hub, supplying users directly while also feeding a network of low-level dealers who spread across East Village, downtown, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, and beyond to redistribute crack cocaine.
Investigators believe thousands of customers repeatedly purchased cocaine base at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market in 2025. Those customers would approach Crips members staffing the market and buy cocaine base with cash. Investigators estimate that about 20 pounds of cocaine - with an estimated street value of at least $550,000 - were sold at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market weekly.
Including seizures today and throughout this investigation, authorities have confiscated more than 11 pounds of cocaine; more than $14,000 in U.S. currency; two handguns and a money counting device. According to wiretapped conversations between coconspirators, defendants frequently sold out their inventory and would then look to replenish their supply.
For most of the investigation, a surveillance camera was trained on the Imperial Avenue Crack Market, capturing daily activity consistent with the sale of cocaine base, cocaine base, commonly known as crack cocaine.
According to court documents, the conspirators fell into three categories based on their roles: (1) street-level dealers who sold crack cocaine at the Imperial Avenue Crack Market; (2) suppliers who provided powder cocaine to be converted into crack cocaine for sale at the market; and (3) purchasers who bought crack cocaine at the market for redistribution elsewhere, including in San Diego's East Village neighborhood near Petco Park.
Investigators also identified associated gang activity occurring at or near the Imperial Avenue Crack Market. For example, WCC members celebrate “set day,” a gang holiday, every year on or around March 30 in recognition of their claim of the 30th Street corridor as WCC territory. On the evening of March 30, 2025, as captured in the photo above, WCC members and associates congregated at and around the Imperial Avenue Crack Market, effectively shutting off traffic through the area, and defied commands from San Diego Police Department officers to disperse.
The Imperial Avenue Crack Market was also a backdrop for violence. In one instance, on the evening of January 9, 2026, a car drove up to, and stopped in front of, the Imperial Avenue Crack Market. An occupant got out of the car and fired four or five gunshots at people congregating near the market, striking at least two. The occupant then returned to the car, which sped away.
“With these 30 indictments, the message is simple: San Diego is a paradise, but it’s not a gangster’s paradise,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
“Today marks another important milestone in the FBI’s mission to wipe out gang violence in America,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation ENCRIPTED – led by FBI San Diego with our federal and regional partners – marked a full-scale op targeting local Crips street gang members and their affiliates perpetrating criminal activities, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and more.
Twelve tactical FBI teams and partners targeted 23 locations and executed 28 arrests – building on the 1,200+ alleged gangs and criminal enterprises this FBI has disrupted so far in 2026 alone. This FBI is not letting up."“Today's operation sends a clear message: the FBI will not allow violent gangs to threaten our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Crips street gangs and affiliated members have allegedly committed numerous violent crimes while trafficking drugs, harming and intimidating our neighborhoods. This takedown shows the power of determined investigative work and strong collaboration with the San Diego Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, and our federal, state and local partners. We united the full strength of our agencies to dismantle this violent network and ensure they face justice. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to keep San Diegans safe.”
“Gang activity has no place in our city,” said San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. “Disrupting large-scale operations like this is what will keep San Diego one of the safest big cities in the nation. I am incredibly proud of the work being done by the Violent Crime Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to dismantle this operation.”
“The Chula Vista Police Department is proud to be part of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. This investigation highlights the importance of strong partnerships, as this criminal network impacted communities across San Diego County. We commend the coordinated efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners in bringing those responsible to justice,” said Captain Henry Martin of the Chula Vista Police Department. “The charges are the result of a year-long investigation that included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, undercover agents, and confidential sources.”
“This investigation highlights the dedication and teamwork of our law enforcement partners in confronting organized drug trafficking in our city,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “HSI is proud to support this collaborative effort, targeting those responsible for fueling addiction and violence. By working together, we are helping to restore safety and peace of mind to the community and remain committed to supporting initiatives that disrupt criminal activity and protect San Diego’s neighborhoods.”
Many of the defendants charged in the conspiracy have significant criminal histories, underscoring how the market became a haven for repeat offenders.
At least 22 of the defendants have prior felony convictions, mostly for drug sales. Five defendants are presently subject to some form of post-conviction supervision. Rynell Baker, one of the alleged leaders of the Crack Market conspiracy, was convicted of first-degree murder in 1994, paroled in 2021, and discharged from parole in 2022. Four of the defendants— Elton Wilson, Roshawn Walls, Shawn King, and Alejandro McFadden—have prior federal convictions that qualify as serious drug felonies. At least three others also have prior federal criminal convictions—Darnell Butler and Jerry Davis (RICO conspiracy), and Kendall Evans (Felon in Possession of Ammunition).
Cash, cocaine base, and marijuana found in defendant Grady’s car after he was arrested by police
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keith D. Ellison, Mario Peia, and David Kete.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 26CR2402
Name AgeCityElton Wilson58San DiegoRynell Baker55San DiegoEric Grady55San DiegoLorenzo Miller43San DiegoFUGITIVE Elmer Salgado-Pineda25National CityJulio Rangel38San DiegoJulio Rangel Jr.19San DiegoFelipe Benitez33San DiegoMichael Pollard46San DiegoDarnell Butler39San DiegoFUGITIVE Stephanie Singleton57San DiegoDerrick Taylor60San DiegoJames Wright76San DiegoLeray Shine52San DiegoRoshawn Maurice Walls56San DiegoAundray Eatmon48San DiegoKirk Patterson47San DiegoBrandon Antwaun Jones39San DiegoShawn Monique King56San DiegoAnthony Suffern65San DiegoPatrick Davis51San DiegoLarry Haynes64San DiegoNancy McSwain58San DiegoKendall Evans42San DiegoJerry Davis38San DiegoWendy Williamson57San DiegoAlejandro McFadden55San DiegoNorman Martin58San DiegoSUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), 841 (b) (1) (ii), 841 (b) (1) (iii)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison; Mandatory Minimum: Ten years in prison; $10 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crimes Task Force – Gang Group (VCTF-GG), which includes investigators from the following agencies:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- San Diego Police Department
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- California Department of Corrections
- San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
- Chula Vista Police Department
- National City Police Department
- U.S. Bureau of Prisons
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation 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 San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and INTERPOL, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
Tallahassee Man Sent to Federal Prison for Theft of Government Funds in Stolen Valor ProsecutionRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida - Michel Duane Dyson, 46, of Tallahassee, Florida, who misrepresented himself as a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran to fraudulently collect Veteran’s Administration (VA) benefits, has been sentenced to a 48-month term of federal imprisonment for his misrepresentations and receipt of VA funds. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence today.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The brave men and women of our Armed Forces have made innumerable sacrifices throughout our nation’s history to preserve and protect the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans, and acts of stolen valor by fraudsters, like this defendant, are despicable. This defendant fraudulently claimed military service to gain benefits reserved for our nation’s warriors, but thanks to the excellent investigative work by federal law enforcement partners and the successful prosecution by my office, he’ll spend years in federal prison for his crimes.”
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.
Court records show that in April 2022, Dyson fraudulently applied for Veterans Affairs benefits based on his claims that he actively served in the U.S. Army, further claiming that he served in combat and had been awarded both the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Dyson was never an active or reserve member of any branch of the armed forces. Investigators later determined that, during part of the time Dyson claimed service in the Army, he was incarcerated in Massachusetts for a sex offense. Nonetheless, as a result of his fraudulent misrepresentations, from April 2022 until June 2025, Dyson was able to secure VA benefits in the form of medical treatment provided either through VA medical facilities or contracted medical providers. In May 2025, Dyson further attempted to fraudulently obtain additional VA housing benefits, at which point his deception was uncovered. Records in the investigation revealed that Dyson had similarly attempted to obtain VA benefits in the Boston, Massachusetts area in 2013, but had been denied.
As part of the sentence, upon release from prison, Dyson will be required to serve three years on supervised release and was ordered to pay $28,118.37 in restitution to the VA.
“This sentence holds the defendant accountable for falsely claiming military service to obtain VA benefits intended for veterans who earned them through their sacrifice and service,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG remains committed to safeguarding veteran programs against fraud so that benefits reach the individuals they were created to serve.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin prosecuted the case.
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 available 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.
Suspected gang member and prior felon arrested, charged with drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Otis Williams a/k/a Skino, 39, Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of drug trafficking, and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, which carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of life.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Buffalo Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit have been investigating the criminal activities of the Black Soprano Family (BSF) Gang, a violent street gang operating in and around the City of Buffalo. The FBI has identified numerous gang members as well as gang territory located on the east side of Buffalo. BSF members have been arrested by several police departments for violent criminal acts, including drug and firearm trafficking. They commit violent criminal acts to protect gang-controlled territory and associated houses. Williams and others have been identified as suspected gang members, in part because of various gang-related tattoos indicating gang membership and their associations with other known BSF gang members. Law enforcement has also determined that Williams is a narcotics trafficker who supplies various individuals within the Western District of New York.
On July 14, 2026, investigators executed a search warrant at William’s Ericson Avenue residence, seizing a handgun, approximately 88 grams of crack cocaine, quantities of suspected cocaine and fentanyl, suspected ecstasy pills, drug paraphernalia, and three cell phones. Williams was convicted of felony charges in 2008, 2015, and 2016, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm
Williams made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained pending a detention hearing on July 21, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis A. Testani, Katerina Powers and Joshua A. Violanti. The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis II and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Erika Shields.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Spokane Valley Man Arrested After a Joint FBI, DEA, Spokane Valley and Steven’s County Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on Friday July 10, 2026, Jack Alexander Gentry, 45, of Spokane Valley, was arrested after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with multiple counts of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Gentry faces a ten-year mandatory minimum jail sentence based upon the quantities of drugs he has been alleged to have distributed.
At the time of his arrest, agents located and seized 14 firearms one of which has been identified as a personally manufactured gun or ghost gun, countless rounds of ammunition, magazines, gun parts and approximately $28,000 in cash, as well as distribution amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, the Spokane Valley Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office. Gentry is currently in federal custody pending resolution of his federal charges.
This investigation 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 Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
2:26-CR-75-TOR
Six Lubbock Methamphetamine Traffickers Sentenced to Combined 143 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, announced that the final defendant in a significant Lubbock, Texas, methamphetamine trafficking organization was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on July 8.
Waylon Williams, 42, pled guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in January 2026.
“These lengthy prison sentences assure North Texans that the federal government is partnering – through the Homeland Security Task Forces – with our great state and local law enforcement officers to dismantle drug traffickers and their networks,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that ruins lives and destroys families. Thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners, these individuals have been held accountable for their crimes.”
Five others charged in the same case were previously sentenced to prison terms for their respective roles in the methamphetamine trafficking:
- Charles Clay Pruitt, 48, of Lubbock, was sentenced in April 2026 to 480 months (40 years).
- Jason Lee Garza, also known as “J-Bird”, 50, of Lubbock, was sentenced in June 2026 to 420 months (35 years).
- Brody Wayne Duncan, 32, of Post, Texas, was sentenced in May 2026 to 240 months (20 years).
- Matthew Young, 50, of Lubbock, was sentenced in April 2026 to 188 months (15.6 years) in federal prison.
- Veronica Pena aka Veronica Zambrano, 51, of Lubbock, was sentenced in May 2026 to 180 months (15 years) in federal prison.
Williams, Pruitt, Garza, Duncan, and Pena were sentenced by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. Young was sentenced by Fifth Circuit Judge Andrew S. Oldham, sitting by assignment.
Court documents reflect that beginning as early as 2020, the defendants conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in Lubbock and Post. Agents investigated the conspiracy over several months, culminating in the execution of several search warrants resulting in the seizure of approximately 985 grams of methamphetamine, $9,816 in currency, and multiple firearms. Searches of the defendants’ cellular phones revealed extensive communications where they would coordinate their methamphetamine trafficking operation. One set of messages between the conspirators also discussed destroying evidence prior to law enforcement’s execution of a search warrant.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, with substantial assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Lubbock Police Department, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Garza County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Anti-Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force 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.
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Seminole County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffery Ryan Black, age 29, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment charged Black with knowingly possessing one semi-automatic rifle, 65 rounds of ammunition, and three cartridge casings on January 23, 2026, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Black will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Seacoast Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Large Quantities of Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
Seacoast Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Large Quantities of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl
CONCORD – Michael Michaud, 55, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl, and two counts of possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute them, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe scheduled Michaud’s sentencing for November 4, 2026.
According to the court documents and statements made in court, beginning in 2022, the DEA began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire. During the investigation, multiple DEA cooperating sources reported that Michaud was a significant source of narcotics, personally selling distributable quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in the Seacoast area. The DEA conducted multiple controlled drug purchases from Michaud and his coconspirators, purchasing more than a pound of methamphetamine and more than a pound of fentanyl. In November 2025, law enforcement pulled over Michaud while he was driving with his girlfriend. Michaud possessed substantial qualities of methamphetamine and fentanyl packaged for distribution and was arrested.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance each carry a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $1,000,000. 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.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Savannah man sentenced to more than 35 years in prison for machinegun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A Savannah man has been sentenced to prison in federal court after being convicted for firearm- and drug-related crimes.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Maurice Williams, aka “Bando,” 23, of Savannah, was sentenced to 421 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after being convicted of two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Illegal Possession of a Machinegun and Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone and Marijuana. Williams also pled guilty to two additional counts of Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun and two counts of Distribution of Fentanyl.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Court documents and testimony show that in September 2023, an extensive investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began which included undercover purchases of firearms and drugs.
These controlled purchases included weapons of various models, including Glock handguns which were equipped with machinegun conversion devices, or MCD’s. An MCD allows a firearm to fire multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger, transforming a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machinegun.
Throughout the investigation, undercover agents completed multiple purchases of firearms and drugs, including hundreds of pills containing fentanyl.
During a September 2024 traffic stop by Savannah Police, Williams was found in possession of a Glock Model 21, .45 caliber pistol with an attached MCD, oxycodone, and more than 300 grams of marijuana.
“The extensive illegal activity this defendant was involved in, peddling illicit drugs and selling dangerous weapons will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that felons that terrorize our community face long, federal prison sentences without opportunities for parole.”
“I want to thank our officers and federal partners for their hard work on this case,” said Savannah Police Chief Lenny B. Gunther. “Savannah is a safer place for having removed drugs, illegal guns, and a criminal from our community.”
“Today's sentencing highlights the importance of our ongoing partnerships in law enforcement,” said ATF Resident Agent in Charge Chase Anastasio. “By working together, we can effectively target and disrupt the flow of illegal firearms and drugs in our neighborhoods."
This case was investigated by the ATF, Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Savannah Police Department’s Strategic Investigations Unit and Community Response Team and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys L. Alexander Hamner and Makeia R. Jonese.
Rockland Congruity LLC Agrees to Pay $2.6 Million to Resolve Allegations of PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Rockland Congruity LLC (Rockland), a Delaware limited liability company with a principal place of business in Pembroke, Mass., has agreed to pay $2,687,700 to resolve allegations that it fraudulently obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was ineligible.
Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and the Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses through the PPP, which the Small Business Administration (SBA) administered. The PPP provided for loans in two “draws”—first draw loans became available in March 2020, and second draw loans became available in January 2021. To be eligible for PPP loans, businesses were required to certify on their loan applications that they met certain size standards based on, for example, the number of employees they, and their affiliated entities, collectively employed. In determining number of employees, businesses generally were required to count all employees of U.S. and foreign affiliates. Businesses with more than 300 employees were not eligible for second draw loans.
As part of the settlement, Rockland admitted that, in March 2021, it received a $1,709,099 second draw PPP loan. Rockland certified that it was eligible for the loan under the PPP regulations in effect at the time of the application and represented on its application that it had 96 employees, including affiliates’ employees. Rockland later sought and received forgiveness of the full amount of that loan. Prior to 2021 and through 2022, Rockland was a subsidiary of Procurri Corporation Limited, a company with global operations. When it applied for the loan and when it applied for forgiveness, Rockland had more than 300 employees, when considering employees of Procurri, and was ineligible for the PPP loan.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julien M. Mundele of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
Rochester man going to prison for 12 years on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Todd J. Romig, 29, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, and possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Between June 2024, and April 10, 2025, Romig conspired with others to sell marijuana. He obtained multi-pound quantities of high-end marijuana and resold it to customers at a markup. On April 10, 2025, Rochester Police Officers responded to a report of shots fired at a Monroe Avenue apartment building. Officers went to the second floor and heard someone yelling inside one of the apartments. They knocked on a door and Romig confirmed from inside that he had yelled. As officers made entry into the apartment, Romig was in an upstairs loft. He was directed to come down and was then detained while the officers cleared the apartment and looked for possible victims or other suspects. During their sweep, officers observed two large open cardboard boxes filled to the top with vacuum sealed packages of what appeared to be marijuana, spent bullet casings and a rifle. As a result, officers obtained a search warrant during which they seized 34 pounds of marijuana, ammunition, a loaded magazine, a loaded rifle, and $50,672 in cash, which were proceeds from prior sales of marijuana. During the investigation, another approximately 146 pounds of marijuana was seized from a Union Street residence in Spencerport, NY, where Romig also stored marijuana.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Everardo A. Rodriguez. The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Ogden Police Department, under the direction of Chief Travis Gray.
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Redi-Bag USA and CEO Agree to Pay $7.3M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
New York Packaging II LLC doing business as Redi-Bag USA, a New York-based supplier of custom bags, liners, and packaging, along with the company’s CEO, Jeffrey Rabiea, have agreed to pay a total of $7.3 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by misrepresenting on customs entry forms the country of origin of polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs), thereby evading antidumping duties owed to the United States.
“Companies that benefit from access to U.S. markets must follow U.S. law, including by paying import duties that protect American manufacturers and workers from unfair foreign competition,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who evade duties owed to the United States.”
“Antidumping duties help protect American taxpayers, workers, and businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “This settlement agreement shows that our Office will continue to vigorously investigate and pursue allegations that businesses are evading those duties through unlawful conduct.”
“CBP ensures that all companies comply with U.S. customs and trade laws,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. “With this settlement, we are protecting the integrity of our nation’s borders and holding those who attempt to evade customs duties accountable. We continue to work closely with our partners to safeguard fair trade and support lawful commerce.”
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties, including antidumping duties assessed by the Department of Commerce. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost. During the relevant time period, PRCBs from the People’s Republic of China (China) were subject to antidumping duties.
The settlement resolves allegations that Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea knew that PRCBs they imported and supplied to customers across the United States were manufactured in China and transshipped through Hong Kong. Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea nevertheless misrepresented on customs entry forms that the country of origin of the PRCBs was Hong Kong, thus evading antidumping duties assessed by the United States under Antidumping Duty Order No. A-570-886 (ADD Order). When applicable, the ADD Order imposed an antidumping duty of up to 77.57% on the value of PRCBs manufactured in China and imported into the United States.
The United States alleged that Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea concealed the PRCBs’ true country of origin by hiding information from others, including the company’s customs broker and CBP, by directing employees to cover up “Made in China” markings, directing the manufacturer to remove “Made in China” markings, and directing the cancelation of orders after learning the orders would be inspected by customs authorities.
The settlement with Redi-Bag USA and Mr. Rabiea resolves a civil lawsuit filed by relator John Maierhoffer, a former contracted sales representative for Redi-Bag USA, under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and is captioned United States ex rel. Maierhoffer v. New York Packaging II LLC, et al., Civil No. 21-20170 (D.N.J.). As part of today’s resolution, Mr. Maierhoffer will receive approximately $1,332,250 of the settlement proceeds.
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
In 2025, the Department of Justice launched a cross-agency Trade Fraud Task Force to enhance efforts to combat and prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force augments existing coordination mechanisms within the Department of Justice, leveraging expertise from both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against any parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Department’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from CBP’s Office of Associate Chief Counsel, New York, Northeast Region; CBP’s Office of Trade, Trade Regulatory Audit; and CBP’s Industrial & Manufacturing Materials Center, Office of Field Operations.
Trial Attorney Gavin Thole of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Simunovich for the District of New Jersey handled the case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Promoter of Abusive Tax Shelter Indicted for Tax Crimes and for Retaliating Against Federal OfficialsRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed on Monday in the Eastern District of Texas charging a Texas man with various tax crimes related to the use, promotion, and sale of an abusive tax shelter. He was also charged with filing false retaliatory liens against federal officials.
According to the indictment, Roger Napoleon Grant of Plano, Texas, used an abusive trust tax shelter to conceal his income from the IRS. He also allegedly promoted and sold this tax shelter to others. The tax shelter allegedly consisted of a multi-tiered trust structure typically consisting of at least two sham trusts and a purported charitable foundation. Grant allegedly told his clients that by implementing this structure, any income assigned to the trusts would be tax free. The indictment alleges that Grant typically charged clients between $12,500 to $50,000 to purchase the abusive trust tax shelter from him.
For the years 2017 through 2022, Grant allegedly assigned income he earned from promoting this tax shelter to a purported business trust. Though Grant reported about $80,521 in total income between 2017 and 2022, he received millions into a bank account held in the name of the purported business trust during that period. Grant had exclusive authority over this account, which he routinely used to pay for his personal expenses.
Grant was allegedly responsible for preparing and distributing the purported trust and foundation instruments for clients and providing clients with information and ongoing support related to their use of the tax shelter. Grant allegedly assured his clients that despite this reassignment of income, the clients’ business operations would not change and that his clients, as trustees, would retain complete control over their businesses and the income that their businesses generated.
Grant allegedly knew that the deductions reported on both his and his client’s trust tax returns were fraudulent and used to conceal his and his clients’ true income from the IRS.
In April 2025, Grant learned about the criminal investigation against him. According to the indictment, Grant retaliated by filing false liens against government officials, including the Attorney General of the United States, the Acting IRS Commissioner, the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, the Clerk of Court for the District of Colorado, and an attorney with the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
Grant is charged with five counts of tax evasion, 10 counts of aiding and assisting the filing of false income tax returns, and 10 counts of filing false retaliatory liens. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count, three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the filing of false income tax returns, and 10 years in prison for each count of filing false retaliatory liens.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs of the Eastern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Boris Bourget and Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Prior felon going to prison on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Stacy Spencer, 60, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearm, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
In 2021, the DEA and Niagara Falls Police Department began an investigation into Spencer, which included four controlled purchases of cocaine. On May 2, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at Spencer’s residence and at an Ontario Avenue residence in Niagara Falls, which Spencer utilized for his drug trafficking related activities. During the execution of a search warrant at the Ontario Avenue residence, officers located a locked safe in the basement, which contained approximately 93.5 grams of cocaine, and a pistol. They also recovered approximately $6,385 in cash from Spencer. In October 1993 and October 2009, Spencer was convicted of felony crimes in Niagara and Erie Counties, respectively, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler. The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Chief Nick Ligammari.
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Previously Removed Illegal Alien from Mexico and Utah Man Arrested and Charged After Law Enforcement Seized Meth and Heroin in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a previously removed illegal alien from Mexico and a Utah County man with drug crimes after law enforcement seized a large quantity of methamphetamine and heroin during a traffic stop and at a residence in Lehi, Utah.
Martiano Ralph Estrada, 51, of Orem, Utah, and Alejandro Alberto Alvarado-Gutierrez, 34, of Mexico, residing illegally in Lehi, were charged and arrested on July 8, 2026.
According to court documents, on June 29, 2026, law enforcement stopped Estrada for a traffic violation. Estrada was the driver and Alvarado-Gutierrez was the front passenger. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 31 grams of methamphetamine and 33 grams of heroin hidden under the steering wheel of the vehicle. Law enforcement also searched a residence in Lehi and located an additional 223 grams of heroin and 1,108 grams of methamphetamine. At the residence, law enforcement also located packaging for two cell phones which matched the phones found on Alvarado-Gutierrez during the traffic stop. A brief search of the phones revealed messages that appeared to be about drug distribution. In total, law enforcement seized 1,139 grams of methamphetamine and 256 grams of heroin.
According to court documents, Alvarado-Gutierrez is not a citizen of the United States and was previously removed from the United States in November 2025.
Estrada and Alvarado-Gutierrez are charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Alvarado-Gutierrez is also charged with reentry of a previously removed alien. Their initial appearance on the indictment was July 13, 2026. Estrada’s detention hearing is scheduled for July 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Alvarado-Gutierrez is scheduled for a three-day jury trial on September 18, 2026, before a U.S. District Court 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 by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Utah County Major Crimes Task Force.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Pete 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.
Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Federal Child Exploitation Crimes in Alachua County, FloridaRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Joshua Barber, 39, of Butler, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor for purpose of producing visual depictions; one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity; one count of cyberstalking; six counts of threatening communications; and one count of repeated harassing communication. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Barber appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for August 4, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on count one; a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on count two; up to 10 years’ imprisonment on count three; up to five years’ imprisonment on counts four through nine; and up to two years’ imprisonment on count ten.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Gainesville Police Department, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt is prosecuting the case.
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 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 available 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.
Panama City Beach Felon Indicted on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Joseph Primus Gainer, 44, of Panama City Beach, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Gainer appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
If convicted, Gainer faces enhanced penalties of up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the drug count due to a prior drug trafficking conviction and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the firearm count.
The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Beach Police Department, and the Panama City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
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.
Owner of Long Island Bus Company Sentenced to Prison for Multi Million-Dollar Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, John B. Mensch, the owner and chief executive officer of a bus conglomerate based in Medford, Long Island, was sentenced by United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury to 18 months in prison for bank fraud conspiracy. Judge Choudhury also ordered Mensch to pay restitution in the amount of $9,326,366.03. Mensch pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2024.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, New York Field Office (USSS), announced the sentence.
“John Mensch kept a failing business afloat by manipulating the banking system and exploiting the trust that financial institutions place in their customers,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “By cycling worthless checks through multiple bank accounts, the defendant obtained millions of dollars in funds that did not exist, creating the illusion of financial stability while concealing the company’s insolvency. Today’s sentence should serve to warn fraudsters like the defendant that the loss of freedom and restitution to victims is the price of their crimes. This Office will continue to hold accountable those who abuse the financial system through sophisticated fraud schemes.”
“John Mensch’s feedback loop of fraud stole more than nine million dollars and manipulated financial institutions to keep his bankrupt business afloat. The FBI continues to hold accountable fraudsters who abuse our economic system for personal enrichment,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“This was not a victimless crime. It was a sophisticated scheme involving millions of dollars in fraudulent checks to benefit the defendant, while threatening the integrity of the banking system and harming his creditors, customers and employees,” stated USSS Special Agent in Charge McCool. “This sentencing should serve as a warning to other criminal fraudsters: We will catch you and you will be held accountable. Thanks to our partners in the New York law enforcement community and the Eastern District of New York for your collaboration in bringing justice in this case.”
Mensch was the owner and operator of East End, a transportation company that provided busing services for students on Long Island and elsewhere. Between 2017 and September 2018, East End maintained numerous accounts—and was granted expedited check-clearing privileges—at banks located in Suffolk County, New York, and Orange County, New York. Those privileges allowed East End to obtain near-immediate access to the deposited funds before the underlying checks had cleared. Mensch and other East End executives abused those privileges by engaging in an elaborate “check-kiting” scheme, passing fraudulent checks between East End’s various accounts to keep East End operational despite being effectively insolvent.
Specifically, Mensch and other East End executives drew checks on East End’s bank accounts at Financial Institution #1, despite those accounts containing insufficient funds to cover the checks. Those bad checks were then deposited into East End’s bank accounts at Financial Institution #2, which, unaware that the checks would eventually bounce, allowed East End immediate access to the funds. East End withdrew those funds to meet various financial obligations and then, before the checks bounced, conducted the same process in the reverse, drawing bad checks on its Financial Institution #2 accounts and depositing them into its Financial Institution #1 accounts to create the false impression that funds were available to cover the earlier checks. This circular flow of worthless checks continued, with the banks advancing East End non-existent funds for several months until the scheme was detected in September 2018. By that time, East End had obtained nearly $10 million dollars from Financial Institution #1 and Financial Institution #2, all of which it had spent while continuing to operate at a deficit.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Adam R. Toporovsky is in charge of the prosecution, with help from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson.
The Defendant:
JOHN B. MENSCH
Age: 55
Quogue, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-334 (NJC)