title: Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Domingo Valentin Solis-De Leon, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2025. Solis-De Leon was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025. On Jan. 8, 2014, United States Border Patrol arrested Solis-De Leon near Hidalgo, Texas after entering the United States illegally. Solis De-Leon was ordered removed and was sent back to his home country of Guatemala. On Jan. 6, 2024, immigration authorities learned that Solis-De Leon was present in the United States following his arrest by the Lynn Police Department. According to court documents, Solis-De Leon was arrested on state charges for assault and battery on family or household member and the matter is currently pending in Lynn District Court. He was subsequently released from state custody and Solis-De Leon was arrested by immigration authorities on Jan. 28, 2025 in Lynn, Mass. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Final sentence imposed in multimillion-dollar money laundering conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 49-year-old naturalized citizen from Arlington has been ordered to prison for unlicensed money transmitting and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Nhiem Thi Dan “Sam” Nguyen entered a guilty plea Oct. 5, 2021. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now sentenced Nguyen to serve 40 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. She will also forfeit $76,848 in cash seized at the time of her arrest and another $17,801.52 in seized accounts. Judge Ellison found Nguyen managed others in the conspiracy and did not commit the crimes inadvertently. “Money transmitters are regulated specifically to avoid the type of criminal facilitation that took place here,” said Ganjei. “Drug trafficking organizations spread misery, addiction, and violence, but they are fueled by cash. Money laundering schemes allow criminals to convert their ill-gotten gains into spendable currency, and so it’s always a win for the public when we can put one of these launderers out of operation.” “In any scheme, criminals have to get the money distanced from the crime to avoid detection, which is the criminal business Nguyen and her accomplices ran. They were big players in the deception and lies that allowed drug money and other cash to be moved almost undetected. I say ‘almost’, because we caught them,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “These conspirators set up various accounts, some even moved cash themselves. When you touch money, cash or virtual currency, you leave a trail for us to follow and that’s the expertise of IRS-CI special agents.” Nguyen was the top lieutenant in an unlicensed money transmitting business that Vinh and Diana Phan and others ran. The illegal business transmitted funds received in the form of bulk U.S. currency. During the course of the approximately 21-month conspiracy, the unlicensed money transmitting business received and transmitted more than $33 million in cash. At least some of this cash had been earned from the trafficking, distribution and sale of controlled substances, including approximately $9 million received from Branden Denver Richards, Douglas Paul Michael Davis and Michael Dean Richards. All were members of a Dallas-area drug trafficking organization. The Phans and Nguyen introduced this bulk cash into the banking system through more than nine “money mules.” The Phans then used the funds to buy virtual currency which was sold for cash in California - the state where the controlled substances originated. The Phans used virtual currency to eliminate the risk of driving cash across the country. The Phans and Nguyen did not register their money transmitting business with the Department of the Treasury nor did the state of Texas license them to engage in money transmission. Nguyen was the last of six to be sentenced. Vinh Quang Phan and Diana Le Phan, 59, and 47, a Houston-area married couple, received prison terms of 10 years and were ordered to pay $80,000 in fines and forfeit their home and more than $486,000 in cash and seized accounts. Branden Richards, 33, Little Elm, was ordered to serve five years in prison, while Davis, 31, Keller, and Michael Richards, 36, Frisco, were both ordered to serve two years. Nguyen was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. IRS Criminal Investigation-led South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Financial Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation with assistance from Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Eun Kate Suh prosecuted the case with assistance from Deputy Chief Brandon Fyffe of the Asset Recovery Section.


title: Boston City Councilor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Public Corruption Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has agreed to plead guilty to federal public corruption charges in connection with an alleged kickback scheme to obtain thousands of dollars in cash from a staff member in exchange for a large bonus. Tania Fernandes Anderson, 46, of Boston, has agreed to plead guilty to count one of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. In December 2024 , Fernandes Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury. Per the plea agreement , the government is recommending a sentence of one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000. Fernandes Anderson currently serves as City Councilor for Boston’s District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End. She was first elected to a two-year term in November 2021 and won re-election in November 2023. According to the charging documents, in or about 2022, Fernandes Anderson hired two members of her immediate family as salaried employees of her City Councilor Staff. Because City Councilors are prohibited by law from hiring immediate family members to their paid staff, Fernandes Anderson was required to terminate their salaried employment in or about August 2022. Additionally, from in or about March 2023 to May 2023, the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission notified Fernandes Anderson of its findings and that it would be seeking a $5,000 civil penalty payment from her. It is alleged that, in or about November 2022, Fernandes Anderson allegedly emailed a City of Boston employee regarding her hiring of Staff Member A – a relative of Fernandes Anderson who was not an immediate family member – as a salaried employee. In her email to the City of Boston employee, it is alleged that Fernandes Anderson falsely represented that she and Staff Member A were not related: From in or about early to mid-2023, Fernandes Anderson was allegedly facing personal financial difficulty, which included the outstanding $5,000 civil penalty payment to the Ethics Commission. It is further alleged that, in or about early May 2023, Fernandes Anderson told Staff Member A that she would give them extra pay in the form of a large bonus, but that Staff Member A would have to give a portion of the bonus back to Fernandes Anderson. Staff Member A agreed to the arrangement with Fernandes Anderson. On or about May 3, 2023, Fernandes Anderson allegedly sent an email to a City of Boston employee to process bonus payments for her City Councilor Staff. In the email, Fernandes Anderson instructed the City of Boston employee to process a bonus payment of $13,000 to Staff Member A – more than double the total bonuses paid to all other Fernandes Anderson staff combined. Fernandes Anderson allegedly did not disclose the bonus kickback arrangement she had made with Staff Member A to the City of Boston employee. Staff Member A deposited the bonus check on or about May 26, 2023 into their account at Santander Bank. It is alleged that, at Fernandes Anderson’s direction, Staff Member A then made separate cash withdrawals of the payment on three separate dates: $3,000 on May 31, 2023; $3,000 on June 5, 2023; and $4,000 on June 9, 2023. It is alleged that, on June 9, 2023, immediately following the final cash withdrawal, Fernandes Anderson and Staff Member A arranged to meet in a bathroom at Boston City Hall. There, Staff Member A allegedly provided Fernandes Anderson with $7,000 in cash: According to the signed plea agreement, for tax years 2021, 2022 and 2023, Fernandes Anderson filed fraudulent federal income tax returns with the IRS. Specifically, it is alleged that Fernandes Anderson: omitted approximately $11,000 in income that she earned from a Massachusetts-based corporation from her 2021 tax return; willfully omitted campaign funds that she used for her own personal enrichment from her 2022 and 2023 tax returns; and willfully omitted the $7,000 kickback that she received from Staff Member A from her 2023 tax return. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Climate Activist Found Guilty in Defacing Degas Exhibit at National Gallery of Art

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Timothy Martin, 55, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found guilty by a federal jury for his role in the April 27, 2023, defacement of an art exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. President Trump directed federal authorities in a March 2025 Executive Order to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful by launching a multi-faceted initiative to address both crime and beautification. This includes the creation of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to coordinate law enforcement efforts, and a program to restore and enhance the city's public spaces. “This verdict sends a strong message to the thousands of people who come to D.C. each year to demonstrate and be heard,” said U.S Attorney Martin. “Free speech is a constitutional right. But when you take illegal action, such as causing damage to an art exhibit at the National Gallery, you are crossing a line. We want to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Again, and we will not tolerate anyone defacing our city to get attention for their cause.” After a four-day trial, the jury, yesterday, found Martin guilty of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for August 22, 2025. According to evidence introduced in court, Martin and co-defendant Johanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, NY, smeared paint on the case and base of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen , a sculpture which has drawn visitors for years to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Following the attack, a group called Declare Emergency claimed credit. Martin and Smith agreed, along with other co-conspirators, to enter the National Gallery of Art for the purpose of injuring the exhibit and entered the museum armed with water bottles filled with paint. Martin and Smith handed their phones to other co-conspirators and waited until patrons cleared the area in front of the Little Dancer . The pair proceeded to smear paint on the case and base of the exhibit, at times smacking the case with force. Prior to the attack, members of the conspiracy had alerted the Washington Post , and two reporters from the Post recorded and photographed the offense. Additionally, other members of the conspiracy filmed and photographed the offense. Smith and Martin caused over $4,000 in damage, including material and labor costs, and the exhibit was removed from public display for 10 days so that it could be repaired. Smith pleaded guilty December 15, 2023, to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit. She was sentenced to 60 days in prison, followed by 24 months of supervised release and ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and $4,062 in restitution. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Tepfer and Jennifer Blackwell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 23cr182


title: Portland Man Admits Drug Distribution Charges

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine : A Portland man pleaded guilty today to three counts of drug distribution in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine. According to court records, Francis Mezan , 34, sold drugs to a confidential source on three separate occasions in the summer of 2024. The transactions were video-recorded and monitored via surveillance. Mezan sold quantities of cocaine and cocaine base to the confidential source. Mezan faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and three years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Portland Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. ###


title: Home health care companies owner sentenced to more than 3 years in prison for $5.7 million Medicaid fraud

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sally Njume-Tatsing, 47, formerly of Pickerington, was sentenced in federal court here today to 42 months in prison for committing Medicaid fraud. Njume-Tatsing was found guilty in September 2024 on all 13 counts as charged following a jury trial. According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2017, Njume-Tatsing owned and operated three home healthcare businesses named Labelle Home Health. The agencies were located in Reynoldsburg, Mt. Vernon and Parma. Njume-Tatsing resided in California during the majority of the time she owned the businesses, and despite not being involved in Labelle’s daily operations, she did all of the Medicaid billing for nursing services. While billing Medicaid for health aide services to individuals in their homes, the defendant inflated the hours of services provided, billed for registered nurses when licensed practical nurses completed the care, and billed for care for patients who were either deceased or ineligible to receive Medicaid. Njume-Tatsing was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023 and charged with one count of health care fraud and 12 counts of making false health care statements. As part of her sentence, Njume-Tatsing is ordered to pay $5.7 million in restitution to Medicaid. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth A. Affeldt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Charles City Man Sent to Federal Prison  for Illegal Gun Possession

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed a firearm as a felon and domestic abuser was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison. Dashaune Terrell Burns-Johnson, age 32, from Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 23, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that on May 22, 2024, Burns‑Johnson brought drugs and a loaded firearm to his neighbor’s house in Charles City. Burns-Johnson pulled the firearm out of his backpack and pointed it at someone in the house. Burns-Johnson had previously been convicted of felony and misdemeanor crimes related to domestic abuse assault. Burns-Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Burns-Johnson was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Burns-Johnson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Charles City Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-2033. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Tina Sutter Honored for a Legacy of Providing Services to Victims of Crime

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jeffrey Ray, Acting United State Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award today to Tina Sutter. The award, presented annually during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in April, honors the memory of Ali Kemp and Crystal Kipper, both of whom were fatal victims of tragic crimes. Ray presented the award to Tina Sutter, retired Victim/Witness Specialist, during a ceremony today. Tina Sutter provided support to victims of crime at the U.S Attorney’s Office for the past 21 years. Tina worked tirelessly to ensure that victims and witnesses of federal crimes were treated fairly, that their privacy was respected, and that they were treated with dignity and respect. Tina was committed to helping victims and witnesses of crime while they were involved with the federal criminal justice system, and providing support after their case was completed. In presenting the award, Ray noted the theme for the 2025 Crime Victims’ Rights week is “KINSHIP, Connecting and Healing.” This year’s theme is a call-to-action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. KINSHIP is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections and increases access to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins “With her compassionate and caring approach, Tina connected with countless victims of crime as they navigated the criminal justice system, accessed services, and sought healing,” said Ray. Ray presented the Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Award alongside Anna Kipper Rea, the mother of Crystal Kipper, and Jill and Bob Leiker of the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, an organization founded by the late Roger Kemp, the father of Ali Kemp. The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award This is the 21st year for the award to be presented in memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, two young women who were both fatal victims of tragic crimes. Crystal Kipper was an 18-year-old Gladstone, Mo., resident who was murdered after she ran out of gas on Interstate 29, just north of Platte City, on Feb. 24, 1997. Ali Kemp was a 19-year-old Blue Valley North High School graduate who was murdered on June 18, 2002, while she worked at the Foxborough neighborhood swimming pool in Leawood, Kan. The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office each year to recognize the outstanding work of an individual or organization in recognition of a valued contribution to preventing and responding to the exploitation of children.


title: Jefferson City Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, man has been sentenced in federal court for the sexual exploitation of a child. Wilbert Ballard, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Ballard to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration. Ballard will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life. On December 3, 2024, Ballard pleaded guilty to producing child pornography. The investigation began on June 11, 2023, when Jefferson City Police Officers were contacted by an individual who had found video evidence of the defendant engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a six-year-old child. Officers performed an extraction on Mr. Ballard’s cellular phone and located the video described by the witness. Based upon the video, the child may have been asleep while the act was being done and the video created. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by Jefferson City Police Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: St. Louis Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining Mortgages Worth More Than $1.2 Million

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fraudulently obtaining home mortgages totaling more than $1.2 million. Edward James Mitchell Jr., also known as Musa Muhammad, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of bank fraud. He admitted participating in four fraudulent home mortgages from October 2021 through November 2023 totaling $1,225,550. Three of the homes are in St. Louis and one is in Florissant. Mitchell’s company, Home Team Solutions LLC, originally purchased the homes. Mitchell pretended to be one of his relatives to purchase two of the homes from his own company, submitting fraudulent mortgage loan applications and false employment and financial information and using his relative’s Social Security number and birthdate, Mitchell’s plea agreement says. He bought another home himself and sold another to his paramour, again submitting false or fraudulent documentation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office believes lending institutions lost $490,946 when Fannie Mae purchased the four home loans. Mitchell’s position is that only two of the loans incurred losses, with a loss amount of $226,950. Mitchell, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8. Each bank fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. In October 2023, Mitchell legally changed his name to Musa Muhammad. The FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.


title: Visalia Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Machine Guns to Undercover Agents

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Shawn Saesee, 20, of Visalia, pleaded guilty Monday to selling machine guns in violation of the National Firearms Act and dealing and manufacturing firearms without a license, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, Saesee sold an undercover agent eight firearms, including five machine guns on four separate occasions. Saesee sold the undercover agent the firearms despite being told that the buyer could not legally possess firearms. This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case. Saesee is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Aug. 4, 2025. Saesee faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Three Snohomish County men indicted for drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine, fentanyl, and firearms

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – Three Snohomish County men remain in federal detention tonight following their indictment last week for conspiracy, drug trafficking, and gun crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Percy Levy, 54, Eugene Smith, 69, and Robert O. Baggett, 60, remain at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. At a hearing today Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson ordered Baggett held pending trial. The other two defendants have detention hearings later this week and next week. Jury trial is scheduled in front of Judge John H. Chun on June 9, 2025. According to records filed in the case, as early as 2023, Levy and Baggett were on the radar of the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force for dealing cocaine. Baggett repeatedly sold cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to an undercover officer and identified his boss as Percy Levy. Later, surveillance by law enforcement identified Smith as another conspirator. On March 13, 2025, Smith was arrested after he delivered cocaine and fentanyl powder to an undercover officer at a drug deal at a local casino. Shortly after Smith’s arrest, officers served a search warrant on Levy’s residence where they found bricks of cocaine, fentanyl powder, digital scales, and packaging materials. They also seized a loaded firearm from under the pillow on the bed in the room where they discovered the drugs. Baggett allegedly repeatedly sold not only drugs but firearms in his dealing with undercover officers. All three defendants have significant criminal history and are prohibited from possessing firearms. Levy has a criminal history dating back to 1988 with convictions for burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery. Levy was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison in 2003 but was granted conditional clemency in 2019. Baggett’s criminal history dates to 1983 and includes 14 felonies including theft and assault. Smith has criminal history dating back to 1976. He has convictions for robbery, drug trafficking and assault. In 1996 he was sentenced to life in prison under the state’s Third Strike law. His sentence was conditionally commuted in 2020. All three men are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Levy is also charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute for the cocaine and fentanyl found in his home and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Both Levy and Baggett are charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. The charges against Levy are punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years to life in prison. The charges against Baggett and Smith are punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison to life in prison. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force (SRDTF) and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Wynne and Cindy Chang.


title: Myrtle Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

body_text: FLORENCE, S.C. —Michael David Brown, 44, of Myrtle Beach, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Jan. 10, 2024, officers with the Myrtle Beach Police Department spotted a vehicle in a motel parking lot with a man slumped over behind the wheel. Officers stopped to check on the man and determined he was intoxicated. During a search of the vehicle, officers found a loaded handgun on the passenger seat. Brown is a felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms. He has previous convictions for domestic violence, assault and battery. Brown faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine, restitution, and supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Brown after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report from the U.S. Probation Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Hixson is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Vernon Man Admits Receiving Sexually Explicit Images from Minors on Snapchat

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARYL TODD, 44, of Vernon, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a child exploitation offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force revealed that Todd used Snapchat to communicate with minor girls and entice them to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves, sometimes in return for money that Todd sent the victims using the mobile payment service Cash App. Todd also sent sexually explicit images of himself to the minor victims. After Todd was arrested on March 7, 2024, analysis of his cellphone revealed sexually explicit images of minor females. Todd pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. Todd is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing. This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Groton Man Admits Producing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Videos

body_text: Mark H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL W. LANDON, 38, of Groton, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to child exploitation offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 4, 2023, law enforcement seized Landon’s iPhone. Forensic analysis of the phone revealed a video of Landon engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a minor under the age of 12, and other videos depicting child sexual abuse. Landon pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and possessing and accessing with intent to view child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for July 2. Landon has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 28, 2023. This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Town of Groton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean P. Mahard and Nancy V. Gifford through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the New London State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case. To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Prescription Opioid Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A New Jersey man was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance. According to court documents, between November 2022 and March 2023, Chris Ruediger, 61, of Pennsauken, purchased prescription oxycodone pills from a relative and sold them to another relative involved in unlawfully distributing oxycodone. Ruediger admitted to distributing between 100 and 400 kilograms of opioids by converted drug weight. Ruediger also admitted that he attempted to obstruct the investigation by attempting to persuade one of his co-conspirators not to talk with law enforcement. In November 2024, Ruediger pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency investigated the case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division. Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Jefferson City Man Indicted for Unlawful Firearm Possession

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo. man has been indicted today by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. Latrell Dashon Batts, 27, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City. The indictment alleges that Batts was in possession of a Smith & Wesson pistol and ammunition on March 10, 2025. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Batts has prior felony convictions for assault in the second degree and accessory forcible stealing. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. Under federal statutes, if convicted, Batts is subject to a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecily L. Hicks. It was investigated Jefferson City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: North Carolina U.S. Attorneys Host Ceremony In Observance Of National Crime Victims' Rights Week , April 6-12, 2025

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C – In April, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). This year’s observance takes place April 6-12, 2025. NCVRW began in 1981 to honor crime victims, promote victims’ rights, and recognize those who work with and advocate on behalf of victims of crime. It also serves to promote policies and programs that help victims of crime. This year’s NCVRW theme, “Connecting < KINSHIP > Healing,” recognizes that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. To commemorate NCVRW, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina hosted a ceremony in Raleigh, to promote community engagement, raise awareness, and support and honor crime victims. The ceremony featured music by “The 100 Men in Black Ensemble” and remarks by victim advocates and survivors. The program also included a remembrance ceremony for crime victims and an award ceremony to recognize individuals for their superior service and work with victims and survivors. Acting U.S. Attorney Randall Galyon (MDNC), U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson (WDNC), and Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar (EDNC) attended today’s NCVRW Ceremony in Raleigh “We wish there were no victims of crime, and eliminating crime is our goal and motivation. During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we reaffirm our commitment to that goal, and to crime victims, survivors, and their families,” said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “My Office will continue to work closely with our community partners, advocates, and law enforcement to uphold victims’ rights, and to ensure that victims’ voices are heard not just this week, but every day of the year.” “Each year during National Crime Victims’ Week, we recognize people whose physical, financial, and emotional well-being has been shattered by crime, and those who work to support them. By reflecting upon and honoring victims, victim advocates, and law enforcement professionals, we renew our commitment to seeking justice and giving hope to victims and their families,” said Randall Galyon, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “Throughout the coming year, we will continue to bring our very best efforts to this work, protecting the fundamental human rights to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’” “Today we honor the victims of crimes and celebrate those who work to restore hope in the face of loss and tragedy,” said Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “We greatly appreciate the sacrifices that our law enforcement partners and victim advocates make to serve, creating the community necessary to build the healing victims deserve.” For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist crime victims in your community, please visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov . Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Program can be found here .


title: Brazilian Man Who Entered U.S. Illegally Charged With Forcibly Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, Impeding, Intimidating, and Interfering with Federal Officer Who Had Taken Him Into Custody

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Enmanuel Fernandes-Calixto, aka “Emanuel Fernandes” and “Emanuel Bartholomew,” 20, a citizen of Brazil with no legal status in the United States, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an officer of the United States while engaged in the performance of his official duties. The defendant has been ordered detained in federal custody pending indictment and trial. The criminal complaint alleges that on or about April 2, 2025, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Officer arrested Fernandes-Calixto for immigration violations. During transport, the defendant attempted to escape. The defendant, while still handcuffed, attempted to strike the officer in the face and pushed the officer. The defendant ultimately escaped during the struggle and hid in a house in Northeast Philadelphia. He was apprehended later that evening, with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team. The complaint further alleges that Fernandes-Calixto, after entering the United States illegally and on release from immigration detention, violated his conditions of release when he was arrested for other offenses in Philadelphia, including separate cases charging strangulation and related offenses; and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and related offenses, from alleged incidents in August of 2024. Those local charges are still pending. As detailed in court filings, despite the existence of an ICE detainer, the defendant was released from Philadelphia custody in March of 2025. The case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. 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, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Gary Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison

body_text: HAMMOND- Kyran Jujuan Hawthorne, 31 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Hawthorne was sentenced to 71 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on May 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hawthorne’s residence in Gary. Officers recovered two firearms with high-capacity magazines attached to them. Hawthorn’s criminal history revealed he has prior felony convictions for resisting law enforcement, attempted robbery, forgery, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and as such, is prohibited from possessing the firearms in this case. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Response Investigative Team and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Sacramento County Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Bank Fraud, Possession of Stolen Mail, and Possession of Mail Keys or Locks

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Senior U.S. District Court Judge John A. Mendez sentenced Adam Lee, 38, of Orangevale, to five years and four months in prison for bank fraud, possession of stolen mail, and possession of mail keys or locks, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, Lee obtained and counterfeited postal keys, which he used to steal mail from mailboxes. From the stolen mail, Lee obtained identifying information, financial information, and bank checks of other people. He then attempted to negotiate, deposit, or cash the stolen checks. Lee and his co-defendant, Windy Lund, possessed more than $273,000 in stolen checks that they either attempted to negotiate or possessed with the intent to negotiate. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong prosecuted the case. Lund is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2025, before Judge Mendez.


title: Fraudulent firearms purchases lead to federal prison sentence

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 43-year-old Corpus Christi man has been sentenced for directing the fraudulent purchase of 40 firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jaime Eduardo Cano pleaded guilty June 27, 2024, to making false or fictitious statements to a licensed firearms dealer. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Cano to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing how Cano had directed his employee to fraudulently purchase firearms. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Cano could have legally purchased the firearms himself, but chose not to do so, because he must have known they would be illegally disposed. The investigation revealed that between May 6, 2021, and June 10, 2022, Norma Andrade had purchased 40 guns from a local firearms dealer at Cano’s direction. Authorities conducted surveillance June 10, 2022, at which time they witnessed her pick up an order of 10 pistols and drive them to Cano’s place of business. He then came outside to retrieve them. Text messages in Cano’s phone revealed communications regarding the sale of the firearms Andrade had purchased. Cano had directed her to purchase the firearms and lie on the required purchase forms. Authorities also discovered other messages between Cano and another individual with details about how much Cano would be paid and when the firearms would be exchanged. As part of the investigation, law enforcement discovered and confiscated in Acapulco, Mexico, three of the firearms for which Cano arranged purchase. Andrade, 56, Corpus Christi, also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 15 months in prison. Cano was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Martin and John Marck prosecuted the case.


title: Secret Service Seizes Another Web Domain Used in Furtherance of a Cryptocurrency  “Pig Butchering” Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – The U.S. Secret Service in the Northern District of New York has seized a second web domain used in a recent cryptocurrency confidence crime known as “pig butchering.” United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, and Jeffrey Burr, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of the United States Secret Service (USSS), made the announcement. In pig butchering schemes, scammers encounter victims, often but not always elderly victims, through a variety of ways, including on dating applications and social media websites, and even random text messages masquerading as a wrong number. Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment using cryptocurrency. Victims are then directed to other members of the scheme running fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms, where victims are persuaded to invest money. Once the money is sent to the fake investment application, the scammer vanishes, taking all the money with them, often resulting in significant losses for the victim. According to court records, between November 2023 and March 2024, scammers induced a Warren County victim to wire monies to the now-seized domain NFT-UNI.com. The scammers — using the confidence-building techniques described above — convinced the victim that he/she was investing in a legitimate cryptocurrency opportunity. After the victim transferred investments into the deposit addresses that the scammers provided in connection with the seized domain name, the victim’s funds were immediately transferred through numerous bank accounts in an effort to conceal the source of the funds. In total, the victim lost approximately $172,405.61. Other victims of the NFT-UNI.com fraud reported approximately $4,564,936.47 in losses. Previously, in May 2024, the U.S. Secret Service seized the web domain OKEX-NFT.net, which was also used in a pig butchering scheme in Warren County. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “by seizing this website, we are able to strike a blow to a criminal organization that financially victimized numerous individuals, including a member of our community and senior citizens around the country.” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Conger and Alexander Wentworth-Ping represented the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this matter. Related court documents and information are located on the online docket for the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York (available via www.pacer.gov ), by searching for Case No. 1:25-SW-78 (PJE). If you believe you are a victim of this type of scheme, please contact CryptoFraud@SecretService.gov or IC3.gov to file a report. Please provide detailed information in your report, including any purported investment websites visited, telephone numbers, email accounts, and social media profiles used by scammers, and any cryptocurrency addresses, transaction hashes, and dates of transactions. Your responses are voluntary. Based on the information provided, you may be contacted by the Secret Service or another law enforcement agency and asked to provide additional information. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving elders can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.


title: Senior Member of Violent D.C. Drug Crew Is Sentenced to 420 Months in Federal Prison

body_text: WASHINGTON –Broadus Jamal Daniels, 30, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 420 months (35 years) in prison in connection with drug and gun charges related to a drug-trafficking conspiracy. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Daniels, aka “Wardy,” was found guilty by a federal jury on September 16, 2024, of possessing machine guns in furtherance of drug trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, unlawful possession of machine guns, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. In addition to the 35-year prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Daniels to serve four years of supervised release. According to the evidence presented at trial, Daniels, was a “big homie” or senior member in a street gang known as Jugg Gang, or “JG.” In approximately August 2018, the Jugg Gang became allied with a neighboring D.C. street crew known as “Push Dat Shit” or “PDS.” PDS maintained gang territory in the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, Southeast, and adjacent areas, and operated an open-air drug market outside a grocery located on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, Southeast. Between August 2018 and April 2023, members of the allied PDS/JG street crew sold drugs from Holiday Market and from “trap houses” that they maintained in apartment buildings surrounding that location. As their drug business grew, PDS/JG became the target of drive-by shootings conducted by rival gangs – shootings they referred to as “spinning the block.” Beginning in August 2019, a PDS/JG member began assembling AR-pistol assault rifles from kits purchased from online retailers and modified them to be capable of fully automatic fire. Such firearms are defined as “privately made firearms” by the ATF but are frequently referred to as “ghost guns” on the street. As proved at trial, PDS/JG members used, carried, and possessed these “ghost gun” AR-pistol machine guns to defend their territory from rival gangs, and also to “spin the block” on rival gangs to deter their rivals from entering PDS/JG territory. This sentencing is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has resulted in 26 convictions, and the seizure of two vehicles, 35 firearms, four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, 41 grams of cocaine base, dozens of oxycodone pills, and approximately $500,000 in cash. Daniels’ co-defendant, Andre Alonte Willis, who was a leader of PDS, was sentenced February 20, 2025 , to 20 years in prison on five felony convictions related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko. 22cr303 ##


title: Mexican national receives more than a decade in prison after attempting to bring drugs and child sexual abuse material across the border

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 44-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and importing cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Christian Christopher Rodriguez-Lopez pleaded guilty Aug. 21, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton has now sentenced Rodriguez-Lopez to a total of 151 months for the CSAM and drug trafficking convictions. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including that the CSAM victims ranged in age from infants to 12 years old. This led to enhancements for material depicting prepubescent minors and for sadistic or masochistic material. Rodriguez-Lopez must also serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Once permitted to reside in the country, his visa was revoked at the time of his arrest, and he is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence. In April 2024, Rodriguez-Lopez attempted to enter the United States from Mexico. Upon inspection, law enforcement located approximately five kilograms of cocaine in his vehicle, at which time he admitted to knowingly importing the drug. Further investigation following his arrest resulted in the additional discovery of CSAM on his cell phone. “Mr. Rodriguez-Lopez is a perfect example of why our more aggressive approach to border security is so critical,” said Ganjei. “Neither these drugs, nor this defendant, have any place in our communities. Due to the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this cocaine will never make it to the streets and this offender will spend the next decade in federal prison.” Rodriguez-Lopez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarina S. DiPiazza is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Previously convicted felon sentenced to over a year in prison for illegally possessing a firearm

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 20, 2023, Newport News Police (NNPD) conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle of Malik Lloyd Jerome-Marryshow, 29, and, after verifying his identity, placed Jerome-Marryshow into custody on outstanding arrest warrants for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances with a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon. At the time of his arrest, Jerome-Marryshow was in possession of a loaded handgun. Jerome-Marryshow previously was convicted for carrying a concealed weapon, driving under influence (DUI), credit card fraud, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Jerome-Marryshow cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O'Brien prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-11.


title: Leader of alien smuggling organization heads to federal prison

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 29-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to prison for his role as the leader and organizer of a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Hosmel Vences pleaded guilty May 22, 2024. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Vences to serve 48 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, Vences filed objections claiming not to be a leader/organizer and against enhancements for recklessness and possession of weapons. Judge Ramos ultimately found all to be true and noted Vences was aware of any firearms that drivers he recruited possessed and recklessness in the transport of the illegal aliens. As the leader/organizer of the smuggling events, Vences was held responsible for everything he knew about regarding the actions of others, including possession of firearms and recklessness. “The human smuggling business is all about money and nothing else,” said Ganjei. “These smugglers don’t care about the lives of those that they transport, nor do they care about the impact their business has on American communities. Fortunately, through the hard work of our law enforcement partners and this office, this human smuggling conspiracy has been dismantled, and its ringleader will be off to federal prison.” The court found Vences was found responsible for organizing the smuggling of at least 75 illegal aliens between Aug. 16 – Dec. 17, 2023. The investigation revealed Vences recruited many different drivers from all over South Texas to drive to Brownsville and Raymondville for the purpose of transporting illegal aliens further into the United States. Vences would personally speak to all the drivers. He confirmed details of their trips, communicated directly with individuals who loaded the aliens into the vehicles and then got updates on the progress of each individual trip. He would also meet up with his drivers and pay them for getting the aliens past the checkpoint. He posted about his activities on social media, demonstrating how much money he was making as part of the conspiracy. Vences will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder of Supreme Court Justice in Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Today, Nicholas John Roske, 29, of Simi Valley, California, pled guilty to attempting to kill a United States Supreme Court Justice. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Attorney General Pamela Bondi; FBI Director Kash Patel; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Clinton J. Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland; Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Deputy Chief of Police Stephanie N. Whitam, Supreme Court of the United States Police Department. “This calculated attempt on the life of a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice was a heinous attack on the Court itself,” Bondi said. “Anyone who thinks they can use violence or intimidation to influence our courts will be met with the full force of the law and face up to life in prison.” “The attempted assassination of a United States Supreme Court Justice is an extreme, brazen act, one that we — along with our federal, local, and state law-enforcement partners — will not tolerate,” Hayes said. “It’s through these partnerships that we’re able to hold criminals accountable and uphold the rule of law. We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting those who are involved in planning and executing acts of violence against others.” “Nicholas Roske sought to commit a despicable, premeditated attack on a Supreme Court Justice and today is another step toward accountability,” Patel said. “No violent attacks can be tolerated, whether those targeted are public officials or private citizens – and the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and bring to justice all those who engage in such plots.” “After a thorough investigation, Nicholas Roske is being held accountable for plotting, planning, and taking steps to assassinate a United States Supreme Court Justice. This guilty plea makes clear that those actions have serious consequences,” DelBagno said. “The FBI’s partnerships with the Montgomery County Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Supreme Court of the United States Police Department were critical in bringing Roske to justice. We will not stop our pursuit of extremists who advocate violence and threaten others.” As part of his guilty plea, Roske admitted that on June 7, 2022, he flew from Los Angeles International Airport to Dulles International Airport with a firearm and ammunition in his checked baggage. He then took a taxi from the airport to Montgomery County, Maryland, with the intent to kill the Supreme Court Justice. According to the criminal complaint and the Government’s factual allegations, on June 8, 2022, at approximately 1:05 a.m., two Deputy U.S. Marshals, protecting the residence of a Supreme Court Justice, observed Roske arrive in and get out of a taxi in front of the residence. Roske wore black clothing and had a backpack and suitcase. Upon observing Roske, the two Deputy U.S. Marshals started to get out of their vehicles as the defendant proceeded to walk down the street. Shortly after, Roske told a Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center call taker that he was having homicidal and suicidal thoughts, had a gun in his suitcase, and flew from California to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice. Montgomery County Police Department officers responded to the location and took Roske into custody. A search of Roske’s suitcase and backpack revealed a firearm; black tactical chest rig and tactical knife; two magazines, each containing 10 rounds of ammunition; 17 additional rounds of ammunition; pepper spray; zip ties; a hammer; screwdrivers; nail punch; crowbar; pistol light; duct tape; hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles; and lock-pick tools, along with other items. Law enforcement transported Roske to a Montgomery County Police Department station where he was read his Miranda rights. Roske then stated that he was upset about a recently leaked Supreme Court draft decision on abortion as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The defendant also admitted that he came from California with the intent to use the firearm and burglary tools and to kill the Supreme Court Justice. Roske faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Friday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, MCPD, and the Supreme Court of the United States Police Department for their work and cooperation in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Sullivan and Coreen Mao who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its efforts to fight violent crime and protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr . # # #


title: Southern Nevada Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Coercion And Enticement Of A Child And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nev., resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for engaging in a sexually explicit conversation with who he believed to be a child and possessing child sexual abuse material on his phone. According to court documents, on April 5, 2023, Nathan Thomas Foreman (43) engaged in a sexually explicit conversation via text messaging with someone who he believed to be an 11-year-old girl in an attempt to meet her and engage in sexual intercourse. Throughout the course of the conversation, he inquired about her sexual preferences, requested photos, described what he wanted to do with her, and sent pornography depicting the sexual conduct he described in words. The conversation concluded with Foreman coordinating a time for the two to meet in person to engage in sexual intercourse. On April 6, 2023, Foreman was arrested at the predetermined meet up location. A forensic analysis of his cellphone revealed approximately 10 images and 12 videos of child sexual abuse material. “The defendant not only attempted to coerce and entice who he believed to be an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual intercourse with him, but he also possessed child sexual abuse material of infants and toddlers,” said United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and our law enforcement partners are continuously working to combat child sexual exploitation in Nevada.” “When children are victimized, the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will exert every effort to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Today's sentencing reflects our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for our most vulnerable victims.” On October 1, 2024, Foreman pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement and one count of possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Foreman must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at https://report.cybertip.org . ###


title: Three Indicted for $1 Million Bank Fraud Scheme Involving Stolen Treasury Check

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Today, a federal grand jury indicted three members of a bank fraud conspiracy. Orelien Martial Nguepi-Tankoua, Jean Paul Bayoi, and Tamblyn Milton Frasier were implicated in a bank fraud conspiracy involving a stolen United States Treasury check, the use of fraudulent identities to establish illegitimate bank accounts, and subsequent money laundering activities. In September 2021, Frasier opened a bank account in the Northern District of Georgia using a falsified driver’s license and a fabricated identity, both of which were obtained with the assistance of Bayoi. The account details were based on the payee information listed on a stolen United States Treasury check valued at over $1 million. After the account was established, Nguepi-Tankoua deposited the stolen Treasury check via an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Attempts were made to withdraw the funds from the fraudulent account; however, the U.S. Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service intervened. They successfully seized the remaining funds available in the account. On the dates of March 13, 14, and 19, Frasier, Nguepi-Tankoua, and Bayoi made their respective initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge. On April 8, Nguepi-Tankoua, Bayoi, and Frasier were formally indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The individuals have previously appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judges in both Florida and Georgia. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Javan Wilson of the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General, Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the United States Secret Service Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office announced the indictments. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-mj-8126. ###


title: Mexican national previously deported multiple times pleads guilty to illegal re-entry

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Juan Vera-Cervantes, 45, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. He was then turned over to U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who handled the case, stated that on February 25, 2025, Border Patrol agents observed a white cargo van with a Tennessee license plate traveling on the I 490. A check of the license plate revealed that Vera-Cervantes was the registered owner of the vehicle, and he had been previously deported multiple times from the United States and had his final order of removal reinstated on three different occasions. During a traffic stop of the vehicle, Vera-Cervantes stated that he is a citizen and national of Mexico without immigration documents to be in the United States legally. He was then administratively detained. 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 plea and sentence are a result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Juan Ramirez. # # # #


title: Prior felon going to prison for 10 years on multiple drug and gun charges

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Nader Ngoopos a/k/a Nike, 26, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison pleaded guilty by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that between 2016, and late 2018, Ngoopos agreed with others to obtain cocaine and heroin in the Buffalo area and travel to Olean, NY, to distribute the cocaine and heroin. Ngoopos personally traveled to Olean on at least a weekly basis, selling cocaine and heroin out of various locations in Olean, including North 8th Street and South 11th Street. Co-conspirators also sold cocaine and heroin as part of the conspiracy on a weekly basis. On October 15, 2018, Ngoopos participated in an armed robbery at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, with two others. The three gained entry to a dormitory at St. Bonaventure, and broke into a dorm room where Ngoopos, who possessed a firearm, believed he and his co-conspirators would find marijuana and money. Once they gained entry, Ngoopos and his co-conspirators pointed their firearms at the heads of the two occupants of the dorm room, threatened them, and then stole about an ounce of marijuana and approximately $300 - $400. On September 2, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Ngoopos get into a vehicle in Buffalo. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it sped away leading officers on a high-speed chase. Eventually, the car came to a stop on East Amherst Street. As the car came to a stop, Ngoopos got out of the car and ran away, dropping a pistol. In June 2020, Ngoopos was convicted in Cattaraugus County Court of a felony and legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonse Wright, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia. # # # #


title: United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) joins communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 6-12, 2025, and in celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s theme, “Kinship - Connecting & Healing,” is a call to action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. KINSHIP is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins. Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2023, there were approximately 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.4 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.4 million, only about 45% were reported to police. The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime. Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures. The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems by disseminating state-of-the-art knowledge and practices across the United States and by providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers. Further National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2025/overview . ### For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Qualcomm Executive Convicted by Jury in $180 Million Fraud

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Dr. Karim Arabi was convicted by a federal jury today of fraud and money laundering charges in connection with a massive $180 million scheme targeting his then-employer, Qualcomm. After a four-week trial, the jury deliberated for less than two days. The jury found that while working as vice president of Qualcomm’s Research and Development Department, Dr. Arabi committed fraud by developing a valuable microchip technology, marketing the technology through a company, Abreezio, which he created to conceal his involvement, and then selling the company and its purported technology to Qualcomm for $180 million. As part of his employment with Qualcomm, Dr. Arabi had agreed that virtually all technology he invented while working at Qualcomm belonged to Qualcomm. To perpetrate the fraud, Dr. Arabi carefully hid his role as the new company’s shadow CEO, picked its corporate name (Abreezio) and weighed in on its office furniture. Dr. Arabi created fake email accounts and sent phony emails to impersonate his sister, the supposed inventor of the new technology. In truth, the sister was a nonentity throughout its formation, development, marketing and sale. In the summer of 2015, when Abreezio was filing a new round of patent applications, the sister legally changed her last name to further conceal her relationship with Dr. Arabi. According to evidence presented at trial, after the deal closed and Qualcomm unwittingly paid almost $92 million to Dr. Arabi’s sister, the campaign of concealment continued: Dr. Arabi invested the money in Canadian and Norwegian real estate while hiding his involvement, funneled funds back to his U.S. companies via intermediary shells, lied repeatedly through Qualcomm’s subsequent civil fraud suit, and received steady installments of laundered fraud proceeds until the month before his arrest in this case. “The defendant took advantage of the trust placed in him, lining his pockets with millions by orchestrating a scheme to deceive and then bleed his own employer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “His actions weren’t just a betrayal of the company - they were a direct attack on the very principles of fairness and integrity that keep business honest. Today’s jury verdict sends a clear message: In the Southern District of California, fraud has consequences. We will relentlessly pursue justice against those who try to profit through lies and deceit.” “Dr. Arabi perpetrated an elaborate and exhaustive scheme to conceal, deceive, and defraud his own employer out of millions of dollars,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi. “With today’s verdict, Dr. Arabi will now face the consequences of this massive fraud, sending the clear message that corporate executives who facilitate fraud will be held accountable for their crimes.” “As vice president of Research and Development, Mr. Arabi was entrusted with protecting Qualcomm’s intellectual property rights,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Mr. Arabi executed a scheme to swindle Qualcomm out of $180 million for what was rightfully their own technology. This guilty verdict is reflective of outstanding investigative work by IRS-CI and our partners at the FBI and U.S. Marshal’s Service.” Qualcomm actually paid $150 million to the coconspirators and others before discovering the fraud. Two other defendants pleaded guilty in the scheme prior to Arabi’s trial. Ali Akbar Shokouhi, another former Qualcomm employee and the primary investor in Abreezio, pleaded guilty to money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2025; Sanjiv Taneja, Abreezio’s nominal CEO, pleaded guilty to money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2025. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Pilchak, Janaki G. Chopra and Eric R. Olah. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. DEFENDANT Case Number 22-CR-1152 Karim Arabi Age: 58 San Diego, CA CHARGES Wire Fraud Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $1 million fine or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $1 million fine Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation Internal Revenue Services, Criminal Investigation United States Marshals Service Royal Canadian Mounted Police Økokrim, Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime


title: Gladstone Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Abducting and Sexually Abusing a Canadian Child

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.— A Gladstone, Oregon man was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison today for abducting and sexually abusing a Canadian child he met through a music creation social media platform. Noah Madrano, 43, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison, a $5,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release. The sum of restitution he must pay to his victim will be determined at a later date. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI special agents and Oregon City police officers who rescued the victim in Oregon and brought the defendant to justice,” said William M. Narus, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “This sentence is a result of the extraordinary efforts of the victim, the victim’s family, their community, and law enforcement here and in Canada.” “The persistence with which Madrano pursued his heinous crimes - traveling internationally on multiple occasions to victimize a child he met online, and ultimately smuggling that victim across an international border, speaks to how predatory his actions genuinely were,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Olson. “Madrano will be in his mid-nineties when he is eligible for supervised release. His removal from our communities benefits everyone.” According to court documents, Madrano met a child online whom he sexually exploited for more than a year. In May 2022, he traveled to Canada to meet the child in person, took the child to a hotel room, sexually abused the victim, and recorded his abuse. A few weeks later, on June 24, 2022, Madrano returned to Canada, where he abducted the child from outside a school and took the victim to another hotel room. At the hotel, Madrano sexually abused the child for several days and recorded videos of his abuse. On July 1, 2022, Madrano hid the child in the trunk of his vehicle and drove back to the United States. Once in Oregon, Madrano brought the victim to a hotel room, where he continued to sexually abuse the child. In the early morning of July 2, 2022, FBI special agents and Oregon City police officers entered Madrano’s hotel room and found him inside with the victim. Madrano was arrested and the child was taken into protective custody, reunited with her parents, and returned to Canada. On September 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Madrano with sexually exploiting a child, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, transporting a child with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and possessing child pornography. On January 13, 2025, Madrano pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child and transporting a child with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. This case was investigated by FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) with assistance from the Oregon City Police Department, the Gladstone Police Department, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the Edmonton Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation. Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .