title: Boone County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gregory Neal Hager, 40, of Madison, pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025, to possession of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 7, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hager’s residence in Madison and seized an external hard drive connected to his desktop computer. A forensic examination of the external hard drive revealed 146 images and six videos of child pornography depicting a pubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. As part of his guilty plea, Hager admitted that the images and videos of child pornography were screen captures from Snapchat conversations between himself and the minor, that he saved the child pornography on the external hard drive, and that he knew the minor was under 18 years old. Hager is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Hager must also register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-94. ###


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Federal Prison  for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine  in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge Reservation

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025. Demitre Ecoffey, 31, was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Ecoffey was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025. Throughout 2024 and 2025, Ecoffey was purchasing pound quantities of methamphetamine and selling it to others throughout Rapid City and the Pine Ridge reservation. During his involvement in the drug conspiracy, Ecoffey engaged in dangerous conduct such as high-speed chases through Rapid City and the Pine Ridge reservation, destruction of evidence, and possessing multiple firearms. “Strong detective work and collaboration by all levels of law enforcement in the state have ensured that our citizens in western South Dakota will be protected from this dangerous individual for the next quarter century or so,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA), the FBI, Rapid City Police Department and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case. Ecoffey was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Mississippi Businessman Pleads Guilty to $19M Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Mississippi businessman pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to defraud Medicare by paying kickbacks for fraudulent doctors’ orders and then using those orders to bill the government insurer over $19 million through seven different durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies. According to court documents, Willie De Gibbs, 53, of Toomsuba, Mississippi, and Cutler Bay, Florida, was the sole owner of three DME supply companies and was the beneficial owner of and controlled, sometimes through straw owners, four other DME supply companies. He sought to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary orthotic braces for beneficiaries that did not request or need them. Gibbs pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi; Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie for the Southern District of Mississippi 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 the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.


title: U.S. Attorney: 73 Defendants Sentenced During Government Shutdown

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey is applauding the work of his office during the government shutdown in the Northern District of West Virginia. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners continued the important work of Operation Take Back America, removing drug dealers, firearms offenders, and those who commit crimes against children, from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey. During the 43-day lapse in government appropriations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office facilitated more than 70 sentences, secured dozens of guilty pleas, indicted 17 matters, and successfully litigated a trial. Notable sentences involving drug trafficking include: Desmond Davis, 35, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison. Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, 53, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced to 280 months. Malik Summers, 51, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 240 months. Odell Epps, 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 130 months in prison. Frank Brown, 36, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 120 months in prison. Gary Duane Cool, 41, of Monterville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 188 months. Emmanuel Gibson, 34, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Theresa Lipkey, 44, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 84 months in prison. Corey Coffman Kneeland, 35, of Wardensville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 121 months. Jennifer Ann Howell, 46, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was sentenced to 90 months. Matthew David Viands, 33, of Summit Point, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months. Mauricio Alvarado-Flores, 39, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 71 months in prison. Alexis Alvarado, 38, of Ranson, West Virginia, was sentenced to 60 months. Rahim Duncan, 31, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison. Crystal Lynn Blakenship, 40, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced to 97 months. Randy Jones, 42, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 136 months in prison. Kimberly Goins, 44, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months. Rebecca Keiper, 38, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison. Prison sentences were secured for those violating firearms laws, to include: Bryan Davis, 39, of Williamsport, Maryland, was sentenced to 188 months in prison. Alexander Dignazio, 23, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. Garrett Deberry, 28, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 160 months in prison. The office also secured sentences for those who violated child pornography laws: Oliver Matheny, age 51, of Maidsville, West Virginia, was sentenced to 300 months in prison. David Cicalese, 44, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months. Joshua Michael Humphrey, 43, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced to 88 months in prison. Elliot Stache, 37, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison. The sentences were presided by Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh, U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh, and U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey. The cases were a 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.


title: Honduran Man Sentenced to  18 Months in Prison for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on October 7, 2025, MELVIN JOSE TEJADA MORILLO (“MORILLO”) , age 35, was sentenced for illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) and Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(b)(2). MORILLO was sentenced to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release following the term of imprisonment. MORILLO was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court documents, MORILLO reentered the United States after being previously deported on March 21, 2016, and faced enhanced sentencing penalties because he had a felony conviction prior to his 2016 deportation. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The case was investigated by the United States Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Pocahontas County Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Charles Clement, 43, of Hillsboro, pleaded guilty on October 28, 2025, to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after relocating from Virginia to West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about March 8, 2024, through in or around December 2024, Clement resided in the Ronceverte area of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, after relocating from Virginia. Clement knew he was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction on two felony counts of carnal knowledge of a child 13 to 15 years old in Botetourt County, Virginia, Circuit Court on December 2, 2002. Clement is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the West Virginia State Police. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case. SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-89. ###


title: Physician Convicted of Conspiracy  to Defraud Medicare

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DR. MARION LEE (“LEE”) , age 62, of Cordele, Georgia, pled guilty on October 8, 2025 to conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare approximately $24 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing, and to pay and receive kickbacks. According to court documents, LEE , co-owner of and medical advisor to Luminus Diagnostics, a diagnostic laboratory located in Tifton, Georgia, conspired with others to procure orders for genetic testing in exchange for kickbacks, including orders acquired through purported telemedicine. To ensure the false and fraudulent claims would be paid, LEE and his co-conspirators designed the genetic testing order forms to be “dummy proof”—with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-the-box panels—and frequently billed the tests through another laboratory in the Eastern District of Louisiana where co-conspirators thought the claims were more likely to be approved. The co-conspirators concealed these claims via a sham contract, among other deceptive means. LEE and his co-conspirators caused the submission of over $24 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing, and Medicare paid approximately $4 million based on those claims. Under the terms of LEE ’s plea agreement, LEE agreed to over $4 million in restitution owed to Medicare. The Honorable Lance M. Africk set sentencing for March 18, 2026. At sentencing, the maximum penalty LEE may receive is five years of imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution. ***


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison  for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025. John Michael Law, age 42, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Law was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025. On April 3, 2023, Sioux Falls police officers encountered Law during a traffic stop. Officers discovered that Law was in possession of a .380 pistol and approximately two grams of methamphetamine. Law was previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and was not lawfully permitted to possess a firearm because of that conviction and because he was an illegal user of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Law was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Three Convicted and Deported Felons Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that three foreign nationals have been recently charged with illegally reentering the U.S. after being previously deported. On November 10, 2025, FREDDY ALEXANDER MORALES TEJADA , 24, a citizen of El Salvador residing in Vernon, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2023, Morales Tejada was convicted and sentenced in Connecticut Superior Court of carrying a pistol without a permit and failure to appear in the first degree. In February 2024, he was deported to El Salvador. Morales Tejada unlawfully reentered the U.S. and was found in South Windsor on May 19, 2025, when he was arrested for engaging in a police pursuit, reckless driving, operating motor vehicle without license, and illegal operation of motor vehicle under suspension. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven on February 25, 2026, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He has been detained since his federal arrest on October 23, 2025. On November 3, 2025, IOAN ALIN ZELE , also known as Ioan Kanalos and Filippo Gaudenzi, 24, a citizen of Romania, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2023, Zele was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California of bank fraud and unlawful use of unauthorized access devices for his involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain food stamp benefits by using skimming devices to clone other people’s food stamp (electronic benefits transfer) cards and then using those cloned cards to withdraw food stamp benefits. He was sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment for the offense, and was removed to Romania in June 2024. Zele unlawfully reentered the U.S. and, in December 2024, was arrested by Connecticut State Police under the name Ioan Kanalos and charged with computer crime third degree, fraudulent use of auto teller (ATM) card, larceny fourth degree, identity theft third degree, and illegal use of scanning device. Zele pleaded guilty in Connecticut Superior Court and, after completing his state sentence, was arrested on October 2, 2025, on a federal criminal complaint charging him with illegally reentering the U.S. He has been detained since his arrest and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden on February 24, 2026, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. On October 15, 2025, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging CARLOS CABRERA-ZARUMA , 45, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Danbury, with illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2008, Cabrera-Zaruma was convicted and sentenced in Connecticut Superior Court of sexual assault in the second degree against a victim under the age of 16, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was deported to Ecuador in September 2010. Cabrera-Zaruma subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. and returned to Connecticut. He has been detained since his arrest on October 7, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. These matters are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The cases against Morales Tejada and Cabrera-Zaruma are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj. N. Patel, and the case against Zele is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis L. Beyerlein. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). These cases are 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.


title: South Carolina Man and Trucking Business Plead Guilty to Contamination of Paint Creek Resulting from 2022 West Virginia Turnpike Crash

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Dennis Eugene West, 57, of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on October 9, 2025, as an individual and on behalf of his trucking business Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC, each for negligent discharge of pollutants into United States waters. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 24, 2022, West was driving a tractor trailer in the northbound lane of Interstate 77 when he crashed while crossing Skitter Creek Bridge in Fayette County. Numerous totes containing alkyl dimethylamine that West was hauling ruptured as a result of the crash, and the pollutants spilled onto the bridge and ultimately discharged into Paint Creek. The discharge of the pollutants into Paint Creek, a tributary of the Kanawha River, continued until August 25, 2025, and caused adverse impacts on the aquatic life of the creek including the killing of several species of fish. As part of his guilty plea, West admitted that he operated the tractor trailer under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. Law enforcement determined that West’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was more an 0.08 percent. West Virginia law prohibits any person from operating a commercial motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.04 percent or more. West further admitted that did not have a permit issued pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act to discharge pollutants, including alkyl dimethylamine, into Paint Creek or any other water in West Virginia. West and Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC are scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2026. West faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine. Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC faces a maximum penalty of up to five years of federal probation and a $200,000 fine. West and Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC also owe restitution of up to $1,654,654.01 United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Lastra are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-175. ###


title: Former Shelby County Division of Corrections Investigator Pleads Guilty to Accepting a Bribe as a Public Official

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has pled guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today. Deon Scott, 41 , pled guilty on November 17, 2025 before Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman to accepting a bribe as a public official. According to information presented in court, Scott was working as an Internal Affairs Investigator for the Office of Professional Standards for the Shelby County Divisions of Corrections, which houses federal inmates, when he accepted money to provide contraband to an inmate. Scott was immediately terminated from his position. Sentencing is set on February 19, 2026. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Official misconduct and corruption by correctional officers in positions of trust and authority undermine the foundational integrity of our government institutions and compromise the safety and security of correctional facilities. We must root out, expose, and hold accountable those officials who violate the public trust by corrupt acts of bribery, and this guilty plea does just that." The case was investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum and Greg Wagner and former Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. ### 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: Connecticut CPA Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that EDWARD J. SODLOSKY, 71, of Middlebury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to tax evasion. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sodlosky, a self-employed Certified Public Accountant, owned and operated Edward J. Sodlosky, Certified Public Accountant (“EJS-CPA”) in Naugatuck. From 2016 through 2022, Sodlosky prepared and filed annual joint income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of himself and his spouse. He also filed annual partnership income tax returns for an entity named FinGLTD, which he owned with his spouse. During this seven-year period, Sodlosky willfully cashed more than 2,000 client payment checks to hide income generated by EJS-CPA. As a result, a substantial amount of EJS-CPA’s business receipts was diverted from EJS-CPA’s bank accounts, and not reported in his joint income tax returns (Forms 1040 and 1040-SR) or partnership income tax returns (Form 1065). Sodlosky deposited funds derived from the cashed checks, as well as client payment checks to EJS-CPA, into a network of business, personal, and nominee accounts. He maintained, controlled, and used 15 different bank accounts to deposit business receipts and to evade income taxes. Through this scheme, Sodlosky failed to report to the IRS $1,379,694.21 in additional income, resulting in a tax loss to the government of $422,720. Sodlosky is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford on April 15, 2026, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He is also required to make full restitution to the IRS. Sodlosky is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Receiving Gratuities While Salaried Federal Employee

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Timothy Lane Crowder, 44, of Huntington, was sentenced on November 3, 2025, to five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $24,525.33 in restitution for unlawful receipt of gratuities. Crowder admitted to receiving approximately $24,525.33 from disability benefits awarded to veterans while he was a salaried employee of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 17, 2020, and July 26, 2023, Crowder was a Veterans Service Representative in Huntington when he assisted 13 veterans with preparing their claims for retroactive disability benefits. As part of his guilty plea, Crowder admitted that he received gratuities of approximately 10 to 20 percent of their awarded benefits from the veterans once their claims were approved. Federal law bars a federal employee from receiving gratuities or shares of any interest in a claim against the United States. As a Veterans Service Representative employed by the VBA, it was illegal for Crowder to receive a gratuity from veterans he assisted with filing claims. Crowder admitted that he both knowingly and willfully assisted the veterans while knowing that the gratuities represented a share of their awarded disability benefits. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-187. ###


title: Mexican National Residing Illegally in Kanawha County Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Immigration Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Bruno Lisandro Pastrano Lopez, 39, a Mexican national living illegally in Nitro, pleaded guilty on October 9, 2025, to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and was sentenced to time served. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Lopez and he was transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 10, 2024, Lopez presented a counterfeit Social Security Card to a Dunbar employer for the purpose of verifying his employment eligibility. Lopez also signed a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, knowing it contained materially false information about his legal status in the United States and about whether the Social Security Administration had issued an account number and card to him. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-131. ###


title: Felon who Supplied Fentanyl that Resulted in One Fatal and Two Nonfatal Overdoses Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon who supplied the fentanyl that caused one fatal and two nonfatal overdoses in St. Louis in 2023 to 15 years in prison. On Dec. 2, 2023, Victor Mora approached three men who were at a gas station and offered to take them to buy cocaine. The victims gave Mora $140 and asked for $100 worth of cocaine. Mora got into the victims’ car and directed them to a different location, where he purchased capsules containing white powder from a group of people in the street. Mora told the victims that the capsules contained cocaine, and when the victims returned to the gas station, they snorted the drugs in the car. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers later found the three men unconscious. Two of the victims regained consciousness, but the third victim could not be resuscitated and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The next day, an undercover detective drove one of the victims to the area where Mora purchased the drugs. They spotted Mora, who told the detective to meet him later to buy drugs. Mora was arrested later that day. Capsules recovered from the victims’ vehicle were tested and contained fentanyl. The deceased victim died of a fentanyl overdose. “The human life is worth infinitely more than the $140 Victor Mora received from selling purported cocaine to the victims who suffered fentanyl poisoning and in one tragic case, succumbed to the substance,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “Today and every day, remind your loved ones how valuable they are. Remind them of the potentially lethal consequences that can come from drug experimentation. Fentanyl is deadly and its presence in other drugs can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Start the conversation and help save a life.” Mora, now 41, was on supervised release at the time of his crime, after a 2018 robbery conviction. He pleaded guilty in July to one felony count of distribution of fentanyl. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Reitz prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican Citizen Living Illegally in Parkersburg Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Immigration Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alfredo Galaviz-Galaviz, also known as “Alfredo Galaviz,” 28, a Mexican citizen living illegally in Parkersburg, pleaded guilty on October 16, 2025, to reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Galaviz-Galaviz so he was transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or around February 21, 2024, law enforcement encountered Galaviz-Galaviz in Parkersburg. ICE agents confirmed that Galaviz-Galaviz was a citizen of Mexico in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States. Galaviz-Galaviz had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States. Galaviz-Galaviz was removed from the United States to Mexico on May 25, 2016, after being found the previous day at or near Carrizo Springs, Texas. Galaviz-Galaviz never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for either of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the assistance provided by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) in the apprehension of the defendant. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case , as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-34. ###


title: Mexican National Living Illegally in Charleston Sentenced for Immigration Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Federico Montalvo Salas, 22, a Mexican national living illegally in Charleston, was sentenced on October 23, 2025, to time served for reentry of a removed alien. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Salas and he was transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2025, Salas was arrested by law enforcement in the South Charleston area. ICE agents confirmed that Salas was a citizen of Mexico in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States. Salas had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States. Salas was removed from the United States to Mexico on June 28, 2024, after being found that day near Douglas, Arizona. Salas never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for either of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). ICE agents encountered two brothers of Salas living illegally in Charleston. Maximino Montalvo Salas, 20, was deported after pleading guilty on July 24, 2025, to the felony offense of knowingly possessing a fraudulent Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”). Bernabe Montalvo Salas, 24, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, to reentry of a removed alien, was sentenced to time served, and transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-82. ###


title: Mexican Citizen Living Illegally in Hurricane Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Immigration Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Lazaro Morales-Lauro, 52, a Mexican citizen living illegally in Hurricane, pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025, to reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Morales-Lauro and he was transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 26, 2025, law enforcement officers encountered Morales-Lauro during a traffic stop in Hurricane. ICE agents confirmed that Morales-Lauro was a citizen of Mexico in the United States illegally and that he had previously been deported from the United States five times. Morales-Lauro had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States. Morales-Lauro never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States for any of the prior removals, nor did he seek to reenter the United States through other legal means. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Hurricane Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-160. ###


title: Man Pleads Guilty To Threatening To Murder Federal Agents

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Johnathan Trent Thomas, 27, of Linwood, N.C., pleaded guilty in federal court today to making threats to murder federal officers to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the performance of their official duties, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, six months ago, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at approximately 12:00 p.m., a caller, later identified as Thomas, contacted the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and threatened to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and CMPD officers if immigration enforcement actions did not stop. During a second telephone call with a CMPD officer, Thomas warned that he was coming to Charlotte with armor piercing ammunition, night vision devices, and body armor to kill law enforcement officers and threatened to “shoot them all” if he observed anyone making arrests. Thomas was referencing arrests made previously by ICE federal agents on Albemarle Road in Charlotte. Court documents show that Thomas stated that if a police officer pointed a gun at him, he was just going to open fire. He also said that he would “Swiss cheese” the officers if they were doing the same thing they did before, meaning making arrests. Thomas made additional threats to law enforcement, including that he had Tannerite (an explosive) all around his house if the police came, and referenced April 29, 2024, which is the date that four law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in Charlotte, warning that he “could do a whole lot better than that.” Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence, seizing three rifles, a handgun, and a variety of ammunition. According to court records, Thomas has an extensive history of threatening law enforcement, to include the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and CMPD, and had previously followed CMPD officers in marked patrol cars while they were performing their official duties. Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Thomas remains in federal custody. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI for the investigation of the case and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of North Carolina, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kelly and Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.


title: Previously Removed Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Trafficking Kilogram Quantities Of Methamphetamine And Illegal Reentry

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Hector Hernandez Orozco, 30, of Mexico, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and illegal reentry charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and the plea hearing, on April 3, 2025, Hernandez Orozco sold approximately two pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. Court records also show that Hernandez Orozco had been previously removed from the United States on November 20, 2016, near Del Rio, Texas, and again on November 30, 2016, near Hidalgo, Texas. Hernandez Orozco pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. The illegal reentry offense carries a maximum term of two years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.


title: Georgia Inmate Who Coordinated The Distribution Of Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Les Corey Peak, 38, of Flat Rock, N.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to court records and court proceedings, from 2021 to 2023, Peak conspired with Zachery Micah Rice and others, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties, and elsewhere. During that time, Peak was incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections. Court records show that Peak, using contraband phones, worked with his Atlanta-based supplier to arrange bulk drug purchases and coordinated with Rice to arrange the pickups. Rice then transported the drugs back to Western North Carolina for further distribution through a local network of traffickers and dealers. During one of the transactions Peak arranged, law enforcement stopped and searched Rice’s vehicle, seizing over 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a .40 caliber pistol modified to fully automatic with a machinegun conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” and more than $32,683 in cash. Investigators later executed search warrants at stash houses and a storage unit used by Rice, recovering kilogram quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine supplied by the Atlanta based source, multiple firearms, including high-capacity magazines ammunition, digital scales, drug paraphernalia used for drug distribution, and more than $27,470. On June 23, 2025, Peak pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He remains in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility. Rice was sentenced in May 2025 to more than 28 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, the Asheville Police Department, the Waynesville Police Department, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Convicted Ponzi Schemer and Co-Conspirator Sentenced to 37 Years and 12 Years for $44 Million Fraud Scheme, Money Laundering, False Statements, and Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A New Jersey man who was previously convicted twice of defrauding investors of more than $230 million was sentenced on November 14, 2025 to 37 years in prison for his role in a Ponzi-like fraud scheme that resulted in investor losses of more than $44 million, as well as other offenses, and his co-conspirator was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Both were also ordered to pay more than $44 million in restitution to the victims of their scheme. Following a six-week jury trial earlier this year before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court, Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein, aka “Mike Konig,” 50, and Aryeh “Ari” Bromberg, 51, were each convicted of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, transacting in criminal proceeds, conspiracy to make false statements to the U.S. Probation Office, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice. Weinstein was also convicted of four counts of making false statements to the United States Probation Office. Five of Weinstein and Bromberg’s conspirators, Christopher Anderson, 49, Richard Curry, 39, Shlomo Erez, 57, Alaa Hattab, 37, and Joel Wittels, 59, previously pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the same scheme and are all awaiting sentencing. According to documents in this case and evidence at trial: Weinstein was previously convicted two times in New Jersey federal court for defrauding investors. His first case involved a real estate Ponzi scheme, and his second case stemmed from an additional fraud Weinstein committed while on pretrial release. These crimes resulted in combined losses to investors of approximately $230 million. On Jan. 19, 2021, Weinstein began serving a term of supervised release stemming from his prior convictions. But soon after being released from prison, Weinstein began orchestrating a new scheme to solicit money from investors, including through a company called Optimus Investments Inc. (Optimus). Using the alias “Mike Konig,” Weinstein secretly ran Optimus through Bromberg and Wittels. They kept Weinstein’s true name and identity hidden because, as Weinstein acknowledged in a secretly recorded conversation, investors wouldn’t give them “a penny” if they learned of Weinstein’s involvement. Weinstein, Bromberg, and Wittels received the bulk of investor money through a second company, Tryon Management Group LLC (Tryon), which was owned and controlled by Anderson and Curry. Tryon promised these individual investors—consisting mostly of friends and family—lucrative opportunities to invest in deals involving COVID-19 masks and test kits, scarce baby formula, and first-aid kits supposedly bound for wartime Ukraine. Posing as Mike Konig, Weinstein provided the information for these supposed deals. Based on that information, investors gave money to Tryon, believing the deals were legitimate and not knowing about Weinstein’s involvement. In turn, Tryon transferred those funds to Weinstein, through Optimus. In 2021, after Optimus started receiving investor money, Optimus was unable to pay its investors. Rather than reveal this information to investors, the conspirators agreed to pool money from existing investors of both Optimus and Tryon and use it to make monthly payments to other investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. The conspirators concealed this arrangement from investors by falsely telling investors that the payments derived from legitimate investment returns, not other investors’ money. In late August 2022, Hattab revealed Weinstein’s true identity to Anderson and Curry. In a series of subsequent meetings, which were recorded, Weinstein admitted to misappropriating investor money and making various false statements and sending fake documents concerning the purported deals. Weinstein acknowledged that he was conducting a Ponzi scheme, stating, “I finagled, and Ponzied, and lied to people to cover us.” Once Anderson and Curry learned that Mike Konig was actually Weinstein, Weinstein and Bromberg lied repeatedly to Anderson and Curry in an effort to prevent them from reporting their misconduct to federal law enforcement and Probation. Anderson and Curry then agreed with Weinstein, Bromberg, and other conspirators to continue concealing Weinstein’s identity from investors and to raise additional money to pay off existing investors, all in an effort to stop the Ponzi scheme from falling apart and to cover up the fraud. In total, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $88 million from investors and caused losses of more than $44 million. In addition to defrauding investors, Weinstein and Bromberg also conspired to launder their fraud proceeds and lie to Weinstein’s federal probation officer. They helped hide Weinstein’s assets that should have been used to pay over $200 million in restitution that he still owes his previous victims. They also concealed Weinstein’s myriad business activities, income, and accounts, which he was required to disclose to the court and Probation or which were expressly prohibited by the terms of his supervised release. In multiple secretly recorded conversations, Weinstein discussed his intent to conceal his various assets from the government. In one such conversation, Weinstein referenced hidden assets that he and others “can’t touch” while he was on supervised release because they would “go to jail.” Weinstein then boasted, “I just told you something that no one in the world knows because I hid money. Get it?” Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the convictions. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit. ### Defense counsel for Weinstein: Ilana Haramati and Henry E. Mazurek, Esqs., New York, NY Defense counsel for Bromberg: Marc Agnifilo and Jacob Kaplan, Esqs., New York, NY


title: Career Offender Sentenced to Prison for Meth Distribution in Thomasville

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: VALDOSTA, Ga. – A convicted felon with a lengthy criminal past in South and Central Georgia was sentenced as a federal career offender to serve more than 21 years in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute kilograms of methamphetamine. Charles Reid, Jr., 40, of Cairo, Georgia, was sentenced as a federal career offender to serve 262 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on Nov. 19, after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Feb. 19, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system. “Repeat felons with long criminal records are facing federal prosecution and lengthy prison sentences for continually breaking the law and causing chaos in communities across the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This is another case where our office is working closely with our local partners to identify career offenders and bring their cases up to the federal level, where they will be held accountable without parole.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Reid, Jr. was under investigation for selling kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Grady and Thomas counties. Grady County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant at Reid, Jr.’s residence in December 2023, finding two pounds of methamphetamine. A confidential source (CS) contacted investigators that Reid, Jr. was in possession of twelve kilograms of methamphetamine and was in Thomasville, Georgia. On Jan. 16, 2024, investigators obtained a search warrant for a residence on Hambleton Street in Thomasville where Reid, Jr. was located and found him hiding under a bed. Officers found approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine under the bed, next to the defendant’s driver’s license. Reid, Jr. has a lengthy criminal history including felony drug convictions in Grady County and Monroe County Superior Courts. The case was investigated by the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Grady County Sheriff’s Office and the Thomasville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Kingsport Woman Sentenced To Prison For COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit Scheme

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: GREENEVILLE Tenn. – A Tennessee woman was sentenced today to 50 months in prison to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud. According to court documents and statements made in court, Aylissa Glidewell, 35, of Kingsport, Tennessee, conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking refunds based on the Employee Retention Credit and paid Sick and Family Leave Credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of falsely claiming the credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses she and co-conspirators controlled. In total, the false returns claimed over $3.4 million in tax refunds, of which the IRS paid $1.8 million. In addition to her prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Clifton Corker for the Eastern District of Tennessee ordered Glidewell to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $1,806,637 in restitution to the United States Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Larry J. Wszalek of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service investigated the case. Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Heavener and Ryan Blackwell of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. ###


title: New Mexico Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A New Mexico man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso on Wednesday to 262 months in prison for trafficking approximately 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl. According to court documents, Edgar Omar Martinez, 43, of Anthony, was arrested on March 14 after FBI agents seized approximately 17,000 fentanyl pills from his vehicle. Further investigation revealed Martinez received the pills from a co-conspirator two weeks prior to the seizure and expected to be paid $3,200 for his participation in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Martinez was indicted on April 9 for one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. He pleaded guilty to both charges on Aug. 26. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower presided over the case. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Myers and Michael Williams prosecuted the case. ###


title: Pike County Man Indicted For Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonny Contreras, age 36, of Pike County, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on or about January 14, 2025, Contreras possessed an AR-15 style rifle with a barrel of less than 16 inches in length that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and the Pike County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Diagnostic Laboratory Agrees to Pay More Than $1 Million to Settle Alleged False Claims Act Violations

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Genetic Technological Innovations, LLC (GTI), a diagnostic laboratory headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, agreed to pay the United States $1.635 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the settlement with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The government alleges that GTI knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for respiratory pathogen panels (RPPs) that were either medically unnecessary or obtained through kickbacks. Specifically, the U.S. alleges that on June 5, 2020, GTI entered into a Marketing Services Agreement (MSA) with a purported infection prevention company (The Company). Under the terms of the MSA, the marketing company agreed to provide “marketing-and-management services” on behalf of GTI within long-term care facilities. In exchange, under the terms of the MSA, GTI agreed to pay the marketing company $4,000 to $4,500 per month for each long-term care facility it “serviced.” According to the U.S., in reality, the MSA served as a pretext for paying the company for laboratory test referrals that GTI then billed to Medicare. The U.S. alleges that GTI’s payments to The Company for referrals violated the Anti-kickback statute. Additionally, the U.S. alleges that GTI paid the company to perform services in long-term care facilities, including specimen collection for infectious disease testing. The Company swabbed residents for COVID-19, but then GTI used the same specimens to conduct and bill Medicare for medically unnecessary RPPs. These RPPs were more lucrative than solely performing and billing Medicare for COVID-19 tests. The Medicare reimbursement for the RPP tests amounted to 10 times more than the reimbursement total for COVID-19 tests. The RPPs that GTI ran from June 2020 to January 6, 2021, were “stacked” on top of COVID-19 tests. Specifically, the RPPs were combined with COVID-19 tests when long-term care facilities sought only COVID-19 tests. The RPP tests were not based on an individualized assessment of each beneficiary’s needs by the beneficiaries’ physicians. Instead, GTI ran RPPs on every resident in a facility, regardless of if the resident displayed symptoms warranting the RPPs. Nearly every beneficiary in a facility received the same exact panel of respiratory tests from GTI, attesting to the lack of individualized assessment. “Kickback arrangements to induce patient referrals for the purpose of billing federal health care programs for medically unnecessary diagnostic tests is inexcusable,” Hayes said. “This settlement is a testament to our continued commitment to protecting both patients and the public fisc that fund federal health care programs.” “This settlement underscores our agency’s steadfast commitment to investigating alleged Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act violations targeting the Medicare program,” Dixon said. “Ensuring the integrity of federal health care programs is a chief objective for HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners.” U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields, District of Maryland, and Trial Attorneys Kelly McAuliffe and Asha Natarajan, DOJ Civil Division – Fraud Section, who jointly handled this case. The United States’ settlement in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Former Administrative Professional for Chicago Company Admits Embezzling More than $615,000

body_text: CHICAGO — A former administrative professional for a Chicago company has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge for embezzling more than $615,000 from the company. CRYSTA LYON-HALBERT admitted in a plea agreement that she misappropriated the money from 2015 to 2023 while holding various administrative positions in the company’s Corporate Governance function and the Office of the Chief Executive Officer. Lyon-Halbert directed company funds to her personal bank account and made a series of unauthorized credit card purchases for her personal benefit, including storage rental space, rent payments, personal utility bills, car rentals, auto shop bills, clothing, furniture, and other items, the plea agreement states. Lyon-Halbert concealed her misappropriation by falsely representing that the credit card payments were directed to vendors that had provided services to the company, the plea agreement states. Lyon-Halbert, 54, of Tinley Park, Ill., pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025, to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo set sentencing for Feb. 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The plea agreement was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hennessy. lyon-halbert_plea_agreement.pdf


title: Des Moines Man Charged with Computer Fraud

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – On October 15, 2025, a federal grand jury in Des Moines charged a Des Moines man with computer fraud. The Indictment alleges that Ezekiel Dean Potter, 34, after being terminated by his employer in April 2023, accessed or attempted to access to the employer’s computer systems without the employer’s authorization. When he gained access, Potter reset usernames and passwords for the employer’s accounts and deleted or revoked access to employer’s accounts. The Indictment alleges Potter engaged in this conduct for over a year and a half—from May 14, 2023, until at least January 16, 2025. Potter’s actions caused widespread disruption to the employer’s operations and resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in losses to the employer. Trial is scheduled for June 1, 2026. If convicted, Potter could be sentenced up to 10 years in federal prison. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Lubben is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years In Federal Prison on  Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: HARRISONBURG, Va. – A gang member associated with Sureno 13, who sold methamphetamine and possessed firearms, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Hector Espinosa, 37, of Stephens City, Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 240 months in federal prison. Espinosa was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon following a jury trial in November 2024. “This office will seek maximum accountability against transnational criminal organizations who prey on our citizens and communities,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I am grateful for the outstanding work of our federal partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the ATF on this case.” According to documents and evidence presented at trial, Espinosa and Ivan Ruiz-Gonzalez conspired with each other, and others, to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Northern Shenandoah Valley in the Western District of Virginia. On February 21, 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in the case, Andres Vicencio. Vicencio had contacted Ruiz-Gonzalez to obtain methamphetamine. Agents observed Ruiz-Gonzalez enter Espinosa’s home, obtain a pound of methamphetamine and give it to Vicencio, who in turn sold it to a law enforcement source. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Espinosa’s home, he answered the door with a firearm in his waistband. During his trial, Espinosa presented evidence that Ruiz-Gonzalez was at his home on the night of February 21, 2023, to purchase a pound of ‘carnitas’ because he and his wife owned a catering business. However, evidence and business records contradicted this claim. Following the trial while awaiting sentencing, Espinosa was incarcerated with a witness in the case. Espinosa threatened the witness and the lives of his family to coerce the witness to “recant” his trial testimony. Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Christopher C. Goumenis Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, and Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh prosecuted the case for the United States. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Virginia HSTF comprises agents and officers from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia with the prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.


title: Pseudo-job seeker caught with over 40 kilograms of methamphetamine

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A U.S. citizen residing in Reynosa, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. On April 25, Marco Antonio Rodriguez, 20, approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint driving a Ford Escape. He claimed he was heading to Corpus Christi to look for work. However, law enforcement noticed he did not have any personal items or tools in the vehicle. An x-ray scan then revealed anomalies in the rear quarter panels. Authorities discovered aftermarket compartments on both sides of the vehicle that held 90 black bundles of methamphetamine wrapped in clear cellophane. The drugs weighed 47.5 kilograms with a 99% purity level. As part of his plea, Rodriguez admitted he had picked up the vehicle from a residence in Reynosa the day before traveling to the port of entry. Rodriguez knew he was transporting the drugs and planned to drop the vehicle off for unloading in Corpus Christi. U.S. District Judge Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 11, 2026. At that time, Rodriguez faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Five Months for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 13, 2025, Artemio Cordova Mendez, age 36, a Mexican citizen, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 5 months’ imprisonment, with credit for time served. Cordova Mendez previously pleaded guilty to illegal reentry. According to court records, Cordova Mendez illegally entered the United States near Lukeville, Arizona in 2010. He was convicted of illegal entry in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, and removed from the United States. Approximately six months later, he illegally reentered the United States near Antelope Wells, New Mexico. He was convicted of illegal reentry in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, and again removed from the United States. In August 2025, Cordova Mendez was encountered by law enforcement in Vermont. Following his earlier removals from the United States, he had not obtained permission to reenter the United States. First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn. Cordova Mendez was represented by Christina E. Nolan, Esq. 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.


title: Guatemalan National Charged With Illegal Reentry

body_text: HARRISBURG-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Gertrudis Mendoza-Hernandez, age 34, a citizen of Guatemala, who unlawfully resided in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Mendoza-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States and was found in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on November 6, 2025. Mendoza-Hernandez was removed from the United States on September 14, 2023, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Danville Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine

body_text: Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville, Virginia man, who was caught with methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl during a traffic stop in September 2024, was sentenced on October 10 to 107 months in federal prison. Jerrod Allen-Jamal Wimbush, 36, pled guilty in June 2025 to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. “Illegal narcotics fuel addictions, violence and death,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “This office will aggressively prosecute those who traffic deadly drugs for profit.” According to court documents, on September 13, 2024, officers with the Danville Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Wimbush for driving over the posted speed limit. Minutes after the traffic stop, a K-9 officer walked his K-9 around Wimbush’s vehicle and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics. After an initial denial to the presence of drugs, Wimbush eventually told officers there were some drugs in the vehicle. A search warrant was executed and resulted in the seizure of 17 grams of methamphetamine, .254 grams of fentanyl, and 41.53 grams of cocaine. A month later, on October 17, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Wimbush’s residence in Danville and recovered 127 grams of fentanyl, and over 200 grams of cocaine. Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Danville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Parrella and Matthew Miller prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Danville Man to Serve 30 Months for Distributing Fentanyl

body_text: Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville, Virginia man was sentenced October 24 to 30 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl. Bryan Eugene Whitehead, 44, pled guilty in May 2025 to distributing fentanyl. According to court documents, investigators identified Whitehead as a distributor of fentanyl in early 2024. The Danville Police Department, Virginia State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, conducted controlled buys of fentanyl from Whitehead, including the purchase of an ounce of fentanyl. Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Danville Police Department, and the Virginia State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Parrella and Matthew Miller prosecuted the case for the United States.


body_text: HARRISBURG -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Favio Efrain Rodas-Cardona, age 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on November 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Mendoza-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States and was found in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, on April 16, 2025. Rodas-Cardona was removed from the United States through Texas and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. This matter occurred on date indicated but not issued at that time due to the government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. # # #


title: Marion County Man Enters Guilty Plea To Attempted Enticement Of A Minor

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Clayton Lee Harris (22, Ocklawaha) has pleaded guilty plea to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Harris faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the court records, on July 26, 2025, Harris contacted an undercover officer on an online dating website. The undercover officer was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Harris agreed to meet the “girl” at a local gas station for a sexual encounter. When Harris arrived at the gas station, he was apprehended by law enforcement. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.


title: Texas Man Sentenced for Traveling for Sex with a Minor

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Tomball, Texas, man, Emre Nathaniel Baluken, 24, was sentenced on October 6 by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to 240 months in prison, for online enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and traveling for sex with a minor. According to court documents, on November 13, 2024, Baluken drove from Tomball, Texas, to Winchester, Ky., to pick up a minor, with whom he had been communicating online for several months using X and Instagram, intending to return with the minor to Texas. After eventually being detained by law enforcement, Baluken admitted that for several months he had exchanged sexually explicit videos and photos of the victim over X and Instagram. Under federal law, Baluken must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . – END –


title: Beaumont man convicted in federal drug trafficking conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been found guilty of federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Darrell Joshua Bendy, 42, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on November 19, 2025. According to information presented in court, from December 2022 through November 2024, Bendy supplied kilogram quantities of “actual” methamphetamine to Joseph Lynn Williams, also known as “Pooh,” a drug trafficker in Beaumont. During the conspiracy, Bendy lived in and conducted his drug trafficking activities from Houston. Bendy used various couriers to deliver the methamphetamine to Williams for redistribution. A total of between 20-30 kilograms of methamphetamine are believed to have been distributed by the drug trafficking organization during this time. Through the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine and over $100,000.00. At sentencing, Bendy faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison. The statutory sentencing range prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Marshals Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; Beaumont Police Department; Port Neches Police Department; Vidor Police Department; and Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and John B. Ross. ###


title: Florida Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Jacksonville, Fl., man, Josh Lee Knittel, 44, was sentenced on October 20 by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves to 420 months in prison, for the production of child pornography. According to his plea agreement, in 2006, Knittel was convicted of a sex offense involving a minor and is a registered sex offender. On July 29, 2024, a person known to the victim found inappropriate text messages between the victim and Knittel on a cell phone. The messages indicated that Knittel was paying the victim for nude pictures. A search of financial accounts and messages confirmed the exchange and on October 16, 2024, law enforcement arrested Knittel. Knittel admitted to paying for sexually explicit images of the victim. Under federal law, Knittel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, and Chief Tony Gray, Jr., Danville Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Danville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . – END –


title: Arizona Man Charged with Hate Crime for Synagogue Fire

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: On Nov. 18, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a one-count indictment against Everardo Gregorio, 31, of Casa Grande, Arizona for the Obstruction of the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs by Fire. The indictment alleges that Gregorio burned down Khal Chasidim, a synagogue in Casa Grande, on March 3. The portion of the synagogue that was destroyed in the fire included the place where the Jewish community worshipped, as well as a kosher grocery store and restaurant that operated out of the building. Gregorio has also been charged with arson by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and is currently pending trial in that case. A conviction for Obstruction of Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs by Fire carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Casa Grande Police Department are handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Goldberg for the District of Arizona is handling the prosecution, in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tampa Man Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison For Distributing Cocaine And Methamphetamine

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Torrey Taylor (45, Tampa) to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Taylor pleaded guilty on August 28, 2025. According to court records, Taylor conspired with his co-defendant, Temeko Evans, to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Between February 11 and March 26, 2025, detectives from the Tampa Police Department conducted a series of controlled purchases from Evans and Taylor to include approximately two ounces of crack cocaine and two ounces of methamphetamine. Evans pleaded guilty on October 2, 2025, and her case is scheduled for sentencing on December 18, 2025. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.