title: Cheektowaga man charged with receipt of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned and indictment charging Roland Andrew, 63, of Cheektowaga, NY, with receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, in May 2025, the legal guardian of a 16-year-old minor female victim alerted Cheektowaga Police that numerous naked videos of the victim were sent to Andrew on the victim’s iPad. A review of the videos confirmed that they were child sexual abuse material. On May 7, 2025, Cheektowaga Police executed a search warrant at Andrew’s residence, seizing several items, including two three cellular devices, a tablet and a laptop. A review of the iPad recovered a text conversation between the victim and a telephone number, later identified as Andrew. During this conversation, the victim sent several videos which constitute child sexual abuse material. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: OKALOOSA COUNTY MAN SENTENCED FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Malcolm Jamal Norvilus, 39, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was sentenced on July 1, 2025, to 120 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. According to court records, on July 25, 2024, law enforcement officers in Okaloosa County, Florida were attempting to locate a vehicle that had been reported stolen. When they located the vehicle, the driver, Norvilus, fled from deputies at a high rate of speed and crashed into a pole. Norvilus was subsequently apprehended after attempting to flee on foot, and officers located more than 80 grams of methamphetamine concealed in Norvilus’ pant leg, as well as a bag of other narcotics. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the incredible efforts of our state and federal law enforcement partners, our communities will be safer and healthier with this individual locked up and no longer able to peddle poison on our streets. My office will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with these officers in the fight to Take Back America from drug traffickers and violent offenders who have victimized our communities for far too long.” “Getting methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs off our streets is a top priority. These combined efforts by local and federal partners are tied to successful results like this one,” said Eric Aden, Okaloosa County Sheriff. “Protecting the public requires dealers be held accountable and we are proud to be a part of this case.” “Methamphetamine poses a great risk to our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA remains dedicated in its fight against this dangerous, illicit substance and working with our partners in law enforcement to rid our neighborhoods of these dealers.” The case involved a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton. 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Franklin Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison on Multiple Cyber Stalking Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NASHVILLE – McKenzie McClure a/k/a Kalvin McClure, 31, of Franklin, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in federal prison for cyberstalking fourteen victims, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our office and our law enforcement partners will do whatever it takes to keep children safe from harm and hold those who would threaten our school communities accountable for their actions,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “This prosecution, culminating in yesterday's sentence, should send a strong message that this type of conduct is intolerable in our community and will be pursued aggressively in order to keep our children protected.” “McClure’s relentless cyberstalking disrupted many lives, incited fear, and posed significant risks to the Christ Presbyterian Academy and Christ Presbyterian Church community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “As demonstrated in this case, those who target innocent lives and threaten violence will be held accountable for their actions. I hope the victims can find some closure to the nightmares they endured during McClure’s reign of harassment.” "Making threats against a school is serious,” said Gregory Mays, Deputy Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. “This case shows how law enforcement and school leaders work together to protect students. It also reflects our strong commitment to keeping Tennesseans safe.” On March 24, 2024, the eve of the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at The Covenant School – the deadliest school shooting in Tennessee history – the defendant left a threatening voicemail on the main telephone line at Christ Presbyterian Academy (“CPA”). The defendant’s tone on the voicemail alternated between displaying an angry, menacing, and disturbed mindset, and a clear fixation on CPA and individuals affiliated with it. In the voicemail, the defendant referenced several acts of terror, as well as a fictional terror attack from the movie “ Deadpool 2 .” Immediately after mentioning the movie Deadpool 2 , the defendant followed up with the phrase “killed by my hand type of stuff” and said the school would “know exactly what [the defendant was] talking about. The defendant’s voicemail was consistent with social media activity on the defendant’s X (formerly Twitter) account which regularly referenced CPA, Christ Presbyterian Church (“CPC”), individuals associated with CPA and CPC, and were intertwined with other posts referencing school violence, gun violence, and other violent events. On February 25, 2024, the defendant posted a video that she filmed of herself walking the exterior of the CPA/CPC campus while talking about watching the school burn on 9/11 and alluded to the consequences of ignoring “credible terroristic threats” like “George W” did on 9/11. CPA’s surveillance cameras captured additional conduct by the defendant while on campus, including the defendant attempting to access locked buildings, photographing maps of the school grounds, walking the entirety of CPA’s campus for approximately one hour, and, in actions the victims later testified were concerning, she extended both middle fingers and spun around while standing on the CPA crest. After listening to the voicemail, CPA officials discovered the defendant’s identity, reviewed her troubling social media and CPA’s surveillance video, and recognized the similarities between the defendant’s fixation on CPA and Hale’s fixation on Covenant. CPA officials notified law enforcement about the defendant’s conduct and closed the school on Monday, March 25, 2024. Law enforcement officers responded to the threat to CPA and encountered the defendant on that Monday, which led to the defendant being hospitalized and receiving mental health treatment. As the defendant prepared to leave the hospital, agents cautioned her to discontinue posting about CPA and CPC on social media, explaining that her actions had frightened the CPA community. The defendant acknowledged that she understood the impact of her previous actions and agreed that she would not engage in such behavior upon being discharged from the hospital. However, following her release on April 3, 2024, the defendant immediately resumed posting messages on her X account that targeted CPA, CPC, and individuals associated with CPA and CPC, and continued to do so until her arrest at the end of April. Even though law enforcement officers repeatedly cautioned the defendant about her unrelenting social media campaign targeting CPA/CPC, she expressed no remorse for her criminal conduct. As a result of the defendant’s conduct, CPA spent more than $140,000 on increased security measures to ensure the safety of its administration, faculty, staff, students, and families. Following her term of imprisonment, the defendant will be on supervised release for 3 years. The Court also ordered that McClure have no communication with persons associated with CPA/CPC and their families without express prior approval by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and that McClure is not to travel within 5 miles of the CPA/CPC campus or associated campuses. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katy Risinger and Joshua Kurtzman prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Scott County Cattle Farmer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Georgetown, Ky., man, Robert Conley, 71, has pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to providing a criminally false claim in order to obtain COVID relief funds. In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, established many programs that were funded primarily by the federal government and administered by state workforce agencies. One of the programs provided support to farmers and ranchers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). CFAP provided financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities with financial assistance for sales losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency administered the program. CFAP applicants electronically certified that the information provided was accurate and were warned that any false statement or misrepresentation to the USDA or any misapplication of loan proceeds could result in sanctions, including criminal penalties. Conley is a buyer and seller of cattle in Georgetown and is also part owner of Paris Stockyards in Paris, Ky. According to Conley’s plea agreement, on May 26, 2020 and on September 29, 2020, he filed two CFAP applications. In additional to the two legitimate applications, Conley directed and caused four individuals to unwittingly submit false CFAP applications claiming they owned 20% of Conley’s cattle. At Conley’s direction, the four individuals received a total of $1,206,539.80 in CFAP funds, which they remitted back to Conley. Additionally, Conley caused the submission of three false applications under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), claiming three of the individuals had payroll expenses associated with Conley’s cattle operation. As a result of those false PPP applications, another $72,660 was fraudulently obtained. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Janet M. Sorensen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by the USDA-OIG and IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States. Conley is scheduled to appear for sentencing on October 9, 2025. He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . — END —


title: Rhode Island Man Arrested for Threatening President Trump,  Attorney General Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Miller

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man has been arrested and is scheduled to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Providence today for threatening to kill President Donald Trump, United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, announced Acting Rhode Island United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Court documents allege that on June 27, 2025, Carl D. Montague, 37, issued a profanity-laced posting on Truth Social threatening to shoot and kill President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Miller. Montague is charged by way of a criminal complaint with threats against the President; interstate threats; threats to assault; and kidnap, or murder of a United States official, judge, or law enforcement officer. He was arrested without incident this morning and is scheduled to make an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Amy E. Moses at 1:00 PM. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan. The matter was investigated by the FBI, United States Secret Service, and the Providence Police Department. ### criminal_complaint_affidavit.pdf


title: Justice Department Secures Ruling to Allow Idaho Forest Landscape Resilience Project to Proceed

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Last week, a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho cleared the way for the Forest Service’s Buckskin Saddle Project on the Panhandle National Forest to proceed. The forest is in northwest Idaho’s panhandle region, and the project area includes approximately 13,000 acres of timber harvest and approximately 6,500 acres of noncommercial fuel reduction treatment. The district court rejected a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) challenge to the project, which is designed to reduce fire hazards and improve forest landscape resilience. Specifically, the court found that the Forest Service complied with NEPA in all respects, including its summary of how the proposed treatments would meet the tree-size and composition goals set by the forest plan for the project area and its assessment of the effects of the project on wildlife species that rely on large tree habitat. The decision is subject to appeal in the Ninth Circuit. Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement. Trial Attorney Hayley Carpenter of ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled the case.


title: Justice Department Sues California for Violating Title IX, Denying Girls Athletic Opportunities

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed suit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams. According to the complaint, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) have engaged in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them, depriving these girls of the equal education and athletic opportunities afforded to them by federal civil rights law. Thus, the suit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief for violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding. As alleged in the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education’s “current allocation of funds to CDE for fiscal year 2025 totals approximately $44.3 billion, of which approximately $3.8 billion remains available for drawdown by CDE, including both discretionary grants and formula grants.” “The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.” “Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.” “California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over. California must comply with Title IX and end its civil rights violations against women. No person, no state, is above the law.” CDE has authority over CIF and local school districts’ interscholastic athletic policies, and CIF oversees 1.8 million students and over 750,000 student-athletes in grades 9 through 12. The complaint is available here .


title: Gastonia Pharmacist Sentenced To Prison For Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cole Dixon Moore, 36, of Moore, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for illegally distributing oxycodone pills, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Chief Trent Conard of the Gastonia Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. “Oxycodone on the streets has ruined lives and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “A licensed pharmacist should not be supplying street dealers and making the problem worse. I am proud of the work of my office in investigating this case, even without all the reporting required by pharmacies.” According to documents filed with the court, Moore was a licensed pharmacist working at Prescription Plus pharmacy in Gastonia. Law enforcement initiated an investigation into Moore after receiving information that he was selling large quantities of the sedative alprazolam, as well as quantities of the highly addictive and commonly abused narcotic pain medication oxycodone, to a pharmacy customer who did not have a prescription for the drugs. Court documents show that Moore was aware the customer was reselling these pills on the street and, at times, even suggested the price the customer should charge per pill. Investigators also determined that Moore routinely demanded a cut of the customer’s sales, specifically, that Moore had an arrangement with the customer where the customer would pay a portion of the cost of the pills to Moore up front and then pay the balance owed once the drugs were sold. Moore admitted to stealing the pills that he sold from the pharmacy’s stock supply. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered at least 1,500 oxycodone and alprazolam pills that Moore had sold to the customer without a prescription. According to court records, Moore made over $20,000 selling the prescription pills over the course of a few months. During his pronouncement of Moore’s sentence, U.S. District Judge David C. Norton cited the well-known devastation caused by the plague of oxycodone in this country. In addition to the prison term imposed, Judge Norton ordered Moore to a term of supervised release. Moore has also forfeited approximately $20,000 in proceeds. In February, Prescriptions Plus agreed to pay $204,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the recordkeeping requirements of the Controlled Substances Act by failing to adequately monitor the conduct of its staff pharmacist and failing to keep complete and accurate records regarding the receipt and distribution of controlled substances, which negligently enabled the illegal distribution of oxycodone and alprazolam by its staff pharmacist. The DEA and the Gastonia Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the government’s criminal case against Moore and Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Snow handled the civil enforcement action against Prescriptions Plus.


title: Stillwater Man Charged with Producing, Receiving, and Possessing Child Pornography and Aggravated Sexual Abuse

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: FBI Seeks to Identify Additional Potential Victims OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal Grand Jury has charged LEE GRANT CLARK , 78, of Stillwater, with two counts of production of child pornography, and one count each of receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and aggravated sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On July 1, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a five-count Indictment against Clark, charging him with the crimes listed above. According to public record, in October 2024, FBI agents began investigating a computer user requesting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through a file-sharing website. An investigation into the IP address of the user led authorities to Clark’s home in Stillwater. FBI agents spoke with officers with the Stillwater Police Department, who alerted the agents of a report involving Clark’s alleged sexual abuse of two minors around 2004. The Indictment further alleges that Clark produced CSAM on at least two occasions and sexually abused minors under the age of 12. The FBI is seeking to identify potential additional victims. Anyone with additional information to report can contact the FBI at LGC-Victims@fbi.gov . If found guilty, Clark faces up to life in federal prison. He also faces fines of up to $250,000 for each count. The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that Clark is innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office (Stillwater Resident Agency) and the Stillwater Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case. This case is also part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Two South Florida Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On June 13, Jeremiah Wolliston, 23, and Keith Patrick, 38, of West Palm Beach, Florida, were sentenced to 168 months and 72 months in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to their involvement in a scheme to buy stolen business checks from the mail and commit bank fraud. According to court documents, between December 2022 and May 2024, Wolliston and Patrick were involved in a conspiracy with others to buy stolen business checks from the mail, which were then altered and deposited into fraudulently opened bank accounts. As part of the scheme, Wolliston and Patrick set up fictitious corporations in Florida and Georgia using the names of their corporate victims and opened fraudulent bank accounts. Wolliston and Patrick deposited the checks before making ATM and counter withdrawals, wire transfers, and drafting checks to transfer the money to other members of the conspiracy. Total losses related to the scheme exceeded $4.5 million. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) made the announcement. USPIS, Homeland Security Investigations, USPS Office of the Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, West Palm Beach Police Department, and the Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office jointly investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosenfeld prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Hyman is handling asset forfeiture. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov ,under case number 24-CR-20440. ###


title: Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information Databases

component: Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

body_text: The Department of Justice is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The program provides software, hardware, and training, as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 9 to August 29. Tribes selected to participate will be notified in September. There are currently 149 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children. “As a TAP Pilot Tribe, the Cherokee Nation has been participating in TAP for many years,” said Suzanne Drywater, Senior Director of Justice Services for the Cherokee Nation. “From sex offender registrations, law enforcement, foster home certification, human resources, and child support, our tribe has been able to exercise our sovereignty, and TAP has proven to be an invaluable resource that we use daily in a multitude of ways.” For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap . To qualify for funding, federally recognized Tribes must have – and agree to use TAP for – at least one of the following: A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers, A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect. TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.


title: Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty To Multiple Sales Of Fentanyl While Armed

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Thomas Edgar Hall (36, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of fentanyl and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Hall faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to court documents, from May through August 2024, Hall sold fentanyl and crack cocaine six times to an undercover officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Hall was armed or had ready access to a firearm on each occasion. In September 2024, after obtaining a search warrant, investigators searched the home where the drug transactions had taken place. Officers located six firearms, an assortment of ammunition, and drug paraphernalia including beakers, mirrors, razors, and blenders containing drug residue. They also recovered crack cocaine and over 60 grams of fentanyl. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: U.S. Department of Justice Sues California for Violations of Title IX and for Denying Athletic Opportunities to Girls

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division today filed a lawsuit to enforce Title IX and protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams. According to the complaint filed in United States District Court in Santa Ana, the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) have engaged in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them, depriving these girls of the equal education and athletic opportunities afforded to them by federal civil rights law. Thus, the suit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and damages relief for violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding. As alleged in the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education’s “current allocation of funds to CDE for fiscal year 2025 totals approximately $44.3 billion, of which approximately $3.8 billion remains available for drawdown by CDE, including both discretionary grants and formula grants.” “The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.” “California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over. California must comply with Title IX and end its civil rights violations against women. No person, no state, is above the law.” “Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.” CDE has authority over CIF and local school districts’ interscholastic athletic policies, and CIF oversees 1.8 million students and more than 750,000 student-athletes in grades 9 through 12. The complaint is available here . Assistant United States Attorney Richard M. Park of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section, Senior Counsel Robert J. Keenan and Trial Attorneys Matthew J. Donnelly and Aaron I. Henricks of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are handling this case.


title: Jacksonville Convicted Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty To Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials Using The Internet

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Sean-Michael Smith (36, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to access child sexual abuse materials. Smith faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Smith is a registered child sex offender who was convicted in federal court in 2014 of distributing videos and photos of children being sexually abused. Smith was arrested on December 18, 2024, and remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing scheduled for September 29, 2025. According to court records, after serving his federal prison sentence and while on supervised release, Smith admitted to his probation officer that he had drawn sketches depicting nude children and had also accessed the internet several times. On December 10, 2024, U.S. Probation Officers conducted a search of Smith’s residence for contraband evidence. During an interview, Smith admitted that he had accessed child sexual abuse materials online during August, September, and December 2024. He advised that he used a particular device to access these materials. Probation Officers seized this device and turned it over to the FBI for further investigation. On February 18, 2025, an FBI agent extracted the contents of the device’s computer chip and found approximately 35 photos depicting young children being sexually abused. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. It is another case brought 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: St. Louis County Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a sex offender who possessed child sexual abuse material and distributed it to others to 12 years in prison. Steven Martin Reich, 56, of St. Louis County, Missouri, will also be placed on supervised release for life after his release from prison. Reich pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. The investigation began with a CyberTipline Report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Reich uploaded an image of child exploitation material to the social media application Kik. CSAM was found on his phone as well as chats with someone who said they were a sixth grader named “Tasha.” Reich discussed his interest in engaging in sexual contact with Tasha and requested nude images of her. Reich believed he was communicating with a juvenile, but Homeland Security Investigations special agents determined that Tasha may be an adult male living in Utah. Investigators also located evidence that Reich distributed CSAM to people with whom he’d been communicating on social media application Wickr, and a search history indicating Reich sought out CSAM. Reich was placed on the sex offender list after pleading guilty to child molestation in the first degree in St. Louis Circuit Court in 1999. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST PANAMA CITY MAN FOR TRAFFICKING IN METHAMPHETAMINE

body_text: PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Calvin Eugene Williams, 35, of Panama City, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for trafficking in methamphetamine on two separate occasions. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Williams appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick yesterday for his arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. Williams was indicted for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on April 19, 2024, and for possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine on March 11, 2025. If convicted, Williams faces up to life imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST TALLAHASSEE MAN FOR POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Eddie Lee Shular Jr., 36, of Tallahassee, Florida has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Shular appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick yesterday for his arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Albuquerque Mother and Son Sentenced for Manufacturing and Selling Machinegun Conversion Devices

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque mother and son who used Instagram and a 3D printer to traffic illegal machine gun conversion devices were sentenced in federal court following an undercover investigation by the ATF that uncovered a cache of firearms. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, between February 3 and February 7, 2023, Joe Jasso , 21, used Instagram to advertise and sell illegal machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) which are used to convert firearms to fully automatic fire. Jasso communicated with an undercover detective from the ATF about selling AR-15 auto sears and MCDs. On February 7, 2023, Joe Jasso and his mother, Rachael Jasso , 43, met the undercover detective at Kiva Park, where Joe Jasso demonstrated how to install an MCD. Later that day, at a second meeting at Buffalo Wild Wings, Joe Jasso delivered an AR auto sear to the detective, and both Joe and Rachael Jasso confirmed they could make additional devices. On February 16, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at the Jasso residence in Northeast Albuquerque, where they found approximately ten firearms, five machine gun conversion devices, large quantities of ammunition, and a 3D printer used to manufacture the devices. Joe Jasso admitted to using Instagram to sell the switches and acknowledged modifying firearms, while neither Joe nor Rachael Jasso had the required federal licenses to possess or manufacture machine guns or conversion devices. Joe Jasso and Rachel Jasso both pleaded guilty to engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and possession of a machine gun conversion device. Joe Jasso was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, and Rachael Jasso was sentenced to 30 months. Upon their release from prison, they will both be subject to two years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case. Machine gun conversion devices and auto sears are illegal devices that transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of continuous firing with a single trigger pull. The possession, manufacture, and sale of these devices without proper licensing is a federal offense carrying severe penalties, including up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. The proliferation of these devices poses an immediate and critical threat to public safety. Between 2018 and 2023, the ATF recovered thousands of machine gun conversion devices, indicating an alarming trend in their availability and use. Violent street gangs are increasingly employing these devices, devastating communities and neighborhoods with unprecedented firepower. This dramatic increase in illegal automatic weapons puts both civilians and law enforcement at extreme risk. Officers responding to incidents may find themselves severely outgunned, facing weapons capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. The potential for mass casualties in such encounters is staggering. Law enforcement agencies are racing against time to intercept these devices before they can be used in violent crimes. Public cooperation is crucial in combating this threat. If you have information about illegal firearms or conversion devices, please contact the ATF immediately: Call: 1-888-ATF-Tips (1-888-283-8477) Email: ATFTips@atf.gov Visit: www.atf.gov/atf-tips Your tip could save lives and prevent these dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The time to act is now, before our community fall victim to the devastating impact of these illegal automatic weapons.


body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Justin Antre Grantsteadman, 36, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Grantsteadman appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick yesterday for his arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshall Service, and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Providence Man Admits to Trafficking Methamphetamine

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has been convicted for a second time on federal methamphetamine trafficking charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. David Vasbinder, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to a charge of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In February 2022, Vasbinder was arrested by Glocester, RI police after an officer stopped him for speeding and learned that an arrest warrant for him was pending in Providence in an unrelated matter. A court-authorized search of Vasbinder’s vehicle following his arrest resulted in the discovery of 126 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine and various items used in the packaging and distribution of drugs. Additionally, police seized a total of $972 in cash from Vasbinder’s person and his vehicle. Court records reflect that in October 2019, Vasbinder was convicted in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida on two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crystal methamphetamine. He was sentenced in December 2019 to a term of incarceration of 48 months to be followed by three years of supervised release. The case in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine D. Lowell. The matter was investigated by the Glocester Police Department, Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force, and the West Warwick Police Department.


title: Live Entertainment CEO Indicted for Orchestrating Conspiracy to Rig Bidding Process for Public University Arena

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Note : The defendant in this case, Timothy J. Leiweke, received a pardon from the President of the United States for the offenses alleged in the indictment described in the press release below. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against Timothy J. Leiweke, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oak View Group (OVG), for orchestrating a conspiracy to rig the bidding process for an arena at a public university in Austin, Texas, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced today. OVG develops and provides a variety of services to live entertainment venues. The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleges that, from approximately February 2018 through at least June 2024, Leiweke conspired with the Chief Executive Officer of a competitor to rig the bidding for the development, management, and use of a multi-purpose arena that was to be located on the campus of a public university in Austin, Texas (the “Arena Project”). “As outlined in the indictment, the Defendant rigged a bidding process to benefit his own company and deprived a public university and taxpayers of the benefits of competitive bidding,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold executives who cheat to avoid competition accountable.” “Unfair business practices, like those employed here, make it very difficult for the American people to pursue prosperity like our founders intended,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “In the Western District of Texas, we’re proud to work with our colleagues in the Antitrust Division on these types of cases, and we will do all we can to ensure those who engage in the type of conduct described in this case are held to account.” “Timothy Leiweke allegedly led a scheme designed to steer the contract for entertainment services at a public university's arena to his company. Public contracts are subject to laws requiring an open and competitive bid process to ensure a level playing field,” said Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. “The FBI is determined to ensure that those who disregard fair competition principles do not benefit from a rigged bidding process targeting our communities and public institutions.” “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of corruption and illegal influence in the American workplace,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan R. Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast region. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.” According to the indictment, in September 2017, Leiweke informed colleagues that he had learned another venue-services company was “bidding against us” for the Arena Project and wanted to “find a way to get [the competitor] some of the business” and “get them to back down.” In November 2017, Leiweke informed others that he was “[m]ore than happy talking to [the competitor] about not bidding and [receiving certain subcontracts]” but had “no interest in working with them if they intend on putting in a bid.” In February of 2018, Leiweke ultimately reached an agreement with the competitor’s CEO, pursuant to which the competitor agreed that it would stand down and neither submit nor join an independent competing bid for the Arena Project. In exchange for the competitor’s agreement to stand down, Leiweke represented that the competitor would receive Arena Project’s subcontracts. Consistent with the bid-rigging agreement, the competitor did not submit a competing bid for the Arena Project. OVG ultimately submitted the sole qualified bid and won the Arena Project. The arena opened to the public in April 2022, and OVG continues to receive significant revenues from the project to date. OVG and Legends Hospitality have agreed to pay $15 million and $1.5 million in penalties, respectively, in connection with the conduct alleged in the indictment against Leiweke. Leiweke is charged with a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office are investigating the case. The Antitrust Division’s New York Office is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations . 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: Mexican National Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Julio Zarate-Ocegueda, 51 years old, of Mexico residing in Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to a felony reentry of removed alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Julio Zarate-Ocegueda, who has been detained since his arrest, was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Zarate-Ocegueda was previously removed from the United States on two separate occasions, once in 2004 and again in 2005. His criminal history includes convictions for threatening a crime with intent to terrorize, battery, criminal threats (death), along with multiple driving related offenses. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.


title: Local man who trafficked, exploited & raped minor girls sentenced to 50 years in prison

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A previously convicted sex offender was sentenced in federal court to 600 months in prison. The defendant sexually exploited two minor females and forced one of the girls to engage in commercial sex acts with men at hotels. Anthony Sims, 56, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in March – less than two weeks before he was scheduled to begin trial – to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of sex trafficking a minor. Sims raped a 12-year-old girl 40 to 50 times throughout six months in 2020. Sims provided the girl marijuana and alcohol and talked her into getting high and drinking. At times, during the sexual assaults, Sims would hold down the victim’s arms or hold her in place. During these encounters, he forced the girl to pose for photos in sexual positions while nude or while wearing lingerie. Sims convinced another victim, a 13-year-old girl, to smoke marijuana with him and once she was high, Sims raped her. He routinely held this victim down to facilitate these acts. Sims would also take nude photos of her, and he made her pose with stuffed animals or pillows. Sims also took the 13-year-old to various hotels and forced her to have sex with men who paid Sims. The victim was forced to have sex with approximately 50 different men. Sims also sold pornographic photos of the victim. At the time of his most recent crimes, Sims was a registered sex offender with two convictions out of Michigan. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed on July 8 by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler J. Aagard are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: 16 Members of a Violent Gang in San Germán, Puerto Rico, Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 2, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 16 violent gang members from the municipality of San Germán with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force were in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Guaynabo Municipal Police SRT collaborated during the arrests. “As alleged in the indictment, the members of this drug trafficking organization conducted their criminal activities in the presence of minors, in complete disregard to the detriment of the children,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to protect our children, make Puerto Rico neighborhoods safe, and bring criminals to justice.” “The FBI’s commitment to public safety is unwavering. I want to thank the men and women of the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, the Police of Puerto Rico and local partners that worked tirelessly to disrupt this violent criminal enterprise,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This group thought they were above the law and our message is simple: if you choose to operate like a street army, then you’re choosing to face the FBI—rest assured your days terrorizing our communities are numbered.” The indictment alleges that from in or about the year 2023 through the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”),cocaine, fentanyl or a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and marihuana within 1,000 feet of Manuel F. Rossy Public Housing Project (PHP), and other areas nearby the municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of the conspiracy was the large-scale distribution of controlled substances at the Manuel F. Rossy PHP, and other areas nearby in the Municipality of San Germán, all for significant financial gain and profit. It was part of the manner and means of the conspiracy that there were at least two (2) drug points operating within the inside of two (2) apartments inside the PHP, and that sellers would sell drugs through a window to avoid being seen and/or detected by law enforcement. As part of the conspiracy the defendants would secure the entrance to the apartments that were utilized as drug points, with two (2) by four (4) wooden studs, to allow time for them to dispose of the drugs in the event of an unexpected law enforcement search and seizure. In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of the organization would use intimidation, force, and violence in order to maintain control of the drug trafficking operations and intimidate rival drug trafficking organizations. Moreover, they would give beatings to other co-conspirators and/or residents of the housing projects, with different weapons, including horse whips, as discipline for violating certain rules. The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to include leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, andlookouts. The defendants charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy are: [1] Jonathan Humberto Peraza-Rosa, a.k.a. “El Negro” [2] Jesed Natan Pagán-Ríos, a.k.a. “J” [3] Karvinson Javier Medina-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Champi/Jampi” [4] Giancarlo Robles-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gps/Penuelas/Jp” [5] Kelvin Torres-Alvarado, a.k.a. “Pito Ciribillo/Ciribi” [6] Eliezer Mikael Cruz-Molinary, a.k.a. “Mikael” [7] Yafet Omar Alameda-Torres [8] Anabel Tina Rodríguez [9] Jan Louis García-Franqui [10] Joe Armando Cotte-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Chevy” [11] Katiushcka Angelis Toro-Flores, a.k.a. “Katy/Angie” [12] John Eric Javier Cintrón-Massanet, a.k.a. “Budah” [13] Yadiel Omar Ponce De Leon-Ruiz, a.k.a. “Koby/Kobe” [14] Joel Rivera-Medina, a.k.a. “Fugitivo” [15] Melvin Jermaine Mitchel-Pérez, a.k.a. “JM/El Padrino” [16] Justin Daniel Nieves Nine defendants are charged in Count Six with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The FBI thanks the PRPB Ponce and Mayagüez Strike Force for their assistance in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and FBI Special AUSA Frank M. Norris are prosecuting the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Six, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants charged in the drug conspiracy are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $2,850,900. 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 take-down is part of the FBI’s Summer Heat initiative, which is taking place across the country during the summer months. Summer Heat is targeting violent offenders and gang members who terrorize our communities and is part of Director Patel’s commitment to the American people to Crush Crime. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Monroe County Man Sentenced To 120 Months’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking Offense

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Stull, age 46, of Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr. for one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine. According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, Stull previously pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Stull also admitted to possessing over one kilogram of cocaine, several pounds of marijuana, drug packaging materials, over $22,000 in cash, and several firearms, that were also found in his home during the execution of a search warrant on September 12, 2025, by members of the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General, as well as other investigators. The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiate 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). # # #


title: Former CBP Officer Sentenced for Smuggling Cocaine from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Atlanta

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Ivan Van Beverhoudt, 45, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, will serve a 20-year prison sentence following his convictions for importing and possessing with intent to distribute over 15 kilograms of cocaine. “Van Beverhoudt betrayed his badge by committing one of the very crimes he was entrusted to prevent—smuggling dangerous drugs into our country,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office and its agency partners will hold accountable any law enforcement officer who abuses his authority for criminal ends, and Van Beverhoudt’s twenty-year sentence demonstrates that such abuse will be met with severe consequences.” “This case highlights the severe repercussions for law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of trust,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama. “Ivan Van Beverhoudt’s attempt to smuggle over 15 kilograms of cocaine into the country was a grave violation, and thanks to the efforts of HSI and our partners, he will spend 20 years behind bars.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On January 10, 2020, Van Beverhoudt, a CBP officer, boarded a commercial flight from St. Thomas to Atlanta with 16 bricks of cocaine in his two carry-on bags. To avoid TSA screening in St. Thomas, Van Beverhoudt traveled in his official capacity with his loaded CBP-issued firearm. Upon arriving at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a CBP-trained narcotics K-9 officer in the jetway alerted to Van Beverhoudt’s luggage, which led to the discovery of the cocaine. On February 24, 2025, following a five-day jury trial, Van Beverhoudt was convicted of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, importation of cocaine into the United States, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On July 8, 2025, United States District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced Van Beverhoudt to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert, Bret R. Hobson, and Laurel B. Milam prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Columbus man sentenced to life in prison for drug, firearm, sex trafficking crimes

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – David Price, 56, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to life plus a consecutive 65 years in prison for his role in a narcotics distribution ring involving bulk amounts of fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine and other narcotics. The defendant purposefully provided a narcotics mix to cause the overdose death of an adult female because she was talking to the police about his drug trafficking. Price also sex-trafficked victims through drug withdrawals and violence. A federal jury found Price guilty on all counts following a trial in January and February before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. As part of this case, which charged 25 total defendants, the government seized more than $1.7 million, 50 firearms and nine vehicles, including a motorcycle. A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury initially indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine in central Ohio within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school. A superseding indictment returned in October 2022 charged additional co-conspirators with distributing those same drugs in addition to methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax and Oxycodone. Price, who is also known as “DP,” was charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024 with 11 drug, firearm and sex trafficking crimes. According to court documents and trial testimony, Price was part of a conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of “crack” cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, as well as marijuana, oxycodone and alprazolam. The drug trafficking organization operated from January 2008 until it was dismantled by law enforcement in 2022. Drug offenses took place at residences on Burgess and Harris avenues, which are within 1,000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School. In July 2021, Price distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine that resulted in the overdose death of an adult female. The testimony at trial indicated he purposefully killed her because she was talking to the police about his drug business. The government also proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Price conspired to commit sex trafficking. From 2016 until 2022, Price and other members of the conspiracy would force and/or coerce adult female drug addicts into performing commercial sex acts by providing, withholding, or threatening to withhold controlled substances and lodging. Investigation showed that various women would be allowed to stay at a drug residence associated with Price, receive a front of drugs so they were not in active withdrawal, go to Sullivant Avenue and have sex for money, pay the debt from the front drugs, and then be allowed to remain at the house. Price was also found guilty of three counts of sex trafficking related to his violence and coercion of three adult females. The testimony at trial indicated that he would lock the females inside his residence for days or weeks at a time and refuse to let them leave, forcing them to engage in sex acts. One victim was locked in a dog cage, shot and stabbed by Price. Another was restrained. A third was beaten and choked and left with a black eye. Price would refuse to provide them drugs unless or until they engaged in the sex acts, forcing them into withdrawal if they did not comply. Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which is now part of Operation Take Back America . Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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). # # #


title: Lexington Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Meth, Repeat Gun Charge

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Curtis Hill, III, 36, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on three different occasions, Hill sold methamphetamine to confidential sources. On one of these occasions, Hill was in possession of firearms. In a separate incident, following these drug buys, Hill ran from officers following a traffic stop, where he tossed methamphetamine during the chase. These drugs were ultimately recovered by law enforcement and a firearm was found in his vehicle. At the time of these offenses, Hill was on federal supervised release. Hill has previous convictions for assault and battery, common law robbery, assault battery of a high and aggravated nature, and a federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Hill to 180 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Lydon further sentenced him to 24 months imprisonment for violation of his supervised release, which is to run concurrent with his 15-year sentence. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the West Columbia Police Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Salem Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Possession Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Salem, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his participation in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and laundered the proceeds. Gino Castillo, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2025 , Castillo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Castillo was among 27 individuals charged, beginning in October 2022, in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. Castillo was charged, by indictment, on April 24, 2024. All 27 individuals have pleaded guilty; 22 have been sentenced. The DTO distributed counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, among other drugs, to individuals in the Lynn area. In May 2022, Castillo bought 500 pills containing fentanyl from members of the DTO for redistribution to others. In October 2022, Castillo was observed assisting a DTO leader, Lawrence Michael Nagle Jr., with moving into an apartment on Phillips Street in Salem where drugs would be stored. During a search at the Salem location on Oct. 25, 2022 counterfeit pills were located in a safe in the bedroom and hidden in the tank of a toilet. Lawrence Michael Nagle, Jr. pleaded guilty in April 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5, 2025. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman, John O. Wray and Alexandra Amrhein of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Ohio County Man Admits to Fentanyl Distribution

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Deontre Christian Johnson, age 25, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to distributing fentanyl in Ohio County. According to court documents, Johnson, also known as “Trap,” was selling fentanyl on Wheeling Island. Johnson is facing at up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.


title: Dedham Man Pleads Guilty to Submitting Multiple Fraudulent Bank Loan Applications

body_text: BOSTON – A Dedham man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to bank fraud and money laundering. Wyoming Killingbarrows, 30, who was born with the name Patricio Junio Brito Pontes Barros, pleaded guilty to four counts of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Oct. 2, 2025. Killingbarrows was charged by Information in April 2025 . Between June 2, 2021 and July 17, 2021, Killingbarrows submitted 18 fraudulent bank loan applications. In the various loan applications, Killingbarrows used his birth name of Patricio Barros, misrepresented his income, and submitted fraudulent paystubs from a company in support of his applications. Based on these misrepresentations, various banks issued loans to Killingbarrows totaling $329,002. Killingbarrows failed to pay back any of the loans and used the money for various personal expenses, including investments. The charges of bank fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The money laundering charge provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Ohio County Man Admits to Role in Ohio Valley Drug Trafficking Operation

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven Aldridge, 27, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to conspiring to sell large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. Aldridge entered a guilty plea today to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. According to court documents, Aldridge was working with others in a drug trafficking operation that spanned from Las Vegas, Nevada to the Ohio Valley. Aldridge faces at least 5 and up to 40 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, all HIDTA-funded initiatives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; West Virginia State Police; Wheeling Police Department; Ohio County Sheriff’s Office; and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided. Press release on the associated case: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/federal-grand-jury-indicts-twenty-six-drug-trafficking


title: Owings Mills Couple Sentenced for Roles in $20-Million Insurance Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced James William Wilson, Jr., 78, and his wife, Maureen Ann Wilson, 77, both of Owings Mills, Maryland, to federal prison for their roles in connection with an insurance fraud scheme. James Wilson received 12 years for 13 counts of fraud, three counts of money laundering, two counts of filing false tax returns, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Maureen Wilson was sentenced to four years for one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of money laundering, and two counts of filing a false return. Both were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $18,705,520.30 and the Court entered a forfeiture order including over $14.8 million in seized funds. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation – Washington, D.C. Field Office. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Wilsons conspired to defraud life-insurance companies by securing more than 40 life-insurance policies. The scheme included mispresenting policy applicants’ health, wealth, and existing life-insurance coverage. Total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. Additionally, James Wilson, a former Maryland life insurance broker, defrauded individual investors to receive funds that he used to pay premiums on the fraudulently obtained life-insurance policies. The Wilsons concealed the fraud by transferring the proceeds to multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. Then the Wilsons filed false individual income-tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which concealed the fraudulent proceeds from each year, approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively. After obtaining the policies, the Wilsons used forged signatures to make themselves, and other nominees they controlled, the owners and beneficiaries of the life insurance policies. Maureen Wilson also impersonated other people when speaking with the life insurance companies. The IRS-CI investigated the case, with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of The Attorney General. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps and Philip Motsay and Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley, who prosecuted the federal case. Ms. Hayes also thanks Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson, from the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, who assisted with the forfeiture proceedings. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Former Miami-Dade Transit Supervisor  and Wife Sentenced for Roles in Metrorail Bribery Scheme

body_text: Dale Robinson, a former Miami-Dade Transit Track and Guideway Supervisor, and Marcia Robinson, his wife, were sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore after pleading guilty to federal charges. Dale Robinson pleaded guilty to soliciting a bribe from a contractor for Miami-Dade Transit in connection with the issuance of Metrorail repair and maintenance contracts. Marcia Robinson pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony for helping her husband cover up the bribery scheme. Dale Robinson was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. In addition, a forfeiture judgment of $75,956 was previously entered against Dale Robinson, which he has already paid to the United States. Marcia Robinson was sentenced to 3 years of probation for her lesser role. According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearings, Dale Robinson was the acting General Superintendent and lead Rail Structure and Track Supervisor in the Track and Guideway unit of Miami-Dade Transit. His responsibilities included making recommendations for the selection of contractors to do Metrorail track maintenance and repair work for the transit unit and overseeing the work done by those contractors, including Jessie Bledsoe. Bledsoe was the co-owner and operator of JB Railroad Contracting, Inc. (JB Railroad), a North Dakota-based company that did railroad track and rail replacement, repair, and maintenance work throughout the United States. In or around January 2021, while JB Railroad was working on a previously obtained contract for the removal and replacement of Metrorail track fasteners and was in the process of seeking an additional contract to perform welding work on the Metrorail system for Miami-Dade Transit, Dale Robinson requested a large bribe from Bledsoe. Bledsoe agreed to pay Robinson that bribe, which was intended to influence Robinson’s selection of a contractor for the upcoming welding project. Bledsoe also agreed to conceal the payment by making it to a company specified by Dale Robinson. After this, in late January 2021, Dale Robinson directed Marcia Robinson, who lived in Maryland, to create a company and open a company checking account on which she would serve as the sole signatory. Marcia Robinson formed Tailored Railroads & Consulting LLC (Tailored Railroads), filing the company paperwork in the State of Maryland. Between February 2021 through February 2022, Dale Robinson directed Marcia Robinson to send a total of four invoices from Tailored Railroads to JB Railroad. When Marcia Robinson sent each of these invoices, she knew that Tailored Railroads had not provided any goods or services to JB Railroad. Bledsoe then caused JB Railroad to issue four checks to Tailored Railroads to pay the invoices, which were actually payments for the bribe solicited by Dale Robinson. Bledsoe ultimately provided $75,956 to Tailored Railroads for Dale Robinson’s personal benefit as part of Dale Robinson’s bribe solicitation. While not knowing all the details of her husband’s illegal bribery agreement with Bledsoe, Marcia Robinson knew that the four checks were being paid by Bledsoe for Dale Robinson’s recommendation to select JB Railroad to perform work for Miami-Dade Transit. Despite this, she did not inform authorities of her husband’s crime, and her actions helped conceal his criminal activity. In a related case, Bledsoe pled guilty to paying a bribe to Dale Robinson in connection with his contracts with Miami-Dade Transit. Bledsoe’s sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom is set for October 3, 2025. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami, and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling forfeiture matters. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-20168. ###


title: Cuban National Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $800,000 From Elderly Victim’s Bank Account

body_text: MIAMI – Michel Duarte Suarez, 50, a Cuban national, pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme he directed from his residence in Panama to obtain control over an elderly victim’s bank account, steal more than $800,000 from the victim’s account, and then launder the proceeds with the assistance of co-conspirators in South Florida. Suarez was initially indicted in September 2023 but resided in Panama City, Panama at the time. In January 2025, Suarez was arrested in Panama and brought to South Florida to face the charges. According to court documents, in March 2022 Suarez explained to a confidential informant that he had access to the bank of account of an elderly victim, who was 82 years old at the time. To carry out the fraud conspiracy, Suarez created and mailed fraudulent checks from Panama to South Florida with directions to cash the checks and return 50% of the fraud proceeds to Suarez by wiring the money to Suarez’s Miami-based company, Online Electronics. The fraudulent checks contained forged signatures designed to resemble that of the victim’s signature on his/her signature card for that same bank account. In total, Suarez and his co-conspirators stole approximately $803,000 from the elderly victim’s bank account during a four-month period. Sentencing is set for September 29, 2025, in Miami before United States District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams. Suarez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud (Count 1) and one count of aggravated identity theft (Count 4). Suarez faces up to 30 years in prison on Count 1, and an additional mandatory two years in prison, to run consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed on Count 1. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jason Scalzo of the FDIC-OIG Electronic Crimes Unit; and Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the US Secret Service Miami Field Office made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski is prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture proceedings. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-CR-20359-WILLIAMS. ###


title: 2 Lubbock Men Indicted with Brooklynn Chandler Willy for Allegedly Defrauding Hundreds of Victims

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Two Lubbock men made their initial appearances in a federal court in San Antonio today after a federal grand jury returned an indictment on July 2 charging them for their alleged roles in a massive Ponzi fraud scheme with co-defendant Brooklynn Chandler Willy of San Antonio. According to the indictment, Joshua Allen and Michael Cox jointly owned and controlled four investment companies: Ferrum Capital LLC, Ferrum II LLC, Ferrum III LLC, and Ferrum IV LLC. Allen, Cox, Willy and others acting at their direction, solicited victims to invest in these entities. Willy, who was arrested in December on separate obstruction and fraud charges , was the owner of Chandler Capital Holdings and Queen B Advisory LLC doing business as Texas Financial Advisory (TFA). Among other services, TFA purported to provide asset management and financial planning services. The indictment alleges that Allen, Cox and Willy misled the victims concerning the security of the investments and concealed their high commissions. Additionally, Allen and Cox allegedly lied about the nature of the investments. Hundreds of victims collectively lost millions of dollars. Much of that money went to pay earlier investor-victims, thereby concealing the scheme and attracting additional victims. Much of the money also directly benefitted the now indicted co-conspirators and their associates. Allen, Cox, and Willy are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of securities fraud. Allen and Cox made their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad. If convicted on all charges, they face up to 70 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI and IRS-CI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Blackwell and Kelly Stephenson are 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. ###