title: Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Money Laundering in Relation to a COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shamiese Wright, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2025, to aiding and abetting monetary laundering. According to court documents and statements made in court, Wright received $15,625 in proceeds from a criminally derived Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). On April 19, 2021, co-defendant Kisha Sutton submitted a PPP loan application on Wright’s behalf, listing Wright as a self-employed individual who received $75,000 in gross income in 2020. The application was filed with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business, reflecting that Wright had earned $75,000 in 2020. As part of her guilty plea, Wright admitted that she was not self-employed, that she never earned $75,000 in any year, and that the IRS Form 1040 submitted with her application was fraudulent and created solely to obtain the PPP loan. A PPP lender in Florida approved Wright’s loan application, and $15,625 in fraudulent loan proceeds were electronically deposited in Wright’s personal bank account in Charleston on or about May 7, 2021. As part of her guilty plea, Wright admitted that she transferred $3,000 to Sutton from the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds using a digital wallet application between May 7, and May 21, 2021. Wright further admitted that the transfers were compensation for facilitating the submission of Wright’s fraudulent loan as they had agreed, and that she staggered her payments to Sutton and provided misleading transfer descriptions for them to conceal and disguise the nature and the source of the money. Wright spent the remainder of the fraudulent loan proceeds on personal expenses. The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to qualifying sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other eligible expenses. Applicants were required to certify that they were in operation on February 15, 2020, and provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Wright is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Wright also owes up to $18,736.73 in restitution. Wright and Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, are among several individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they and others conspired, as well as aided and abetted one another, to obtain fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625. Co-defendants William Powell and Damisha Brown each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Powell, 35, of Huntington, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2025 and Brown, 32, of Charleston, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025. Co-defendant Jasmine Spencer, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025, to aiding and abetting bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21, 2025. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU). United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon and former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson have prosecuted the case. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-192.


title: Wilbraham Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Public Officials, Private Individuals and Children

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Wilbraham man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to making numerous violent threats on social media targeting public figures, private individuals, children in Wilbraham and Boston, and an elementary school in Springfield. Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, also known as “Jonathan Funwayo Nyawo,” “Michael Jacobs” “Robert, Jacobs,” and “Carl Fields,” 37, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications and one count of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Oct. 23, 2025. In March 2025 , Nyawo was indicted by a federal grand jury. Nyawo was previously arrested on Feb. 5, 2025 in the Southern District of Florida and ordered detained until his appearance in federal court in Springfield, which will be scheduled at a later date. Between July 30, 2024 and Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo posted various threatening communications on X (formerly known as Twitter). These threats explicitly referenced killing, shooting, or bombing; targeted a wide variety of public figures, private individuals and sensitive public locations such as shopping malls and an elementary school; and often urged Islamic terrorist groups or holy warriors to commit these acts of violence. Nyawo’s threats included threats to kill an elected United States official (and their family), a former United States official (and their family); a former member of a Massachusetts police department (and their family); two private individuals; local officials and their family members; the children of Wilbraham and Boston; members of the Wilbraham Police Department and Wilbraham Fire Department (and their families); and targeted two shopping malls and an elementary school in Springfield, among others. In addition, between Aug. 17, 2024 and on or about Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo used X to engage in a course of conduct with the intent to harass and intimidate the elected United States official, their spouse, their child, their child’s spouse and their grandchildren. All of the charges provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and J. Thomas Manger of the United States Capital Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wilbraham Police Department, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Jury Convicts New Jersey Woman for Crimes Related to COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Kisha Sutton, 44, of Jersey City, New Jersey, on July 15, 2025, of aiding and abetting bank fraud (Count one) and aiding and abetting laundering of monetary instruments (Count two). Evidence at trial proved that Sutton and co-defendant Shamiese Wright aided and abetted one another to obtain a fraudulent $15,625 Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan on behalf of Wright, guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Sutton received $3,000 in fraudulent PPP loan proceeds from Wright as part of their scheme. On April 19, 2021, Sutton submitted the PPP loan application on Wright’s behalf, listing Wright as a self-employed individual who received $75,000 in gross income in 2020. The application was filed with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business, reflecting that Wright had earned $75,000 in 2020. Evidence at trial showed that Wright was not self-employed, had never earned $75,000 in any year, had received unemployment benefits in 2020, and that the IRS Form 1040 submitted with Wright’s application was fraudulent and created solely to obtain the PPP loan. A PPP lender in Florida approved Wright’s loan application, and $15,625 in fraudulent loan proceeds were electronically deposited in Wright’s personal bank account in Charleston on or about May 7, 2021. Wright transferred the $3,000 to Sutton from the fraudulent PPP loan proceeds using a digital wallet application between May 7, and May 21, 2021. Wright staggered her payments to Sutton and provided misleading transfer descriptions for them to conceal and disguise the nature and the source of the money. The CARES Act made forgivable PPP loans available to qualifying sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other eligible expenses. Applicants were required to certify that they were in operation on February 15, 2020, and provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Sutton is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. Sutton owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court. “The CARES Act offered emergency assistance to struggling small businesses that were impacted by the pandemic. The defendant chose to exploit that lifeline for personal enrichment,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is glad to have played a significant role teaming with our law enforcement partners to hold the defendant accountable.” Johnston commended the excellent investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU). Sutton and Wright and are among several individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they and others conspired, as well as aided and abetted one another, to obtain fraudulent PPP loans totaling $140,625. Wright, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on July 14, 2025, to aiding and abetting the laundering of monetary instruments and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2025. William Powell and Damisha Brown each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Powell, 35, of Huntington, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14, 2025 and Brown, 32, of Charleston, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025. Jasmine Spencer, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025, to aiding and abetting bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21, 2025. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the jury trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan T. Storage and Jennifer D. Gordon and former Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson have prosecuted the case. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-192.


title: San Angelo man sentenced to 245 years in federal prison for sextorting minors and an adult across the United States

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A San Angelo man was sentenced to 245 years in federal prison for sextorting minors and an adult across the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Juelz Sincere Armstead, 21, was found guilty by a Lubbock, Texas jury in April 2025 on five counts of production of child pornography, two counts of attempted production of child pornography, and seven counts of cyber stalking, following a four-day jury trial. He was sentenced on July 15, 2025, to 2,940 months in federal prison by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. “The horrendous acts against each victim in this case warranted the substantial sentence imposed here,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “We hope that the lengthy incarceration of this defendant will assist the victims as they continue in the healing process and serve as a warning to like-minded predators that we will pursue swift justice and extensive punishment for these types of despicable crimes.” “This sentence reflects the unspeakable harm Juel Armstead inflicted on innocent victims and the tireless commitment of law enforcement to bring predators like him to justice,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “No amount of time can undo the trauma caused, but a 2,940-month sentence ensures this individual will never again have the opportunity to victimize a child. HSI Dallas and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our mission to protect the most vulnerable among us and hold those who exploit them accountable.” According to evidence presented at trial, over the course of approximately three years, Armstead met his victims, nine minors and one adult, on various social media platforms. He cyberstalked and coerced them into sending him sexually explicit photographs and videos, routinely threatening to expose this material to family, friends, and others if they did not create and send him more sexual abuse material. Testimony in the case revealed that the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office arrested Armstead for his conduct in December 2022 and, upon his release from jail, Armstead obtained another cell phone and continued his sextortion scheme. Armstead continued to amass more victims until his second arrest in February 2024. At trial, victims from across the United States testified about the abuse and the emotional trauma Armstead caused them. Many victims described how Armstead’s threats placed them in fear, that they felt their lives were over, and that they felt as if they were being raped by Armstead’s actions. In some cases, victims felt suicidal. Graphic photographs and videos were discussed at trial, including of one 14-year-old victim with tears rolling down her cheeks as she created the sexually explicit video Armstead demanded. Another 18-year-old victim was so fearful of Armstead’s repeated threats to harm and expose her that she was manipulated into filming sexually explicit videos of her 13-year-old sister. The prosecution introduced tens of thousands of pages of messages between Armstead and the victims along with hundreds of photographs and video evidence. At sentencing, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Mike Baker testified that there were additional victims who were too traumatized to prepare for and attend trial. In issuing the 245-year sentence, Judge James Wesley Hendrix described Armstead’s conduct as “repeat, incessant terrorizing and bullying [of] these victims over and over again without any sign of mercy.” Judge Hendrix told Armstead: “You are an incredible danger. The protection of the public is at its apex here.” Homeland Security Investigations—Abilene Office led the investigation, with the assistance of HSI San Angelo, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Atlanta, HSI Dallas, HSI Waco, HSI San Antonio, HSI Newark, HSI Colorado Springs, HSI Eastern Shore MD, HSI Stockton, HSI Philadelphia, HSI Houston, HSI Wichita, HSI Raleigh, HSI Portland, Abilene Police Department, San Angelo Police Department, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Albany Police Department (Oregon), Clinton County Sheriff’s Office (Indiana), Salem Police Department (Oregon), and several additional federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Texas, Indiana, Oregon, California, New Jersey, Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kansas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case with victim-witness assistance from Kelsea Martin and the Western District of Wisconsin’s victim-witness coordinator. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”


title: Three Co-Conspirators Charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms from Virginia

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging two Virginia residents and one Maryland resident with conspiracy to traffic firearms purchased from licensed firearm retailers in Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Moniqua Jefferson, 31 and Valentino Hall, 28, both of Richmond, and Derrick Boyd Jr., 32, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, were arrested at their homes this morning. They made their initial appearances today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh who ordered them to be held pending a detention hearing on July 17. This case is being prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe Again initiative. According to the indictment, from as early as September 2022, and continuing until September 2024, Jefferson and Hall determined what firearms were available from federally licensed firearm retailers in the Richmond area, and then allegedly sought customers who were prohibited from possessing the guns by law. Jefferson and Hall then purchased the firearms, and resold or transfered them to individuals, including Boyd, for a fee. The indictment details how on May 31, 2024, and June 1, 2024, Hall and Jefferson allegedly communicated with a co-conspirator to purchase a firearm in Richmond for the co-conspirator. Thirty days later, the co-conspirator, who was prohibited by law from possessing firearms, allegedly was found in possession of the firearm purchased by Jefferson and Hall. On June 6, 2024, Jefferson allegedly bought another firearm at a licensed retailer in Richmond. Just 17 days later, that firearm was recovered from an individual who could not lawfully possess a firearm in the District because that individual was under 21-years-old. Subsequently, between August 14, 2024, and August 15, 2024, Boyd communicated with Hall and Jefferson to purchase a Ruger firearm. The next day, Boyd and Jefferson entered a licensed retailer in Richmond together and Jefferson purchased the gun. Boyd and Jefferson left the retailer together. Hall and Jefferson communicated about charging individuals $100 to purchase firearms, and on Aug. 16, 2024, Boyd sent a payment to Jefferson for an amount of $103.01 more than the price of the firearm purchased by Jefferson. Finally, on Sept. 11, 2024, Jefferson, Hall, and another co-conspirator who was prohibited by law from possessing firearms traveled again to Richmond. The next day, Jefferson, Hall and the co-conspirator returned to the retailer, where Jefferson bought two identical firearms. Hall sent a payment to Jefferson for approximately the price of the firearms. Ultimately, Hall and Jefferson allegedly purchased over 22 firearms between August 2022 and May 2025. Five of those firearms were recovered by law enforcement in Maryland and the District of Columbia from individuals who were not permitted by law to carry or possess those firearms. Make D.C. Safe Again, under which this case is being prosecuted, is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful. The initiative aims to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is 15 years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ATF’s Washington Field Division is leading this investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 25cr195


title: Houston area men charged in murder-for-hire plot

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Three people are expected to appear in federal court on charges related to a conspiracy to commit murder for hire and related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Michael Seery, 42, Katy, is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho July 24 at 2 p.m. Ricardo Obando Jr., 51, and Matthew Rosas, 24, both of Houston, are currently in state custody on related charges and expected to make their appearances in federal court also at that time. Seery was originally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and remains in custody. A federal grand jury returned the seven-count superseding indictment July 15. According to the charges, the trio plotted the murder over the course of months and executed their plan in the early morning of Feb. 4. They allegedly shot the victim several times as he was traveling on his way to work. He survived but sustained several injuries. If convicted of possession of a firearm silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence or discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, all face up to life in prison with mandatory minimum sentences of 30 and 10 years, respectively. All three are also charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire and use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire resulting in personal injury which carry up to 20 years in federal prison. Seery and Obando are charged with transfer and receipt of a firearm for use in a felony and face up to 10 years, while Seery is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm which carries another 15-year-maximum sentence. The FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Brown is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Two-Time Felon Convicted of Two More Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who formerly operated a used appliance business in Marion, Iowa, was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Cordell Maleec Mayfield, age 28, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about 35 minutes of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial showed that Mayfield had a firearm with an obliterated serial number in his Marion business on September 19, 2024, when Marion Police arrived late in the evening to perform a welfare check. The welfare check was precipitated by a 911 call to Marion Police to have officers check on the caller’s daughter who was with Mayfield at his business. Officers saw the weapon in Mayfield’s hand and later recovered it in a search. Evidence further showed that a few months before the firearm seizure, Mayfield stated in a recording that he preferred firearms with obliterated serial numbers. 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. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mayfield remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mayfield faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Ashley Corkery and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Marion Iowa Police Department, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-00094. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Spencer Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drugs and Guns

body_text: A man who was sentenced today, to more than 14 years in federal prison. Dana Eugene Igou, age 41, from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 22, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms by a drug user and domestic abuse misdemeanant and one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. During the course of the conspiracy Igou, and others conspired to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. Igou also possessed several firearms during the drug conspiracy. In December of 2023, Igou was stopped for a traffic violation and found in possession of a 9 mm handgun and a small amount of methamphetamine. Igou was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony convictions and his prior conviction of a crime of domestic violence. On March 14, 2024, law enforcement again arrested Igou, and he was again in possession of firearms, as well as ammunition, brass knuckles, and nearly 9 ounces of methamphetamine. Because of his prior convictions, Igou was determined to be a career offender. Igou was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Igou was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Igou is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and was investigated by Estherville Police Department, Spirit Lake Police Department, Spencer Police Department, Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-4018. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Former Iowa Nurse Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Diversion, Illegal Firearms Possession, and Bank Fraud

body_text: A former Iowa nurse from western Iowa, who stole pain medication from nursing home residents, burglarized multiple residences, possessed a firearm as a felon, and committed a bank fraud, was sentenced on July 16, 2025, to more than three years in federal prison. Sarah Ann Haptonstall, age 47, from Onawa, Iowa, received the prison term after she pled guilty on February 24, 2025, to one count of acquiring and attempting to acquire a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, or subterfuge, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of bank fraud. In a plea agreement, and at her plea and sentencing hearings, Haptonstall admitted that, in March 2023, she burglarized an Onawa couple’s home on multiple occasions in order to steal narcotic pain medication. One the residents needed the medication for constant nerve pain. Haptonstall knew this, because when she was a nurse in 2021, she had delivered narcotics to the Onawa couple’s residence. When law enforcement officers arrested Haptonstall on March 10, 2023, after she re-burglarized the Onawa couple’s residence a final time, Haptonstall possessed a 9mm Luger pistol in her truck. Haptonstall was a felon and drug user at the time, and so it was illegal for her to possess firearms. Haptonstall had purchased two 9mm Luger pistols in February 2020, after falsely stating that she was not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, a controlled substance. The burglaries of the Onawa couple’s home were but one part of a larger drug diversion scheme that Haptonstall was perpetrating in western Iowa. In February and March 2023, Haptonstall was entering multiple apartments in Onawa and stealing the residents’ pain medications. Further, between April and October 2022, while working as a licensed Iowa nurse, defendant stole hydrocodone pills from four elderly residents of an Onawa nursing home and a Sergeant Bluff nursing home. One of the victims was over 90 years old. Haptonstall removed the narcotics from pill cards and replaced them with Tylenol. One of the nursing home residents suffered from severe pain as she died because defendant had swapped out the victim’s narcotic pills for Tylenol and made a false entry in her medical record. Another resident was in hospice when defendant stole her narcotics. Haptonstall was first licensed as a nurse in 2006, and her license was renewed at least five times (in 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021). Haptonstall ultimately surrendered her nursing license. Haptonstall also admitted that, in early 2023, she committed a bank fraud against a small family-owned business in Onawa. Haptonstall was the business’s bookkeeper and abused her position of trust to embezzle over $8,000 from the company. Specifically, Haptonstall created fraudulent checks payable to herself, drawn on the small business’s account, and bearing one of its proprietor’s signatures. Haptonstall disguised the fraudulent checks by making false and fictitious entries in the small business’s electronic bookkeeping system. Haptonstall has an extensive criminal history, beginning with six theft convictions in the late 1990s and 2000s. Between 1997 and 2013, a state court dismissed more than 30 additional theft charges against Haptonstall after she agreed to pay restitution to the victims in those cases. Haptonstall’s felony record started in 2006, when she pled guilty to forgery after she forged signatures on checks. In 2014, Haptonstall was convicted of a felony controlled substance violation after making a material misrepresentation to obtain hydrocodone from a grocery store. In February 2023, while she was committing bank fraud, and about a month before burglarizing residences in Onawa, Haptonstall received a ten-year, fully suspended prison sentence in state court for felony drug diversion after she admitted she had swapped patients’ hydrocodone for Tylenol pills while working as a delivery driver for a local pharmacy. Haptonstall was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Haptonstall was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment. She was also ordered to make over $8,000 in restitution to her former employer and to repay $5,000 in court-appointed attorney fees. Haptonstall must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Haptonstall was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Monona County Sheriff’s Office assisted the investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file numbers are 24-CR-4016 and 25-CR-4007. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Honduran National Charged with Resisting, Assaulting, and Injuring ICE Officer During Traffic Stop

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, JOSE MELGAR-RIVAS , 34, of Honduras, was charged by Complaint with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer resulting in bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to the Complaint, on July 15, 2025, officers with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pulled over a vehicle on NW 23rd Street in Oklahoma City. The driver, Melgar-Rivas, was a Honduran national and an ICE fugitive. The Complaint alleges that Melgar-Rivas refused the officer’s demands to exit the vehicle, and, as officers attempted to remove Melgar-Rivas from the vehicle, a struggle ensued. During the struggle, Melgar-Rivas put the vehicle into drive and fled the scene. As the vehicle accelerated, an ICE officer became trapped in the door of the vehicle, which caused the officer to be dragged down the road. The officer ultimately freed himself from the vehicle but sustained several injuries. Melgar-Rivas, who fled the scene, was arrested several hours later. “Ensuring the safety of law enforcement personnel in executing their lawful duties is paramount, and it remains a top priority of the Justice Department,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Those who assault or interfere with members of law enforcement for simply doing their job enforcing the law must and will be held accountable.” “Those who assault federal officers will face swift and stern accountability for their actions,” said Travis Pickard, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas Special Agent in Charge over North Texas and Oklahoma. “Violence and any threats of violence to a federal officer in the performance of their duties will result in an immediate and collaborative law enforcement response to track down the perpetrator.” “Assaults on federal agents will not be tolerated by the FBI,” said FBI Oklahoma City Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Ogden. “We will continue to aggressively support and defend our fellow public servants so they can safely carry out their sworn duties.” If found guilty, Melgar-Rivas faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. Melgar-Rivas appeared today in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City and was ordered to be detained in federal custody pending further proceedings. The public is reminded this charge is merely an allegation, and that Melgar-Rivas is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Oklahoma City Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Sacramento County Man Convicted of Receiving Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: After a one‑day trial, a jury found Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights, guilty Tuesday of one count of receiving child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced. According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, during a search of Colton’s home law enforcement recovered his laptop, which contained copious images and videos depicting the graphic sexual abuse of young children. The jury heard evidence that between July 2022 and December 2023, Colton downloaded these depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The material was saved on Colton’s computer desktop and in his downloads folder, and he had user-created bookmarks linking to known child pornography websites. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Whitnee Goins and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case. Colton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Oct. 27, 2025. Colton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Mexican man sentenced for illegal reentry

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who entered the United States illegally four times since 2019 was sentenced today to a sentence of time served and remanded to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol upon release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Odilon Valdes-De Jesus, 55, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of illegal reentry. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that Valdes first entered the country without authorization in 2019. On October 3, 2019, he was encountered by El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents, processed for expeditated removal, and removed from the United States on October 4, 2019, through the Calexico, California Port of Entry. He crossed the border illegally again on October 5, 2019, and was removed from the United States a second time on October 6, 2019. He illegally entered again two days later, on October 8, 2019, and was removed for the third time on October 9. When law enforcement encountered Valdes in Havre, Montana on May 13, 2025, he admitted he had no immigration documents to be in the United States legally, and later admitted he entered without authorization a fourth time around July 15, 2020, near Eagle Pass, Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Myers prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol. 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). XXX


title: Man Convicted of Hiring Hitman to Murder a Federal Prosecutor, FBI Special Agent, Witnesses, and Victims Before the Start of his Federal Cyber Harassment Trial

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On July 11, 2025, a federal jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale found Anthony Brillante II, age 36, guilty of attempted murder of an employee of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. The charges stemmed from a plot engaged in by the defendant to murder the federal prosecutor and FBI Special Agent who investigated and prosecuted him for cyber harassment, by hiring a hitman to kill them. He was also found guilty of attempting to kill the witnesses and victims of his cyber harassment case before the start of his federal cyber harassment trial on October 30, 2023. In August of 2022, the FBI arrested Brillante for cyber harassing his family in New York. Brillante, a student at FIU during most of the time of the crimes, spoofed hundreds of different phone numbers to send three victims—his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter—tens of thousands of phone calls and text messages over a 15-month period between 2021 and 2022, including countless explicit threats to kill them. The messages included threatening to shoot them in the in the face and running them over with a car. The federal cyber harassment investigation established that Brillante was also sending similar threatening messages to another cousin and her husband, who both resided in Texas. In October 2023, just before the start of his federal cyber harassment trial, Brillante directed and paid a total of $40,000 in furtherance of the murder plot. On October 29, 2023, the day before his cyber harassment trial was scheduled to begin, Brillante met with an undercover FBI agent, who was posing as a hitman, and enlisted him to commit the murders of the prosecuting Assistant United States Attorney, the investigating FBI special agent, and the victims of his cyber harassment case in order to obstruct his federal trial. Despite his efforts, Brillante was convicted in his first trial of cyber harassment and ultimately sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment. Sentencing in the murder-for-hire case is scheduled for October 1, 2025. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Deric Zacca from the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. AUSA Daren Grove 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-60204. ###


title: South Texas residents ordered to prison for human smuggling

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two 35-year-old Brownsville residents have been sentenced for smuggling three illegal aliens in the trunk of a vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Ofelia Christine Monares and Michael Rosa pleaded guilty April 1. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has imposed a 40-month term of imprisonment for Monares while Rosa received 25 months. Both must also serve one year of supervised release following their sentences. Both received upward adjustments or increases in their calculated sentencing guideline range for placing the life of the aliens in jeopardy. Monares also received a sentencing enhancement for being a supervisor of the criminal activity. At the time of their pleas, both Monares and Rosa admitted to knowingly smuggling three illegal aliens in the trunk of a Nissan Sentra. On Feb. 24, law enforcement observed several suspected illegal aliens walking along a dirt road near the Rio Grande River. The group climbed into the trunk of a Nissan Sentra which then fled at a high rate of speed. Authorities stopped the vehicle at the Highway 4 checkpoint and found three Vietnamese nationals in the trunk. All appeared dehydrated and were sweating profusely. Rosa was the driver. He said Victor Hugo Medrano-Medrano and Monares had recruited him, and that Medrano and Monares picked him up in a white Nissan Titan and drove him to the Sentra. Rosa said they were to pay him $10,000 to transport the aliens to a local convenience store in Brownsville. Video surveillance revealed the Titan crossing the checkpoint shortly after Rosa’s arrest. Authorities later located the Titan at the convenience store with Monares driving and Medrano in the passenger seat. Monares said she was also to be paid - $500 - for every alien transported. Medrano-Medrano, 38, Brownsville, has also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing in September. He remains in custody. Both Monares and Rosa have also have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined at a later date. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: KC Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years for Illegal Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after officers found a firearm when they investigated him for driving while intoxicated. Bryan A. Bay, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years in federal prison without parole. Bay’s sentence was ordered to run consecutive to a state sentence for endangering the welfare of a child. On Feb. 27, 2025, Bay pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On July 7, 2023, Independence, Mo. Police Department officers were dispatched to investigate a report that the occupants of a Chevrolet Silverado were passed out. The officers contacted the occupants and identified Bay as the driver of the vehicle. Bay appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. A computer check of Bay showed that he is a registered sex offender and on supervision through Missouri Probation and Parole for endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and domestic assault in the second degree. Officers located a Smith and Wesson, Model SD9, semi-automatic pistol. The firearm was loaded with a 12-round magazine with one round in the chamber. On Oct. 4, 2023, Independence, Mo. Police Department officers were dispatched to a residence for an aggravated assault. The victim reported that Bay, her ex-boyfriend, refused to leave her residence and threatened her. She ran into the street to get away from Bay. Her cousin saw her and got into his vehicle to get away from Bay, and Bay’s ex-girlfriend got into the passenger seat. The victim reported that Bay opened the door where she was seated and pointed his 300 blackout AR-15 in the middle of her forehead. Investigators did not locate Bay and issued a pickup order for Bay. On Nov. 10, 2023, Kansas City, Mo. Police Department officers conducted a car check on a Kia, which was bearing a license plate that belonged to a Saturn. Officers contacted Bay, who was standing between the Kia and his Chevrolet Silverado. Officers arrested Bay on a parole violation warrant and the stop order previously issued by the Independence, Mo. Police Department. Officers searched Bay’s Chevrolet Silverado and found approximately 5.49 grams of a crystal substance and 7.67 grams of a powder substance. Both substances tested positive for methamphetamine. Officers also found an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, multi-caliber pistol. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Bay has two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance and prior felony convictions for domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child. Bay’s conviction for endangering the welfare of a child requires him to register as a sex offender. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri Police Department and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Operation Take Back America This investigation 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).


title: Texas man gets 10 years after fleeing to Mexico following failed drug and alien smuggling attempt

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old Sullivan City resident has been ordered to prison for alien and drug smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Carlos Alberto Salinas pleaded guilty Dec. 6, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Salinas to serve 120 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard that Salinas demonstrated a disregard for the law and was undeterred by the sentences imposed in his prior alien smuggling and felony drug convictions. The court enhanced the sentence after finding Salinas was responsible for smuggling over 75 aliens and fled to Mexico in an attempt to evade law enforcement. On July 24, 2024, Salinas attempted to pick up 10 illegal aliens and approximately 100 kilograms of marijuana from the Rio Grande River in Sullivan City. Authorities initiated a quick response to the event, at which time Salinas and several aliens swam across the river to Mexico in an attempt to elude law enforcement. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Utah Man Indicted for First Degree Murder After Allegedly Killing Another Man with a Bow and Arrow

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Northeastern Utah man with first degree murder after he allegedly killed another man with a bow and arrow last month. Leroy Casper Poowegup Reed, 42, of Whiterocks, Utah, was charged by complaint on June 27, 2025, and ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge. According to court documents, on June 26, 2025, officers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from an individual who reported a possible vehicle accident in the Whiterocks community. It was reported that an individual was inside the vehicle unconscious and not breathing, with an arrow sticking out of him. Officers at the scene observed a black GMC pickup with the sole occupant/victim inside. The victim had an arrow pierced into his neck just above the collar bone. Officers concluded he was deceased. As alleged in court documents, officers located a male individual on a porch of a residence, who was yelling at law enforcement. Officers also found blood on the road in front of the residence. The resident on the porch was identified as Reed and was taken into custody. Officers also located and seized a bow and arrows, and other items. Law enforcement obtained surveillance video of the incident, which showed a black GMC truck pull up and park. The victim exited the truck and walked towards Reed’s residence. Reed was then observed walking across the driveway with a bow and arrow drawn. The victim put his hands up and the video showed Reed move closer to the victim and then release an arrow, which hit the victim in the neck above the collar bone. The victim turned and walked back to his truck and Reed turned and walked towards his residence. The arrows seized from Reed’s residence match the arrow found in the victim. Reed is charged with murder in the first degree while within Indian Country. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for July 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Vernal Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and Victoria K. McFarland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 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: Owners of Northern Arizona Businesses Arrested for Employment Practices

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-119_Clouston, et al.

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Yesterday, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other law enforcement agencies executed federal search warrants at five Colt Grill restaurants and 12 residences in two states after a three-year labor exploitation investigation and a five-count federal indictment against four individuals in Arizona. On May 27, 2025, a grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment against Robert and Brenda Clouston, both 61, of northern Arizona, and Luis Pedro Rogel-Jaimes, age 33, and Iris Romero-Molina, age 29, both Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States and residing in Cottonwood, Arizona, for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, Conspiracy to Harbor Illegal Aliens, Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States, and Pattern and Practice of Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens. The indictment alleges that Robert and Brenda Clouston operated four Colt Grill restaurants in the northern Arizona cities of Cottonwood, Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Sedona, and one Colt Grill in Foley, Alabama. In September of 2022, the Cloustons, along with Rogel-Jaimes and Romero-Molina, made a plan that Romero-Molina would create a cleaning company, R&R AZ Cleaning, that would operate as a staffing company for the Colt Grill restaurants. Rogel-Jaimes and Romero-Molina would then find undocumented workers to work at the restaurants, paying them through R&R AZ Cleaning with funds from Colt Grill. The undocumented workers were paid below minimum wage and were not compensated for overtime. The Cloustons, Rogel-Jaimes, and Romero-Molina benefited financially from the plan and did not pay proper employment taxes for the workers. All four indicted individuals were arrested on July 15 without incident. While executing the warrants, law enforcement also arrested several undocumented illegal aliens for criminal or administrative immigration violations. “Cooperation is the cornerstone for law enforcement in Arizona and this case demonstrates the great outcome that comes from federal and local law enforcement working together,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The United States Attorney’s Office is grateful to HSI for their hard work on this investigation and extremely appreciative to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office for their support and willingness to keep their community safe from bad actors.” “The success of this investigation is in large part due to the coordinated efforts of many law enforcement agencies working alongside HSI through the Homeland Security Task Forces,” said Ray Rede, acting special agent in charge for HSI Arizona. “This multiyear case involving several federal charges is a testament of our commitment to combatting crime that has true impact to communities. I thank everyone involved – this case was true team effort.” “On behalf of the citizens of Yavapai County, I want to thank our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and all our local agencies for their collaboration with the men and women of Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in dismantling this criminal enterprise,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes. “Coordinated, multi-agency enforcement actions like this one are essential to protecting our communities from the destabilizing impacts of organized crime. By working together, we will continue to leverage every available resource to safeguard the people of Yavapai County from those who seek to do harm.” A conviction for Conspiracy to Bring Illegal Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, Conspiracy to Harbor Illegal Aliens, and Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Pattern and Practice of Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and up to a $3,000 fine per unauthorized employee. 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). HSI, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and the IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office are conducting the federal investigation in this case. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office assisted with execution of the search warrants. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. An indictment is a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Clouston, et al Indictment CASE NUMBER: CR-25-08086-PCT-SPL (ASB) RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-119_Clouston, et al. # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Spokane man pleads guilty to drug charges

body_text: GREAT FALLS - A Spokane, Washington man accused of possessing controlled substances admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Nicholas Benton Severns, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Severns faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years to 40 years, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing has been set for November 12, 2025. Severns was released on conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in 2023, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services saw a white Chevy Malibu leave a known drug house in Browning and stopped it for speeding. The officer ran the driver through dispatch and determined he had no driver’s license, no insurance, and had a warrant for his arrest from Washington. Nicholas Severns, the passenger in the vehicle, and had an expired license. As the traffic stop progressed, two other officers arrived and informed the driver and Severns they were going to run drug canine around the car. During a subsequent routine pat down for weapons, law enforcement saw a piece of foil used for smoking narcotics and arrested the driver and Severns. Both were searched incident and officers found a baggie of meth on the driver and burnt blue fentanyl on Severns. The car was sniffed, the canine indicated, and a state search warrant was obtained. During the search, law enforcement located 708 fentanyl pills in a fanny-pack belonging to Severns. During a subsequent interview, Severns admitted to dealing drugs, including dealing fentanyl in Browning. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Federal Jury Convicts Madison Man of Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – A Madison, Wisconsin, man has been convicted of repeatedly distributing cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl; possessing those same drugs for distribution; and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Gregory P. Robinson, 41, was convicted following a three-day trial in federal court in Madison. The jury reached a verdict today after just over two hours of deliberation. The guilty verdict is announced by Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. The government presented evidence at trial that Robinson sold controlled substances to an undercover police officer in Madison on four occasions in June 2024. Robinson sold cocaine on June 3; cocaine and fentanyl on June 6; and cocaine, fentanyl and heroin on June 13 and June 20. On June 25, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the hotel room where Robinson was staying. In the room, officers located more than 500 grams of cocaine, heroin, and more than 40 grams of fentanyl. Officers also located drug packaging materials, ingredients to manufacture crack cocaine, a money counter, and U.S. currency. A witness from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory confirmed the chemical composition of the controlled substances. A witness from the Drug Enforcement Administration testified that the quantities of cocaine and fentanyl found in the hotel room were consistent with an intent to distribute the drugs rather than an intent to use the drugs personally. Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for October 2, 2025. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each drug distribution charge and the maintaining a drug involved premises charge. For each possession with intent charge, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Madison Police Department, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of ATF agents and Task Force Officers from local and state agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Lennon and William M. Levins.


title: Medford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Coercing and Sexually Exploiting a Minor Online

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—A Medford man was sentenced to federal prison today for using Snapchat and Kik Messenger, online social media and messaging platforms, to coerce and sexually exploit an Oregon child online. Nicholas James Shaw, 38, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $66,000 in restitution to his victims. According to court documents, in March 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received CyberTips from Snapchat and Kik Messenger regarding child sexual exploitation materials uploaded to their platforms between October 2021 and April 2022. Investigators traced the accounts to Shaw and learned that, for approximately eight months, Shaw had engaged in sexually explicit communications with a minor online and coerced the victim into producing and sending him sexually explicit photos and videos. On June 28, 2022, HSI agents executed a federal search warrant on Shaw’s residence and seized several electronic devices which contained child sexual abuse material. On June 29, 2022, Shaw was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with transportation, receipt, distribution, possession, and access with intent to view child pornography. On January 21, 2025, Shaw pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor. As part of the plea agreement, Shaw agreed to pay restitution in full to his victims and forfeit criminally derived property used to facilitate his crimes. This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the Medford Police Department. It was prosecuted by John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org . Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Grand jury indicts 2 Mexican nationals with drug, immigration crimes

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States were indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus. Cristian Melendez, 42, and Ismerio Garcia-Ontivaro, 39, were allegedly transporting more than three kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment in a car when they were pulled over by law enforcement on I-70 in June for a window tint violation. Melendez and Garcia-Ontivaro allegedly received the Honda Accord from a car hauler traveling from Arizona to Columbus. The Accord had a hidden compartment from the console to the rear seats. Both men were in the United States illegally after previously being removed and previously being convicted of aggravated felony offenses. Melendez had former convictions for trafficking heroin and illegally possessing firearms. Garcia-Ontivaro’s prior crimes include cocaine trafficking in North Carolina. The defendants are each charged with conspiring to possess and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. The indictment was returned yesterday. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty is representing the United States in this case. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America . HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. 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). An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Local man sentenced to year in federal prison for COVID-19 relief fraud

body_text: CINCINNATI – Herman Brunis, 62, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 12 months and one day in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud. Brunis was also ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution. According to court documents, in June and August 2020, Brunis submitted false applications for COVID-19 relief funds. Brunis applied for two Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for two business entities, G Max Design and Construction and G Max LLC. Both entities were held in the name of his wife at the time, Gina Brunis. Brunis used a co-conspirator in Texas to prepare the applications with a design towards maximizing the chances of approval. His applications contained false information about the businesses, their payroll and their financials. In total, Brunis received $299,800 in funds that he then spent on personal items. Gina Brunis was also charged federally in the Southern District of Ohio. The application preparer in Texas has been identified and law enforcement in Texas is handling the criminal matters related to the co-conspirator’s larger fraud scheme. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the sentence imposed on July 15 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Two South Dakota Women Sentenced to Substantial Terms in Federal Prison For Their Roles in a Large-Scale Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Box Elder, South Dakota, woman, and a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman, both convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencings took place on July 11, 2025. Veronica Ortega, 48, was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Paige Sierra, 33, was sentenced to 11 years and 9 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Ortega and Sierra were indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024 for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Ortega pleaded guilty on April 28, 2025, and Sierra pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025. Between January 2022 and February 2024, Ortega and Sierra were part of a conspiracy with several others to distribute methamphetamine in South Dakota, including in the Rapid City area and in the Pine Ridge Reservation. Large quantities of methamphetamine were being transported from Denver, Colorado, to South Dakota, and Sierra assisted on occasion with the transportation of those drugs. Once in Rapid City, both Ortega and Sierra obtained distributable quantities of methamphetamine and then re-distributed that methamphetamine to others. This case was investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Wyoming State Highway Patrol, and the North Metro Denver Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Ortega and Sierra were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Chihuahua, Mexico, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Chihuahua, Mexico, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on July 11, 2025. Ubaldo Balderrama-Marquez, 59, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Balderrama-Marquez was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2006. He pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025. The conviction arose from a conspiracy to distribute cocaine operating out of Denver, Colorado. Balderrama-Marquez, along with his brothers Jose Balderrama-Marquez, Miguel Balderrama-Marquez, and Rafael Balderrama-Marquez, sold large quantities of cocaine and marijuana to Ken Walking Eagle, John Ladeaux, and others for further distribution in South Dakota and in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force, which is comprised of agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and officers with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case. Balderrama-Marquez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Attempting to Defraud Twenty-Eight Federal Bankruptcy Courts Out of More Than $1.8 Million in Unclaimed Funds

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 14, 2025, a Maryland man was sentenced to 90 months (seven years and six months) in prison for mail and wire fraud, falsification of bankruptcy records, and aggravated identity theft, in connection with his scheme to defraud twenty-eight federal bankruptcy courts, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Defendant Osakwe Ismael Osagbue was indicted on April 3, 2024, and plead guilty on February 19, 2025. According to court documents, from 2022 through April 2024 Osagbue devised a scheme to obtain money under the custody of various United States Bankruptcy Courts by submitting false documents impersonating unsuspecting individuals and requesting the withdrawal of unclaimed funds. Osagbue used the Federal Judiciary’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records system (PACER) to search for and identify bankruptcy cases with unclaimed funds. Osagbue would then mail the corresponding bankruptcy court a fraudulent application for payment of unclaimed funds. These fraudulent applications contained the means of identification of real people, including names and social security numbers, and signatures. The fraudulent applications sought payment to bank accounts controlled by Osagbue in the names of the individual victims. On occasion, Osagbue followed-up by sending e-mail communications to court personnel using fraudulent e-mail accounts in the names of the unsuspecting individual victims. Upon receipt of payment, Osagbue would withdraw funds from automatic teller machines (ATMs) and deposit cash into his own personal bank account in his true name. As part of his scheme, Osagbue submitted applications for more than $1.8 million in unclaimed funds. The twenty-eight United States Bankruptcy Courts involved are as follows: 1. The District of Puerto Rico; 2. The Northern District of Alabama; 3. The District of Arizona; 4. The District of Colorado; 5. The District of Connecticut; 6. The District of Delaware; 7. The Middle District of Florida; 8. The District of Hawaii; 9. The Northern District of Illinois; 10. The Southern District of Indiana; 11. The Eastern District of Kentucky; 12. The Western District of Louisiana; 13. The Eastern District of Michigan; 14. The Southern District of Mississippi; 15. The Eastern District of Missouri; 16. The District of Montana; 17. The District of Nevada; 18. The District of New Jersey; 19. The Eastern District of New York; 20. The Eastern District of North Carolina; 21. The Northern District of Ohio; 22. The Southern District of Ohio. 23. The Western District of Pennsylvania; 24. The District of Rhode Island; 25. The District of Utah; 26. The Eastern District of Washington; 27. The District of Washington D.C., and 28. The Eastern District of Wisconsin The United States Secret Service investigated this case in furtherance of its mission to combat cutting edge and complex financial crimes that pose a threat to the federal government and the nation’s economic security. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Puerto Rico (BCPR) reported the fraudulent scheme to federal authorities. “This sentencing reflects the US Attorney’s Office ongoing commitment to prosecuting sophisticated fraudsters who abuse the system,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Thanks to the relentless efforts of our multiagency partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue accountability for perpetrators whose actions impact the integrity of the United States courts and the integrity of the United States bankruptcy system. “Filing fraudulent unclaimed funds requests strike at the integrity of the bankruptcy system. This sentence will go a long way in protecting it,” said Monsita Lecaroz-Arribas, Assistant U.S. Trustee for the District of Puerto Rico. “We are grateful to U.S. Attorney Muldrow and our law enforcement partners, such as the United States Secret Service, for their commitment to protect the interests of the bankruptcy process in Puerto Rico and nationwide. Together with them, we will continue to pursue fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases here and across the country.” Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José Capó-Iriarte and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney José Carlos Díaz-Vega from the United States Department of Justice, Office of the United States Trustee, San Juan field office, prosecuted the case. The United States Trustee Program, through its Office of Criminal Enforcement provided assistance as part of their responsibilities of coordinating criminal enforcement activities in the investigation and prosecution of bankruptcy related crimes throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, with the mission to protect the nation’s bankruptcy system and to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of debtors, creditors, and the public. ###


title: Lead Man Sentenced to 3½ Years in Federal Prison  for Illegally Possessing Machinegun Conversion Devices

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Lead, South Dakota, man convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun. The sentencing took place on July 11, 2025. Ray Steele, 63, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Steele was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Unlawful Possession of a Machinegun by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on April 21, 2025. Between late 2020 and May 2024, Steele, a felon prohibited from possessing firearms, had another person purchase firearms for him and was then building various caliber rifles. At the same time, Steele was also illegally manufacturing machinegun conversion devices to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic machineguns. Once manufactured and inserted into a rifle, Steele and others would shoot the fully automatic machineguns. During a search warrant of his residence, law enforcement located six machinegun conversion devices, including one Steele was preparing to ship to an individual in California. Law enforcement also seized numerous firearms belonging to Steele. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lead Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Steele was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: C. Todd Gilbert Sworn In As United States Attorney for  the Western District of Virginia

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – Christopher Todd Gilbert was sworn in yesterday as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, U.S. Attorney Gilbert took the oath of office administered by United States District Judge Thomas T. Cullen. “I am honored to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia,” Mr. Gilbert said today. “In my heart, I have always been a prosecutor and to return to that role now is the opportunity of a lifetime. My wife and I have spent our lives in the Western District and to play a part in keeping it safe is a privilege. I look forward to working with all our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to make the Western District of Virginia safer for all its residents.” As the United States Attorney, Mr. Gilbert serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Virginia, responsible for representing the United States in all civil and criminal litigation. U.S. Attorney Gilbert leads an office of nearly 30 federal prosecutors and support staff. The Western District of Virginia comprises approximately sixty percent of the land area in the Commonwealth of Virginia and approximately 2.2 million of its citizens. The district covers a large geographic area. While the northern corner is less than fifty miles from Washington D.C., Lee County, the western tip of the district, is farther west than Detroit and is closer to six other state capitols than it is to Richmond. Before becoming U.S. Attorney, Mr. Gilbert was a state prosecutor with nearly fifteen years’ experience in four different Commonwealth's Attorneys offices, all located within the Western District of Virginia- Lynchburg, Shenandoah, Warren and Frederick. U.S Attorney Gilbert has significant experience prosecuting violent crimes, including homicides, as well as robberies, drug conspiracies, sex crimes, gun crimes, and fraud. He has also taught the art of trial advocacy to young prosecutors. In addition, U.S. Attorney Gilbert served nearly twenty years in the Virginia legislature as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, serving as the 57th Speaker of the House from 2022-2024. A core focus of Mr. Gilbert's legislative experience was in the area of public safety. He served as a member of the Virginia State Crime Commission, the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, the Criminal Justice Services Board, and The Commission on VASAP (Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program) as well as Chairman of the Criminal Subcommittee of the Courts of Justice Committee. He was named Legislator of the Year by the Virginia Sheriff's Association, the Virginia State Police Association and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. U.S. Attorney Gilbert and his family have deep ties to the Western District of Virginia. He was raised in the Shenandoah Valley and graduated from the University of Virginia and the Southern Methodist University School of Law where he served as president of the Student Bar Association (student body) and won the school's annual mock trial competition. He and his wife Jennifer live on a small farm in the Shenandoah Valley with their two young boys. Jennifer Wishon Gilbert is a native of Bedford County, Virginia, attended Virginia Tech and worked as a broadcast journalist for WDBJ in Roanoke.


title: Undocumented Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Reentry

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Armando Reyes-Ascension, 43, a Mexican national, living in the United States illegally, was sentenced to 58 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to immigration and drug trafficking crimes. In less than three months, Reyes-Ascension, who was previously removed from the United States on three different occasions and criminally convicted of felony illegal reentry, was again found back in the United States and in possession of more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded firearm, several dangerous weapons, and more than $80,000 in cash. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups sentenced Reyes-Ascension to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to forfeit over $88,000.00 USD, a Smith and Wesson .380 caliber pistol, associated ammunition, including eight .380 rounds, nine knives and daggers, and nine collectors’ coins. According to court documents and statements made at Reyes-Ascension’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on May 17, 2024, during an investigation, officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department seized 7,000 fentanyl pills, and $32,000 in cash from Reyes-Ascension’s apartment. On June 11, 2024, he was removed from the United States to Mexico by immigration officials. On August 7, 2024, Reyes-Ascension re-entered the United States illegally, and was found in Salt Lake County Metro jail after law enforcement had arrested him for drug crimes. During the arrest, officers seized 2,000 fentanyl pills and more than $55,000 cash, coins, and several dangerous weapons - including a firearm. See prior press release: Previously Removed Foreign National and Felon Indicted on Drug and Gun Crimes. Prior to Reyes-Ascension’s May 2024 arrest and third removal on June 11, 2024, he was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two separate occasions; one of which he was convicted of illegal reentry of a previously removed alien on March 4, 2020. “Reyes-Ascension’s repeated criminal conduct is a complete and total disregard for the laws of this country, and it will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti, of the District of Utah. “The defendant is a clear danger to Utah and the United States as a whole. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute anyone who breaks our laws and pumps poison into our communities.” “This sentencing sends a clear message that we will relentlessly pursue individuals who combine violent narcotics distribution with firearms offenses,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Possessing poisonous dangerous drugs alongside a loaded firearm posed an imminent and grave threat to public safety. ATF remains committed to disrupting the nexus between illicit drugs and guns because every one of the weapons we take off the street is one less chance for tragedy in our communities.” "Defendants like Reyes-Ascension knowingly put people’s lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI and our partners will not stand by as traffickers, especially those in the United States illegally, push dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods. We will aggressively pursue those who seek to profit by fueling the opioid epidemic.” The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Salt Lake City Police Department, and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan N. Reeves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Robbing a Manchester Credit Union while on Federal Supervised Release

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Jesse Hippolite, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 60 months in federal prison. On April 22, 2025, Hippolite pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. “The defendant is a prolific bank robber with a long history of victimizing bank employees to line his own pockets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney McCormack. “His choices have made him a danger to the public, and thanks to the efforts of law enforcement, he will spend the next five years in federal prison.” “Jesse Hippolite was a crime spree unto himself, robbing a dozen banks before this one” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “This sentence nips his burgeoning bank robbery career in the bud and holds him accountable for menacing innocent people who are just trying to make an honest living. This case is just one example of how the FBI continues to support our partners in pulverizing violent crime to improve public safety.” According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Hippolite has multiple state and federal convictions for robbery in New York. In 2011, he went on a bank robbery spree in New York City and was involved in multiple separate robberies. Each time, he was unarmed but passed a note threatening to kill people if his demands for money were not met. He was released from federal prison, in connection with those convictions, in February 2023. He then moved to New Hampshire, where he remained on federal supervised release. In February 2025, Hippolite robbed a credit union in Manchester. He wore a disguise and was unarmed. Hippolite passed a note to three tellers reading: $100,000 ALL $100 Bills *No Dye Packs Give Back Note Hippolite stole $3,139 before fleeing. He was subsequently identified on nearby surveillance cameras. The FBI and Manchester Police Department led the investigation. The U.S. Probation Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case. ###


title: Illegal Alien from Mexico and Straw Purchaser from Fort Worth Charged with Unlawfully Acquiring Two Gas-Operated Rifles

body_text: An illegal alien from Mexico and a Fort Worth man were indicted for falsely acquiring two firearms from licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Illegal alien Oscar Guadalupe Cruz Gonzalez, 28, and U.S. citizen Jose Juan Flores, 45, of Fort Worth, were charged by indictment on March 18, 2025, with Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a Licensed Firearms Dealer, and two counts of Acquiring a Firearm from Licensed Firearms Dealers by False or Fictitious Statement. Cruz Gonzalez was also charged with Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. The defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judges on July 3 and July 7, respectively. According to the indictment, in January 2023 and March 2023, Cruz Gonzalez paid Flores a combined total of approximately $2,500 to acquire two semi-automatic gas-operated rifles from two separate licensed firearms dealers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each rifle had the ability to be belt-fed ammunition. Cruz Gonzalez supplied Flores with the funds to purchase both guns, more than $10,000 for the first rifle and over $15,000 for the second. Flores allegedly purchased the two firearms knowing he was going to transfer them to Cruz Gonzalez. To conceal this intended transfer when purchasing each rifle, Flores made false statements on the required ATF Form, stating that he was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. After purchasing the first rifle, Flores gave the rifle to Cruz Gonzalez, who was an illegal alien. In the United States, it is a federal offense for an illegal alien to knowingly possess a firearm. “A straw purchase means that someone bought a firearm for a person who they knew could not legally purchase one,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Here, as we allege in the indictment, Flores used a significant amount of money to purchase two firearms for an illegal alien from Mexico. This type of crime flouts our gun laws, which are designed to ensure safe, lawful purchases of firearms by U.S. citizens. This will not be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas.” “Straw purchasing is a federal crime that undermines the integrity of our nation’s firearm laws and enables dangerous individuals to obtain weapons they are prohibited from possessing,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “This case highlights the importance of our partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies to identify and stop illegal firearm trafficking before it results in violence.” An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Cruz Gonzalez and Flores are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 40 years in federal prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation with assistance from the Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Eggers is prosecuting the case.