title: D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Chinatown Murder, Shooting at Police

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jaykell Mason, 26, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty last week in connection with a February 2020 deadly shooting and subsequent police chase that occurred in Northwest Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Mason pleaded guilty June 26, 2026, to second-degree murder while armed and assault on a police officer while armed. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2, 2026, before Judge Jason Park. The government’s evidence indicates that on the evening of Feb. 13, 2020, the defendant, Jaykell Mason, approached Terence Dantzler, in the 700 block of 8th Street NW. The two spoke briefly and then Mason raised a firearm to Dantzler’s head and fired once, striking Dantzler, who then fell to the ground. Mason then fired two more rounds into the Dantzler's body before fleeing on foot. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department intercepted Mason in the 1000 block of H Street NW. Mason fired upon the officers, who then returned fire, striking Mason in the hand. He was apprehended shortly thereafter. Dantzler was transported to a nearby hospital where he died of his injuries. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wes Faulkner, Jr. and Peter Roman. Follow us on X , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Alabama Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – An Alabama resident was sentenced to serve more than a decade in prison after he was caught by an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent distributing child sexual abuse material of young female children online while he was living in Southwest Georgia. Bradley Love, 37, of Dothan, Alabama, and formerly of Blakely, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison to be followed by 25 years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on June 29 after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography on Feb. 26. In addition, he will have to register as a sex offender for life. There is no parole in the federal system. “Our office will tirelessly pursue all those who exploit children online and hold them accountable for their crimes at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney William R “Will” Keyes. “Working alongside law enforcement, we will use every resource available to safeguard children and bring offenders to justice.” “Let this serve as a warning: Anyone who distributes child sexual abuse material will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “HSI’s undercover operations are designed to expose predators who target children online. We will not tolerate these crimes, and we will use every tool at our disposal to protect children and ensure offenders are removed from our communities.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, an undercover agent with HSI joined a “teen chat” room on a website called “chat-avenue.com” on Dec. 7, 2023, and posted “Dad of 2 8yro and 10yro.” Soon after, the agent received a private message from an individual with a screen name of “Whiteranger,” who was Love. During the undercover investigation, Love asked the agent about his daughters and if he had sexually abused them. Love then asked the undercover agent to move their conversation to the messaging platform, Kik. On Kik, Love sent the undercover agent a photo of male genitals and requested explicit photos of his daughters. Love also relayed he had child sexual abuse material of children he wanted to share, but that he didn’t want to be kicked off Kik for sharing CSAM, and requested to move that conversation to another platform, Session. On Session, Love’s screenname was “Jackkfrost.” Love sent one photo of a naked prepubescent female child, one picture of two naked female children, and a picture of a prepubescent female engaging in sexually explicit conduct to the undercover agent. HSI investigators located the defendant at his home address in Blakely, Georgia. On Sept. 5, 2024, HSI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Early County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at Love’s Blakely residence. Several electronic items belonging to Love were seized: one cell phone contained approximately 139 images depicting CSAM, and a second cell phone contained two images depicting CSAM. Love told investigators he was interested in minor children who were “toddler age,” and confirmed that he sent and received CSAM on these platforms. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969. HSI investigated the case with assistance from the GBI and the Early County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Daniels and Julius Jefferson prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Jacksonville Robbery Crew Sentenced to Federal Prison for Series of Armed Robberies

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Tresonda Benefield (26), Nathanial Carter (25), Jakeithiyan Daniel (25), and Jackeri Lewis (28), all residents of Jacksonville, have been sentenced by United States Judge Jordan E. Pratt to federal prison terms for their involvement in a series of armed robberies of retail stores in Jacksonville. Benefield, Carter, and Lewis were each sentenced to 16 years and 1 month in federal prison and Daniel was sentenced to 14 years and 6 months in federal prison. In addition to their prison sentences, they were also ordered to pay restitution for the money they stole. Benefield, Carter, and Daniel pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025, and Lewis pleaded guilty on June 9, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, between April 9 and May 1, 2024, the crew robbed four stores in Jacksonville. Benefield, Carter, and Lewis participated in all four robberies, while Daniel was involved in the last two. Benefield surveilled each of the stores prior to the robberies and drove the rest of the participants to the stores a few minutes prior to closing. Once the store employees began to lock up the store at night, the crew approached the employees wearing masks and brandishing firearms, demanding that they go back inside the store to unlock the safe. The store employees were then forced to hand over the money inside the safe. The group collectively stole more than $11,000 from the four stores. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.


title: South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Westbrook Bank

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A South Carolina man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to bank robbery. According to court records, Jean Pierre Gendron , 61, handed a note demanding money to a teller at a Westbrook bank. Gendron then fled the bank with over $6,300 in a blue bank bag. The Westbrook Police Department identified Gendron as the robber and determined that he boarded a bus to Londonderry, New Hampshire, shortly after the robbery. The Londonderry Police Department arrested Gendron when he exited the bus. When he was apprehended, Gendron had over $6,300 in cash and a blue bank bag on his person. Gendron admitted to robbing the bank. Gendron faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and the Westbrook Police Department investigated the case. ###


title: Justice Department to Rename Division as Energy and Natural Resources Division

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department will rename one of its divisions the Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). The announcement was originally made yesterday by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. “Energy security is national security. Iran’s recent stranglehold on the global oil market shows that domestic energy production is critical to preserving our way of life and securing our prosperity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gustafson of ENRD. “Over the past two decades, the division has played a central role in the responsible production and use of energy, driven by technological advances from the shale revolution to AI. To recognize this evolution, we will now rename it the Energy and Natural Resources Division.” ENRD’s recent victories in support of domestic energy include the successful defense of President Trump’s executive orders on unleashing American energy, reinvigorating the clean coal industry, and declaring an energy emergency. ENRD also recently won dismissal of a lawsuit that threatened oil production in the Gulf of America . ENRD continues to defend several key Administration priorities aimed at domestic energy production, including: Emergency orders by the Energy Department that have kept power plants running; The Energy Department order restarting the Sable pipeline in California pursuant to Defense Production Act; and The temporary power source for an artificial intelligence platform with critical military applications. ENRD’s efforts to unleash American energy also include affirmative litigation against state anti-energy policies that are preempted by federal law, including: Climate superfund acts passed by New York and Vermont to expropriate billions of dollars from global energy producers; Climate tort suits by Hawaii, Michigan, and Minnesota against energy producers; California’s SB 1137 , which prohibits oil and gas production within certain zones, even on federal leased land; and Hawaii’s “Green Fee” climate tax on cruise ships. ENRD’s work to unleash American energy does not diminish its defense of the environment, which Gustafson called “our nation’s greatest natural resource.” ENRD’s environmental enforcement protects public health and ensures a level playing field for companies that play by the rules. The Division’s recent enforcement actions include: Major civil settlements with a “forever chemical” manufacturer for water pollution, a grocery chain for coolant leaks, and a steel mill for hazardous waste; A $100 million air pollution penalty won at trial against a coke plant near Detroit; An 18-month prison sentence for biofuel fraud; A $500,000 criminal penalty for asbestos violations; Guilty pleas to environmental crimes by waste water pretreatment managers , a yacht manufacturer , a wood product importer , and a builder ; and Indictments of a commercial incinerator , a wildlife trafficker , and the companies whose ship crashed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge .


title: Central Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in $10 Million Real Estate Fraud Scheme with Federal Inmate Who Was Serving a Sentence for Another Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Gilberto Barron, 26, formerly of Delano and Las Vegas, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft relating to his participation in a nearly $10 million real estate fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced today. According to court records, in 2021 and 2022, Barron and others conspired with federal inmate Seth Depiano, 44, formerly of Clovis, to commit the fraud charged in this case. At the time, Depiano was serving a 12-year prison sentence for a prior, multimillion-dollar fraud (Case No. 1:17-cr-172 DAD). Depiano, assisted by Barron and others, helped create fake identities for supposed real estate agents and shell companies that mirrored the names of legitimate real estate companies. They then used the fake identities and shell companies to market various properties online that were not actually for sale to would-be buyers in California’s Central Valley and elsewhere at discounted prices. This included properties where the actual owners had died. Barron and others would meet with the buyers using the fake identities and close the sales. They even went so far as to present the buyers with fabricated deeds, title reports, and other real estate documents to substantiate the sales. After getting the would-be buyers’ money, Depiano, Barron, and others would launder the funds primarily through Las Vegas casinos. For example, Barron and others would travel to the casinos, put large amounts of money into gaming machines, and quickly cash out with little to no gaming activity. They did this to try to hide the fact that the money was proceeds from their fraudulent scheme. They would then use the money to purchase properties for their own benefit. Barron is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 28, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Barron faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for the counts of wire fraud and money laundering. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years consecutive for aggravated identity theft. 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. Zahria Barber, 28, of Las Vegas, was sentenced today to one year in prison for her involvement in the scheme. She helped launder money in the casinos, and in exchange, she received payments toward some of her living expenses and student loans. Depiano was sentenced in January 2026 and received nine years in federal prison. This sentence is in addition to the 12 years he was already serving and makes for a total sentence of 21 years in prison. IRS Criminal Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI and the Nevada Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody Chapple and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 21 months in Prison For Immigration Offense

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Rodolfo Perez, 40 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien with a prior felony conviction, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Rodolfo Perez was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 Special Assessment. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings. “Violating a nation’s borders is violating that nation’s laws and defying its sovereignty. The Defendant was an illegal alien with a long history of violating our nation’s laws, borders, and sovereignty, and did it again. He had previously been removed and sent home to Mexico. At the time of his arrest in this case, Perez was displaying erratic behavior and was in possession of cocaine. Further, his criminal history includes felony convictions for attempted burglary, aggravated DUI, and burglary, and misdemeanor convictions for criminal trespass to a vehicle and battery causing bodily harm. Thanks to the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Hammond Police Department, and AUSA Emily Morgan, the Defendant has been prosecuted and sentenced,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Hammond Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced to Prison for Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New Jersey man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that was used to transmit funds derived from criminal offenses and which were intended to be used to promote and support unlawful activity. Shadrach Anapalum, 36, of Newark, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Anapalum was also ordered to pay $304,000 in restitution. In March 2026 , Anapalum pleaded guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Between May and December 2022, Anapalum received approximately $375,000 from at least four victims of online scams. Anapalum generally kept approximately 10 percent of the funds for himself, before transmitting the money elsewhere, including to bank accounts in China and Turkey. In a consensually recorded call with a cooperating witness, Anapalum said he lied to a bank about the nature of the checks he was depositing and agreed that what he was doing was not legitimate. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Memphis Man Sentenced to Almost 3 Years in Prison for Attempted Assault on Memphis Safe Task Force Officer

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Courtney Richardson, 36 , was sentenced to 34 months in prison for attempting to hit a federal agent with his vehicle. D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 5, 2025, law enforcement officers and agents on the Memphis Safe Task Force attempted to execute an arrest warrant on Richardson at the Waterford Place Apartments in Memphis when Richardson got into his vehicle and drove toward the exit of the apartment complex. Multiple officers and agents in marked and unmarked units with lights and sirens activated attempted to block Richardson’s exit. Richardson drove through the parking lot, refusing to stop for law enforcement. Richardson drove his vehicle up onto the curb and drove through the lawn between the road and buildings where an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) pursued Richardson on foot. Richardson then accelerated his vehicle towards the ATF agent, causing the agent to jump out of the way to avoid being hit by Richardson’s vehicle. The agent did not sustain any injuries. Richardson continued to drive through the parking lot and crashed into multiple vehicles before he was ultimately arrested. Richardson was charged with one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 111, which provides that, “Whoever forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person designated as an officer or employee of the United States while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties,” commits a federal offense. On June 24, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Richardson to 34 months of federal imprisonment to be followed by two years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "We take all threats against law enforcement very seriously and will impose real consequences for any violence against those who are working to protect us every day. During the MSTF Operation and every day, we urge anyone who encounters a law enforcement officer to comply first, and, if warranted, complain later. If you threaten, endanger, or assault any law enforcement officer, we will come after you." The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Regina Brittenum prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States government. ### For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Los Angeles Director And Writer Sentenced To Prison For $11 Million Production Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CARL ERIK RINSCH, a Los Angeles-based director and writer, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff to 30 months in prison for fraudulently stealing $11 million from a subscription video-on-demand streaming service (“Streaming Company-1”) in connection with a planned science-fiction television show called “White Horse,” and then laundering that money. RINSCH was convicted following a week-long trial in December 2025 before Judge Rakoff. “Carl Erik Rinsch orchestrated a scheme to steal millions by seeking $11 million from a subscription streaming service, falsely claiming that money would be used to finance a television show that he was creating,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Instead of using the money to make the show, Rinsch made risky bets on highly speculative stock options and cryptocurrency, and spent millions of dollars on luxury goods for himself. Today’s sentence sends a deterrent message: fraud will not be tolerated.” As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial: RINSCH is a film and television writer and director who partially completed a science-fiction television show called “White Horse.” In 2018, RINSCH reached an agreement with Streaming Company-1 in which Streaming Company-1 would both pay RINSCH for the existing episodes of White Horse and also fund completion of the rest of the show. Between 2018 and 2019, Streaming Company-1 paid approximately $44 million for White Horse. Between late 2019 and early 2020, RINSCH demanded even more money from Streaming Company-1 to complete White Horse. Streaming Company-1 ultimately agreed to pay another $11 million, and transferred those funds to a company RINSCH controlled on or about March 6, 2020. The entirety of those funds was to be spent on the completion of White Horse. But RINSCH did not use those funds to make the show. Instead, within days, RINSCH began transferring the funds through numerous bank accounts before consolidating them in a personal brokerage account. RINSCH then used those funds to speculate on stock options. His trading was unsuccessful, and in less than two months after receiving $11 million from Streaming Company-1, RINSCH had lost more than half of that money. Even after losing most of the $11 million, RINSCH still did not spend the remaining funds he had stolen on White Horse. Instead, he used the money to speculate on cryptocurrency, and on personal expenses and luxury items, including at least $1.7 million on credit card bills; at least $3.3 million on furniture, antiques, and mattresses; at least $387,000 on a Swiss watch; and at least $2.4 million on five Rolls Royces and a red Ferrari. * * * In addition to the prison term, RINSCH, 48, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, $11 million in forfeiture, and $700 in mandatory special assessments. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy V. Capozzi, Jackie Delligatti, David A. Markewitz, Kevin Mead, and Adam Sowlati are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Maria Larracuente and William Coleman.


title: Member of Vast International Alien Smuggling Organization Pleads Guilty

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Mexican man extradited from Mexico pleaded guilty today for conspiring to smuggle thousands of aliens from multiple countries into the United States for financial gain. According to court documents, beginning in November 2020 and continuing through September 2023, Efrain Zuniga-Garcia, 38, of Mexico, and others were part of a vast international alien smuggling organization (ASO) that illegally brought thousands of aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador into the United States across the border with Mexico. The ASO operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico and Piedras Negras, Mexico. A Pakistani smuggler based in Brazil originally contracted with aliens to enter the smuggling venture. In turn, this Brazilian-based smuggler worked with a San Antonio, Texas, based smuggler and an illegal alien from Honduras, Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, to facilitate travel of the aliens from South America to the United States. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations, as well as paid armed foot guides (“coyotes”), load drivers, and stash house operators, including Zuniga-Garcia. According to court documents, Mejia-Zuniga admitted that the ASO smuggled between 2,500 to 3,000 aliens into the United States in just two years. Mejia-Zuniga stated the organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien, totaling approximately $16 to $30 million in financial gain. Mejia-Zuniga was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2025. Co-defendant Monica Hernandez-Palma, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to 41 months in prison in May 2026. Zuniga-Garcia operated the stash house in Monterrey and coordinated with other members of the ASO to transport aliens to the stash house and then illegally into the United States. Zuniga-Garcia worked with others to house aliens for a period, after which the aliens would be turned over to the “coyotes,” who led them across the U.S.-Mexico border by crossing the Rio Grande River. Zuniga-Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States, bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain, and aiding and abetting. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Zuniga Garcia faces a mandatory minimum penalty of three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas; and Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio made the announcement. HSI Del Rio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force and U.S. Border Patrol (BP). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Zuniga-Garcia. Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Duarte II for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 464 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 414 U.S. convictions; and more than 360 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.


title: Prewitt Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Prewitt woman pleaded guilty to stabbing a man during a dispute. According to court documents, on January 6, 2026, Naomi Martinez , 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, kicked and stabbed John Doe in the face, head and neck with a kitchen knife, causing serious bodily harm. Martinez pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.


title: Rapid City Woman Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Federal Prison Following Conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on June 26, 2026. A’Aliyah LeClaire, 30, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. LeClaire was indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in March 2025. She pleaded guilty on April 17, 2026. LeClaire was involved with moving money generated from a cocaine conspiracy that spanned from Texas to Rapid City. A source in Texas supplied cocaine through the mail to an individual in Rapid City. LeClaire assisted that individual with moving the money by helping make deposits and by allowing her accounts to be utilized to transfer the money to help hide the nature and ownership of the money. “Whether you’re moving the drugs or moving the drug money, you can expect to hear from us sooner or later,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “It doesn’t matter how big or small a person’s role is when it comes to assisting drug traffickers, IRS-CI will be relentless in pursuing those who bring drugs into our communities. Our special agents will follow the money to a criminal’s door,” said IRS-CI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “Every prison sentence is a result of the incredible coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement and it’s a victory for the people of South Dakota.” This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Division of Criminal Investigation. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. LeClaire has been ordered to self-surrender.


title: Two Philadelphia Men Arrested on Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Isaiah Banks, 30, and Bryan Jackson, 42, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with child pornography offenses. Banks has been charged with manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography and Jackson with receipt of child pornography. The criminal complaints allege that the defendants conspired and worked together to deceive a minor (“Minor 1”) into believing that he was communicating with an older girl, in order to induce Minor 1 into producing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), which the defendants then shared with each other. The complaints further allege that Banks and Jackson also deceived a second minor (“Minor 2”) into producing CSAM, under the guise that Banks would sell the videos to a girl for money, some of which would be shared with Minor 2. If convicted, Banks faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years’ incarceration with a 15-year mandatory minimum term, and a minimum of five years up to a lifetime of supervised release. If convicted, Jackson faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ incarceration with a five-year mandatory minimum term, and a minimum of five years up to a lifetime of supervised release. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Branwen McNabb O’Donnell. The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaints are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempting to Meet A 13-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual Activity

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Trevor Hedge (57, Ocala) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber to life in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender. A federal jury found Hedge guilty on March 3, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in May 2025, the Ocala Police Department hosted an undercover operation aimed at apprehending individuals using the internet to exploit children. During the operation, a detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (UC) posed online as a neglected 13-year-old child. Hedge messaged the UC and, after learning the UC’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. During this conversation, Hedge described his “addiction” to sexual activity with minors and told the UC that he was “grooming” her. On May 22, 2025, Hedge arranged to meet the UC to engage in sexual activity. The Ocala Police Department arrested Hedge when he arrived to pick up the UC at a predetermined location. Hedge is a registered sex offender. He was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a minor in 1993. This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Pace Man Charged with Theft of Government Property

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – Hunter Drake Lovett, 30, of Pace, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with theft of government property. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today. Lovett appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 20, 2026, before United States District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Lovett faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, Eufala Alabama Police Department, and Florida Forestry Service. Assistant United States Attorney Brooke A. Lindsay is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Pryor Couple Who Fled to Montana Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing a 15-Year-Old

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury convicted a Pryor couple who fled to Montana to avoid prosecution for sexually abusing a 15-year-old. The federal jury unanimously decided that Larry Keith Tennison , 67, and Gretchen Francie Tennison , 48, a member of the Cherokee Nation, were both found guilty of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the minor victim disclosed to a family member in 2019 that the Tennisons would get her drunk and sexually abuse her. The family met with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office and disclosed the abuse. Deputies served a search warrant at the Tennisons' home in September 2020. They were charged with child sexual abuse in State court, quickly sold some of their possessions, and moved to Montana. Law enforcement discovered that Gretchen and the minor victim were tribal. Federal prosecutors indicted the Tennisons under seal in May 2021, and the court issued federal arrest warrants. More than five years later, law enforcement received a tip that Gretchen and Larry had been spotted in Columbus, Montana, using the aliases “Fran Smith” and “Keith Smith.” The deputies with the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office in Montana confirmed they were, in fact, Larry and Gretchen Tennison. Agents with the FBI arrested them. When the victim testified before the jury, she described being groomed by the Tennisons and the things they would buy her. Eventually, they started offering her grape or apple flavored alcohol when she was 15 years old. She testified to being intoxicated and drinking to the point of stumbling or throwing up. During one incident, she testified that she was the only person invited by the Tennisons to celebrate Larry’s 60th birthday. She went on describing in detail how the Tennisons both sexually abused her. A deputy with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office testified and described what was found in the Tennisons’ home after the search. When deputies searched the home, they found various sex toys and a jar of purple and green beer bottle caps that the Tennisons saved, matching the victim's description. An FBI agent testified about the meeting with the victim and how she described the events that took place when she was 15 years old. The federal jury then heard Larry’s interview with FBI agents after he was arrested. Larry described quickly selling their property and planning to drive to Florida to buy a boat to live on, but then tropical storms hit. He described dumping their cellphones, living in their van in the desert, and in various parks before eventually going to Montana. When they got to Montana, Larry said they came up with alias names, and he started working as a handyman. When agents asked how he knew about the warrants, Larry described going home after the search warrant and discovering that Gretchen was arrested for keying a car. He met with an attorney to help secure Gretchen's bond and showed the attorney the search warrant. Larry claimed he didn’t know what the search warrant was for. When agents asked if he knew what the warrant was for now, Larry said they “were accused of doing something to a girl.” Without being told who the victim was, Larry began describing how he knew the minor victim. He explained how the minor victim started staying the night with them, and that he felt like “they didn’t have a chance…because of her side of the story…” The jury heard Larry describing multiple details that were not in public court documents. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. The FBI and the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office in Montana. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Ihler and Christopher Kelly prosecuted the case.


title: Robeson County Man Who Stole Over $170,000 in Fraudulent Covid Loans Plead Guilty

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – A Robeson County man Phillip Collins, 47, stole from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by submitting false loan applications which resulted in the disbursement of $170,833 in loan proceeds. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum term of 30 years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine when sentenced later this year. He will also be ordered to pay a Forfeiture Money Judgment of $170,833. “Although the government may have stopped doling out Covid money, our government continues to hand out billions in other loans, subsidies, and programs. This office will continue to hold accountable anyone who defrauds any of our taxpayer funded programs. Crime Doesn’t Pay! Cheaters. Never. Win.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Collins submitted fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications for a business located in Robeson County. Collins made false representations of the number of employees and gross revenues. He also submitted false and fraudulent tax forms and bank statements. Following approval of each of the loan applications, funds were disbursed into a personal account controlled by Collins. W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Jones accepted the guilty plea from the defendant. The FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:26-CR-24-FL.


title: New Iberia Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Enticement of a Minor

body_text: LAFAYETTE – On June 16, 2026, Isaiah Robinson , 27, of New Iberia, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for Enticement of a Minor. Robinson also received a 10-year term of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. “This case reflects our commitment to protect children and seek justice for the most vulnerable among us and, more importantly, the importance of parents remaining vigilant and reporting this criminal activity to law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue offenders who exploit minors, including by investigating tips provided by parents and others who see something suspicious, and bring these predators to justice.” According to court documents, Robinson was engaged in an online conversation with a minor on Snapchat whom Robinson knew to be a female child approximately 12 years old in January 2024. During the conversation, Robinson requested that the child send explicit photos of herself to him. The minor child’s father discovered the conversation on the child’s phone and alerted law enforcement, who were able to confirm Robinson’s identity as the user of that Snapchat account. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon II with assistance from Legal Administrative Specialist Tanya Broussard. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for this matter is 6:25-CR-00015-1. ### CONTACT: Public Affairs USALAW-News@usdoj.gov United States Attorney’s Office www.justice.gov/usao-wdla Western District of Louisiana Twitter @USAO_WDL


title: Antonio DeWayne Watkins Sentenced To 36 Years For Assaulting A Person Assisting Federal Official, Drug Trafficking, And Firearm Crimes

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

body_text: CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On June 24, 2026, Antonio DeWayne Watkins, a/k/a “Tony Bologna” and “Gator Mac,” 32 of Chattanooga, was sentenced to 432 months of imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, by the Honorable Curtis L. Collier, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Following a four day trial, Watkins was convicted of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A), distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), distributing methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and assaulting a person assisting a federal official resulting in bodily injury in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a) and (b). The evidence presented at trial and sentencing showed that Watkins, a member of the Gangster Disciples criminal street gang, was found in possession of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a loaded firearm during an encounter with Chattanooga Police Officers in July 2024. Following his arrest and release on bond, Watkins twice sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Following federal indictment, United States Magistrate Judge Susan K. Lee ordered Watkins be detained pending trial. While in pretrial detention, Watkins punched a Hamilton County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Deputy in the face. The Court found Watkins to be a Career Offender under the United States Sentencing Guidelines based on previous Tennessee convictions for possession of cocaine for resale and voluntary manslaughter. United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Chattanooga Field Office, Drug Enforcement Administration Chattanooga Resident Office, United States Marshal Service, Chattanooga Police Department, and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Winne and Kevin T. Brown, and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Raven D. Austin represented the United States. ###


title: Memphis Man Charged with Violating U.S. Coast Guard Boating Order

body_text: Memphis, TN – Marico Washington, 55 , of Memphis, has been charged with operating a boat for commercial gain in violation of a Captain of the Port Order. United States Attorney, D. Michael Dunavant, announced the charges today. According to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury earlier this month, a Captain of the Port Order was hand-delivered to Washington on September 16, 2023. The order directed Washington “to cease all commercial operations until he was fully compliant with applicable laws for carrying passengers for hire.” The indictment alleges that on September 27, 2025, Washington violated the terms of the order by operating his boat, “Bottoms Up”, on the Mississippi River while carrying commercial passengers for hire without possessing the appropriate license required by Coast Guard regulations. The indictment also alleges that Washington made two false statements to the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The maximum penalty for violating the Captain of the Port Order is six years' imprisonment. The maximum penalty for making false statements is five years' imprisonment. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000, a supervised release period of up to three years, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “We are a full-service office and will charge all violations of federal law wherever they occur in the Western District of Tennessee to promote public safety and uphold the rule of law. We are proud to partner with the CGIS and MPD and commend their outstanding investigation in this case.” “This case demonstrates our commitment to working with law enforcement partners to enforce safety regulations and pursue illegal charter operators who put the public at risk,” said Capt. Daniel Kilcullen, Sector Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River. “We will continue to collaborate with federal, state, and local officials and take decisive action to stop this type of illegal operation on the Mississippi River and protect the public from unsafe and unlawful practices.” "This investigation reflects the strength of our law-enforcement partnerships, and our shared commitment to public safety on our nation’s waterways. CGIS is proud to work alongside USCG Sector Lower Mississippi, Memphis Police Department Harbor patrol unit and the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure individuals who knowingly violate federal maritime laws are held accountable," said Special Agent in Charge Damon J. Youmans, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. Deputy Chief Samuel Hines, of the Memphis Police Department, stated, "Public safety extends beyond our streets and into our waterways. Through the investigative work of the Memphis Police Department’s Harbor Patrol Unit, with assistance from the Organized Crime Unit and in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, critical evidence was developed that supported this federal indictment. Our commitment to addressing dangerous and reckless behavior on the Mississippi River is part of our ongoing work to build a Stronger, Safer Memphis and protect everyone utilizing our waterways." The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD) Harbor Patrol Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates


title: The Department of Justice Files Complaints Against Massachusetts and Rhode Island Challenging State Laws that Provide In-State Tuition to Illegal Aliens

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Division filed complaints against Massachusetts and Rhode Island to challenge state laws that provide in-state tuition and financial assistance to illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens who are not afforded the same reduced tuition rates or scholarships, create incentives for illegal immigration, and reward illegal aliens with benefits that U.S. citizens are not eligible for, all in direct conflict with federal law. “The Department of Justice is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise that illegal aliens will not receive taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment over America’s own citizens,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “As our Nation marks 250 years of freedom, we will continue to challenge state laws that place aliens over citizens in clear defiance of Congress’s commands. “This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.” In the complaints, the federal government seeks to enjoin enforcement of Massachusetts and Rhode Island laws that require colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain in-state residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Additionally, the complaint seeks to enjoin Massachusetts and Rhode Island from enforcing state laws that afford financial assistance and scholarships to illegal aliens. Today's filings mark three lawsuits in the past week challenging in-state tuition for illegal aliens, bringing the Department’s total in this series of actions to 12. The Department’s efforts have already delivered several victories for the American people, as four similar lawsuits in Texas , Kentucky , Oklahoma , and Nebraska have resulted in favorable orders permanently enjoining and declaring unconstitutional analogous laws that gave reduced tuition to illegal aliens. Lawsuits against other states that similarly place illegal aliens ahead of U.S. citizens are pending across the country in Illinois , Minnesota , Virginia , California , New Jersey , and Kansas .


title: Drug Trafficking Organization Leader Sentenced

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Clarksburg man will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for leading a drug operation that sold fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced today. Thomas Charles Goodwine, 32, was sentenced to 188 months. Goodwine directed others to sell fentanyl, p-Fluorofentanyl, and methamphetamine from a home in Clarksburg. During a search of the stash house, investigators seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, a firearm, multiple cell phones, and drug paraphernalia. In total, Goodwine was responsible for nearly 33 grams of fentanyl, 4.42 grams of p‑Fluorofentanyl, and more than 11 grams of methamphetamine. Goodwine is a career offender with prior drug, firearms, and other convictions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated the case. Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Former National Basketball Association Players, Current Player Agent, and Three Other Individuals Charged in Sports Bribery, Illegal Betting and Money Laundering Conspiracies

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging six defendants — former National Basketball Association (NBA) players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis, and co-conspirators William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano—with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged roles in a scheme to bribe Beasley to manipulate his performance in NBA games and use inside information about Beasley’s intended performance to profit via illegal betting activity. Several of the defendants were arrested today at locations across the country and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and indictment. “As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public. Our Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.” Mr. Nocella thanked the FBI Field Offices in Charlotte, North Carolina; Los Angeles, California; Omaha, Nebraska; Chicago, Illinois; and Las Vegas, Nevada, for their valuable assistance. “These defendants allegedly operated an illegal betting ring in an attempt to unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars. As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators. The FBI continues to dismantle fraudulent schemes that erode the integrity of any institution, including our nation's professional sports leagues,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. As alleged, Beasley, then a player for the Milwaukee Bucks, agreed with his former NBA teammate Davis (known to the other co-defendants as Beasley’s “gatekeeper”) in advance of NBA games that Beasley would underperform, and at times overperform, relative to one or more of his betting statistics in those games. Davis, Brown, Gorodetsky, Plascencia, Zamorano and other co-conspirators subsequently used this non-public information relating to Beasley’s intended performance to place fraudulent wagers conditioned on Beasley’s performance in the games at issue, all with the intention of profiting off the scheme. As further alleged, in return for performance fixing, Beasley received bribes from the co-conspirators, typically by having Beasley’s gambling debts to Davis reduced or paid off. Examples of some of the influenced games are described below. January 26, 2024 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers As alleged, prior to the Bucks game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 26, 2024, Beasley informed Davis that he intended to underperform with respect to rebounding in the game. Beasley provided this information to Davis to obtain a promised bribe payment and for the purpose of enabling Davis and other co-conspirators to place wagers based on this non-public information. Davis subsequently disseminated the non-public information regarding Beasley to multiple co-conspirators, including Gorodetskty, Plascencia and Zamorano, to enable them to place fraudulent wagers. Plascencia then provided this same non-public information to Brown to enable him to place fraudulent wagers. Many of the fraudulent wagers were successful. February 27, 2024 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets Game As alleged, prior to the Bucks game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 27, 2024, Beasley informed Davis that Beasley intended to underperform with respect to points and overperform with respect to rebounding in the game. Beasley provided this information to Davis to obtain a promised bribe payment and for the purpose of enabling Davis and other co-conspirators to place wagers based on this non-public information. Davis subsequently disseminated the non-public information regarding Beasley to multiple co-conspirators, including Gorodetskty, Plascencia and Zamorano, to enable them to place fraudulent wagers. Plascencia then provided this same non-public information to Brown to enable him to place fraudulent wagers. Many of the fraudulent wagers were successful. March 10, 2024 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Clippers As alleged, prior to the Bucks game against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, 2024, Beasley informed Davis that Beasley intended to overperform with respect to rebounding in the game. Beasley provided this information to Davis to obtain a promised bribe payment and for the purpose of enabling Davis and other co-conspirators to place wagers based on this non-public information. Davis subsequently disseminated the non-public information regarding Beasley to multiple co-conspirators, including Gorodetskty, Plascencia and Zamorano, to enable them to place fraudulent wagers. Plascencia then provided this same non-public information to Brown to enable him to place fraudulent wagers. Many of the fraudulent wagers were successful. In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators placed fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars conditioned on Beasley’s fixed performance in the influenced games at issue via multiple betting operators. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy counts, 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count and five years’ imprisonment on the bribery in sporting contests count. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin T. Farrell, Benjamin Weintraub and David I. Berman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Erika Ellis; former Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett previously worked on the case. The Defendants : MALIK BEASLEY (also known as “Beas,” “Bease,” “MB” and “5”) Age: 29 Georgia WILLIAM BROWN (also known as “Willo”) Age: 39 Nebraska EDWARD DAVIS (also known as “as “Ed,” “ED” and “E Davis”) Age: 37 North Carolina ROBERT GORODETSKY (also known as “Rob”) Age: 34 Illinois ERNESTO PLASCENCIA (also known as “Ernie,” “Erny,” “Ernie P” and “Erny P”) Age: 39 California PAOLO ZAMORANO (also known as “PZ”) Age: 39 California E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-190 (LDH) malik_beasley_et_al_indictment.pdf


title: Dominican Republic Resident Illegally in U.S. Sentenced for Transporting Stolen Money from Skilled Gaming Machines

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A citizen of the Dominican Republic illegally residing in The Bronx, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to time served of approximately 35 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution totaling more than $896,000 to dozens of victims on his convictions for conspiracy to transport stolen money in interstate commerce and interstate transportation of stolen money, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Stalin Acosta Paulino, 45. Paulino is expected to be deported to the Dominican Republic. According to information presented to the Court, Paulino participated in a complex fraud with numerous other individuals then living in New York in which they traveled to various states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, and stole cash from skilled gaming machines they had broken into. Paulino and his conspirators then transported the stolen money to the New York area. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Secret Service and United States Postal Inspection Service, who worked in conjunction the numerous police departments in Pennsylvania and Virginia, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Paulino.


title: Federal Judge Sentences Man to Eight Years in Prison for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Carrier in Chicago

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a man to eight years in prison for robbing a U.S. Postal Service carrier in Chicago. The robbery occurred on March 18, 2022, in the 700 block of South Claremont Avenue in Chicago. The carrier was delivering mail when HENRY L. MOORER approached on foot and demanded postal property from the carrier. Moorer then pulled a semiautomatic handgun from the pocket of his sweatshirt and displayed the butt of the firearm. The carrier raised his arms in the air as Moorer grabbed the postal property from the carrier and walked away. Moorer then fled the area in his vehicle. At the time of the robbery, Moorer was on electronic monitoring for an unrelated criminal case in the Circuit Cook of Cook County. He was arrested in March 2024 and has remained detained in law enforcement custody since then. Moorer, 33, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to a federal robbery charge. On June 18, 2026, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. sentenced Moorer to eight years in federal prison, to be served concurrently with a criminal sentence Moorer is serving for an unrelated state court conviction. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Robbery is a serious, dangerous crime that threatens public safety,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia K. Schwartz argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The danger attendant to all robberies is heightened in cases where—like defendant—the robber possesses a firearm. This traumatized the victim Postal worker and could have escalated into a situation posing serious physical harm to the Postal worker and the public.”


title: Moline Man Sent Back to Federal Prison for Third Federal Drug Conviction

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Moline man was sentenced on June 16, 2026, to 15 years in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine, and two additional years in federal prison for violating his terms of supervised release. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Donell Jamar Hines, 37, distributed approximately three and a half ounces of crack cocaine between March and April 2025. At Hines’ Moline residence, law enforcement found distribution quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and marijuana. Lab testing showed that some of the crack cocaine attributed to Hines contained fentanyl. Hines has two prior drug convictions in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. In 2016, Hines was convicted possessing distribution quantities of crack cocaine and heroin and distributing heroin and sentenced to four years in federal prison. Hines was released from prison in December 2018. In September 2019, Hines was arrested in possession of distribution quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine, and heroin. In 2021, Hines was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. Hines was released from prison in July 2024. Hines was on federal supervised release when he was arrested in 2025. The Court sentenced Hines to a 24-month consecutive sentence. After completing his term of imprisonment, Hines will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.


title: Metairie Man Indicted for Possessing Materials Involving   Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL DUHE, JR. (“DUHE”) , age 21, of Metairie, Louisiana was charged on June 18, 2026, in a two count indictment for Transportation of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(1), (b)(1), and Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B), (b)(2), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. If convicted, DUHE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years and up to life, after his release from prison. He also faces payment of a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. According to the indictment, beginning on or about December 4, 2024, DUHE did knowingly transport, and attempt to transport, in interstate and foreign commerce, a visual depiction involving the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Also, beginning at an unknown time, and continuing until or about January 16, 2026, DUHE knowingly possessed images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of minors. Through a partnership between state and federal authorities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office adopted the state charges and is now prosecuting DUHE in federal court. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit. * * *


title: Charleston Man Sentenced for Destruction of Government Property

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joe Claude Schleider, 66, of Charleston, was sentenced today to time served and ordered to pay $1,850 in restitution for willful destruction of government property. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston found Schleider guilty following a one-day bench trial on April 14, 2026. Evidence at trial showed that on May 6, 2025, Schleider repeatedly struck an electric card entry scanner outside a U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations facility in Charleston with a long pole-like object, rendering it inoperable. Surveillance video footage showed Schleider approach the card entry scanner and strike it approximately eight times. The entry scanner had to be replaced at a cost of $1,850. Schleider has a criminal history that dates to 1979 and includes multiple convictions for offenses including assault, battery, battery on a police officer, and disorderly conduct. Schleider was incarcerated for approximately seven months following his arrest on the current offense. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Federal Protective Service and the Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-173. ###


title: Kentucky Man Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Assets of a Labor Union

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – James Burke, 56, of Greenup, Kentucky, was sentenced today to three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $40,011.46 in restitution for embezzlement of assets of a labor union. According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about July 2022 through in or about October 2023, Burke was the financial secretary of a labor organization located in Huntington. Burke admitted that he issued nine unauthorized or altered checks payable to himself and improperly withheld portions of checks payable to the labor organization as cash when he deposited them. Burke also admitted that he diverted six dues checks payable to the labor organization for his personal use. The total amount of money stolen by Burke from the labor organization was $40,011.46. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Department of Labor-Office of Labor-Management Standards. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-5. ###


title: Zuni Man Charged for Violent Assault

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man is facing federal charges for allegedly attacking another man with a machete. According to court documents, on March 26, 2026, an argument broke out between Ronnie Shack , 25, an enrolled member of the Zuni Tribe, and another individual at Shack ’s residence in Zuni, New Mexico. As the victim left the residence, Shack allegedly followed him and attacked him with a machete, slashing his back and pursuing him down the street. Neighbors called 911 and the victim was transported to a local hospital before being transferred to a regional hospital for treatment of his injuries. Shack is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault causing serious bodily injury in Indian country. He will remain on conditions of release pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Shack faces up to 20 years in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Violent Ecuadorian Illegal Alien Sentenced In Connection With Illegal Re-Entry Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – An Ecuadorian alien received a federal-prison term, today, for illegally re-entering the United States after her prior removal. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Vanessa Yalixa Munoz-Baque, 31, to six months in federal prison in connection with the re-entry charges after she was previously removed from the U.S. in August 2023. On November 3, 2023, Munoz-Baque illegally re-entered the U.S. again, and began residing in Frederick, Maryland. Law enforcement discovered her illegally present in the U.S. upon her arrest for attempted murder. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office. According to court documents, on September 11, 2024, local law enforcement apprehended Munoz-Baque in Frederick. Authorities charged her with attempted murder and assault after she placed a knife to her victim’s neck and stabbed him in the leg. Then in March 2025, Munoz-Baque pled guilty to first-degree assault and received a 25-year sentence, with all but three years suspended. Munoz-Baque was originally deported after law enforcement apprehended her at the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, in June 2023. Authorities subsequently charged Munoz-Baque with unlawfully attempting to enter the U.S. without inspection. Law enforcement placed her in expedited removal proceedings, and an immigration judge ordered Munoz-Baque’s removal to Ecuador. After her removal, Munoz-Baque never obtained consent from the Attorney General of the United States, or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, for readmission into the country. 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. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ICE-ERO for its work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Shea who prosecuted this case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Butler Man Sentenced for Willfully Failing to Pay Employment Taxes for Two Businesses

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $711,253.10 to the Internal Revenue Service on his conviction of willful failure to collect or pay over tax, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Michael D. Funovits, 51. According to information presented to the Court, between 2016 and 2023, Funovits failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service payroll taxes he collected on behalf of his businesses, PennRo Associates LLC and Penn Exteriors LLC. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Funovits. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.


title: D.C. Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Role in Kidnapping that Led to Two Deaths

body_text: WASHINGTON – Malik Terrell, 24, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 87 months in prison in connection with a 2023 kidnapping in which two people were killed, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Malik Terrell and his co-conspirators kidnapped two people at gunpoint, beat them, and set off a chain of events that ended with two men dead,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This was brutal, deliberate violence, and it cost lives. Today’s sentence makes clear that anyone who takes part in deadly conduct will face serious and lasting consequences.” Terrell pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2026, to kidnapping and aiding and abetting. In addition to the 87-month prison sentence, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Terrell to serve five years of supervised release. According to court papers, in the early morning hours of June 9, 2023, Terrell and nine co-conspirators returned to the 4400 block of F Street SE after attending a birthday celebration at a nightclub on Connecticut Avenue NW. Two other men, identified in court papers as Victim-1 and Victim-2, arrived back at the area shortly afterward. At about 3:45 a.m., the group set upon Victim-1 as he sat in the driver's seat of his Mercedes SUV. Co-conspirators lunged at Victim-1 from the driver's-side doorway, confined him, and began stripping clothing from his body. Terrell assisted in preventing both victims from fleeing while the co-conspirators pulled Victim-1 from the vehicle. The purpose of the kidnapping was to steal Victim-1's clothing, money, vehicle, and other belongings. The co-conspirators drove away in Victim-1's Mercedes SUV with both victims inside. Terrell and three others fled in a white Nissan Altima. The victims were transported to a nearby location where they were threatened, assaulted at gunpoint, and sustained serious injuries. The group then transported Victim-1 across state lines into Maryland, stopping first at an apartment complex in Suitland and then at a second location in Waldorf. About 5:45 a.m. in Waldorf, a shootout erupted in a parking lot. Victim-1 and another individual were struck by gunfire and were later pronounced dead. About 6:45 a.m., first responders found the victim’s Mercedes engulfed in flames in Capitol Heights, Maryland. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and Safe Streets Task Force, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr. and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 23cr292


title: National Guard Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe Named Freedom 250: Hometown Hero by U.S. Attorney

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey is proud to announce that Air National Guard Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe has been awarded the inaugural Freedom 250: Hometown Hero Award sponsored by the Department of Justice in honor of America’s 250th birthday. In a ceremony today, United States Attorney Matthew Harvey awarded WV Air National Guard Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe the Hometown Hero Award at the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. On November 26, 2025, WV Air National Guard Staff Sergeant Wolfe, and his partner U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, were bravely policing the nation’s capital when an Afghan national committed an ambush-style shooting of both West Virginia Guardsmen. Staff Sergeant Wolfe is a resident of the Northern District of West Virginia during the time of the shooting. Staff Sergeant Wolfe survived his injuries and continues to recover in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. SPC Beckstrom sadly succumbed to her injuries she sustained while on duty. On February 24, 2026, President Donald J. Trump awarded Staff Sergeant Wolfe the Purple Heart and posthumously awarded SPC Beckstrom the Purple Heart. “As we honor Staff Sergeant Wolfe, we recognize his bravery, patriotism, and sacrifice,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey. “There is no person more deserving to be celebrated during this 250 th anniversary of our freedom as the United States of America.” The Freedom 250: Hometown Hero Award was created in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States of America. The Department of Justice is proud to honor law enforcement across the country with recognition of the extraordinary service to their fellow citizens.


title: Arizona man sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking meth

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS – An Arizona man who arranged for methamphetamine to be shipped to Billings was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Patrick Louis Gastelo, 47, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided. The government alleged in court documents that Gastelo arranged to receive a shipment of two pounds of methamphetamine at his girlfriend’s Billings home with the intent to sell it. A USPS postal inspector flagged a suspicious package traveling from Calexico, California, to Billings on Nov. 7, 2022. Searching the parcel, he discovered two pounds of meth. The inspector repackaged the meth and sent the parcel onto its destination where law enforcement awaited its delivery. At the house, the package was received by Lindsay Whitewolf. Agents searched the home and Whitewolf explained the package had been sent by Sergio Tagaban, who Gastelo had known in prison. Gastelo’s girlfriend, Angelena LaFave, confirmed that the parcel was intended for Gastelo, and that he and Tagaban were “brothers” in prison. The women explained that the plan had been for Gastelo to work with Tagaban to arrange the shipment of the meth, which Whitewolf and LaFave would then help sell around Billings. Tagaban and LaFave were convicted of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine for their involvement. Whitewolf has pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine for her involvement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Vestal and Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.