title: District Court Revokes U.S. Citizenship of Convicted Drug Dealer

component: Civil Division

body_text: Note: View order here . Today, following a two-day trial in September 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida revoked the naturalization of Melchor Munoz, also known as Melchor Munoz-Correa, a native of Mexico who became a U.S. citizen in September 2009. The court held that, during his naturalization proceedings, Munoz concealed that he had previously engaged in a drug trade leading to his guilty plea in 2012 of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. “This Administration has once again kept its promise to go after the worst of the worst” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “The Department of Justice is proud to take citizenship back from a drug dealer who lied to become a U.S. citizen by concealing his criminal past.” “United States citizenship is a valuable privilege that this individual obtained with lies and deceit about his past criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin for the Northern District of Florida. “Today’s judicial action to revoke that fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship reinforces the commonsense position of this Administration that criminal activity will not be tolerated, and dangerous criminal aliens must be held accountable for violating our country’s laws.” As admitted in his criminal proceedings, Munoz distributed to co-conspirators an average of 80 pounds of marijuana on approximately 60 separate occasions between 2008 and 2010, keeping 400 to 500 pounds of marijuana, gallon zip-lock bags of methamphetamine, and multiple blocks of cocaine on hand most of the time. The sole issue at trial was whether Munoz’s drug activity predated his naturalization. At his guilty plea hearing in his criminal case and in an April 2013 proffer interview with federal agents, Munoz stated he began trafficking marijuana as early as in late 2008. Munoz argued in his denaturalization case that he was mistaken when he made those statements, and he testified at his denaturalization trial that he began drug trafficking only after his 2009 naturalization. The court “found his testimony not credible,” and noted that throughout his testimony, “Munoz was evasive and did not answer questions directly.” Ultimately, the court held that “the government has proven by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence that Munoz engaged in drug trafficking in 2008, just as he stated under oath at his change-of-plea hearing.” The court held that Munoz illegally procured his citizenship, and it revoked his certificate of naturalization. The court also ordered Munoz to surrender to the government his certificate of naturalization, any and all U.S. passports, and any other indicia of United States citizenship, and it ordered that he is “forever restrained and enjoined from claiming any rights, privileges, benefits, or advantages under any document which evidences United States citizenship obtained as a result of his September 8, 2009 naturalization.” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case. The Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation litigated the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida. Munoz Final Order.pdf


title: Dallas man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –A Dallas man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Esteban Castillo, 26, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on March 19, 2026. According to information presented in court, in 2021, federal agents began investigating a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating a narcotics distribution cell in the North Texas area. The investigation revealed Castillo was part of a conspiracy purchasing large amounts of illegal drugs including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana for further distribution. The conspiracy involved at least 45 kilograms or more of methamphetamine. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Denison Police Department, and Mesquite Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Johnson. ###


title: Persistent armed fentanyl dealer gets 20-year prison sentence

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 34-year-old Seattle resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison for three counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leon Henderson was arrested by Seattle Police in January, May, and September 2023. Each time Henderson had more than a thousand fentanyl pills, and on two of the arrests he had loaded firearms. A jury convicted Henderson in November 2025, following a three-day trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted that Henderson knew he was dealing to homeless addicts who would struggle to resist the temptation. “The numbers in this case speak volumes.” Mr. Henderson had “over 18,000 fentanyl pills, 220 grams of fentanyl powder, and 700 grams of methamphetamine.” Selling the fentanyl pills for “a dollar per pill,” he could have caused “18,000 potential overdoses in our community.” Judge Whitehead said. “This case exemplifies the effort federal law enforcement is making around crime hotspots in our city, such as the North Aurora emphasis area,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “The FBI and Seattle Police Department identified this area as one where federal attention could make a difference. This case took significant deadly drugs, firearms, and a habitual criminal off the street.” “Even though Mr. Henderson had multiple chances to change his destructive behavior, he persisted in selling fentanyl to homeless and vulnerable individuals while illegally in possession of stolen, loaded firearms,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Every time Mr. Henderson was arrested, he had even more fentanyl pills than the last, thousands on each occasion, showing he still has not learned his lesson even after repeated arrests. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue dangerous drug traffickers to hold them accountable and keep our communities safe.” According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, on January 25, 2023, Henderson was contacted at his car, parked outside the Park Plaza Motel on Aurora. He had $2770 cash in his pocket. When the car was searched, law enforcement found around 600 grams methamphetamine, 1,700 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of fentanyl powder, and a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat. Henderson’s DNA was on the pistol and on a second gun found in a bag with narcotics. On May 5, 2023, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Henderson was contacted by Seattle Police and was found to have about 7,000 fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash. And finally on September 13, 2023, Henderson was arrested in Ballard near a homeless encampment. Henderson possessed a backpack with nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills. Henderson’s crimes result in a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years: ten years for drug possession counts and a consecutive five years for each of the drug-related firearm counts. The jury also found that Henderson illegally possessed the firearms due to his previous felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment. It is that criminal history that particularly concerned prosecutors and those working to fight crime in the North Aurora neighborhoods. “The underlying details of his 2019 conviction for promoting prostitution are quite alarming; Mr. Henderson forced the victim to work as a sex worker by injecting her with heroin and threatening her with death. As the Court is aware, each time Mr. Henderson was arrested in this case, he was arrested with a different female companion. The first female who was with Mr. Henderson during the January 25 arrest, was allegedly involved in prostitution. The third female, who was with him during the September 13 arrest, had been reported as a missing person in Clallam County. At a minimum, this suggests that Mr. Henderson involved others in his drug trafficking activity. At worst, he continued to promote prostitution alongside his drug trafficking business. Under either scenario, his illegal possession of guns endangered his female associates.” Henderson will be on 5 years of supervised release following his prison term. The case was investigated by the Seattle Police and the FBI as part of an emphasis on crime in the North Aurora area. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives provided key assistance. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca, Jin Kim, and Carolyn Forstein.


title: New Castle Felon Sentenced to More Than 6.5 Years in Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine and Illegal Possession of Firearm

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 80 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, on his conviction of drug trafficking and firearm crimes as part of a Homeland Security Task Force prosecution, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Jauan Searcy, 44, who, in July 2025, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine between August 2023 and August 2024, and to possessing a firearm following a felony conviction. According to information presented to the Court, Searcy—who had previously been convicted of a felony—was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that was based in Detroit and in New Castle. Searcy participated in the conspiracy by retailing controlled substances to his customers in the New Castle area. When law enforcement arrested Searcy at his New Castle residence on August 1, 2024, following his federal indictment, agents found a shotgun next to Searcy’s bed. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Mercer County Drug Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security, and Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Searcy. This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.


title: Mail Thief Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Violating Supervised Release

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MARQUIS WILLIAMS, 49, last residing in Colchester, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 27 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction related to his operating a mail theft, identity theft, and bank fraud scheme. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018 and 2019, Williams and his then-girlfriend stole mail from hundreds of residential mailboxes in Connecticut and used information contained in the mail to steal identities, produce fake identification, forge checks, and cash or deposit checks stolen from the mail. More than 70 bank fraud victims were identified during the investigation. Williams pleaded guilty and, in April 2023, was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 78 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. On September 9, 2025, approximately one month into his five-year term of supervised release, Williams was arrested by the Old Saybrook Police Department following a traffic stop and charged with driving under the influence and operating a motor vehicle under suspension. During a search of his vehicle, officers found approximately 132 pieces of mail that Williams had recently stolen from mailboxes in Old Saybrook, Guilford, Milford, and Old Lyme. Williams has been detained in federal custody since September 22, 2025. He will be on supervised release for 33 months when he completes his 27-month prison term. Williams’ criminal history also includes a federal conviction in 2002 for conspiracy, identity fraud, and credit card fraud offenses for which he was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment. This matter was investigated by the Old Saybrook Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon. Individuals who believe they are a victim of mail theft may file a complaint by calling 877-876-2455 or by visiting https://www.uspis.gov/report .


title: Federal Jury Finds Lead Defendant and Mastermind Behind Targeted Bombing That Killed Clearfield Woman Guilty on All Charged Counts

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - After deliberating for two hours, a federal jury on March 18, 2026, found Clint Addleman, 49, of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, guilty on charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device, conspiracy to maliciously destroy property by explosive or fire, malicious destruction of property by explosive or fire resulting in death, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Addleman’s co-defendant, Kris Nevling, was convicted by jury trial in August 2025. Addleman was tried before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The evidence presented during the seven-day trial established that, in and around early October 2019, Addleman and his co-defendant Nevling aided and abetted one another in the construction and possession of a destructive device—a bomb—which was subsequently concealed inside a package addressed to the victim using her nickname. At approximately 4:30 a.m. on October 4, 2019, the package containing the bomb was delivered and left outside of the door to the victim’s first floor apartment in a multi-unit rental property on East Market Street in Clearfield. Later that morning, the bomb detonated inside the victim’s apartment, killing the victim and causing a fire that destroyed the building. Trial evidence established that the victim owed Addleman an outstanding drug debt of approximately $1,000. The jury also determined the victim’s death to be a result of the commission of the conspiring to maliciously destroy and malicious destruction of property by explosive or fire offenses. Addleman was additionally convicted on a charge of conspiring to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine between January and October 2019. Judge Haines scheduled Addleman’s sentencing for July 22, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. In August 2025, a jury also found Nevling guilty of both conspiracy to maliciously destroy property by explosive or fire—similarly determining the victim’s death to be a result of this offense—and possession of an unregistered destructive device. Nevling is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2026. Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Samantha A. Stewart and Special Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Clearfield Regional Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Addleman.


title: Bronx Felon Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of the Bronx, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 46 months in prison on his conviction of possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jose Baez Cabrera, 35, also ordering Baez Cabrera to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term in the event he is not removed from the United States based on his immigration status. According to information presented to the Court, on August 16, 2023, Baez Cabrera was caught transporting eight kilograms of cocaine across Pennsylvania with the intent to deliver them to drug dealers in Erie. He was on probation at that time following a 2021 felony conviction in New York for possessing a kilogram of fentanyl. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania State Police and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Baez Cabrera.


title: Convicted Felon Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted a convicted felon for trafficking narcotics and illegally possessing a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby. A four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Renell Nathaniel Cooper, 32, of Birmingham, Alabama, with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, on two separate occasions in May and June 2025, Cooper sold more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and illegally possessed four firearms. The alleged incidents occurred in Jefferson County, Alabama. Cooper is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions in the District Court of Shelby County and the District Court of Jefferson County. The DEA investigated the case along with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison J. Garnett 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. An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: California Man Sentenced for Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business in Connection with Online Pharmacy Websites

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A California man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Jimmy Fu, 64, of West Hills, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. In November 2025, Fu pleaded guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Fu agreed to forfeit approximately $689,697.09 seized from various accounts. Since in or around November 2022, law enforcement began investigating two online pharmacies believed to be operating in India that advertised controlled substances for sale and distributing misbranded and counterfeit drugs, including drugs that contain controlled substances. The investigation revealed that online orders placed by customers in the United States were filled in several ways, including by illicit pill press locations operating in the United States as well as via shipments from overseas locations with several illicit pill manufacturing locations identified as being involved in the shipment and fulfillment of orders. During the investigation, a variety of counterfeit prescription drugs, some of which contained controlled substances, were obtained via undercover purchases. One undercover purchase of 60 Adderall pills was found to contain methamphetamine and caffeine. Another undercover purchase of 90 Adderall pills contained no active pharmaceutical ingredient. Fu was identified as the operator of Axson Engineering, Inc., doing business in Canoga Park, Calif. as “Axson Data.” The business processed customer payments for controlled substances from the online pharmacies and wired the proceeds of these illegal purchases to various businesses located overseas. The wires were directed to a number of different businesses that identify as information technology consulting businesses, among other things. During the investigation over 18 undercover purchases for prescription drugs were processed by Fu’s business, Axson Data, with each of the payments deposited into an Axson bank account. A review of all of Axson’s bank accounts revealed thousands of checks deposited from individuals across the United States, including Massachusetts, for various amounts of money ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. At least some of these payments corresponded to purchases from the network of online pharmacy websites. Between January 2021 and August 2024, Axson accounts appeared to have received approximately $11.5 million from individuals across the United States. A search warrant executed for an account associated with Axson revealed, among other things, a photo of a cell phone displaying an image of a drug test showing a positive indicator for methamphetamine, followed by a text message that read: “I ordered Adderall . . . I got this . . . it’s pressed meth. I said if they don’t have real Adderall I would take 20mg Ritalin to replace. They refused unless I sent these back (which is highly illegal).” United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, New England; and Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in West Palm Beach, Fla., Northridge, Calif. and Las Vegas; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Customs & Border Protection; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Federal Air Marshals Service; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office; and the Quincy, Framingham and Henderson, Nev., Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit, Alexandra Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit and Leslie Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.


title: Online couple sentenced to prison for sexually exploiting and abusing toddler and infant

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A New Jersey man and a Virginia woman were sentenced to prison for their roles in the exploitation and abuse of two children to share child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, in early April 2024, Michael J. Machonis, 30, of Bridgewater, New Jersey, and Asia Tamara Billups, 20, of Gloucester, Virginia, met online. They originally shared sexually explicit content of themselves with each other and engaged in sexually explicit conversations. Those sexually explicit conversations eventually led to the discussion of minors and the exchange of CSAM. On May 31, 2024, and June 1, 2024, Billups used a cellphone to produce four sexually explicit videos of a three-year-old toddler and a four-month-old infant. Billups transmitted the videos to Machonis. Billups pled guilty on April 14, 2025, to two counts of production of CSAM and one count of distribution of CSAM. She was sentenced on Sept. 19, 2025, to 15 years in prison. Machonis pled guilty on Oct. 24, 2025, to two counts of coercion and enticement and one count of receipt of CSAM. He was sentenced today to 17 years in prison. The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Somerset County (New Jersey) Prosecutor’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted the case. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-70.


title: Decade-Long Drug Conspiracy Boss from Fayetteville Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Rick Derrell McIntyre to 35 years in federal prison for leading a Fayetteville area drug conspiracy spanning over a decade. On May 24, 2024, Inmate McIntyre pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell and possess with intent to sell 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and selling of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. “Thanks to the dedicated and professional police work by the FPD and the FBI. We caught this Big Shark Bad Boy. He dumped deadly drugs into the Fayetteville community for too long. But never again. Sell drugs, get caught, left to rot.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD), the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies identified Inmate McIntyre as the head of a large-scale drug trafficking organization. The investigation established that Inmate McIntyre acted as one of the most high-volume drug dealers in the Fayetteville area dating back to as early as 2012, and he coordinated with multiple co-conspirators to purchase pounds and pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and MDMA to sell in Fayetteville communities. In the Eastern District of North Carolina, Inmate McIntyre was previously convicted of conspiracy to sell cocaine in 1998. "For years, McIntyre distributed poison into his own community. Today's federal prison sentence demonstrates the power of partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to shut down his drug dealing business for good," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. "For years, McIntyre led a complex drug trafficking organization that dispersed dangerous unlawful controlled substances into our community. The Fayetteville Police Department is committed to utilizing our federal and state partnerships to dismantle such organizations and to hold accountable those that seek to profit from addiction and despair. The message should be loud and clear that if you traffic drugs in our community, we will identify you, arrest you, and hold you accountable." said Fayetteville Police Department. In 2023 and 2024, investigators conducted a series of controlled purchases of highly pure methamphetamine from Inmate McIntyre and others in Fayetteville who dealt his drugs. Investigators learned during these controlled purchases that Inmate McIntyre stored drugs at his business, Fort Bragg Collision Center in Spring Lake. The controlled purchases from Inmate McIntyre and his drug dealers led to the seizure of over 3700 grams of methamphetamine bought from Atlanta, Arizona, and other out of state locations. In total, the investigation established that between 2012 and June of 2023, Inmate McIntyre was responsible for distributing over 350 pounds of methamphetamine, over 46 pounds of heroin, over 7 pounds of fentanyl, over 8 pounds of cocaine, and 4 pounds of MDMA. Investigators established that Inmate McIntyre was receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine at a time from his out of state sources, at least one of whom was a drug trafficker operating out of Mexico. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI and the FPD led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted 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. 5:23-CR-184-D.


title: Maximiliano Davila Perez, Former Director Of Bolivia’s National Anti-Narcotics Agency, Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Import Cocaine And Related Firearms Offense

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance Cole, announced that MAXIMILIANO DAVILA PEREZ was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for participating in a cocaine-importation conspiracy and a related weapons offense. DAVILA PEREZ is the former director of Bolivia’s chief anti-narcotics law enforcement agency, Fuerza Especial de Lucha Contra el Narcotráfico (“FELCN”) and was extradited to the United States from Bolivia in December 2024. Davila Perez was convicted on October 23, 2025, following a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who imposed today’s sentence. “Maximiliano Davila Perez wielded extraordinary power as Bolivia’s top counternarcotics officer and chose to abuse that power to support the very drug traffickers he was sworn to investigate, all to send massive quantities of cocaine to New York,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Now, because of Davila Perez’s corruption and brazen attempt to flood our streets with cocaine, he will spend 25 years in federal prison. Our Office, alongside our partners at the DEA’s Special Operations Division, will continue to root out high-level narco-corruption around the globe that threatens our country and New Yorkers.” “Betrayal of public trust by a law enforcement official is a complete abandonment of the oath they swore to uphold,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Maximiliano Dávila Pérez turned his office into a criminal enterprise—protecting traffickers, ensuring the movement of cocaine, and directly enabling the flow of drugs into the United States. His actions fueled violence, corruption, and addiction. Today’s sentence makes clear that no badge, no title, and no position will shield those who choose crime over duty. DEA will identify, expose, and bring to justice anyone who abuses power to traffic drugs into our communities, wherever they operate.” As reflected in the Superseding Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, evidence at trial, and statements made in court proceedings: Between approximately February 2019 and November 2019, while DAVILA PEREZ served as the Director of FELCN, and thereafter, he exploited his office and his powerful political and law enforcement connections to facilitate massive, international-scale cocaine trafficking. DAVILA PEREZ’s methods included both diverting law enforcement from investigating favored cocaine traffickers and providing heavily armed FELCN personnel as security for cocaine shipments leaving Bolivian airports. DAVILA PEREZ conspired with others to manufacture, ship, and provide armed protection for more than one metric ton of cocaine destined for the United States, and specifically, for New York. DAVILA PEREZ did so during meetings and calls with his co-conspirators that were recorded by DEA confidential sources (the “CSes”) who also participated between approximately 2019 and 2020. Those meetings and calls resulted in the arrangement of a 10-kilogram sample of cocaine, authorized by DAVILA PEREZ, to be provided to the CSes in Lima, Peru, in December 2019. Throughout the conspiracy, DAVILA PEREZ repeatedly emphasized his willingness to participate in and provide protection for a shipment of over one ton of cocaine leaving Bolivia and transiting through the Dominican Republic before ultimately reaching New York. DAVILA PEREZ made explicit his plans to facilitate that shipment. During recorded calls and meetings, DAVILA PEREZ suggested certain airports where he controlled airport security and could divert FELCN personnel to ensure a plane would successfully be loaded with cocaine. Specifically, DAVILA PEREZ said that on the day of the cocaine shipment, he would carry out an operation elsewhere and “take out everyone,” that is, ensure no investigative or operational FELCN personnel were available to interfere with the drug plot. He also committed to sending certain FELCN agents to guard the plane with their standard issue firearms—high-powered machineguns— as it was loaded with cocaine. DAVILA PEREZ also made explicit that he intended to profit from this cocaine deal, telling one of the CSes on a recording that “you are also going to profit, I am going to win too.” As the plot progressed over several months, DAVILA PEREZ continued to assure his co-conspirators and the CSes that he would arrange for the armed protection of the cocaine shipment so that it could safely leave Bolivia. And DAVILA PEREZ made clear that he had no regard for the fact that the cocaine was destined for the United States, telling a co-conspirator that he did not “give a shit,” because “the important thing is that the plane should take off and that we receive our money.” * * * In addition to the prison term, DAVILA PEREZ, 62, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman, David J. Robles, and Chelsea L. Scism are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Rockingham Man Sentenced for Possession of Ammunition after Discharging Gun Multiple Times near Residential Building

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Reidsville, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Greensboro to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a possession of ammunition as a previously convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Dan Bishop of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). LINDSEY L. HAYES, age 41, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment plus 3 years post release supervision by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief/Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. According to court records, on January 7, 2025, at approximately 8:22 p.m., officers with the Reidsville Police Department responded to an apartment complex located on Marcellus Street in Reidsville after receiving a 911 call regarding a shooting. When officers arrived, they spoke with various tenants who stated they heard arguing followed by gunshots. One tenant said prior to the shooting he/she heard a man banging on the door of a neighboring apartment and heard a man say something to the effect of “watch this.” Another said he/she heard a man say, “Open this door before I shoot this shit up.” Officers obtained video surveillance which showed HAYES getting out of a white SUV and walking up the steps to the front door of the apartment where the mother of his child resided and knocking on the door multiple times. In the video, HAYES appeared to be yelling through the door. When no one answers, HAYES walks back down the stairs and returns to the white SUV before heading back to the same apartment, this time while carrying a handgun. HAYES uses the handle of the gun to knock on the door again. After standing at the door for a short time, he walks back down the stairs and gets into the driver seat of the white SUV. Before he exits the parking lot of the apartment complex, HAYES slows down while driving past the apartment. His left arm extends out of the front driver side window and muzzle flash and smoke are seen as multiple shots were fired. While canvasing the area, officers observed two bullet holes in the siding of the apartment building and two spent shell casings in the parking lot near where his vehicle was at the time of the shooting. No firearm was recovered. During the sentencing hearing, evidence was presented that at the time of the shooting the apartment was occupied by at least two people. Prior to his arrest, HAYES was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on four separate occasions. Additionally, HAYES was on post release supervision for convictions for Felony Discharge of a Weapon into Occupied Property and Felony Assault with Physical Injury of a Detention Employee. HAYES had been released to supervision about two months before committing the shooting. HAYES pleaded guilty on December 4, 2025, to being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). The case was investigated by the Reidsville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Tracy M. Williams-Durham. ###


title: Kansas City, Missouri Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Mo., man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 360 months’ imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons followed by 30 years of supervised release. Steven Michael George, 45, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. George faced an enhanced range of punishment due to his prior Missouri state convictions for first-degree statutory sodomy, first-degree child molestation, and possession of child pornography. Between approximately March 17, 2023, and July 12, 2023, George distributed images and videos of child pornography (also referred to as “child sexual abuse material” or “CSAM”) over the Internet through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Investigators also located CSAM images and videos on several devices possessed by George. In addition to his sentence, George was ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in those CSAM images and videos. George will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”


title: Missouri Registered Sex Offender Charged with Attempted Production of Child Pornography

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged by criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City for attempting to produce child pornography while being required to register as a sex offender. Addison Jones, 28, was charged with attempted production of child pornography and an additional charge for committing the crime while being required to register as a sex offender. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Jones communicated over the internet with a 10-year-old boy to attempt to obtain depictions of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Crime

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jonathan Andrew Felkel, 34, of Columbia, has pleaded guilty to violating the housing rights of his black neighbor, J.M. According to court documents, on July 17, 2025, Felkel was driving into the gated community where both he and J.M. lived when he saw J.M. standing at the gate of the community. Felkel fired a gun into the air and shouted at J.M., an African American man, “ You better run, boy !” The defendant later admitted to law enforcement that, in firing his gun and shouting at J.M., he intended to scare J.M., he had hoped to convey to J.M. “leave [the neighborhood], get from around here,” and that J.M. “[didn’t] need to be around this area.” Felkel expressed his belief, in part, that because J.M. was black, he must be connected to “dangerous criminals.” Felkel faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release to follow any term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Felkel on a future date. The FBI Columbia Field Office and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Lamar Fyall of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Sarah Armstrong of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Illegal Aliens from Mexico Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine Related to a Clandestine Lab in Calaveras County, California

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment today against five illegal aliens from Mexico, charging them with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, as well as various other drug trafficking and firearms offenses, Attorney General Pamela Bondi and U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. “These illegal aliens allegedly operated a secret lab on American soil producing thousands of pounds of deadly drugs to poison our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This clandestine and illegal operation has now been dismantled — we will continue protecting Americans from the dangerous results of the prior administration’s open-border policies.” Luis Reyna Carrillo, 33, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; two counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Carrillo’s wife, Mariana Vanessa Mendoza Camacho, 33, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and two counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Juan Jesus Manriquez Diaz, 31, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and being an alien in possession of ammunition. Alvaro Rosales, 44, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Manuel Juan Madrid Perez, 38, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; three counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Perez is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions in California including a conviction on Sept. 19, 2022, for false imprisonment and preventing a victim from reporting a crime. According to Department of Homeland Security records, Carrillo and Camacho arrived in the United States in March 2021 and were given a notice to appear. Diaz was previously removed from the United States in 2018. Rosales was removed in August 2024. According to court documents, in October 2025, law enforcement authorities began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization suspected of manufacturing methamphetamine in a remote area of Calaveras County. During the investigation, Carrillo and his associates were identified as part of that conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. On Feb. 27, 2026, multiple law enforcement agencies engaged in a coordinated operation and executed search warrants at three locations connected to Carrillo and his associates in Valley Springs, Turlock, and Modesto, California. While executing the search warrants, law enforcement located a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Calaveras County. They seized approximately 1,430 pounds of methamphetamine and 1,270 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in a partially processed state. Law enforcement agencies searched two additional residences in Stanislaus County that were associated with Carrillo and his associates. In Turlock, law enforcement located and seized an additional 300 pounds of methamphetamine packaged for distribution, nine firearms, and multiple magazines and rounds of ammunition. In Modesto, they seized 2 pounds of methamphetamine, 107 pounds of processed marijuana, 1,900 marijuana plants, and three firearms. As aliens, Carrillo and Diaz are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, and Perez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions. This case is the product of an investigation by the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit in coordination with Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, the Sacramento Area Intelligence Narcotics Team (SAINT), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caily Nelson is prosecuting the case. If convicted on the drug-trafficking charges, Carrillo, Camacho, Diaz, Rosales, and Perez each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Carrillo, Diaz, and Perez face additional penalties if convicted of the firearm- or ammunition-related offenses. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Impeding and Obstructing Law Enforcement

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On March 12, 2026, JOSE WALTER NIETO-CASTELLANOS (“ NIETO-CASTELLANOS ”), age 31, was sentenced on March 12, 2026, after previously pleading guilty, for Assault Against Law Enforcement, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, on October 14, 2025, NIETO-CASTELLANOS forcibly obstructed and impeded a United States Border Patrol Agent, with Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol, while that agent was engaged in the performance of his official duties. During enforcement operations in Gretna, Louisiana federal law enforcement officers identified a vehicle associated with an individual believed to at the time to be unlawfully present in the United States. The officers initiated a traffic stop for immigration-related enforcement purposes. NIETO-CASTELLANOS did not immediately yield and attempted to evade the officers. Ultimately, the was stopped by the officers. NIETO-CASTELLANOS refused commands to the vehicle and physically resisted officers during the removal from the vehicle and the application of handcuffs before being restrained. United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced NIETO-CASTELLANOS to time served, a total of four (4) and ½ months imprisonment, 1-year of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. NIETO-CASTELLANOS has now been transferred into the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection after which he will be removed from the United States, and sent back to Honduras. 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). U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution. * * *


title: Federal Operation Targeting Gun Violence in Helena-West Helena Leads to Seven Men Indicted

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: HELENA-WEST HELENA—An ongoing investigation into gun violence in the Helena-West Helena area has led to the arrests of seven individuals alleged to have illegally possessed, and in some cases used, firearms. Several of the defendants also face federal drug charges after today’s early-morning arrest operation that was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the unsealing of seven indictments that were returned by a federal Grand Jury sitting in Helena-West Helena on March 5, 2026. The indictments were returned against the following individuals: • Jacarius Ross, 34, of Helena-West Helena, charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime in Case Number 2:26-CR-00007-KGB. • Dmarkus Britton, 38, of Helena-West Helena, charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime in Case Number 2:26-CR-00005-JM. • Michael Harris, 44, of Helena-West Helena, charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime in Case Number 2:26-CR-00008-DPM. • Lawrence Bennett, 34, of Helena-West Helena, charged with felon in possession of a firearm in Case Number 2:26-CR-00004-BSM. • Jordan Walker, 34, of Helena-West Helena, charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime in Case Number 2:26-CR-00010-BSM. • Kevin Williams, 50, of Helena-West Helena, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime in Case Number 2:26-CR-00011-BSM. • Kamarius Landrum, 23, of Marvell, charged with felon in possession of a firearm in Case Number 2:26-CR-0009-LPR. Landrum was in previous state custody and arraigned by United States Magistrate Judge Edie R. Ervin on March 12. The other six defendants appeared before Judge Ervin today in Helena-West Helena and were given trial dates. Bennett, Walker, and Williams were arrested this morning. Ross, Britton, and Harris were in state custody on other charges and brought to federal court today. All seven defendants remain detained. “Combating gun crime remains one of our office’s highest priorities. We are grateful to the hard work of the FBI and the Helena-West Helena Police Department that went into presenting these cases to the grand jury,” Ross said. “By continuing to work with our law enforcement partners, today’s operation underscores our commitment to making communities safer.” “Violent offenders will be held accountable, and we will use every available resource to bring them to justice,” FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge Jason Van Goor said. “The FBI Little Rock Field Office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to protect Arkansans from those who threaten our communities.” The cases unsealed today all stem from local investigations into gun and drug crimes, and at least two cases involved active shooting scenes. All agencies involved in today’s operation continue to investigate gun crimes in the region, and more indictments are expected. “I want to personally thank our partners with the FBI, Arkansas State Police, and U.S. Attorney’s office,” Helena-West Helena Police Chief Quanderius Sanders said. “Let this serve as a message: individuals who choose to engage in criminal activity in our city will be identified, pursued, and held accountable.” The crime of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, or fentanyl, as charged in these indictments, carries a penalty of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, and not less than three years of supervised release. Felon in possession of a firearm carries a penalty of not more than 15 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, and not less than three years of supervised release. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime has a penalty of not less than five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of not more than $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. Possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon carries a penalty of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release. Today’s operation was led by the FBI, with assistance from the Helena-West Helena Police Department and the Arkansas State Police. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bart Dickinson, Lauren Eldridge, Ashley Bowen, and Reese Lancaster. An indictment contains only allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Brazilian National Convicted for Scheme to Smuggle Machine Gun Parts from the United States to Brazil

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Brazilian national was found guilty by a federal jury for his role in a scheme to smuggle firearm parts capable of being assembled into fully automatic assault rifles from the U.S. to Brazil. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Victor Waldeck Oliveira Iglesias, 31, conspired with co-defendant Alvaro Teixeira, 50, to smuggle eight sets of HK firearm parts to Brazil. The co-defendants planned to conceal the illegal gun parts inside shipments that were otherwise legally licensed for export. Evidence at trial showed that Iglesias and Teixeira intended to smuggle many more firearm parts kit if the scheme had succeeded. “This case involved an effort to secretly move machine gun components out of the United States and into the international black market,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The evidence at trial showed that the defendants planned to conceal these parts inside legitimate export shipments and send them overseas, where they could be assembled into fully automatic firearms. Thanks to the work of ATF agents and our law enforcement partners, this scheme was stopped before those weapons reached the streets.” Law enforcement agents later executed a search warrant at Iglesias’s apartment and discovered eight HK gun kits in a large box prepared for shipment. Agents arrested Iglesias at that time. After Iglesias’s arrest, Teixeira delivered 10 additional firearm parts kits to an individual he believed was a buyer in the parking lot of Dolphin Mall. The jury convicted Iglesias of one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the U.S. and one count of attempt to smuggle goods from the U.S. He faces up to 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years on the attempted smuggling count. U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams will sentence Iglesias on May 4, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Teixeira was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on March 10 after pleading guilty to the same charges. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement. The ATF Miami Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Almas Abdulla, Christian Harris, and Joseph Mahoney are prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-20161. ###


title: Father and Daughter Indicted and Arrested for Money Laundering as part of the Homeland Security Task Force Initiative

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

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 5, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Edwin Navarro-Artavia and Kyria Navarro-Santiago for conspiracy to commit money laundering. This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. According to court documents, Edwin Navarro-Artavia, 59, and Kyria Navarro-Santiago,34, of San Juan, utilizing several real estate businesses, including Navarro & Assocs. LLC, Navarro & Associados Corp., and YVS Homes LLC, facilitated the laundering of narcotics proceeds through the sale of real estate properties throughout Puerto Rico. Kyria Navarro-Santiago is a licensed real estate professional, but Edwin Navarro-Artavia is not licensed. To accomplish the objectives of the money laundering scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators would find sellers willing to sell their homes to buyers in a cash or other type of undisclosed transaction, while agreeing to leave any mortgage balance in the name of the seller. Buyers would often use drug proceeds to make down payments to sellers. Then, the buyers would use drug proceeds to pay off the remaining mortgage balance. At times the buyers would deliver the money, in cash, to defendants Edwin Navarro-Artavia and Kyria Navarro-Santiago, who would make the mortgage payments on behalf of the buyer. On occasion, Navarro-Artavia and Navarro-Santiago would further the conspiracy by placing the homes in their names, while leaving the mortgage in the name of the seller, and pay down the mortgage on behalf of the drug-trafficking buyer with drug proceeds. The defendants would also register homes purchased with drug proceeds in the names of straw purchasers, who had no legitimate connection to the real estate transaction other than the use of their identity for the purpose of concealing the true purchaser of the home. In addition, the defendants opened personal and business bank accounts to receive, deposit and transfer drug proceeds, and to fund expenditures related to properties involved in the illicit money laundering transactions. They also used peer-to-peer mobile electronic payment systems to transfer proceeds from person-person to avoid detection and further the conspiracy. The indictment includes 23 real estate purchases of residential properties in several municipalities in Puerto Rico. The indictment also includes a money laundering forfeiture allegation of $3,300,000 and 21 real properties. This case is related to criminal case 23-273 (PAD), United States vs Nelson Torres-Delgado, a.k.a. “El Burro” , and 51 other defendants. “These defendants and their drug trafficking associates exploited the financial system to launder their drug proceeds and acquire real properties. Financial institutions must remain vigilant to these types of schemes and report suspicious activity as required by federal law,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Sellers who facilitate these transactions and allow real properties and mortgages to remain in their names expose themselves to liability, as well.” “Financial crimes are not victimless crimes. This case is an example of how on many occasions, these are enabling violent criminal enterprise operations, which have a direct impact on the quality of life of our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge, Claudia Dubravetz, of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Let this be a warning to those who think they can hide egregious criminal activity behind complex financial transactions. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will follow the evidence to the end, and you will face justice. If you work in a financial institution, and see something, say something—don’t become an accomplice by facilitating the scheme.” The defendants are charged with one count of participating in a money laundering conspiracy. They are scheduled for their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and ATF are in charge of the investigation of the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections, the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda), the Puerto Rico Police Department and the San Juan Municipal Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Vance Eaton is prosecuting the case. T his prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department. 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: Fayette County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Crystal Renee Severson, 45, of Gauley Bridge, pleaded guilty today to fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, features, and information. According to court documents and statements made in court, from March 28, 2016, to March 16, 2022, Severson was an administrative assistant at the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists with duties that included receiving applications and application fees from individuals seeking to be licensed as nail technicians. On or about January 10, 2022, Severson altered a $100 money order submitted by a licensure applicant by removing the payee’s name and address. As part of her plea agreement, Severson admitted that she replaced that information with the name and address of her mother and deposited the money order in her own personal bank account. Severson further admitted that her mother was unaware that she had altered the money order and had not given her permission to use her name on it. Severson also admitted that she fraudulently deposited 19 other money orders submitted by licensure applicants between August 21, 2019, and November 23, 2021. The 20 money orders fraudulently deposited by Severson totaled $1,855.00. Severson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Severson also owes at least $1,855.00 in restitution. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-26. ###


title: Albany Manufacturer to Pay $1.9 Million to Resolve False Claims Act PPP Loan Case

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – The United States has reached a $1.9 million settlement with Sark Wire Corporation to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by applying for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was ineligible. “The False Claims Act allows the United States to recover funds obtained through material misrepresentations,” said First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “PPP eligibility rules required counting employees of foreign affiliates. Sark Wire didn’t do that; if it had, it would not have been eligible for the PPP loan it received. I commend Sark Wire for promptly acknowledging its ineligibility and proactively initiating settlement discussions with the United States.” Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 27, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans affected by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the Paycheck Protection Program, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to provide forgivable loans to eligible small businesses during the national emergency. The PPP provided loans in two draws. For second-draw PPP loans, applicants were required to certify that they and their affiliates, including foreign affiliates, employed fewer than 300 employees and otherwise satisfied applicable program eligibility requirements. As part of the settlement agreement, Sark Wire admitted that it did not meet the applicable employee-count threshold when accounting for its foreign affiliates. The company acknowledged that it failed to disclose in its PPP loan and forgiveness applications that it was majority owned by a Turkish conglomerate and failed to include the employees of its foreign affiliates in its eligibility calculation. Sark Wire further acknowledged that when employees of its foreign affiliates were included as required under program rules, it exceeded the size threshold for second-draw PPP eligibility and forgiveness. “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration, including SBA’s Office of General Counsel, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other federal law enforcement agencies to recover the proceeds of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis. This matter arose from a qui tam complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. The False Claims Act permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Under the settlement agreement, the relator will receive $190,000 as its statutory share. The case is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Sark Wire Corp. , Case No. 1:24-cv-1120 (N.D.N.Y.). The investigation and resolution of this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and the SBA Office of General Counsel. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Katz and Special Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Kelly.


title: Oakland Man Charged for Sex Trafficking of a 17-Year-Old Victim

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today, against Keynin McGee, 27, of Oakland, charging him with sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion for compelling a 17-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, in late 2020, McGee met and recruited the minor victim online. In early 2021, McGee bought the victim a bus ticket so she could travel to Oakland, where he lived. When she arrived, McGee took her shopping and brought her to a motel where he posted photographs of her on a website used to sell and purchase commercial sex. Afterward, McGee had sex with the victim, telling her he wanted to test “the product,” even though he acknowledged she was a minor. McGee then drove the victim to International Boulevard in Oakland, an area known for commercial sex activity, and instructed her to have sex with men for money. When the victim followed his instructions, McGee seized her earnings and kept all the proceeds of her commercial sex acts for himself. Additionally, McGee sent the victim threatening text messages. In several of the messages, McGee threatened to “shoot” or “kill” the victim. McGee also took the victim to San Francisco, where he again trafficked her. The victim ultimately escaped when an officer with the San Francisco Police Department encountered her on the street and connected her with local human trafficking service providers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case. If convicted, McGee faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and mandatory minimum penalties of 15 years in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and 10 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Drug-Related Firearm Possession Offense

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HARRY WHITLEY, 23, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 4, 2024, Whitley, who had an active state arrest warrant and was on probation, was observed participating in a suspected drug transaction in New Haven. Whitley was arrested a short time later in Waterbury. At the time of his arrest, he possessed fentanyl, cocaine, and oxycodone, and a Glock 17 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine and a Glock-style machine gun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” Whitley’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm possession and larceny offenses. The charge carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for June 11. Whitley has been detained since his arrest. This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Nathan Guevremont. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Colorado Springs Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Federal Prison After Being Found Guilty Of Drug Trafficking, Conspiracy, And Weapons Charges

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Nathan James Meek, 43, Colorado Springs, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison after being found guilty on multiple counts including: one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to evidence presented at trial, Meek sold large quantities of narcotics in the Colorado Springs area, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. When he was arrested in late January 2024, investigators recovered a cellphone, a firearm, 10 fentanyl pills, 6.2 grams of methamphetamine, and over $3,000 in cash on his person. Officers obtained a search warrant for Meek’s apartment and recovered 2,202 grams of methamphetamine, 131 grams of fentanyl, 80 grams of cocaine, 698 grams of marijuana, and three firearms. “Getting violent, repeat drug dealers off the streets of Colorado is a key objective of our office and I am glad to see that this criminal will spend the next 25 years in federal prison,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “This case is an excellent example of what strong federal and local law enforcement partnerships can do in the quest to keep our communities safe.” “Here we have a violent felon who has repeatedly chosen to engage in criminal activity. Because of the steadfast partnership between the FBI and the Colorado Springs Police Department, a jury found the defendant guilty of selling drugs while illegally possessing firearms,” said Marvin Massey, acting special agent in charge of FBI Denver. ‘Now, Mr. Meek is going to federal prison for a long time, and the people of Colorado Springs are safer because he can no longer victimize their community.’ United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing. The case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office and the Colorado Springs Police Department. The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement Section at the United States Attorney's Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Case Number: 24-cr-00082-RMR-1


title: D.C. Man Sentenced to 20 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine in Southeast Washington

body_text: WASHINGTON -- Maurice Tutt, 52, of the District of Columbia., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 20 months in federal prison for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, cocaine, and methamphetamine, centered in the Potomac Gardens Housing Project in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Tutt pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2025, before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. In addition to the 20-month prison term, Judge Kelly ordered Tutt to serve three years of supervised release. “Maurice Tutt bought fentanyl pills by the hundreds and sold them on the streets of Washington. Each one of those pills was a potential death sentence for someone's child, parent, or neighbor,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He knew the harm he was causing—and did it anyway. Now he will answer for it.” According to court documents, Tutt conspired with a co-conspirator to obtain blue fentanyl pills, known as "blues," and redistribute them to others in the District. Court-authorized intercepts of phone calls and text messages captured the conspiracy in detail. On April 20, 2024, the co-conspirator texted Tutt that he could supply up to 500 fentanyl pills at a time. Tutt responded that he would take 500 every month. The two agreed on a price per pill. Over the following months, Tutt placed a series of orders. On April 25, 2024, he called the co-conspirator and said, "I need 500 of 'em," and calculated a price over the phone. Later that day, Tutt texted the co-conspirator that he had received only 487 pills rather than 500. The co-conspirator agreed to make up the difference. On May 24, 2024, Tutt called the co-conspirator again to order 500 more pills, telling him with precision: "not 498, not 501." When the co-conspirator delivered only 404 pills, Tutt noted the shortfall. On June 5, 2024, Tutt ordered 300 more pills, which the co-conspirator agreed to supply. On Oct. 16, 2024, law enforcement arrested Tutt. Among the items recovered from his apartment was a digital scale of the type used in drug trafficking. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the D.C. Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, Montgomery County, MD, Police, and Fairfax County, VA, Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Solomon S. Eppel and Nihar Mohanty. 24cr456 Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: North Carolina Man Convicted in Cyber Extortion Scheme That Targeted D.C.-based Tech Company

body_text: WASHINGTON – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday against a Charlotte, North Carolina, man for carrying out an extensive cyber extortion scheme against a D.C.-based international technology company, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Cameron Curry, 27, was convicted of six counts of transmitting or willfully causing interstate communications with the intent to extort a victim company. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell of the Western District of North Carolina presided over the three-day trial. According to court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Curry was contracted to work as a data analyst for about six months with the victim company. In that capacity, Curry had access to the victim company’s data files and other personnel and corporate information. Trial evidence established that Curry misused his position to access the victim company’s personnel and other sensitive corporate records, which he then used to carry out the cyber extortion scheme after he learned that his contract was not going to be renewed and that he would no longer be employed by the company. According to evidence presented at trial, from Dec. 11, 2023, to Jan. 24, 2024, Curry, identifying himself online as “Loot,” sent more than 60 email messages to company employees and executives, threatening to disclose sensitive information unless he was paid $2.5 million in cryptocurrency. Trial evidence further established that the email messages contained threats to disclose sensitive corporate information and employee data, including employees’ personally identifiable information (PII), as well as threats to harm the reputation of the victim company by reporting a breach of its information and publishing the information publicly if the victim company failed to pay him via cryptocurrency. On Jan. 24, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Curry’s residence and seized various electronic devices. A forensic analysis revealed that Curry was committing the extortion scheme under the “Loot” alias. At sentencing, Curry faces up to two years in prison for each of the six charges. A sentencing date is pending. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office with significant assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in District of Columbia, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. 25cr148 NC 24mj26 DC


title: Mendocino County Man Sentenced To 10.5 Years In Prison For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor And Distribution Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A Mendocino County resident was sentenced yesterday to 126 months in federal prison for attempting to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and distribution and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Jaqueline Scott Corley handed down the sentence. Nathanial Alfonso Burke, 34, of Willits, Calif., was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 9, 2024, and pleaded guilty on July 9, 2025, to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. According to the plea agreement, between February 22, 2024, through April 25, 2024, Burke messaged individuals whom he believed to be a father and his 11-year-old daughter, sending sexually explicit messages and child pornography via messaging applications. He eventually arranged a meeting with the father and 11-year-old to engage in sexual acts. Burke was arrested by law enforcement upon his arrival at the meet-up location with condoms in his pocket. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo made the announcement. Burke has been in custody since April 2024. He will begin serving his prison term immediately. In addition to the prison term, Judge Corley also ordered Burke to serve 15 years of supervised release which will begin after his term of imprisonment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara E. Henderson is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Soana Katoa. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the Willits Police Department and Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.