title: Missouri Man Sentenced to Over Nine Years in Prison for Church Arson

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Missouri man was sentenced yesterday to 111 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp for the Eastern District of Missouri for burning down a Cape Girardeau, Missouri house of worship in 2021. He was also ordered to pay $6,968,223.36 in restitution for damages incurred by the church. Christopher Scott Pritchard, 49, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in Cape Girardeau, on Dec. 19, 2024, to one count of arson and one count of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act. Pritchard admitted setting fire to the house of worship owned and used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, during the evening of April 28, 2021. Pritchard was spotted watching the fire and was arrested about 1.5 miles away by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office. Pritchard smelled like smoke and had a backpack containing a laptop computer, a projector, speakers and 21 apples that he’d stolen from the church. Pritchard told deputies that he’d gotten into a verbal altercation with the Bishop of the church a few days before the fire and had threatened to assault the Bishop and burn the church down. The fire destroyed the building and prevented the congregants in the free exercise of their religious beliefs. No one was injured. “There is no place in America for criminal acts against houses of worship,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division thanks its law enforcement partners for prosecuting this matter.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon and U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri made the announcement. The FBI St. Louis Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case, with assistance from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.


title: Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for $1.75 Million  Covid-19 Unemployment Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Bryan Abraham was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz, II to 60 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiring to commit access device fraud. Judge Kuntz also ordered Abraham to forfeit $579,862 and to pay restitution in that same amount. Abraham pleaded guilty in January 2023. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Edward Gallashaw, Acting Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announced the sentence. “Today’s sentence is a reminder that there is no free pass for fraudsters like the defendant who shamefully stole public funds intended to alleviate the suffering of New Yorkers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to unravel these criminal schemes and hold the perpetrators accountable for their greed.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, for their assistance on the case. “Postal Inspectors have worked aggressively to investigate all types of pandemic related frauds occurring via the U.S. Mail,” said Ed Gallashaw, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, New York Division. “These individuals unfortunately thought they could exploit government unemployment benefits and get away with it and will now rightly serve the consequence for their actions." As set forth in court filings, between June 2020 and April 2021, Abraham and his co-conspirators capitalized on the relaxed requirements for claiming unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) out of more than $1.75 million in unemployment benefits in the names of approximately 250 victims. Abraham was personally responsible for fraudulent claims in the names of at least 78 victims, for which benefits in excess of $579,862 were paid. To execute the scheme, Abraham and his co-conspirators purchased personal identifying information (PII) of victims through end-to-end encrypted applications like Telegram, and then used the victims’ PII to make fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits. Funds from the fraudulent claims were deposited into bank accounts they controlled or were provided via reloadable KeyBank debit cards, which they had mailed to addresses they could access. The defendant and his co-conspirators regularly traveled to ATMs together to withdraw thousands of dollars from the KeyBank cards. They flaunted their ill-gotten gains on social media—posing with stacks of cash, designer clothing, jewelry, and luxury cars. They communicated on Telegram concerning the logistics of the scheme, including where to purchase victim PII, the logistics of withdrawing fraudulent funds, and the luxury items and trips they were purchasing with their fraudulently obtained wealth. Abraham was charged in the case alongside co-defendants Armani Miller, Seth Golding, Gianni Stewart, Andrew Ruddock, Angel Cabrera and Carlos Vazquez. Miller and Golding were both sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to commit access device fraud, and Stewart was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to commit access device fraud. Ruddock was sentenced to probation for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and specifically for selling cryptocurrency to his co-conspirators. Cabrera pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit access device fraud and awaits sentencing. Vazquez pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and conspiring to commit access device fraud and also awaits sentencing. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Tara B. McGrath is in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Brendan G. King of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section. The Defendant : BRYAN ABRAHAM Age: 22 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-411 (WFK)


title: Mexican National Sentenced For Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RAUDEL MIRANDA-MARTINEZ (“MIRANDA-MARTINEZ”) , age 47, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on May 13, 2025 after previously pleading guilty to violating Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to court records, on or about January 11, 2023, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents encountered MIRANDA-MARTINEZ at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center after his arrest for public intoxication in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. MIRANDA-MARTINEZ had unlawfully reentered the United States after being originally deported on September 9, 2004. Since his 2004 deportation MIRANDA-MARTINEZ has unlawfully reentered the United States, and thereafter been removed on at least five occasions, that is on September 26, 2005,October 14, 2011, January 3, 2013, March 6, 2018, and finally on September 6, 2022. In connection with his unlawful reentries, MIRANDA-MARTINEZ has two prior convictions for Illegal Re-entry of a Previously Removed Alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). Specifically, in 2009, he was sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment, and in 2015, he was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. MIRANDA-MARTINEZ has additional criminal convictions including drug possession, theft, and burglary. On May 13, 2025, U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced RAUDEL MIRANDA-MARTINEZ to 66 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Jury Convicts South Boston Man on Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A federal jury sitting in Roanoke convicted a man from South Boston, Virginia, yesterday of federal drug and gun charges. Following a two-day trial, the jury found Richard Elijah Jacobs, 27, guilty of possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute it, possessing machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, police received a report that two men brandished guns from a newer white Jaguar in downtown South Boston. An officer saw the Jaguar park in a shopping center, and he approached as Jacobs exited the driver’s side of the car. Meanwhile, the passenger, James Alexander Hiett, evaded the officer and quickly walked away. Hiett was later identified by store surveillance cameras. Other officers arrived on scene and spotted a gun protruding from the backseat of the car, prompting them to search it. Ultimately, officers found three loaded guns: a Glock 21 pistol with a 40-round drum magazine beneath the driver’s floormat; a Radical Firearms RF-15 pistol behind the driver’s seat; and a Glock 19 pistol under the passenger seat. The Glock 21 and RF-15 pistols were equipped with machinegun conversion devices that allowed for fully automatic fire. Inside the Jaguar’s trunk, officers also found thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine powder, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia for packaging and selling the drugs. Hiett previously pled guilty to related charges and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The South Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Drew Inman and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Three Colombian Nationals Plead Guilty in St. Louis, Admit Cocaine Smuggling

component: Criminal - Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Three Colombian nationals have admitted involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Jesus Jhormen Mosquera-Quinto, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine having reason to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States and one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel. Mosquera-Quinto admitted being part of a drug trafficking organization in the Turbo region of northwestern Colombia that manufactured cocaine and used unregistered go-fast vessels (GFVs) to transport thousands of kilograms of cocaine into Central America that were ultimately destined for the United States. Carlos Mario Agresott Salas, 41, and Joan Sebastian Supulveda Mona, 34, each pleaded guilty in December of 2024 to the same charges. Supulveda Mona coordinated the shipments while Mosquera-Quinto and Agresott Salas handled day-to-day logistics and were present at the departure of GFVs. At least three shipments were tied to the men. A GFV was intercepted on June 17, 2021, by the Colombian Navy with about 1,256 kilograms of cocaine and four Colombian nationals on board. Agresott Salas and Supulveda Mona then discussed in phone calls the best way to pay the lawyers and the judge so that the captured smugglers would receive house arrest at sentencing. On Nov. 8, 2021, another GFV was intercepted and seized by the Colombian Navy and Colombian Coast Guard, this time with 195 kilograms of cocaine on board. On March 17, 2022, a third GFV was intercepted by the Colombian Navy and Colombian Coast Guard with 1,606 kilograms of cocaine on board. Agresott Salas and Supulveda Mona were indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in 2021. Mosquera-Quinto was added in a superseding indictment in 2022. Sepulveda Mona was extradited from Colombia on June 19, 2024. Mosquera Quinto and Agresott Salas were extradited from Colombia on August 14, 2024. Agresott Salas and Supulveda Mona were each sentenced in March to 66 months in prison. The case is being prosecuted in St. Louis because maritime drug smuggling cases can be brought in any federal court district within the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Colombian Navy, the Colombian Coast Guard, Colombian law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of all three defendants. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Delworth, Samantha Reitz and Erin Granger are prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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: Stilwell Residents Enter Guilty Pleas To Child Exploitation And Neglect Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Samuel Shane Allgood, age 36, and Shannon Rae Scraper, age 44, both of Stilwell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to charges relating to the exploitation and neglect of a minor in Indian country. Allgood entered a guilty plea to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00. Scraper entered a guilty plea to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country, punishable by a maximum of life in prison, and a fine of $5,000.00. The Indictment alleged that beginning in December 2016 and continuing until March 2024, Allgood employed, used, persuaded, enticed or coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct and acted with the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. The Indictment further alleged that beginning in December 2016 and continuing until March 2024, while responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of a child under the age of 18, Scraper willfully and maliciously failed to provide the child with adequate nurturance, affection, and supervision, and failed to protect the child from sexual acts and materials that were not age appropriate. The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted Allgood’s plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted Scraper’s plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentences to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The defendants will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Bove represented the United States.


title: GAINESVILLE MAN FOUND GUILTY OF POSSESSION OF A MACHINE GUN IN FURTHERANCE OF A DRUG-TRAFFICKING CRIME

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

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 20, of Gainesville, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The guilty verdict was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Evidence at trial demonstrated that officers from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police Department were conducting surveillance of the Majestic Oaks apartments due to reports that Johnson and others were in possession of firearms, including a machinegun. Johnson was prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm due to prior criminal history. Officers identified Johnson and tried to approach him, but Johnson spun around and pointed with his hand inside his jacket pocket, making officers believe he was armed with a pistol. As officers identified themselves as police, Johnson ran. Officers were able to apprehend Johnson with a police canine. As Johnson fled, he threw a cellphone, backpack, and pistol. Officers discovered a distribution-quantity of marijuana, empty baggies, and a digital scale, in Johnson’s backpack. Examination of the Glock pistol discarded by Johnson revealed a machinegun conversion device, rendering the pistol fully automatic. Officers obtained search warrants and reviewed material from Johnson’s cellphone, as well as his social media accounts, and found dozens of pictures of Johnson posing with guns, large amounts of cash, and advertising marijuana for sale, including on the day of his arrest. Johnson was convicted during a previous trial on April 16, 2025, in United States District Court for the charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, and possession of a machinegun. Sentencing for each of the firearm and drug trafficking charges is scheduled for August 12, 2025, at 10:00 am. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor. Johnson also faces unrelated charges of attempted first degree murder involving a machinegun in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Alachua County where he has entered a plea of not guilty and is presumed innocent. This conviction was the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Eric Welch prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Alleged international drug trafficker indicted; Prolific Uruguayan money launderer pleads guilty

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Uruguayan national pled guilty to a money laundering conspiracy that involved millions of dollars in drug-trafficking proceeds. According to court documents, Federico Ezequiel Santoro Vassallo, aka Capitan, 44, was a Paraguay-based transnational money launderer. Santoro was a close associate of Uruguayan national Sebastian Enrique Marset Cabrera, 29, who, as alleged in an indictment unsealed this week, is a transnational drug-trafficker responsible for moving ton quantities of cocaine worth millions of dollars from South America to Europe. Santoro served as a transnational money launderer for drug-trafficking organizations and facilitated the movement of millions of dollars of drug proceeds from various countries in Europe to South America and elsewhere. Marset allegedly is the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine, including as many as ten tons at a time, from South America typically to Europe. The Marset drug trafficking organization allegedly traffics cocaine in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and elsewhere. Santoro and his co-conspirators arranged for the collection of narcotics proceeds and utilized couriers and tokens to covertly deliver bulk illicit currency, typically in euros. Santoro’s co-conspirators specialized in placing the illicit currency into the global banking system. He then would direct the movement of the funds internationally, usually via bank wire transfer. Santoro typically directed that the funds be delivered in U.S. dollars and a correspondent bank in the United States would facilitate the transaction. Santoro used at least seven businesses to facilitate the transmission of money and hid the location and ownership of the assets being laundered by using unrelated companies, all registered as purportedly doing business in different, unrelated industries. Santoro used businesses registered in South America and Asia to receive the laundered drug proceeds and concealed the source of the funds by creating false invoices to justify the wire transfers. Santoro and, allegedly, Marset threatened violence to protect their drug-trafficking and money laundering activities. Santoro laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds and in a span of less than five months directed the movement of at least $8 million in drug-trafficking funds through U.S. banks. As payment, Santoro took a percentage of the illicit bulk cash proceeds that he laundered. In January 2021, Marset allegedly was owed more than €17 million from the proceeds of a single shipment of cocaine. Santoro arranged the collection and laundering of at least €5 million of those funds, the vast majority of which was laundered using the U.S. banking system. In coordination with the Department of Justice, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced today a reward of up to $2 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) for information leading to Marset’s arrest and/or conviction. This is in addition to a $100,000 reward in Bolivia announced in 2023. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Louis A. D’Ambrosio, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division, made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and law enforcement partners in Paraguay provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Santoro Vassallo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Catherine Rosenberg are prosecuting the case. Anyone with information about Marset’s operation, including his drug trafficking, money laundering, and use of (or threats to use) violence, or about his whereabouts, is urged to contact the DEA by email at MarsetTips@dea.gov . This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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. 1:23-cr-143.


title: California Man Sentenced To 78 Months In Prison For Distribution Of Child Pornography And Making A Hoax Bomb Threat In Connection With Retaliation Against A Minor

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nathaniel Sean DeLeon, age 20, of Tulare, California, was sentenced on May 20, 2025, to 78 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for distribution of child pornography and making a bomb threat hoax in connection with a campaign of retaliation against a Cumberland County minor in 2023. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, DeLeon met the then-16-year-old minor victim on the Roblox gaming platform and began an online relationship. The relationship ended. Thereafter, between June 2023 and November 2023, DeLeon caused law enforcement in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, to respond to 23 related “swatting” incidents at addresses in Cumberland County, the majority of which belonged to the minor victim. The calls generally related information that someone had a gun and had killed, or was about to kill, another person. On November 30, 2023, DeLeon, identifying himself as the minor victim, informed a suicide prevention worker via an internet messaging application that the minor victim had placed pipe bombs in the classrooms and bathrooms of Big Spring High School, located in Cumberland County, and was in a car outside of the school with a shotgun. As a result, approximately 650 students and staff from Big Spring High School were evacuated. No bombs went off and it was determined that there were no explosive devices inside the school. DeLeon also distributed a sexually explicit video of a minor victim on two occasions in November 2023. 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. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Defendants Charged for Their Roles in Two Schemes to Pay Kickbacks in Return for Business from Non-Profit Organization

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Gary DSilva, also known as Pankaj DSilva, Jonathan Velazquez, Luis A. Camarena, and Pradeep Nigam with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bribery, as well as substantive counts of wire fraud and federal-program bribery; DSilva and Velazquez are also charged with money laundering conspiracies. The new charges arise from a scheme in which DSilva and Velazquez, employees of a Brooklyn-based non-profit organization (the Organization), received kickbacks from Nigam in exchange for steering business to a vendor owned by Nigam (Vendor 2). DSilva, Velazquez, and Camarena had been charged in a previous indictment that was unsealed on November 21, 2024, for their roles in a similar scheme in which DSilva and Velazquez received kickbacks from Camarena in return for steering business to a vendor owned by Camarena (Vendor 1). Nigam surrendered to authorities earlier today and will be arraigned this afternoon before the United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. DSilva, Velazquez, and Camarena will be arraigned at a later date. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, DSilva, Velazsquez, and Nigam set up a secret side deal with Nigam and awarded Nigam business contracts worth millions of dollars that provided essential information-technology services to homeless shelters in return for illegal kickbacks,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s indictment underscores our strong commitment to prosecuting all illegal fraud and contract steering schemes.” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber stated, “These defendants, employees of a City-funded nonprofit and principals of the nonprofit’s subcontractors, engaged in kickback schemes in return for millions of dollars in contracts, as charged. These funds were intended to provide technology services in homeless shelters operated by the non-profit, instead the defendants exploited these arrangements to benefit themselves. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for their continued partnership and commitment to protect public funds.” “These four defendants allegedly crafted a kickback scheme to enrich themselves by discreetly contracting a co-conspirator’s company to install security systems in several New York City homeless shelters,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This alleged conspiracy prioritized personal interests and established an unfair financial advantage to perpetuate the cycle of unlawful payments flowing into the defendants’ bank accounts. The FBI remains committed to investigating any instance of quid pro quo, especially when it impacts critical services to our city’s vulnerable communities.” As alleged in the superseding indictment, DSilva and Velazquez were employed in the Management Information Systems department of the Organization, which supplied numerous services to indigent New Yorkers, including administering multiple homeless shelters. As part of their work for the Organization, DSilva and Velazquez were responsible for soliciting vendors to complete various projects involving information technology. The superseding indictment details two schemes in which DSilva and Velazquez received kickbacks for steering contracts for the Organization to specific vendors. In the first scheme, which was also detailed in the original indictment, DSilva and Velazquez received approximately $500,000 in kickbacks from Camarena in return for steering contracts worth approximately $1.6 million to Vendor 1, Camarena’s company, for installing and/or replacing security cameras at the Organization’s homeless shelters. In the second scheme, DSilva and Velazquez took payments from Nigam in exchange for the approval of payments from the Organization to Vendor 2, Nigam’s company. The payments from the Organization were for the installation and maintenance of telephone, Internet, and network services at homeless shelters operated by the Organization. DSilva, Velazquez, and Nigam had a secret deal whereby they agreed to split the profits Vendor 2 made on the payments from the Organization three ways. DSilva and Velazquez had control over how much Nigam charged the Organization. In one instance, DSilva, using a personal email account, sent to Nigam an invoice for Vendor 2 to submit to the Organization—DSilva’s employer. As part of the conspiracy, Nigam regularly sent money to companies in the names of relatives of DSilva and Velazquez. In total, the Organization paid almost $2 million to Vendor 2 during the operation of the scheme, and Nigam paid kickbacks exceeding $700,000 to DSilva and Velazquez. The charges in the superseding indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise and Turner Buford are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal specialist Kavya Kannan. The Defendants : GARY DSILVA (also known as “Pankaj DSilva”) Age: 46 Manalapan, NJ JONATHAN VELAZQUEZ Age: 54 Massapequa Park, NY LUIS A. CAMARENA Age: 57 Bronx, NY PRADEEP NIGAM Age: 63 Edison, NJ E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-471 (S-1) (HG)


title: Jackson Health Foundation Executive Charged with Pocketing Over $1 million in Kickbacks, Stealing Foundation Money to Buy Designer Handbags and Rose Gold Golf Cart

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Jackson Health Foundation with designing a scheme to embezzle from the nonprofit foundation by submitting false invoices and taking kickbacks. According to the indictment, Charmaine Gatlin, 52, formerly of Weston, Fla., served as the COO of the Jackson Health Foundation from 2014 through 2024. The Foundation is the fundraising arm of Jackson Health System (Jackson), a nonprofit hospital and medical system that serves Miami-Dade County. In addition to philanthropic contributions, Jackson’s funding comes from sales taxes, federal government programs, and other sources. As COO, Gatlin received a base salary ranging from $185,000 to $290,000. She signed a conflict-of-interest form with the Foundation preventing her from making decisions that resulted in personal gain. The indictment alleges that Gatlin submitted false invoices to the Foundation for at least $3.6 million in goods and services that: (a) funded kickbacks to Gatlin; (b) were never provided to the Foundation or Jackson; (c) were provided to Gatlin or her relatives instead of the Foundation or Jackson; or (d) were provided to an Atlanta-based civic organization (Civic Organization 1). For example, as charged in the indictment, Gatlin approved approximately $2 million in invoices to a Georgia-based audiovisual company for services that were not provided to the Foundation. Instead, the vendor allegedly paid $1 million in kickbacks directly to Gatlin, some of which she used to pay her personal credit card bill. The indictment alleges that Gatlin coached the vendor, via email, on how to falsify invoices. The indictment also alleges that Gatlin falsified invoices from a merchandise vendor who, at Gatlin’s request, bought her expensive designer gifts from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Apple. Gatlin also submitted a false invoice to the Foundation to cover the purchase of a new rose gold-colored golf cart that she had delivered to her Weston, Florida home in September 2023. The indictment charges Gatlin with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, 26 counts of wire fraud, and five counts of money laundering. Gatlin faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the conspiracy and substantive wire fraud counts. She faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering count. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne of the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement. FBI Miami investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Young is prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao-sdfl . The case number is 25-cr-20220. ###


title: Jefferson County man sentenced for possessing machinegun conversion device

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a machinegun in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Aaron Charles Hill, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 21, 2025. According to information presented in court, on July 15, 2024, law enforcement was dispatched to an apartment complex on Pinchback Road in Beaumont in reference to a disturbance with a firearm. The victim reported being chased by multiple armed persons trying to shoot him. Hill was apprehended attempting to leave the scene with two stolen pistols, one of which was equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, also referred to as a Glock switch. A Glock switch is a small device that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a handgun, converting a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn. ###


title: Four Convicted in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Spanning from Mexico to Alabama

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, AL – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson and Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer, with the Drug Enforcement Administration New Orleans Division, announced that four individuals have been convicted for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that transported cocaine from Mexico to Alabama. On May 19, 2025, a federal jury found the following individuals guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine: Jim Carter, Jr., 58, of Montgomery, Alabama; Francisco Lopez, 39, of Texas; Michael Evans, 53, of Montgomery, Alabama; and Bryce Johnson, 38, of Union Springs, Alabama. The jury convicted Carter and Lopez on an additional charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a suspected drug trafficking network involving Carter in 2023. The investigation uncovered that Carter traveled to Texas and crossed the border into Mexico on multiple occasions to further the conspiracy. Couriers regularly transported cocaine from Texas to Alabama, delivering it to Carter. On June 10, 2024, agents seized six kilograms of cocaine during a delivery to Carter by Lopez. The jury also heard evidence that Michael Evans—who was an Alabama State Trooper at the time—offered to wear his uniform and use his official patrol vehicle to facilitate drug transportation, in an attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. Carter and Lopez each face a statutory sentence of 10 years to life in prison. Evans and Johnson face up to 20 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Five other individuals previously pleaded guilty in connection with this investigation: Saundra Curry, 63, of Deatsville, Alabama, pleaded guilty on September 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. She faces up to 20 years in prison. Othello Howard, 29, of Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2025, to the same charge and also faces up to 20 years. Jimario Thompson, 37, of Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He faces a maximum of 20 years. Raul Ramos Deleon, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025, to illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Maria Beatriz Palomo-De Lopez, 41, also a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025, to illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. She also faces up to 20 years. “This case is a clear reminder of the serious threat that drug trafficking poses to our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “Cocaine and other illegal narcotics fuel violence, addiction, and instability in neighborhoods across Alabama and the nation. Our office remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle these networks and hold traffickers accountable, no matter where the drugs originate or how they move.” “This investigation shows that no one is above the law – not even those sworn to uphold it,” said Special Agent in Charge Hofer. “Drug trafficking puts lives at risk and tears at the fabric of our communities. The DEA, working alongside our local law enforcement partners, is committed to protecting the people of Alabama by keeping dangerous drugs off the streets and ensuring accountability at every level. Our communities deserve safety, justice, and law enforcement they can trust.” The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with cooperation from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Other investigating agencies include the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Millbrook Police Department, Montgomery Police Department, and Prattville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Michelle R. Turner are prosecuting the case. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Washington man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for distributing drugs on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Washington man who admitted to distributing fentanyl on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation and Big Sandy, Montana was sentenced today to 66 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Terrence Derrell Milton, 35, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that beginning on or about May 18, 2023, and continuing through June 19, 2023, law enforcement received information from a witness that Milton and his co-defendant were working together to distribute fentanyl on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. The witness said Milton and his co-defendant would keep their stash of drugs off the reservation in Big Sandy and front a couple hundred pills at a time to individuals on the reservation to sell. On June 15, 2023, Milton met a witness for a controlled purchase of 20 fentanyl pills for $800 after communicating about the purchase through the co-defendant. The witness was met by Milton who provided the 20 fentanyl pills in exchange for $800. On June 19, 2023, the Tri-Agency Task Force executed a search warrant on a motel room in Big Sandy being rented by Milton. Under a bed in the motel room, law enforcement located approximately 3,200 fentanyl pills and a 10 mm handgun with a loaded 10 round magazine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Tri-Agency Task Force. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Utah Felon Indicted After Allegedly Firing Gunshots at Multiple People Outside a Salt Lake City Home

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Utah felon with multiple firearm crimes after she allegedly produced a handgun and fired gunshots at victims from a parked pickup truck. Lisa Ann Corriz, 46, of Gusher, Utah, was charged by complaint on May 13, 2025. According to court documents, on April 27, 2025, at approximately 11:40 p.m., officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department responded to a call of a possible shooting at a residence in Salt Lake City. The two victims reported that on April 26, 2025, at approximately 10:00 a.m., a red pickup truck parked outside the home of one of the victims. Corriz, who is known by the two victims, began allegedly yelling at them from the back seat of the truck. After a short verbal exchange between Corriz and the victims, Corriz produced a handgun and fired four shots at the victims, who were near the truck. Both victims stated they were nearly struck by gunfire. After law enforcement arrived on scene, a Winchester .380 caliber casing was recovered in the gutter. A hole was also observed in the rear bumper of one of the victim’s vehicles. Damage to the asphalt from likely bullet strikes was also documented. On April 28, 2025, at approximately 8:53 p.m., an officer returned to the scene to collect a second .380 caliber casing that had been located by one of the victims. Corriz is charged with felon in possession of ammunition, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a stolen firearm. Her initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for May 22, 2025, at 1:45 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement. An FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department is investigating the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Victoria K. McFarland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud Totaling More Than $2M

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – An Ohio man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for submitting false information to be eligible to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Daniel R. Hitlan, 34, of Huron, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering in February. U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick imposed the sentence May 20. Hitlan was also ordered to pay $2,744,013.33 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Court documents show that in April and May of 2020, the defendant obtained three fraudulent PPP loans for small businesses that he owned. The PPP was meant to assist small businesses and was launched with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020. The program provided eligible companies with much-needed financial support as businesses faced unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hitlan admitted to creating fictitious payroll documents and forms to submit with PPP loan applications. Federal investigators further found that the information he submitted was not supported or found to be valid when crosschecked with IRS, state, and other records. The IRS showed no records of payroll, withholdings, or return filings for the entities he included in the loan applications. According to the indictment, Hitlan used the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds to purchase multiple items for himself and others. Among his purchases were Rolex watches, a Cadillac Escalade, a vintage Chevrolet Corvette, and real estate. This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations (CI) and the FBI Cleveland Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio. IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad. Anyone with information about allegations of CARES Act fraud may submit a report with the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Modern Arms & Optics Co-Owners and Federal Firearms Licensees Sentenced to Federal Prison for Straw Purchases and Other Firearms Law Violations

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Campbell Slayden, 26, co-owner of Modern Arms & Optics LLC, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison, following a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Anthony Gallegos, 26, the other co-owner of Modern Arms & Optics, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison on March 11, 2025, following a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. According to Slayden’s and Gallegos’s plea agreements, Modern Arms & Optics, a federal firearms licensee and dealer, engaged in business at a residence on Raleigh St. in Denver, and also at numerous gun shows in Colorado. While conducting the business, Slayden and Gallegos engaged in deceptive acts to hide information, mislead, and avert further inquiry into their business from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) by concealing their unlawful firearms manufacturing practices in federally required records. Furthermore, they transferred firearms to people not legally allowed to own firearms through a practice often referred to as “straw purchasing.” A straw purchase occurs when the transferee or buyer who undergoes the background check and completes the necessary federal forms is not the true transferee or buyer. In this manner, persons prohibited from possessing firearms or wishing to hide their acquisitions of firearms can obtain firearms without undergoing background checks. Slayden and Gallegos would send out electronic links that allowed federal background check forms to be filled out, privately and out of view, by anyone with access to the link. This allowed the straw purchasers, or in some cases the prohibited firearm buyers themselves, to easily supply false and fraudulent misrepresentations regarding the true purchasers of the firearm. When suspicious of an in-person straw purchase, Slayden and Gallegos would fail to conduct reasonable inquiries into the true purchaser and would transfer the firearm to the transferee or buyer whom he knew or had reasonable cause to believe was not the actual buyer. ATF’s investigation also led to federal convictions against others who committed their own firearms crimes facilitated by Modern Arms & Optics: Aurianna Aguilar, 24-cr-0085-PAB Leonel Castillo, 23-cr-00326-NYW Jacob Cohen, 23-cr-00465-RMR Glory Goodrich-Devere, 24-cr-00175-RMR Dario Sanchez, 23-cr-00394-REB “Gun shop owners and dealers have a crucial role in ensuring that firearms do not fall into the hands of criminals. That role is to follow federal firearms laws.” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “If they do not, we will prosecute them.” “This case underscores the devastation of violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “ATF remains committed to targeting violent criminals and using all available resources to protect our communities." Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over both sentencings. The cases were investigated by ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Albert Buchman handled the prosecutions. Case Numbers: 24-cr-00034-GPG (Slayden) and 24-cr-00224-GPG (Gallegos)


title: Former Monroe County District Court Judge Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison

component: Criminal Division

body_text: HELENA-WEST HELENA—A man who has served as local judge, prosecutor, and criminal defense attorney was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for making false statements to the FBI. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on May 19, 2025, by United States District Court Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial Thomas David Carruth, 64, of Clarendon, served as an elected Monroe County district court judge. In that role, Carruth presided over criminal and civil matters. In April 2022, Carruth met with the girlfriend of a defendant in a criminal case pending before him. The girlfriend sought Carruth’s assistance in getting her boyfriend’s case dismissed. During the meeting, which the girlfriend recorded, Carruth solicited sex and a lingerie show from her in exchange for assisting her boyfriend. Carruth asked the girlfriend, “How do you feel about sex?” and “The next step back from that is, do you have any nice lingerie? …Do you mind letting me see you in it?” He also asked the girlfriend, “So, if you change your mind about giving me a lingerie show…well, you got a body that can do it and if you have an attitude where you like to wear lingerie, I’d love to look – to see it on you…If you change your mind about seeing what an old man can do, you know…” The jury found that, when questioned by the FBI, Carruth lied to agents about the incident, including by falsely stating that he did not “request,” “ask,” “offer”, make “overture[s] about”, “insinuate,” or “even [think] about,” sex with the girlfriend. The jury convicted Carruth of one count of making false statements. Carruth was acquitted of charges of bribery, honest services fraud, and violations of the Travel Act. “When judges exploit their positions for personal gain, they pervert justice which erodes public trust in the judiciary,” said Ross. “The sentence underscores that no one, including a debauched judge, is above the law.” "Officials who violate the public’s trust for their own personal gain have no place in our Arkansas communities,” said Alicia D. Corder, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Little Rock Field Office. “FBI Little Rock will continue to work with members of the ArkTrust Public Corruption Task Force to protect Arkansans from corruption and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.” This case was investigated by the FBI. This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Nicholas W. Cannon and Trial Attorney Madison H. Mumma of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. They received substantial assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Julie Peters. # # # 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: Two Altoona Residents Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two residents of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court—one to narcotics trafficking and the other to narcotics and firearms offenses—related to a six-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Blair, Cambria, Centre, and Clearfield counties, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Lesley Wilt, 38, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, and Jason Lynn, 39, pleaded guilty before Judge Haines to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that Lynn was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Altoona that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine and smaller quantities of heroin and fentanyl to various individuals throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania. Investigators executed search warrants on Lynn’s residence and two storage lockers, and seized nearly two kilograms of pure methamphetamine and multiple firearms. In total, Lynn was responsible for obtaining over 4.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and over 65 grams of heroin from his New York-based supplier that Lynn and his associates, including Wilt, then redistributed to others. Lynn had multiple prior felony convictions, including for strangulation, unlawful restraint, and drug possession. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for both defendants for September 22, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years of prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both for Wilt, and not less than 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both for Lynn. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The Court ordered that both Wilt and Lynn remain detained pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Service–Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Registered Sex Offender from Minnesota Charged with  Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Robert James Levi, 22, a registered sex offender from Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been charged by indictment with production and attempted production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and offense by a registered sex offender announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents and court hearings, for a three-year period—from February 2022 through February 2025, defendant Robert Levi coerced and enticed a 12-year-old girl in another state into producing child sexual abuse material and sending it to him over the internet. Levi “catfished” the victim, posing as a 16-year-old boy, exchanging tens of thousands of messages with the victim, and convincing the victim she was in a “relationship” with Levi. In fact, Levi was an adult man and, later, a convicted sex offender. In February 2024, Levi was convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree in Stearns County, Minnesota, and was required to register as a sex offender. The conviction did not stop Levi—he continued to exploit the victim during the pendency of that case and after he was placed on probation. If convicted in this case, Levi faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. “Our country is enduring a sextortion epidemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “My heart goes out to the many victims—vulnerable children—who are sexually exploited by online predators. The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office is full of federal prosecutors who have zero tolerance for Levi and other repeat sexual offenders who will only stop when they are stopped. Levi faces decades in federal prison. We will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.” "This case is a stark reminder of the depravity that exists online and the relentless threat posed by predators who target children,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The fact that a registered sex offender manipulated and coerced minors into producing explicit material is both horrific and intolerable. The FBI and our partners will use every available resource to find and stop those who exploit children, and we will not rest until they are held fully accountable.” Levi was charged via indictment in U.S. District Court. He had his detention hearing on May 5, 2025, before Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mechanicville Man Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jonathan Macdonald, age 31, of Mechanicville, New York, was charged yesterday with receipt and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. United States Attorney Sarcone said: “We are grateful to our partners at the FBI and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work in investigating this case so far.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “The FBI will continue to use every resource available to investigate these predators and bring them to justice. We remain grateful to our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level who join us in this shared goal of protecting our most vulnerable.” If convicted on all charges, Macdonald faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. If convicted, Macdonald would also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Macdonald had his initial appearance yesterday in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Friday, May 23. The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating this case, which was initiated by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Walter is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: HEALTH CARE BUSINESS OWNER SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR FAILURE TO PAY OVER $500,000 IN TAXES

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Leslie Henry Wilson, age 53, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 12 months in federal prison following her conviction for failure to pay federal taxes. The Court further sentenced Wilson to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $598,774.51 in restitution. From January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2023, Wilson was the sole owner of Personal Touch Healthcare Services, LLC, which provides outpatient assisted living services, and Personal Touch Respite Center, LLC, which provides temporary housing for homeless people with special needs. Each of these businesses employed workers and operated in and around the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. Wilson managed and oversaw all aspects of these two companies, including payroll and taxes. During that time, Wilson failed to pay over $598,774.51 to the IRS on behalf of her businesses and employees. Specifically, she withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll (i.e., FICA) taxes from her employees but kept the money for herself instead of paying it to the IRS. Further, she also failed to pay the employer portion of the FICA taxes for her employees. FICA payroll taxes are used to fund Social Security and Medicare benefits for all Americans. This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wallace.


title: Two Convicted in St. Louis of Laundering Drug Proceeds for Sinaloa Cartel

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two men were convicted Wednesday of all charges related to their laundering of money in the St. Louis area for the Sinaloa drug cartel. Carl Von Garrett, 54, of St. Charles, Missouri and Tobiyyah Israel, 38, of Ohio, were each found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. Von Garrett was also found guilty of one additional count of money laundering. The trial began on May 12. Two others have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced in the case. Luis Miguel Hernandez, 38, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering and Antonio Jones, 51, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering. Hernandez was sentenced in January to 87 months in prison and Jones was sentenced to 37 months in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Hernandez admitted being driven by Von Garrett to a meeting with an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer in St. Louis on March 1, 2021, to deliver $100,095 in drug proceeds. Hernandez then arranged a series of meetings between Jones and the task force officer. On March 8, 2021, Jones handed over $100,000. Jones delivered $150,030 on March 17 and $100,000 on March 31. On April 8, Jones delivered $109,740 and $100,100 on May 18. On May 25, 2021, Jones delivered $100,100. During closing arguments Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Delworth told jurors that Von Garrett was the “focal point” of the conspiracy and Israel was a courier, like Jones. On April 14, Israel picked up $221, 020 from Von Garrett. Von Garrett was stopped by investigators, who found six phones and a ledger that contained dates and amounts of money roughly corresponding to cash drops, Delworth said. Israel told investigators that he’d been promised $1,000 to pick up the cash, and that he’d done so once before. The money drops continued. On May 18, Jones delivered $110,100 and $100,100 one week later. Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on August 21. The Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the St. Louis County Police, the Bridgeton Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Delworth and Ricardo Dixon are prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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: Columbia Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a privately made firearm and 9mm ammunition. Victor S. Kee, 26, was charged in a one-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment alleges that Kee was in possession of a privately made firearm, identified as a Polymer80, Model PF940SC, 9mm pistol, with no serial number, and 9mm ammunition. Kee is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Kee has prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, burglary, assault, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges contained in this indictment 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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Lafayette County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Upper Marlboro Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Visa Fraud

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Douglas Anthony Eze, 55, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for visa fraud. Eze was also fined $20,000. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) – Washington District. According to the guilty plea, Eze, who owns Largo Financial Services, illegally entered Canada in 1991 using a fraudulent passport. After Canada issued a deportation order in 1995, Eze fled. Then in 1997, he resurfaced in the United States, using the name and other identifying information of a Canadian citizen. Eze, who knew the victim, also took the citizen’s Canadian birth certificate to apply for a green card within the United States. He eventually became a U.S. citizen under the stolen Canadian identity and then changed his last name to Eze. As a citizen under fraudulent pretenses, Eze adopted and sponsored two children for permanent residence in the United States, falsely declaring the stolen Canadian identity as his own in immigration documents for the children. Eze continued using the victim’s identity to apply for a U.S. passport, driver’s license, and membership in the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Network. The victim never gave Eze permission to use his identifying information. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended HSI and USCIS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen E. McGuinn and Reema Sood who prosecuted the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: California Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraud

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Ronnie Lamar Strawberry, Jr., 39, of Los Angeles, California was sentenced on May 19, 2025, by Senior United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $528,426 in restitution. Strawberry pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. His sister, Raychelle Strawberry, who pleaded guilty to the same charge, was sentenced on the same day to 60 months of probation for her role in the offense. According to the court documents and statements made in court, Ronnie Strawberry conspired with his sister and others to file false and fraudulent unemployment insurance claims under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Strawberry filed fraudulent claims in both California and Arizona using stolen identities. The scheme was sophisticated and used personal identifiable information — such as name, date of birth, and social security number — from more than 25 individuals to file online unemployment applications in Arizona and California. “The defendant exploited a national crisis for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “He stole nearly $500,000 in pandemic relief funds that were meant to support struggling families and small businesses. This office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who stole from state and federal governments during the pandemic and intentionally depleted the public fisc for personal profit.” “An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving unemployment insurance (UI) programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the nation’s Unemployment Insurance system,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) OIG, and Homeland Security, OIG conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kevin M. Rapp, District of Arizona handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00390- PHX-GMS RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-080_Strawberry # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Tennessee man sentenced for smuggling a truckload of illegal aliens

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 38-year-old resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been ordered to federal prison after unlawfully transporting illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Josef Alquan Rutley pleaded guilty Feb. 18. U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered Rutley to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the dangerous way the 22 illegal aliens were locked into the trailer with no way to escape. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the large number of illegal aliens and their inability to escape in an emergency. On Dec. 19, 2024, Rutley approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint driving a tractor trailer. He claimed he was traveling to Laredo. He denied having any passengers and said he was looking for a load. Authorities noted he appeared nervous and avoided eye contact which prompted a referral to secondary inspection. An x-ray scan revealed 22 illegal aliens locked inside the trailer with no means of escape. All were from the countries of Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. “Human smuggling can often turn deadly, particularly in crowded conditions like a tractor trailer,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas is doing everything it can to deter people from being smuggled and to punish those who make their money by trafficking other human beings.” Rutley will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Houston Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Opioids and Tax Fraud

body_text: A Texas man was sentenced on Monday to 19 years in prison for unlawfully conspiring to distribute millions of opioid pills and aiding the falsification of tax records. According to court documents, Christopher Obaze, 64, of Houston, Texas, was the owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Chrisco Pharmacy. Obaze and his co-conspirators operated Chrisco Pharmacy as an illegal “ghosting pharmacy,” purchasing pharmaceutical opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs from wholesalers and then selling them in bulk to drug traffickers, without involving physicians, patients, or prescriptions. From January 2018 through October 2021, Obaze and his co-conspirators distributed at least 2,268,700 hydrocodone 10-325 mg and oxycodone 30 mg pills as part of the scheme. The defendant and his pharmacy technician attempted to conceal their illegal activities by reporting no dispensing of the drugs to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy’s prescription monitoring program after July 2018, and by structuring cash deposits and submitting false documents to banks to maintain accounts to hold the proceeds of their unlawful distribution scheme. Obaze also aided and assisted in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns to the IRS by understating, among other things, the gross receipts of Chrisco Pharmacy. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division, and Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement. The DEA and IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Indian National Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Elderly Victims in Excess of $2M

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson announced today that Rakeshkumar Patel, age 36, of Flushing, New York, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for his role in an elder fraud scam targeting older Americans. The Honorable U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews accepted the plea. According to court documents, between at least May 2023 and May 2024, the defendant, who was in the U.S. illegally, conspired with others to defraud elderly victims in Delaware and throughout the country of at least $2,154,889. The victims were contacted over the phone by fraudsters posing as federal agents. The fraudsters convinced each victim that their identity had been compromised and that they were the subject of a federal investigation. To cooperate with the fake federal investigation, the victims were instructed to liquidate their life savings and convert those savings into cash or gold bars. The victims were then directed to deliver that cash or gold to couriers posing as federal agents—like the defendant—who picked up the cash or gold from the victims’ residences or other public places. “The Department’s Elder Justice Initiative is committed to protecting elderly victims from being swindled out of their hard-earned life savings by bad actors like Patel,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, my office will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who scam the elderly for financial gain. We encourage all members of the public to remain vigilant against these scams. If you think you or a loved one may have been defrauded, make a report to law enforcement immediately.” "When you talk to victims, you see and hear how gut wrenching and devastating these scams are. They're often facing deep financial anxiety and are emotionally distressed, with the aftereffects weighing heavy on all aspects of their lives," says FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Bill DelBagno. "The FBI and our partners are working steadfastly every day to educate the public to avoid these scams and to identify, disrupt, and bring to justice those committing these appalling crimes." If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) . You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov . The FBI requests victims report: The name of the person or company that contacted you. Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers. Any bank account number(s) to which you wired funds and the recipient’s name(s). The name and location of the metal dealer company and the account to which you wired funds, if you were instructed to buy precious metals. As a result of Patel’s guilty plea to the wire fraud conspiracy, he faces more than five years in federal prison when sentenced. Judge Andrews will determine the defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by FBI Baltimore Field Office’s Wilmington Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William E. LaRosa and Alexander P. Ibrahim are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-CR-46.


title: St. Louis County Man Admits Stealing Dead Relative’s Government Benefits

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted stealing a dead relative’s government benefits. Alphonso Dixon, 57, of St. Louis County, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. Dixon’s relative died on Dec. 31, 2008, but her death was not reported to the Social Security Administration and her Social Security benefits continued to be deposited into her bank account. She also received at least one COVID-related stimulus payment, on April 7, 2021, as well as pension benefits from the City of St. Louis Employees Retirement System. Dixon accessed her bank account and used that money for his own benefit. In all, Dixon took $115,392 in Social Security benefits, the $1,400 stimulus payment and $36,000 in pension money. Dixon is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.


title: Suburban Chicago Businessman Charged With Swindling Investors out of $3.6 Million

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago businessman has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling investors in his purported refining business out of at least $3.6 million. An indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges AWAD ODEH, 41, of Palos Hills, Ill., with four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled. According to the indictment, Odeh operated North American Refinery (NAR) in Bridgeview, Ill. The company was purportedly in the business of precious metals refining. From 2017 to 2020, Odeh fraudulently obtained funds from multiple investors by falsely representing that they would receive guaranteed annualized returns on their investments of ten to 50%. Odeh also falsely told victims that in the event NAR defaulted in making payments to investors, he would personally repay the full amount of their investments and their returns, the indictment states. In support of his fraudulent representations, Odeh allegedly provided investors with false documents that made it appear NAR was financially sound and able to meet its financial commitments. In reality, the indictment states that investor funds were not used for NAR’s purported precious metals business. Odeh instead fraudulently used the funds for personal use and other non-NAR-related purposes, including funding an unrelated car company that Odeh owned and operated in Burr Ridge, Ill., the indictment states. The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. odeh_indictment.pdf


title: Francis Creek Man Indicted for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 20, 2025, a two-count federal indictment was returned alleging that Ryan S. Schroeder (age: 37) of Francis Creek, Wisconsin, engaged in the production of child pornography in August and September of 2023, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a). Each count of the indictment alleges that Schroeder “knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced Jane Doe A, a minor, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.” If convicted of either count, Schroeder would face a mandatory 15 and up to 30 years of imprisonment. He also could be fined up to $250,000 per count and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Mishicot Police Department with the assistance of the Manitowoc County District Attorney’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Omro Man Indicted for Distributing and Receiving Child Pornography

body_text: Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 20, 2025, a three-count federal indictment was returned alleging that Jason A. Reeves (age: 44) of Omro, Wisconsin, distributed child pornography in October of 2024, and received child pornography on two occasions in April 2025, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A). According to court records, a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) was sent to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. That tip was then forwarded to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office based on the IP address associated with the CyberTip. The tip alleged the distribution of child pornography on October 16, 2024. Law enforcement continued its investigation and on April 29, 2025, they executed a search warrant at Reeves’ residence. When asked if he knew anything about child pornography at his residence, Reeves replied “probably.” Court documents list Reeves’ sole source of employment as an Alderman in the City of Omro. If convicted of any of the three charges, Reeves faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years of incarceration. He could also be fined up to $250,000 per count and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Fond du Lac Man Indicted on Sex Trafficking of Children and Attempted Use of a Computer to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

body_text: Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 20, 2025, a three-count federal indictment was returned alleging that Ricardo Ortiz (age: 26) of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, sex trafficked a minor on two separate occasions in March of 2025, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(a). Ortiz is further alleged to have used a computer to attempt to “persuade, induce, and entice” a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity contrary to Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b). That crime is alleged to have occurred on or About April 8, 2025. If convicted of any of the three charges alleged in the indictment Ortiz faces a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment and up to a lifetime of incarceration. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter