title: San Antonio Pipe Bomb Investigation Leads to Felon’s Arrest, Alleged Discovery of Home Explosives Lab

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

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio felon was arrested today in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of firearms and explosives. According to court documents, Dustin Jay Ammons was identified as an individual who placed pipe bombs at the external ATMs of two San Antonio banks on Sept. 12 and Sept. 26. The suspect had attempted to breach the machines with the explosives and a field analysis of the white powder residue found in the area of the ATMs determined the presence of PentaErythritolTetraNitrate (PETN). On Dec. 12, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant on Ammons’s residence, assisted by the FBI, San Antonio Fire Department Arson Bureau, San Antonio Police Department, the Bexar County Fire Department, Bexar County Fire Marshals and Bexar County Emergency Management. During the search, agents allegedly discovered a .40 caliber pistol in Ammons’s closet. A criminal complaint filed Friday afternoon alleges that agents also found parts and components of a destructive device, specifically a pipe bomb, inside Ammons’s vehicle, which matched the description of the suspect’s vehicle from the two September incidents. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Ammons had supplies consistent with making PETN and other homemade explosives in his garage, including precursors and beakers. The complaint further alleges that agents discovered multiple suspected destructive devices in various stages of manufacture, and a short-barreled 9mm rifle. Ammons was previously convicted for possession of a stolen firearm. He is now charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm as well as one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The ATF is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI and SAPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Florida Man Convicted of Leading $300 Million Money Laundering Operation for Transnational Criminal Organizations

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Alain Bibliowicz Mitrani, a resident of Miami, Florida and a citizen of France and Colombia, was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn on all five counts of a superseding indictment charging him with money laundering conspiracy, bank fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business related to his laundering of drug proceeds through financial institutions in the United States. The verdict was returned after a two-week trial before United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to 70 years’ imprisonment. The defendant was the leader of a scheme to launder more than $300 million, including for persons affiliated with cartels and other transnational criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking, including the Sinaloa Cartel. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the verdict. “With today’s verdict, the defendant’s prolific money laundering of drug proceeds is all washed up,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendant and his co-conspirators converted illicit proceeds in the form of cryptocurrency from drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico into dirty cash using a series of bank accounts and complex financial transactions, here and abroad. Then he sent this dirty money back to the drug traffickers, fueling their criminal enterprises while enriching himself with hefty fees he charged for his laundering. But thanks to the excellent work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, the defendant’s operation has been shut down, and the only laundering he will be handling in the future will be in a federal prison laundromat.” Mr. Nocella thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, for their assistance. “The defendant’s $300 million money laundering empire fueled untold violence and chaos on behalf of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. Our message to money launderers is clear: if you think you can bankroll drug cartels and criminal enterprises from the shadows, we will find you, expose you, and shut you down,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel. “We’re working relentlessly every day with our partners to trace illicit funds and dismantle transnational criminal networks.” “Bibliowicz Mitrani is complicit in moving more than a quarter billion dollars in drug money through shell companies to locations around the world. In serving his criminal clientele with his dirty money-washing business, he lived a rich lifestyle with a multi-million-dollar mansion and lavish purchases. IRS-CI follows all money, even when it is dirty, and there is no hiding it from our expert investigators. Today’s conviction is a good reminder of that,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. As proved at trial, from approximately 2020 to 2024, the defendant led a scheme to launder more than $300 million, much of which represented drug proceeds belonging to drug cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and other transnational criminal organizations. The defendant was an owner and leader of a company called Treebu, which purported to be a legitimate technology business. In reality, Treebu’s public-facing operations were a cover for an elaborate multi-million-dollar money laundering enterprise based in Florida and Colombia. Cartels and other transnational criminal organizations that engage in drug trafficking operate vast criminal enterprises that generate significant revenue globally by trafficking illicit narcotics. Because these organizations generate billions of dollars in illicit revenue annually from trafficked narcotics, they must find ways to repatriate these proceeds back to their home countries to fund their ongoing enterprises. In many cases, drug trafficking organizations rely on separate money laundering operations, such as Treebu, to repatriate their funds. In exchange, money laundering organizations and their associates, like the defendant, earn a significant commission for taking on the risk of laundering illicit proceeds for these criminal organizations. The defendant established shell companies that were used to open bank accounts used to transmit the illegal proceeds in an effort to obscure the source of the funds. To protect the scheme from detection, the defendant lied to U.S. financial institutions about the purpose and activities of these companies, and he failed to register as a money transmitting business as required under state and federal law. In total, financial records show that the defendant and his organization laundered more than $300 million. The defendant used his profits from this scheme for personal expenses and to fund his lavish lifestyle, including to purchase expensive jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels, make payments towards his approximately $4 million Miami mansion, and fund luxury travel, including more than $16,000 on luxury hotel stays abroad in April 2023. 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. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Lorena Michelen, and David Berman are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Zoubida Bicane and Tareva Torres. The Defendant : ALAIN BIBLIOWICZ MITRANI Age: 51 Miami, Florida E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-39 (CBA)


title: Federal jury convicts Russian woman of the international kidnapping of her daughter

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Russian citizen today for the offense of international parental kidnapping following her absconding with her daughter to Kazakhstan and arranging for her to cross the border into Russia, all without the father’s knowledge or consent. “Elena Pendergrass’ crime is an act of extraordinary cruelty and endangerment,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Pendergrass vengefully separated a parent from a child, abandoned the child in extreme isolation at just one month old, and took steps intended to move the child beyond recovery. Today’s verdict marks an important step toward achieving justice and reconciliation for the victims in this case.” “When Pendergrass took her one-month-old baby to Kazakhstan without the child's father's knowledge or consent, she deprived a father of his parental rights and her daughter of a relationship with her dad,” said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. “The FBI will spare no effort to bring the child safely home to the United States.” According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Pendergrass, aka Elena Stukalkina, 35, resided in Alexandria prior to her daughter’s birth on May 21. Though a DNA test prior to birth confirmed the child’s paternity, Pendergrass ordered the father to cease and desist all communications. After the child was born, she listed “unknown” for the father on their daughter’s birth certificate, despite the father wanting to be an involved parent. On June 5, the father petitioned a domestic relations court for paternity, visitation, and custody. In response, Pendergrass threatened that she and their daughter were dual citizens, implying she would take the baby to Russia. On June 26, 2025, Pendergrass filed an emergency passport application for the daughter in Washington on which she wrote “unknown” as to the father and submitted the birth certificate identifying only herself as a parent. On June 27 she received the U.S. passport and on June 28 she flew with the daughter from New York to Istanbul, Turkey, and then to Kazakhstan without the father’s knowledge or consent. In Pendergrass’ absence, the father was awarded sole physical and legal custody. On July 13, Pendergrass returned to New York to obtain a Russian visa for the daughter, which was necessary to cross into Russia. Pendergrass then shipped the visa and the daughter’s passport to a trusted intermediary in Kazakhstan, enabling the child’s grandmother to transport her into Russia, where she is believed to remain today. Pendergrass faces a mandatory sentence of three years in prison when sentenced on March 19, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith J. Edwards and Nicholas A. Durham are prosecuting the case. 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. 1:25-cr-252.


title: Benjamin L. Wallace Appointed United States Attorney  for the District of Delaware

component: USAO - Delaware

body_text: Wilmington, Delaware – Acting pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546(d), the United States District Court for the District of Delaware has appointed Benjamin L. Wallace to serve as the United States Attorney for the District. Ben is a native Delawarean. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, and his law degree from Yale Law School. After law school, Ben clerked for Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Anthony Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Raymond Kethledge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Ben also served as an attorney-adviser in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. In that role, he advised the President and Executive Branch agencies on complex questions of constitutional and statutory law. Immediately before returning home to Delaware, Ben was a partner at the Washington, D.C., office of a national law firm. Ben has been a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2023. As a line prosecutor, he handled all manner of federal cases, from gang-related homicides to complex financial frauds. In July 2025, Ben became the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, supervising all criminal prosecutions and all civil suits brought by or against the United States in the District. U.S. Attorney Wallace stated, “I am honored to serve my home state as the U.S. Attorney. I will work tirelessly to ensure that justice is administered effectively and evenhandedly here in Delaware. I want to thank the President, the Attorney General, and the Judges of our District Court for the confidence they have placed in me. I also want to thank my predecessor, Julianne Murray, for her partnership and her steadfast service to the state. I pledge to do my utmost to uphold the proud traditions of our exemplary U.S. Attorney’s Office.” For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, please visit our website and follow us on social media .


title: Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sex Abuse Material

body_text: A man who distributed child sex abuse material to his co-defendant girlfriend was sentenced Thursday to 19 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Skyler Shoemaker, 34, of Colorado City, Texas, was indicted in May this year and pled guilty three months later to Distribution of Child Pornography. He was sentenced on December 11, 2025, to 228 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. According to court documents, Shoemaker used Facebook Messenger to send a sexually explicit video of a four- to six-year-old child to his girlfriend, Angel Bradford. Additionally, information presented at the sentencing hearing indicated that Shoemaker used various platforms to distribute child pornography to other users online and that he also committed sex acts in front of minors. Bradford, 33, of Hermleigh, Texas, was indicted with Shoemaker in May 2025. She pled guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography in July 2025. On November 6, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Hendrix sentenced her to five years in federal prison. The FBI Dallas Field Office – Abilene Resident Agency, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Abilene Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Ohlhausen prosecuted the case. The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.


title: Billings man sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who distributed methamphetamine in Billings was sentenced today to 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Stetson Claude Nash McBride, 30, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned from a confidential informant McBride was offering to purchase methamphetamine on the Dark Web. As such, on February 21, 2024, the CI learned he/she could provide McBride $500 and acquire meth. The CI was provided with buy money, and a body wire was installed. The CI traveled to McBride’s residence. On the wire, McBride can be heard telling the CI he would provide a tracking number once he got one. On March 11, 2024, the CI contacted law enforcement and said the package should be there today. Law enforcement learned several packages had been located going to McBride’s address. Law enforcement collected them and wrote a search warrant for one of the packages. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement opened the package pursuant to the warrant and discovered roughly 142 grams of a clear substance inside a sealed bag. McBride’s phone was collected as part of the investigation and, pursuant to a search warrant, reviewed for evidence. Numerous messages indicative of drug dealing activity between January and March 2024 were discovered. Moreover, the suspected drugs identified above were tested and found to contain roughly 98 grams of actual methamphetamine. Also, discovered on McBride’s cellular phone were images of child sex abuse material. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Cuban National Indicted For Assaulting Transportation Security Officers In Las Vegas

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Cuban national living in Las Vegas made his initial court appearance today for attempting to access a secure passenger boarding area using a false boarding pass and assaulting officers at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. According to allegations contained in the indictment, on November 3, 2025, Jhon Raul Vizcaino Ramirez presented a Transportation Security Administration screening officer a boarding pass in the name of another person and attempted to enter the passenger boarding area. Ramirez refused to provide his identification. When another screening officer refused to return the boarding pass, Ramirez slapped the officer. Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who were working at the checkpoint were advised of a disturbance and responded to the scene. Officers attempted to detain Ramirez, and he resisted. During the altercation, Ramirez twice kicked an officer and kicked a Transportation Security Officer who was assisting to detain him. Ramirez is charged with two counts of interference with security screening personnel; two counts of assault, resisting, or impeding person assisting certain officers or employees; and one count of entry by false pretenses to secure area of any airport. A jury trial has been set for February 9, 2026, before United States District Chief Judge Andrew P. Gordon. Ramirez, a Cuban National, was originally found by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on October 27, 2022, near Yuma, Arizona, after he illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico. Due to a lack of detention space, he was released. Ramirez has illegally remained in the U.S. since his release. Due to his most recent arrest, Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE), has placed a detainer on him, which means he will be turned over to ICE upon conclusion of his Federal criminal charges. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah and Acting Special Agent in Charge Nicole Pfeiffer, San Francisco Field Division, TSA Investigations made the announcement. TSA Investigations with the assistance of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tina Snellings is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: District Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Murder of Woman Found in Mall Dumpster

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Richard Dyson, 58, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Donnella Bryan, 62, whose body was found in a Hechinger Mall dumpster in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Dyson pleaded guilty in Superior Court in October 2025 to one count of second-degree murder. According to the government’s evidence, on April 15, 2025, at the Press House Apartments in Northeast, Dyson murdered Bryan by striking her in the head and suffocating her with a sock. Dyson then purchased a large container from Home Depot, and with the help of an accomplice, disposed of Bryan’s body into a dumpster. Bryan’s body was discovered on April 19, 2025, one day before Easter Sunday. Law enforcement arrested Dyson on June 11, 2025. He has been in custody ever since. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Cocuzza, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Carmel Man Found Guilty Of Murder And Narcotics Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that a jury found DWAYNE PULLIAM guilty today of Travel Act murder, participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin, and the distribution and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. PULLIAM was found guilty following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern. “In Carmel, New York, Dwayne Pulliam, a local drug dealer and employee of a drug rehabilitation center who had previously been convicted of and served over two decades for murder, killed one of his customers—Lori Lynn Campbell—whom he suspected of stealing crack cocaine from his business, and then drove her body to North Carolina, where he buried her in a shallow grave in the woods,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “With its verdict, the jury has held Pulliam responsible for Campbell’s murder, as well as for the harm that he sowed in both New York and Connecticut with his shameless dealing of crack and heroin. This should serve as a lesson: if you commit a crime—if you commit a murder—law enforcement will pursue you relentlessly, and the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting these righteous cases. If any member of the public has information that they wish to share with us about any unsolved murder, then we encourage you to come forward.” According to the Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial: PULLIAM had a lengthy criminal history, including convictions in North Carolina in 1981 for breaking and entering and larceny and assault on a female, in 1985 for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, in 1988 for possession of a firearm by a felon and trafficking cocaine, in 1992 for assault on a female and hit-and-run, and in New York in 1999 for intentional murder, for which PULLIAM was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison and released to lifetime parole on December 1, 2020. After his release from prison, PULLIAM, who used the nickname “Doc,” got a job at a drug rehabilitation facility in Carmel, New York. He also began distributing retail quantities of crack cocaine in New York and Connecticut, including for both money and sexual favors. Additionally, he would use his customers as workers, paying them in drugs. On or about March 28, 2022, Lori Lynn Campbell—one of PULLIAM’s customers—was at PULLIAM’s apartment in Carmel, New York. PULLIAM suspected that Campbell was stealing crack from him and his business and “tested” her by leaving a small amount of crack cocaine in a room with her. When PULLIAM returned, the crack was gone, and he confronted Campbell. When Campbell tried to leave and to scream, PULLIAM strangled Campbell to death. As PULLIAM later told one of his customers/workers, he “stopped her from screaming.” PULLIAM picked up one of his customers/workers—who, among other things, would drive PULLIAM in return for drugs—and had the driver move Campbell’s car. PULLIAM then brought his driver back to his apartment and showed the driver Campbell’s body, saying “there’s the culprit.” PULLIAM, cajoling the driver with the promise of more drugs and threatening the driver’s family, got the driver to help him move Campbell’s body. When PULLIAM put Campbell’s body in the trunk of his car, he used enough force to break one of her vertebrae. PULLIAM then made his driver accompany him to North Carolina, where PULLIAM wrapped Campbell’s body in a plastic sheet, covered it with sulfur powder, and buried it in a shallow grave. After PULLIAM and his driver returned to New York and Connecticut, PULLIAM continued selling drugs until he was arrested in this case. * * * PULLIAM, 63, of Carmel, New York, was convicted of Travel Act murder, participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and 28 grams and more of crack cocaine, and distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. The Travel Act murder count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, the narcotics conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and the narcotics count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum and minimum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, which also supported the prosecution through trial. He also thanked the Danbury, Connecticut, Police Department, the Connecticut State Police, the Alamance County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office, and the Caswell County, North Carolina Police Department. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Maimin and T. Josiah Pertz are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Allison Tull and Casey Wilcox.


title: Federal Jury Convicts San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy of Using Excessive Force, Violating Inmate’s Civil Rights

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah Manuyag Flores was convicted by a federal jury today of violating the civil rights of a man in pretrial custody at the San Diego Central Courthouse by using excessive force that caused serious injuries and then writing a false report to cover up his illegal actions. The jury deliberated for two hours before finding Flores guilty on both counts against him, including that Flores deprived the victim – identified as 57-year-old J.P. – of his right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and of falsifying a record in a federal investigation. According to evidence presented at trial, Flores was assigned to the Court Services Bureau at the San Diego Central Courthouse on August 29, 2024, and was escorting J.P. to a holding cell following a court hearing. At the time, J.P.’s legs were chained, and his hands were cross-chained to his waist. At one point, Flores grabbed the back of J.P.’s shirt with both hands and pushed him faster down the hallway leading to the holding cell. When Flores and J.P. arrived at the open door to the holding cell, Flores forcefully shoved J.P. into the cell from behind with both hands, causing J.P. to fly across the cell, smash headfirst into the wall on the far side, and collapse to the ground. Flores stated, “What? Nothing happened,” to another deputy as the door to the cell closed. He then walked away, failing to provide medical aid to J.P., and then also failed to immediately report the incident to his supervisor and prepare an official report, all of which are violations of the San Diego Sheriff’s Office’s Use of Force Policy. According to the indictment, another deputy found J.P. over two hours later lying in the same position in his holding cell with a head wound and a pool of blood on the floor. As a result of Flores’ actions, J.P. suffered a spinal injury for which he underwent surgery and remained hospitalized for months. More than an hour after J.P. was discovered in his holding cell, Flores falsely claimed in an incident report that “no force was used” in placing J.P. into the cell, though he knew that he had, indeed, used force against the detainee. “Today’s verdict makes one thing unmistakably clear: the badge does not excuse brutality,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “When an officer abuses power and inflicts harm on someone in their custody, it is a crime — and this office will hold them accountable.” “Law enforcement officers are not above the law—they uphold it, and will be held accountable for any actions they take not in line with their sworn duty to protect and serve the public,” said Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Today’s conviction confirms the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not stand for anyone who tarnishes the badge and reputations of those who lawfully protect our communities.” Sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2026. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Askins and Michael Deshong. DEFENDANTS Case Number 25cr0254 Jeremiah Manuyag Flores Age: 45 La Jolla, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242 Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1519 Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (Homicide Unit)


title: U.S. Unseals Warrant for Tanker Seized by Coast Guard Off the Coast of Venezuela

body_text: WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today obtained an order unsealing its seizure warrant for the M/T Skipper (IMO #9304667), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel. The seizure warrant was signed by a magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on November 26, 2025. On December 10, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded and seized the crude oil tanker as it traveled on the high seas after departing Venezuela. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) previously identified the M/T Skipper, which was formerly called the Adisa, as being used in an oil shipping network supporting Hizballah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), both U.S. Department of State-designated foreign terrorist organizations. The IRGC uses proceeds from the distribution of petroleum to fund its terrorist networks. “As the premiere United States Attorney’s office leading efforts to intercept ghost vessels as well as sanctioned products, we remain committed to legally supporting President Trump’s efforts to make the world a safer place,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in DC has demonstrated exceptional perseverance, and a unique ability to navigate the challenges inherent in this type of enforcement action unmatched anywhere in the country.” “The FBI's Counterintelligence Division and our partners will continue to enforce U.S. sanctions and cut off our adversaries from financial markets and critical technology,” said FBI Director Patel. “The seizure of this vessel highlights our successful efforts to impose costs on the governments of Venezuela and Iran. Sanctions enforcement requires a whole-of-government approach and the FBI is proud to be part of the team.” The seizure warrant was authorized pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 981, 982, 2332b(g)(5), and 2339B(a)(1), which authorizes the seizure of “[a]ll assets, foreign or domestic ... of any individual, entity, or organization engaged in planning or perpetrating any Federal crime of terrorism (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2332b(g)(5)) against the United States, citizens or residents of the United States, or their property, and all assets, foreign or domestic, affording any person a source of influence over any such entity or organization.” The seizure of the M/T Skipper was effectuated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation following the boarding by the U.S. Coast Guard. This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia along with the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. 25sz50 ##


title: Cheektowaga man pleads guilty to pointing a laser at an aircraft

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joseph L. Crapsi, 29, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft, which carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that on March 2, 2024, a Delta Airlines flight was in flight and on approach to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Crapsi lives in the flight path of the airport and aimed the beam of a green laser pointer at the Delta Flight. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera. Sentencing is scheduled for April 21, 2026, before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Trio Convicted of International Parental Kidnapping and Conspiracy

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: Spokane, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced Aaron Daniel Aung and Jaimes Tin Aung have been found guilty of International Parental Kidnapping and Conspiracy to Commit International Parental Kidnapping. The guilty finding was made following a bench trial in front of Judge Thomas O. Rice. The final defendant, Nadia Erika Cole, pled guilty to International Parental Kidnapping. As was submitted during the bench trial, from May 29, 2024, until July 7, 2024, all defendants worked together to violate an Idaho court order by removing a young child from her lawful parent and taking the child to Mexico. A custody exchange was made on May 29, 2024. Following that exchange, Aaron Aung retrieved a vehicle belonging to Jaimes Aung and then drove to Tacoma, Washington, where he met his girlfriend Nadia Cole outside of a hotel. Cole had suddenly left the Seattle-Tacoma airport earlier that day while in line for an international flight. She had left her phone and other personal items at the airport and took a taxi the hotel, where she waited for Aaron Aung. Aaron Aung and Nadia Cole then traveled to Mexico with the minor child, crossing the border on June 1, 2024. Nadia Cole and Aaron Aung remained in Mexico with the minor victim for weeks, in violation of the custody order. They had no contact with the custodial parent and law enforcement was unaware of their whereabouts for several weeks. During that time, Aaron’s father Jaimes Aung communicated with Aaron using coded messaging. They discussed plans, with Jaimes Aung warning Aaron Aung about the ongoing investigation by the FBI and giving advice on how to avoid law enforcement detection. On July 4, 2024, Aaron Aung and Nadia Cole were contacted by Mexican law enforcement. Cole was deported from the country. A few days later, Aaron Aung was contacted again and was arrested based on an outstanding warrant from Whitman County, Washington. The minor child was reunited with her lawful parent. First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano stated, “The United States takes very seriously the safety and security of our community’s children. Cases involving a missing child are our top priority. Jaimes Aung, Aaron Aung, and Nadia Cole made the dangerous decision to kidnap a child to Mexico in violation of a custody order, demonstrating the lengths they went to willingly circumvent the court process. Law enforcement worked tirelessly for weeks to locate the child to bring her home to her lawful parent. We are grateful for the coordination and cooperation of all involved agencies. Through their dedicated efforts this case was able resolved with a safe and happy conclusion.” “These three defendants stole a child from her lawful parent and then tried to hide her beyond the borders of the United States,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Despite their efforts to evade the search, a dozen law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions worked relentlessly to bring the missing child home, which they were able to do after just over a month. We are grateful this child is safe and for the strong law enforcement partnerships that made this rescue possible.” This case was a multi-jurisdiction investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Moscow, Idaho Police Department; Pullman, Washington Police Department; FBI Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit; Pima County, Arizona Sheriff’s Department; United States Customs and Border Patrol; Nogales, Mexico Municipal Police Department; Nogales, Arizona Police Department; Latah County Idaho Sheriff’s Office; Port of Seattle Police Department; Whitman County, Washington Sheriff’s Office; and the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office. Sentencing for Nadia Cole is set for March 25, 2026, at 1:00pm. Sentencing for Aaron Aung and Jaimes Aung is set for March 25, 2026, at 11:30am. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca R. Perez and Michael J. Ellis.


title: Illegal Alien Indicted on Illegal Re-Entry Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Willians Elenilson Beltran-Quintanilla, 39, of El Salvador, charging him with illegally re-entering the United States after removal. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the superseding indictment with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office. According to the indictment and other court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement found Beltran-Quintanilla in Prince George’s County, Maryland, after he was previously removed. On June 13, 2005, Beltran-Quintanilla illegally entered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. Then on September 16, 2005, after United States Border Patrol (USBP) apprehended him , an immigration judge ordered his removal from the U.S. to El Salvador. On April 10, 2007, Beltran-Quintanilla was then removed from the United States. Beltran-Quintanilla again re-entered the U.S. at an unknown place, date, and time. On June 16, 2007, law enforcement encountered Beltran-Quintanilla, resulting in USBP issuing removal orders for a second time from the U.S. Then on December 21, 2023, Prince George's County Police found him unlawfully in the U.S. again as officers executed a search warrant at his residence, charging him with drug-related offenses. Before his arrest, Beltran-Quintanilla did not obtain consent from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for readmission into the country at any time. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO for its work in this matter. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Oki who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Owner Of Physical Rehabilitation Company Pleads Guilty To Submitting More Than $20 Million In Fraudulent Medical Bills To Health Benefit Programs

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), Naomi Gruchacz, and Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today the filing of an Information charging NOSSON SKLAR, a/k/a “Nathan Sklar,” with engaging in a scheme to defraud health benefit programs through the submission of more than $20 million in fraudulent claims. SKLAR also entered a guilty plea to the Information in a proceeding today before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, to whom the case has been assigned. “As he admitted today in court, Nosson Sklar spent years submitting millions of dollars in fraudulent medical claims to various health benefit programs,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers rely on honest billing to access care, and our Office will hold accountable those who drive up costs through criminal deception.” “The defendant in this case brazenly submitted false claims to receive funds for rehabilitation services that were never provided under a doctor’s care,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who, to satisfy their own greed, exploit federal health care programs.” “Nosson Sklar defrauded health care programs of more than $20 million by submitting illegitimate claims with forged unauthorized physician signatures,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Sklar, in his capacity as owner and CEO, violated the integrity of his company and a doctor at the expense of our healthcare system. The FBI will always hold accountable anyone who abuses their position to bill for ghost services just to turn a profit.” According to the Information, the Complaint previously filed against SKLAR, and other filings and statements made in court: SKLAR was the owner and chief executive officer of a company that operated a series of physical rehabilitation facilities around New York City (the “Rehabilitation Company”). Between at least January 2020 and in or about July 2024, SKLAR submitted or caused others to submit more than $20 million in claims for medical services to various health care benefit programs, asserting that those services were rendered by a physician who worked with the Rehabilitation Company (“Victim-1”). But that was false. Victim-1 did not provide those services, did not work with the Rehabilitation Company during that time, and did not authorize SKLAR to submit bills in his name. In or about July 2024, Victim-1 spoke with SKLAR on at least two occasions about the fraudulent bills. During those conversations, SKLAR admitted that he had committed “fraud” by billing under Victim-1’s name, and that he did it “because [of] the money.” Between at least in or about January 2020 and in or about July 2024, SKLAR caused more than $20 million in claims to be submitted to three separate health benefit programs (the “Health Plans”), which listed Victim-1 as having been the rendering provider for the Rehabilitation Company. Approximately $12.4 million of those claims were eventually paid by the Health Plans. * * * SKLAR, 56, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of HHS-OIG and FBI. This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorja N. Knauer and David A. Markewitz are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Hancock County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lawrence James Reagan, 40, of Weirton, West Virginia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for methamphetamine distribution, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. According to court documents and statements made in court, Reagan was selling methamphetamine in Hancock County, West Virginia. Investigators seized methamphetamine which he intended to distribute inside Reagan’s home during the execution of a search warrant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Hancock Brooke Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.


title: CROSS CITY CORRECTIONAL OFFICER CHARGED WITH CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Devin Waldeck, 35, of Cross City, Florida, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of material constituting child pornography. The charges were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. If convicted, Waldeck faces a minimum of fifteen years’, and up to thirty years’, imprisonment on the sexual exploitation of children count, and a minimum of five years’, and up to twenty years’, imprisonment on the distribution of material constituting child pornography count. The case involves an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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 . 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: York Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud For Submission Of Fraudulent  PPP Loan Applications

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dommonick T. Chatman, age 50, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion to one count of bank fraud in connection with numerous fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications that were filed, with his knowledge and approval, through his business, The Chatman Group, LLC. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Chatman admitted that over the course of several months in 2021, he either participated in preparing, or approved of another employee’s preparation of, fraudulent PPP loan applications for almost twenty different individuals. The total amount of funds requested in connection with such loans exceeded $400,000, and the amount disbursed in response to such applications was approximately $341,438.82. Chatman agreed to pay restitution to the U.S. Government in the amount of $341,438.82 in connection with his guilty plea. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law that was enacted in March 2020 and designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID- 19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization, through the PPP, of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. As part of the program requirements, businesses had to use PPP loan proceeds for certain expenses, such as payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, utilities, and worker-protection expenditures related to COVID-19. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the loan to be entirely forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on eligible expenses within a designated period of time and used a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. To obtain a PPP loan, a qualifying small business was required to apply for it and provide information on its operations, including the number of employees and expenses. In addition, businesses generally had to provide supporting documentation. Chatman admitted that numerous applications filed through his business were fraudulent because the applicants either did not have businesses that were in existence as of February 15, 2020, as required by the PPP rules, or did not have the income required to get a PPP loan for the amounts that they were requesting in their respective applications. Chatman admitted that he had prepared tax returns for a number of these applicants, as they were existing clients of The Chatman Group whom he knew personally. Chatman therefore knew that these clients’ applications were fraudulent. Chatman also admitted that he received approximately 5% of each individual loan, or about $1,000, for each loan application that his company filed. When an employee assisted in the processing of these applications, Chatman shared the proceeds with this employee. Finally, Chatman admitted to obstructing the government’s investigation by disposing of a handwritten list of the names of clients who had received PPP loan applications through his company. The U.S. Attorney General previously established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe are prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for bank fraud is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: 18 Members of a Yuma-Based Alien Smuggling Ring Sentenced for Conspiring to Harbor and Transport Illegal Aliens

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2024-173_Araiza-Ponce et al.

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 21, 2025, United States District Judge, Krissa M. Lanham, District of Arizona, sentenced the eighteenth and final defendant in a joint operation investigated by United States Border Patrol along with the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona. United States Border Patrol became aware of an alien smuggling organization known as La Mesa after connecting transportation of illegal alien cases in the District of Arizona and the Central and Southern Districts of California. Prior to the arrest of the eighteen members in September 2024, La Mesa, who worked on behalf of the Mexico-based transnational criminal organization Los Rusos, operated out of Yuma and Somerton, Arizona. Members of La Mesa were responsible for smuggling, or attempting to smuggle, hundreds of illegal aliens across the United States-Mexico border and further into the United States. Carlos Moreno-Serrano led the organization directing the team of managers who were responsible for coordinating smuggling events, procuring stash houses, distributing money, and enforcement. The managers oversaw the drivers transporting the illegal aliens, stash house staff, and scouting. From 2022 through September of 2024, members of La Mesa used violence and threats of violence to control members of their organization, including kidnapping, robbing and extorting alien smugglers who had worked for their organization. In January 2023, Saul Ponce Jr. (Ponce), Crystobal Figueroa (Figueroa), Angel Rodriguez (Rodriguez), Antonio Aparicio III (Aparicio), and Joshua Leon-Fuentes (Leon-Fuentes) kidnapped a man and took him into the desert. The kidnapping was filmed by Figueroa and the film shows Figueroa handing a firearm with an extended cylindrical magazine to Leon-Fuentes. Leon-Fuentes then points the firearm to the back of the man’s head while others tell him not to kill him because it is too close to the highway. Figueroa is then seen kicking the man in the back of the head. During a separate kidnapping event in mid-2023, Leon-Fuentes, Aparicio, and Rodriguez drove to the house of a woman who had been caught alien smuggling by Border Patrol. They demanded the woman pay $20,000 for her failure to deliver the illegal aliens, though the woman could only provide the organization $10,000. Because she cost La Mesa money and had not fully repaid them for their losses, members of La Mesa were instructed to take her to Mexico to be punished. During the kidnapping, Leon-Fuentes put the barrel of a shot gun to her abdomen and told her if she tried anything it would not be pretty. Yuma Police Department arrived and thwarted the kidnapping. The woman informed Officers that Leon-Fuentes and the others told her once she was brought back to Mexico, she would be married off, tortured, or killed. During the conspiracy, multiple defendants fled at a high rate of speed from law enforcement, and several illegal aliens sustained severe injuries while being transported. On several occasions, La Mesa also used juvenile drivers to transport illegal aliens. One juvenile driver, while fleeing Border Patrol, crashed a work van into a water canal with 24 illegal aliens inside, including a minor child and a pregnant woman. “The facts of the criminal conduct here involving violence, kidnapping, firearms, and severe injury show why La Mesa or similar organizations engaging in harboring and transporting illegal aliens are so dangerous to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The excellent efforts of our Border Patrol, and other law enforcement partners, are keeping Americans safe every day and we thank them for their hard work leading to the exceptional results in this case.” The defendants were charged via Indictment or Superseding Indictment in November 2023 and September 2024 with Conspiring to Harbor and/or Transport Illegal Aliens. Judge Krissa M. Lanham sentenced the defendants to the following sentences: Victor Eduardo Araiza-Ponce, 24, of Yuma was sentenced to Time Served; plus 3 years of supervised release Antonio Aparicio III, 24, of Somerton was sentenced to 68 months’ imprisonment Alonzo Esparza, 27, of Yuma was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment Carlos Moreno-Serrano, 24, of Yuma was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment Xasiel Noriega-Gonzalez, 21, of Somerton was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment Joshua Guillermo Leon-Fuentes, 21, of Somerton was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment Angel Rodriguez, 23, of Yuma was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment Crystobal Figueroa, 23, of Somerton was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment Saul Ponce Jr., 23, of San Luis was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment David Leon-Pallanes, 23, of Yuma was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release Manuel Uriel Alvarado, 26, of Yuma was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment Elian Lopez, 24, of Yuma was sentenced to 12 months’ probation Raymundo Delgado-Diaz, 35, of Yuma was sentenced to 3 years probation Isreal Zeveda, 23, of Salinas, California was sentenced to 12 months’ probation Francisco Javier Esparza-Macias, 21, of Somerton was sentenced to 12 months of supervised release Alex Chiquete, 25, of Yuma was sentenced to 24 months’ probation Hector Eduardo-Valdez, 31, of Yuma was sentenced to 18 months’ probation Jose Gabriel Marquez-Mendiola, 32, of Yuma was sentenced to 18 months’ probation "The sentencing of the La Mesa smuggling organization members is a testament to the relentless pursuit of the rule of law and the cooperative efforts between the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Bringing these smugglers to justice serves as a clear warning: the U.S. Government will hold individuals accountable for their criminal actions,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle. “I am extremely proud of our agents and their dedication to our mission, which ensures the safety of our communities and our great Nation." Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol–Yuma Field Intelligence, El Centro Border Patrol and Indio Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Arellano Edwards and Stuart J. Zander, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01676-PHX-KML RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-173_Araiza-Ponce et al. # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Fall River Woman Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Fall River woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy. Cory Primo, 43, of Fall River, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Angel Kelley to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Primo was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the three victims in this matter. In August 2025, Primo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. She was among six individuals charged in July 2024 . From in and around April 2023 until August 2023, Primo conspired with others to traffic a Massachusetts adult woman and two minors. Primo indicated that she started helping her co-defendant sell the victims because she was “broke.” Primo sent pictures of the victims to sex buyers, communicated with sex buyers to schedule commercial sex acts and negotiated prices. Primo joked about her role in the conspiracy, referring to it as like “playing a game of Tetris.” She also encouraged another co-defendant to be violent toward the victims and expressed indifference to what the victims had to endure, as long as they continued to make money. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Somerset Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Reward Offered for Information Leading to the Arrest of High-Ranking Member of Los Choneros, a Violent Foreign Terrorist Organization

body_text: Earlier today, the U.S. State Department’s Narcotics Reward Program (NRP) announced the offering of a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ecuadorian fugitive Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, also known as “Churron,” a leader of Los Choneros, a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) based in Ecuador that is responsible for significant drug trafficking into the United States, firearms trafficking from the United States and acts of extreme violence. Bermúdez Cagua is charged in a superseding indictment in the Eastern District of New York with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution, and use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. The charges were brought by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The superseding indictment was unsealed in June 2025. In July 2025, co-conspirator José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” a citizen of Ecuador and the principal leader of the Los Choneros organization, was extradited to the Eastern District of New York from Ecuador to face international drug trafficking and firearms charges. Another co-conspirator charged in the superseding indictment, Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto, also known as “Topo,” is currently in custody in Ecuador. “As alleged, Bermúdez Cagua is a top lieutenant within the leadership of Los Choneros, an extremely violent foreign terrorist organization responsible for pumping drugs into the United States, causing harm to our communities, and wreaking havoc in his homeland of Ecuador,” stated United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. “The significant reward being offered by the State Department underscores our resolve to bring Los Choneros’s leadership to justice in a U.S. courthouse and eradicate such organizations.” “We will use every tool in our arsenal to stop the brutal criminals who are trafficking deadly drugs into our country,” stated Senior Bureau Official Chris Landberg of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. “We are offering a reward of up to $5 million under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Bermúdez Cagua.” “Bermúdez Cagua is a high-ranking narco-terrorist whose actions have fueled the flow of cocaine into the United States and sown chaos in Ecuador,” stated Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terrance Cole. “The DEA is resolute in its mission to turn up the pressure and bring this dangerous individual to justice. Today’s announcements reaffirm our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks, holding those responsible for violence and illicit trade accountable, and protecting communities from the devastating impact of these crimes.” “ATF remains committed to hold leaders of foreign terrorist organizations accountable for the violence they inflict on our communities”, stated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Deputy Director Rob Cekada. “Bermudez Cagua’s network of criminals saturated our neighborhoods with dangerous drugs and used firearms to protect and expand their criminal enterprise. The substantial reward announced by the Department of State sends an unmistakable message to all narco-terrorists: their days of poisoning our citizens and profiting off the American people are over.” As alleged in the superseding indictment, Los Choneros was one of Ecuador’s most violent transnational criminal organizations. Los Choneros operated a vast network responsible for the shipment and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America, through Central American and Mexico, to the United States and elsewhere. The defendants directed and ordered acts of violence to achieve the goals of the organization. In September 2025, the U.S. State Department designated Los Choneros as an FTO. Anyone with information about Bermúdez Cagua’s whereabouts should contact the DEA at Ecuadortips@dea.gov or +593988292235 (text/WhatsApp/Signal). All information will be kept strictly confidential. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour, Lorena Michelen, and David Berman are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendants : FRANCISCO MANUE BERMÚDEZ CAGUA (also known as “Bermudez Cagua”) Age: 29 Ecuador JOSÉ ADOLFO MACÍAS VILLAMAR (also known as “Fito”) Age: 46 Ecuador Darío Javier Peñafiel Nieto (also known as “ Topo”) Age: 35 Ecuador E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-114 (FB)


title: New Orleans Woman Charged With Cares Act Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that CHELSEY POWELL (“POWELL”) , age 34, of Laplace, LA, was charged on December 5, 2025 by bill of information with making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). According to the charging documents, POWELL made false statements to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to fraudulently obtaining a pandemic-related relief Paycheck Protection Program loan funded by the federal government, in the amount of approximately $19,950.00. POWELL faces up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release for making false statements to the SBA. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee due after conviction. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Wichita man indicted for firearms charges

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with multiple illegal firearms offenses. According to court documents, Charles E. Colbert Jr., 26, of Wichita was indicted on one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Company to Pay $102,000 to Resolve Civil Fraud Allegations Related to Pandemic Loan

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that WP Deli LLC (WP Deli), a Colorado business, and its majority owner and chief executive, Robert Montuoro, of Stratton, Vermont, will pay $102,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by misusing funds procured through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). According to the settlement agreement, WP Deli, through Mr. Montuoro, submitted an application for a PPP loan in May 2020. The PPP was established pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the program, small businesses could receive loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) would forgive if the PPP regulations were followed, including rules related to eligible uses of PPP loan proceeds. The SBA approved WP Deli’s loan application, and the company received $40,915 for use on payroll and other authorized expenses. Yet, the government’s investigation revealed that in June 2020, Mr. Montuoro diverted some of the PPP funds to cover his own improper, personal expenses. In March 2021, WP Deli, through Mr. Montuoro, submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application, falsely certifying that the PPP requirements for use of the loan had been met. The government alleges that this knowing misuse of the PPP loan violated the False Claims Act, a civil fraud statute. “PPP loans were meant to provide a lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic but instead were often misused,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “This office will continue to pursue businesses and individuals who wrongly exploited pandemic programs and to recover ill-gotten funds on behalf of taxpayers.” To resolve the claims against them, WP Deli and Mr. Montuoro jointly have agreed to pay to the United States a total of $102,000. This amount reflects Mr. Montuoro’s acceptance of responsibility and cooperation with the government investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Cate and Lauren Almquist Lively handled this matter for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Investigative support was provided by the United States Secret Service and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The settlement agreement is available at this link: Settlement Agreement USAVT and WP Deli


title: Georgia Man Sentenced to Two Months in Prison for Evading Security Requirements at Philadelphia International Airport

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that David Easley, 39, of Georgia, was sentenced to two months' incarceration and 26 months of supervised release, with the first two months on home confinement, by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for evading security requirements at Philadelphia International Airport. The defendant was charged by information in May of this year and pleaded guilty in July to one count of evading airport security, arising from his use of the identification badge of an airline employee to access a secured, sterile area of Philadelphia International Airport, knowingly and willfully bypassing airport security. Easley has never been employed at the Philadelphia International Airport. As detailed in court filings and statements, on March 9, 2024, Easley was a ticketed domestic airline passenger, scheduled to fly from Philadelphia to Atlanta, Georgia, on a flight departing at 7:05 p.m. At approximately 6:35 p.m., video surveillance captured Easley using an airport Secure Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge belonging to an airport employee, typing a passcode on the keypad, and gaining access through the secure doors leading from the public side of the airport ticketing area to the secure area of the airport. The defendant entered a restricted area for employees that is between the public, pre-security ticketing area and the public, post-security “sterile” terminal. Easley did not go through TSA screening before entering this secure area. Easley then used another door to enter the public “sterile” terminal area of the airport, that being the area where screened passengers have access to board their flights. The TSA encountered Easley while conducting random security inspections to prevent prohibited items and unauthorized individuals from accessing the sterile area. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JUAN JOSE CARRASCO CARDENAS, 40, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to six months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2002, Carrasco Cardenas was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol and was issued a voluntary return to Mexico. In May 2009, U.S. Border Patrol encountered Carrasco Cardenas illegally entering the country in Arizona. He was charged in the District of Arizona with improper entry of an alien, sentenced to five days of imprisonment and, in June 2009, was issued a voluntary return to Mexico. In January 2018, Carrasco Cardenas was arrested in Saline County, Kansas, and charged with various offenses related to the trafficking of marijuana. He was convicted of a state marijuana distribution offense and sentenced to 30 months in jail. He was removed to Mexico in October 2019. On August 27, 2025, Carrasco Cardenas was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Meriden. He pleaded guilty to illegal reentry on September 18. Carrasco Cardenas, who has been detained since his arrest, will be removed to Mexico when he completes his prison term. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Dorchester Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

body_text: BOSTON – A Dorchester man pleaded guilty yesterday to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Robert Campbell, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2027. Campbell was charged in January 2025 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025 . On Jan. 28, 2025, in Dorchester, Campbell possessed a Glock 32, .357 caliber handgun, 14 rounds of .357 caliber ammunition, 40 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition and 75 rounds of 9mm ammunition, after having been convicted of a felony. The charge of being a felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Grady and Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Ghanaian National Charged with Running Romance Scams That Took Over $8 Million From Elderly Victims

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has returned a 2-count indictment charging a Ghanaian National with defrauding elderly victims out of over $8 million. According to a recently unsealed indictment, Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, 31, of Swedru, Ghana was part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023. Kumi was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025. According to the indictment, perpetrators of this romance scam used Artificial Intelligence software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with victims. They gained victims’ trust to obtain money and valuables, often targeting individuals through social media and online dating platforms under false pretenses. Victims were often elderly and engaged in romantic but physically distant relationships with perpetrators. The perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms. They then requested money or valuables under false pretenses, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities. Relying on these misrepresentations, victims were persuaded to send funds or valuables, which were then directed to co-conspirators posing as third parties. The indictment also alleges that after the victims transferred funds, Kumi worked with a network of co-conspirators to distribute the money from Ohio and across the United States to associates in the Republic of Ghana and other locations. Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification, and faces up to 20 years in prison. If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including a defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough for the Northern District of Ohio. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank the Ghana Attorney General’s Office, EOCO – Ghana Economic Organised Crime Office, GPS – Ghana Police Service, Ghana Cyber Security Authority, NACOC – Ghana Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana National Intelligence Bureau, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigation Unit, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra for their cooperation with this matter. The investigation and prosecution of this case is in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population. To submit a report of suspected elder financial abuse, visit tips.fbi.gov/home or justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation .


title: Illegal Alien Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Vanessa Yalixa Munoz-Baque, 31, of Ecuador, charging her with illegally reentering the United States after removal. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Field Office Director Jeremy Bacon, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office. According to the indictment, on September 11, 2024, local law enforcement apprehended Munoz-Baque in Frederick, Maryland, after she was previously removed to her home country in 2023. Munoz-Baque’s arrest in Frederick County was in connection to a service call to local police. Prior to her arrest, Munoz-Baque did not obtain consent at any time from the Attorney General of the United States, or from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, for readmission into the country. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ICE-ERO for its work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger who is prosecuting this case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Filipino Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting and Sex Trafficking Children

body_text: BOSTON – A Filipino national living in Baltimore, Md., pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting and conspiring to sex traffic minor children. Christopher Allan Tisoy, 27, a Filipino national residing in Baltimore, Md., pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children (and attempt and conspiracy) and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2026. Tisoy was arrested and charged in May 2025 along with Joshua DeWitte, a former local music teacher. The two were subsequently charged by an Information and indictment, respectively, in October 2025 . Both defendants remain in federal custody. According to the charging documents , at the time of the alleged conduct, DeWitte was a music teacher at a local school in Massachusetts. Tisoy, a citizen of the Philippines who lawfully entered the United States in September 2024 on a H-1B Visa, was employed as a medical technologist at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. In December 2024, DeWitte was allegedly identified as the owner of a Snapchat account that uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the abuse of a boy who appears to be between approximately eight and 10 years old. Snapchat records showed that, in September 2024, DeWitte allegedly requested nude pictures from multiple purported minors; sent pictures of his genitals to the purported minors; and discussed previous and potential in-person meetups for sexual relations with minors. Additionally, it is further alleged that DeWitte paid, and offered to pay, another Snapchat user to obtain and produce child pornography and to recruit minor boys for himself. Based on that information, DeWitte was arrested and charged in Cambridge District Court with six counts of disseminating obscene material to a child, one count of distribution of material depicting a child in a sexual act and one count of possession of child pornography. He was later released on conditions. According to the charging documents, a Telegram conversation between DeWitte and Tisoy was located on DeWitte’s phone, in which they arranged for the production of videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor boys in the Philippines. Specifically, it is alleged that in the conversations, DeWitte and Tisoy negotiated the terms of creating sexually explicit videos involving minors, including which minors should be involved; which sex acts the minors should perform; who should film, including whether a third party or one of the minors themselves should film; what angles should be filmed; and how much DeWitte should pay Tisoy for each video. The negotiation allegedly incorporated the sexual preferences of both DeWitte and Tisoy, with both agreeing on what they would each find sexually gratifying. Tisoy then relayed instructions to the minor victims to create a video. DeWitte allegedly paid Tisoy for each video Tisoy produced and sent. Between July 3, 2023 and Dec. 27, 2024, DeWitte allegedly sent 87 PayPal payments to Tisoy, in amounts ranging from $27 to $958, to film the sexual exploitation of minors in the Philippines – totaling approximately $23,752. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cambridge Police Department; HSI-Baltimore; the Maryland Department of State Police; and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez and Anne Paruti of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Convicted Murderer Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Assaulting Detention Officer

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Antonio Chaco , a convicted murderer already serving a federal prison sentence for the 2020 murder of Thomas Brown, received additional prison time for attacking a CoreCivic detention officer while in federal custody awaiting that murder trial. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on November 5, 2024, Chaco , 42, assaulted a CoreCivic detention officer at the Cibola County Correctional Center. After the officer opened Chaco ’s cell door, Chaco launched a surprise attack, punching her repeatedly in the face, attempting to throw her over a second-floor railing, and then taking her to the ground, where he straddled and strangled her. Following the assault, medical staff evaluated the officer and documented bruising and swelling on the left side of her face, and she later sought additional treatment at a local hospital for neck, arm, and facial pain. At the time of the assault, Chaco was in federal custody awaiting trial in connection with the 2020 killing of Thomas Brown, whom he beat and abandoned in the To’Hajiilee wilderness without food, water, or shelter. Chaco later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in that case and was sentenced to 17 years in prison. In this case, the Court imposed a second 46-month term of imprisonment for the assault. 24 months of that sentence will run consecutively, resulting in an additional two-year period of incarceration beyond the 17-year sentence Chaco is already serving. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and United States Marshal David Barnett made the announcement today. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones and Brittany DuChaussee prosecuted both cases.


title: Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to child abuse after firing a weapon near two young children and placing them in a situation that endangered their lives. According to court documents, on August 26, 2025, Emilio Morales , 24, a non-Indian, while intoxicated, fired a handgun multiple times near two minor children and threatened to kill himself while holding the firearm in front of them. When police arrived with weapons drawn, Morales held one child and demanded that officers shoot him. Both children are enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Morales pleaded guilty to abuse of a child. At sentencing, he faces 6 to 12 months imprisonment followed by a one-year term of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.


title: California Woman Sentenced for Decades Long Fortune Fraud Scheme

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A California woman was sentenced to 30 months in prison and will be ordered to pay more than one million dollars in restitution for orchestrating a decades long advance fee fraud scheme that promised victims access to a nonexistent multi-million-dollar fortune. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, beginning in 2001 and continuing through September 2023, Lanette Bashore orchestrated an advance fee fraud scheme in which she falsely claimed to own or control a multi-million-dollar fortune that was tied up by taxes, legal holds, and other financial barriers. Using a mutual acquaintance to gain victims’ trust, Bashore convinced individuals in New Mexico and elsewhere to send her thousands of dollars up front to “unlock” the purported fortune, promising to repay them with massive returns. In reality, no such fortune existed. Bashore deposited the victim payments into bank accounts she controlled and used the money to fund her personal lifestyle and gambling. As victims grew suspicious and reported the scheme, the FBI opened an investigation that confirmed Bashore ’s fraud through victim interviews and banking records. After being interviewed by agents in 2023, Bashore contacted victims and attempted to persuade at least one of them to falsely characterize her representations about the multi-million-dollar fortune to the FBI, conduct that resulted in an obstruction enhancement at sentencing. Bashore pled guilty to mail fraud. Upon her release from prison, Bashore will be subject to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.


title: Anthony Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Anthony man was sentenced to 235 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, in July and August 2024, David Amaya , 43, sold methamphetamine to a controlled buyer from a tow-behind trailer on his parents’ property in Anthony, New Mexico. The controlled buys prompted law enforcement to obtain and execute a search warrant on August 22, 2024. Agents searched the trailer and an attached makeshift bathroom structure, recovering over 1.18 kilograms of methamphetamine. Additional methamphetamine was found in a clothing hamper and under the bed, along with two firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Amaya pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Upon his release from prison, Amaya will be subject to five years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistant from the Las Cruces Metro Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Williams prosecuted the case.