title: KC Man Sentenced to 210 months for Producing Child Pornography

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for engaging in illicit sex to produce child pornography with a 13-year-old minor victim. Talib Bwana Muhammad, 27, was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge D. Gregory Kays for one count of producing child pornography. Muhammad previously pled guilty to the count of producing child pornography on Jan. 3, 2025. According to the written plea agreement, Muhammad produced child pornography with the minor victim in June 2023, after meeting the child victim on a social media application. Muhammad communicated online with the minor victim and purchased an airline ticket for the child to fly from Texas to Kansas City, Missouri to meet and engage in sexual activity. However, when the minor victim was unable to leave home, Muhammad drove to Texas from Missouri to pick them up. Law enforcement officials were notified when the child victim was missing, and an Amber Alert was issued. Investigators traced her to Muhammad’s residence in the Western District of Missouri. Muhammad engaged in sexual contact with the minor victim, and video recorded and photographed the sexual activity with a cell phone. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Hitchcock, Texas, Police Department, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department. Muhammad will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Nashville Felon on Bond for Drug and Firearms Offenses Federally Charged with Firearm and Drug Crimes

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

body_text: NASHVILLE – Darryl Deshaun Humphrey, 49, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our Bond Watch program prioritizes keeping felons who are on bond for serious offenses but get caught with guns and deadly drugs like fentanyl off the streets of our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Those on bond awaiting trial need to know that if they continue to violate the law we will hold them accountable for their crimes and keep our citizens safe from their dangerous and illegal activity.” According to court documents, on June 19, 2025, Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers conducted a traffic stop, which resulted in Humphrey’s arrest. Uniformed patrol officers were conducting routine patrol and enforcement operations in the area of Whites Creek Pike and W. Trinity Lane in Nashville. The officers saw Humphrey standing outside the driver side door of a Cadillac Escalade in a gas station parking lot, ran the Escalade’s license plate tag through law enforcement databases and learned that Humphrey, the registered owner, had a suspended driver’s license. The officers saw Humphrey drive the Escalade out of the parking lot traveling north on Whites Creek Pike and initiated a traffic stop on the Escalade based on the driver’s license violation. The Escalade came to a stop, and officers saw Humphrey move from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat. Humphrey got out of the Escalade on the passenger side, walked around the Escalade, and told the officers that he was not driving. Officers advised Humphrey of the violation and why they stopped him and told him to stop walking. Humphrey ignored the officers’ commands and took a fighting stance at which time an officer utilized his department-issued taser to subdue and arrest Humphrey. From outside of the Escalade, officers observed on the driver seat floorboard a large plastic bag that contained a white rocky substance that the officer immediately recognized to be consistent with controlled substances. Additionally, there was a firearm on the driver’s seat. A query of law enforcement databases showed Humphrey was a previously convicted felon. Officers conducted a search of the Escalade and located two large plastic bags containing a controlled substance that field tested positive for fentanyl: the first bag contained approximately 257 grams and the second contained approximately 378.9 grams. Officers recovered another second plastic bag with approximately 1.27 pounds of suspected cocaine which field tested positive, a box of empty plastic baggies, five digital scales, and approximately $18,600 in U.S. Currency. Additionally, multiple tablets and/or pills were located which were identified as various controlled substances. Officers also seized a Ruger, Caliber: 9x19mm pistol and a Caspian, Caliber: .45 ACP pistol. Humphrey has multiple prior felony convictions in state and federal courts. His felony convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court include Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, for which he received a two-year sentence, and two convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substance – Cocaine .5grams or more, for which he received an eight-year sentence and a six-year sentence. Humphrey also was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, for which he received a 10-year sentence. At the time of his arrest, Humphrey was on bond for Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 26 grams of cocaine, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Evading Arrest, and Resisting Arrest, from a June 2023 arrest in Davidson County. If convicted, Humphrey faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge, up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the drug charge, and 5 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Social Security Administration Employee Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Related Benefits

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri woman was arrested today following an indictment by a federal grand jury charging her with defrauding the United States government by fraudulently obtaining pandemic benefits. Tiffanie Foster, 48, was charged with two counts of wire fraud for fraudulently receiving pandemic funds in the form of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and unemployment benefits. The indictment alleges that Foster submitted altered tax and bank documents and made fraudulent statements to obtain both the PPP loan and the unemployment benefits. At the time of the fraud, Foster was employed full-time as a customer service representative with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee identified a list of SSA employees whose personal identifying information had been used to apply for loans or benefits. Foster was identified on that list as obtaining several pandemic assistance loans and unemployment benefits. In July of 2020, Foster applied for unemployment benefits through the state of Michigan even though she was a resident of Missouri and fully employed by SSA. In total, she received over $30,000 in unemployment benefits during 2020 and 2021. In early 2021, Foster applied for a PPP loan for her business. As part of her application, she also provided an altered tax form 1040 Schedule C and an altered bank statement for her business showing an inflated balance amount. This $20,833 loan was ultimately forgiven by the Small Business Administration. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. Under federal statutes, if convicted, Foster is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole and three years of supervised release on each count. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Fentanyl Distribution and Conspiracy

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRIAN PICQUET, age 38, of Orleans Parish, pled guilty on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long to Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, and two counts of Distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. As to each count, PICQUET faces a maximum penalty of twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. PICQUET also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each count. Sentencing in this matter is set for September 30, 2025. According to court documents, on March 14, 2024 and March 22, 2024, during the course of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigation, PICQUET sold fentanyl to an individual whom he believed to be a legitimate buyer. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Williams of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Mifflin County Man Sentenced For Filing False Tax Return

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vincent Minervini, age 50, of Reedsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to a term of probation for five years with a period of 540 days of home detention with electronic monitoring by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for filing a false tax return. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Minervini pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024, to filing a false tax return in 2018. From 2014 through 2018, Minervini, operated various companies that he either owned on his own or controlled through a partnership. These businesses included VM Holdings, LLC; Supreme Star Property Management, LLC; Boomer Builders LLC; Debt Free Partnerships, LP; Boomer Ranches DS, LLC; and VMJH Holdings, LLC. Minervini filed personal and business tax returns in each of these years. Minervini made it appear that his businesses were incurring expenses, which were deducted from his businesses’ taxable income, by moving money from one of his companies to another and labeling such payments “Management Services,” “Management Fees,” “Operating Expenses,” “Operating Budget,” and “Transfers.” For example, in 2016, VMJH Holdings and Boomer Ranches made $134,500 worth of transfers to Boomer Builders that were labeled “Operating Budget” and “Operating Expenses,” but Boomer Builders did not declare any of these transfers as gross receipts on its own tax return. Minervini’s actions therefore reduced the amount of income that was subject to taxation by the IRS. Minervini made payments from his companies to himself without reporting such transfers as income in his personal tax returns. For instance, in 2017, VM Holdings transferred approximately $809,648.22 to Minervini’s personal bank account, and Minervini deducted this amount as an expense on VM Holdings’ tax return, but he did not declare it as income on any other return, personal or business. As a result of these actions, Minervini underreported approximately $2,102,512 in income. Minervini submitted his tax returns to the IRS under penalty of perjury. Minervini admitted that the tax returns for 2014 to 2018 contained knowingly false information. Minervini accepted responsibility for $266,618 in unpaid taxes, which was the full amount of unpaid taxes for 2014 to 2018. He also paid restitution to the IRS in that amount prior to the date of sentencing. The IRS will also assess penalties and interest on Minervini’s back taxes. The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Princeton Couple Sentenced to Combined 14 Years in Federal Prison for $2 Million Mail Theft Scheme and Firearms Offenses

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Michael Jerome Wright, 45, and Cortney Lashea Young, 36, of Princeton, Indiana, have been sentenced to 12 and 2 years in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a mail theft scheme. Wright pleaded guilty to mail theft, unlawful possession of a mail key, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a felon, and possession of a machinegun. Young pleaded guilty to mail theft and possession of a firearm by a felon. Both will serve three years of supervised release following their prison sentence. According to court documents, in 2023, law enforcement officials began receiving numerous complaints about mail theft and check forgery. In March and April of 2024, Evansville Police Department officers surveilled local United States Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes. On six different occasions, investigators saw Wright open collection boxes with an arrow key around 4:30 in the morning, sort through the mail, then drive off with stolen mail. On at least two of those occasions, investigators saw Young behind the wheel of the getaway car. The USPS uses a unique type of lock known as an “arrow lock” to secure collection boxes, lockers, and apartment mailbox panels. These locks can only be opened with an arrow key. It is a crime for anyone not authorized by the Postal Service to knowingly have or use arrow keys. On April 3, 2023, law enforcement officers stopped the pair just as they drove away from another mail theft. Officers searched the vehicle and uncovered an arrow key and stolen mail on the passenger floorboard. Investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Wright and Young’s apartment in Princeton and located hundreds of checks and their corresponding envelopes, many of which had been previously reported as stolen. The stolen checks had a total face value of $1,857,460.91. Investigators also found two handguns under the mattress in Wright and Young’s bedroom. On Wright’s side of the bed was a partially 3D printed, privately made firearm with no serial number. This type of weapon is commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” because it has no records related to its manufacture or sale. Investigators also recovered two, 30-round extended magazines. The ghost gun had a machinegun conversion device, also called a “Glock switch,” installed, allowing it to fire as a fully automatic weapon. Glock switches are themselves considered machine guns under federal law, whether they are installed in a firearm or not. On Young’s side of the bed was a Ruger pistol. Wright has sustained multiple felony convictions including murder, dealing in a synthetic drug, operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Young has sustained a felony conviction for fraud. These prior felony convictions prohibit Wright and Young from ever legally possessing a firearm or ammunition. Also in the bedroom of the apartment, law enforcement found two backpacks. In Wright’s backpack, investigators found 30 debit and credit cards bearing the names of other individuals, as well as a piece of notebook paper that had the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for three other individuals written on it. “Americans rely on the U.S. Postal Service to securely deliver everything from birthday cards to critical financial documents,” said John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This couple exploited that trust through a widespread mail theft and identity fraud scheme that caused two million dollars in losses, while arming themselves with very dangerous illegal weapons. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who target the public and abuse systems we all depend on.” “This case highlights the distinguished partnership between the Indianapolis Field Office, the Evansville Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Secret Service has a duty to safeguard the nation’s financial infrastructure, but we protect far more than just the economic interest of the communities we serve,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Indianapolis Field Office, Ike Barnes. “This case is a prime example of how those who look to victimize our communities will do so in numerous ways. Michael Wright and Cortney Young not only exploited our community of roughly $1.8 million in illicit funds but also brought dangerous weapons into our neighborhoods to carry out their depraved scheme.” “Protecting the U.S. mail and its customers is at the core of our mission as postal inspectors,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Sean McStravick of USPIS - Detroit Division. “Thanks to incredible collaborative efforts with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we were able to do just that by putting these individuals behind bars. This sentencing should be considered a warning to anyone else looking to prey on the Postal Service or its customers – we will bring you to justice.” The U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew B. Miller and Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Ecuadorian man charged with illegal re-entry

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today Segundo Juan Maynato-Guaman, a/k/a Segundo Juan Mainato-Guaman, 46, a citizen of Ecuador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 25, 2025, Rochester Border Patrol Agents conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle that Maynato-Guaman was driving at the intersection of Brockport-Spencerport Road and Washington Street. When asked for citizenship, he responded, “Ecuador.” Maynato-Guaman voluntarily presented the agent with a New York State identification card which displayed the name Segundo Mainato-Guaman. When asked if he was present in the United States illegally, Maynato-Guaman replied, “yes, I do not have any documents.” A subsequent records check determined that in December 2009, Maynato-Guaman was physically removed from the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Maynato-Guaman made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was detained. The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Juan Ramirez, Jr. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Member of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials in Connection with Hit List

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that Noah Lamb, 24, was charged in the Eastern District of California in an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and other offenses in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination. “Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.” “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.” “The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.” “The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.” According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate. The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The indictment charges Lamb with a total of eight federal crimes, including one count of conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications. If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of 85 years in prison. The FBI Sacramento Field Office in investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California are 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: Cape Girardeau Man Admits Stealing from Gun Store

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Cape Girardeau man on Tuesday admitted helping to steal a pistol from a Cape Girardeau County gun store. Danaje Raymond Webster, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer. His co-defendant, Dayvion Jyraud Parker, 21, pleaded guilty in October of 2024 to five felonies: stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a machine gun. Both admitted that on June 17, 2024, they stole a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from a federally licensed firearm dealer in Cape Girardeau County. Webster removed the pistol from a display and handed it to Parker, who initially hid the pistol under his jacket. Parker later handed the pistol to Webster, who hid it between Parker’s back and the back of Parker’s wheelchair. Parker then bought a different pistol and ammunition and both men left the store. After store employees noticed the missing pistol, they reviewed surveillance video that showed the theft. On June 25, law enforcement officers performing a court-approved search of a home in Cape Girardeau found Parker, who is a felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms, lying on a bed with two pistols between the bed frame and the wall. Both pistols were equipped with auto sears, or “switches,” that rendered them fully automatic. Webster is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30. The theft charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years in prison. Parker was sentenced in March to 70 months in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Montgomery Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a Machinegun

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A Montgomery County man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a Glock switch, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. Middle District of Alabama U.S. District Court Judge Myron H. Thompson sentenced Da’Quarious Lamarion Dudley, 21, of Montgomery, Alabama, to 20 months in prison. In March, Dudley pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, on February 9, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department were alerted to a sighting of a stolen Mercedes Benz. Officers responded to the area and caught up with Dudley, the driver of the stolen vehicle. Dudley attempted to make a U-turn. Another officer blocked Dudley, preventing him from driving further. Dudley got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. During the chase, he grabbed a firearm in his waistband and threw it. Officers recovered a Glock 17 9mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” A search warrant of Dudley’s Facebook page revealed that he was regularly in possession of “switches” and even agreed to procure switches for other individuals in the Montgomery area. ATF Nashville Division investigated the case along with the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr. prosecuted the case.


title: Bristol Woman Pleads Guilty to Perjury

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Virginia woman, who lied under oath during her boyfriend’s supervised release revocation hearing, pled guilty today in federal court in Abingdon. Blaklee Buchanan, 27, pled guilty today to one count of making false material declarations under oath before a court of the United States. At sentencing, Buchanan faces up to five years in prison. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 28, 2025. According to court documents, on June 13, 2023, Buchanan was placed under oath as a witness in a supervised release revocation hearing in the case of United States v. Bradford Loudy. At the time, Loudy and Buchanan were in a romantic relationship. While testifying under oath, Buchanan was asked about events that occurred on March 23, 2023. Specifically, Buchanan was asked if Loudy physically assaulted her on that day. Buchanan said, “He never touched me.” Buchanan was also asked if Loudy hit her with a sandal. Buchan answered, “No.” To questions if Loudy bashed her head against a retaining wall, push her down, kicked her, and hit her, Buchanan answered, “No.” Loudy’s assault of Buchanan was witnessed by at least two other people, who also testified about it. When asked, “…you’re saying these ladies just made up this story about your boyfriend beating you” Buchanan said, “Yes. I have no clue who they are. He doesn’t beat me. He did not beat me. He did not hit me.” “No, he did not assault me on May or March 23.” This testimony was false because Loudy did physically assault Buchanan on March 23, as witnessed by two other people. Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone is prosecuting the case for the United States.


title: Honduran National Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Honduran national unlawfully residing in Brockton has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Oscar Lopez, 41, a/k/a “Luis Maldonado,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to time served (approximately 2.5 months) to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Lopez pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry. Lopez is a citizen of Honduras who entered the United States illegally in 2003. Lopez did not appear for an immigration court date in 2003 and was ordered removed. Lopez defaulted on that removal and was unable to be found for nearly a decade. He was eventually located by immigration authorities in the fall of 2012 and subsequently removed from the United States in January 2013. Just a few months later, Lopez illegally reentered the United States without permission and was removed for the second time in May 2013. At some point after his 2013 removal, Lopez illegally reentered the United States. Immigration officials became aware of Lopez’s unlawful presence in the United States after he was arrested by state authorities in March and April 2024 for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and furnishing false identification to law enforcement. He was arrested by immigration officials in April 2025. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Brazilian National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Milford has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Wadriam Jose Ferreira Do Carmo, 23, is charged with unlawful reentry of deported alien. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint on May 19, 2025. On June 2, 2023, United States Border Patrol arrested Ferreira Do Carmo after determining he illegally entered the United States. He was subsequently deported from the United States on July 20, 2023. Thereafter, on an unknown date and at an unknown location, Ferreira Do Carmo allegedly reentered the United States without being inspected. On May 6, 2024, immigration authorities became aware that Ferreira Do Carmo was unlawfully present in the United States after he was arrested by local law enforcement in Sherborn on an outstanding warrant. On May 19, 2025, immigration authorities conducted surveillance of Ferreira Do Carmo at his last known residence in Milford. There, it is alleged that Ferreira was observed arriving to the residence in a white van, exiting the van and fleeing towards the residence. Once Ferreira Do Carmo was inside the residence, law enforcement allegedly heard the sound of a window slamming inside the apartment which caused items to fall onto the porch. When law enforcement approached and knocked on the door, Ferreira Do Carmo allegedly refused to answer the door or leave the residence. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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; Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and John E. King, Chief of the Milton Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Jury Finds Man Guilty of Sexually Abusing His Former Girlfriend’s Child

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Benjamin Hernandez Torres was convicted yesterday of five counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse, each with aggravating circumstances, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict, which took place on July 1, 2025, was returned by the jury after a multi-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Danya Dayson scheduled sentencing for September 26, 2025. According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, between 2010 and 2014, the defendant, who was the victim’s mother’s then boyfriend, raped the victim multiple times when she was between 5 and 8 years old. She disclosed around 10 years later when she saw a photo of the defendant back at her house years later. Torres faces a maximum statutory sentence of life without the possibility of release on the first-degree child sexual abuse counts and fifteen years on each of the second-degree child sexual abuse counts. If he were to be released, Torres would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raha Mokhtari and Sarah Roessler.


component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Noah Lamb, 24, was charged with an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination. “The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.” “Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.” “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.” “The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.” According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate. The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth, Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Samuel A. Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy, a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of solicitation of murder of a federal official, a maximum of five years in prison for each count of doxing a federal official and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conviction. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Lame Deer woman pleads guilty to sex trafficking a minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS - A Lame Deer woman accused of sex trafficking a minor admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Veronica Clarice Baker, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. Baker faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Baker was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that sometime prior to April 9, 2023, Baker met Dr. Usman Khan on a social media website for people interested in a commercial sex relationship. Then, on or about April 9, 2023, Baker and Khan communicated for the purpose of arranging a commercial sex date between Khan and Jane Doe 1. Baker had known Jane Doe 1 for some time and Doe had, on occasion, watched Baker’s children. Baker knew Jane Doe 1, who was under the age of 18 at the time, was a minor. On April 9, 2023, while Baker and Khan were texting about Baker providing Jane Doe 1 for the purpose of a commercial sex date, Baker and Doe were in a hotel room in Billings. Baker sent Khan pictures of her and of Jane Doe 1 and she and Khan discussed rates. Ultimately, Baker agreed to transport Jane Doe 1 to Khan’s residence for the purpose of a commercial sex date. Baker left Jane Doe 1 at Khan’s residence and Jane Doe 1 and Khan engaged in sexual activity. Khan paid Jane Doe 1 for the encounter, and Doe provided some of the money to Baker. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . XXX


title: DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group

component: Civil Division

body_text: Healthcare fraud and abuse depletes taxpayer funds, corrodes public health and safety, and undermines the integrity of the federal healthcare system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have a long history of partnering to use one of the government’s most effective and successful tools — the False Claims Act (FCA) — to combat healthcare fraud. This Administration is fully committed to supporting such work. HHS and DOJ’s Civil Division are strengthening their ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas through the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group. Membership in the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group will include leadership from the HHS Office of General Counsel, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Program Integrity, the Office of Counsel to the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and DOJ’s Civil Division, with designees representing U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The group will be jointly led by the HHS General Counsel, Chief Counsel to HHS-OIG, and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Commercial Litigation Branch. As part of the Working Group’s coordination work: HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division, [1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas: Medicare Advantage Drug, device or biologics pricing, including arrangements for discounts, rebates, service fees, and formulary placement and price reporting Barriers to patient access to care, including violations of network adequacy requirements Kickbacks related to drugs, medical devices, durable medical equipment, and other products paid for by federal healthcare programs Materially defective medical devices that impact patient safety Manipulation of Electronic Health Records systems to drive inappropriate utilization of Medicare covered products and services The Working Group shall maximize cross-agency collaboration to expedite ongoing investigations in these priority areas and identify new leads, including by leveraging HHS resources through enhanced data mining and assessment of HHS and HHS-OIG report findings. The Working Group shall discuss considerations bearing on whether HHS should implement a payment suspension pursuant to 42 C.F.R. § 405.370 et seq . or whether DOJ shall move to dismiss a qui tam complaint under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A), consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.111. The DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group encourages whistleblowers to identify and report violations of the federal False Claims Act involving priority enforcement areas. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Similarly, the Working Group encourages healthcare companies to identify and report such violations consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.112. Note : Read a PDF version of the release here [1] Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division Enforcement Priorities (June 11, 2025), available at www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl?inline .


title: Brooksville Man Sentenced For Drug Distribution

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Darrence White (29, Brooksville) to 20 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. White pleaded guilty on April 7, 2025. According to court documents, on March 11, 2023, a deputy with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which White was a passenger. The deputy detected a strong odor of narcotics emitting from the vehicle and removed the occupants, including White. An officer located a bag in the glove compartment that contained methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a blue latex glove. During a subsequent search of White, officers recovered additional controlled substances and a blue latex glove like the one from the glovebox. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Carjacking a U.S. Postal Service Truck

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Wilber Castellanos Hernandez, 33, an undocumented Mexican citizen, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to carjacking a U.S. Postal Service Truck and threatening the U.S. Postal Service employee. In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow sentenced Hernandez to 36 months’ supervised release and ordered him to pay $2,828.89 in restitution for damage to the postal vehicle and missing postal equipment. According to court documents and statements made at Hernandez’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on February 5, 2024, Hernandez stole a U.S. Postal Service vehicle in Salt Lake City. He admitted to checking the door handle of the postal truck and entering the vehicle. When he was told to get out of the vehicle by the postal employee, he pointed a knife at him and fled from the area. Hernandez was tracked using GPS technology and stopped by law enforcement before he was subsequently taken into custody. See prior release here: Salt Lake City Man Accused of Carjacking a U.S. Postal Service Truck and Causing Multiple Car Accidents is Arrested and Charged . The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Final Defendant in Large-Scale Firearms Trafficking Ring in Brooklyn Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Calvin Tabron was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 63 months in prison for conspiring to traffic firearms. Tabron acted as a straw purchaser for a gun trafficking ring that operated around the Breukelen Houses, a New York City Housing Authority development in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Tabron pleaded guilty to the charge in March 2024. Judge Kuntz previously sentenced Tabron’s three co-defendants who pleaded guilty to gun and narcotics trafficking charges: David Mccann was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms and fentanyl; Tajhai Jones was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms; and Raymond Minaya was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms and cocaine base. The defendants were charged in January 2023 in the first case in New York to publicly charge the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentences. “The defendants’ convictions and sentences demonstrate our resolve to hold accountable those who flood the streets of Brooklyn with deadly weapons and drugs, feeding the cycles of gun violence and substance abuse,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office will continue to vigorously enforce our laws by using the tools provided by Congress, such as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to prosecute gun traffickers.” “Today’s sentencing of Calvin Tabron is a direct result of the collaboration we have with our law enforcement partners in targeting those individuals who compromise the safety and security of our communities,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Mr. Tabron not only pushed fentanyl onto our streets, but chose to push and sell weapons as well, both which could have resulted in senseless and deadly consequences. Removing these individuals from our streets, saves lives.” “Today’s sentencing is the culmination of government at every level—local, state, and federal—working together to hold dangerous criminals accountable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Calvin Tabron pumped illegal weapons, including untraceable ghost guns, and drugs into a Brooklyn community, putting countless lives at risk. I thank all the NYPD investigators, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts in this historic case.” According to court filings, the defendants’ gun-trafficking operation involved the sale of at least 50 illegal firearms over multiple transactions in Brooklyn between January 2022 and August 2022. The defendants conducted these firearms sales in broad daylight in a public park, in shopping center parking lots, in vehicles in and around the Breukelen Houses, across from a church, and blocks away from a preschool and grade school. Tabron and Jones obtained firearms in Virginia and then transported them to New York to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn. Some of the firearms sold by the defendants had defaced serial numbers or were made from ghost gun kits, making them harder for law enforcement to trace. Mccann and Minaya also engaged in significant narcotics trafficking conspiracies, including a fentanyl distribution conspiracy that introduced thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into the community. Firearms sold in the conspiracy have also been linked to shootings in Brooklyn. For example, on June 22, 2022, Minaya sold an undercover officer a Glock 30, .45 caliber handgun. The investigation revealed that this gun was used in an August 21, 2021 shooting in Bedford-Stuyvesant during which armed perpetrators shot into a large crowd gathered for a family day celebration. In total, eight individuals were struck by gunfire. Another gun trafficked by Minaya—a Glock 43, 9-millimeter caliber handgun—is linked to a December 18, 2021 shooting of an individual in Canarsie, in the blocks surrounding the Breukelen Houses complex. That individual sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Division and supervised by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen, and James R. Simmons are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant Sentenced Today: CALVIN TABRON Age: 27 Virginia Beach, Virginia Defendants Previously Sentenced: DAVID MCCANN Age: 30 Brooklyn, New York TAJHAI JONES Age: 31 Portsmouth, Virginia RAYMOND MINAYA Age: 29 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-8 (WFK)


title: Citizen Of Mexico Charged With Illegal Reentry

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edelicio Castillo-Ramos, age 33, a citizen of Mexico, residing in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for illegal reentry. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Castillo-Ramos was previously removed from the United States on July 12, 2012, through Calexico, California, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. The indictment also alleges that on June 20, 2025, Castillo-Ramos was encountered in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is 2 years, a fine, and supervised release following imprisonment. 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. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Belmont County man sentenced to 60 years in prison for sexually exploiting multiple children

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dennis Stopar, 65, of Flushing, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 720 months in prison for sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography. According to court documents, between 2022 and 2023, Stopar sexually assaulted at least nine minor victims, both male and female, and created hundreds of videos and images of the horrific abuse. At the time of the sexual assaults, most of the minor victims were in foster care of a family member of Stopar. In December 2023, while investigating a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child pornography being uploaded to a Dropbox account at an address in Belmont County, law enforcement encountered Stopar. Further investigation revealed Stopar, a convicted sex offender, possessed child pornography he had created of one of the minor victims on his phone. Stopar was arrested and his electronic devices were subsequently processed via a federal search warrant, and he was charged federally in April 2024. Forensic examinations on his devices revealed Stopar had filmed the sexual assaults of at least seven of the minor victims he had access to. Approximately 160 images and 12 videos of the identified victims being sexually assaulted by Stopar were recovered. Stopar’s prior sex offense is a rape conviction for sexually abusing a victim beginning when the victim was approximately 6 years old until the victim was 16 years old. The defendant pleaded guilty in this case in December 2024. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Belmont County Sheriff James G. Zusack announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Illegal Alien Felon and Georgia Man Arrested for Trafficking over 700 Pounds of Methamphetamine Hidden Within a Load of Cucumbers

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Andres Jasso, Jr. and Rufino Pineda-Perez, an illegal alien, appeared in federal court yesterday on charges related to the seizure of over 700 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a tractor-trailer load of cucumbers outside of a Gainesville warehouse. “Thanks to the diligent work of our federal and state law enforcement partners, a tremendous amount of meticulously concealed methamphetamine was located, was seized, and will never hit the street,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will aggressively prosecute criminals who attempt to use North Georgia as a distribution hub for their deadly poisons.” “This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 30, 2025, DEA Atlanta agents learned that a tractor-trailer parked at a warehouse in Gainesville, Georgia potentially contained a large amount of drugs. At the warehouse, agents observed a sedan next to the tractor trailer. Jasso, Jr. was in the driver’s seat of the sedan, and Pineda-Perez was in the front passenger seat. During a search of the tractor-trailer, agents located 20 pallets of boxes containing cucumbers. Inside the boxes, agents uncovered thousands of individually wrapped packages containing methamphetamine. Jasso, Jr. and Pineda-Perez were allegedly tasked with offloading the shipment from the tractor-trailer and separating the drugs from the cucumbers. After DEA agents arrested Jasso, Jr. and Pineda-Perez, the agents learned that the total quantity of methamphetamine seized exceeded 700 pounds. Pineda-Perez is allegedly a citizen and national of Mexico with no legal status in the United States. In 2001, Pineda-Perez was deported and removed from the United States following a felony conviction in Arizona for transporting marijuana. He illegally re-entered the United States thereafter and was encountered by federal agents in March 2014, while transporting nearly one kilogram of cocaine in the Atlanta area. In August 2015, a federal judge sentenced him to six and a half years of imprisonment. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Pineda-Perez was deported for a second time. Andres Jasso, Jr., 37, of Brookhaven, Ga., and Rufino Pineda-Perez, 59, of Mexico, were charged in a criminal complaint on July 1, 2025, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pineda-Perez was also charged in a separate criminal complaint with illegal reentry by a removed alien. Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga


title: West Nanticoke Man Charged with Drug Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Daniyel Jamal Heyward, age 45, of West Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment charges Heyward with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine on February 13, 2025, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine between January 1, 2025 and February 13, 2025. The case was investigated by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiate that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses are 40 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. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Honduras Native Charged With Illegal Possession Of A Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nelson Geovany Pineda-Chacon, age 30, of Honduras, residing in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about May 7, 2024, in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, Pineda-Chacon, an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, did knowingly possess a 9mm Beretta handgun and 9mm Luger ammunition as a prohibited person. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiate that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is fifteen 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. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. ###


title: Bail bondsmen and former federal officer indicted in immigration-related bribery case

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Four people are now in custody on allegations they exchanged money to lift immigration detainers on individuals held in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Houston residents Leopoldo Perrault Benitez, 53, Anthony Benitez, 32, Isaac Sierra, 51, and Jose Angel Muniz, 51, La Porte, made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray, at which time the indictment was unsealed. They were ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. A federal grand jury returned the indictment June 24. It alleges Leopoldo Benitez was the owner of A Way Out Bail Bonds in Houston. His son - Anthony Benitez - was an employee, while Sierra worked at International Bonding Company, according to the charges. Muniz was allegedly a deportation officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO). Between April 2023 and March 2024, the charges allege the three bail bondsmen paid Muniz to lift immigration detainers on illegal aliens in ICE custody awaiting removal. “The Southern District of Texas takes allegations of corruption by federal officers extremely seriously, particularly those entrusted with keeping our border secure and nation safe,” said Ganjei. “There is no room whatsoever for bribery or side deals when it comes to immigration enforcement.” If convicted, all four face up to 15 years in prison and a fine equal to the equivalent value of the bribes offered and received or $250,000, whichever is greater. ICE - Office of Professional Responsibility, FBI and Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: New York Man Indicted For Failure To Register As A Sex Offender

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Darnell Ney, age 41, of Attica, New York, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for failing to register as a sex offender upon relocating to Pennsylvania. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from July 22, 2024 and continuing to on or about February 2, 2025, despite being required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), upon relocating to the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Ney failed to register his address in Pennsylvania as required by SORNA. This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Wyoming County Sherriff’s Department in Warsaw, New York; and the Wyoming County District Attorney’s Office in Warsaw, New York. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 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. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Georgia Man Sentenced for Exploiting North Mississippi Boy

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Greenville, MS – A Georgia man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for attempting to coerce a Mississippi minor to send sexually explicit images through an online platform. According to court documents, Davin Buckner, 24 years old, of Resaca, Georgia, engaged in an online conversation over a gaming platform with a ten-year old child in Lafayette County. Buckner invited and allowed the minor to access and use credits on Buckner’s account to play games. Once the minor used some credits, Buckner advised the minor that he would have to repay the money by sending explicit images of himself. Buckner thought the child was 9 years old. Using emojis, Buckner requested the minor send pictures of his penis “stimulated.” The minor complied and took a picture using his cell phone which he then sent to Buckner. The minor’s parents discovered the messages and turned the cell phone over to the FBI. Buckner committed this online crime while out on bond awaiting trial for hands on sexual exploitation offenses out of Georgia that occurred in 2020. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Buckner to serve 240 months in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release for the online offense. “I can think of no more egregious crime than an adult who sexually exploits a child, and this office will continue to exercise zero tolerance for sexual predators, period,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Parker King and our invaluable partners at the FBI have yet again run an extremely dangerous individual to ground and provided protection and justice to the most vulnerable among us.” "Protecting children from exploitation is one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Mr. Buckner, who was awaiting trial for sexual exploitation of another child, continued to violate the innocence of a minor. Buckner is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our most vulnerable victims, our children. The FBI maintains a steadfast commitment to protect minors and their innocence by aggressively investigating and holding accountable predators, like Buckner." This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Childhood nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Willful Failure to Register Charge in Waco

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco to one count of willful failure to register. According to court documents, Diego Zaragoza-Rios was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety for a traffic violation near Itasca on Sept. 20, 2024. Assisted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a check of immigration databases yielded negative results for any lawful admission into the U.S., and Zaragoza-Rios admitted during a telephonic interview with an ICE deportation officer that he had entered the U.S. unlawfully sometime in 2023. Zaragoza-Rios pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland, who sentenced the defendant to time served. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). ###


title: Alabama Man with Gun who Fled and  Crashed into Police Car Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to two years in federal prison. Chrishawn Lloyd Stuckey, age 43, from Birmingham, Alabama, received the prison term after a February 7, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Stuckey was intoxicated while at a Wal-Mart in Waterloo, Iowa. He left the store and drove erratically. When a law enforcement officer attempted to stop his car, Stuckey refused to pull over. Stuckey instead got onto an on-ramp to the highway. Officers used a car maneuver to force Stuckey to stop. Stuckey then put his car in reverse and backed up into a squad car, damaging it. Officers found a loaded stolen firearm in Stuckey’s car. Stuckey has felony convictions for trafficking in stolen weapons and possession of a firearm by a felon. Stuckey was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Stuckey was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Stuckey is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-2017. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to 2 Immigration Violations in Waco

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Mexican national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco on Tuesday to one count of failure to update change of address and one count of false documents. According to court documents, Juana Maria Garcia-Rosales, was found in Temple on May 15, after Temple Police executed a search warrant at her residence. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Officers subsequently arrested Garcia-Rosales for being in possession of a Permanent Resident Card with an Alien Number that had not been issued. A criminal complaint alleges that Garcia-Rosales admitted to purchasing the card from someone in Florida via social media. Further investigation revealed that Garcia-Rosales was previously admitted into the U.S. with a Border Crosser Card in July 2012 and the Form I-94 documenting her arrival listed her address as a location in Bryan—not Temple. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Garcia-Rosales faces up to 10 years in federal 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. ICE is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Frazier is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Lajuane Broadus, 48 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Broadus was sentenced to 200 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Broadus distributed controlled substances in June and September 2024. A search warrant executed at his residence resulted in the recovery of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, three firearms, ammunition, body armor, and a large amount of U.S. currency. As a convicted felon, Broadus was prohibited from possessing the firearms, and he illegally possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Montgomery Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that 33-year-old Taboris Ladale Mock, of Montgomery, Alabama, has been sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by a federal judge on July 1, 2025, following Mock’s guilty plea to two counts of unlawful firearm possession. There is no parole in the federal system. According to his plea agreement and other court records, at approximately 3:25 a.m. on September 28, 2024, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire in the parking lot of an establishment on Wetumpka Highway. Witnesses stated that they observed up to six individuals exchanging gunfire following an altercation. Surveillance video recovered from the business showed Mock discharging a handgun toward a vehicle in the parking lot before fleeing the scene. Investigators later recovered 24 spent shell casings from the area. Deputies also learned that a person inside the vehicle Mock fired upon had been transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound. The victim later succumbed to their injuries. Later, on October 23, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Mock’s residence in Montgomery and recovered a 9mm handgun. Due to previous felony convictions, Mock is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. Mock pleaded guilty to both firearm possession charges on April 1, 2025. This case was brought as a 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.


title: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking South Carolina Federal Agent and Family

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Scott Robert Tardy, 31, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice in a scheme that targeted a South Carolina federal law enforcement agent and his family. According to evidence presented in court, in February, Tardy operated an account with the username “connecticut12345” on the Kik social media platform in which he joined an anti-law enforcement chatgroup. In that group, Tardy posted numerous messages discussing and soliciting violence against a specific agent and the agent’s spouse. In those messages, Tardy repeatedly identified the victims’ employment affiliation as a reason to target them. He also shared photographs of the agent’s spouse and the city and state in which they live. Tardy discussed violence against the agent and the agent’s family, including throwing a Molotov cocktail in their bedroom while they were sleeping. He asked for the conversation to be moved to the Telegram platform, where he operated the username “slimybanana,” because he believed it was more secure. On the second platform, Tardy discussed what a cartel would do to the victims, he discussed having one of the victims “ruined,” “destroyed,” and “tortured for days.” He said burning the house was “good enough” if the victim was inside. Tardy then shared the location of the victims’ home by sharing a map with a pin drop on the victims’ street, and asked another user how long it would take them to get there. When the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Tardy’s apartment on Feb. 16, he falsely denied ever using Kik or Telegram and he denied responsibility for the solicitations and messages. He gave further false statements in an interview with investigators, and he caused the phone he used to be reset, clearing its content, and exchanged with Apple for a new phone. Despite that, investigators recovered the map of the victims’ home with the pin drop on it from an account associated with Tardy. Data related to the Kik and Telegram accounts showed that Tardy controlled the accounts. During the scheme, Tardy worked as a corrections officer at a detention facility in Connecticut. Tardy faces a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and five years of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office to follow a term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted Tardy’s guilty plea and will sentence the defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office with critical assistance from FBI Boston field office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Murder Law Enforcement and Attack FBI Office

body_text: Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison today in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. On Nov. 20, 2024, following a three-day jury trial, Kelley was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing a federal official by threat. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. The evidence showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.” A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters. At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt,” and “Every hit has to hurt.” Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.