title: Repeat Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Over 4 Years for Cocaine Distribution and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Travis L. Ingram, 38, Mosinee, Wisconsin, was sentenced on March 12, 2026, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 52 months in federal prison for distributing cocaine, maintaining a drug trafficking premises, and money laundering. Ingram pleaded guilty to these charges on December 16, 2025. During a two-year investigation, police informants purchased cocaine from Ingram on multiple occasions. At the end of the investigation, police seized over a pound of cocaine, a scale, and other evidence of drug dealing from Ingrams’s home pursuant to a search warrant. Further investigation revealed that Ingram laundered over $ 1 million in illegal drug proceeds during a six-year period through bank accounts and casinos. At the sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Ingram dealt a substantial amount of cocaine in the Marathon County area. Judge Conley further emphasized that Ingram escalated his drug trafficking activities despite two prior convictions for the same crime. Judge Conley found it disturbing that Ingram conducted drug trafficking in front of minors. The charges against Ingram were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of agents from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case. Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. 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 Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Venezuelan National Convicted of Assaulting Federal Officer

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera, a Venezuelan national residing illegally in the U.S., was sentenced in federal court today to eight months and two days in custody for assaulting a federal officer near Mission Bay. Bastardo pleaded guilty March 3, 2026, admitting that on July 15, 2025, he assaulted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer by biting him on the forearm. During his arrest for an immigration violation, Bastardo engaged in a five-minute struggle with federal officers culminating in the bite. Bastardo was living in the United States without legal immigration status and was ordered removed by an Immigration Judge on June 10, 2025, after failing to appear for court. “Our office will continue to prioritize the protection of federal officers engaged in their lawful duties,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Assaulting a federal law enforcement officer is a serious offense and any actions that put agents and officers at risk will not be tolerated,” said Kevin Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “We will continue to hold all individuals who assault law enforcement or interfere with investigations and operations fully accountable.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel F. Casillas and Loren G. Renner. DEFENDANT Case Number 25-cr-3017-H Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera Age: 32 San Diego, California SUMMARY OF CHARGES Assault on a Federal Officer – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 111(a) and (b) Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.


title: Guatemalan Illegal Alien Sentenced for Helping Other Illegal Aliens Obtain Counterfeit Identity Documents

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Norma Ayala, 35, a citizen of Guatemala present in the U.S. illegally, was sentenced to 8 months in custody for the offense of conspiracy to transfer false United States Social Security cards and Permanent Resident cards to illegal aliens. In 2024, Homeland Security Investigations learned of a counterfeit identification document scheme operating in the Grand Rapids area. Their investigation determined that Ms. Ayala, together with codefendants Rigoberto Vasquez-Vasquez and Edgidio Vasques-Mencho, were advertising, manufacturing, and selling fraudulent Social Security and Permanent Resident cards to persons unlawfully in the United States. The investigative team identified the defendants engaging in such activities on a number of occasions in 2024 and 2025. Ms. Ayala’s role in the conspiracy was to take orders, obtain biographical data and photographs to be used in the manufacture of the documents, pass the orders and materials to a co-conspirator, deliver the finished documents, and collect payments. On September 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against the three conspirators. Each of the defendants later pled guilty to their role in the conspiracy. The co-conspirators are scheduled for sentencing at a later date. Upon the completion of her sentence, Ms. Ayala, who has been deported from the United States on four prior occasions, will be removed to her native Guatemala. U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “This case is an example of why the public has lost its tolerance for illegal immigration. Ms. Ayala has been removed from the United States four times, which shows her disregard for our laws. When she came back, for the fifth time, she celebrated her good fortune by starting a fraud ring to enrich herself and to allow others to evade our immigration laws. This conduct is unacceptable, and my office will aggressively prosecute it whenever it occurs.” “The production and distribution of fraudulent identity documents undermine the security of our nation and enable further criminal activity,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “HSI special agents remain committed to investigating and dismantling document fraud schemes that threaten the integrity of our immigration system. We will continue to pursue those who manufacture and sell counterfeit documents and work with our partners to ensure they are brought to justice.” The Grand Rapids office of Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Daniels prosecuted it. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Michigan Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America . HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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: Louisville Man Sentenced to 15 years for  Drug and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky man was sentenced this week to 15 years in federal prison for trafficking in firearms, distribution of methamphetamine, and illegal possession of firearms. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Sukhjit Bains, 52, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of trafficking in firearms, two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, specifically, a 3D-printed Glock type machine gun conversion device. A Glock switch device allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic and is defined as a machinegun under federal law. On November 20, 2024, Bains sold 9 firearms and approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential law enforcement source. On December 12, 2024, Bains sold 6 firearms and approximately to 2 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential law enforcement source. On January 10, 2025, a search warrant was executed on Bains’ former business, “The Liquor Palace” at 5601 Preston Highway in Louisville. After searching the business and arresting Bains, law enforcement found an additional 31 firearms and smaller amounts of methamphetamine. All together, Bains was held responsible for illegally trafficking 99 firearms. Bains was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On November 28, 2018, in the United States District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Bains was convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On March 28, 2017, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Bains was convicted of wanton endangerment in the first degree, tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance in the first degree-methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the ATF, DEA, IRS-CI and LMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Porter prosecuted the case with assistance of paralegal specialist Adela Alic. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threatens the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Nashville is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, LMPD, DEA. IRS-CI, HSI, and FBI and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. ###


title: D.C. Man Sentenced to 14-Month Prison Term for Strangling Romantic Partner

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Myron Caldwell, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 14 months incarceration on charges stemming from strangling his romantic partner in November 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Caldwell pleaded guilty on January 8, 2026, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of strangulation. On March 16, 2026, the Honorable Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Caldwell to the 14-month prison term. “This is a case where the defendant, not only attacked his girlfriend, but terrorized her. Caldwell strangled his girlfriend, pinned her to the ground, and then held her prisoner in her own home,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Domestic violence will not be tolerated. For any woman in a violent relationship please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE." According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2025, Caldwell and the victim, his girlfriend, were involved in a verbal altercation at the latter’s home in Southeast Washington, D.C. When the dispute became physical and the victim fell onto the ground, Caldwell got on top of her and put the victim in a chokehold, applying pressure to her neck and restricting her ability to breathe. The victim retreated to her apartment bathroom once Caldwell released her, but Caldwell then followed her into the bathroom and refused to let her leave for several hours. Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elias Feldman, who prosecuted the case.


title: Texas Woman Federally Charged with Trafficking Over 500 Grams of Meth up I-35

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Roma woman made her initial appearance in a federal court in Waco today after she was arrested for alleged drug trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, on March 12, Julie Juarez was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 35 in Hill County by a Texas Highway Patrol trooper. The trooper allegedly observed numerous indicators of deception as well as inconsistent travel itinerary pertaining to Juarez’s trip to Dallas. A canine conducted a free air sniff around Juarez’s minivan and alerted to the odor of narcotics. A vehicle search allegedly resulted in the discovery of approximately 480 lbs. of methamphetamine and approximately 40 lbs. of heroin located in an aftermarket compartment. A criminal complaint alleges Juarez picked up the narcotics in Mexico, crossed into Texas via the Roma Point of Entry, and was traveling to deliver the narcotics in Dallas. Juarez is charged with possession with intent to deliver at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. If convicted, she faces a mandatory 10 years in federal prison with a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris 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. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Lakeland Man Who Fired Bullets That Killed 70-Year-Old-Grandmother and Injured 13-Year-Old Girl in 2020 Christmas Eve Shootout Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida –Taqiy Lewis (27, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon in connection with a shooting. Lewis faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on December 24, 2020, 70-year-old M.C. was outside her Lakeland home with her family, including young children. At approximately 5:30 p.m., Lewis and others engaged in a shootout just outside M.C.’s residence. M.C. was struck twice and killed. 13-year-old A.L. was also shot and wounded. More than two years later, on February 9, 2023, during an unrelated investigation, ATF agents and officers from the Lakeland Police Department recovered a Kahr CM9 9mm pistol while executing a search warrant. Forensic testing using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (“NIBIN”) confirmed that this firearm was the one used to kill M.C. and injure A.L. Further investigation revealed that six casings collected from the crime scene, two spent projectiles recovered from a home, and a bullet recovered from M.C.’s body were all fired by Lewis and the Kahr CM9 pistol he possessed. At the time of the shooting, Lewis was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.


title: Nicaraguan National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Forcibly Resisting Federal Agents in Extended Struggle During Immigration Arrest

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Denis Napoleon Corea-Miranda (22) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber to one year and six months in federal prison for forcibly resisting, opposing, or impeding federal officers. Corea-Miranda pleaded guilty on December 2, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, on August 26, 2025, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) attempted to arrest Corea-Miranda in connection with a final order of removal from the United States. While being questioned by agents, Corea-Miranda attempted to flee which led to an extended struggle between agents and Corea-Miranda. During the struggle, Corea-Miranda ended up on top of the agents and held them to the ground. An ICE agent suffered a dislocated shoulder during the attempt to arrest Corea-Miranda. Corea-Miranda ultimately fled on foot before later being arrested by deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang. 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: Convicted Rapist Who Committed Armed Robberies in Tampa While on Parole for New Jersey Robberies Sentenced To 27 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Jose Rodriguez (63) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday to 27 years in federal prison for robbery and use of a firearm during the commission of those robberies. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on August 4, 2024, Rodriguez entered a pizza shop in Tampa, approached the employees, pointed a pistol at them, and demanded money. The three employees fled through the back of the store. A month later, on September 11, 2024, Rodriguez returned to the same shopping plaza. This time, he went inside a cellphone store, pointed a firearm at its employees and told them, “don’t move or I’ll shoot you.” Rodriguez ultimately made out with little money and fled. Detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to the scene. Working alongside ATF agents, they canvassed the scene, collected surveillance footage from nearby businesses, and identified the vehicle used by Rodriguez during the robbery. Two days later, investigators found Rodriguez, his car, and executed a federal search warrant at his home. Agents recovered the two-tone .45 caliber Kahr pistol Rodriguez had used to commit the robberies. A National Crime Information Center query revealed that Rodriguez had stolen the firearm from a terminally ill man in Pennsylvania. Rodriguez also robbed that man of his car, cash, and personal items. Rodriguez had previously been convicted of three different robberies, as well as rape. At the time he committed these offenses, Rodriguez was on parole out of the state of New Jersey for robbery. This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.


title: Two Men Sentenced to Consecutive Life Terms Plus 100 Years for Contract Killing of 17-Year-Old Girl

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Lenard White (38), a/k/a “Len,” “Mike Williams,” and “Stick” and Sheldon Robinson (22), a/k/a “Poboy,” have each been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Jung to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment, plus 100 years, for the 2023 murder of I.S. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. On October 29, 2025, a federal jury found both men guilty of all charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for hire, murder for hire, premeditated first degree murder, discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence which caused the death of I.S., discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, tampering with witnesses, and obstruction of justice. According to evidence presented at trial, on February 6, 2023, I.S., a 17-year-old high school student and a member of her school’s tennis team and ROTC program, and her mother, L.P., reported to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office that I.S. had been sexually assaulted. The next day, Robinson came to their house and knocked on the door. When the door was opened, Robinson fired a barrage of gunshots at I.S. and L.P., killing I.S. The bullet that killed I.S. struck her in the back as she ran away from her front door for help. L.P. was struck several times but survived. L.P. collapsed on the ground and watched her daughter die. The evidence showed the murder was orchestrated by White, the man who had sexually assaulted her, and who had left the state prior to her murder to give himself an alibi. His cousin, Robinson, committed the murder for $6,000. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) immediately began investigating the case. After more than 70 federal and state search warrants, investigators obtained a step-by-step blueprint for how Robinson killed I.S., including the individuals that he had recruited to help him carry it out. Six months after I.S.’s murder, and as the investigation was unfolding, detectives from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and ATF agents executed a second search warrant in Robinson’s home. Buried in a wooded area behind his home, investigators recovered the gun Robinson used to murder I.S. As the investigation continued, White and Robinson repeatedly attempted to hinder the investigation by disposing of evidence, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice, and making false statements to law enforcement. The two also discussed plans of having another witness against them killed. A third defendant, Keshawn Woods, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of I.S. On January 13, 2026, Woods was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with substantial assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Samantha Newman.


title: Brooks County man convicted of meth trafficking

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Falfurrias resident has pleaded guilty to conducting multiple narcotics transactions in the Corpus Christi area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. The investigation into Rodolfo Alvarado began in March 2025. Authorities were able to extract numerous text messages and financial transactions that indicated widespread drug trafficking. In the following months, law enforcement conducted controlled buys from Alvarado and other co-conspirators. On Aug. 8, 2025, authorities executed a search warrant at Alvarado’s residence and located items commonly used in narcotics distribution, including digital scales and plastic baggies. They also discovered a wooden board covering a hole in the ground beneath a shaded structure. Inside the hole, they located a plastic bag containing approximately 303.73 grams of meth. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing June 18. At that time, Alvarado faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Pruitt are prosecuting the case.


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $1.5 Million in SNAP Benefits

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $1.5 million in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is a federal benefit program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to supplement the food budgets of eligible individuals. Retail stores authorized to participate in the program can accept SNAP benefits through EBT cards, also known as Link cards, although it is illegal for stores or individuals to exchange the cards for cash or other items. From 2018 to 2023, DAVID QUINONES gave cash or other items to SNAP recipients in exchange for access to their Link cards. Quinones used the cards to purchase various goods at authorized retail stores, fraudulently representing himself as the authorized user of the cards. He then re-sold most of the goods, keeping the proceeds for himself. In total, Quinones used more than 1,200 cards and fraudulently caused the USDA to pay out approximately $1,554,804 in SNAP benefits. Quinones, 45, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. On March 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger sentenced Quinones to four years and four months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $1,554,804 in restitution to the government. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Mailing Threatening Communications to Jewish Institutions and Civil Rights Violations

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced that Clift Seferlis, 55, of Garrett Park, Maryland, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 37 months in prison, 3 years supervised release, $40,000 fine, and a $2,200 special assessment for mailing threatening communications targeting Jewish institutions and organizations. According to court documents, Seferlis previously pleaded guilty to 17 counts of mailing threatening communications and eight counts of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs arising from threats sent to Jewish organizations and entities. “For more than a year, the defendant terrorized Jewish communities across the country, robbing his victims of their peace and security,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “The defendant’s sentence should be a warning to all that religious-based terror will not be tolerated in this country.” “Threats directed at religious institutions are attacks not just on those communities but on the freedoms guaranteed to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Individuals who attempt to intimidate or terrorize others because of their faith will face the full force of federal law.” As admitted in court filings, from at least March 2024 through at least June 2025, the defendant used the United States mail to send at least 40 letters and two postcards to more than 25 Jewish institutions and organizations, including synagogues, Jewish museums, community centers, schools, nonprofit organizations, and a Jewish delicatessen located in multiple jurisdictions. Many of these written communications threatened to destroy physical buildings and/or injure individuals. The threatening communications were intended to intimidate recipients and interfere with congregants and others in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including FBI Philadelphia and FBI Baltimore, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from additional law enforcement partners. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dubnoff for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.


title: Former Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 4 years in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Christopher Eugene Guilford, 54, formerly of Sacramento, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for making a false claim against the United States and filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. “Filing false tax returns is not a shortcut to easy money; it’s a federal crime,” U.S. Attorney Grant said. “By submitting nine fraudulent returns and stealing more than $1.17 million in refunds, the defendant tried to cheat the American taxpayer. Today’s sentence shows that those who abuse our tax system for personal gain will be held accountable.” On Oct. 30, 2025, a jury found Guilford guilty of one count of making a false claim against the United States and eight counts of filing a false tax return. Guilford had filed nine false tax returns with the IRS in which he reported false income and false tax withholdings. For one of the tax return filings, Guilford received a refund of $1,172,446. The charges against Guilford stem from his use of a convoluted “redemption” scheme, used by tax protestors and sovereign citizens that has been repeatedly rejected by the courts. “Mr. Guilford’s sentencing underscores the serious consequences for those who attempt to exploit the tax system through fraudulent schemes, including so‑called ‘redemption’ tactics,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS‑CI) Oakland Field Office. “By fabricating income, falsifying withholdings, and seeking more than a million dollars in illegitimate refunds, Guilford not only violated federal law but also undermined the integrity of programs designed to serve honest taxpayers. IRS‑CI will continue to pursue individuals who seek to enrich themselves through deceit and hold them fully accountable.” IRS-CI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany M. Gunter and Arelis M. Clemente prosecuted the case.


title: Owners and CEO of Wholesale Pharmaceutical Company Sentenced for Distributing More Than $92M of Black-Market HIV Drugs

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Two owners of a pharmaceutical wholesale company were sentenced Friday to a total of 38 years in prison for orchestrating a complex, nationwide drug diversion scheme that harmed vulnerable HIV-positive patients, placed countless others at risk, and corrupted the supply chain for prescription drugs in the United States. “Patrick and Charles Boyd did not just commit fraud and cost taxpayers millions of dollars, they preyed upon some of the most vulnerable members of our society: HIV patients who depend on life-saving treatments to manage their disease,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraud schemes like this one undermine the integrity of our supply chain for necessary prescription drugs. These defendants will rightly spend years in prison for their reprehensible conduct, which took advantage of people for illicit profit. This case is another example of how the Criminal Division, our United States Attorney partner in the Southern District of Florida, and law enforcement will pursue and seek convictions of those who defraud our systems, endanger our citizens, and seek to line their pockets with fraud proceeds.” “These defendants treated life-saving HIV medication like street contraband,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They bought drugs off the street from black-market suppliers, shipped them in dirty boxes and discarded packaging, falsified paperwork, and pushed those medications back into the legitimate pharmaceutical supply chain. The consequences were real. HIV patients received bottles containing the wrong drugs, and at least one patient lost consciousness after ingesting medication that should never have been in that bottle. As a former military prosecutor, federal prosecutor, and trial judge, I have seen how greed can drive dangerous schemes. When criminals gamble with patient safety for profit, federal prison is the result.” “Friday’s sentence underscores the extreme danger these defendants created,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “They took life‑threatening actions that showed an alarming disregard for human life in service of nothing more than a payday. Their criminal scheme endangered vulnerable patients, put entire communities at risk, and undermined the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid. HHS‑OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners — and using every tool in our arsenal — to pursue and dismantle illegal black‑market rings that seek to corrupt the nation’s drug supply and exploit taxpayer‑funded health care programs.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, brothers Patrick Boyd, 47, and Charles Boyd, 43, of Easton, Maryland, founded and owned Safe Chain Solutions, a wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical medications located in Maryland. Charles Boyd was the CEO, while Patrick Boyd was a Managing Partner who oversaw the company’s sales division. The evidence presented at trial showed that Patrick and Charles Boyd conspired with at least five black-market suppliers to purchase HIV drugs obtained through patient “buyback schemes” at steep discounts. One of their suppliers testified at trial that he purchased HIV drugs from patients on the street, removed the original prescription labels, and packaged the bottles in cardboard boxes — sometimes scavenged from trash on pick-up days — before shipping them to the defendants. On one occasion, this supplier used a diaper box he found on the street to ship the drugs. Many of these bottles were dirty, unsealed, and showed obvious signs they had previously been dispensed, such as the two depicted below: Trial evidence showed that pharmacies complained to Safe Chain Solutions about their illicit conduct. For example, pharmacies reported to Safe Chain Solutions that they received bottles with entirely different drugs in them as early as August 2020. In another documented complaint, one of their pharmacy customers sent the defendants a photo of the condition in which he received HIV drugs from them: The customer informed Patrick and Charles Boyd that these bottles of HIV drugs did not meet “safety standards . . . and may present risk for our patients” and returned the drugs. Evidence admitted at trial included an article shared between the defendants discussing these serious risks, just days before the customer complained. According to the article, “The schemes hurt individuals with HIV, cost taxpayers millions of dollars and drive up the viral load in communities, exposing others to the illness and spoiling the city and state’s mission to drive the number of new HIV diagnoses to zero.” Despite these early complaints, Patrick and Charles Boyd continued buying cheap, diverted HIV drugs from the same black-market suppliers for many months, and continued selling the drugs to pharmacies along with falsified paperwork designed to fool their customers and regulatory agencies. A patient who received a bottle of prescribed HIV medication sold to a pharmacy by the defendants testified at trial that Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug, was actually in his bottle. He testified that he unwittingly ingested the Seroquel and lost consciousness for 24 hours. Evidence at trial established that missing even a single dose of HIV medication can increase a patient’s viral load and heighten community transmission risk in areas with high HIV infection rates. There was at least one additional documented complaint where another HIV patient unwittingly ingested a different drug that was in his bottle. The trial evidence established the many elaborate steps Patrick and Charles Boyd took to conceal their criminal conduct from detection. They worked with the black-market suppliers behind the back of their own Director of Compliance, who testified that she repeatedly raised concerns throughout the conspiracy but was ignored. They also enlisted attorneys as part of their cover-up. One of those attorneys testified at trial, describing how the Boyd brothers concealed and misrepresented material information while seeking legal advice about pharmacy complaints and reporting obligations to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the evidence, the defendants failed to report numerous incidents to the FDA involving pharmacies that had received incorrect or tampered medications. Between April 2020 and September 2021, Patrick and Charles Boyd bought and resold more than 28,000 bottles of these black-market HIV drugs. They paid more than $92.8 million for the drugs, which they sold to pharmacies for a profit. Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers were billed and paid for these illicit drugs. In October 2025, Patrick and Charles Boyd were convicted at trial of conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; two counts of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; and two counts of wire fraud. Patrick Boyd was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Charles Boyd was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In addition to the prison sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay $21,850,000 in forfeiture. A third defendant, Adam Brosius, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud with the Boyds and was sentenced to 97 months in prison in connection with his role in the scheme. HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski and Trial Attorney Jacqueline Zee DerOvanesian of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section, with the assistance of Assistant Chief James V. Hayes of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff for the Southern District of Florida handled asset forfeiture. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20255. ###


title: Nonprofit Exec Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for the Largest Public Assistance Fraud in Missouri History

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a former nonprofit executive who stole $19.7 million from a program meant to feed Missouri children to 16 years in prison and ordered her to repay the money. Connie Bobo, 46, was executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center at the time, which accepted money to provide meals to low-income, school-age children after school and during the summer. “Connie Bobo’s trial clearly showed that this was the largest public assistance and pandemic fraud in state history,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “Hungry children were turned away when Bobo’s distribution events ran out of food, all because she was spending public money on luxury goods, real estate and an extravagant vehicle.” “Connie Bobo’s greed is beyond reprehensible. She stole millions of dollars meant to feed low-income children in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Instead of helping hungry kids, she used that money to buy a $1 million home, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and four additional properties—all of which the FBI has now seized. Those stolen funds from a taxpayer- funded program could have provided meals for children across Missouri.” “This fraudster egregiously purloined American taxpayer dollars administered by USDA that she spent on personal luxuries including a new home,” said Inspector General John Walk for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. “This sentencing reflects the seriousness of stealing millions of dollars from a public program intended to provide meals to children in need. I commend Special Agent in Charge Matthew Wilkins and the dedicated USDA OIG special agents who worked on this investigation, as well as our partners at the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts to hold the defendant accountable.” Bobo set out to defraud the state from the very outset of her participation in the state’s meal program for children, a sentencing memorandum filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman says. In 2018, she submitted fraudulent state program enrollment documents and created fake board members, fake trainings and fake bylaws designed to induce Missouri to provide her with meal money, the memo says. Bobo submitted hundreds of fraudulent meal reimbursement claims from 2019-2022 and spent millions of dollars in public meal funds on luxury goods, homes for relatives, a new home for herself, a $200,000 Mercedes-Benz G550 Wagon for a romantic partner and a $2.2 million commercial real estate investment, evidence and testimony showed. Bobo received a total of $19.7 million in state reimbursement funds and spent just $6.8 million on food and milk, evidence showed. The entire $19.7 million was fraudulently obtained because of Bobo’s fraud in enrolling in the program. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Bobo drastically ramped up her scheme, and her receipt of state meal reimbursement money, the trial showed. Many of the children that should have been fed by Bobo were out of school during Covid-19 and were not receiving regular meals. The memo points out that Bobo produced fictitious food invoices when she learned of the FBI investigation and attendance logs listing fake children, and lied when she testified at trial. Bobo, 46, of St. Charles, Missouri, was convicted by a jury of three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding after a three-day trial in October. Anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721.” This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Wiseman and Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.


title: Illegal Alien Methamphetamine-Trafficking Cell Leader Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: Prosecution is part of Homeland Security Task Force effort to combat transnational criminal organizations An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his top leadership role in distributing methamphetamine in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. In October 2024, Raymundo Bernal Saucedo (“Bernal”), 33, pled guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting. He was sentenced on March 11, 2026, to 480 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada E. Brown. “We are dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks in the Northern District of Texas through our indispensable partnership with Homeland Security Task Force agents,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The lengthy sentence in this case is directly attributable to their diligent efforts, and we will continue to pursue the full measure of justice against those who traffic this poison in our communities." “This sentence demonstrates that those who traffic dangerous quantities of methamphetamine into North Texas will be held accountable,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA, alongside our federal, state, and local partners remain committed to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting our communities from this poison.” “The Dallas Homeland Security Task Force remains focused on targeting transnational criminal organizations. The collaborative effort of the HSTF resulted in a significant sentence and the reduction of narcotics on our streets,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to combat violent crime and drug trafficking in our communities.” According to court records, Homeland Security Task Force Group One agents began investigating Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area distribution cells affiliated with Michoacán, Mexico-based brokers, who arranged for an Arlington, Texas-area distribution cell to deliver two kilograms of methamphetamine to a DEA confidential source. After the controlled purchase, surveillance, and the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit, agents seized 77 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine along with multiple firearms and a drug ledger. Court records reflect that agents identified Bernal, a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States, as the individual overseeing this local distribution cell, whose members were not only involved the distribution of bulk methamphetamine, but also included the conversion of liquid methamphetamine into its finished distributable form. Bernal, himself, was actively involved in the conversion process acquiring pots, chemicals, buckets, and filler in addition to “cooking” the methamphetamine, and two weapons were recovered from his residence, which Bernal admitted in plea documents were used in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense. According to court records, this investigation led to multiple federal wiretaps of Bernal’s and his coconspirators’ telephones. In addition to Bernal’s involvement in the conversion and distribution of methamphetamine in the Dallas area, investigators also learned that Bernal was responsible for smuggling contraband into jail facilities in Tennessee. All told, Bernal was held responsible for 1,946,000 kilograms of methamphetamine calculated as converted drug weight. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas Group One comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas (Dallas Division).


title: Former L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Extorting, Falsely Arresting Rivals of Crypto Fraudster

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former deputy and helicopter pilot with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison for helping a now-jailed, self-styled cryptocurrency businessman extort a rival and arrange the sham illegal drug possession arrest of another adversary in Paramount in 2021. Michael David Coberg, 44, of Eastvale, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who also ordered him to pay $127,000 in restitution. Coberg pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion and one count of conspiracy against rights. Coberg – then employed as an LASD deputy and helicopter pilot – worked on the side with Adam Iza, 25, formerly of Beverly Hills and Newport Coast. Iza, a self-proclaimed “Godfather,” was engaged in fraudulent marketing and cryptocurrency schemes and has been in federal custody since September 2024. He has pleaded guilty to federal charges and is expected to be sentenced in the coming months. Coberg’s contract with Iza allowed him to work as a business partner and advisor, as opposed to simply working security shifts. Coberg and Iza at one point planned to start a business selling anabolic steroids. Iza paid Coberg at least $20,000 per month for his services. “Coberg swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Instead, [he] betrayed that oath and those he swore to protect, abusing the awesome power of his badge. And he did so for an all-too-common reason: greed.” Participation in Extortion In October 2021, Coberg accompanied other security guards to pick up a victim whose business partner was having a financial dispute with Iza. After transporting the victim – identified in court documents as “L.A.” – to Iza’s residence, Iza placed a firearm on the desk and displayed an assault rifle, which was placed on the ground near the desk. Coberg informed the victim that he was an active-duty law enforcement officer and interrogated the victim about the financial dispute Iza had with L.A.’s business partner. While Coberg stood watch over the victim, Iza demanded – and recorded a video of – the victim transferring $127,000 to a bank account Iza controlled. Iza then directed his security guards to take away the victim’s passport and told them to drive the victim back to the victim’s hotel. The next day, Coberg continued to interrogate the victim about the financial dispute and the location of the victim’s business partner. Later that day, Coberg took Iza and the victim to a shooting range in Iza’s residence and left the two individuals alone. Iza then held the victim at gunpoint and demanded the victim’s business partner transfer money to him, which the victim’s business partner did later that day. False Traffic Stop and Arrest In September 2021, Coberg conspired with Iza and others to lure another victim – identified in court documents as “R.C.” – from Miami to Los Angeles to set up the victim and cause him to be arrested with illegal narcotics. During the previous month, Coberg learned of a dispute between Iza and the victim and that Iza and two corrupt LASD deputies working for Iza forced the victim at gunpoint to transfer $25,000 from the victim’s bank account to an account Iza controlled. Coberg and other co-conspirators set up a plan in which the victim’s ex-girlfriend called the victim and pretended to be interested in pursuing a romantic relationship to convince the victim to fly to Los Angeles to meet with her to use drugs together. At Coberg’s advice and counseling, the co-conspirator purchased the airplane ticket for the victim, picked him up at Los Angeles International Airport in a white Tesla, drove the victim to obtain drugs, and later traveled to a location in Paramount where an LASD deputy would make the traffic stop and arrest. Christopher Michael Cadman, 34, of Fullerton, a corrupt LASD deputy who had participated in the intimidation of the victim in August 2021 resulting in the $25,000 payment to Iza, also helped set up the false arrest. Cadman pleaded guilty in August 2025 to federal criminal charges and is expected to be sentenced in the coming months. With Cadman’s assistance, Coberg lied to a fellow LASD deputy that a confidential informant was driving a white Tesla with an individual who had an outstanding arrest warrant and possessed illegal drugs. That deputy later conducted the traffic stop, searched the Tesla, found cocaine in the car and psilocybin mushrooms inside the victim’s backpack, and arrested the victim. During the arrest, Coberg slowly drove past the scene in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV – with the window rolled down – as Iza watched from the back passenger seat. Iza took videos and photographs of the victim’s arrest. After the arrest, Coberg texted Cadman to thank him for facilitating the traffic stop and stated, “the kid enjoyed it,” referencing Iza. Iza later taunted the victim by sending him a photograph of the victim’s arrest in progress and the victim’s booking photo, and texting him, “[f]or a drug dealer, you [expletive] with the wrong people.” The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the National Security Division prosecuted this case.


title: Religious Liberty Commission Hosts Sixth Hearing on Religious Liberty in Healthcare

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) held a hearing to discuss religious freedom in healthcare. The hearing included panels with testimony from medical professionals, parents and students impacted by vaccine mandates, human trafficking survivors, and social services providers. The hearing’s objective was to understand the threats to religious liberties in the medical field from ethical and practical perspectives and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in this context for the future. “Today, President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission hearing focused on healthcare, including foster care and social work, and it featured heartbreaking testimony from ordinary Americans who courageously and compassionately stood up to tackle problems like homelessness, human trafficking, and drug addiction,” said Chairman Dan Patrick. “Yet, instead of receiving support from their government, they had their God-given religious liberty rights violated, were threatened with long jail sentences and were fired from their jobs. This hearing, yet again, highlighted the need for our Commission and its important work. Unsurprisingly, nearly all of these violations occurred in Democrat states during the Biden Administration. Later this year, the Commission will deliver strong recommendations to President Trump to ensure believers never have their religious liberty rights violated again, whether in healthcare or any other facet of American society.” The witnesses included: Dr. Eithan Haim – Dr. Eithan Haim is a general surgeon and trauma surgeon at Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville, Texas. During his residency, Dr. Haim served as the anonymous whistleblower that exposed that Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest children’s hospital in the world, was concealing its pediatric transgender medicine program from the public. The Texas Attorney General’s office subsequently opened an investigation into Texas Children’s, with which Dr. Haim assisted in an official whistleblower capacity. Due to his whistleblowing, Dr. Haim was indicted by the Biden DOJ on four felony counts for allegedly violating HIPAA in what was largely seen as a weaponized prosecution. All charges were dismissed with prejudice in January 2025. Kaley Chiles – Kaley Chiles is a licensed professional counselor practicing in Colorado Springs. She holds a master's degree in clinical mental health and provides talk therapy, specializing in clients dealing with addiction, trauma, sexuality, gender dysphoria, and other mental health concerns. Chiles identifies as a Christian and serves clients who often seek religiously informed care that aligns with traditional biblical understandings of sexuality and gender. Prior to the enactment of a 2019 Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors, Chiles counseled clients, including minors, in accordance with their self-identified goals, which sometimes included diminishing same-sex attractions or aligning gender identity with biological sex. Since the law’s passage, Chiles has refrained from engaging in discussions with minors that she believes could be interpreted as conversion therapy and alleges that this has hampered her ability to provide full counseling services in line with her and her clients’ religious convictions. Valerie Kloosterman – The third generation in her family to work in the Michigan health care system, Valerie Kloosterman served her community for 17 years with exemplary performance reviews. After requesting a religious accommodation in 2021 following mandatory diversity training—stating she could not affirm gender-related statements or participate in procedures that conflicted with her Christian beliefs—she was terminated. Valerie filed a federal lawsuit alleging religious discrimination. In 2025, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor, strengthening protections for employees’ constitutional rights. Dr. Aaron Kheriaty – Dr. Kheriaty is a physician specializing in psychiatry and author of five books. He is a Fellow & Director of the Program in Bioethics, Technology, and Human Flourishing at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He was Professor of Psychiatry at University of California Irvine School of Medicine and Director of the Medical Ethics Program at UCI Health, where he chaired the ethics committee. He also chaired the ethics committee at the California Department of State Hospitals for several years. He was fired from the University of California after challenging the University's covid vaccine mandate in federal court. Dr. Kheriaty is also a plaintiff in the landmark free speech case Missouri v. Biden challenging government censorship on social media. Nancy & Isabella Costine – Mother and daughter who have been barred from school for almost seven years because of the vaccine mandate Ismail Royer – Ismail Royer serves as Director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute. Since converting to Islam in 1992, he has studied religious sciences with traditional Islamic scholars and spent over a decade working at non-profit Islamic organizations. Royer has worked with nonprofits to promote peace between faiths. His writing has appeared in multiple publications and he co-authored an article on Islam on Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World. Karen Amigon – Karen is an advocate for health rights, and for environmental issues affecting our communities today. She began her advocacy journey for health rights in 2019, and continued to build rapport with legislators about the issues that are important to her community. She has a love for empowering the Spanish speaking community of Los Angeles on what calls to action we can take for a better tomorrow. Jean Marie Davis – Jean Marie Davis is the Executive Director of Branches Pregnancy Resource Center in Brattleboro, Vermont. She has overcome sex trafficking and is an advocate for those facing trafficking, homelessness, and unplanned pregnancy. She is the mother of a nine-year-old son whose life was saved with the help of a pregnancy center. She led Branches in challenging a Vermont law that allowed fines against pregnancy centers for advertising; the statute was later amended in May 2025 to remove provisions targeting such centers. Sherrie Laurie – Sherrie Laurie is the Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Hope Center, a religious non-profit in Anchorage, Alaska; it offers over 500 meals a day to those in need and serves as an overnight shelter for homeless women, most of whom are victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. In January 2018, a biological man, who identifies as a woman, tried to gain overnight access to the women’s shelter. The shelter paid for the individual, visibly drunk and injured, to go to a nearby hospital. A few days later, the individual filed a complaint under Anchorage’s public accommodations law, but a federal court has twice ruled in favor of the Hope Center’s right to uphold its women-only overnight policy. Pastor Brian & Kaitlyn Wuoti – Pastor Brian Wuoti and his wife, Katy, became licensed foster parents through the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) in 2014. Over the years, they fostered numerous children and adopted two brothers, growing their family to five children. Despite a strong record and positive evaluations, their foster license was revoked in April 2022 after they stated during a renewal process that, while they would love and care for any child, they could not affirm beliefs about sexuality that conflict with their Christian faith. In February 2026, Vermont finalized a new policy that will allow the Wuotis to once again qualify. Bishop Salvatore Cordileone – Salvatore Cordileone is the Archbishop of San Francisco and a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth and also of its Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance. Dr. Kenneth Prager – Dr. Prager is Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of Clinical Ethics and Chairman of the Medical Ethics Committee at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Prager has been a pulmonologist for over 35 years. He is heavily involved in teaching pulmonology and medical ethics to medical students, house officers and nurses. His writings on medicine and medical ethics have appeared in medical journals and textbooks as well as on the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Prager is a regular guest lecturer in Israel for the Ben Gurion University MD Program in International Health and Medicine in collaboration with Columbia University Health Sciences. He has received honors for his teaching, clinical expertise, contributions to organ donation, and medical humanism. Dr. Leslee Cochrane – Dr. Cochrane completed his medical education and residency training at the City of Faith Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine with a Certificate of Additional Qualification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Christian Medical Association. In 2022, Dr. Cochrane joined a lawsuit against California in which the state agreed in a settlement to no longer force doctors to violate their religious beliefs by participating in physician-assisted suicide. Dr. Susan Bane – Dr. Susan Bane is a board-certified physician who has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for over 28 years, including in private practice at Greenville Obstetrics and Gynecology and serving as a clinical professor at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She is the founder and CEO of PinkGlasses Consulting, providing health care consulting with a life-affirming vision. After years of helping women deliver babies, she currently serves as the Medical Director for four pregnancy centers in North Carolina, where she oversees the medical aspects of the Centers and sees patients with unintended pregnancies. Dr. Bane serves on the Medical Board for Care Net and Board of Directors for The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, AAPLOG, serving as the vice-chair and advocacy team leader, as well as the chair of Board of Directors for AAPLOG Action. Abby Sinnett – Abby is a Board-Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and the Co-Founder and CEO of Bella Health + Wellness, a nonprofit Catholic healthcare clinic in Colorado that offers life-affirming, dignified healthcare to men, women, and children from all backgrounds and faith traditions. Bella’s OB-GYN practice offers progesterone to pregnant women at risk of miscarriage. When a Colorado law made it illegal for religious healthcare clinics to offer women progesterone for the purpose of treating threatened miscarriages caused by the first abortion pill, also known as abortion pill reversal, Bella Health + Wellness filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado to stop the state from targeting religious healthcare clinics that offer women care in accordance with their faith. The court found that Colorado likely violated Bella’s free exercise rights in three different ways.


title: San Bernardino County Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Coercion And Enticement

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Barstow, Calif., man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for enticing someone to allow him to engage in sexual acts with the person’s child. While on supervised release, the defendant will be required to undergo sex offender counseling, submit to polygraph testing, submit to computer monitoring, must receive approval before he may work, cannot have knowing contact with minors, and cannot go to or remain at places primarily used by or for children. According to court documents, between March and May 2023, Clifford Robert Sanchez used Wickr, an online messaging application, as well as text messages and phone calls, to converse with someone he believed had a four-year-old daughter and attempted to arrange a meeting at which he would sexually abuse that child. He described the sex acts that he wished to perform on the child, and he purchased sexual abuse implements that he referred to as “little gifts.” Sanchez also sent child sexual abuse materials to the purported mother and later admitted to moderating a chat room in which child sexual abuse materials were traded. On May 2, 2023, Sanchez met the mother at a restaurant and law enforcement arrested him. Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement. In addition to the prison sentence and supervised release, Sanchez was ordered to pay $41,000 in restitution. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. This case was investigated by HSI. This case was brought 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 . ###


title: Portland Man Indicted for Posting Violent Threats Online

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.— A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment last Tuesday charging a Portland man with threatening an elected official and a minor victim online. Travis William Juhr, 41, has been charged with transmitting interstate threats. According to court documents, Juhr threatened an elected official in Nevada when he left a threatening voicemail and posted on his X account, “I hope you have your doors and windows locked. Because I love a challenge when hunting my PREY…” along with a photograph of the victim. Additionally, Juhr threatened a minor victim because the victim attended a counter-protest to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The minor victim received several threatening messages from Juhr from different X accounts after the victim’s personal identifying information was posted online. Juhr made his first appearance in federal court Friday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Juhr faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The FBI is investigating the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan G. Bodell is prosecuting the case. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Former Syrian Assad Prison Official Convicted of  Torture and Immigration Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 73, today on one count of conspiracy to commit torture and three counts of torture for his involvement in the torture of prisoners at Adra Prison in Damascus, Syria. The jury also convicted Alsheikh of lying to U.S. immigration authorities about his commission of these crimes, fraudulently obtaining a green card and attempting to naturalize as a U.S. citizen. “Samir Ousman Alsheikh tortured prisoners and committed human atrocities to punish and silence political dissent in Syria,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva for the Justice Department's Criminal Division. “Then, after committing these heinous offenses for years, he lied to U.S. immigration authorities to live in the United States of America and pursue citizenship. Thanks to the courage of the victims, and the diligence and dedication of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, Alsheikh can no longer escape his past and will be held to account for his brutal crimes.” “Our country is not a refuge for criminals — especially criminals who engage in brutality of the kind this defendant inflicted on his victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “I commend the victims, our agents, and our prosecutors for finally bringing this defendant to justice.” “Homeland Security Investigations and our partners are dedicated to bringing accountability to criminals like Samir Ousman Alsheikh, who tortured prisoners and then relocated to the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. “Our Homeland will never serve as a sanctuary for human rights abusers.” “Today’s convictions serve as a reminder that the FBI will not tolerate acts of violence and torture or attempts to obfuscate those crimes,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “Along with our partners in the United States and throughout the world, we remain committed to defending victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.” According to the evidence presented at trial, Alsheikh was a Brigadier General in charge of Damascus Central Prison, commonly known as Adra Prison, from about 2005 through 2008, under the regime of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. According to the evidence, Alsheikh inflicted and ordered subordinates to inflict severe physical and mental pain and suffering on prisoners. In particular, Alsheikh ordered certain prisoners to be sent to a section of the prison known as Wing 13, where they were held in tiny isolation cells and tortured. Victims who refused to harm or kill political dissidents imprisoned with them or who otherwise showed support for the prisoners testified at trial that they witnessed and suffered various forms of torture. For example, guards used manacles to suspend prisoners by their wrists from pipes on the ceiling and then beat them with fists or cables while suspended for extended periods of time. One victim testified that he felt like his limbs would be torn from his body when they suspended him for days. Witnesses also testified that they were placed on a torture device known as the “Magic Carpet” or “Flying Carpet,” which consisted of two large wooden panels with hinges in the middle. Guards strapped the witnesses to the device on their backs, positioning the prisoners’ waists at the hinges, and then forcing the lower panel together with the upper, folding the upper and lower halves of the prisoners’ bodies together and causing excruciating pain and serious injury. One victim recalled that Alsheikh himself stomped on the Magic Carpet with his foot. One victim testified that as part of his punishment for writing a letter of support to a political prisoner, he was subjected to the Magic Carpet and then forced to wear a red jumpsuit solely assigned to those designated for execution. He testified that he thought he was going to die. Witnesses also testified to being folded into a car tire, restrained, and beaten by guards. The evidence at trial showed that Alsheikh personally ordered these and other horrific acts of torture and brutality against the three named victims in the indictment. Following his time at Adra Prison, Alsheikh was appointed Governor of the Syrian province of Deir Ez-Zour in 2011. In 2018, he applied for a visa and later applied to become a U.S. Citizen. Photograph depicting Alsheikh and Bashar al-Assad on or about July 25, 2011, when Assad appointed Alsheikh The evidence at trial also showed that Alsheikh came to the United States in 2020, after lying about and concealing the torture and violence he ordered and committed at the prison, among other misrepresentations, on his visa application to enter the United States and to become a legal permanent resident. The evidence further proved that Alsheikh continued to lie about and conceal his past conduct in his later application to become a United States citizen. Alsheikh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the three torture counts and the count of conspiracy to commit torture; he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each of the immigration and attempted naturalization fraud charges. He will remain in U.S. custody pending his sentencing at a date to be determined by the Court. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI Los Angeles and FBI Chicago investigated the case with support from HSI and FBI Legal Attachés in Germany. HSI’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) also significantly supported the case, along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit (IHRU). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Federal Criminal Police Office in Germany. Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner prosecuted the case, with significant assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Philip Hoffman and HRSP Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion, and support from HRSP Trial Attorney Detailee Spencer M. Perry. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance. Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov or complete its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp .


title: Orleans Parish Resident Guilty of  Maintaining Residence for Fentanyl Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – RONALD KELLUP , (“KELLUP”) , age 77, of New Orleans, pled guilty on March 12, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 856, announced Attorney David I. Courcelle. At the sentencing, scheduled for June 18, 2026, he faces up to twenty years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least May 8, 2024, KELLUP and other individuals maintained three residences in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans for the purpose of packaging and distributing narcotics, including fentanyl. Several of these individuals furthered this drug trafficking conspiracy by possessing firearms. 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. United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Former Assad-Era Syrian Prison Chief and Governor Found Guilty of Torturing Inmates then Lying About It to U.S. Immigration Officials

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former Syrian government official who was the head of one of that nation’s major prisons was found guilty by a jury today of torturing Syrian inmates at Adra Prison in Damascus then later lying about it to United States immigration officials, fraudulently obtaining a green card and attempting to naturalize as a U.S. citizen. Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 73, formerly of Lexington, South Carolina, but who has been in federal custody in Los Angeles since July 2024, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit torture, three counts of torture, one count of fraud in the possession and use of an immigration document, and one count of attempted naturalization fraud. “Our country is not a refuge for criminals – especially criminals who engage in the brutality of the kind this defendant inflicted on his victims,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “I commend the victims, our agents, and our prosecutors for finally bringing this defendant to justice.” “Samir Ousman Alsheikh ordered, directed, and directly participated in heinous acts of torture designed to inflict excruciating mental and physical pain with the goal of punishing and silencing political dissent,” said Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “For many years, he evaded responsibility for his crimes in Syria, including by lying to U.S. immigration authorities in order to reside in the U.S. with the hope of obtaining citizenship. Thanks to the courage and perseverance of the victims and the dedication of Department of Justice prosecutors, along with their law enforcement partners, justice has prevailed and Alsheikh can no longer run from his past.” “Homeland Security Investigations and our partners are dedicated to bringing accountability to criminals like Samir Ousman Alsheikh, who tortured prisoners and then relocated to the United States,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “Our Homeland will never serve as a sanctuary for human rights abusers.” “Today’s convictions serve as a reminder that the FBI will not tolerate acts of violence and torture or attempts to obfuscate those crimes,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “Along with our partners in the United States and throughout the world, we remain committed to defending victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.” According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, Alsheikh was a brigadier general in charge of Damascus Central Prison, commonly known as Adra Prison, from about 2005 through 2008, under the regime of then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Alsheikh inflicted and ordered subordinates to inflict severe physical and mental pain and suffering on prisoners. In particular, Alsheikh ordered certain prisoners to be sent to a section of the prison known as Wing 13, where they were held in tiny isolation cells and tortured. Victims who refused to harm or kill political dissidents imprisoned with them or who otherwise showed support for the prisoners testified at trial that they witnessed and suffered various forms of torture. For example, guards used manacles to suspend prisoners by their wrists from pipes on the ceiling and then beat them with fists or cables while suspended for extended periods of time. One victim testified that he felt like his limbs would be torn from his body when they suspended him for days. Witnesses also testified that they were placed on a torture device known as the “Magic Carpet” or “Flying Carpet,” which consisted of two large wooden panels with hinges in the middle. Guards strapped the witnesses to the device on their backs, positioning the prisoners’ waists at the hinges, and then forcing the lower panel together with the upper, folding the upper and lower halves of the prisoners’ bodies together and causing excruciating pain and serious injury. One victim recalled that Alsheikh himself stomped on the Magic Carpet with his foot. One victim testified that as part of his punishment for writing a letter of support to a political prisoner, he was subjected to the Magic Carpet and then forced to wear a red jumpsuit solely assigned to those designated for execution. He testified that he thought he was going to die. Witnesses also testified to being folded into a car tire, restrained, and beaten by guards. Alsheikh personally ordered these and other horrific acts of torture and brutality against the three named victims in the indictment. Following his time at Adra Prison, Alsheikh was appointed governor of the Syrian province of Deir Ez-Zour in 2011. In 2018, he applied for a visa and later applied to become a U.S. citizen. Alsheikh came to the United States in 2020, after lying about and concealing the torture and violence he ordered and committed at the prison, among other misrepresentations, on his visa application to enter the United States and to become a legal permanent resident. Alsheikh continued to lie about and conceal his past conduct in his later application to become a United States citizen. United States District Judge Hernán D. Vera will schedule a sentencing hearing for a later date, at which time Alsheikh will face up to 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to commit torture charge, up to 20 years in federal prison for each torture charge, and up to 10 years in federal prison for each immigration fraud-related charge. HSI Los Angeles and FBI Chicago investigated the case with support from HSI and FBI legal attachés in Germany. HSI’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) also significantly supported the case, along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit (IHRU). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Federal Criminal Police Office in Germany. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner of the National Security Division and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting this case with significant assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Philip Hoffman and HRSP Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion, and support from HRSP Trial Attorney Detailee Spencer M. Perry. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance. Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov or complete its online tip form at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp


title: McCurtain County Resident Pleads Guilty To Transporting Stolen Vehicle

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chance Allen Cathey, age 36, of Tom, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Transportation of Stolen Vehicle, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment alleged that on December 26, 2023, Cathey unlawfully transported a stolen motor vehicle from the State of Oklahoma to the State of Arkansas knowing the vehicle was stolen. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Arkansas State Police, and the Little River County (Arkansas) Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Cathey will remain in custody pending sentencing.


title: Federal Firearms Prosecutions Result in 11 Convictions, 23 Guns Recovered

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

body_text: SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has secured prison sentences for eleven convicted felons who illegally possessed firearms, removing twenty‑three unlawfully held guns from the streets of Indianapolis and Evansville. Each prosecution stemmed from a separate investigation and was individually resolved in January and February 2026. Defendant Sentence Prior Convictions Lanel Marvis Wimberly, 33, of Evansville 4 years, 3 months’ imprisonment 2 years supervised release Domestic Battery; Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon; Robbery Christopher Jackson, 46, of Indianapolis 4 years, 4 months’ imprisonment 3 years supervised release Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated x2; Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury x2; Criminal Confinement Zachary Daniels, 32 of Indianapolis 9 years’ imprisonment 3 years supervised release Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon; Resisting Law Enforcement; Criminal Recklessness; Unlawful Possession of a Syringe; Dealing in a Narcotic Drug and Methamphetamine Darrin Powell, 56, of Evansville 6.5 years’ imprisonment 2 years supervised release Aggravated Battery James Montgomery Jr., 21, of Indianapolis 2 years, 5 months’ imprisonment 3 years supervised release Theft Anthony Bricest, 23, of Jeffersonville, IN 5 years, 3 months’ imprisonment 3 years supervised release Possession of an altered firearm; Battery x3; Invasion of Privacy x2; Jake Fuchs, 31, of Evansville 6 years, 8 months’ imprisonment 2 years supervised release Possession of Methamphetamine; Unlawful Carrying a Firearm after a Felony Conviction Antonio Harrell, 27, of Evansville 3 years, 10 months’ imprisonment 3 years supervised release Burglary; Theft; Theft of a Firearm Cornelius Cooper III, 24, of Carlisle, IN 11 years, 8 months’ imprisonment 3 years supervised release Armed Robbery; Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury Samuel Paige, 40, of Indianapolis 3 years, 4 months’ imprisonment 3 years supervised release Attempted Robbery; Attempted Assault and Criminal Possession of a Weapon Thomas Michael Kirsch, 45, of Reed, KY 6 years’ imprisonment 3 years’ supervised release Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Dealing Methamphetamine As part of these investigations, the following firearms were seized and forfeited by law enforcement: Smith & Wesson SD40 Canik 9 mm semiautomatic pistol Glock model 30 .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol Del-Ton Sport rifle Mossberg International 715T .22 long rifle Mossberg Maverick Model 88 12-gauge shotgun (2) Century Arms, Micro Draco, one with extended magazine Springfield Armory 9mm pistol Rossi RS22 rifle Mossberg 500A shotgun Eagle Arms EA-15 rifle (2) 9mm Glock semiautomatic pistols, one with extended magazine Freedom Ordinance, FX-9, 9mm pistol Smith and Wesson, 9mm semiautomatic Taurus, Model G2C, 9mm semi-automatic Glock 9mm handgun with an extended magazine (stolen) Lorcin 9 mm handgun Sig Sauer P320 handgun Sig Sauer P365 handgun SCCY CPX-1 handgun Taurus G3 9mm handgun Assorted ammunition and magazines According to federal law, individuals with prior felony convictions are prohibited from legally possessing a firearm. “Felons who illegally arm themselves are far more likely to use those guns to hurt someone or to escalate everyday conflicts into deadly violence,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “When we remove firearms from people with violent criminal histories, we are preventing future shootings, protecting families, and strengthening the safety of every neighborhood in this district. These convictions send a clear message: if you are a prohibited person and you pick up a gun, federal prison will follow.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI Indianapolis, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Forest Service, Indiana State Police, IMPD, and the Evansville Police Department investigated these cases. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judges Matthew P. Brookman, Tanya Walton Pratt, Richard L. Young, Sarah Evans Barker, and Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Kemper, Kelsey Massa, Pamela Domash, Nate Walter, Todd Shellenbarger, and Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted these cases. These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Crossroads of America comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Services, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.


title: Guatemalan Illegal Alien Sentenced for Re-Entry

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Guatemalan illegal alien received his sentence in federal court today, for illegally re-entering the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Cesar Geovany Gomez, 36, to time served (approximately 130 days) in prison in connection with the charge. Geovany Gomez was deported from the U.S. on two prior occasions, and following his latest illegal re-entry, was convicted for first-degree assault in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office. According to court documents, on July 28, 2017, authorities deported Geovany Gomez back to Guatemala, but he never sought, nor obtained, the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for re-admission. The deportation stemmed from law enforcement detaining Geovany Gomez after he re-entered the U.S. without inspection on June 16, 2017. Geovany Gomez had first illegally entered the U.S. through Mexico on March 5, 2012. Then immigration officials ordered his removal through expedited proceedings 14 days later. After his second deportation in July 2017, Geovany Gomez re-entered the U.S. again on an unknown date. Then on December 12, 2024, after an incident that occurred in April of the same year, Geovany Gomez pled guilty to first-degree assault in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County. He’s currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, with all but five years suspended in connection to the assault. 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 the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Mills who is prosecuting this 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 . # # #