title: ILLEGAL ALIEN SENTENCED TO 180 MONTHS FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ILLEGAL REENTRY

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: ABERDEEN, MS – Miguel Angel Sierra-Torreblanca, a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison by United States District Court Judge Sharion Aycock for possession of child pornography and 24 months for his illegal reentry to the United States after having been previously deported. According to court documents, Sierra-Torreblanca, 40, was arrested following a multistate investigation involving the Sheriff Departments of Charleston County, South Carolina and Lowndes County, Mississippi. Sierra-Torreblanca, who had been living in Lowndes County, Mississippi was arrested and found to be in the possession of two cell phones containing images and videos of children being sexually abused. The hundreds of images and videos depicted the graphic sexual abuse of children, some of whom were infants and toddlers. Following his arrest, the defendant admitted to the possession of these images and to being part of a transnational group which traded and shared these graphic images. Sierra-Torreblanca was also sentenced for his illegal reentry into the United States. The defendant had previously been convicted in federal court for his illegal reentry and had been previously deported from the United States on three prior occasions. The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender and was sentenced to seven years of supervised release. Judge Aycock ordered that upon release from federal prison the defendant is to be surrenderer to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have placed an immigration detainer on the defendant, which will result in his removal from the United States following the conclusion of his federal prison sentence. “This conviction and sentence makes it clear that there is no tolerance for anyone exploiting children in our community, especially when the defendant is someone who should never have been present in this country in the first place,” said Clay Joyner, U.S. Attorney. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi is committed to fully prosecuting those who are here unlawfully, especially if they harm innocent children and possess images of child sexual abuse.” “The exploitation of children is one of the most horrific crimes we encounter, and we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure those who prey on children are held accountable,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins. “This case highlights the importance of agencies working together across state lines to investigate and prosecute these offenders, and we are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.” "There is no higher priority than protecting our children. Anyone who preys on the most vulnerable members of our community will be found, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," said Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie. "We are committed to getting these predators off our streets and ensuring our neighborhoods remain safe for every child to grow, learn, and thrive. We are grateful for the interagency partnerships with Mississippi authorities who made this arrest." "When someone targets a child, they’re not just breaking the law, they’re breaking the trust of an entire community," said Charleston County Sheriff's Office Detective James Jacko, who worked the case originally as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force in Charleston County. "We always follow every lead, use every resource, and we don’t stop until the people responsible are held accountable. Our kids deserve nothing less." U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Herzog Jr. and Paul Roberts prosecuted the case. The Lowndes County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Department, Charleston County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Marlboro Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Marlboro man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Larry Stephen, 46, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution. In April 2025 , Stephen pleaded guilty to one count each of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on July 18, 2023 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 . Authorities identified Stephen as an individual using a social media platform to receive and post CSAM. During a search of Stephen’s Marlboro residence on June 7, 2023, his cell phone was seized. A preliminary examination of the device revealed the presence of CSAM and that Stephen repeatedly posted images and videos depicting CSAM on a social media platform. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Marlboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s David G. Tobin and Eric Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Center City Real Estate Agent Pleads Guilty to Charges Arising From Fraudulent Loan Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jonathan Barach, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez to one count of wire fraud and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction, in connection with a fraudulent loan scheme in which he raised millions of dollars from individuals and businesses, purportedly for short-term real estate financing opportunities, when no such projects existed. As detailed in the information filed August 21, 2025, the defendant served as a licensed residential real estate agent and the co-founder and principal agent for The Barach Group, LLC, a Philadelphia-based real estate team, and formed a second company, TBG Real Estate, LLC, also based in the city. In addition to offering traditional real estate agent services, Barach used his companies to solicit and raise money for non-existent real estate financing opportunities. Between July 2017 and April 2021, Barach raised over $3 million from lenders through a series of material misrepresentations, including by falsely stating the raised funds would be used to provide bridge loans to builders and contractors looking to purchase and flip distressed real estate properties or to complete renovation projects. At the time of these solicitations, no such projects existed, Barach’s entities did not provide real estate financing, and Barach knew that the lenders’ funds would be used for his own purposes and debts. None of the money raised by Barach from his victims was used for the stated purpose. Instead, Barach typically withdrew the funds in cash, made assorted personal expenditures, transferred funds to his personal bank accounts, and moved large sums to various accounts that he held with casinos and sportsbook operations. Although Barach paid back some of his earlier lenders with a portion of the funding secured from later lenders, over $1.4 million of the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds remain unpaid. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2026, and faces a maximum possible term of 30 years’ imprisonment. This case was investigated by the FDIC Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Terri Marinari and Samuel Dalke.


title: Jury Convicts Man of Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump and Assault of a Federal Law Enforcement Officer

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal jury today convicted Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, of Hawaii, for attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump when he was a major presidential candidate in a planned sniper attack at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Today’s verdict against a would-be assassin of President Trump illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation itself. I am grateful to our attorneys and law enforcement partners for protecting President Trump and securing this important verdict.” “This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people. I want to thank and congratulate the trial team and our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work and dedication in bringing this case to justice.” “Today’s jury verdict delivers justice. What Routh did was objectively evil — an attempt not only to take a life, but to rob Americans of their right to vote and to silence free speech. This was nothing less than an attempted assassination of both a man and the democratic voice he represented,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “We have seen over the past decade how political violence — from the assassination of Charlie Kirk to threats meant to silence conservative voices — has poisoned our public square. Such violence is un-American. It is an assault on every one of us, no matter our politics. The Southern District of Florida will relentlessly pursue those who try to steal our freedoms, and we will ensure that the rule of law — not fear, not violence — prevails.” “Ryan Routh’s attempted assassination of President Trump was a disgusting act — mere weeks before an election and only months after a separate assassination attempt came dangerously close to succeeding,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “FBI teams worked quickly and diligently with local partners and the Department of Justice to demonstrate a clear fact pattern of Routh’s planning and intent, and we are grateful to see a quick resolution. The FBI will continue working aggressively to take violent offenders off American streets and protect public officials from threats of all nature.” “Thanks to the quick reaction by the U.S. Secret Service, Ryan Wesley Routh was unsuccessful in his attempt to inflict political violence. The verdict against Routh is indicative of the professionalism, determination, and resilience of the investigative team who rapidly and thoroughly pursued every lead in this top priority case. No stone was left unturned,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “It was an around-the-clock, full court press that put the FBI’s investigative acumen on full display. We are joined in this effort with the full support of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Secret Service, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and DOJ’s National Security Division. I commend their diligence and commitment in pursuit of this outcome.” According to the evidence presented at trial, then-U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano – who was patrolling one hole ahead of the President at the golf course – spotted Routh pointing an AK-style rifle at Special Agent Fercano from a sniper’s hide in the fence abutting the golf course. Special Agent Fercano, in fear for his life and the life of President Trump, opened fire at Routh who fled. Law enforcement subsequently found a loaded SKS-style rifle equipped with a scope, a magazine containing an additional nineteen rounds of ammunition and the safety off, steel armor plates, and a camera attached to the fence pointing toward the sixth hole green of the golf course, where Routh had been hiding: A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. A search of Routh’s Nissan Xterra found numerous mobile phones, and a list of flights out of the country in the afternoon and evening of Sept. 15, 2024 – the day of the attempted assassination – along with directions to Miami International Airport. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago. A witness testified at trial that he contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence in April after Routh made another trip to the area near the golf course. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.” Routh was convicted of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment; assaulting a federal officer (the Secret Service Special Agent, Robert Fercano), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and Martin County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with this case. Senior Counsel John C. Shipley, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Browne, National Security Section Chief Maria K. Medetis Long, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Luce for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys James Donnelly and John Cella of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department will continue to defend the democratic process, safeguard our leaders, and ensure accountability for political violence. 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-80116. ###


title: Physician Sentenced to 14 Years for Illegal Distribution of Opioids and Health Care Fraud Conspiracies

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Pennsylvania doctor was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for orchestrating conspiracies to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and unlawful distribution of controlled substances and money-laundering related offenses. He was also ordered to pay over $2 million in restitution and over $2 million in forfeiture. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Neil K. Anand, M.D., 48, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to health plans provided by Medicare, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Independence Blue Cross (IBC), and Anthem, for “Goody Bags” of medically unnecessary prescription medications, which were dispensed to patients by in-house pharmacies owned by Anand. In total, Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem paid over $2.4 million in reimbursements. To entice patients to take the unwanted Goody Bags, Anand also conspired to distribute oxycodone outside the usual course of medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In furtherance of the conspiracy, unlicensed medical interns wrote prescriptions for controlled substances using blank prescriptions that were pre-signed by Anand. As part of the scheme, Anand prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets for nine different patients. After learning that he was under investigation, Anand concealed the proceeds of the fraud by transferring approximately $1.2 million into an account in the name of a relative and for the benefit of a minor relative. In April 2025 Anand was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of money laundering, four counts of unlawful monetary transactions, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob, Patrick J. Campbell, and Arun Bodapati of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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 .


title: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Gun Possession

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

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A repeat felon with a violent criminal past was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm resulting from an Operation Take Back America investigation. Brandon Michael Slachta, 36, of Albany, was sentenced as an armed career criminal to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on Sept. 23. Slachta previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on March 27. There is no parole in the federal system. “Armed career felons with violent pasts who persist with criminal activity will face federal prosecution in the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I commend our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration with helping us uphold the law.” “Today’s sentencing is a testament to our relentless pursuit of justice. Armed career criminals like Slachta pose a significant threat to our communities, and we will not hesitate to utilize all available resources to ensure they face the full weight of the law,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis. “I am thankful that we have taken another weapon off the streets of Albany, Georgia. Though we don't know the intentions of Slachta, we do know that convicted felons in possession of a firearm can lead to dangerous consequences,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley. “The men and women of the Albany Police Department will continue to seek those who commit crime in our community.” According to court documents in the Slachta case, an Albany Police Department (APD) officer conducting a routine uniformed patrol along Dawson Road around 4:30 a.m. on July 17, 2024, noticed one male and two women gathered in a local restaurant’s parking lot. Given the early time of the morning and the business still being closed, the officer drove into the parking lot to contact the three people. As the officer pulled into the parking lot, he saw the male, later identified as Slachta, take a black object and toss it inside a silver Honda vehicle. One of the women, who was the owner of the vehicle, told the officer that Slachta tossed a firearm inside her car. The woman consented to the search of her vehicle, and the officer found a black rifle on the center console, along with boxes of ammunition. Slachta admitted that he was a felon; he stated that he put the gun inside the woman’s car because he did not want to get criminally charged with illegally possessing the firearm, and he does not want to do more jail time. Slachta is an armed career criminal, and he knew that he had multiple prior convictions for violent felonies in various states, including Texas, Florida and Arizona. The collaborative effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods. The Slachta case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Albany Police Department (APD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Lim prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Robbing Postal Employee

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: A Lucas County man has been sentenced to prison for robbing and threatening a U.S. postal carrier with violence while the carrier was on an official delivery route at an apartment complex. Damere Wilson, 21, of Toledo, was sentenced to 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty in June to robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States, stealing mail collection box keys, and mail theft. Wilson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, Wilson drove an unidentified individual to the Piccadilly Apartments in Oregon, Ohio on March 12, 2024. The unidentified individual approached a United States Postal Service letter carrier who was on a delivery route, pushed a hard object into the letter carrier’s back and demanded the key for the mailboxes. Under the threat of violence, the letter carrier provided the key to this unidentified individual, who then quickly fled the scene. Wilson drove the unidentified individual away from the Piccadilly Apartments after the robbery was committed. During a search warrant execution of Wilson’s residence in Toledo, investigators found the postal key that was stolen from the letter carrier during the robbery, as well as more than 200 checks totaling thousands of dollars from more than 100 mail theft victims throughout northern Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was a collaborative effort conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the City of Oregon Police Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio. To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit https://www.uspis.gov/report ###


title: Weston Man Sentenced to Prison for Insider Trading

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN SQUILLANTE, 40, of Weston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to two months of imprisonment, 18 months of supervised release, and a $331,368 fine for an insider trading offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, working from his home, Squillante was employed as the Head of Equity Trading at an investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. In his position, Squillante received material non-public information (“MNPI”) about various publicly traded companies. On 15 different occasions between August 2022 and May 2023, Squillante used MNPI for his own benefit by executing transactions in securities of these companies, making a total profit of $220,912. As an example, in February 2023, Squillante received MNPI about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. (“Praxis”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose common stock traded on the NASDAQ. Between February 27 and March 2, 2023, Squillante “sold short” 38,086 shares of Praxis at an average price per share of approximately $3.04. On March 3, 2023, before the market opened, Praxis announced poor results from its drug trial, stating that the drug’s effects did not achieve its primary endpoint with statistical significance. Following the announcement, Squillante “covered” his short sale by purchasing 38,086 Praxis shares at an average price per share of approximately $1.82, making a profit of approximately $46,421. On June 6, 2025, Squillante pleaded guilty to securities fraud. He is required to report to prison on January 7. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.


title: Edina Man Indicted in $975,000 Covid Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Mark Erjavec, 49, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. Erjavec, of Edina, Minnesota, fraudulently obtained and stole more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds. Erjavec made his initial appearance in federal court today. “Erjavec stole nearly $1 million in government dollars meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “When Minnesotans were struggling to keep their doors open and pay their workers, Erjavec lined his own pockets. Fraud that exploits a crisis is especially shameful.” In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mark Erjavec, devised and executed a scheme to defraud federal Covid-19 relief programs to enrich himself. Specifically, Erjavec took advantage of programs created to provide a financial lifeline to small businesses during the pandemic. Erjavec took funds intended for struggling businesses by resurrecting shell entities and submitting false applications. Specifically, Erjavec reactivated dormant business entities for use in his scheme. From the mid-1990s until the early 2000s, Erjavec owned nine businesses that were registered in Minnesota. Those companies included Tricolor Heron, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Law, LLC, Mesaba Finance – Summit, LLC, among others. Each of these entities were administratively dissolved by the Minnesota Secretary of State between 2008 and 2013. From April 2020 to August 2020, Erjavec reactivated these dormant business entities and used them to submit fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA). In those submissions, Erjavec overstated revenues, claimed nonexistent employees, and attached fabricated IRS tax forms to lend the appearance of legitimate business activity. Erjavec often opened new checking accounts for the shell entities on the same day (or within days) of registering the business. As a result of his fraud scheme, Erjavec obtained more than $975,000 in Covid-19 relief funds. Erjavec stole that money, which he wired into accounts he controlled exclusively. Erjavec used the money for his own personal benefit and spending. “As alleged in the indictment, Mark Erjavec knowingly submitted false and fraudulent documents to the Small Business Administration in order to take money intended for legitimate small businesses suffering during the Covid-era economic downturn,” said Minneapolis FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. “Erjavec re-registered dormant business entities in order to facilitate the theft of more than $975,000 in taxpayer dollars. Our efforts to stop this egregious fraud are moving forward full speed ahead; we will work with our partners at the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold accountable those who illegally enrich themselves by defrauding the government.” This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General – U.S. Department of Commerce and the FBI, as a part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Queens Man Sentenced to Nine Years’ Imprisonment for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – Awais Chudhary was sentenced today by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon to nine years’ imprisonment for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, in connection with his efforts to attack civilians with a knife in Queens, New York. United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi; Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence. “Awais Chudhary pledged allegiance to a brutal terrorist organization and set out to kill American citizens,” stated Attorney General Bondi. “Our prosecutors have ensured that he will spend years behind bars for his crimes, and the Department of Justice will continue to protect the American people from all threats foreign and domestic.” “After consuming violent ISIS propaganda for more than a year, the defendant took real world steps to carry out a lethal terrorist attack in Queens, including scouting the location of his attack and analyzing when it would be the most crowded so he could inflict maximum slaughter,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Thanks to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Chudhary was stopped before anyone was harmed.” “Today, Awais Chudhary received a well-deserved punishment for his deliberate plans – motivated by ISIS’s barbaric propaganda – to conduct a mass casualty terrorist attack in Queens,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force remains vigilant and determined to defend our country from the evils of terrorism.” “Awais Chudhary pledged allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization, actively helped to recruit individuals to join ISIS, and planned to commit a mass knife attack in Queens,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Chudhary’s plan to cause terror was stopped because of the women and men in law enforcement — and today, our justice system is holding him accountable. I would like to thank our NYPD investigators as well as our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work hard work and determination.” According to court filings, in August 2019, after watching violent terrorist propaganda videos, Chudhary pledged his allegiance to ISIS’s then-leader Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi and began planning for a knife or bomb attack on behalf of the group. Chudhary identified targets, including the pedestrian bridges over the Grand Central Parkway and the Flushing Bay Promenade, where he intended to carry out the attacks. Chudhary conducted several reconnaissance trips to these locations and made video recordings of the areas he intended to attack. Chudhary sought guidance from people whom he believed to be ISIS supporters, including about what type of knife to use and how to prevent detection from law enforcement by not leaving “traces of finger prints [or] DNA.” Chudhary also sent a screenshot of an ISIS propaganda magazine that included a diagram of the human body depicting where to stab victims with a knife. In preparing for his attack, Chudhary ordered items online that he intended to use, including a tactical knife, a mask, gloves, and a cellphone chest and head-strap to help him to record the attack, which he hoped would serve as inspiration to other ISIS supporters. Chudhary was arrested as he attempted to retrieve the items he ordered from an online retailer’s locker in Queens. Before planning his specific violent attack, Chudhary separately contributed to ISIS’s violent aims to help recruit English-speaking internet users to the group’s hateful cause. Working with another ISIS member who was separately convicted of material support charges, Chudhary assisted ISIS in its propaganda efforts by helping to translate some of the group’s propaganda materials into English. See United States v. Carpenter , E.D.N.Y., Docket No. 21-CR-38. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise, Lindsey R. Oken, and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth. The Defendant : AWAIS CHUDHARY Age: 25 Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-135 (CBA)


title: Florida Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy and Firearm Offense

body_text: BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a sex trafficking conspiracy and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Angelo Dominic Lombardo, 29, of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 13 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Lombardo is also ordered to register as a sex offender. In January 2025 , Lombardo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. “This defendant preyed on vulnerable, lured them in with false promises, and then used violence and threats of violence to force them into sex trafficking for his own monetary gain. His calculated cruelty, including threatening a victim at gunpoint, is unconscionable,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Although today’s sentence cannot undo the harm he inflcited, we hope it sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they can come to Massachusetts to traffic and exploit vulnerable people: you will be found, you will be stopped, and you will be held accountable. Our office will continue to stand with victims, fight for their safety, and bring traffickers to justice.” “Angelo Lombardo felt entitled to treat women not as people, but as property to be sold for sex. Today’s sentence ensures he’ll stay locked up, unable to harm anyone else for decades to come,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Profiting from the sexual exploitation of another human being is reprehensible. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect trafficking victims from further harm and see the predators who so viciously and violently abuse them brought to justice for their deplorable conduct.” From in and around June 2020 to July 12, 2021, Lombardo conspired with others to traffic four victims to engage in commercial sex acts by physically assaulting the victims, coercing the victims psychologically, making false promises of a better life and making explicit threats to one of the victims with a firearm, among other things. In June 2020, Lombardo recruited a victim in Florida to work for him engaging in commercial sex in various states, including Massachusetts. Lombardo promised the victim a better life, however the money that she was paid engaging in commercial sex was turned over to Lombardo. On multiple occasions, Lombardo was violent with the victim who reported that she did not feel able to leave him because she would leave with nothing. Another victim recruited by Lombardo in or around October 2020 in Florida, travelled with Lombardo to other states, including Massachusetts, to engage in commercial sex. Lombardo threatened the victim that if she did not do what she was told, she would not see her family again. On one occasion when the victim did not want to participate in any more commercial sex dates, Lombardo confiscated her license and punched her repeatedly. Around May 2021, Lombardo recruited a homeless victim in Portland, Ore., provided her with a place to stay and then advertised her on commercial sex websites. Lombardo would set up dates and drive the victim who travelled to Boston, Mass. on two occasions to engage in commercial sex. In addition to taking the money, he verbally abused the victim and on one occasion put a gun to the victim’s head and told her to go make more money. Finally, another victim was recruited to work for Lombardo in June 2021, in Portland, Ore., shortly after she turned 18 years old. Lombardo promised the victim financial stability and a better life if she worked for him. In reality, Lombardo kept the money that the victim was paid, for himself. The victim reported that Lombardo was verbally abusive toward her and isolated her from loved ones. Ultimately, one of the victims went to the police and reported that Lombardo was trafficking her in July 2021. On July 12, 2021, following a traffic stop in Boston, Lombardo was arrested on state trafficking charges. At the time of his arrest, Lombardo had approximately $3,310 in his possession. A subsequent search of a hotel room in Revere, Mass. associated with Lombardo resulted in the recovery of a firearm with a laser attached matching the descriptions provided by at least two of the victims, and a loaded large capacity magazine with 20 live rounds of ammunition. Due to at least one prior felony conviction, Lombardo is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this individual or alleged crime should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources. U.S. Attorney Foley; FBI SAC Docks; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; and the Revere and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, prosecuted the case.


title: Former Tennessee State Representative Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison, and his Chief of Staff Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison, on Fraud, Money Laundering, and Conspiracy Charges

component: Criminal - Public Integrity Section

body_text: NASHVILLE – Former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, 66, and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren, 38, of Nashville, have been sentenced for honest services wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; using a fictitious name to carry out a fraud; and money laundering, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Casada was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison, and Cothren was sentenced on September 16, 2025, to 30 months in federal prison. “Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs,” said McGuire. “This prosecution, and the sentences ordered today, show our office’s steadfast commitment to seek justice on behalf of our community in cases involving public corruption and fraud. We believe that Tennesseans deserve no less.” “The defendants abused their power as government officials and defrauded taxpayers for their own enrichment,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to holding accountable those who betray public trust and steal from government coffers in order to line their own pockets.” “In a betrayal of their duty to Tennesseans, Mr. Casada and Mr. Cothren violated the integrity of our government,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Public corruption and fraud will not be tolerated in our community—no matter the position or names of the individuals involved. The sentences imposed today should serve as a wake-up call to other public officials who believe there are no consequences for betraying the public trust.” Through the State’s Postage and Printing Allowance (“PPA”), each Representative was allocated $3,000, compounding each year, to fund the printing and postage for constituent communications. The expenditure of PPA funds required the approval of the Representative, the Office of the Speaker of the House, and Connie Ridley, the Director of Legislative Administration. Evidence presented a trial showed that shortly after Casada stepped down as Speaker, he, Cothren, and Representative Robin Smith (the “conspirators”), conspired to defraud the State of Tennessee and its citizens. The conspirators agreed that Cothren would create an LLC called Phoenix Solutions to provide constituent mailer services to Tennessee Republican House members. Because of Cothren’s tarnished reputation, the conspirators knew that the venture would be unsuccessful if Cothren’s involvement was widely known. Instead, Casada and Smith either approached their colleagues in the legislature on behalf of Phoenix Solutions or they did not disclose the LLC’s involvement at all. Cothren hid behind the fake identity, “Matthew Phoenix,” supposedly an experienced political consultant formerly with a prominent Washington, D.C., consulting firm. To keep up this sham, the conspirators repeatedly deceived their colleagues and State officials. For example, Cothren sent the State of Tennessee a fraudulent W-9 in the name of “Matthew Phoenix.” He also involved his girlfriend in the scheme by directing her to falsely pose as another, made-up employee of Phoenix Solutions during an extended email exchange intended to dupe Ridley. The conspirators even manufactured a fake confrontation between Casada and Smith that took place on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives—intended to be in full view of other legislators—to throw the current Speaker off their scent. They went to these lengths because, had Cothren’s involvement been known, the conspirators’ invoices would not have been paid. Legislators testified at trial that they would not have agreed to work with Cothren if they had known the true situation. As suspicions at the State grew, payment of the conspirators’ invoices slowed. To break the logjam, Cothren “officially set [Smith] loose on [Ridley’s] a**.” As sitting State Representatives, Smith and Casada had unparalleled access to Ridley and her superiors in the Speaker’s Office compared to a typical State vendor. Smith asked the Speaker’s Chief of Staff—effectively Ridley’s boss—to put pressure on Ridley to pay Phoenix Solutions’ invoices and met personally with Ridley in an effort to do the same. Casada also met with Ridley regarding the delayed payment of the conspirators’ invoices and told Smith he was “going to touch base with [the Chief of Staff] tomorrow on this situation of ours.” Ridley testified that her sole goal was to “maintain the integrity of the fiscal operation of” the legislature. But when Ridley continued to resist Casada and Smith’s pressure campaign, they called her a “b**ch.” In exchange for Casada and Smith’s efforts, Cothren kicked back to them portions of the more than $50,000 the State ultimately paid to the conspirators. As Smith testified, the conspirators also concealed these kickbacks by routing payments from the State through Smith and Casada’s personal consulting companies to accounts controlled by Cothren before he kicked back a portion of the profits to them. Casada’s company, Right Way Consulting, did not exist until he created it in January 2020 to receive fraudulently induced payments from the State. The initial business with the State and the corresponding abuses of Casada and Smith’s public offices was a crucial launching pad for building a much more lucrative business. They leveraged the initial, State-funded success of the company, and their contacts within and intertwined with government, to gain much more lucrative caucus and campaign work. For example, Cothren posed as “Matthew Cyrus” in a bid to persuade Chip Saltsman, the House Republican Caucus consultant, to use Phoenix Solutions for caucus work. In recorded calls with Daniel Cox, the political director of the Tennessee House Republican caucus, Cothren disguised himself as “Matthew Phoenix” in an effort to win caucus business for Phoenix Solutions. Cothren also used the “Matthew Phoenix” pseudonym to deceive Representative Johnny Garrett in an effort to obtain the legislator’s campaign business. Witnesses who used or recommended Phoenix Solutions for campaign and caucus work testified that they would not have done so if they had known that Cothren was involved or that sitting Representatives were secretly profiting from the work. In total, Phoenix Solutions received approximately $159,496.48 in revenue from caucus and campaign work. Smith pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud in 2022 and testified at trial. On September 9, 2025, United States District Judge Eli Richardson granted in part and denied in part the motions for acquittal that the defendants had made orally at the conclusion of the United States’ proof at trial. Judge Richardson acquitted the defendants on Counts Two, Three and Four of the twenty-count indictment on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence that Casada was an “agent” of the State of Tennessee. Casada now stands convicted of fourteen counts, including conspiracy, honest services fraud, and money laundering. Cothren now stands convicted of sixteen counts of conspiracy, honest services fraud, and money laundering. In addition to his sentence, Casada was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and to forfeit $4,643.60 in proceeds. Cothren was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine. Casada and Cothren will also be on supervised release for one year following their terms of imprisonment. This case was investigated by the FBI, Nashville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips and Trial Attorneys John P. Taddei and Blake J. Ellison of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Ohio Man Charged with Receipt, Distribution, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man has been charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Michael Neville, 46, of Elyria, Ohio, was engaging in sexually explicit communications with an undercover agent purporting to be the father of a 9-year-old girl using a social media messaging application. The conversations centered around the defendant’s sexual interest in children. During the investigation, federal agents found that Neville’s electronic device contained CSAM of pre-pubescent children, and that he had sent CSAM material involving the sadistic abuse of an infant. If convicted Neville faces up to 20 years in prison for receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and up to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography. This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio. Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Found After Entering Country Illegally Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: An individual who was found in the United States after entering illegally on multiple occasions was sentenced on September 22, 2025, to 168 days imprisonment. Angel Aranda-Vazquez, age 37, a citizen of Mexico, received the prison term after a June 25, 2025 guilty plea to being found after illegal reentry. Aranda‑Vazquez had previously been removed from the United States and was found after trying to use identification documents illegally in Tama County, Iowa. Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Aranda-Vazquez was sentenced to 168 days imprisonment. Aranda-Vazquez must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Aranda-Vazquez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. This case is part of Operation Take Back America. ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-000111. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Jefferson County felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –A Port Arthur convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Rickey Shawn Thomas, 45, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 22, 2025. According to information presented in court, four handguns were recovered from Thomas during the execution of a search warrant issued during a drug trafficking investigation. Two of the firearms had been reported as stolen. Law enforcement also discovered over five pounds of synthetic marijuana and over $40,000 cash. Further investigation revealed Thomas had seven felony convictions and as a convicted felon, is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Quinn and Chris Jackson. ##


title: Pierre Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison  for Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a woman from Pierre, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025. Mickenzie Tucker, age 23, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Tucker was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $27,000. Tucker was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. She pleaded guilty on June 27, 2025. Between July 2023 and February 2024, Tucker received and distributed child pornography using instant messaging and social media platforms, including Discord and Wickr. Law enforcement began investigating Tucker in September 2023, based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which indicated Tucker was using her Discord account to store child pornography. In February 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tucker’s residence in Pierre, seizing multiple electronic devices that contained child pornography. Tucker will forfeit ownership of those devices to the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Pierre Police Department, and the FBI. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Tucker must self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service by October 6, 2025.


title: Montgomery County Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for $72 Million Fraud Scheme

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joshua Coleman, 39, of North Wales, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $57,239,616.90 in restitution by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge, in connection with a scheme in which he defrauded two lenders that had loaned him approximately $72 million in total, with the fraud loss between $9.5 million and $25 million. In August 2023, Coleman was charged by information with four counts of wire fraud arising from the scheme and he pleaded guilty that September. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from August 2020 to June 2022, Coleman deceived two lenders (Lender #1 and Lender #2) into loaning approximately $72 million to companies owned and controlled by the defendant, who falsely represented to the lenders that the money would be used to purchase insurance companies. Of the $72 million, Coleman only used approximately $10.9 million to buy insurance companies. He used the remaining $61 million to pay for personal expenses, business debts, and other companies that he owned and controlled. Specifically, court filings show, despite promising to use the money to buy insurance companies, one day after obtaining approximately $25 million in loan proceeds from Lender #1, Coleman wired approximately $20.2 million to Individuals #1 and #2, former investment advisor clients of his, and their associated entity. In May 2020, the defendant entered into an agreement in which he acknowledged that he used approximately $20 million of these former clients’ assets without their knowledge or consent and agreed to pay back the debt with interest. In sum, Coleman used most of Lender #1’s money to repay earlier investors whose money he misappropriated. By August 2021, Coleman needed millions of dollars to repay Lender #1 and other business debts that he incurred, and to purchase two actual insurance companies. In or about September 2021, he began to negotiate with Lender #2 for a loan that authorized him to use loan proceeds to purchase insurance companies. Before the loan agreement could become fully effective, the defendant had to provide proof that certain liens had been terminated by November 2, 2021. Coleman provided what purported to be four lien termination forms to Lender #2 before the November deadline. In truth, all four liens were still in place at the time. The defendant falsified other critical documents, as well, to convince Lender #2 to enter into the loan agreement and to make disbursements of loan proceeds. In total, the defendant received approximately $47.6 million from Lender #2. Approximately $10.9 million was used to purchase Insurance Company #1. The remaining $36.8 million was misappropriated by the defendant, with most of the money spent on unrelated business debts, including approximately $11.5 million of Lender #2’s funds used to repay Lender #1. “Coleman brazenly lied to his lenders, falsifying documents and forging signatures to help conceal his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Instead of using the funds as intended, he spent most of those millions paying off business debts and for personal expenses. My office will continue to target significant financial crimes like this and prosecute the fraudsters responsible.” “This sentencing reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek personal profit through lies and deceit,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue our pursuit of those who orchestrate and execute complex financial fraud schemes.” This case was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anita Eve and Francis Weber. The SEC also filed civil charges against Coleman.


title: St. Louis County Woman Sentenced to 93 Months in Prison for Gun, Fraud Crimes

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a woman who aided an online fraud and committed pandemic and mortgage fraud to 78 months in prison, consecutive to a 15-month sentence for being a felon caught with two guns. Judge Ross also ordered Shirley Waller, 43, of St. Louis County, Missouri, to repay $313,711 to victims. Waller pleaded guilty in June to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and using an assumed name to commit mail fraud. As part of her guilty plea, Waller admitted acting as a “money mule” and aiding scammers who used a variety of tactics to trick victims. After the daughter of a 71-year-old St. Louis County woman told police in December 2023, that she’d mailed $35,000 to Waller’s home as part of a romance scam, they determined that more than 70 Express Mail packages had been delivered to Waller’s home during a 60-day period ending Nov. 1, 2023. In a court-approved search on Jan. 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found two guns and Express Mail packages containing cash that had been sent to variations of Waller’s name by older adults targeted in online fraud schemes. Fourteen identified victims sent $94,150 to Waller’s home. The government estimates that the overseas scammers stole over $1 million, based on the 193 total packages that were delivered to Waller’s home between Sept. 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024, and tracked by Nigerian IP addresses. Waller also admitted fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan of $19,235 on April 10, 2021, by falsely claiming she ran a business in Michigan. She received the loan and used the money to travel to Ghana, Germany and Jamaica. Waller unsuccessfully submitted another fraudulent loan application for a St. Louis resale shop, concealing the existence of the first loan and falsifying her business income. Finally, Waller admitted fraudulently obtaining a $196,000 mortgage loan by lying about her marital status, income and job and by submitting counterfeit tax documents and bank statements. In March, Judge Ross sentenced Waller to 15 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. She has a series of prior convictions including for fraud and theft. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.


title: Former Non-Profit Executive Director and City Development Official Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Divert Funds from Non-Profit Missions

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: BAY CITY – Michael Bacigalupo, the former executive director of two nonprofit entities and a public figure pleaded guilty today to defrauding the non-profits of over $750,000, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced. Gorgon is joined in this announcement by Reuben C. Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan Division, and Caleb Rowell, Public Safety Director, Bay City Department of Public Safety. Michael Bacigalupo, 63, of Essexville, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud. According to facts made public at the plea hearing, from approximately June 2020 through November 2023, Bacigalupo was the Executive Director of both the nonprofit Bay City State Theatre and the nonprofit Bay City Historical Society, as well as the former Director of the Bay City Downtown Development Authority. He used his leadership positions to fraudulently obtain and divert over $750,000 of nonprofit funding intended for mission essential requirements to instead pay for renovations to a public bandshell in Bay City. As a result of Bacigalupo’s fraudulent conduct, the Bay City State Theatre defaulted on a private loan Bacigalupo had secured using the theatre itself, requiring the State Theater to declare bankruptcy. Similarly, Bacigalupo’s misappropriation of the Bay City Historical Society’s funds prevented it from completing substantial renovations to its building and museum. To replenish the diverted funds, Bacigalupo sought and secured a $900,000 federal grant under fraudulent pretenses. His fraudulent conduct, however, was uncovered before the federal monies were disbursed. To perpetrate the fraud, Bacigalupo made numerous false statements to the affected organizations, and substantiated his lies with fictitious board minutes, third-party invoices, and Quickbook entries. “Working or volunteering for a non-profit entity is a wonderful way to help strengthen our communities. But non-profits are not a personal piggy bank whose donated funds can be used for personal pet projects. Doing so is not only selfish and wrong, but also a crime that carries significant consequences,” said United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. “The defendant’s fraud scheme deprived well-meaning nonprofit organizations of the funds necessary to carry out their critical missions and forced one entity into bankruptcy," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben C. Coleman of the FBI in Michigan. "The FBI is poised to investigate fraud cases with financial intricacies like those documented in this case. We commend the Bay City Department of Public Safety, in particular, for taking strong action against those who seek to defraud nonprofit entities seeking to enrich our communities." “I am thankful for the diligent work of Detective Ben Meyer and the agents from the FBI. They conducted a lengthy and very thorough investigation which will allow the community to move forward and justice to be served. I would also like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan for their ability to resolve this case in a fair manner for all parties involved,” said Caleb Rowell, Public Safety Director, Bay City Department of Public Safety. This investigation was conducted by the Bay City Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys T. Patrick Martin and William Orr.


title: Fort Thompson Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison  for Abusive Sexual Contact

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025. John Thompson, age 44, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2025. The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred between August 1, 2010, and August 31, 2011, within the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation. During this timeframe, Thompson fondled the genitalia of a boy who was under the age of twelve. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services – Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. Thompson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Pueblo Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison On Gun, Drug Charges

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Joshua Pacheco, 33, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a machine gun, possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with an intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the stipulated facts in the plea agreement, on October 20, 2023, Pacheco was on federal supervised release following a conviction for possessing a firearm as a prior felon. On that date, the defendant was encountered returning to his house in a vehicle which was later searched, and from which law enforcement recovered numerous firearms, including machine guns, and large quantities of controlled substances, including approximately 351 grams of fentanyl pills and 621 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also recovered approximately $2,000 in cash. Pacheco possessed the controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, and possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to making communities all across Colorado safer for the benefit of their residents,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Pueblo is safer with this heavily armed drug dealer back behind bars.” “Under no circumstances will ATF stand idly by while armed, violent repeat offenders victimize our communities by illegally possessing and trafficking firearms and drugs,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Together with our local and federal partners, we will unleash every available resource in pursuit of these violent criminals, bring them to justice, and restore the safety and security to our streets that every citizen deserves to enjoy.” “Illegal guns and illicit drugs continue to drive violence in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “By bringing the full force of federal prosecution against the most dangerous offenders, we are removing threats from our neighborhoods and sending an unmistakable message: the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force is firmly committed to protecting our citizens and upholding the rule of law.” United States District Judge S. Kato Crews presided over the sentencing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force handled the investigation. The Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office handled the prosecution. Case Number: 1:24-cr-00202-SKC


title: Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Leading Massive Illegal Marijuana Operation

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Dineh Benally pleaded guilty in federal court to leading a vast illegal marijuana cultivation and distribution ring that spanned several years, exploited workers, and polluted the San Juan River on tribal lands. Benally pleaded guilty to 15 counts, including: Two drug trafficking conspiracy charges for orchestrating the illegal operations. Four charges of manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and more than 1,000 marijuana plants. Two charges of maintaining a drug-involved premises. Two charges of illegally discharging pollutants into the San Juan River. Possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Unlawfully employing illegal aliens. Conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. Smuggling undeclared pesticides into the United States. Concealment of Records in a Federal Investigation. According to court documents, from approximately January 2018 to November 2020, Benally , 48, and his co-conspirators established over 30 farms, covering more than 400 acres, on land obtained from Navajo Nation members. To fund this illegal enterprise, Benally and a co-conspirator traveled to California and created front companies to solicit Chinese investors. These investors were charged cash fees ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 for counterfeit cannabis cultivation licenses. They were also deceived into believing they were growing legal hemp, not marijuana, and were required to pay the co-conspirators a percentage of the harvest. The operation involved the construction of over 1,100 greenhouses and employed both local Navajo workers and Chinese foreign laborers, some of whom were undocumented immigrants, to grow, cultivate, and transport marijuana out of New Mexico. Furthermore, Benally constructed an illegal sandbag dam on the San Juan River and filled in a river channel to irrigate the crops by dumping sand, rocks, and agricultural waste, which constituted an unpermitted discharge of pollutants into a federally protected waterway, violating the Clean Water Act. The criminal enterprise was dismantled following law enforcement seizures in November 2020, which confiscated approximately 260,000 marijuana plants and 60,000 pounds of processed marijuana. The second period, from approximately January 1, 2022, to January 23, 2025, involved an illegal marijuana grow operation near Estancia, New Mexico. Benally initially received a state license to grow marijuana near Estancia. However, state inspectors identified uncontrolled pest infestations, a lack of quality controls, and other violations that led to his license being revoked on December 23, 2023, and a $1 million fine. Benally continued the operation in defiance of the cease-and-desist order, going so far as to tamper with a utility meter to steal electricity. On January 23, 2025, a joint federal and state law enforcement operation raided two additional marijuana farms linked to Benally near Estancia. The raid, which also involved a search of his residence, uncovered approximately 8,500 pounds of marijuana, $35,000 in cash, illegal pesticides, methamphetamine, firearms, and a bulletproof vest. “This case shows the human and environmental costs when the law is ignored, and it underscores our office’s commitment to protecting New Mexico’s communities and natural resources alongside out federal, state, Tribal and local partners.,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Exploiting workers, desecrating land and poising rivers for profit is not business, it is criminal, and it will be met with justice.” "The FBI remains committed to identifying, investigating, and dismantling criminal organizations operating in New Mexico." said Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "Mr. Benally's guilty plea demonstrates that those who engage in criminal activity will face real consequences. This case highlights the importance of collaboration between state, local, tribal, and federal agencies in delivering justice, ensuring the safety of our communities, and protecting the land within our tribal communities." “The crimes here represent nothing less than foreign interests poisoning our land, wildlife, and people both up and down stream. Benally orchestrated the smuggling of illegal Chinese pesticides into the communities of New Mexico,” said Special Agent in Charge Kim Bahney of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division. “The San Juan River is a vital resource for the Navajo Nation, and a water of the United States. Benally must be held accountable for claiming it as his own.” “I commend the cooperation of all the Tribal, Federal, and State law enforcement officials who worked tirelessly together across jurisdictions to bring an end to the dangerous marijuana farms that Dineh Benally had flagrantly operated both on and adjacent to the Navajo Nation,” said acting Navajo Nation Attorney General Colin Bradley. Per the plea agreement, at sentencing, Benally faces a mandatory 15 years and up to life in prison and a drug-related fine not to exceed the greater of $10 million or twice the pecuniary gain to Benally and an environmental-related fine of $5,000 to $50,000 per day of violation. Upon his release from prison, Benally will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and Kim Bahney, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Area Office of the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and the Navajo Nation Police Department. In addition, the following law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement operation: Torrance County Sheriff’s Office, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, New Mexico Department of Justice, New Mexico State Police, and the FBI El Paso Field Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGinley, and Assistant United States Attorneys Eva Fontanez and Michael Pahl are prosecuting the case.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to More than 2 Years in Federal Prison  for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025. Dustin Douglas Wade Deverney Hubbeling, 24, was sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Hubbeling was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025. On December 5, 2024, Hubbeling was encountered by officers with the Sioux Falls Police Department and found to have a pistol in the waistband of his pants. He was prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior felony convictions. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. Hubbeling was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rio Grande City man admits to trafficking nearly 29 kilograms of cocaine

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 48-year-old South Texas man has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to deliver 28.94 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jorge Rafael Perez drove a white Chevrolet Tahoe to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint July 19. During secondary inspection, an x-ray scan revealed a lead-lined wall in the passenger side of the vehicle. Authorities searched it and discovered 24 vacuum-sealed bundles of cocaine hidden in the rear quarter panel. Field tests confirmed the bundles contained cocaine and weighed approximately 28.94 kilograms. Perez admitted he knowingly transported the drugs from Edinburg and intended to take them to San Antonio. The investigation also revealed Perez had been previously convicted in 2010 of possessing with intent to distribute marijuana. Because of that prior conviction, Perez faces a minimum of 15 years and up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $20 million fine. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Jan. 8, 2026. Perez has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.


title: District Man and Woman Plead Guilty in Violent Carjacking

body_text: WASHINGTON – Brian Allison, 56, and Angel Hall, 25, both of the District, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to their roles in a violent armed carjacking of a woman in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Allison and Hall each pleaded guilty to a charge of carjacking and aiding and abetting. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2026. According to court documents, on Feb. 1, 2024, about 11 p.m., Allison and Hall followed the victim into a restaurant on the 4500 block of Benning Road, SE. Allison and Hall left without ordering anything, but followed the victim as she left with her food. Allison approached the victim as she walked to her vehicle. As Hall stood lookout, Allison flashed the butt of a pistol that he was carrying in his pocket, and said, “Gimme those f---ing keys or I’m gonna bust your head.” After the victim handed over her keys, Allison demanded her phone and wallet. Allison then asked for the PIN number to her debit card. The victim provided the number. Allison told the victim if the PIN was not correct, he would kill her. Using the key fob, Allison tried to open the trunk to force the victim into it. Allison could not get the trunk open, so he ordered her into the front passenger seat. Hall got into the rear passengers seat. Allison got into the driver’s seat and pulled away. Allison drove the victim and Hall to a grocery store on the 4900 block of Marlboro Pike, Capitol Heights Maryland. Allison then told Hall to “bust” the victim if she tried to leave. Allison entered the store with the victim’s debit card, withdrew $500 from an ATM, and bought some food. He returned to vehicle and drove them all back to the District. Allison parked the car on the 5700 block of Southern Avenue SE. Once stopped, he took one of the victim’s gloves and wiped down the victim’s keys and the steering wheel. Allison returned the phone, keys, and wallet to the victim. Allison and Hall fled on foot towards Central Avenue, SE. The victim drove to the 6 th District Station house and reported the incident. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Lawrence, James B. Nelson, and Emory V. Cole. 24cr157


title: Man from Grays Harbor County, Washington, pleads guilty to possession of narcotics with intent to distribute

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A federal defendant from Grays Harbor County, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to two counts of possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Gabriel Armas faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison because of the amount of narcotics involved and Armas’ 2015 conviction for trafficking heroin and methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled sentencing for December 16, 2025. According to the plea agreement statement of facts, on November 14, 2023, Armas was found slumped over the wheel of a car in a parking lot in Ocean Shores, Washington. When an officer knocked on the window, Armas drove away at a high rate of speed. Law enforcement stopped the pursuit due to Armas’ reckless driving. The car Armas was driving got stuck on a bridge that had not been designed for vehicle traffic and the bridge collapsed. Armas left the area, but a drug detecting dog found things he had abandoned in the area such as baggies containing fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder and crystal methamphetamine. They also found identity and bank cards in Armas’ name. A few days later, Armas was found in the area where the car was abandoned and was booked into the Federal Detention Center on allegations he had violated his federal supervision. He was housed in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) on the night of November 19, 2023. On the morning of November 20, 2023, the person sharing the cell with Armas was found unresponsive and died despite lifesaving efforts. An autopsy revealed the man died from acute heroin, olanzapine, and mirtazapine intoxication. On November 23, 2023, authorities found heroin hidden in Armas’ cell. It was wrapped in a jailhouse note offering heroin for sale to inmates. A few weeks later more heroin was found in the top of a pill bottle in Armas’ cell. On January 25, 2024, Armas admitted to another inmate that he made money selling heroin to other inmates and that his cellmate overdosed and died from the heroin. Armas said he swallowed the some of the heroin to hide it from staff after his cellmate’s overdose. Under the terms of the plea agreement, both the defense and prosecution will recommend a ten-year prison term. Judge Settle is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Ocean Shores Police Department and Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.


title: Santa Monica Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging He Doxxed and Harassed ICE Lawyer

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Santa Monica man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with doxxing – publishing private or identifying information about an individual on the internet with malicious intent – of a lawyer at United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Justice Department announced today. Gregory John Curcio, 68, is charged with violating a federal law designed for the protection of individuals performing certain official duties. Curcio, who was arrested Monday, made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered Curcio jailed without bond and scheduled his arraignment for October 14. “Contrary to what some misguided individuals think, doxxing federal agents and employees is not a harmless crime,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “It endangers the agent’s personal safety and that of their family. It’s also a federal crime. If convicted, this defendant will face up to five years in a federal prison cell.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, federal law prohibits making certain personal information about covered persons – including federal employees – public. The restricted personal information includes a victim’s Social Security number, home address, home phone number, mobile phone number, and personal email address. In February 2025, Curcio created a Facebook post in which he identified the victim – an ICE attorney – as an ICE agent, posted her home address, and directed others to “swat” her at that address. Curio also posted the victim’s home address with instructions to swat the victim on another social media account controlled by Curcio. “Swatting” is a term used to describe a form of harassment that often involves placing a false emergency call to law enforcement or emergency responders, often reporting a false ongoing crisis or crime at a specific location to prompt a significant law enforcement response. The victim told authorities that Curcio is a former resident at her mother’s apartment building in Santa Monica. She said she never met Curcio, but he had harassed and threatened her mother for years. The complaint alleges that Curcio made false allegations and engaged in a campaign to harass the victim and her family beginning from at least January 2024. A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Curcio would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Responsibility is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Restrepo of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.


title: Virginia Man Sentenced to Prison After Trafficking 40 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Cocaine in Utah

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Cruz Javier Garcia, 39, of Bland, Virginia, was sentenced today to 246 months’ imprisonment and a five-year term of supervised release for trafficking 40 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine while in the District of Utah. Garcia’s sentence comes after he pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. According to court documents and admissions made at Garcia’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on September 22, 2023, Garcia was pulled over for speeding. During the traffic stop, the trooper conducted a search of the vehicle. In a suitcase, troopers found and seized a black garbage bag with approximately 40 bags of methamphetamine, each weighing one pound. In a backpack, troopers also found and seized 3.5 pounds of cocaine. “Drug trafficking is a scourge on communities, and those who seek to profit from it while our communities are left to bear the cost of addiction, violence and death, is unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Garcia’s sentence sends a clear message to anyone involved in trafficking drugs in the District of Utah: you will be caught, prosecuted, and held accountable.” “The Utah Department of Public Safety is committed to interdicting contraband on Utah highways and providing professional investigations that lead to successful prosecutions. We are grateful for the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah. Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti's team played a crucial role in securing this conviction, and we congratulate them on this successful outcome,” said Commissioner Beau Mason of the Utah Department of Public Safety. The case was investigated by the Utah Department of Public Safety, State Bureau of Investigation and the Utah Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: Third Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiring in Global Prize Notice Fraud Scheme

component: Civil Division

body_text: An Arizona woman pleaded guilty today for engaging in a prize notice fraud scheme that defrauded thousands of elderly consumers across the United States and abroad. Kimberly Stamps, 48, of Gilbert, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. According to court documents, Stamps was the owner and operator of a mass-mailing prize notice scheme that mailed millions of fraudulent prize notices. The prize notices led her victims to believe they had been individually selected to receive a large cash prize and would receive the prize if they paid a $20 to $50 fee. In reality, no victim ever received a large cash prize from Stamps or her co-conspirators. Instead, victims received a “report” describing sweepstakes opportunities or a trinket of minimal value. After victims responded to one fraudulent prize notice mailing, Stamps and her co-conspirators inundated them with additional fraudulent mailings. Stamps and her co-conspirators used the scheme to steal more than $15 million from victims, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable. The fraud scheme operated from 2012 to February 2018, when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) executed multiple search warrants and the Justice Department obtained a court order shutting down the fraudulent mail operation. As part of her plea, Stamps admitted that she bought consumer mailing lists, chose the fraudulent prize notices, set the mailing schedule, opened P.O. Boxes to collect victim responses, coordinated with printers and translators, ordered cheap trinkets to mail as fulfillment, tracked victim responses, and opened bank accounts to receive victims’ payments. Stamps also admitted that by operating the fraud scheme, she violated a U.S. Postal Service cease-and-desist agreement and consent order reached in 2012. That agreement and order had permanently barred Stamps from mailing fraudulent prize notices. Stamps is the third and final defendant in the charged conspiracy to plead guilty. Her co-conspirators John Kyle Muller and Barbara Trickle pleaded guilty on April 12, 2024, and April 28, 2025, respectively. The USPIS conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Carolyn Rice and Charles Dunn of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for fraudulent lottery, prize notification, sweepstakes, and psychic scams. If you receive a phone call, letter or email promising a large prize in exchange for a fee, do not respond. Fraudsters often will use official-sounding names or the names of real lotteries or sweepstakes or pretend to be a government agent purportedly helping to secure a prize. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with inappropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage at www.justice.gov/elderjustice . For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov .


title: Phoenix Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Robbery and Shooting

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Junn Alan Quinto Coleman, 35, of Phoenix, was sentenced on September 22, by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai to 18 years in prison. Coleman previously pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, a federal crime that prohibits actual or attempted robbery that affects interstate commerce, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. On January 2, 2024, Coleman and an accomplice robbed Phoenix Soles streetwear store on Central Avenue in Phoenix. During the robbery, Coleman pointed a firearm at those inside the store. He then pistol-whipped and shot one man in the shoulder. Coleman and his accomplice stole cash, merchandise, and jewelry during the crime. Investigators with the FBI and the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) identified Coleman from his facial tattoos. “This case is a prime example of multiple agencies working together to curtail violent crime in our community,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “We are grateful for the work of the Phoenix Police Department, FBI, and Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry in quickly identifying the shooter and bringing him to justice.” This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. The Phoenix Police Department, FBI’s Phoenix Division, and the ADCRR conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Chapman, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00484-PHX-SHD RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-152_Coleman # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.