title: Illegal Alien Indicted for Possessing Firearms and Selling Cocaine

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – An El Salvadoran national illegally living in Tulsa was indicted for possessing firearms and ammunition unlawfully and distributing drugs in the Northern District of Oklahoma. Geovanny Alexander Pineda-Cubias, 25, is charged with being an Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes. Agents began investigating Pineda-Cubias after he made several posts on social media showing that he was selling drugs, possessed firearms, and was selling a firearm and a machine gun conversion device, known as a “Glock switch.” While investigating Pineda-Cubias, agents discovered that he is unlawfully inside the United States, has been removed, and is not legally allowed to possess a firearm. Pineda-Cubias was the passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over during a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, law enforcement found two firearms, cocaine, and cash in the vehicle. Agents then obtained a search warrant for his home and recovered more than 300 rounds of ammunition, cocaine, and drug distribution paraphernalia. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Dominican Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Cocaine Trafficking Organization While Serving State Sentence

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States illegally has been sentenced in federal court to eight years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of federal supervised release, on his drug trafficking conviction, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Santos Castro-Mota, 46. According to information presented to the Court, a joint investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, determined that Aliquippa drug trafficker Kijana Lowe frequently communicated with Castro-Mota while Castro-Mota was serving a five-to-ten year sentence at State Correctional Institution Phoenix (Collegeville, Pennsylvania) on a drug trafficking conviction. Recordings of calls between Lowe and Castro-Mota revealed that Lowe would order kilogram quantities of cocaine from Castro-Mota, with the defendants referring to a kilogram of cocaine as a “white car.” After Castro-Mota negotiated the sale with Lowe, Castro-Mota would then direct a co-defendant, who Castro-Mota referred to as “the mechanic,” to deliver the controlled substances to Lowe. The investigation established that Lowe would then supply the drugs to another co-defendant, Anthony Tusweet Smith Jr., who would subsequently sell them to end users. In November 2021, investigators learned that an in-person delivery of kilogram quantities of cocaine was planned to Lowe in the Western District of Pennsylvania, and, during a surveillance operation, observed Lowe accept a suitcase outside of a Coraopolis motel. Law enforcement detained the individuals involved and executed search warrants on the suitcase, a motel room, and Lowe’s vehicle. The suitcase contained nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine, while Lowe’s vehicle contained over $280,000 that was to be used to purchase the seized cocaine. In conjunction with the interdiction, law enforcement obtained search warrants for cell phones found in the possession of Lowe and a co-defendant (“the mechanic”), with digital extractions from these devices revealing numerous communications and photographs between the conspirators regarding their drug trafficking activity, in addition to Castro-Mota’s involvement in the conspiracy. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman emphasized that Castro-Mota entered the country illegally and then engaged in drug trafficking. Judge Stickman stated that Castro-Mota learned “absolutely nothing” from his prior sentence and observed that Castro-Mota has nothing but disregard for the laws of the United States. Finding that Castro-Mota served as the “point person for the distribution of an enormous amount” of drugs into the district, the judge also denied Castro-Mota’s request to have his federal sentence run concurrent to his undischarged state sentence, explaining to the defendant that “Repeat offenders don’t get a discount; they get an enhancement.” Following the completion of his sentence, Castro-Mota will be deported from the United States. Judge Stickman previously sentenced Castro-Mota’s co-defendants Kijana Lowe to 10 years of imprisonment and Anthony Tusweet Smith Jr. to five years of imprisonment for their roles in the conspiracy. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kara Cotter prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Castro-Mota and his co-conspirators.


title: Honduran nationals illegally residing in the U.S. indicted in firearms cases

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned two separate indictments involving firearms against Honduran nationals illegally residing in the United States. According to court documents, Joni Javier Claro-Rivera, 30, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. Claro-Rivera is accused of possessing four firearms and ammunition. In a separate case, according to court documents, Francisco Perez-Perez, 51, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Perez-Perez is accused of having two firearms and ammunition. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the cases. OTHER INDICTMENTS Jose Manuel Garcia-Cartagena, 45, an El Salvadorian national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case. Julio Cesar Lopez-Cruz, 33, a Guatemalan national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting this case. Edy Adolfo Pacheco-Arita, 40, a Guatemalan national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case. Delfino Rojas-Morgas, 48, a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: South Carolina Couple Sentenced For Cyberstalking Scheme That Targeted Vulnerable Victim And His Family

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A man and woman from South Carolina were sentenced today for carrying out a cyberstalking scheme targeting a vulnerable victim and his immediate family members using extortive and threatening text messages, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. Trysten Anthony Cullon, 27, and Jade Ashlynn Stone, 27, both of South Carolina, were sentenced to 41 months and 27 months in prison, respectively. They were also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after they are released from prison, and to pay restitution in the amount of $26,699.65. Cullon and Stone previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking. “This case is heartbreaking,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson, “there was not a dry eye in the courtroom at sentencing. To fuel their drug addiction, Cullon and Stone turned to preying on the most vulnerable among us. Christopher had a developmental disability and lent his phone to a stranger out of kindness – only to have that stranger, Cullon, use the phone to steal Christopher’s money using financial apps. Even that wasn’t enough – Cullon and Stone then stole the phone and threatened to spread lies about Christopher, which drove him to suicide,” Ferguson added. “This couple intentionally tormented a young man with intellectual disabilities for personal enrichment. While Christopher’s life is priceless and his family is forever changed, we hope a federal prison sentence will bring some form of justice and comfort for his loved ones,” said Special Agent in Charge Davis. According to court records, from September 5 to September 8, 2024, the defendants engaged in a cyberstalking scheme against Christopher Tsoulos, a 27-year-old with an intellectual disability who was classified as “Educable Mentally Disabled.” Because of his disability, Christopher relied heavily on the support of his immediate family and did not live on his own. Christopher was also employed at a fast-food restaurant in Charlotte. Court documents show that, on September 5, 2024, Cullon visited the fast-food restaurant where he encountered Christopher while he was at work. Cullon obtained Christopher’s phone, and because the phone was unlocked, Cullon and Stone had unfettered access to the financial applications on the phone, including mobile payment apps and Christopher’s bank account. Between September 5 and September 7, Cullon and Stone made repeated unsuccessful attempts to obtain funds from Christopher’s accounts. Court documents show that Cullon and Stone then began to send Christopher’s family members multiple harassing and intimidating text messages demanding money and threatening to provide derogatory and embarrassing information to Christopher’s employer unless they were paid. Their salacious claims included false allegations that Christopher was a pervert, that he harassed girls, and that he paid girls for sexual pictures. As a result of the substantial emotional distress caused by the extortive and threatening text messages sent by Cullon and Stone and fearing he would lose his job or go to jail, Christopher died by suicide. In handing down Cullon and Stone’s sentences, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. said, “this is a particularly egregious version of this crime, resulting in a victim killing themselves.” Cullon and Stone remain in federal custody. They will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI for their investigation of the case, along with substantial assistance from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.


title: Four Pomona Gang Members and Mexican Mafia Associates Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Murder, Racketeering

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang who controlled and extorted Latino street gangs in the Pomona area and three of his underlings were sentenced today to life in federal prison for racketeering-related crimes, including the June 2020 murder of a federal inmate in Los Angeles. Michael Lerma, 69, a.k.a. “Pomona Mike” and “Big Mike,” was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him and the three other defendants to pay $10,365 in restitution. Judge Wu also sentenced the following defendants to life in federal prison: Carlos Gonzalez, 42, a.k.a. “Popeye”; Juan Sanchez, 33, a.k.a. “Squeaks”; and Jose Valencia Gonzalez, 44, a.k.a. “Swifty.” At the conclusion of a 20-day trial, a jury in March 2025 found all four defendants guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder, and one count of first-degree murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The jury also found Lerma and Valencia Gonzalez guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (methamphetamine and heroin) at MDC Los Angeles (a federal prison in downtown Los Angeles) and in the Pomona area. Finally, the jury found Gonzalez and Valencia Gonzalez guilty of one count of being felons in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Sanchez was found not guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. All four defendants have been in federal custody since 2018. From February 2012 to June 2020, Lerma – a full member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang – controlled and extorted drug proceeds from Latino street gangs in and around Pomona, as well as from incarcerated Latinos in Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County. Members of Lerma’s criminal enterprise also engaged in robberies, identity theft and fraud, drug trafficking, and other acts of violence. In June 2020, Lerma directed three Mexican Mafia-linked Pomona gang members to enter a cell at MDC Los Angeles and kill a victim – identified in court documents as “S.B.” S.B. was murdered in retaliation for S.B. failing to pay drug debts deemed owed to Lerma’s cell of the Mexican Mafia prison gang. “[Lerma’s] role as the leader of a violent criminal enterprise reflects the danger he remains to the community,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “His direct involvement in the murder of an inmate at a [Federal Bureau of Prisons] facility and attempts to cover-up the crime reflects his cruelty, his cunning, and his power.” Federal prosecutors so far have secured nine convictions in this case, including that of Cheryl Perez-Castaneda, 63, of Pomona, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for using her power on the street as a “señora” – a high-level female associate of Lerma’s – to solicit a murder and for participating in a carjacking attempt that resulted a July 2013 shooting. The FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force (SGVSSTF), which is comprised of agents and officers with the FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Pomona Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigated this matter in conjunction with the FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Violent Crime Task Force. The Pomona Police Department is the sponsoring agency of the SGVSSTF and has been the headquarters for the task force since its inception in 2008. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle W. Kahan of the General Crimes Section, Kellye Ng of the Major Crimes Section, and Jason A. Gorn of the Transnational Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: Two Cambria County Residents Indicted for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two residents of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Dustin Blough, 30, of South Fork and Charles Triplin, 48, of Johnstown were named as the sole defendants in separate Indictments. According to the seven-count Indictment against Blough, in and around September and October 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Blough possessed with intent to distribute various quantities—including 500 grams or more on one occasion, and 50 grams or more on another—of mixtures and substances containing methamphetamine. Further, in and around November 2024, Blough possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, along with quantities of fentanyl. During that same November period, Blough—who had been previously convicted of a felony—unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The Indictment additionally charges Blough with possessing with intent to distribute quantities of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl and heroin on various dates in and around August 2024. According to the one-count Indictment against Triplin, in and around December 2025, Triplin possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Triplin had previously been convicted in August 2023 of attempting to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl (read the guilty plea news release related to this case here ). For each defendant, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Both defendants have been ordered detained pending trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Maureen Sheehan-Balchon are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Cambria County Drug Task Force, and Cambria County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigations leading to the Indictments. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Ammunition as a Felon

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on March 12, 2026, to 170 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a felon. According to public court documents, Diamonte Eugene Thomas, 27, discharged a firearm three times from a vehicle toward two individuals entering a Davenport apartment building in October 2023. There were three children in the car with Thomas when he fired the gun. Law enforcement collected three spent shell casings Thomas fired from the scene. Thomas is prohibited from possessing ammunition because he is felon, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful possession with intent to deliver cannabis in the Illinois Circuit Court for Rock Island County. After completing his term of imprisonment, Thomas will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Queens Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Five Victims, Including Three Minors, at Hotels on Long Island and Elsewhere

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, a 12-count indictment was unsealed charging Tyrone Stylistic Crooks with multiple counts of sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, and transportation for prostitution. The charges in the indictment stem from Crooks’s sex trafficking of five victims, including three minor girls who were between the ages of 14 and 17 years old at the time of the alleged crimes. In addition to producing sexually exploitative images and videos of the minors, Crooks allegedly manipulated his victims to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit using fraud, physical violence, and sexual violence. Crooks was arrested yesterday and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Stefanie Roddy, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office (FBI), and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, FBI, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, the defendant preyed on vulnerable members of the community, subjecting his victims to threats, violence, and manipulation so that he could sell their bodies for his own profit,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrest demonstrates our Office’s unwavering commitment to aggressively prosecute sex traffickers, especially when minors are involved.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey; the Boston Police Department; FBI Boston Field Office; the New Jersey State Police Human Trafficking Unit; the Suffolk County Police Department; and the New York City Police Department for their contributions to the case. “Cases like this remind us that children in our communities are still being exploited by traffickers who see them as commodities rather than young people with futures,” stated FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Roddy. “Our priority is identifying victims, protecting them, and holding those responsible fully accountable. If someone sees a young person who may be in danger or under someone else’s control, we urge them to report it to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. A single call could help protect a child from ongoing abuse.” “Tyrone Crooks allegedly threatened, assaulted, and forced three minors to engage in sexual acts and produce sexually explicit content for his own personal gain. Through his alleged trafficking of these young girls, they were subjected to significant cruelty and unthinkable sexual abuse. “The FBI continues to coordinate with our federal and local law enforcement partners to apprehend sexual predators and traffickers targeting vulnerable victims, especially children,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. As set forth in court filings, since at least 2021 to the present, Crooks has operated as a “pimp” and trafficked victims across various locations in Brooklyn, Queens, and on Long Island, including in Westbury, Woodbury, Hicksville, Melville, Bethpage, and Huntington. Of the five victims that the defendant is presently charged with trafficking, three were minors who came from out of state to work for Crooks doing prostitution in New York. Crooks enticed these victims using text and other online communications and paid for their travel. Crooks promoted and managed his prostitution business over the internet, including posting sexually exploitative photos that he produced of these minor victims to further his trafficking business. In addition to recruiting minors, the defendant used them to create sexually explicit images and videos, which he then posted on the internet in advertisements. In one message on January 27, 2025, the defendant said to a minor, “Do your make up for pics . . . And I got baby oil for the pics no diddy lol.” A search of the defendant’s iCloud account revealed multiple images of child pornography from that same date, including one video where a male believed to be the defendant is pouring baby oil on a naked child, who is dancing. Crooks set the prices for commercial sex acts, arranged prostitution “dates” for his victims and controlled the money made during those “dates,” and pursued his victims for money that he claimed they owed him for hotel rooms and other related expenses. Crooks also demanded that his victims engage in sex acts with him, and told at least one victim in text messages that she was not allowed to say “no” to him. Crooks physically assaulted multiple victims, including one who was pregnant at the time. After the victim texted the defendant that he “hurt [her] baby” and questioned “[yo]u thought punching in the stomach was a good idea[.] Could have been anywhere but [you] chose my stomach,” Crooks blamed the victim, texting, “You moved your arm not my fault.” The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of sex trafficking using force, fraud or coercion, Crooks faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life. If convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison. If convicted of trafficking a minor, Crooks faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section and Long Island Criminal Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell and Molly N. Delaney are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : TYRONE STYLISTIC CROOKS Age: 33 St. Albans, Queens E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-55 (GRB)


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearms as a Felon

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

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on March 12, 2026, to 54 months in federal prison for possessing firearms as a felon. According to public court documents, Gregory Francis Young, III, 27, pointed a firearm at victims while at a Davenport gas station in March 2025. During a subsequent traffic stop, law enforcement searched Young’s vehicle and found two loaded firearms in the hood of the vehicle. Young has prior felony convictions, including a 2024 conviction for possession of cocaine, third or subsequent offense, from the Iowa District Court for Scott County, for which he was on probation at the time of the offense. After completing his term of imprisonment, Young will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Mills County Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Emerson man was sentenced on March 10, 2026, to 218 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. According to public court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that a social media account, later determined to be associated with Andrew Joseph Branigan, 37, uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. In October 2024, law enforcement seized Branigan’s cell phone during a search of his Emerson residence. A forensic examination of the seized cell phone showed that Branigan used the device to receive and possess approximately 600 images and 50 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Branigan admitted he sent and received child sexual abuse material with other users on social media applications. After completing his term of imprisonment, Branigan will be required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Branigan was also ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Mills County Sheriff’s Office 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Gorham Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Gorham man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Cody J. Merrill , 33, to 25 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Walker ordered Merrill to pay $105,000 in restitution to identified victims whose images he possessed. Merrill pleaded guilty on June 18, 2025. According to court records, Merrill, who had been previously convicted of unlawful sexual conduct involving a minor in York County Superior Court, sent video files depicting child sexual abuse material to undercover agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) over a messaging application. In February 2025, HSI executed a search warrant at his residence, resulting in the seizure of multiple digital media devices. During a recorded interview with investigators, Merrill admitted to accessing, viewing, and distributing child sexual abuse material over various internet-based applications. Investigators forensically reviewed his devices and located over 5,000 child sexual abuse images. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is limiting identifying information to protect the privacy of the minor victims who were depicted in these abuse materials. HSI investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: 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 the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc .


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced For Illegal Possession Of A Firearm

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Darius DeShawn Countee, 48, of Browns Summit, N.C. was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Curtis Cheeks, III, of the High Point Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, Countee was previously convicted in North Carolina of Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury and Second Degree Murder. As a result, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. “Countee is the type of repeat violent offender federal firearms laws are designed to stop,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Despite prior convictions for serious violent crimes, Countee got hold of illegal guns and used them, putting lives at risk. Time and again Countee has shown reckless disregard for the law and now he will face federal consequences.” “Repeat offenders have a detrimental effect on the public safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “ATF is proud to join our law enforcement partners in all efforts to identify and hold accountable those who disregard our laws and threaten our safety.” Court documents show that on July 8, 2023, law enforcement responded to an altercation at a QuickTrip convenience store in Charlotte. A review of the store’s surveillance video showed Countee entering the convenience store where an individual was arguing with one of Countee’s associates. Countee then ran to a vehicle parked at a gas pump and retrieved a rifle. He then confronted the individual outside the store and stole his firearm. The individual returned to his vehicle and attempted to flee but was pursued by Countee and his associates in two vehicles. Over the course of the pursuit, numerous shots were fired at the victim’s vehicle. Countee later returned to the convenience store and was detained by law enforcement. Law enforcement found inside the vehicle an American Tactical 5.56 caliber AR-type weapon with a high-capacity magazine, a black Taurus .40 caliber handgun, and a black Springfield .45 caliber handgun, which was stolen from the individual involved in the altercation. Court documents show that Countee was later charged in the Middle District of North Carolina for illegal firearm possession in connection with a separate investigation. Countee pleaded guilty to that charge, and the case was transferred to the Western District of North Carolina. The 70-month sentence resolves both federal cases pending against Countee. Countee is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The ATF and the High Point Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: South Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Cocaine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A South Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to distributing controlled substances. According to court records, in February and March 2024, an undercover agent with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency posing as a drug runner purchased cocaine from Lynel Moultrie , 43, on at least three occasions. Investigators surveilled and recorded the transactions. Moultrie faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, South Portland Police Department, and Gorham Police Department investigated this case.


title: Annapolis Man Indicted on Child Sex Abuse Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted an Anne Arundel County, Maryland, man in connection with child sex abuse crimes. Shawn Livingston, 38, of Annapolis, Maryland, is charged with two counts of coercion and enticement of minors and 12 counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material. Livingston, an information technology professional, was formerly employed by an Annapolis private school. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with William Ferrari, Deputy Assistant Director, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Office of Investigations, and Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Secretary of State Police, Maryland State Police (MSP). According to the indictment, beginning in 2022, Livingston utilized several Snapchat internet-based accounts to meet and communicate with minor females. Livingston used the social media accounts to coerce and entice the minor victims to send visual depictions of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct in exchange for money. He sent payments via peer-to-peer payment applications including CashApp and Venmo. Livingston received sexually explicit depictions of at least five minor victims, who were between 15 and 16 years old, and living throughout the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Livingston faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for each count of coercion and enticement, and a minimum sentence of five years and maximum sentence of 20 years for each count of receipt of child sexual abuse material. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DSS and MSP for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven T. Brantley and Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Jury Finds Castle Rock Man Guilty Of Fraud, Money Laundering Charges For $2.4 Million COVID-Era Hand Sanitizer Scheme

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that a federal jury convicted Rico Tomas Garcia, 51, of Castle Rock, of nine counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering for devising a scheme in which he falsely promised to procure bulk quantities of hand sanitizer during the early months of the COVID-19 Pandemic. According to the facts established at trial, beginning around April 2020 and continuing until June 2021, Garcia, doing business as Botani Labs, LLC., claimed he would source millions of bottles hand sanitizer as part of a multi-million-dollar deal to supply the product upstream to large national retailers. After receiving a $2.4 million deposit from victim businesses to finance the product, Garcia instead procured none and falsely claimed under oath in civil arbitration that he had wired the deposit to a Chinese hand sanitizer manufacturer. He provided false documents to support his claim. Investigation by the FBI revealed that Garcia established shell companies to use the $2.4 million deposit to pay off personal debts and buy property in California, Nevada, and Colorado, and also move over a million dollars of the remaining money into offshore accounts in the Caribbean. United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the trial. The FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Albert Buchman, Bryan Fields, Laura Hurd, and Aly Mance handled the prosecution. Case Number: 1:24-cr-00106-NYW


title: Hawaiian Child Sex Trafficker Convicted

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted Darren Patrick Riley, 45, of Honolulu, Hawaii, yesterday of 12 counts related to his trafficking and sexual exploitation of five minor boys in Oahu in 2019 and 2020. According to evidence presented at trial, Riley used the app, Grindr, to meet the minors who ranged from 14 to 16 years old. After beginning the conversation with the victims on Grindr, Riley then arranged sexual encounters with them, enticing them with money, electronics, or drugs. Riley then engaged in a pattern of systematic sexual abuse, which included filming and later distributing videos he took of their sexual acts. In one video, Riley directed one of his victims to announce that he was 14 years old, his age at the time. Riley abused his victims in multiple locations, including his apartment, car, at the beach, and hotel rooms that Riley paid for. On one day, Riley abused two victims during separate assaults in the same hotel room. Riley knowingly took advantage of his victims’ financial needs. For example, one victim was struggling to afford consistent meals, and another was saving money because he feared being expelled from his family home. During his abuse, Riley provided controlled substances to several of his victims. After Riley provided one victim MDMA and other pills, the victim described drifting in and out of consciousness while Riley abused him. Multiple victims tried to refuse Riley’s sexual advances, but Riley persisted. Riley’s crimes were finally uncovered when he was arrested by DEA at the Los Angeles airport for attempting to traffic methamphetamine into Hawaii. A search of his phone revealed a collection of child sexual abuse material, which prompted his charges. “This verdict is the next step to holding Darren Riley fully accountable for his egregious pattern of preying upon and abusing children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We commend the victims who bravely testified at trial despite the trauma they endured from a serial predator. Their testimony, along with the good work of law enforcement and the prosecutors, exposed Riley’s horrific, repeated exploitation. The work of the jury now ensures that Riley will not be a threat to other children in the future. The Department of Justice will continue prosecuting offenders like Riley, as one of the Department’s highest callings is protecting America’s children.” “Our community is safer now that a Hawaii federal jury has held the defendant accountable for his predatory crimes against children,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “The evidence at trial was overwhelming, and the courage the five young victims demonstrated in recounting for the jury their abuse at the hands of Riley was instrumental in putting this child predator behind bars. We will continue to aggressively pursue, charge, and convict predators like Riley that victimize our children and threaten our families.” “The defendant’s heinous acts and repetitive exploitation of victims were put to an end with this verdict,” said Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “This is the direct result of the relentless work of our agents and partners to protect the children in our communities. There is no corner of the internet or crevice on the globe where these predators can hide, as the FBI will use every resource at its disposal to bring them to justice.” The court has not set Riley’s sentencing yet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison on particular charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. FBI Honolulu and Los Angeles investigated the case. Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Two Defendants Involved in Pharmacy Burglary Ring Across Multiple States Are Sentenced to Serve a Combined Time of More Than 25 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Antoinen Dion Hampton and Reginald Tremayne Jackson, both of Houston, Texas, will spend a combined time of 308 months in federal prison for their role in a criminal organization that was responsible for dozens of pharmacy burglaries and stolen controlled substances worth millions of dollars. Jonathan D. Ross, United States attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentences, which were handed down today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller. Hampton, 39, who is a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 188 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and other Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jackson, 35, who was serving a 36-month federal sentence in the Western District of Missouri at the time of his arrest, will spend another 120 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and other Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances. On November 8, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Hampton and Jackson, along with 16 other defendants, and on July 2, 2024, the indictment was superseded to add an additional 24 defendants. On October 23, 2025, Hampton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and other Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering. On September 4, 2025, Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and other Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances. An investigation revealed that Hampton and Jackson were involved in a drug trafficking organization that included documented gang members from the 5 th Ward area in Houston, Texas. Investigators discovered more than 96,000 tablets of Schedule II controlled substances—including oxycodone, hydrocodone, Adderall, and others—were stolen were stolen from pharmacies throughout the United States, including pharmacies Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, and Florida. The street value of all controlled substances stolen by the organization in the Arkansas burglaries alone is close to $1.6 million. Investigators also seized six firearms, approximately $79,000 in U.S. currency, and custom jewelry retailing approximately $330,000. The quantity of Schedule II controlled substances stolen from pharmacies and distributed has a street value of more than $12,000,000. Hampton’s criminal history includes several felony convictions for burglary with intent to commit theft, burglary of a building with intent to commit theft, and burglary of a dwelling structure. Hampton participated in over 50 burglaries in pharmacies across the United States, including in Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Utah, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Wyoming. Because Jackson has at least two prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense, he is classified as a career offender. Jackson participated in 10 burglaries of pharmacies across Arkansas and Oklahoma. Jackson’s criminal history includes a September 20, 2023, federal conviction for burglary of a business premises registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and he was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $9,347.45 in restitution. Jackson has felony state convictions for second-degree robbery and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Judge Miller also sentenced Hampton and Jackson each to three years’ supervised release. Restitution will be ordered at a later date. There is no parole in the federal system. On September 4, 2024, Keith Wayne Brown, 36, of Humble, Texas, who was the leader of the pharmacy burglary ring, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering. On January 16, 2025, Judge Miller sentenced Brown to serve 209 months, over 17 years, in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and ordered him to pay $272,937.42 in restitution. On April 18, 2025, Judge Miller sentenced Alexis Simone Garner, 33, also from Houston, to serve one year and one day in federal prison for conspiracy to money launder. Judge Miller also sentenced Garner to three years’ supervised release and ordered her to pay $67,572.73 in restitution. Investigators with the DEA, Little Rock District Office, worked in conjunction with the following law enforcement partners: DEA New Orleans Division (Little Rock District Office, Fayetteville Resident Office, Shreveport Resident Office, Mobile Resident Office), DEA Special Operations Division, DEA Houston Division (Houston TDS Group, Galveston Resident Office), DEA Omaha Division, DEA Rocky Mountain Division (Salt Lake City District Office, Cheyenne Resident Office), DEA Atlanta Division (Columbia District Office), DEA Miami Division (Pensacola District Office), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Little Rock Field Office, FBI Cast Team, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, League City Police Department (Dickinson, Texas), Houston (Texas) Police Department Northeast Division Crime Suppression Team, Houston (Texas) Police Department CID, and Arkansas State Police. The case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Fields. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from state and local task force agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced To 10+ Years In Prison

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced today for distributing methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Tony Lamar Carthran, 31, was sentenced to 126 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According court records, law enforcement began an investigation into Carthran for distributing methamphetamine in the Charlotte area. Between June and August 2023, Carthran sold methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement on five occasions. While selling drugs to an individual, Carthran also sold that individual a Ruger LC9s 9mm handgun with one live hollow point round chambered, and an empty magazine inserted, as well as 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Carthran is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The ATF and CMPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Silvis Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Gun Charge

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Silvis, Illinois man was sentenced on March 12, 2026, to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, John Able Rubingh, Sr., 45, ran from police at a convenience store and dropped a loaded pistol. Rubingh then rushed at the officer and struggled with him. Rubingh was eventually detained. Rubingh was prohibited from possessing firearms as a felon, including a 2022 conviction for felony eluding in the Iowa District Court for Scott County. Rubingh was on parole for a drug charge in the Illinois Circuit Court for Rock Island County at the time of the offense. After completing his term of imprisonment, Rubingh will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office And FBI Continue Their Fight Against Sex Trafficking In New York – Pearl River Man And Woman Charged

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the arrest of TYRON DUMEL, a/k/a “Boogie,” and NICOLE DUMEL in connection with a sex trafficking operation based in Rockland County, New York. TYRON DUMEL and NICOLE DUMEL were arrested March 11, 2026, and presented in White Plains federal court on Thursday, March 12, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. TYRON DUMEL was ordered detained, and NICOLE DUMEL was released on bond. “The message from New York families is clear: stop the sex trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “It is corroding our communities. Since August 2025, the defendants have allegedly conspired to traffic at least 10 women to engage in commercial sex. In furtherance of that operation, Tyron Dumel allegedly exerted ruthless control over sex trafficking victims through lies, intimidation, violence, and psychological abuse, while he and Nicole Dumel allegedly reaped thousands of dollars in profits. This kind of conduct should shock the conscience of every New Yorker, and it will not be tolerated. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing the perpetrators of such crimes to justice.” “These defendants allegedly operated a human trafficking network in which Tyron Dumel forced victims to engage in sexual acts for profit through physical and psychological coercion, while Nicole Dumel collected their illicit proceeds,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. ‘The Dumels allegedly exploited and abused nearly a dozen women across the country to generate a twisted cash flow. The FBI will target human traffickers who abuse and torment victims for personal enrichment.” As alleged in the Indictment: [1] From at least in or about August 2025 through at least in or about February 2026, TYRON DUMEL and NICOLE DUMEL conspired to traffic women to engage in prostitution (the “DUMEL Trafficking Operation”). TYRON DUMEL advertised the DUMEL Trafficking Operation on a popular social media platform, which he used to recruit women to engage in commercial sex. As part of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation, and in furtherance thereof, TYRON DUMEL transported at least ten women to locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona, Tennessee, and Michigan, among other places, to engage, at his direction and under his supervision, in commercial sex. TYRON DUMEL used means of force, fraud, and coercion to cause a victim (“Victim-1”) and others to engage in commercial sex acts. He physically assaulted Victim-1 and others, threatened to cause physical harm to Victim-1 and others, sprayed Victim-1 and others with pepper spray, forced Victim-1 and others to engage in sexual intercourse with him, required Victim-1 and others to tattoo their bodies with his personal “brand,” used his control of the proceeds of his sex trafficking operation to coerce Victim-1 and others to accede to his demands by withholding, and threatening to withhold, food, and lied to Victim-1 and others concerning the whereabouts of the proceeds of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation. Also as part of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation, and in furtherance thereof, NICOLE DUMEL agreed, among other things, to (i) set up an online account that TYRON DUMEL used to post commercial sex advertisements; (ii) edit digital photographs of at least one female commercial sex worker for the purpose of creating commercial sex advertisements; and (iii) receive electronic funds transfers from purchasers of commercial sex to accounts controlled by NICOLE DUMEL and route such funds to accounts controlled by NICOLE DUMEL and TYRON DUMEL. From in or about August 2025 through in or about February 2026, NICOLE DUMEL received thousands of dollars in proceeds from commercial sex acts conducted as part of the DUMEL Trafficking Operation. * * * TYRON DUMEL, 28, is charged with one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, one count of transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to transport individuals for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. NICOLE DUMEL, 30, is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport individuals for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, Greenburgh Police Department, Clarkstown Police Department, White Plains Police Department, and Orangetown Police Department. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Sidransky is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Three Sentenced in Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A group of defendants from Somerset, Ky., were sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for their roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Robert Allen, 55, Larry Ellison, 41, and Rebecca Garlandios, 45, were sentenced to 150 months, 164 months, and 70 months and two days, respectively, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to their plea agreements, from January 2024 through December 19, 2024, Allen, Ellison, and Garlandios conspired with each other to distribute methamphetamine from local sources of supply to purchasers in the Pulaski County area. Specifically, on January 23, 2024, law enforcement worked with a confidential informant to purchase two ounces of methamphetamine from Allen, who, during a subsequent traffic stop, was found with 56 grams of methamphetamine on his person. Law enforcement conducted a search of the house shared by Allen and his sister Garlandios that same day, and recovered a baggy from the bottom of a toilet bowl, a container Garlandios attempted to conceal in her pants, digital scales and baggies, and more than 48 grams of methamphetamine. On December 19, 2024, law enforcement stopped Ellison during a traffic stop and recovered empty plastic bags, digital scales, and a bag containing 29.59 grams of methamphetamine. Ellison admitted that the methamphetamine came from a series of regular deliveries from a local source of supply, including a recent half-pound delivery of methamphetamine to his girlfriend, Garlandios. Ellison also confirmed that at the time of the earlier January 2024 traffic stop, he regularly drove Allen to deliver two ounces of methamphetamine to a customer. Under federal law, Allen, Ellison, and Garlandios must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon their release from prison, they will each be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years. Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Pearce Nesbitt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Offenses

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to two firearms-related offenses. According to court records, in April 2025, Jeissey Khamis , 19, made false statements to a federal firearms licensee in Charleston, Maine, in connection with his attempted purchase of a Glock pistol. Khamis’s false statements concerned his identity, age, and place of birth. Later the same month, Khamis was found in possession of a different pistol that he knew had been stolen from the same licensee. Investigators seized the gun while executing a state search warrant at Khamis’s college dormitory room in Windham. Khamis faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release on the false statement charge. He faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release on the stolen firearm charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the South Portland and Portland police departments.


title: St. Louis County Felon Admits to Crime Related to Toddler’s Accidental Shooting

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis County on Thursday admitted lying about the accidental shooting of a toddler last year. As part of a plea agreement, Rodrick Miller, 36, admitted that on March 6, 2025, he and his girlfriend, the toddler’s mother, cleaned an Anderson Manufacturing, AM-15 semiautomatic pistol and left it on a couch in the girlfriend’s Wellston home. Miller’s plea says he is unaware of how the toddler was shot, but afterwards, Miller and his girlfriend took the boy to the hospital with severe injuries to his calf. On the way, Miller stopped in a wooded area and hid the gun behind a tree. They then told North County Police Cooperative officers that the boy had been shot by a stray bullet during a gun battle between two vehicles, while Miller’s girlfriend was walking home. Miller told officers that he left work to take his girlfriend and her son to the hospital. Police later recovered the gun. Miller, of Pine Lawn, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, he is barred from possessing firearms. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June and faces up to 15 years in prison. The North County Police Cooperative, the St. Ann Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franks is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison  for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 9, 2026. Tyler Hausten, 46, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Hausten was indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on December 22, 2025. On November 24, 2024, Sioux Falls Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being operated by Hausten. During the course of the stop, officers located a bag under the driver’s seat containing 132 grams of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. Hausten was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Two Additional Men Sentenced for Role in Mail and Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced two additional sentencings in a mail theft and bank fraud conspiracy involving four defendants. On March 5, 2026, 24-year-old Tra’von Charles Rogers, of Prattville, Alabama, received a sentence of 24 months in federal prison. Two days prior, on March 3, 2026, a judge ordered 27-year-old Joseph Deshun Sheppard, Jr., of Montgomery, Alabama, to serve 24 months in prison. Both men previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud. Following their prison terms, Rogers and Sheppard will each serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to their plea agreements and other court records, from March 2022 through February 2025, Rogers and Sheppard participated in a scheme with Kahneil Jahe Oliver, 28, of Montgomery, to steal mail and illegally alter or counterfeit stolen checks. The conspirators then deposited the fraudulently altered checks into numerous bank accounts under their control. At sentencing, the court ordered forfeiture money judgments of $159,742.65 against Rogers and $62,050 against Sheppard. A sentencing hearing for a fourth co-conspirator, Cedric Lanoid Hunter, Jr., 24, of Montgomery, is scheduled for next month. Previously, Kahneil Jahe Oliver was sentenced to 130 months in prison for his role in the scheme. On March 5, 2026, the court also ordered Oliver to pay $14,718.48 in restitution to a financial institution that incurred losses as a result of the conspiracy. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Bureau of Investigation, and the Montgomery Police Department, with assistance from the Prattville Police Department and Fulton County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb is prosecuting the case.


title: Colorado Man Charged with Drug Trafficking Crimes in the District of Utah

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Colorado man is facing multiple drug charges after he allegedly attempted to traffic narcotics through the District of Utah. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 10, 2026, charging the defendant after he was arrested during a traffic stop when law enforcement located and seized meth, fentanyl, and heroin from the vehicle he was driving. Travis Christopher Schultz, 37, of Grand Junction, Colorado, was arrested on February 13, 2026, in Blanding, Utah. According to the allegations in court documents, on February 13, 2026, San Juan County Sheriff Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a truck that Schultz was driving during which deputies suspected Schultz was trafficking illegal narcotics. A K-9 was deployed and detected illegal narcotics. During two separate searches of the vehicle, deputies located and seized from the bed of the vehicle and in a hidden compartment of the vehicle, a total of 30 packages wrapped in cellophane, automotive grease and coffee grounds. The packages consisted of 25.5 pounds of field-tested positive methamphetamine, 2.3 pounds of blue M30 suspected fentanyl pills, 1.1 pounds of field-tested positive fentanyl powder, and 56.7 grams of field-tested positive heroin. Schultz is charged with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 2B at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470. United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Hampton man sentenced to 17 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2023, Skylar James Duvall, 24, used a screen recording application that allowed him to create videos of what he was viewing on his computer screen to record a live streaming of a minor being sexually abused by her guardian. As the live stream was being recorded, Duvall chatted with the guardian to arrange a determined amount of time and payment to the guardian for certain sex acts to be committed against the victim. Investigators found additional CSAM on Duvall’s electronic devices, including over 500 images and 700 videos of CSAM and thousands of files of potential CSAM and CGI/animated child exploitive videos and images. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Hampton Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Devon E.A. Heath prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-25.


title: Former Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang Member Pleaded Guilty for Armed Assaults Against Rivals

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays for his involvement in a series of armed assaults against rival motorcycle club members. James W. Prettyman, also known as “Rugby,” 44, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty today to one count of attempt to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On Sept. 3, 2022, Prettyman and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club travelled to Topeka, Ks., to carry out a revenge attack against another rival motorcycle gang. The plan was to “catch a stray” and “smash on sight” any rival member they saw. The Pagan’s were aware that the rival motorcycle gang was having an event in Topeka that day, and the plan was to use either an axe handle or a gun on one of the rival gang members. After arriving in Topeka, a rival member was spotted in a hotel parking lot. As a member of the Pagan’s prepared to shoot the rival, a disagreement occurred among members, and the group returned to the Kansas City area. On Sept.17, 2022, Prettyman and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and the support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. Prettyman and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg. Under federal statutes, Prettyman is subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Homeland Security Task Force This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.


title: Former Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang Member Sentenced to 80 Months for Assault Against Rival

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club was sentenced in federal court today for his involvement in an assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club. Mark A. Crump, also known as “Navajo,” 55, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 80 months in federal prison without parole for assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. On July 20, 2023, Crump, Jarrid A. Hammer, and Mark A. Cottman assaulted a lone rival motorcycle gang member at a bar & grill in North Kansas City, Mo. Hammer told the victim that they were there to shut the victim’s club down, then flipped a table over knocking the victim to the ground. Once on the ground, Hammer, Crump and Cottman began stomping, kicking and punching the victim. The victim later told law enforcement that those who assaulted him were wearing steel-toed boots. Crump, Hammer and Cottman fled the bar & grill before any law enforcement arrived. The victim was later transported by ambulance to a local hospital, suffering from a head contusion (bruise on the brain), rib fracture, hemothorax (accumulation of blood in the area between the chest wall and lungs), a left pulmonary contusion (bruising of the lung), pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and a traumatic brain injury. Hammer pleaded guilty to the assault on June 18, 2025, and Cottman pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2025. Both are awaiting sentencing. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Homeland Security Task Force This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.


title: Minnesota Man Sentenced for  Threatening to Murder A Member of Congress

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – Michael Lewis of Minneapolis has been sentenced to 5 months imprisonment followed by a year of supervised release for threatening to murder a Member of Congress, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. According to court documents, on March 26, 2025, Michael Paul Lewis, 53, called the office of a United States Congressperson and left a voicemail threatening murder. When law enforcement went to Lewis’ apartment to speak with him, he admitted to making the call. Lewis was sentenced on one count of threatening to murder a United States official. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn Bell prosecuted the case.


title: Attempted Mass Shooter’s Assets Ordered Sold to Pay Restitution to Crime Victims

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: On March 9, the United States Attorney’s Office completed forfeiture of four firearms, an assortment of magazines and ammunition, and a vehicle tied to an attempted domestic terrorist plot in Yellowstone National Park in 2024. On July 3, 2024, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner held a woman at gunpoint for two hours at Canyon Village in Yellowstone, Wyoming. In a hate-filled diatribe, Fussner confessed to the victim his plan to carry out a mass shooting in the park on the Fourth of July. Sometime around midnight, Fussner left the victim and went into hiding. National Park Service law enforcement rangers attempted to locate Fussner while setting up a perimeter around his intended targets. At around 8:05 a.m., Fussner emerged from the forest and, when confronted by law enforcement, began firing a semi-automatic rifle at them. After a shootout with law enforcement rangers, Fussner was pronounced dead. As a result of Fussner’s attack, one law enforcement ranger suffered severe injuries to his foot. In addition to the semi-automatic rifle, Fussner was carrying a Glock pistol and numerous magazines of ammunition. In preparation for the attack, Fussner had strategically positioned his 2021 Nissan Rogue as a getaway vehicle, where he also kept another pistol, shotgun, and an assortment of magazines and ammunition. In response to this violent attack, the U.S. Attorney’s Office sought forfeiture of the Nissan and all firearms, magazines, and ammunition used by Fussner. Both Fussner’s father and brother attempted to claim the assets, including the attempted murder weapon, but were unsuccessful. Federal law provides for forfeiture of assets derived from or used to facilitate certain crimes including drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, or terrorism. Forfeited assets are sold so that the proceeds can be used for a variety of purposes, including restitution to crime victims.


title: Two KC Area Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth and Fentanyl

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Kansas City, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court for their role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Donnique H. Kelley, also known as “Banks,” 36, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 200 months in federal prison without parole for participating in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Eugene Thomas, also known as “Texas,” 55, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 135 months in federal prison without parole for participating in a conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents, Kelley, Thomas, and others sold fentanyl pills, fluor-fentanyl (a fentanyl analogue), cocaine, and methamphetamine to law enforcement between Oct. 19, 2022, and Dec. 13, 2023. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases from Thomas, Kelley, and others. In addition, on Sept. 12, 2023, following a car stop on East 63rd Street, Kansas City, Mo., a co-conspirator and source of supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine for the conspiracy was found in possession of 4.45 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.02 kilograms of marijuana, and $14,382. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Overland Park, Kansas Police Department. Homeland Security Task Force This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.


title: Independence Man Charged After 24 Kilograms of Methamphetamine and Multiple Firearms Seized from Residence

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been charged by criminal complaint for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Marceil Wortham, 38, appeared in federal court on the two-count complaint earlier today. According to court documents, on March 10, 2026, law enforcement served a federal search warrant at Wortham’s residence and seized 24 kilograms of methamphetamine. Investigators also seized seven firearms, four of them with no make, model, or serial number listed on the weapons. The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Independence Police Department, and Kansas City Mo Police Department. Homeland Security Task Force This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.


title: Fresno Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against John Angel Sanchez, 56, of Fresno, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2026, Sanchez was found to be in possession of three firearms and nearly 2 pounds of methamphetamine. As an 11-time convicted felon, Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms. His felony convictions include possession of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances for sale, transportation of controlled substances for sale, and the manufacture or import of an unlawful weapon. At the time of his arrest, Sanchez was serving a term of post‑release community supervision following his most recent felony convictions in Fresno County. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis M. Clemente and Nicholas E. Karp are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Sanchez faces a minimum statutory penalty of five years for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Former Medical Case Management Coordinator Pleads Guilty To Tampering With Prescription Medications

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Shelbi Wolken, 35, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. According to the plea agreement, as a case management coordinator for Intermountain Health, Wolken had access to electronic medical records and patients’ personal identifying information. In July 2024, officials at Intermountain Health discovered that the Wolken had used a patient’s information to pick up a prescription for oxycodone at the in-house pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver. Wolken replaced the stolen medication with loratadine, an allergy medication. During further investigation, Wolken admitted to being addicted to opiates, and investigators found she had picked up approximately 139 prescriptions for approximately 127 patients between December 2023 and July 2024. Wolken replaced the stolen medications with a variety of ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, and lotradine. Several patients whose prescriptions were tampered with reported significant pain and post-surgical complications because they were unknowingly ingesting the wrong medication. United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the hearing. Sentencing will be held June 10, 2026. The investigation was handled by Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Fields is handling the prosecution. Case Number: 26-cr-00023-NYW