title: Polacca Woman Sentenced for Killing her Son While Driving Drunk

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – A Polacca woman convicted of drunk driving and killing her 14-year-old son was sentenced on Feb.17, 2026, in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. Marian Marsha Josytewa, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 51 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. In August 2025, following a six-day trial, a federal jury found Josytewa guilty of one count of Involuntary Manslaughter, one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, two counts of Child Abuse, and one count of Driving Under the Influence. On Dec. 10, 2021, Josytewa consumed several beers before picking her two teenage sons up from school in Flagstaff, Arizona, and attempting to drive them back to the Hopi Indian Reservation. While traveling on a highway on the Navajo Nation Reservation, Josytewa rolled her car. Her unbuckled 14-year-old son was ejected and crushed to death as the car rolled. Josytewa’s blood was drawn and tested at a crime lab, which showed a BAC level of approximately .113. FBI Phoenix, Flagstaff office, and the Navajo Nation Police Department jointly conducted the investigation with assistance from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, and the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08083-PCT-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-033_Josytewa # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: ILLEGAL ALIEN PLEADS GUILTY TO FRAUD CHARGES RELATED TO THE SPONSORSHIP OF UNACCOMPANIED ALIEN CHILD

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of aggravated identity theft and false statements related to the submission of a fraudulent application to sponsor an unaccompanied alien child (UAC). According to court documents, Felix Coc Choc, 29, of Rogers, Arkansas, submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of a UAC after the UAC entered the United States illegally. As admitted in the plea agreement, after the 16-year-old Guatemalan UAC entered the United States illegally in Jan. 2023, Coc Choc submitted an application to sponsor the UAC, falsely claiming to be the UAC’s brother, J.C.J. Coc Choc also provided to ORR J.C.J.’s Guatemalan national identification card and birth certificate in support of the sponsorship application. After initially denying that he was using another individual’s identity, Coc Choc admitted to impersonating J.C.J and then submitted a sponsorship application in his true name. ORR denied this application as a result of the fraud. Coc Choc pleaded guilty to one count of making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. At sentencing, Coc Choc faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. The Court will schedule Coc Choc’s sentencing at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case. Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Legal Attaché team in Guatemala, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR provided valuable assistance. Joint Task Force Alpha Trial Attorneys Aaron Jennen and Nicole Lockhart and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas. The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. 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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods .


title: Philadelphia Man Who Committed Three Armed Carjackings in Less Than an Hour Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Prison

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

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Symair Carson-Williams, aka “Lil Meer,” 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 253 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and over $10,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh for taking part in a carjacking spree in the city in early 2024. Carson-Williams was charged by indictment in May 2024 with conspiracy to commit carjacking, three counts of carjacking, and three counts of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. In March of last year, he was convicted on all charges at trial. As proven at trial, the defendant was part of a group that conspired to commit three armed carjackings in Philadelphia in less than one hour. Video surveillance footage, cell phone data, forensic evidence, items recovered from one of the stolen vehicles, and victim testimony linked Carson-Williams to the carjackings. Carson-Williams and his co-conspirators first stole a blue 2019 Honda CR-V from the 1800 block of Lansing Street in Philadelphia during the overnight hours of January 27, 2024. Approximately 90 minutes later, just before 5 a.m., they drove the stolen CR-V to the Sunoco gas station located on the 5300 block of North 5th Street and pulled up next to a 67-year-old man putting air in his car’s tires. Two of the offenders jumped out of the CR-V, both armed with handguns, wearing black clothing and black balaclava masks, and demanded that the victim give up the keys to his 2011 BMW 328i. One of the offenders put a gun to the back of the man’s head and forced him to the ground. When the victim told the males that the key was in the car, one of the carjackers entered the BMW and the other male returned to the Honda CR-V. Both vehicles fled the scene. At approximately 5:15 a.m., a 34-year-old man parked his gray 2013 Chevrolet Equinox on Shelmire Avenue in the northeast section of the city. Two of the carjackers suddenly ran up to the driver’s side of his car and pointed guns at him. As they held the victim at gunpoint, the stolen Honda CR-V drove up. The gunmen ordered the victim to lay on the ground with his face down and threatened to shoot him if he got up. The offenders then stole the victim’s vehicle and personal possessions, including his wallet, money, watch, and power tools. Finally, at approximately 5:45 a.m., the stolen blue CR-V pulled up next to a 54-year-old man pumping gas at the Conoco station on the 5700 block of Rising Sun Avenue. Two of the offenders, both armed with handguns, approached the victim and pointed the guns at his face. After forcing the victim to the ground at gunpoint, one of the carjackers got behind the wheel of the victim’s Honda Accord, and the other male reentered the CR-V. Both vehicles fled in the same direction. “The victims of these carjackings were on their morning routines, when Symair Carson-Williams and his co-conspirators put a gun to their heads and made them fear for their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that if you terrorize the people of Philadelphia, you can expect life-changing consequences. This defendant, now 20, will be spending more than 21 years behind bars.” “Federal carjacking penalties are severe, and Carson-Williams will spend many years in prison for this triple-carjacking spree,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Together with our Carjacking Task Force partners and using ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools, we are making Philadelphia’s streets safer by bringing criminals like this to justice.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Branwen McNabb O’Donnell and Brian Doherty.


title: Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Pistol That He Fired Inside a SE Apartment Complex

body_text: WASHINGTON – Larry Johnson, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 50 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a 9mm pistol that he fired twice inside of an apartment where a woman and her two children were present, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Johnson pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2025, before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to a count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 50-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Johnson to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on Aug. 10, 2025, Metropolitan Police officers responded to the 2200 block of Town Center Drive, SE. Officers learned of an altercation that had occurred about 11:36 p.m. inside an apartment on the fourth floor. During the altercation, Johnson fired a gun twice while inside of the apartment in the presence of a woman and her children. Officers recovered a Springfield-Armory XD-9 Mod.2 Sub-Compact 9mm pistol from a shelf in a bedroom closet. Johnson was not licensed to possess a firearm in the District and had been previously convicted on a felony robbery count in Montgomery County, Maryland. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney. Officers recovered a Springfield-Armory XD-9 Mod.2 Sub-Compact 9mm pistol from a shelf in a bedroom closet. 25cr247


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Seven Years for Participation in Drug Conspiracy

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jonathan Mora-Leon, 27, of Mexico, was sentenced on Feb. 6, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 84 months of imprisonment. Mora-Leon previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. Between February and November 2023, Mora-Leon organized three drug deals involving methamphetamine and fentanyl with an undercover agent. Each time, Mora-Leon arranged for coconspirators to deliver the drugs on his behalf. During the fourth and final transaction on Jan. 18, 2024, Mora-Leon met with the undercover agent to distribute more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine. Agents intercepted the drugs and arrested Mora-Leon and two coconspirators. This investigation 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 toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. This HSTF Tucson led investigation comprises agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson. CASE NUMBER: CR24-00681-TUC-SHR (LCK) RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-034_Mora-Leon # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Former police officer sentenced to three years in prison for inheritance scam

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Belle Haven man was sentenced today to three years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering relating to a scam involving an inheritance claim. According to court documents, former Eastville Police officer Jerry Keith Brady Jr., 38, concocted a scheme to convince at least 13 people to loan him money needed to pay fees related to a purported inheritance he claimed was due. Brady solicited loans from friends, acquaintances, and colleagues to pay for attorney fees, taxes, or other related costs that Brady claimed were necessary to receive an inheritance or life insurance proceeds he was due from a deceased relative. Some victims had Brady sign a written contract or promissory note agreeing that he would repay the money. When the due date passed without repayment, Brady told victims that without more money he would lose the inheritance entirely, and in many instances the victims provided Brady additional funds. Brady defrauded his victims of hundreds of thousands of dollars in 33 transactions. Brady wasted most of the money gambling in casinos, through online sports betting apps, and at slots-style gambling machines in convenience stores. The IRS Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-101.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison for His Role in a Drug Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Guillermo Valenzuela-Ramirez, 30, of Imuris, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Feb. 17, 2026, by Chief U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 90 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Valenzuela-Ramirez was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. As part of this conspiracy, on July 1, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona, Valenzuela-Ramirez and his co-conspirators possessed approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to another individual that evening. This investigation 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. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This HSTF Tucson led investigation is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) with the prosecution being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-5415-JGZ-2 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-035_Valenzuela-Ramirez # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: GONZALES WOMAN SENTENCED TO 125 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

body_text: United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Hannah Kinchen, age 41, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 125 months in federal prison following her conviction for receiving child sexual abuse material produced by a photographer she arranged to take the images. The Court further sentenced Kinchen to serve five years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon her release. According to admissions made during her guilty plea, beginning in at least July of 2020 and continuing through at least February 2021, Kinchen communicated with a photographer who self-identified as a pedophile, using the Internet, about the minor victim’s modeling career, among other topics. She coordinated and transported the minor victim to photoshoots with the photographer, in Louisiana and elsewhere. Kinchen was present during these photoshoots, permitted the photographer to photograph the minor victim in scanty attire, including thongs and G-string bikinis, and collaborated in posing the minor victim. Some of the resulting photographs qualified as child pornography and some were later sold. On or about August 1, 2020, the photographer sent Kinchen most of the images through a file-sharing website on the internet, which she received and downloaded onto her computer. “This administration will continue to make the safety of our children a top priority. Thanks to the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Craig for their hard work in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “The defendant in this case preyed on an innocent child. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to remove child predators from our great nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI's New Orleans Field Office. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.


title: Tonawanda man pleads guilty to his role in narcotics conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Edward Wilkie, 31, of Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, which carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2025, law enforcement received information that Wilkie and co-conspirator Daniel Eberle were storing and selling large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine at Wilkie’s Shelly Court residence and at a stash house on Sheridan Parkside Drive. Wilkie used both residences to store the drugs, which he would then distribute in Salamanca, NY, and Pennsylvania. On March 25, 2025, investigators executed search warrants on Wilkie’s vehicle, his Shelly Court residence and the Sheridan Parkside Drive stash house. They recovered $42,330 in cash and approximately 384 grams of heroin from Wilkie’s vehicle and $4,000 in cash from his residence. As investigators entered the Sheridan Parkside Drive stash house, they encountered Daniel Eberle attempting to destroy narcotics evidence by flushing it down the toilet. Law enforcement ultimately recovered approximately 66 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded shotgun. Charges remain pending against Daniel Eberle. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. # # # #


title: Kansas City Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Ammunition

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: A Kansas City, Mo., man who backed his truck into the deck of a private residence in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing ammunition. David E. Degerald, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 33 months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original complaint, on June 26, 2025, Kansas City, Mo. Police Department officers were dispatched to a private residence located on N. Oakley Avenue at approximately 6:19 p.m. to investigate a disturbance. The reporting party said he observed a male back a truck into the deck at the back of a nearby house. The reporting party indicated that he witnessed the male arguing with a female before leaving the area in the truck. Officers later observed a vehicle that matched the description of the truck that was reportedly used during the domestic disturbance. While on foot, the officers tried to signal the truck to stop, but it continued driving north. Officers got into their patrol vehicles, caught up to the truck, and activated their emergency lights and sirens. The truck drove several hundred more feet before coming to a stop at the intersection of NE 48th Street and N. Oakley Avenue. The officers ordered the driver, and only occupant of the vehicle, out of the car and placed him in handcuffs. Officers immediately smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the driver’s breath. The officers asked him how much he had to drink, and he replied, “too much.” The driver was later identified as Degerald. Officers asked Degerald if he would agree to submit to a battery of field sobriety tests. Degerald refused. Officers placed Degerald under arrest and arranged for his vehicle to be towed. During an inventory search of the truck, officers discovered eight rifle rounds and an extended black magazine that contained approximately 28 rounds of 9mm caliber ammunition. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of ammunition. Officers conducted a criminal background check and discovered that Degerald had several prior felony convictions, to include a 2001 conviction in Clay County, Mo. for murder in the second degree. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Career Offender from Alexander Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Kevin Williams, who has been convicted of multiple drug and gun felonies, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. A federal grand jury indicted Williams, 46, of Alexander, in a three-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On September 22, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At the time, Williams was already serving state sentences for possession of a firearm by certain persons and possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver. Judge Marshall ordered the 180-month federal sentence to be served consecutively to Williams’ state sentences, and also sentenced Williams to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. In March 2023, an investigation revealed that Williams, who was on active parole with a search waiver on file, was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine and firearms. On March 20, 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the hotel room where Williams resided. During the search of Williams’ hotel room, agents located 900 grams of methamphetamine in a suitcase and 850 grams of methamphetamine in a safe. Agents also located in the safe a Canik, Model TP9SF 9mm loaded firearm containing 15 rounds of ammunition, 107.5 grams of marijuana, five pills marked “M30,” and a digital scale. Agents located a second safe in the room that contained $10,900. Williams has at least two prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense and is therefore classified as a career offender. His criminal history includes four convictions for possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, three convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia, and a conviction for possession of firearms by certain persons. 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 the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Field Division, Little Rock District Office, and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker. # # # 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: Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel Concludes Immigrant Welfare Eligibility Rules Apply to Public Housing

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice released an opinion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development which addresses the relationship between the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980. The Office of Legal Counsel’s interpretation finds that in order to receive housing benefits administered under Section 214, an alien must satisfy the eligibility requirements of both PRWORA and Section 214. Under this finding, certain categories of aliens currently deemed eligible -- such as Haitian entrants and many parolees -- are in fact ineligible to take advantage of these HUD benefits. Even those categories of aliens who remain eligible must now satisfy further requirements before applying for such benefits. This finding creates further safeguards to protect American taxpayer resources, specifically in government-funded housing, from abuse by non-American citizens. “Today’s opinion will prohibit ineligible aliens from draining funds for housing programs that are meant to help AMERICAN citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The current inadequate safeguards in place incentivize illegal immigration and make housing less affordable – this Department of Justice will continue working with HUD to put the American people first.” “For far too long, the left abused the law, twisted interpretations, and helped illegals and ineligibles at the expense of taxpayers,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner. “Meanwhile, millions of Americans languished on housing waitlists across the country. Today’s Department of Justice opinion upholds the law and reaffirms the Trump administration’s commitment to putting the American people first.” This action comes as a follow-on to the Office’s December opinion about the meaning of “Federal means-tested public benefits” in PRWORA, which reversed a Clinton-era interpretation that had allowed ineligible aliens to receive federal welfare benefits. Read the full opinion here.


title: Illegal alien with convictions for assault and indecency with a child sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 42-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Juan Ignacio Miranda-Arente pleaded guilty Nov. 19, 2025. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Miranda-Arente to serve 21 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the crimes he committed while illegally present in the United States. Specifically, Judge Eskridge stated that he was guided by the very serious nature of Miranda-Arente’s indecency with a child conviction that he committed after illegally reentering the United States. In addition to that crime, Miranda-Arente also has a conviction for assault that involved a tire iron in 2008. He was first ordered removed after that but returned illegally. Authorities discovered him in March 2020 in Conroe upon his arrest for the indecency charge with no legal authorization to be in the country. Miranda-Arente has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Hostetter prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Montgomery Man 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 the first sentencing in a mail theft conspiracy involving four defendants. On February 18, 2026, 28-year-old Kahneil Jahe Oliver, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud and theft of a postal key. There is no parole in the federal system. According to Oliver’s plea agreement and other court records, from May 2020 through February 2025, Oliver and his co-conspirators executed a scheme to steal checks from the mail, alter them, and deposit the fraudulently altered checks into numerous bank accounts under their control. The investigation determined that Oliver coordinated the conspiracy and personally facilitated criminal acts in furtherance of the scheme. His sentence was enhanced based on his possession of a firearm in furtherance of the offense, the number of victims involved, and the sophisticated nature of the scheme. Oliver also admitted to using a stolen postal key to access postal receptacles and retrieve checks from the mail. In total, investigators determined that Oliver and his co-conspirators possessed both physical checks and digital images of checks reflecting an intended loss exceeding $9.5 million. “This defendant helped orchestrate a large-scale scheme that targeted numerous individuals and businesses by exploiting the U.S. mail system,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Mail theft and financial fraud cause significant economic harm to victims. This sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and our commitment to holding organizers of fraud schemes fully accountable.” “An important part of the U. S. Postal Inspection Service mission is to ensure public trust in the mail and to defend the nation’s mail system from illicit financial gain,” said Shameka Jackson, Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division. “As a result of coordinated investigative efforts, the sentence handed down to Kahneil Jahe Oliver sends a clear message to mail thieves that you will be vigorously pursued and brought to justice. We thank the USPS Office of Inspector General, ALEA, Montgomery Police Department, Prattville Police Department and Fulton County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office for partnering with us in this investigation.” “Yesterday’s sentencing sends a clear message that stealing Postal arrow keys and U.S. Mail to commit financial fraud will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “These federal crimes undermine public trust and disrupt the lives of hardworking citizens. Our special agents and law enforcement partners remain committed to finding these fraudsters and holding them accountable to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail.” Oliver’s co-conspirators, Cedric Lanoid Hunter, Jr., 24, of Montgomery, Alabama; Joseph Deshun Sheppard, Jr., 27, of Montgomery; and Tra’von Charles Rogers, 24, of Prattville, Alabama, have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. Their sentencings are scheduled for early March 2026. 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: Grand Jury Returns Indictments

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments yesterday. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as a defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Michigan Man Charged With Posting Threats To Kill ICE Agents Justin P. Ward, 33, Ironwood, Michigan, is charged with using interstate commerce to transmit threats to injure another person. The indictment alleges that on January 29, 2026, Ward posted threats to kill ICE agents on Facebook. If convicted, Ward faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the FBI; Minnesota State Patrol; Saint Paul, Minnesota Police Department; and the Gogebic County Michigan Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is currently handling the case. La Crosse County Man Charged With Possessing Child Pornography William J. Clark, III, 40, Mindoro, Wisconsin, is charged with possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that on January 22, 2026, Clark possessed child pornography on a Samsung cellphone. If convicted, Clark faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office and the Coulee Region Children’s Internet Protection Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the case. This investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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. Fitchburg Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition Cordero C. Coker, 38, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that on November 13, 2025, Coker possessed a 9 mm Smith & Wesson firearm and ammunition. If convicted, Coker faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Monona Police Department, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the case. Sauk County Man Charged With Fentanyl Trafficking Deandre Templeton, 42, Baraboo, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing fentanyl intended for distribution. The indictment alleges that on July 30, 2025, Templeton possessed approximately 174 grams of fentanyl intended for distribution. If convicted, Templeton faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Sauk County Drug Task Force; the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office; the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington is handling the case. Madison Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition Davoris Anderson, 20, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Anderson possessed the firearm and ammunition on December 11, 2025. If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case. The drug and gun cases in the press release are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges Related to the Sponsorship of Unaccompanied Alien Child

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of aggravated identity theft and false statements related to the submission of a fraudulent application to sponsor an unaccompanied alien child (UAC). According to court documents, Felix Coc Choc, 29, of Rogers, Arkansas, submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of a UAC after the UAC entered the United States illegally. As admitted in the plea agreement, after the 16-year-old Guatemalan UAC entered the United States illegally in January 2023, Coc Choc submitted an application to sponsor the UAC, falsely claiming to be the UAC’s brother, J.C.J. Coc Choc also provided to ORR J.C.J.’s Guatemalan national identification card and birth certificate in support of the sponsorship application. After initially denying that he was using another individual’s identity, Coc Choc admitted to impersonating J.C.J and then submitted a sponsorship application in his true name. ORR denied this application as a result of the fraud. Coc Choc pleaded guilty to one count of making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. At sentencing, Coc Choc faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. The Court will schedule Coc Choc’s sentencing at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Legal Attaché team in Guatemala, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR provided valuable assistance. Joint Task Force Alpha Trial Attorneys Aaron Jennen and Nicole Lockhart and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas. The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. 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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Ring of Thieves Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking, Bank Fraud and Mail Theft Conspiracy in Miami for $1.7M in Stolen Checks and Mail Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Five defendants pleaded guilty in federal court for their roles in a sophisticated scheme involving stolen U.S. Postal Service mail keys, which are pass keys for locked mailboxes, and counterfeit checks. These defendants were part of a ring of thieves who stole checks and other mail and then used counterfeit identification to cash the stolen checks that they had altered to higher amounts than originally intended. According to court documents, from September 2021 through May 2023, the five defendants, all of Miami Gardens ─ Angel Joe Gonzalez, 28; Evens Necler Monestime, 27; David Gonzalez, 23; Cristina Azahares, 27; and Adriana Ginel, 56 ─ conspired to defraud federally insured financial institutions — banks. The scheme involved unlawfully getting and using U.S. Postal Service arrow keys to steal mail; opening stolen mail to acquire checks without authorization; producing counterfeit and forged checks using information from stolen checks; obtaining and using personal identifying information including names, addresses, bank account numbers, and signatures; depositing fraudulently altered checks into bank accounts they controlled; and using the illicit proceeds for personal gain and to advance the conspiracy. Some of the defendants were also involved in trafficking drugs. “These defendants targeted hardworking members of our community — stealing their mail, altering their checks, and exploiting their personal information for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “At the same time, they trafficked dangerous drugs and armed themselves, bringing violence and fentanyl into our neighborhoods. That combination of fraud and drug dealing puts real people at risk. The Southern District of Florida will continue to dismantle these networks and protect the financial security and safety of our community.” Police learned of defendants’ crimes when, on May 3, 2023, Miami Gardens Police Department officers responded to reports of shots fired at a Miami Gardens residence shared by Angel Joe Gonzalez, Azahares, and Monestime. Officers found approximately $1.7 million in stolen checks and stolen mail, along with personal identifying information of individuals who did not live at the residence. Officers also seized six U.S. Postal Service mail keys; 40 debit and credit cards embossed with names of unknown individuals; additional checks addressed to and by different persons and companies; and numerous electronic devices including 27 cell phones, six laptops, a digital video recorder, and two Apple iPads. The search also uncovered multiple firearms and ammunition, various narcotics packaged for sale, including heroin, cocaine, MDMA pills, and other controlled substances. Inside a Lexus registered to Gonzalez, officers found fentanyl and more cocaine, scales and baggies used for narcotics packaging, and additional debit and credit cards in other people’s names. Angel Joe Gonzalez pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail keys, conspiracy to commit money laundering, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Monestime pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession of stolen mail keys, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. David Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail keys. Azahares and Ginel each pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for their role in cashing the altered and stolen checks. Investigation also revealed that Angel Joe Gonzalez and David Gonzalez moderated a Telegram group of approximately 2,000 individuals where they sold stolen checks. Angel Joe Gonzalez and Monestime each face a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. David Gonzalez, Azahares, and Ginel each face a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami Field Office; Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division; Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office; and City of Miami Gardens Police Department Chief Delma Noel-Pratt, announced the guilty pleas. The FBI Miami Field Office, USPIS Miami, USSS Miami, and the City of Miami Gardens Police Department investigated the case. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hayden P. O’Byrne, Assistant U.S. Attorney Quinshawna Landon for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys Jennifer Burns and Alieu Kargbo of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence. 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 Miami comprises of agents and officers from FBI Miami Field Office, USPIS Miami, USSS Miami, and the City of Miami Gardens Police Department with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20353. ###


title: Federal Jury Convicts Los Angeles Man Caught Transporting 30 Kilograms of Methamphetamine in Oklahoma

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted GUSTAVO DE ALBA , 48, of Los Angeles, California, of drug conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to the public record, on June 13, 2025, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being driven by De Alba, on I-40 near Sayre, Oklahoma. After a K-9 unit alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle, law enforcement searched the vehicle and recovered approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine stored in a sophisticated after-market compartment concealed behind the backseat. De Alba and the passenger, codefendant WALTER LUIS ZAPATA MANZANARES , 36, also of Los Angeles, California, were arrested. On July 1, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged De Alba and Zapata Manzanares with drug conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On February 18, 2026, after a two-day trial, a federal jury found De Alba guilty on both counts. Zapata Manzanares had previously pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information charging drug conspiracy on October 9, 2025. At sentencing, De Alba faces up to life in federal prison and fines of up to $20 million, and Zapata Manzanares faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and Drew E. Davis are 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. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Norman Liquor Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – KAYVAN KARYA RASOLKHANI , 46, of Norman, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public records, before October 2025, Rasolkhani contacted an undercover FBI agent through an online messaging website, expressing an interest in meeting with the agent to sexually assault the agent’s two fictitious children. On October 15, 2025, the FBI then executed search warrants on Rasolkhani’s person, vehicle, residence, and his workplace, University Liquor, and seized a cell phone that contained videos and images of child pornography. On January 22, 2026, Rasolkhani was charged by Information with possession of child pornography. Today, Rasolkhani pleaded guilty and admitted he knowingly possessed images containing child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors. At sentencing, Rasolkhani faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Lake Charles Resident and Participant in Nihilistic Violent Extremist Group Indicted for Stalking, Threatening, and “Swatting” a Minor and Her Family and for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: LAFAYETTE– On February 18, 2026, a federal grand jury in Lafayette returned two indictments against CARTER MILES LEDOUX, a 19-year-old Lake Charles resident. One indictment charges LEDOUX with stalking, threatening, and “swatting” a minor girl and her family after the girl made a social media post that indicated support for interracial relationships, and for conspiring with members of his Nihilistic Violent Extremist (“NVE”) group to do the same. LEDOUX was separately indicted for possessing child pornography after a search of his smartphone showed him to possess child sexual abuse materials that included toddlers being sexually abused. “NVE groups are a serious threat to our communities—rural and urban alike—and prey upon our most vulnerable people—particularly young girls—to commit their evil acts,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Stamping out these groups lies at the heart of the Department of Justice’s commitment to make our communities safe, and our Office looks forward to achieving justice for the victim in this case and to showing those who would perpetrate similar acts that the only place in society for them is behind bars.” “The FBI will not abide threats to children,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI's New Orleans Field Office. “Nihilistic Violent Extremists terrorize families every day and those perpetrators should know that we are working diligently with our partners to find, investigate, and prosecute them.” According to court documents, NVE groups engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing chaos, destruction, and social instability, and a subset of NVE individuals and groups focus on racially motivated violence. Acting with other members of one of these NVE groups, LEDOUX targeted a minor girl in response to her posting in support of interracial relationships by (1) finding the contact and location information for the minor girl and her parents, (2) using anonymizing internet services to send threatening text messages to the girl’s family, (3) using those same anonymizing internet services to “swat” her family’s home by placing a hoax phone call to law enforcement claiming, among other things, that the caller supposedly located at the minor girl’s home had pipe bombs and would kill any officer who responded to the call, and (4) making publicly available social media posts glorifying the attack. After LEDOUX’s arrest, a search of his smartphone revealed child sexual abuse materials that included depictions of the sexual abuse of toddlers. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Johnson with assistance from Legal Assistant Emily Lanphier. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer . The case numbers for these matters are 26-cr-00068 and 26-cr-00069. ### CONTACT: Public Affairs USALAW-News@usdoj.gov United States Attorney’s Office www.justice.gov/usao-wdla Western District of Louisiana Twitter @USAO_WDLA


title: Honduran national admits to illegally reentering U.S. for the ninth time

body_text: HOUSTON – A 50-year-old man illegally residing in Houston has pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Danilo Nunez-Avila has multiple prior convictions for illegal reentry and was first removed from the United States in 1991. Court records show authorities have removed him from the country at least eight times. On Oct. 29, 2024, authorities discovered Nunez-Avila again in the United States after responding to a reported assault involving a family member. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 21. At that time, Nunez-Avila faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Nunez-Avila has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill 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.


title: San Francisco Tow Company Operator Sentenced To Five Years For Arson Conspiracy And More Than Two Years For Mail And Wire Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Jose Vicente Badillo, the owner and operator of two towing companies, was sentenced last week to 60 months in federal prison for his involvement in a scheme to burn tow trucks throughout the Bay Area in 2023. U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin handed down the sentence on Feb. 12, 2026. Badillo, 29, of San Francisco, was also sentenced on Feb. 13, 2026, in an unrelated case to 27 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent auto insurance claims from at least 2017 until at least 2021. U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson handed down the sentence, which will run concurrently with the 60-month sentence imposed by Judge Lin. Badillo was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025 for his involvement in the arson conspiracy. In October 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson. According to the plea agreement, Badillo admitted to devising, orchestrating, and overseeing a scheme to set fire to tow trucks in the San Francisco Bay Area. The principal goals of Badillo’s scheme were to drive more business to his own towing companies, Auto Towing and Specialty Towing, by impeding competitor towing companies’ business prospects and to exact revenge against competitor towing companies and their owners for perceived wrongs. To accomplish those goals, Badillo recruited, agreed with, and directed others to execute the scheme by torching six tow trucks belonging to four competitor companies in April, July, and October of 2023. Separately, Badillo was twice indicted by a federal grand jury in 2024 for his involvement in the automobile insurance fraud schemes. In October 2025, Badillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in the second-charged insurance fraud case. According to the plea agreement, Badillo conspired with others to defraud automobile insurance companies by submitting fraudulent insurance claims. In furtherance of the scheme to defraud, Badillo staged an accident on Guadalupe Canyon Parkway in San Mateo County involving a Sterling tow truck and a vehicle carrier carrying four vehicles. Badillo also generated fake tow records concerning at least 18 vehicles involved in iterations of the scheme to defraud and orchestrated at least another nine iterations of the scheme to defraud, causing victim insurance companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen made the announcement. In addition to the custodial sentence, Judge Lin and Judge Thompson each imposed a three-year term of supervised release, to run concurrently, and ordered Badillo to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later proceeding. The defendant will begin serving the custodial sentence on May 21, 2026. 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 San Francisco comprises agents and officers from FBI and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas M. Parker and Galen A. Phillips are prosecuting the cases with the assistance of Andy Ding, Laurie Worthen, and Tina Rosenbaum. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the San Francisco Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.


title: Silicon Valley Engineers Charged With Stealing Trade Secrets From Leading Tech Companies And Transferring Confidential Data To Unauthorized Locations, Including Iran

body_text: SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury has indicted three Silicon Valley engineers on charges of conspiring to commit trade secret theft from Google and other leading technology companies, theft and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice. Samaneh Ghandali, 41, Mohammadjavad Khosravi aka Mohammad Khosravi, 40, and Soroor Ghandali, 32, all of San Jose, were arrested today and made their initial appearances in federal district court in San Jose this afternoon. According to the indictment filed yesterday and unsealed today, the defendants gained employment at leading technology companies in the area of mobile computer processors. Samaneh Ghandali and Soroor Ghandali, who are sisters, worked at Google before going on to work for another technology company identified as Company 3, and Khosravi, who is married to Samaneh Ghandali, worked at a technology company identified as Company 2. As part of the alleged scheme to commit trade secret theft, the defendants used their employment to obtain access to confidential and sensitive information. The defendants then exfiltrated confidential and sensitive documents, including trade secrets related to processor security and cryptography and other technologies, from Google and other technology companies to unauthorized third-party and personal locations, including to work devices associated with each other’s employers, and to Iran. “As alleged, the defendants exploited their positions to steal confidential trade secrets from their employers. Our office will continue to lead the way in protecting American innovation and we will vigorously prosecute individuals who steal sensitive advanced technologies for improper gain or to benefit countries that wish us ill,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “The alleged actions outlined in this indictment reflect a calculated betrayal of trust by individuals accused of stealing trade secrets from the very tech companies that employed them. According to the allegations, the method in which confidential data was transferred by the defendants involved deliberate steps to evade detection and conceal their identities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “Protecting Silicon Valley innovation and defending the groundbreaking technologies that drive our economy and national security is a top priority for the FBI. We will continue to work with our private sector partners to hold accountable anyone who seeks to unlawfully exploit American ingenuity,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. The indictment describes that while employed at Google, Samaneh Ghandali transferred hundreds of files, including Google trade secrets, to a third-party communications platform, specifically to channels bearing each of the defendants’ first names. Soroor Ghandali likewise is alleged to have transferred numerous Google files, including trade secrets, to these channels while employed by Google. These Google trade secrets were later copied to various personal devices and Khosravi’s Company 2 work device, as well as Soroor Ghandali’s Company 3 work device. According to the indictment, the defendants hid their actions by submitting false, signed affidavits to victim technology companies about the conduct and the stolen trade secrets; destroying exfiltrated files and other records from electronic devices; and concealing the methods of exfiltration to avoid detection by the victim technology companies (for example, manually photographing screens containing the documents’ contents instead of exfiltrating complete documents using a third-party communications platform). After Google’s internal security systems detected Samaneh Ghandali’s activity and Google revoked her access to company resources in August 2023, Samaneh Ghandali allegedly executed a signed affidavit claiming she had not shared Google’s confidential information with anyone outside the company. She and Khosravi then began conducting searches and visiting websites about deleting communications and other data, including how long a cell phone provider kept “messages to print out for court.” The couple continued accessing Google trade secrets that were stored on their personal devices and began manually photographing hundreds of computer screens of Google’s and Company 2’s confidential information over the course of months. On the night before Samaneh Ghandali and Khosravi traveled to Iran in December 2023, Samaneh Ghandali allegedly manually captured with her mobile phone approximately 24 photographs of Khosravi’s work computer screen containing Company 2 trade secret information. While in Iran, a personal device associated with Samaneh Ghandali accessed these photographs, and Khosravi accessed other Company 2 trade secret information. The defendants are next scheduled to appear in district court on Feb. 20, 2026, for identification of counsel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1832(a)(5) and theft and attempted theft of trade secrets in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1832(a)(1), (2), (3), and (4), and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of obstruction of official proceedings in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The National Security and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Federal grand jury indicts man arrested with weapons near airport

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury today indicted the man who allegedly had multiple loaded guns near the John Glenn Columbus International Airport last month. William T. Griffith, 40, of Delaware, Ohio, was charged by federal criminal complaint in January. The indictment returned today charges him with illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. According to charging documents, on Jan. 9, local law enforcement responded to a 911 call at approximately 4am regarding Griffith trespassing in a construction area at the airport. Law enforcement officers discovered firearms at the scene. The indictment details Griffith possessing a rifle, a pistol and a revolver. At the time of Griffith’s arrest, he was dressed in military-style fatigue trousers. Body armor with ceramic plates and a ballistic helmet with night vision were also located nearby. In 2011, Griffith was convicted of kidnapping, prohibiting him from possessing firearms or ammunition. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Iowa Paramedic Sentenced to Years in Federal Prison for Tampering with Vials of Narcotic Pain Medication

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A former Iowa paramedic who tampered with vials of narcotic pain medication was sentenced on February 17, 2026, to more than two years in federal prison. Teresa Marie Johnson, age 53, from Manilla, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 5, 2025, guilty plea to one count of tampering with a consumer product. Johnson was a licensed paramedic who took fentanyl from her employer, a county ambulance service. The ambulance service used the fentanyl to alleviate the serious pain that patients were suffering in car accidents and other emergencies. Beginning in late 2024, Johnson tampered with the ambulance service’s fentanyl stocks on three occasions in order to take it for her own use. After investigators analyzed one of Johnson’s tampered vials from the county ambulance service’s inventory, they discovered it contained only 9.6% of its declared value of fentanyl. They also reported evidence of an adhesive-like material on the flip-off cap, vial crimp and top stopper surface, at least two punctures on the bottom stopper surface, and other breaches to the vial. One of Johnson’s fellow paramedics reported occasions when medication was administered “and the desired response did not happen.” Before committing her tampering crime, Johnson had a criminal history. Johnson has five prior misdemeanor theft convictions in state court. She also received a deferred judgment in state court after pleading guilty to a felony forgery crime. As a part of her plea agreement, Johnson agreed to forfeit her State of Iowa paramedic license to the United States. Johnson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Johnson was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and fined $5,000. She was also ordered to repay $6,000 in court-appointed attorney fees and costs. Johnson must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Johnson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-3029-LTS-KEM. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: California Man Found Guilty of Eight Drug Offenses

body_text: A California man who helped bring methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Iowa was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Joshua James Cannady, age 51, from Yucca Valley, California, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and seven counts of distribution of a controlled substance. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about 90 minutes of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial showed that Cannady worked with others to send methamphetamine and fentanyl to Cedar Rapids and Mount Vernon, Iowa, between May 2023 and November 2024. Law enforcement officers seized over 500 grams of actual methamphetamine and 1,700 fentanyl pills from seven different packages sent from California. Cannady’s fingerprints were on three of the packages. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Cannady remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Cannady faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of lifetime imprisonment, a $43,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards, and it was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Services, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Bernardino County, California, Sheriff’s Office, the Riverside County, California, Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police Department, and the Dubuque Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-00025-CJW. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Hughes County Resident Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing Firearm And Ammunition

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lariat Wayne Jagger, age 32, of Holdenville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment charged Jagger with knowingly possessing a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and 13 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition on July 2, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jagger will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Winnebago Man Sentenced to 30 months in Prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Anthony Masquat, 20, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 18, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for assault with a dangerous weapon with the intent to do bodily harm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Masquat to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Masquat’s release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release. In the early morning hours of April 5, 2025, within the exterior boundaries of the Winnebago Indian Reservation, Masquat approached a victim seated in a vehicle at an apartment complex parking lot listening to music. Masquat pointed a knife at the victim and told him to get out. The victim got out with his hands up and then tried to disarm Masquat by pushing him against the vehicle. As victim pushed Masquat, Masquat began repeatedly stabbing the victim. The victim ultimately disarmed Masquat and restrained him until police arrived, but the victim suffered multiple stab wounds which required medical attention, including stitches. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Winnebago Police Department.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to a Total of 262 Months for Production and Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Steven Jones, 46, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 18, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Jones to 262 months’ imprisonment on the production count and 240 months’ imprisonment on the distribution count. The sentences will run concurrent to each other. There is no parole in the federal system. After Jones’s release from prison, he will begin a seven-year term of supervised release. On October 31, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at an Omaha residence and seized electronic devices for forensic examination. Investigators located numerous images and/or videos depicting child pornography and identified several individuals in the Omaha area who discussed and exchanged child pornography. Jones was one of the individuals the FBI identified. In September 2022, Jones sent another individual multiple voyeuristic photos of a female child between six to nine years old. The photos were sent in a text message string discussing the sexual abuse of children. Jones took additional voyeuristic photos depicting Minor Victim 1, who was seven years old at the time, unclothed and sent those photos to another individual in the context of a text message string discussing the sexual abuse of children. 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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. ###


title: New York Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Check Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Brian S. Castillo, 25, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced on February 13, 2026, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud based on his role in a check fraud scheme affecting thousands of victims and causing more $1.8 million in losses. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Castillo to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count to be served concurrently. Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Castillo to pay restitution in the amount of $1,852,532.98. After Castillo is released from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Between on or about January 3, 2023, and July 30, 2024, Castillo executed a scheme in which co-conspirators obtained legitimate checks—often by theft and unlawful means—and provided them to Castillo, who “cooked” the checks to create counterfeit and fraudulent checks payable to co-conspirators. By altering information on the checks, including the payee and check amount, individuals were able to cash the fake checks. Castillo mailed the cooked checks to co-conspirators using the United States Postal Service or he sent them as PDFs. To perpetrate the scheme, Castillo communicated via Telegram—an end-to-end encrypted messaging platform—with co-conspirators, including one in Nebraska. Castillo received more than $800,000 in Bitcoin for his role in the scheme. The sentencing hearing highlighted the significant scope of the conspiracy. As part of an August 2024 search warrant for Castillo’s New York residence, law enforcement obtained Castillo’s cell phone. Forensics revealed approximately 30,000 PDFs of checks on Castillo’s cell phone that had been altered and/or counterfeited. The total amount of the checks was approximately $496 million. Law enforcement located at least 5,000 individuals and businesses who were potentially victims of the scheme. In imposing the sentence, Chief Judge Rossiter. recognized that Castillo “played a big role” in the scheme and that he had seen “nothing to this level” before. “The United States Postal Inspection Service is to be commended for the exceptional investigative effort that led to this just result. The sentence fairly and justly adjudged in this case is an accurate reflection of the financial harm that resulted from this deliberate and insidious scheme that harmed thousands of innocent victims,” said U.S. Attorney Woods. “One of the missions of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to safeguard the U.S. Mail from criminals. Mr. Castillo executed a sophisticated check fraud scheme that resulted in almost two million dollars in losses from victims across the country. Last week’s sentencing shows the commitment of postal inspectors to aggressively investigate and pursue individuals who exploit the nation’s mail system for their criminal activities and to safeguard the U.S. Mail,” said Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.


title: Newport News man pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds from his deceased neighbor’s account

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man pled guilty yesterday to theft of government property. According to court documents, beginning on July 5, 2018, Alonzo Darren McClary, 62, held power of attorney to make decisions for his elderly neighbor in the event the neighbor was incapacitated or passed away. McClary occasionally withdrew funds from the neighbor’s bank account to assist the neighbor as needed. After the neighbor passed away on Feb. 20, 2020, the Social Security Administration (SSA) continued to pay benefits into the neighbor’s bank account. Rather than inform SSA that the neighbor had passed, McClary continued to withdraw money from the neighbor’s bank account. McClary caused a benefit overpayment of $62,957.92 from which he stole for his personal use. McClary is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19 and faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The SSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-81.


title: San Antonio CEO Pleads Guilty to Over $69 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man who conducted a $69.5 million fraud scheme pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to one count of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, from January 2023 to March 2025, Devin Ward Elder, 47, fraudulently raised more than $69.5 million from approximately 345 investor victims that participated in 17 real estate investments. Elder was the founder and CEO of the San Antonio-based investment firm, DJE Texas Management Group, LLC, which was formed in March 2015 and employed dozens of people. DJE invested in multifamily apartments, industrial flexible workspace units, land projects, commercial building projects, and offered investment in a so-called “Income Fund.” Fourteen of DJE’s 17 offered investments acquired real property, and each property was owned by a separate LLC created for the limited purpose of purchasing and owning the investment property. Elder induced his victims to invest with him and made a series of material misrepresentations promising high returns with low risk. Among many other false representations, Elder promised that he would “co-invest” his own money. Additionally, in classic Ponzi fashion, Elder made interest payments to investors of one project using investor funds from other projects without disclosing the nature or source of those interest payments. Over the 26-month life of the scheme, investors received approximately $8.8 million in payments that Elder purported to be “interest” and “principal” payments. In reality, many of the payments consisted of the investments of investors in other funds rather than actual investment returns. In March 2025, Elder halted interest payments to the victim-investors. He notified the investors that his businesses were having financial difficulties, the projects would not be completed, and they should expect to lose a large portion of their investments. Elder was charged with one count of wire fraud on Jan. 28 and summoned to appear in federal court on Feb. 17, at which time he pleaded guilty. Elder is scheduled to be sentenced the week of June 2 and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William R. Harris, Steven Seward and Ray Gattinella are prosecuting the case. ###


title: SERIAL FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Tyrese Da’Jon Jones, 26, of Gainesville, Florida, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Kudos to the excellent work by the Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies who took this violent felon off our streets so we could follow that up with a successful prosecution to put him behind bars where he belongs. The Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America continues to deliver wins for community safety as we fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will aggressively prosecute violent felons like this defendant to clean up our streets.” Court documents reflect that on July 2, 2025, the defendant was approached by law enforcement while he was exiting a restaurant. The defendant fled from law enforcement and dropped a fully loaded pistol on the ground. After he was taken into custody, the defendant admitted that he pulled the firearm while he was fleeing and that he recently took MDMA. The defendant was not permitted to have a firearm because he has five prior felony convictions from two states, including a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sentencing is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. in Gainesville, Florida, before Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor. The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner. 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, human and drug trafficking. As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: PENSACOLA FELON CHARGED WITH ARMED DRUG TRAFFICKING

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Timothy Donail Knight, 25, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges. Knight appeared on February 10, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Knight faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, on the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl count; up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count; and a minimum mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense count consecutive to other sentences imposed. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Pensacola Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 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, human and drug trafficking. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .