title: Sheppard Air Force Base Airman Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Traveling to Colorado to Kidnap and Sexually Abuse a Child

body_text: A Sheppard Air Force Base Airman who traveled to Colorado to kidnap and sexually abuse a child was sentenced to life in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Travis Robert Larson, 24, of Denton, Texas, was indicted in August 2025. He pled guilty in November 2025 to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Reed O’Connor. According to court documents, on May 4, 2025, a father notified the Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department that his 14-year-old daughter was missing. The father told authorities that he had located the child’s phone and found messages indicating that Larson had been communicating with the child and had discussed driving to Colorado to pick up the child and bring her back to Texas. Law enforcement officers located surveillance footage of Larson picking up the child, identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” and tracked his vehicle traveling from Texas to Colorado Springs and back during the late evening hours of May 3 to May 4, 2025. Court records reflect that Larson was an active member of the United States Air Force and was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. On the evening of May 5, 2025, the USAF Security Forces Squadron recovered the child near Larson’s dorm room on SAFB. The child disclosed that Larson began communicating with her online when she was just 10 or 11 years old, and that she would send Larson sexually explicit images of herself at Larson’s request. The child disclosed that her online relationship with Larson lasted several years until Larson eventually discussed coming to visit her in person. According to court documents, the child disclosed that Larson had traveled twice to Colorado Springs to meet her for sex, including picking her up from her home in late April 2025 and driving to a nearby park, where he sexually abused her. Later, on May 3, 2025, Larson again traveled from Texas to Colorado to have sex with the child. Text messages between Larson and the child indicate that Larson promised to bring the child alcohol and described his desire to have sex with the child and to resort to violence, if necessary. Court documents further reflect that around 3:30 a.m. on May 4, 2025, Larson picked up the child from her Colorado Springs residence and drove to a nearby park, where he had sex with the child. Instead of driving the child back to her residence, Larson then drove the child, against her will, back to Texas. On the morning of May 4, 2025, Larson and the child were captured on surveillance footage at the Buc-ee’s gas station in Amarillo, Texas. Later that day, Larson hid the child in the trunk of his vehicle in order to sneak her onto SAFB and conceal her in his dormitory room. Larson sexually abused the child multiple times inside his dormitory before she was recovered by law enforcement. A search of Larson’s phone revealed notes with the child’s name, date of birth, and social media accounts, indicating that Larson was aware the child was just 14 years old. The Colorado Springs Police Department, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Wichita Falls Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allyson Monte and Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”


title: Former United States Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud yesterday for altering and depositing stolen checks into her bank account. At the time of the fraud, she was employed by the United States Postal Service. Shawneasha L. Watson, 30, participated in a scheme to defraud a credit union by allowing the use of her account to deposit stolen checks. She provided both her debit card and her PIN to another individual to facilitate the deposit. In June 2023, the individual deposited checks that had been altered to show her name in the payee line and were endorsed with a signature bearing her name. The credit union flagged the deposits as fraudulent and froze the account before any withdrawals or transfers could be made. The victims all stated they had placed these checks into United States Postal Service blue collection boxes for mailing. The checks were originally intended to pay various bills including one intended for medical expenses and another for a monthly mortgage payment. Investigators also discovered that Watson obtained a Pandemic Paycheck Protection loan under false pretenses in 2021 in the amount of $20,832.50. The loan application stated she was the sole proprietor of a men’s clothing business, and she needed the money to cover her payroll expenses. She later admitted that was false and she spent the money on herself. That loan was ultimately forgiven by the Small Business Administration. Under federal statutes, Watson is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General


title: Knox County Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Corbin, Ky., man, Jerry Dunn, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 60 years in prison, following his previous conviction of five counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. According to testimony at trial, in September 2022, Dunn engaged in the production of child pornography. Specifically, a search of Dunn’s phone revealed photos of Dunn sexually abusing a minor victim. Under federal law, Dunn must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police jointly announced the conviction. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. – END –


title: Business Owner Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas business owner was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining nearly $4 million dollars from a food brokerage company. According to court documents, Richard Vairo owned Richard’s Brazilian Sausage LLC, a Florida company that purportedly sold sausage to grocery stores in Florida. From September 2021 to about October 2022, he carried out a scheme to solicit money from a Las Vegas food brokerage company to increase the sales of sausage to a supermarket chain. As part of the scheme, he falsely stated that he would repay the food brokerage company a percentage of the gross profits received from the sausage sales. He sent false weekly statements to the food brokerage company; and repeatedly misrepresented that a bank had placed a hold on the funds in the bank account. He never sold sausages to the supermarket. Throughout the scheme, Vairo used a social media messaging application and emails to misrepresent that he was selling to the supermarket. The food brokerage company loaned Vairo nearly $11 million, and Vairo repaid the food brokerage company about $7 million, using the victims’ own money as if the repayment came from sales to the supermarket. In total, the food brokerage company had a net loss of about $3,887,620. Vairo used the money he fraudulently obtained from the food brokerage company to support his lifestyle, to pay his bills and debts, and to conduct his business activities. “Richard Vairo betrayed the trust of a local food brokerage company, stealing nearly $4 million through a calculated fraud scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Thanks to a thorough FBI investigation, Vairo is being held accountable, sending a clear message that we will not tolerate financial crimes that harm victims. The FBI remains steadfast in protecting businesses and pursuing justice. If you suspect financial fraud, help us keep our community safe by reporting tips at tips.fbi.gov .” Vairo pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud. In addition to imprisonment, Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Vairo to three years of supervised release. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and FBI Special Agent in Charge Delzotto made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Schiess prosecuted the case. ###


title: FORMER NEW YORK CITY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING INVESTORS

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that JOSHUA SCHUSTER pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni to securities fraud for his role in a scheme to defraud investors in large real estate development projects located in New York City. SCHUSTER is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026. “Joshua Schuster promised to use investor funds to develop real estate projects throughout our City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Schuster instead constructed a fraud, stealing more than $13 million from his investors in order to fund his lifestyle and pay off earlier investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. Fraud in the Real Estate market costs all New Yorkers, including through higher rents and home prices. This Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect investors in this market—and all markets—from fraudsters who line their own pockets at the expense of New Yorkers.” According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in Court: Over a five year period, JOSHUA SCHUSTER engaged in a scheme to defraud investors who had entrusted him with millions of dollars to finance real estate development projects in New York City. SCHUSTER induced investors to contribute capital to his projects by promising them equity in high-end real estate developments, and by representing that investor funds would be used exclusively for the acquisition and development of specific New York-based projects. Instead, SCHUSTER misappropriated in excess of $13 million dollars in investor money to fund his lifestyle, including over $1 million in personal credit card payments and hundreds of thousands of dollars in gambling losses; to repay earlier investors in a Ponzi-like fashion; and to cover unrelated business obligations and payroll. * * * SCHUSTER, 42, of Boca Raton, Florida, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a separate civil action against SCHUSTER, for its assistance and cooperation in the investigation. This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Nessim is in charge of the prosecution. 26-042 ###


title: Florida Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Fraud Committed Against at Least 450 Victims

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Florida man was sentenced today to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing approximately 450 fraudulent, stolen or counterfeit access devices, which included others’ credit card numbers, social security numbers, and means to gain access to bank accounts. Mckenzie Levar Monestine, 33, of Miami, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft. Monestine pleaded guilty to these charges based on conduct stemming from a 2020 FBI investigation. According to court documents, on or about June 22, 2020, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Monestine’s home. That search uncovered a trove of fraud evidence inside Monestine’s padlocked room, including mechanisms to access the banking information of other people, such as personally identifying information (PII), social security numbers, account passwords, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, debit card numbers, and dates of birth belonging to other persons. Because much of the fraudulent activity was committed online and using social media and email, the evidence of how Monestine committed the fraud was found on numerous electronic devices, such as cellphones and a Macbook laptop. Monestine kept information consisting of the PII in various forms and locations on his devices including in a spreadsheet containing approximately 450 access devices and in notes maintained on his MacBook Pro. Monestine exchanged numerous text messages on his phone that contained PII as well, including logins for banking information, pin numbers for credit and debit cards, and data used to access other people’s bank accounts. In addition, the search uncovered physical evidence of fraud, including over $11,000 in U.S. currency; a large number of credit, debit, and gift cards, in the names of other people; fake identification cards; Western Union money orders; a credit card re-encoder that the information encoded in a credit card’s chip or magnetic strip and mail in other people’s names. The estimated loss to victims in this case is between $250,000 and $550,000. 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; and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Miami Field office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jinah Chang and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted 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.


title: Cazenovia Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dean Dellas, age 41, of Cazenovia, New York, pled guilty on February 26, 2026, to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Dellas admitted that beginning no later than June 2021 through November 2023, he acted as a financial advisor for the investment accounts of clients in the Syracuse area. Dellas fraudulently induced those clients to sign paperwork that authorized Dellas to take advisor fees from their accounts well in excess of what they actually agreed to. For other accounts, Dellas fraudulently induced the clients to sign paperwork granting him trading and withdrawal authority over their accounts. This account-opening paperwork misrepresented Dellas’s relationship to the clients and falsely stated that Dellas received no compensation for providing investment advice. The account-opening documents that Dellas induced the clients to sign also falsely stated that the client wanted to engage in high-risk forms of investment, according to the indictment. Dellas further admitted that to conceal the fraud, he took steps to conceal account statements from his clients and at times impersonated clients in communicating with brokerage firms. Dellas admitted that he stole approximately $686,000 from his victims through unauthorized withdrawals and advisor fees. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “Dean Dellas’s greed knew no bounds. He abused the trust of his clients and used their hard-earned retirement dollars as his own personal piggy bank. Thanks to our dedicated law enforcement partners, he is being held accountable so we may get justice for the victims of his crimes.” Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office stated, “Mr. Dellas abused his position as a financial advisor to callously steal from clients who trusted him with their investments. The FBI takes our responsibility to investigate those who commit fraud for personal gain very seriously, which is why Mr. Dellas is now heading to federal prison. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others.” Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2026, before United States Chief District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Dellas faces at least two years and up to 22 years in federal prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The charges also carry a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. As part of his plea, Dellas agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Michael F. Perry are prosecuting the case.


title: Sacramento Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Johnny Bobby Truong, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 19 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. On Aug. 13, 2025, Truong pleaded guilty to the charge. According to court documents, between Jan. 26, 2023, and May 10, 2024, Truong conspired with others to distribute massive amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the Sacramento region. Truong was a significant supplier of drugs to the Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization, and he operated a stash house for the group, which included members of a violent Sacramento criminal street gang. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sacramento Police Department, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Miami Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Fraud Committed Against at Least 450 Victims

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced today to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing approximately 450 fraudulent, stolen or counterfeit access devices, which included others’ credit card numbers, social security numbers, and means to gain access to bank accounts. Mckenzie Levar Monestine, 33, of Miami, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft. Monestine pleaded guilty to these charges based on conduct stemming from a 2020 FBI investigation. “This defendant built a fraud operation on stolen identities, at least 450 of them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He stockpiled Social Security numbers, bank credentials, and credit card information in spreadsheets and on electronic devices, treating other people’s identities like inventory. Identity theft is not a victimless crime. It drains savings, damages credit, and disrupts lives. If you traffic in stolen identities in South Florida, you will face federal prosecution and real prison time.” According to court documents, on or about June 22, 2020, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Monestine’s home. That search uncovered a trove of fraud evidence inside Monestine’s padlocked room, including mechanisms to access the banking information of other people, such as personally identifying information (PII), social security numbers, account passwords, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, debit card numbers, and dates of birth belonging to other persons. Because much of the fraudulent activity was committed online and using social media and email, the evidence of how Monestine committed the fraud was found on numerous electronic devices, such as cellphones and a Macbook laptop. Monestine kept information consisting of the PII in various forms and locations on his devices including in a spreadsheet containing approximately 450 access devices and in notes maintained on his MacBook Pro. Monestine exchanged numerous text messages on his phone that contained PII as well, including logins for banking information, pin numbers for credit and debit cards, and data used to access other people’s bank accounts. In addition, the search uncovered physical evidence of fraud, including over $11,000 in U.S. currency; a large number of credit, debit, and gift cards, in the names of other people; fake identification cards; Western Union money orders; a credit card re-encoder that the information encoded in a credit card’s chip or magnetic strip and mail in other people’s names. The estimated loss to victims in this case is between $250,000 and $550,000. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. The FBI Miami Field Office and USSS Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Jinah Chang and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted 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. 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 no. 25-cr-20282. ###


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending February 27, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 72 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 61 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 80 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for fleeing the scene of an accident-causing death or serious impairment, alien in possession of a firearm, and prior immigration offenses. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, Jose Cuyuch De Paz was encountered by United States Border Patrol agents near 505 McNutt Road in Sunland Park, New Mexico, after illegally entering the United States on foot. When agents attempted to detain him, De Paz fled into a residential area, climbed fences, and was pursued through backyards by a uniformed agent who followed his footprints. During the apprehension, the fence gave way and both men fell forward, at which point De Paz kicked the agent multiple times in the chest as the agent tried to gain control. A second agent arrived to assist, and the agents subdued, handcuffed, and arrested De Paz . De Paz is charged with illegal reentry and assault on a federal officer, though he later claimed he did not strike or kick the agent. So far, in Fiscal Year 2026, 18 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 88 assaults in Fiscal Year 2025. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation's border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel. These cases are 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. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm During Crime of Violence

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Nasir Warlow, 21, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky on one count of carjacking and one count of using and carrying firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On March 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted Nasir Warlow in connection with a September 3, 2024, carjacking in Southwest Philadelphia. He is charged with carjacking and a related firearms offense stemming from the forcible theft of a 2017 Nissan Sentra. At approximately 5:08 a.m., the victim parked his silver 2017 Nissan Sentra on the 6700 block of Woodland Avenue when Nasir Warlow and two accomplices, all wearing masks and dressed in black, approached the vehicle. Warlow approached the driver’s side, pointed a firearm at the victim, and ordered him out of the car, while the two accomplices approached from the passenger side. Warlow and the two accomplices then entered the vehicle and fled northbound on 68th Street. Police located the stolen Nissan near Cobbs Creek Parkway and Baltimore Avenue and initiated a pursuit. The chase ended when Warlow crashed into the front porch of a residence on the 300 block of Horton Street, causing significant damage to both the home and the vehicle. After pleading guilty, Warlow is set to be sentenced on June 8th, 2026, before the Honorable Joel H. Slomsky. 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Urban.


title: Two Foreign Nationals Indicted After More Than 76 Kilograms of Hashish Seized at Miami International Airport

body_text: MIAMI – A federal grand jury returned indictments on Wednesday charging two foreign nationals after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than 76 kilograms of hashish during outbound inspections at Miami International Airport (MIA). According to court documents, on Feb. 11, Joseph Mark Delacruz, 24, of the United Kingdom, and Sezer Ali Ilhan, 20, of Germany, each attempted to board separate flights from Miami to São Paulo, Brazil, with suitcases containing large quantities of vacuum-sealed hashish. CBP officers conducting outbound inspections at MIA examined checked luggage associated with both defendants. Officers discovered approximately 38.32 kilograms of hashish concealed inside two suitcases checked under Delacruz’s name. That same day, a CBP K-9 alerted to two additional suitcases checked under Ilhan’s name for a separate flight to Brazil. A subsequent search revealed approximately 37.77 kilograms of hashish. Both defendants were intercepted at their departure gates before boarding. Delacruz and Ilhan are each charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempting to export a controlled substance. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement. HSI Miami is investigating the cases. The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Terrades from the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 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 numbers 26-cr-20060 (Delacruz), 26-cr-20059 (Ilhan). ###


title: Middle Eastern Man Indicted for Fraudulent Use of Immigration Documents and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Middle Eastern man illegally residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and aggravated identify theft, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The six-count Indictment named Mahmoud Almasry, aka Mohammad Jiham, 44, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Almasry assumed the identity of another person to fraudulently gain entry into the United States in 2016 and continued to use that person’s name for the next decade. Further, Almasry used various forms of identification of the other person, who was already deceased at the time Almasry assumed his identity in order to enter the United States. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Online predator pleads guilty to hacking social media accounts and extorting hundreds of teens and young adults

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Jamarcus Mosley pled guilty this week to charges of computer fraud, extortion, and cyberstalking after tricking hundreds of young victims into giving him control to their social media accounts, accessing their private images and videos, and threatening to release those items if they did not comply with his demands, including sending him sexually explicit material. “Mosley is the dangerous online stranger who every parent fears,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “By exploiting the trust of teens and young adults, Mosley hacked into their accounts to steal intimate and sexually suggestive images and extort them over a three-year period. This cruel, calculated scheme is the latest reminder that everyone must exercise great care with whom they interact online.” “This case highlights the serious and devastating impact cyber exploitation can have on victims, especially young people,” said Kennesaw Police Chief Bill Westenberger. “Mosley deliberately manipulated and extorted individuals during what should have been one of the safest and most secure times of their lives. It is deeply disturbing that someone would believe they could carry out such calculated and predatory acts without consequence.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between at least April 2022 and May 2025, Mosley devised a scheme to hijack Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media accounts belonging to hundreds of young victims, including accounts belonging to minors. Mosely used different methods to take over the victims’ accounts, including pretending to be friends with the victims. After gaining control over their accounts, he threatened to release victims’ nude images and videos, including sexually explicit images and videos, as well as lock victims out of their accounts if they did not provide him with complete access to their social media accounts, send him sexually explicit videos, or send him money. For example, in April 2022, Mosley used Instagram to contact a 20-year-old woman residing in Kennesaw, Georgia (Victim-1), by using an account that purportedly belonged to a high school friend (Victim-2). Pretending to be Victim-2, Mosley asked Victim-1 for assistance in recovering their “his” Snapchat account, and Victim-1 provided a “recovery passcode” for her Snapchat account in response. Mosley used that information to take over the account and access Victim-1’s private nude images and videos. Mosley also sent a message to Victim-1 containing two nude images and a sexually explicit video of her and threatened that “I got 65 videos and [a] picture of you about to get posted.” Mosley sometimes taunted victims about hacking their accounts. In December 2022, Mosley toyed with an 18-year-old Florida woman (Victim-3) asking “Should I post these?”, referring to nude images of her that he had stolen after hacking her Snapchat account. After Victim-3 failed to heed Mosley’s demands to send him more nude photos, he posted the stolen nude images of Victim-3 publicly. In another instance, Mosely tricked a 17-year-old Illinois victim (Victim-4) into sharing her “My Eyes Only” passcode, which allowed Mosley to take full control of her Snapchat account. Mosley then demanded that Victim-4 create a new Snapchat account to chat with him, or he would post everything in Victim-4’s “My Eyes Only” folder. Although Victim-4 created the new account, Mosley was angry that she would not use it and continued to threaten her. Mosley continued to threaten Victim-4 and used her real Snapchat account to communicate with Victim-3’s 13-year-old sister, telling her he knew where she lived by sending an image of a Snapchat map with her location. Sentencing for Jamarcus Mosley, 22, of Mobile, Alabama, is scheduled for May 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown. This case is being investigated by the Kennesaw Police Department with valuable assistance from the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Zuni man charged with sexual abuse

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man is facing federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing two minors. According to court records, on or about February 9, 2026, the Zuni Tribal Police Department was notified of allegations that Vernon Rydell Sanchez , 38, an enrolled member of the Zuni tribe, sexually abused two minors. The minors were subsequently forensically interviewed and both disclosed sexual contact by Sanchez on multiple occasions. Law enforcement later interviewed Sanchez , who denied the allegations Sanchez is charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Sanchez faces up to three years in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Less Than 200 New Immigration Cases Added in Western District of Texas

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 175 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Feb. 20 to Feb. 26, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for sex crimes, violent crimes, drug trafficking, DWIs, gang affiliations, and multiple prior removals. Among the new cases, Mexican nationals Heriberto Vasquez-Salinas and Felix Ermundo Jose-Jose aka Jose Felix-Edmundo were both charged with illegal re-entry in San Antonio after being arrested on Feb. 18. Texas Department of Public Safety advised Cotulla Border Patrol agents of a possible stolen vehicle that had failed to yield on Interstate 35 northbound. The vehicle was soon found empty on a private ranch east of Dilley. A criminal complaint alleges that, after an extensive joint search using a DPS helicopter, USBP agents apprehended Vasquez-Salinas and Jose-Jose. Salvadoran national and documented Tango Blast gang member Franklin Ulises Rodriguez-Rivas was charged with illegal re-entry. According to a criminal complaint, the San Antonio Police Department conducted an aggravated kidnapping investigation and executed a search warrant on Feb. 19. Rodriguez-Rivas allegedly jumped out of a window as officers were approaching the residence, and he was subsequently arrested. He was previously convicted of illegal re-entry and removed from the U.S. in March 2022. Honduran national Juaquin Vardalez-Zepeda was arrested for assault causing bodily injury to a family member and booked in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. He was transferred into ICE custody and charged with illegal re-entry. On Thursday, Honduran national Carlos Navil Rodriguez-Banegas was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, where he had been booked on a DWI charge. Rodriguez-Banegas was previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras in December 2022. David Adony Lemus-Villeda ,also a Honduran national, was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday. He had been arrested for discharge of a firearm within a municipality. Lemus-Villeda was previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras in January 2021. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Mexican national Olegario Martinez-Ramirez after an alleged foot pursuit near the north side of the Chamizal National Park in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges Martinez-Ramirez paid a smuggler $2,500 and was going to pay an additional $8,000 once he arrived at his destination in Los Angeles, California. Martinez-Ramirez was just deported for the third time on Feb. 3, from Calexico, California. He’s been convicted four times for driving under the influence. Mexican national Roberto Salazar-Alcantar was transferred into ICE custody on Feb. 20 from the El Paso County Detention Facility, where he had completed a sentence for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Immigration records indicated that Salazar-Alcantar was issued an Expedited Removal Order in New Mexico on May 25, 2010, and was subsequently removed to Mexico on June 1, 2010. He returned to the U.S. following is deportation and was convicted in October 2023 of illegal re-entry, a charge he faces once again. Guatemalan national Cirilo Ramirez-Sebastian was arrested approximately two miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry, having been deported to Guatemala on Jan. 7 through Phoenix, Arizona. Ramirez-Sebastian was convicted of assault in April 2025, and has two DUIs since October 2020, along with another conviction for false reporting. A Mexican national has been federally charged with illegal re-entry after he was found in the Travis County Jail last year. Ramon Franco-Martinez was convicted of sexual assault in 2025 and booked into the Travis County. Upon identifying him as an illegal alien, ICE lodged a detainer. In 2013, Franco Martinez was removed from the U.S., following a DWI conviction. U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Mexican national Nabor Florentino-Franco near Kinney on Feb. 21. Florentino-Franco has been deported twice, the most recent being on Nov. 22, 2025. His criminal record consists of four misdemeanors resulting in convictions, including unlawful restraint and assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Two days before his November removal, Florentino-Franco was convicted of the felony offense of being an alien in possession of a firearm. Cuban national Daynel Torres-Perez was arrested for illegal re-entry near Maverick, having been deported in June 2025. The twice convicted felon has prior convictions for third-degree grand theft, unarmed burglary of an occupied structure, and driving with a suspended license. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico. These cases are 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. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Jackson Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Jackson man was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, Diquan Barnes, 32, was stopped by a Jackson Police Department officer after running a red light. A firearm was subsequently located in his vehicle. Barnes is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of previous felony convictions, including armed robbery, armed carjacking, and attempted armed robbery. Barnes was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2024. He pled guilty to the federal charge on July 1, 2025. U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Take Back America Prosecutions Including Sentence for Man Who Resisted Arrest

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s recent prosecutions in connection with the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America , including sentencing for an illegal alien who resisted arrest. Hayes announced the prosecutions with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ajmel A. Quereshi sentenced Cristian Rivas-Bonilla, 27 , an El Salvadorian citizen, to time served for an incident stemming from a final order of removal from an immigration judge. Rivas-Bonilla received the sentence after he pled guilty to resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. In November 2025, when law enforcement traveled to Camp Springs, Maryland, to find Rivas-Bonilla, he tried to evade HSI agents, taking them on a high-speed car chase. An El Salvadorian citizen recently pled guilty to an illegal re-entry charge in federal court. Willians Elenilson Beltran-Quintanilla, 39 , is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after removal. According to court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement found Beltran-Quintanilla in Prince George’s County, Maryland, after he was previously removed from the U.S. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland also announced an indictment against a 45-year-old El Salvadorian national charged with illegally re-entering the United States after he was convicted of burglary, grand larceny, and abduction charges connected to three home invasions in Fairfax County, Virgina, and was previously removed from the country. According to the indictment, on January 19, 2026, ICE law enforcement officers arrested Kevin Mendez Vasquez, aka “Kevin Estix Lara Henriquez ,” while conducting a vehicle investigation in Elkridge, Maryland. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced it filed a criminal complaint against an El Salvadorian national in connection with illegal re-entry charges. In December 2025, law enforcement received a tip that Juan Carlos Rivas-Montano, 45 , was working in Hyattsville, Maryland. After a positive confirmation, law enforcement took Rivas-Montano into custody. Authorities deported Rivas-Montano on two previous occasions. In addition, a federal grand jury indicted Samuel Rios-Rodriguez, 33 , a citizen and national of Honduras, who is charged with illegal re-entry into the U.S. According to the indictment, Rios-Rodriguez was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2017. Law enforcement found Rios-Rodrigeuz in the District of Maryland again after he was arrested in December 2022. A federal grand jury also indicted a citizen and national of Honduras on an illegal re-entry after aggravated felony conviction and removal charge. Carlos Amador Lopez, 29 , is charged with illegally re-entering the U.S. after he was convicted for committing an aggravated felony and being removed. According to the indictment, law enforcement encountered Lopez in the District of Maryland again in December 2025. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO and HSI for its work in these investigations. Ms. Hayes also thanked the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted these federal cases. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: New York man arrested on federal sexual exploitation charges

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A New York man was arrested last night on federal sexual exploitation charges filed in the Southern District of Ohio after investigation into a missing Colerain teenager revealed he was previously involved with the minor. Kyle D. Lawrence, 43, of Buffalo, New York, was arrested at his residence. He appeared in federal court in New York today. According to charging documents, on Feb. 16, Colerain Township police began investigating the circumstances surrounding a missing teenager. Officers reviewed video surveillance from the minor’s home and discovered that in January, the teenager entered a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with New York license plates. License plate readers and receipts confirm that Lawrence allegedly rented the vehicle and that he and the minor stayed at a Cincinnati hotel together on Jan. 31. It was discovered that Lawrence was the subject of a report to the FBI in May 2024. Lawrence was confronted by a citizen vigilante group while in Canada for allegedly traveling to Canada to have sexual contact with a purported 15-year-old girl. Agents in Buffalo had previously been in contact with Lawrence in response to the report. Further investigation by the FBI revealed two cyber tip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding Lawrence’s Snapchat account and child exploitation activity. On Feb. 26, FBI agents in Buffalo executed a federal search warrant at Lawrence’s residence and seized several electronic devices, which contained child sexual abuse material. An affidavit details that Lawrence told agents he communicated with the minor from Colerain on Snapchat and traveled to the Cincinnati area twice in January to meet up. He used the location services on Snapchat to locate the minor when he picked her up. Law enforcement’s investigation into the whereabouts of the missing teenager remains ongoing. Lawrence is charged with transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison), travel with the intent to engage in illicit conduct (up to 30 years in prison) and transportation of child pornography (five to 20 years in prison). Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the charges. This is a joint investigation being conducted by the FBI divisions in Cincinnati and Buffalo, Colerain Township Police Department, New York State Police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Twice-Convicted Felon Sentenced to 21 Months for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Antonio Cook, 27, a twice-convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a firearm while on supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Cook pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2025, before Judge Amit P. Mehta to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Mehta ordered Cook to serve 21 months for the felon in possession count and additional 15 months for being in violation of his supervised release. Judge Mehta also ordered Cook to serve three additional years of supervised release. According to court documents, on May 12, 2025, about 6:30 p.m., a police officer was on patrol on the 600 block of H Street, NW, when they spotted a man fitting the description of a suspect in a robbery committed at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. After radioing for backup, the officer followed the man to a Five Guys restaurant on the 800 block of H Street, NW. The man entered a restroom. Officers knocked on the door of the restroom, announced that they were police, and ordered him to come out. Cook emerged. Police detained him and recovered a loaded Kahr Arms semiautomatic pistol inside the restroom trash can. Cook previously was convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed and robbery in D.C. Superior Court. He also has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Bloss and James B. Nelson. 25cr272 Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: THIRD MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO COMMITTING COVID RELATED UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD FROM PRISON

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Nachez, Mississippi man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud today. According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Kev’Veonta Short, 32, conspired with other inmates at the South Mississippi Correctional Institute to submit false unemployment insurance claims during the Covid 19 pandemic. Short provided his personal details to another inmate so that inmate could submit fraudulent unemployment claims on his behalf. Such fraudulent applications were being submitted on behalf of multiple other inmates. Two of Short’s coconspirators, Adrian Wilson and Aaron Sanders, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2026. Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on Jun 11, 2026. Short is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026. The maximum statutory term of imprisonment for Wilson, Sanders, and Short is 20 years. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Office of the Public Auditor are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.


title: District of Arizona Charges 156 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Feb. 21 through Feb. 27, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 156 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 106 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed nine cases against 10 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Jose Leonel Medina-Angulo . Medina-Angulo was charged by complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens, Feb. 23, 2026. A Border Patrol agent observed four individuals walking in remote terrain and dense brush approximately 14 miles south of Exit 87 on I-8. As the Border Patrol agent approached the group, which included Medina-Angulo, they fled and attempted to conceal themselves in bushes but were ultimately apprehended. The agent noticed the individuals were wearing camouflage clothing and carpet booties over their shoes and carrying camouflage backpacks. Later that day, Border Patrol received a report of two additional individuals believed to be a part of the same group apprehended earlier walking northbound through the desert. A Border Patrol agent located the individuals and apprehended them. Some of the individuals in the group positively identified Medina-Angulo as the foot guide. Immigration checks confirmed that all six of the individuals, including Medina-Angulo, are not U.S. citizens and are all unlawfully present in the United States. 26-01142MJ, Phoenix. United States v. Jario Isaias Ventura-Jocol. Ventura-Jocol was charged by complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, Feb. 25, 2026. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents were identifying vehicles involved in human smuggling when they were notified that a vehicle registered from Phoenix was traveling westbound from the checkpoint without a valid driver's license associated with the vehicle's registration. HSI notified the Tohono O'odham Police Department (TOPD). TOPD observed the vehicle as it was traveling toward an area that is common for drivers to pick up illegal aliens. It then traveled back several minutes later. TOPD then observed the vehicle fail to stop at two stop signs. TOPD attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as Jario Isaias Ventura-Jocol, failed to yield. The vehicle began traveling more than 100 mph. HSI joined in the pursuit. At one point, Ventura-Jocol lost control of the vehicle and spun around in the road but was able to regain control and continued fleeing. Ventura-Jocol eventually pulled off to the side of the road, and two subjects fled from the vehicle into the desert. Agents apprehended Ventura-Jocol, the two subjects, and an additional subject hiding in the backseat. The subjects were determined to be citizens of Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, illegally present in the United States. 26-02936MJ, Tucson. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-039_February 27 Immigration Enforcement # # # 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: Canton Man Convicted by Jury for Perjury

body_text: Jackson, MS – A federal jury convicted a Canton man for false statements before a court. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, William “Bill” Byrd McHenry, Jr., provided false statements on November 18, 2021, during a judgment debtor examination. The examination, which was taken by the Receiver for Arthur Lamar Adams and Madison Timber Properties, LLC, was to determine the assets he had available to satisfy at least part of a $3,473,320 judgment that had been entered against him. The judgment was to be used to satisfy, at least partially, investors who had lost money in the Madison Timber Properties multi-state Ponzi scheme involving more than one hundred million dollars and hundreds of victims spanning a number of years. During a judgment debtor examination, McHenry was asked directly about certain assets and whether he had sold them during the pendency of his own personal bankruptcy, which he filed after the $3,473,320 judgment. He falsely denied selling any such assets. McHenry is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Goff and Matt Allen are prosecuting the case.


title: Gastroenterology Practice Agrees to Pay $4.75M to Settle Allegations of Kickbacks and Unnecessary Medical Testing Services

component: Civil Division

body_text: Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates located in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $4.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by receiving kickbacks in exchange for referrals of gastrointestinal pathology services and by performing certain gastrointestinal pathology services that were not medically reasonable or necessary. The United States alleged that beginning in approximately May 2017, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates contracted with Advanced Pathology Solutions (APS), a pathology laboratory located in Little Rock, Arkansas, to construct and operate a limited-capacity pathology laboratory in Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates’ office. Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates received various benefits from APS in connection with the setup and ongoing operations of the in-house lab, in which histology technicians prepared and stained specimen sample slides and Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates billed Medicare and other insurers for the technical component of those services. In exchange, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates agreed to exclusively refer patients to APS, which interpreted the slides and billed for the professional component of the services. The United States alleges that the benefits provided by APS to Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates were unlawful remuneration in exchange for patient referrals. “Healthcare fraud has negative impacts for taxpayers and patients alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reflects the Department’s commitment to protecting taxpayer money and ensuring that healthcare services paid for by for by federal healthcare programs are reasonable, necessary, and free from the influence of kickbacks.” “As recent headlines across the country have made us all too aware, fraud against the American taxpayer through healthcare fraud is rampant,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to identify and eliminate fraud of every kind wherever we find it and also to seek the recovery of tax dollars that were wrongfully paid.” “Federal health care programs rely on truthful billing and accurate medical documentation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office. “This False Claims Act settlement underscores our commitment to safeguarding taxpayer dollars and maintaining public trust by holding providers accountable when they fail to meet those obligations. Providers who induce referrals by paying illegal kickbacks place an unfair burden on these programs, and we remain steadfast in working with our law enforcement partners to identify and address such conduct.” Additionally, the United States alleges that Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates performed and billed for medically unnecessary special stains using a blanket or reflex ordering process in which special stains were ordered on an automatic basis, without a pathologist first reviewing a routine stain and determining whether additional special stains were needed for the particular patient, and without justification in the medical record for performing additional special stains. Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates and APS terminated their relationship in approximately May 2020. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The matter was investigated by Trial Attorneys Evan Ballan and Jessica Bergin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Dempsey for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Brazilian National Sentenced for Selling Firearms Without a License and Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in Framingham was sentenced for conspiracy and engaging in the business of selling firearms without a license. Victor Santos DeSouza, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 14 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In November 2025, Santos DeSouza pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Between May 2023 and August 2023, De Aguiar Ferreira sold two pistols, one with a large capacity magazine, to a cooperating witness without the required license in exchange for cash. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Framingham and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Crowley and John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Sexual Predator Charged with Illegal Reentry into the United States After Prior Deportation

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Miguel Solis-Morales (42, Mexico) has been charged by indictment with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Solis-Morales faces up to 20 years in federal prison and subsequent deportation and removal from the United States. Solis-Morales made his initial appearance in federal court in Jacksonville on February 26, 2026, and ordered detained pending a detention hearing on March 4 ,2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Solis-Morales was convicted of sexual battery on September 10, 2009, in Jacksonville. He was then ordered to be designated as a sexual predator under Florida law. On May 21, 2025, he was removed from the United States by immigration authorities. On February 16, 2026, Solis-Morales was found to be voluntarily back in the United States and was arrested. Records checks confirmed that he had not applied to U.S. immigration authorities for permission to lawfully reenter the United States after his removal. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the United States Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and human trafficking.


title: Anson, Texas Man Federally Charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor After Arranging to Meet Purported 15-Year-Old Girl

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: An Anson man was charged with attempted enticement of a minor after arranging to meet a purported 15-year-old girl, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Ervin Joe Campbell, 63, was charged by a federal criminal complaint and arrested on February 26, 2026, for the federal offense of attempted enticement of a minor. He made his initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John R. Parker. “The collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners took another alleged would-be predator from our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This case highlights the importance of devoting resources to unearth sex trafficking in the Northern District of Texas. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these cases.” According to the complaint, Ervin Joe Campbell allegedly attempted to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce an individual he believed to be fifteen years old to engage in prostitution and sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense. As alleged, on February 25, 2026, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office conducted an undercover chat operation in Abilene, Texas, targeting the solicitation of prostitution and child predators. During the operation, AG Investigators posed as minors, aged fifteen and sixteen, via an undercover account. The account posted on Facebook Marketplace as “Massage and Fun.” Campbell allegedly contacted the account and agreed to pay $200 for sex with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. The complaint alleges that Campbell sent a picture of himself and stated he was 60 years old. After being told that the person he was communicating with was fifteen, Campbell replied, “I could get in trouble,” followed later by “I’m not a cop, are you?” The undercover investigator informed Campbell that her sixteen-year-old friend was available as well and provided the price of $500.00 for sexual intercourse with both girls. The messages exchanged between the undercover investigator and Campbell included: According to the complaint, Campbell arrived at a prearranged meeting place with two condoms and $652.00 cash. Officers also found a cellphone on which Campbell had saved the undercover investigator’s number as “15.” If convicted, Campbell faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison up to life imprisonment. He remains in federal custody pending detention and preliminary hearings on March 3, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Parker in Abilene, Texas. Homeland Security Investigations Abilene Division, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Campbell is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law .


title: Federal Charges Filed in a 30-Year-Old Cold Case Involving the Kidnapping and Murder of 7-Year-Old Morgan Violi

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: BOWLING GREEN, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were filed in U.S. District Court on February 26, 2026, charging Robert Scott Froberg, 61, with the 1996 abduction and death of 7-year-old Morgan Violi. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, FBI Special Supervisory Agent William Kurtz, Chief Michael Delaney of the Bowling Green Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 8th Judicial Circuit Kori Beck Bumgarner made the announcement at a press conference held on February 27, 2026, at the Bowling Green Police Department. According to the complaint, Morgan Violi was abducted July 24, 1996, while playing with her sisters and friends at the Colony Apartments in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Witnesses saw a white man grab Morgan, put her in a maroon Chevrolet van and drive away. Two days later, the van suspected to be involved in the abduction was found south of Nashville, Tennessee, and searched for evidence. Morgan’s body was found on October 20, 1996 — three months after her abduction — in the woods in White House, Tennessee. For years, Morgan’s kidnapping and murder went unsolved. The complaint alleges that with recent advancements in forensic testing of DNA evidence, a hair found in the abandoned van was tested by the FBI laboratory and returned an association with Robert Scott Froberg, who was then serving a lengthy sentence in the Alabama Department of Corrections. With that lead, investigators determined that Froberg had escaped from jail in April 1996, traveled to Pennsylvania where he was arrested, and then escaped again. Froberg then traveled to Dayton, Ohio, and stole a maroon Chevrolet van approximately a half a mile from his parent’s house. Froberg traveled south, exiting I-65 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he spotted Morgan playing in her apartment complex, snatched her and drove south. According to the complaint, Froberg was recently interviewed by law enforcement and confessed to driving Morgan into Tennessee and strangling her, causing her death. U.S. Attorney Bumgarner stated, “Morgan Violi’s family never gave up on her, and neither did the Bowling Green community or its law enforcement community. For years, this community has feared that Morgan’s abductor lived silently among us and that one of our kids could be next. Investigators in the FBI and the Bowling Green Police Department have worked tirelessly to bring justice for Morgan. They applied new technology, reexamined old evidence, and never stopped searching for the truth. Yesterday, we filed a criminal complaint charging Robert Scott Froberg with her kidnapping, resulting in her death.” If convicted, the defendant faces only two potential sentences: life in prison or the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI and Bowling Green Police Department. United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner and First Assistant United States Attorney Brian Butler are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### Criminal Complaint


title: Former New York National Sales Director Sentenced to Three Years in Prison For Kickback Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A former New York based sales director for the Northeast region of a mobile medical diagnostics company was sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans. David Fuhrmann, 60, of Point Jefferson Station, N.Y. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $27,225,434.44 in restitution, to forfeit $1,102,725.96 and to pay a $30,000 fine. In April 2025 , Fuhrmann pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. From June 2013 through at least September 2020, Fuhrmann conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. The co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test. The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Committing COVID  Relief Fraud While in Prison

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Louisiana man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to conspiring with another individual to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic while he was in prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, Travis Thorn, 45, of Monroe, Louisiana, conspired with another individual to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. As an inmate in the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), Thorn was not entitled to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Some of the funds were applied to Thorn’s commissary account. The unemployment insurance benefits were federally subsidized through the CARES Act in response to the pandemic. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Thorn on March 19, 2025. Thorn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2026. The maximum statutory term of imprisonment is 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Baxter Kruger, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region made the announcement. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF). In response to the unprecedented scope of Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud, the Department of Justice established the NUIFTF. The NUIFTF is a prosecutor-led multi-agency task force with representatives from FBI, DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DHS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, SSA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and other agencies. Members of the NUIFTF are working with state workforce agencies, financial institutions, and other law enforcement partners across the country to fight UI fraud, and consumers should be vigilant in light of these threats and take the appropriate steps to safeguard themselves. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that OTILIO GREEN, 44, of Hamden, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a child exploitation offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and March 2025, Synchronoss, a cloud storage provider for Verizon Wireless, submitted eight CyberTipline reports documenting 43 images and five videos of suspected child pornography uploaded to an account associated with Green. A subsequent court-authorized search of Green’s cloud storage account revealed an additional images and videos of suspected child sex abuse material. The investigation further revealed that, for at least two years prior to his arrest on April 4, 2025, Green used the Telegram app, which he accessed through a hidden folder on his cellphone, and other online platforms to communicate with others to receive numerous sexually explicit images and videos depicting children. At the time of the offense, Green was employed as an officer with the Yale University Police Department. Green pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Green, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26. This investigation is being conducted by HSI New England, the Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of New Haven for its assistance in the prosecution of this case. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Former Loan Officer Sentenced to Over One Year in Prison for Million-Dollar Heloc Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A former loan officer was sentenced in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for defrauding his employer, MassMutual Federal Credit Union, out of almost $1 million. Brian Socha, 45, of Brookfield, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Socha was also ordered to pay $902,541.15 in restitution for bank fraud. Socha admitted to defrauding MassMutual Federal Credit Union out of almost $1 million while he worked there as a loan officer. Socha hacked into co-workers’ computers on over 20 occasions to covertly raise the credit limit and lower the interest rate to below market levels on the home equity line of credit (HELOC) on the home he owned with his wife. Over a period of six years, Socha increased the HELOC credit limit from $135,500 to $995,000 and adjusted the HELOC interest rate from 7.25% to 1.99%. Socha spent the stolen funds on his personal enjoyment and lifestyle. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office is prosecuted the case.


title: Waxahachie Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for $1.7M SIM Card Swapping Fraud Scheme

body_text: A Waxahachie man who coordinated a SIM card-swapping fraud scheme was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Kimionte Bennett, 30, was indicted in July 2025 and pled guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who also ordered Bennett to pay $1,769,438 in restitution. According to court documents, Bennett facilitated multiple “SIM swap” attacks, whereby Bennett and his co-conspirators gained control over their victims’ cell phone numbers by temporarily re-assigning the victims’ phone numbers to a SIM card controlled by Bennett or his co-conspirators. After conducting the “SIM swap,” Bennett and his co-conspirators used that phone access to intercept the multi-factor authentication codes, and used these codes to illicitly access the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts—from which Bennett’s co-conspirators would steal cryptocurrency from the victims. In total, court records reflect that Bennett and his co-conspirators were responsible for an actual loss of $1,769,438 sustained by the various victims of this SIM card-swapping fraud scheme. At the sentencing hearing, one victim said, “These weren’t just digital numbers on a screen; they represented my family’s savings, our future security, our dreams. I had planned to use that money to build a stable future for my [child]—[their] education, our home, our peace of mind. In an instant, it was all gone. Coming from a family whose parents came to this country with cheap plastic suitcases, and zero money, it was absolutely devastating . . . In an instant, that same American dream that my parents worked so hard to build, and continued through me, vanished.” Two of Bennett’s co-conspirators, Leticia Contreras and Osvaldo Guajardo, were also prosecuted in related cases for participating in Bennett’s fraud scheme. Contreras, 30, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. Guajardo, 31, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. FBI Omaha Field Division, FBI Dallas Field Division, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Detroit Field Division, and FBI Cyber Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen, Matthew Weybrecht, and Justin Beck prosecuted the case.


title: California Woman Sentenced to Over 8 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Idaho

body_text: POCATELLO - U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today that Marissa Nicole Delagarza, 38, of Visalia, California, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine. Her co-defendant, Maryjane Maria Gomez, 24, of Tulare, California, was sentenced to 8 months in prison. According to court records, on July 2, 2024, an Idaho State Police trooper stopped a car driven by Gomez in Chubbuck, Idaho. Delagarza was a passenger in the car. The Trooper eventually searched the car and found almost 18 pounds of methamphetamine in a backpack that was stored in the trunk. Investigators also obtained evidence from one of the cellphones that had been located in the vehicle, which showed that the two women were transporting the methamphetamine from California to South Dakota for the purpose of distribution and that Delagarza paid Gomez to drive her and the methamphetamine to South Dakota. Both Delagarza and Gomez pleaded guilty to the charge of Possession with the Intent to Distribute on December 11, 2025. Senior U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced both women. He sentenced Delagarza to 100 months in prison, a $500 fine, and five years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Judge Winmill sentenced Gomez to 8 months in prison for her role as the driver. He ordered Gomez to pay a $500 fine and to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence. U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the Idaho State Police, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe McLane prosecuted the case. ###


title: Former CEO of Non-Profit Nursing Home Pleads Guilty to Misapplication of Property

body_text: BOSTON – The former CEO of the non-profit Edgar P. Benjamin Health Center (“EPBHC”) pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges arising from his improper use of EPBHC funds. Tony Francis, 59, of Needham, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional misapplication of money from a program receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2026. Francis was Administrator, President, and Chief Executive Officer of EPBHC, a non-profit entity that operated Benjamin Healthcare, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility located in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. In and around 2023 and 2024, EPBHC faced significant financial deficiencies that included a shortage of cash and inability to make payroll. In April 2024 the Massachusetts Superior Court ordered the appointment of a receiver to operate EPBHC. According to court documents, Francis abused his position of trust with EPBHC by intentionally misapplying funds belonging to EPBHC. Specifically, in 2020, Francis used close to $160,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds, that had been provided to EPBHC by the U.S. Small Business Administration, as a deposit for a personal real estate investment. In addition, in 2023 and 2024, Francis arranged for EPBHC to make payments of principal, interest and late fees on a $100,000 personal loan without having approval of the EPBHC Board of Directors to do so. Finally, at various times between 2022 and 2024, Francis drew on an EPBHC line of credit to transfer funds to his own personal checking account so that he would have sufficient funds account to pay his mortgage and personal credit card bills. In total, Francis misappropriated more than $190,000 from EPBHC, although Francis later returned most of these funds. The charge of intentional misapplication of money from a program receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount involved. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case along with Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Kevin Lownds, who was sworn in as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.