title: Orange County man sentenced for federal firearms violation

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange, Texas, man has been sentenced for a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. today. Alton Wayne Wallace, 31, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on February 13, 2025. According to information presented in court, just before midnight on October 27, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a report of loitering behind a restaurant on 16th Street in Orange. When officers arrived, they found Wallace sitting on a gun in the passenger seat of the car that was described in the call. Another pistol was found on the floorboard in front of Wallace. Further investigation revealed that Wallace was previously convicted of carjacking in Beaumont. A federal grand jury indicted Wallace on May 1, 2024. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. 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. This case was investigated by the Orange Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross. ###


title: Guatemalan and Chinese Nationals Charged with Border-Related Offenses

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Juan Carlos Jacinto-Ramos, a citizen of Guatemala, and Qing Zhu, of China, have been charged by criminal complaint accusing Jacinto-Ramos with bringing three Chinese nationals into the United States at a place other than an open port for entering the United States, and Zhu with entering the country illegally. On February 10, 2025, the defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Jacinto-Ramos be detained during the pendency of his prosecution. Judge Doyle also ordered that Zhu be detained during the pendency of his prosecution, and also because Zhu is a material witness against Jacinto-Ramos. According to court records, during the early afternoon of February 9, United States Border Patrol agents observed fresh footprints in the snow indicating that one or more persons had recently travelled south across Ayers Hill Road, in Berkshire, Vermont, about a half mile from the U.S.-Canada border. Following the footprints, agents encountered Zhu (an adult male), and two other Chinese citizens, one an adult female, the other a 10-year-old child. All three were cold and wet, and appeared dehydrated. The area where they were located featured steep and heavily wooded terrain. The three were determined to be a family unit. Agents also observed a fourth person running south from the location where they encountered the three Chinese nationals. Agents apprehended this individual, later confirmed to be Jacinto-Ramos, after following his footprints for about three hours in cold temperatures and deep snow. Jacinto-Ramos, Zhu, and the other two Chinese nationals were determined to have been in the United States illegally. Agents further determined that Jacinto-Ramos had guided Zhu and Zhu’s family across the border before abandoning them. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Jacinto-Ramos faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Zhu faces up to 6 months if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol agents involved in this matter. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Mathew Lasher. Jacinto-Ramos is represented by Jason Sawyer, Esq. Zhu is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.


title: Angelina County felon sentenced for federal drug trafficking and firearms violations

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Lufkin man has been sentenced for federal drug trafficking and firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Bradley Skyler Bryan, 27, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 175 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on February 13, 2025. According to information presented in court, in April 2024, Bryan was stopped for a traffic violation in Lufkin. During the stop, the officer smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed marijuana, vape pens, pills, and a large amount of methamphetamine. A concealed handgun was found on Bryan. Further investigation revealed Bryan had twelve prior felony convictions, including numerous felony convictions involving narcotics and firearms. A search warrant was obtained for Bryan’s residence where officers located methamphetamine, cocaine, ammunition, a cell phone hidden inside of a wall, a camera surveillance system, and various other items typically used to distribute illegal drugs. As a convicted felon, Bryan is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations Division; Lufkin Police Department; and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Carter. ###


title: Utah Woman Sentenced for Stealing Veteran Disability Benefits

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Tiffany Ann Bright, 39, of Washington, Utah, was sentenced today to 36 months’ probation, and ordered by the court to pay $150,000 in restitution after she stole unearned veteran disability benefits for years. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow comes after Bright pleaded guilty to wire fraud and theft of government funds on October 29, 2024. According to court documents, and statements made at Bright’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from December 2013 to April 2022, Ms. Bright unlawfully stole veteran disability benefits from a prior partner. In the summer of 2013, Bright helped the veteran set up an online benefits account to start receiving disability benefits, but later changed the direct deposit information to bank accounts wholly owned by her. Bright submitted fraudulent documentation to the U.S. government to increase the payments, and lied about her marital status to receive the veteran benefits. To carry out the scheme, the payments were transmitted via interstate wire from New Jersey to Bright’s account in Utah. In 2022, the veteran received a letter about his benefits, indicating changes had been made to his account. The veteran was unaware benefits were being paid still. He had assumed the benefits were being used to pay off his education debt. United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case was investigated jointly by the Department of Veteran Affairs, Criminal Investigations Division, and the Washington City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Previously convicted felon sentenced to five years in prison for illegally possessing 28 firearms

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. According to court documents, on Dec. 26, 2023, officers of the Colonial Heights Police Department responded to the residence of Joshua J. Jernigan, 40, for an unrelated matter. After receiving authority from Jernigan to search his residence, the officers observed a loaded pistol magazine in the garage. The officers obtained a warrant to search the residence and recovered 28 firearms and five unregistered silencers. Jernigan was convicted in 2004 in Chesterfield County of conspiracy/statutory burglary, statutory burglary with intent, and possession of burglarious tools. As a previously convicted felon, Jernigan cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-104.


title: Sex offender sentenced to federal prison for failing to register in Beaumont

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A sex offender living in Beaumont was sentenced to federal prison for failing to register in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Lequinte Dangelo Johnson, 37, pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 13, 2025. According to information presented in court, in 2006, in Riverside, California, Johnson was convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old. As part of his sentence, Johnson was required to register as a sex offender. In July of 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service in Beaumont received information containing Johnson’s updated sex offender registration paperwork from Arizona. The paperwork indicated that Johnson had registered as homeless with a “RESIDENCE OR PHYSICAL LOCATION” in Glendale, Arizona. However, he listed a “409” cell phone number as his contact information. Through information found on social media, it was determined that Johnson was living in Beaumont where he was eventually found living in a storage unit, although never having registered in Texas. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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. This case was investigated by U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove. ###


title: Third Defendant Pleads Guilty in Car Dealership Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Mississippi – A Louisiana man pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to use the stolen identities of others to purchase expensive vehicles in the Jackson, Mississippi metro area. According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2023, David L. Jones, Jr., of New Orleans, Louisiana, and his coconspirators obtained the identity information of credit-worthy individuals, created false identity documents in the names of those individuals, and then posed as those individuals at automotive dealerships in order to apply for vehicle financing. Jones and his coconspirators submitted credit applications and purchased or attempted to purchase vehicles from dealerships in the Jackson metro area. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Two of Jones’s coconspirators, Paul Anthony Robinson and Sarah Elizabeth Calderon, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Jones’s remaining coconspirators, Joshanique Elouise Bailey and Anna Waldei, are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Their cases are still pending trial. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. “When we established Mississippi’s Cyber Fraud Task Force four years ago, we knew that more and more criminal acts would have a cyber element and that our expertise and resources would be increasingly in demand,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “And we are pleased to see the results of our work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Secret Service in this case to put the brakes on this auto theft ring, put these criminals behind bars, and obtain justice for the people of Mississippi.” Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement. The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.


title: Man Who Escaped Federal Prison Camp In Colorado, Evaded Capture For Five Years, Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Allen Todd May, age 60, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of escape, and one count of aggravated identity theft. May’s sentence is to be served consecutive to the approximately seven years he must serve on a sentence imposed in the Northern District of Texas, which he was serving when he escaped. May was also ordered to serve three years on supervised release after completion of his prison sentence and to pay $9,113,375.49 in restitution, and forfeit the fraud proceeds and assets he obtained during the scheme. According to the plea agreement, between mid-2016 and December 2018, while serving a 20-year sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Englewood, Colorado, May devised a scheme to falsely and fraudulently claim that he and entities controlled by him were entitled to oil and gas royalties that had not yet been claimed by the true owners. May was able to participate in this scheme through an unlawfully obtained iPhone he purchased from a fellow inmate at the Federal Prison Camp. Throughout the course of this scheme, May obtained more than $700,000 in royalties to which he was not entitled. At the Federal Prison Camp, May worked as a facilities clerk where he drove vehicles on prison grounds. On December 21, 2018, May drove off the Federal Prison Camp Compound and eluded capture by federal law enforcement for nearly five years. While on the run, May engaged in the same fraudulent oil and gas royalties scheme and netted $8 million in funds to which he was not entitled and used these funds to support his extravagant lifestyle. He stole the identities of inmates serving long sentences, presented himself as those individuals, and conducted his fraud in their names. The United States Marshals Service arrested May in August of 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he had been living under an alias. “The people of Colorado and Florida are safer today because Allen Todd May is back behind bars,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “The Federal Government will not rest when it comes to pursuing fraudsters and fugitives.” “This repeat offender demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law. While in federal prison, he orchestrated a $700,000 fraud scheme, audaciously escaped, and continued to victimize unsuspecting Americans while on the run for five years,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Thanks to the tireless work of the U.S. Marshals Service, he was apprehended, and his criminal activities were stopped. The defendant's actions leave no doubt that he is a threat to society and deserves to remain incarcerated.” “On behalf of the U.S. Marshals, I want to recognize and thank the anonymous tipster for the information they provided that directly led to the arrest of this unorthodox fugitive,” said District of Colorado U.S. Marshal Kirk Taylor. “I would also like to thank and recognize the incredible tenacity of the Deputy U.S. Marshals who pursued every lead over the years in the District of Colorado, culminating in the arrest in the Southern District of Florida. Their relentless pursuit of this fugitive and the coordination of the agencies involved is a true testament to the U.S. Marshals Service.” United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the sentencing. The United States Marshals Service and the FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Martha Paluch and Tonya S. Andrews handled the prosecution.


title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Myles Robert Williams, 37, of Beckley, was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Williams in Beckley. The traffic stop occurred shortly after a controlled purchase of drugs was made from Williams. Officers searched the vehicle and found a Ruger model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun, 41 grams of fentanyl, and $1,179. Williams admitted that he possessed the firearm and used it for protection. Williams further admitted to possessing the fentanyl found in his vehicle, and that he intended to distribute it. Williams also admitted that he sold 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Beckley shortly before officers conducted the traffic stop. On April 17, 2024, law enforcement officers responding to a reported shooting at a Beckley residence encountered Williams outside the residence and found a Springfield model Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the ground near Williams. Officers also found an individual with a gunshot wound to the leg outside the residence. Williams told officers that he fired the pistol inside the residence. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Williams knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for common law robbery in Lincoln County, North Carolina, Superior Court on September 10, 2013. Williams has a long criminal history that also includes prior convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon, trafficking opium or heroin, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-79. ###


title: Former Chief and Captain of Bethany Beach Police Department  Plead Guilty to Federal Offense Related to Theft of Overtime Funds

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Wilmington, Del. – Two men, the former Chief and Captain of the Bethany Beach Police Department, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud related to their theft of overtime funds from the Department, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson. The Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly accepted the pleas. According to court documents, Michael Redmon, 58, of Selbyville, and Darin Cathell, 49, of Frankford, spent years claiming to work overtime shifts that they did not, in fact, work. Redmon, the former Chief of the Department, falsely claimed at least 174 shifts, totaling at least 760 hours and at least $81,890. Cathell, the former second-in-command of the Department, falsely claimed at least 185 shifts, totaling at least 800 hours and at least $67,970. Some of the funds Redmon and Cathell received were federal grant funds. Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Taking the oath to protect and serve is a sacred trust. Those that take the oath must follow the law themselves. These officers failed to do that, thereby damaging public trust and confidence in law enforcement as a whole, including the scores of officers who do the right thing each and every day. Just as my Office will always proudly stand with the best of law enforcement, we will not hesitate to hold to account those officers who betray the badge by breaking the law. We thank both the FBI and the investigators at the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, who have been dogged in investigating this abuse of authority.” "The defendants profited handsomely by abusing their positions and taking advantage of the trust placed in law enforcement. The FBI is committed to rooting out corruption and holding bad actors accountable for violating the oath they swore to uphold,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. “Nobody is above the law or beneath justice. Police officers — and especially police leaders — who commit crimes of dishonesty are not just harming the community and taxpayers they serve; they harm every peace officer and every public servant whose work and reputation are undermined when the public’s trust is violated. I’m grateful to the investigators in our office and to the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office who took on this case and who brought these officials to justice,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings. Redmon and Cathell each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and both are scheduled for sentencing on August 12, 2025. Chief Judge Connolly will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and the Delaware Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 25-CR-01-CFC and 25-CR-02-CFC.


title: MS-13 member sentenced to 50 years in prison for his participation in three murders

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran national and member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for conspiracy relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including three murders. According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2018, Henry Leonel Barrera Ayala, aka Cusuco, Centinela, and Lil Player, 26, Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray , 27, and other members of MS-13’s Uniones Locos Salvatrucha (ULS) clique met in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to murder an associate of MS-13’s Directos Locos Salvatrucha clique, identified in court records as K.A.C. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador had approved the murder because they believed K.A.C. had betrayed MS-13. That evening, they met K.A.C. at the residence of an MS-13 member in New Bedford. After the group ate dinner together, Barrera Ayala and several co-conspirators beat and strangled K.A.C. to death. The co-conspirators then dismembered K.A.C.’s body, placed his remains in trash bags, and buried the remains in a wooded area near New Bedford. In June 2019, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray, and other ULS members conspired to murder individuals who frequently gathered to drink in a wooded area in the clique’s perceived territory in Reston. On June 23, 2019, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray and other ULS members armed themselves with a 9mm firearm, a .45 caliber firearm, and two machetes and traveled to the Hunters Woods area of Reston. The group murdered an individual, identified as J.L.G.M., shooting him and slashing him with a machete. On Sept. 17, 2020, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray, and others devised a plan to lure a young woman, identified as I.J.P.G., to Colts Neck Road in Reston under false pretenses and kill her because they believed she was associated with a rival gang and had disparaged MS-13 on social media. Barrera Ayala exchanged messages with I.J.P.G. via Snapchat, pretending to be a member of MS-13’s rival gang. Barrera Ayala and a co-conspirator later picked up I.J.P.G. from her home and drove her to Colts Neck Road, where Alas Candray and another MS-13 member were waiting for them. The four co-conspirators killed I.J.P.G. by taking turns shooting her, primarily in the face. In addition to the murders, Barrera Ayala also conspired with his fellow MS-13 members to distribute marijuana and cocaine. On multiple occasions, Barrera Ayala sent drug profits to individuals in other states and in Central American countries via money transfer services to benefit the MS-13 enterprise. On Sept. 18, 2024, Barrera Ayala pled guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. A federal jury convicted Alas Candray on Oct. 21, 2024, on charges relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including six murders and additional murder conspiracies. On Jan. 30, Alas Candray was sentenced to six concurrent life sentences. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Blanchard, Megan Braun, and Natasha Smalky prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-178.


title: Monmouth County Man Charged With Aiming Beam Of A Laser At Federal Law Enforcement Aircraft

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County man was charged with aiming the beam of a laser at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. James M. Pedone, 27, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with knowingly aiming the beam of a laser at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Pedone had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on February 13, 2025. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On or about December 12, 2024, Pedone pointed the beam of a laser on three separate occasions, striking an aircraft operated by federal law enforcement personnel in or near the vicinity of Colts Neck, New Jersey, erroneously believing the aircraft to be a drone. Knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special jurisdiction of the United States carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and Joint Terrorism Task Force Officers of the FBI Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, as well as the Colts Neck Police Department, under the direction of Chief Daniel DeVito, with the investigation leading to the charge. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Michael Thomas, Esq. pedone.complaint.pdf


title: Four Admit Selling Machine Gun Conversion Devices, Methamphetamine

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Four people have admitted selling methamphetamine or multiple machine gun conversion devices to an undercover federal agent. Reginald Smith, 28, of Jennings, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of possession of one or more machine guns, one count of unlawfully dealing in firearms and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. Three others have also admitted their roles in the case. Delance Bland Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of one or more machine guns. Kevin Burrow, 26, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine. Tamika Patterson, 45, of Jennings, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. After learning that Smith was selling machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) on Facebook, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began an investigation. MCDs, also known as switches or auto sears, convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon. On Dec. 5, 2023, an undercover ATF agent bought a Glock pistol and two Glock switches from Smith in St. Louis. On December 11, Smith sold another pistol to the agent and introduced him to his mother, Patterson, who said she could sell him meth. On December 13, the agent and Patterson met with Burrow, Patterson’s source of meth, and the agent bought 55.5 grams of the drug. Smith sold the agent a stolen pistol. Smith claimed he and Bland were the main dealers of MCDs in St. Louis, and that they ordered them 10 at a time from China. The agent then purchased a total of 35 MCDs in a series of transactions. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. The machine gun charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The unlawful dealing of a firearm charge carries a penalty of up to five years. The aiding and abetting the distribution of meth carries a penalty of up to 20 years. Burrow is scheduled to be sentenced March 19, and Patterson’s sentencing is set for May 7. Bland was sentenced to 21 months in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Escape

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kishaun Andre Jones, 25, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to escape after walking away from a federal reentry facility. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 2, 2024, Jones left Dismas Charities Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans, without permission. Jones was confined at Dismas Charities as a result of his conviction for distribution of methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on February 23, 2023. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-21. ###


title: Mexican Citizen Admits Conspiring To Distribute Heroin And Cocaine

body_text: NEWARK, NJ. – A citizen of Mexico previously extradited to the United States today admitted to conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Norma Flores-Fernandez, a/k/a “Norma Camarillo,” 56, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a Superseding Information charging conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Flores-Fernandez was part of a Guadalajara, Mexico-based drug trafficking organization that distributed kilogram quantities of narcotics, including heroin and cocaine, throughout the United States from in or around March 2018 through in or around December 2019. Flores-Fernandez acknowledged holding a leadership role in this conspiracy. The charge to which Flores-Fernandez pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons in Chicago, Illinois and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark; and special agents of the Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Lafonda Sutton-Burke in Chicago, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked special agents and task force officers with the DEA operating in Lima, Peru and Guadalajara, Mexico; Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago; and officials in Mexico for their assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest of Flores-Fernandez and her extradition to the United States. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Michael Rubas, Esq., Jersey City, NJ flores-fernandez.superseding_information.pdf


title: Georgetown Woman Sentenced to 18 Years for Lying to FBI During Brittanee Drexel Investigation

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Angel Cooper Vause, 57, of Georgetown, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators about her role in the 2009 kidnapping and murder of Brittanee Drexel. According to evidence presented in court, Vause concealed the truth of what happened to Brittanee and her involvement for more than 13 years. Vause told investigators that Brittanee willingly joined her and Raymond Moody, that she left Moody and Brittanee at the Pole Yard Boat Landing near Georgetown, and that she did not take Brittanee’s cell phone with her, when in reality, she participated in Brittanee’s abduction and was complicit in her rape and murder. On the night of Brittanee’s disappearance in April 2009, Vause assisted Moody in luring the 17-year-old into their vehicle, promising her a ride to her hotel. Vause left Brittanee alone with Moody at the site of her rape and murder taking her cellphone, her only chance of survival, with her. The judge noted during the sentencing hearing that Vause was a “key participant in this tragedy, facilitating the kidnapping of a child.” “For more than a decade, Brittanee’s loved ones were left to imagine the worst possible scenario in Brittanee’s disappearance while Vause withheld the truth,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “We hope Brittanee’s loved ones can now have both the closure and a measure of justice that comes with this sentence. May she rest in peace knowing that her mother Dawn was relentless in her pursuit of justice.” “The FBI is committed to following the evidence to uncover the truth,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “This sentence underscores the gravity of lying during an investigation. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always investigate the facts and hold accountable anyone who distorts the truth to obstruct justice.” United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Vause to 216 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Political Organizer And Former President Of City Council Of Atlantic City Pleads Guilty To Submitting Fraudulent Mail-In Ballots

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted to the procurement, casting, and tabulation of fraudulent mail-in ballots submitted in connection with the general election held on November 8, 2022, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Craig Callaway, 64, a former member and President of the City Council of Atlantic City and a political organizer who assisted campaigns for elected offices in New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an Information charging him with depriving, defrauding, and attempting to deprive and defraud the residents of the State of New Jersey of a fair and impartially conducted election process by the fraudulent procurement, casting, and tabulation of ballots. “The defendant admitted to depriving New Jersey residents of a fair election by participating in a scheme to cast ballots for voters who did not vote in the election. Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to prosecuting those who criminally seek to undermine impartially conducted elections.” Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Beginning in or about October 2022, approximately one month before the general election held on November 8, 2022 (the “2022 General Election”), Callaway and others who were working at Callaway’s direction approached numerous individuals in Atlantic City, promising to pay them between approximately $30 and $50 to act as purported authorized messengers for voters who supposedly wished to vote by mail. After receiving Vote-By-Mail Applications from Callaway or his subordinates, these purported messengers entered the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office carrying anywhere from one to four completed Vote-By-Mail Applications. Inside the County Clerk’s Office, as instructed by Callaway or his subordinates, these individuals provided County Clerk’s Office personnel proof of identification and signed the Vote-By-Mail Applications in the authorized messenger portion of the application before handing those signed applications to office personnel. Further, as instructed by Callaway or his subordinates, these purported messengers waited while Clerk’s Office personnel processed the applications and, if the applications were approved, provided to the purported messengers mail-in ballots for the voters listed on the applications. Under New Jersey law, a messenger was required to deliver any mail-in ballots they received directly to the voter who requested the ballots, and certify that they would do so. However, after receiving mail-in ballots, these purported messengers left the County Clerk’s Office and handed the ballots to Callaway or his subordinates, instead of delivering the ballots to the voters. Many of the mail-in ballots collected by Callaway or his subordinates were ultimately cast in the names of voters who have confirmed that they did not vote in the 2022 General Election—either in-person or by submitting a mail-in ballot—and that they did not authorize Callaway, his subordinates, or anyone else, to cast ballots for them in the 2022 General Election. Many of these mail-in ballots were counted towards the 2022 General Election. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly; the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency's Public Corruption Task Force, including the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds; the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Chief James A. Sarkos; and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; as well as special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins; and the postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to today’s complaint. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Branch Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney James H. Graham of the Special Prosecutions Division. Sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2025. ### Defense counsel: Megan J. Davies, Haddonfield, New Jersey callaway.information.pdf


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced To 39 Months’ Imprisonment For Conspiracy To Burglarize Ups Warehouses; Others Previously Sentenced

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced today on conspiracy charges related to his role in a conspiracy to burglarize approximately 55 United Parcel Service (“UPS”) warehouses across the United States, resulting in the theft of over $1.6 million worth of merchandise, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Aboudramane Karamoko, 21, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Bumb in Camden, New Jersey. Three other defendants, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were each sentenced previously before Chief Judge Bumb. Specifically, Sekou Fofanah, 20, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release; Shamaire Brown, 19, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release; and Quamaire Brown, 19, was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release. As part of their sentences, all four defendants were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,600,157. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Beginning at least as early as January 2021 through at least as recently as April 2023, Sekou Fofanah, Shamaire Brown, Quamaire Brown, Aboudramane Karamoko, and others conspired to commit burglaries of UPS facilities throughout the United States, including warehouses in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Rhode Island, among other States. The defendants gained access to the UPS facilities by breaking the windows of the loading bay doors or by prying open the loading bay doors. Once inside, they sought parcels marked with “lithium-ion battery” warnings, which indicated that the packages contained high-value electronic devices such as a cell phones. Sekou Fofanah, Shamaire Brown, Quamaire Brown, and Aboudramane Karamoko each admitted that they participated in the burglary of at least 55 UPS facilities and stole items valued at approximately $1,600,157.00. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna also acknowledged South Brunswick Police Department, Warwick Rhode Island Police Department, Clarkstown New York Police Department, Livonia, Michigan Police Department, HSI State College, State College Police Department, New York State Police, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia, Homeland Security Investigations Rhode Island, New Jersey State Police, Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Taylor Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, and Centre County District Attorney’s Office, for their assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsels: Anthony Iacullo, Esq. (for Sekou Fofanah) Gary Mizzone, Esq. (for Quamaire Brown) Stephen Natoli, Esq. (for Shamaire Brown) Joel Silberman, Esq. (for Aboudramane Karamoko)


title: Former Springville teacher going to prison for 10 years following child pornography conviction

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Frank E. Noeson III, 47, of Holland, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that Noeson, who was then a 5th grade teacher at a local elementary school, engaged in sexual communications with a minor female (Victim) using Snapchat. The Victim was 16 years old when the communications began. During the communications, Noeson persuaded the Victim to create sexually explicit images and videos and send them to him. Noeson also engaged in sexual communications with another minor female victim, who was 15 years-old, using Snapchat. During these communications, the victim sent numerous images and videos of child pornography. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Buffalo Office Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the FBI Miami Field Office, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger. # # # #


title: Missoula accountant admits defrauding clients; obstructing IRS

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Missoula accountant accused of defrauding clients by using their cash payments intended for income taxes for his own personal expenses admitted today to fraud and obstruction charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, William Arthur Clawson, 54, appeared for an arraignment on an information and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to corrupt endeavor to obstruct and impede the administration of the internal revenue laws. Clawson faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud charge and a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the corrupt endeavor charge. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 24. Clawson was released pending further proceedings. A plea agreement filed in the case calls Clawson to pay full restitution to the victims of no less than $1,158,811.40. The government alleged that from about 2016 to 2021, Clawson used his businesses, Quantum Business Solutions and Endeavor Financial Insights, to defraud clients. Clawson offered accounting and tax preparation services to clients in Montana, Washington and Oklahoma, who were engaged in the cash-intensive medical marijuana industry. Clawson promised to assess the taxes owned by his clients and receive cash payments from them that he would use to pay his fees and the taxes they owed. Instead, Clawson paid only a small portion of the taxes his clients owed and used the remainder of the money on his personal expenses and unrelated debts. Through Clawson’s actions, his clients unknowingly fell behind in paying the taxes they owed. The government further alleged that between 2019 and 2020, one of Clawson’s clients came under IRS scrutiny because of unpaid taxes. An IRS revenue officer contacted the company as part of efforts to collect taxes owed. The company called Clawson, who was serving as its accountant. Clawson instructed the company not to communicate with the IRS officer and said he would take care of the reported issue. Clawson falsely told the IRS officer that the company had cash flow issues that were making it difficult for the company to pay its taxes. Clawson acted corruptly by making other false statements to the IRS officer on the company’s behalf that Clawson knew would impede the government’s tax collection efforts. Clawson did this to conceal his misappropriation of funds the company gave him to pay its taxes. The U.S. Attorney’s office is prosecuting the case. The IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Darknet Drug Trafficking Couple from Las Vegas Sentenced in D.C. to Federal Prison Terms

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON—Rushan Lavar Reed, 47, and Celeste Nicole Reed, 28, both of Las Vegas, Nevada, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 51 months and 37 months in federal prison, respectively, for participating in a long-term sophisticated drug trafficking conspiracy that illegally distributed “pharmacy grade- not homemade pressed pills” nationwide across seven online darknet markets. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Phoenix Division, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Schwartz of the Las Vegas Field Office, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. Rushan Reed, aka “Double R,” and Celeste Reed, aka “Calileone,” each pleaded guilty October 22, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine. In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered the couple to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, for six years the married couple operated an online storefront called “MrsFeelGood” to illegally distribute a variety of narcotics across the United States, including the District of Columbia. They used darknet markets that included Monopoly, Versus, ASAP, AlphaBay, Wall Street, Archetyp, Bohemia, Empire, Dream, and White House. In addition to oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamines, they also sold and distributed MDMA, codeine, Vyvanse, Dilaudid, and marijuana. Operating on the darkweb made it possible for the Reeds to hide their identities, hide the location of their computers, and hide their illegal sales. In addition, they used cryptocurrency to launder their money so that the illegal proceeds of their drug trafficking would be difficult to trace. On October 11, 2023, law enforcement executed arrest warrants at the couple’s Las Vegas home and arrested them both. Officers recovered, among other things: multiple pills in prescription bottles, packaging materials; gloves; black Ziploc bags; and empty prescription pill bottles with the names of the defendants and other uncharged coconspirators. Officers also recovered an assortment of electronic devices and an AR-15 firearm. The laptop was set up to use an operating system designed to access the darknet and protect against surveillance. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, the USPIS Washington Division, and USPIS Phoenix Division. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter V. Roman with valuable assistance provided by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Isabelle Sun, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Crosby, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Wang.


title: Two Estonian Nationals plead guilty in $577M cryptocurrency fraud scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle –Two Estonian nationals pleaded guilty yesterday for their operation of a massive, multi-faceted cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that victimized hundreds of thousands of people from across the world, including in the United States. As part of the defendants’ guilty pleas, they agreed to forfeit assets valued over $400 million obtained during the conspiracy. According to court documents, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, both 40, sold contracts to customers entitling them to a share of cryptocurrency mined by the defendants’ purported cryptocurrency mining service, HashFlare. Cryptocurrency mining is the process of using computers to generate cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, for profit. Between 2015 and 2019, Hashflare’s sales totaled more than $577 million, but HashFlare did not possess the requisite computing capacity to perform the vast majority of the mining the defendants told HashFlare customers it performed. HashFlare’s web-based dashboard, which purported to show customers their mining profits, instead reflected falsified data. Potapenko and Turõgin used the proceeds of the fraud conspiracy to purchase real estate and luxury vehicles and maintained investment and cryptocurrency accounts. Potapenko and Turõgin have agreed to forfeit assets worth, as of the date of the plea, more than $400 million. The forfeited assets will be available for a remission process to compensate victims of the crime. Details about the remission process will be announced at a later date. Potapenko and Turõgin each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine each defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Justice Department thanks the Cybercrime Bureau of the Estonian Police and Border Guard for its support with this investigation. The Estonian Prosecutor General and Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs provided substantial assistance with the extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided extensive assistance to the investigation and the extradition of the defendants. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Seattle Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Friedman and Sok Jiang for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorneys Adrienne E. Rosen and David Ginensky of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jehiel Baer for the Western District of Washington is handling asset forfeiture aspects of the case. Individuals who believe they may have been a victim in this case should visit www.fbi.gov/hashflare .


title: Justice Department Secures $360,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against New Mexico Property Manager and Apartment Complex

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that the owners and former property manager of a federally subsidized apartment complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico have agreed to pay $360,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the former property manager sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in March 2024, alleges that for more than a decade, property manager Ariel Solis Veleta (Solis) sexually harassed female tenants at St. Anthony Plaza Apartments, a Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance property with 160 units in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The suit alleges that Solis’s conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments to female tenants, touching female tenants without their consent, locking female tenants in his office to demand sex acts, and threatening to evict female tenants who did not give in to his sexual demands. “A home should be a place of refuge, not fear,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen P. Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will hold property managers and landlords accountable when they target and exploit vulnerable tenants with sexual harassment.” “Affordable housing should not come at the cost of tenant’s dignity and personal safety,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “When property managers use their power over housing as a weapon to extort sexual favors from tenants, they exploit one fundamental right in order to violate another. This settlement will protect the sanctity of the home and the basic human rights of tenants, and was only possible because of these courageous women who came forward to tell their stories.” “No low-income tenant should face the threat of being sexually harassed or abused by a property manager or others who control their housing,” said Acting Inspector General Stephen M. Begg of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “We are grateful to the tenants who came forward to help put a stop to this violative behavior. This settlement demonstrates that the HUD Office of Inspector General will continue to vigorously investigate landlords and property managers who seek to sexually exploit their vulnerable tenants.” The department’s lawsuit also names as defendants the owners and operators of St. Anthony Plaza Apartments, PacifiCap Properties Group LLC, St. Anthony Limited Partnership, PacifiCap Holdings XXXVIII LLC, and PacifiCap Management, Inc. The lawsuit alleges that these defendants are vicariously liable for the sexual harassment of their agent, Solis. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation that uncovered the evidence leading to the lawsuit. Under the consent decree, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, the defendants must pay $350,000 to tenants harmed by Solis’s harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent decree permanently bars Solis from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment, permanently bars Solis from managing residential rental properties, and mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination at residential rental properties owned or managed by defendants. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment by Ariel Solis or at St. Anthony Plaza Apartments may email Solis.Investigation@usdoj.gov or call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291. If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov , or submit a report online . More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative , led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 48 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $17.5 million for victims of such harassment.


title: Truck driver pleads guilty to smuggling 36 illegal aliens in trailer

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 33-year-old Alamo resident has admitted to charges of human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. On Dec. 13, 2024, Eusebio Cavazos drove a tractor-trailer into the primary inspection lane at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita. Upon initial inspection, a K-9 alerted to the possible presence of humans in the trailer. Authorities referred him to secondary where they discovered 36 illegal aliens in the back of the trailer and nothing else. A total of 15 were from Guatemala, 10 from Honduras, eight from Mexico and three from El Salvador. All were illegally present in the United States, five of whom had allegedly been previously removed and have pending charges for illegal re-entry. Cavazos admitted someone had hired him to drive all 36 illegal aliens from a point near Donna to Houston. He expected to receive $1,000 per alien he was transporting. “As we have unfortunately seen in prior instances, smuggling of people via a tractor trailer is extremely dangerous and can lead to mass casualties,” said Ganjei. “As the Department of Justice works to secure the border and bring down demand for smugglers, we simultaneously expect to see a decrease in the number of people transported through such means.” U.S. District Judge David Morales will impose sentencing May 15. At that time, Cavazos faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 possible fine. Cavazos has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. Homeland Security Investigations and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith is prosecuting the case.


title: Man Illegally In United States Sentenced To More Than 11 Years For Trafficking In Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Nicolas Garcia Hernandez (27, Shelbyville, TN) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia Hernandez pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024. According to court documents, Garcia Hernandez, who had illegally entered the United States from Mexico around 2020, made two trips from Tennessee to the Middle District of Florida to deliver methamphetamine. In December 2023, Garcia Hernandez delivered nearly three kilograms to an informant. In May 2024, he was on his was to make a delivery to the same informant when a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol stopped his car on I-75 in Hillsborough County. After a police canine alerted to the vehicle, Garcia Hernandez fled on foot across I-75, requiring troopers to chase him into the median through oncoming traffic. After safely apprehending Garcia Hernandez, troopers located 5.9 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle and additional methamphetamine in Garcia Hernandez’s wallet. The court held Garcia Hernandez responsible for approximately 8.8 kilograms of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.


title: Fort Wayne Woman Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Lorraina M. Rakes, 24 years old, of Fort Wayne Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly Brady after pleading guilty to providing firearms to a person she knew was a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Rakes was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between April 9 and 26, 2024, Rakes sold or disposed of three firearms to an individual she knew was a convicted felon; a person who could not legally purchase or possess a firearm. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Minnesota Woman Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Kirsten M. Blackwell, 63 years old, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Blackwell was sentenced to 84 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,628,192.67 in restitution. According to documents in the case, Blackwell conspired with others to defraud victims of millions of dollars and then laundered the fraud proceeds through various bank accounts she had created between 2019 and 2022. Through a variety of schemes, victim businesses and individuals were deceived into sending money to accounts under Blackwell’s control. After laundering the money through her accounts, Blackwell sent fraud proceeds to an overseas conspirator. In total, the conspirators attempted to steal over $5 million dollars, and Blackwell laundered well over $3 million dollars in fraud proceeds that had been obtained through business email compromise schemes, romance and military scams, as well as fraud against a government program. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to 220 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE – John Gierek, 35 years old, of Streamwood, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to two counts of Using an Interstate Commerce Facility in the Commission of a Murder-for-Hire, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Gierek was sentenced to 220 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between October 2023 and March 2024, Gierek, through a series of telephone calls, solicited an acquaintance to murder multiple individuals in exchange for a quantity of drugs and the partial forgiveness of a drug debt. Gierek also gave the acquaintance tape, pepper spray, and a taser to help carry out the murders. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Allen County Police Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Streamwood, Illinois Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.


title: Mexican Citizen sentenced to 78 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: HAMMOND- Luis Alberto Sanchez-Espinoza, 39 years old, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing cocaine and illegal re-entry, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Sanchez-Espinoza was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on June 5, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on I-94 and recovered cocaine from Sanchez-Espinoza’s vehicle. Sanchez-Espinoza had previously been removed from the United States on multiple occasions. His most recent removal occurred on March 23, 2022, after the completion of his prison sentence for a distribution of methamphetamine conviction out of the Western District of Virginia. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.


title: Sin City Deciples Member Sentenced to 204 Months in Prison

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

body_text: HAMMOND- Richard White, age 57, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after being found guilty of a racketeering conspiracy following an 18-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. White was sentenced to 204 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to the Second Superseding Indictment, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere. Between 2009 and 2021, the defendant conspired with other members of the Sin City Deciples to commit racketeering activity and acted as the club’s National Head Enforcer. As part of that conspiracy, White committed multiple overt and predicate acts, the most serious of which were the attempted murder of Victim 2, as well as the beating and shooting of a Sin City member at the Gary clubhouse. The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, the Schererville Police Department, the Pittsburgh (PA) Police Department and Allegheny County (PA) Sheriff’s Department. Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick, Michael J. Toth, and former Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly L. Schultz. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Canadian National Indicted For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity, And Distributing, Transporting, And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging James Hjelmeland (30, Canada) with one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, two counts of distributing, one count of transporting, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Hjelmeland faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted offense, a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for each distribution and transportation offense, and up to 20 years in federal prison for the possession offense. According to court documents, on December 29, 2024, an undercover detective with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office posed as the guardian of a 12-year-old “child.” Hjelmeland messaged the undercover detective and inquired about the age of the “child.” Hjelmeland then engaged in sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective and made plans to travel from Canada to Orlando to have sex with the “child.” During the conversation, Hjelmeland distributed CSAM to the undercover detective. When Hjelmeland was arrested in Orlando, he had CSAM material on his cellphone that he had transported to the United States involving children under the age of 12. 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, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, United States Customs and Border Patrol, and the Southern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation Team. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Former Hawaii CEO Sentenced to 87 Months Imprisonment on Covid-Relief Fraud and Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Martin Kao, 51, of Honolulu, was sentenced today in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 87 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised released for COVID-relief wire fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud. Judge Kobayashi also ordered that Kao pay restitution of $12,841,490 to the Small Business Administration, forfeit $12,841,490 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds he obtained through fraud, forfeit the proceeds of his bank fraud after foreclosure of the house he bought by fraudulently obtaining a $3,000,000 loan, and perform 12,800 hours of community service while on supervised release. According to Kao’s admissions during his guilty plea hearings and other court records, as Chief Executive Officer and 99% owner of a Hawaii-based defense contractor, Kao submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications to at least three banks, including two headquartered in Hawaii, during spring 2020. In his first PPP loan application Kao falsely tripled the number of employees at his company and thereby obtained the maximum loan of $10,000,000 from a Hawaii bank. During the bank’s review of Kao’s application, Kao pressured the bank to expedite approval of the fraudulent application by repeatedly claiming that he had discussed his application with United States Senators and their staffs who would intervene on Kao’s behalf if the bank did not quickly approve his loan. In his second PPP loan application Kao falsely claimed eligibility for another $2,841,490 and obtained that loan from an Internet-based mainland bank by concealing his company’s receipt of the first PPP loan. Kao then altered the executed promissory note associated with the loan by deleting all references to the PPP to conceal his fraud from others who knew about the first PPP loan. In his third PPP application to a different Hawaii-based bank, Kao again falsely claimed eligibility for another $2,852,839 by concealing his company’s receipt of the first and second PPP loans. When the bank questioned Kao about why payroll records for his employees did not match the tax identification number for the entity identified on the application, Kao falsely described his company’s corporate structure and submitted a revised application, which the bank denied. Also during spring 2020, Kao submitted a fraudulent mortgage application to a national bank seeking $3,000,000 to purchase a $4,500,000 residence in Kahala. In support of that application, Kao submitted numerous investment account statements and records that he had digitally altered and fabricated to falsely inflate the value of his stock portfolio. In his final submission prior to loan approval, Kao altered the statement to reflect a value of more than 10,000,000 for holdings that in fact were valued at less than $65,000. “Martin Kao, motivated by greed, chose to repeatedly lie about his assets and prior loans in order to obtain millions of dollars in funds that were intended to help businesses staggered by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson. “Thanks to our outstanding investigative partners, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, we were able to uncover Kao’s web of lies and convict him of bank fraud. Today’s sentence sends the clear, unequivocal message that those who seek to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program through fraud and deceit will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” “While so many small businesses closed their doors in 2020, Mr. Kao’s scheme tangled up enough emergency relief funds to cover the average annual income of 175 American households,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We will continue to work to expose abuses of the Paycheck Protection Program.” “The SBA Office of Inspector General remains focused on identifying and addressing fraud in pandemic relief programs,” said Weston King, Special Agent in Charge of the SBA Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “This case underscores SBA-OIG’s dedication to protecting taxpayer dollars and holding accountable those who seek to exploit federal relief programs.” The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds had to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be entirely forgiven for many businesses if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. The Justice Department’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force marshals the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. The investigation was conducted jointly by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig Nolan and Sydney Spector for the District of Hawaii and Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas and Tom Tynan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.


title: Jury Convicts Norfolk Woman for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Causing an Overdose

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Alexzandra Blanco, 24, of Norfolk, Nebraska, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in a jury trial that concluded on February 12, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher presided over the trial. The jury also found that Blanco must forfeit $4,200.00 in United States currency and a 2019 Dodge Ram truck to the United States as drug proceeds. Blanco faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the serious bodily injury charge and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the drug conspiracy charge. On March 17, 2023, Blanco and her boyfriend, co-defendant Tremain Monroe, were out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. After the bars closed, at approximately 2:00 a.m., several people gathered at an apartment in Norfolk. Blanco was involved in providing fentanyl to a victim who overdosed but was revived by Narcan. Law enforcement then purchased M-30 fentanyl pills from Monroe on three separate occasions in April 2023. On May 3, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Monroe and Blanco’s residence. Law enforcement seized 221 fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia, and more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine. Co-defendant Tremain Monroe pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 210 months in prison. Blanco will be sentenced on May 14, 2025, before Judge Buescher in Omaha. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Distribution of Methamphetamine

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Jose Israel Robledo, 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Robledo to 168 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Robledo is released from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On January 5, 2023, Robledo distributed approximately one pound of methamphetamine to a DEA Confidential Source (CS) at a local Burger King in Omaha. After Robledo sold the methamphetamine, he returned to his residence. Law enforcement followed him, and he was arrested. The CS purchased lab confirmed 449.2 grams of actual methamphetamine. Purity was 100%. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Member of Mexican Cartel and Prison Gang Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison in Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national has been sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine throughout Minnesota and the surrounding region, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents , Charly Cruz-Jimenez, 40, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in 2018 after serving a 74-month sentence for a first degree controlled substance violation imposed by the Hennepin County District Court. Beginning in at least October 2021—following his deportation to Mexico—Cruz-Jimenez organized and led a drug trafficking organization that distributed mass amounts of methamphetamine in Minnesota, while remaining safely outside of the jurisdiction of the United States in Matamoros, Mexico. Specifically, drug customers inside the United States contacted the defendant by electronic messaging applications and place orders for illicit drugs. Cruz-Jimenez then used a large network of “runners” inside the United States to store the drugs, make deliveries to his customers, and funnel money back to Mexico. According to court documents , law enforcement began investigating Cruz-Jimenez after arresting one of his customers, Nicholas Horak. Investigators learned that the defendant had sold approximately 32-34 pounds of methamphetamine to Horak between October 2021 and March 2022. Officers obtained Cruz-Jimenez’s phone number from Horak’s phone and used his number to introduce an undercover (UC) police officer to him. Over the course of the next 16 months, the UC had repeated contact with Cruz-Jimenez and ordered drugs from him on 15 different occasions. In his communications with the UC, Cruz-Jimenez admitted that he was a member of the Sureños, a national prison gang with connections to organized crime in Mexico. He also admitted to being a member of the Gulf Cartel ( Cartel del Golfo or CDG), a major drug trafficking cartel in Mexico. Cruz-Jimenez sent the UC photographs of himself fighting a war over territory with a rival cartel ( Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación or CJNG). Included among the photographs was a photo of the defendant posing with a rifle in front of a bound and blindfolded captured member of the rival cartel. Cruz-Jimenez stated that he and his team had captured the man, that he was the “enemy,” and he was “confessing.” In August 2023, Cruz-Jimenez illegally reentered the United States by crossing the Rio Grande into Texas. From Texas, the defendant continued to discuss methamphetamine deals with the UC and informed them that they would need to increase the quantity of purchases to multiple pounds in order to keep working together. Given the defendant’s return to the United States, investigators arrested him on the current indictment. Before his removal to the District of Minnesota, Cruz-Jimenez was charged and pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States in the Southern District of Texas. Cruz-Jimenez was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team (VCET), the Maplewood Police Department, the Mounds View Police Department, the New Brighton Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Saint Paul Police Department, and the White Bear Lake Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan H. Nelson and Bradley M. Endicott are prosecuting the case.


title: Eight Venezuelan Nationals Charged with Offenses Related to their Roles in a Transnational Commercial Sex Enterprise

component: Civil Rights - Criminal Section

body_text: NASHVILLE – A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Middle District of Tennessee charging eight defendants with various offenses arising from their respective roles in a transnational commercial sex enterprise. According to court documents, the defendants, all of Venezuela, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, 51, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, 35, Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca, 39, Wilmarys Del Valle Manzano Solorzano, 22, Frankyanna Del Valle Romero-Rivero, 30, Endrik Alexander Morales-Rivero, 25, Jesus Enrique Castillo Rodriguez, 24, Ariannys Beatriz Gutierrez-Carrillo, 24; operated an illegal commercial sex and sex trafficking enterprise out of Nashville motels from July 2022 through March 2024. According to the indictment, once the defendants facilitated the victims’ arrival in the United States, the defendants utilized online commercial sex websites to post advertisements for the victims and then used the internet and their cellular phones to direct commercial sex buyers to engage in commercial sex with the victims at the motels before collecting the proceeds from that commercial sex for the defendants’ benefit. “This indictment demonstrates our commitment to stop human trafficking whenever and wherever we find it, and to hold those involved accountable” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We are coming after transnational criminal organizations like TdA, but this case shows that we will also do whatever it takes to stop those who would traffic women and girls no matter who is behind their suffering.” “The success of this operation to stop Tren da Aragua operating in our communities is a significant step forward in our ongoing battle against human trafficking and transnational organized crime,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Rana Saoud. “This investigation exemplifies the importance of collaboration among local, state, and federal agencies in ending these crimes in our communities while leaving a trail of suffering in their wake.” “We will not allow TdA – or any criminal organization – to get a stronghold in Tennessee,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “We are thankful for our local, state, and federal partners who joined us in investigating this case, and we stand prepared to continue aggressively investigating human trafficking in our state, holding traffickers and buyers accountable and helping victims take their first steps toward becoming survivors.” “Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This devastating crime exploits vulnerable members of communities nationwide, including those in Tennessee. The FBI and our partners are committed to rescuing victims, investigating and prosecuting traffickers, and supporting survivors.” “While the focus of this investigation centers around human trafficking, Tren de Aragua is involved in all manner of criminal activity, to include the sale of narcotics and dangerous drugs,” said Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Division. “The dedicated men and women of DEA will continue to work side by side with our federal, state and local partners to rid our communities of the transnational criminal gangs, like TdA.” “The trafficking of human beings is abhorrent to all of us, it’s a modern-day form of slavery,” said Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake. “I want to be very clear, our police department will always make human trafficking an investigative priority regardless of where the suspects are from and will work with our partners for an intentional and coordinated law enforcement response.” A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee previously returned the four-count indictment charging all eight defendants for their respective roles in facilitating the recruiting of young women from impoverished parts of Venezuela and other South and Central American countries, then facilitating their transportation across the U.S. southern border and across state lines to engage in commercial sex in the Nashville area. Three of the defendants, Yilibeth del Carmen Rivero-De Caldera, Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero, and Yuribetzi Del Valle Gomez Machuca are additionally charged with sex trafficking conspiracy for conspiring to use force, fraud, and coercion to compel the women into engaging in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ profit that include invoking alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and its reputation for violence. The indictment further charges defendant Kleiver Daniel Mota-Rivero with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Mother and son defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero are charged with conspiring to impose a coercive debt scheme upon the victims to compel them to continue engaging in commercial sex acts until the defendants deemed their debts repaid. Defendants Rivero-De Caldera and Mota-Rivero previously were arrested and detained on state charges relating to their conduct. If convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A conspiracy to commit interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, Mota-Rivero also faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, the DEA, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and additional federal, state, and local Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) partners who coordinated related law enforcement operations across multiple jurisdictions. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Jessica Arco of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #