title: 30-year sentence imposed for producing sexual abuse material of seven-year-old child

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A South Texas man and woman have been ordered to federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Luis Alberto Huerta, 44, Weslaco, and Jessica Gutierrez, 47, Donna, pleaded guilty Nov. 6, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Huerta and Gutierrez to serve 360 and 336 months in prison, respectively. At the hearing, the court heard additional information detailing how Huerta and Gutierrez created a living hell for the victim and forced her to participate in a “game” that resulted in the continuous sexual abuse and production of child pornography of an innocent child. Huerta and Gutierrez will also serve the rest of their lives on supervised release following completion of their prison terms. During that time, they will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict their access to children and the internet. They will also be ordered to register as sex offenders. The investigation began in 2023. It revealed Huerta and Gutierrez had perpetuated the sexual abuse of a child beginning when she only seven years old. It continued for three years. Huerta and Gutierrez admitted to participating in the sexual assault of the minor victim and to recording it. A search of their electronic devices revealed photos and videos of the assaults. “Huerta and Gutierrez committed an unspeakable offense and thus have earned every day of the multi-decade sentences,” said Ganjei. “No sentence can undo the damage done to the victim in this case, but hopefully the defendants’ prosecution and sentences will deter others from engaging in the same vile conduct.” "For years, these two defendants inflicted unimaginable harm on one of the most vulnerable members of our community," said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. "We commend the Edinburg Police Department (EPD) for their outstanding work and critical partnership in this joint investigation. Together, we ensured these child predators were stopped and held accountable for their heinous crimes." Huerta and Gutierrez have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI San Antonio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, to include EPD, conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Senior Member of the Sinaloa Cartel Transferred From Mexico to Face Cocaine Trafficking Charge in Federal Court in Brooklyn

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Jesus Guzman-Castro, also known as “Chuy,” “El Narizon” and “Pinocho” was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with participating in a large-scale cocaine distribution conspiracy. The defendant, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in Mexico on a provisional arrest request issued from the Eastern District of New York and subsequently transferred from Mexico to the United States on August 12, 2025 pursuant to Mexico’s National Security Law. Guzman-Castro was ordered detained pending trial. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA New York), made the announcement. “As alleged, Guzman-Castro was a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a prolific and violent drug trafficking organization that has flooded American streets with deadly narcotics for decades,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Guzman-Castro will now face justice in a courtroom in the United States for all the harm his actions have wrought. The total elimination of drug cartels is a national priority, and the Department of Justice and our Office are fully committed to carrying out that objective.” Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division, DEA’s office in Mexico City, the United States Marshals Service, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Government of Mexico. “The arrest and transfer of Jesus Guzman-Castro is the result of the relentless efforts of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to dismantle the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “For decades, Guzman-Castro helped flood American streets with deadly narcotics, and the DEA remains committed to pursuing those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.” As set forth in the indictment and court filings, Guzman-Castro was a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a violent Mexican drug trafficking organization that was previously led by Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as “El Mayo,” and Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo.” As a senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel, Guzman-Castro oversaw numerous underlings, including armed gunmen, transporters of narcotics, and money launderers. For years, the defendant directed the trafficking of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and the laundering of millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Guzman-Castro is charged with participating in an international cocaine distribution conspiracy from December 2015 through March 2021. Guzman-Castro sourced thousands of kilograms of cocaine from drug trafficking organizations in Guatemala and then arranged for the transportation of the cocaine through Mexico and into the United States. The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to life in prison. The prosecution of Guzman-Castro is the result of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the DEA. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses 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 is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Wang is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : JESUS GUZMAN-CASTRO (also known as “Chuy,” “El Narizon” and “Pinocho”) Age: 56 Mexico E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-278 (FB)


title: Christian County Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Clever, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing seven firearms. Dakota Mitchell, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of conspiracy to traffick firearms, one count of trafficking firearms, and one count of unlawful possession of firearms. Mitchell admitted to conspiring with a straw purchaser to obtain four firearms, knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms as an unlawful user of controlled substances. Mitchell unlawfully possessed six Glock pistols and a Micro Draco pistol between April 28, 2023, and July 9, 2024. On May 11, 2023, a detective with the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a road rage incident at the intersection of Farm Roads 137 and 182. In a post- Miranda interview Mitchell admitted to yelling and shooting at a vehicle that had stopped short at the intersection. GCSO officers seized a Glock 9mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine and a Glock .40 caliber pistol with a high-capacity magazine from the BMW SUV Mitchell was driving. Officers with the Springfield, Mo., Police Department responded to the scene of a car accident on Jan. 30, 2024, where Mitchell displayed a firearm. The victim of the accident identified Mitchell as the driver and brandisher of the firearm. SPD officers seized a loaded Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a high-capacity magazine from Mitchell. On April 11, 2024, Ozark School Resource officers recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from a vehicle in the parking lot at Ozark High School. That firearm was ultimately traced back to Mitchell. On July 9, 2024, when GCSO officers arrested Mitchell in relation to a vandalism incident, he was in possession of a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In a post- Miranda interview Mitchell told officers that he had someone else buy guns for him because he was too young. Mitchell stated that his straw purchaser had purchased the Glock pistol seized on Jan. 30, the Glock seized on April 11, an additional Glock pistol that was not recovered, and an additional Micro Draco pistol for him. He also told officers that he had been using marijuana daily since he was 11 or 12 years old and that he occasionally used narcotics and psychedelic drugs. Mitchell admitted to being a member of an area gang known as “FTO,” who have who have been linked to a number of violent crimes and firearm offenses. Many of the members of FTO are unable to purchase firearms due to their youth, history of drug use, or other prohibited status and use straw purchasers to obtain them. Under federal statutes, Mitchell is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole on each conviction. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Flossmoor, Ill., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Statement on Revocation of Biden-Harris Executive Order on Competition

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division salutes the President’s decision to revoke Executive Order 14036. The Division will use this opportunity to continue its work to recalibrate and modernize the Federal approach to competition policy to suit the needs of our dynamic and innovative economy. “America First Antitrust focuses on empowering the American people in the free markets, not enabling regulators and bureaucrats to prescribe outcomes,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are unleashing the new American Golden Age through antitrust enforcement that removes barriers to innovation and opportunity and limits regulatory burdens on free competition.” Instead of an overly prescriptive and burdensome approach, the Division commends the Administration for promoting competition via tailored executive orders that call for lowering drug prices and opening regulatory barriers to competition. Beyond implementing these Executive Orders, the Antitrust Division has made steady progress in freeing up deal flow by appropriately streamlining the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (HSR) review process. In particular, the Division has reinstated the practice of granting early termination in uncontroversial HSR reviews as well as reinstating a willingness to settle merger reviews with targeted and well-crafted consent decrees. Both practices were eschewed during the Biden administration. Moving forward, the Division will continue adapting towards focused law enforcement that matches the complexity and pace of the modern economy.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry and Possession of Firearm

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jessica Guillen-Morales, 38, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on August 12, by United States District Senior Judge Raner C. Collins to 37 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Guillen-Morales previously pleaded guilty to Reentry of a Removed Alien and Alien in Possession of a Firearm. On November 19, 2023, Tucson Police Department officers executed a search warrant at Guillen-Morales’ residence and found approximately six firearms, including rifles, along with ammunition. Law enforcement officials determined that Guillen-Morales was previously convicted of the federal offense of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens in November 2012. Law enforcement officials also learned that Guillen-Morales, a citizen and national of Mexico, had been previously removed from the United States on November 1, 2023, and did not have legal authority to be in the country. This case is part of the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP), which was established by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide an innovative framework to enhance federal support of state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution authorities in enhancing public safety. PSP began as a pilot program, the Violence Reduction Network, in 2014 and is designed to promote interagency coordination by leveraging specialized law enforcement expertise with dedicated prosecutorial resources to promote public and community safety. PSP serves as a DOJ-wide program that enables participating sites to consult with and receive expedited, coordinated training and technical assistance, and an array of resources from DOJ to enhance local public safety strategies. This model enables DOJ to provide jurisdictions of different sizes and diverse needs with data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to the unique local needs of participating cities to build their capacities to address violent crime challenges. PSP has engaged with more than 60 sites since the program’s inception. The Tucson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie A. Sottosanti and Adam Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00677-TUC-RCC RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-134_Guillen-Morales # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Jury finds Abby’s Bakery owners guilty of harboring illegal aliens

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two owners of Abby’s Bakery, located in Los Fresnos, have been convicted following the discovery of illegal aliens at their business, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The jury deliberated for approximately three hours following a three-day trial before finding Leonardo Baez-Lara, 56, and Alicia Avila-Guel, 46, guilty on two counts of harboring aliens and conspiracy to do so. The married couple are both legal permanent residents who resided in Los Fresnos and owned and operated Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café in Los Fresnos since 2012. The investigation began after authorities discovered the pair were potentially employing and housing illegal aliens within their restaurant. At trial, the jury heard about an enforcement action that occurred Feb. 12 at that location. Authorities had identified several employees and others who were in the United States illegally or in the country under B1/B2 visas without having the right to work. Testimony revealed Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel illegally hired these individuals to work in their restaurant while harboring them. The jury heard about a room the pair had provided for employees in the same shopping plaza as the restaurant. It was a rectangular room with mattresses on the floor and housed two employees at the time of inspection who were unauthorized to work in the United States. Testimony revealed the room was originally an insurance office which became repurposed as a storage area for kitchen equipment. Authorities also found electrical wires which, coupled with the absence of a fire extinguisher and only one entrance, resulted in a safety risk for the inhabitants. As more workers became employed, the couple provided this area for several individuals who did not have the right to work legally in the United States. Testimony showed that between five to six adults were residing in the room with the head baker living there for more than two years. The jury also heard that for the prior four months before the arrests, the workers had hot water on only two occasions. Evidence showed that the worksite enforcement action also resulted in the discovery of two illegal aliens unlawfully present in the country and six B1/B2 Visa holders who did not have the right to work in the United States. Testimony also revealed that the business failed to file proper paperwork declaring its workers, paid its workers in cash and failed to follow their accountant’s advice to stop paying employees in cash. One worker had arrived at the bakery upon a referral from a friend in Mexico. After entering the United States illegally, he had a brief interview regarding his abilities as a baker and was immediately offered a job and a place to stay. Further testimony revealed another worker had been working at the bakery despite not having the right to do so before being removed during Covid. Upon reentering the country illegally, he was able to have Baez-Lara contacted and was then given a ride back to Los Fresnos where he was able to continue his work and continue to live there. The defense attempted to convince the jury the owners only offered shelter to the aliens and that testimony did not reveal harboring took place. The jury did not believe those claims and found them guilty as charged. “The jury’s verdict vindicates the American people’s mandate that our immigration laws be fully enforced,” said Ganjei. “Business owners who put profits over their fellow citizens by harboring illegal aliens should be advised that the Southern District of Texas will not look the other way.” “The jury’s verdict affirms that the defendants knowingly conspired to harbor individuals in the country illegally, committed two separate acts of harboring, and did so for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “These actions not only violate federal immigration laws but also exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. This conviction sends a clear message: those who engage in human smuggling and harboring for financial benefit will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 18. At that time, Baez-Lara and Avila-Guel face up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The two are also facing the potential loss of their residency status. ICE-HSI conducted the investigation. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Convicted Sex Offender Who Had Been Deported to Mexico Charged in Illegally Re-Entering the U.S.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Saul Castillo-Crespo, 28, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged in an indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, with violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and illegal re-entry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Castillo-Crespo was previously convicted in August 2017 in D.C. Superior Court and sentenced to five years in prison in connection with the kidnapping and sexual abuse of an intoxicated stranger in Northwest Washington. In January 2023, Castillo-Crespo was deported to Mexico. He illegally re-entered the country in March 2025, proceeded to violate the law by failing to register as a sex offender, and was arrested in June by local law enforcement. “This defendant has repeatedly crossed the border illegally to commit multiple crimes in the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He’s a poster boy for the kind of threat that we are determined to remove from our community.” According to the court documents, ICE learned that Castillo-Crespo had been arrested by MPD officers on June 27, 2025, and had been charged with unlawful entry and destroying property. On arrest, the defendant identified himself using the alias “David Crespo.” On July 16, 2025, law enforcement fingerprinted “David Crespo.” The FBI identified him as Castillo-Crespo. ICE determined that the fingerprints matched those of a known and previously deported alien. On May 7, 2017, Castillo-Crespo found the victim in the early morning hours on a sidewalk near Lafayette Square in downtown Washington. She was extremely intoxicated, unable to walk, and told Castillo-Crespo that she wanted to go to her home. Castillo-Crespo hailed a passing taxi and brought her back to his apartment building in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW. Once inside, the victim refused to enter Castillo-Crespo’s fourth-floor apartment and repeated that she wanted to go home. On multiple occasions, she fell and laid down on the hallway floor due to her intoxication. She tried to push Castillo-Crespo away and return to the elevator to leave the building, but Castillo-Crespo blocked her and pulled her back toward his apartment. Because of the commotion this was causing in the hallway, Castillo-Crespo lifted her and carried her to the fourth- floor staircase, where Castillo-Crespo sexually assaulted her. His conduct inside the building was captured on building surveillance cameras. This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter and Kyle McWaters. 25mj128 ##


title: Cartel-linked fugitive wanted for serious crimes returned to the United States from Mexico

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 37-year-old Mexican national is set to appear in federal court for a large-scale international marijuana and cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Juan Carlos Sanchez Gaytan has now landed on American soil and made his initial appearance in Arizona. He is expected to be transferred to the Southern District of Texas where he will appear in the near future. He is one of 26 people transferred to U.S authorities Aug. 12, pursuant to Mexico’s National Security Law, who were fugitives from Mexico facing a range of federal and state criminal charges from around the country. “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting 15 long years for Mr. Sanchez Gaytan to accept our invitation to come pay us a visit in Laredo. That day, at long last, has finally arrived,” said Ganjei. “We look forward to laying out the evidence of Mr. Sanchez Gaytan’s alleged criminal activities to 12 men and women of South Texas, who will decide whether or not to extend his stay.” A federal grand jury returned the 47-count superseding indictment in February 2010, charging Sanchez Gaytan and others with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances including marijuana and cocaine. Sanchez Gaytan is one of 34 individuals named in the indictment spanning from 2001 through 2008. At that time, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales aka Z40 was a leader in the Gulf Cartel and its enforcement arm, the Zetas, according to the charges. The Gulf Cartel was allegedly in conflict and competition with the Sinaloa Cartel for control of the United States-Mexico border in and around Laredo known as the “Nuevo Laredo Plaza.” The charges allege members and associates of the Zetas would transport firearms for use in this conflict with the Sinaloa Cartel, among other acts. On Feb. 27, Mexican authorities transferred Trevino Morales, 52, and others to the United States. He is in U.S. custody on related charges of allegedly engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved multiple murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States, using firearms - including a machinegun - during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes and conspiring to launder monetary instruments. If convicted, Sanchez Gaytan and Trevino Morales both face up to life in federal prison. Several others have already been convicted in the case and have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including Wenslaco Tovar aka Wency, Ivan Caballero-Velasquez aka Talivan, Jaime Miguel Diaz DeLeon aka Michael and Eduardo Carreon Ibarra aka Negro who received 340 months and 30, 40 and 45 years, respectively. Gabriel Cardona Ramirez aka Pelon was ordered to serve the rest of his life in federal prison in March 2009. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation dubbed Operation Prophecy with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Marshals Service, Webb County District Attorney's Office and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs has also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Jensen is prosecuting the case. The effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood . An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Rigby Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison  for Receiving Child Pornography

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: POCATELLO – Caleb Sickinger, 45, of Rigby, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. According to court records, in November 2023, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in Alabama arrested an individual on charges of coercion and enticement and possession of child pornography. In a post-arrest interview, the individual told FBI agents that he had received images of child pornography from a “woman” in Idaho. His communications with the “woman” revealed her name and included images of her. FBI agents in Idaho received this information and began an investigation. Agents identified the “woman” and also identified the child depicted in the child pornography. Agents obtained and executed a search warrant at the woman’s residence in Rigby, Idaho. However, none of the electronic devices recovered or email addresses used by the woman matched the evidence from the investigation. Agents eventually learned that the woman had not been involved in the crime. Caleb Sickinger, who was a police officer at the time, ultimately admitted to falsely assuming the woman’s identity—without her knowledge—by utilizing images from her social media account. Sickinger also admitted to obtaining images of the child from social media and having the images digitally altered to appear as child pornography. Sickinger then distributed those altered images to the individual in Alabama. Chief U.S. District David C. Nye also ordered Sickinger be placed on supervised release for the remainder of his life following his prison sentence. Sickinger will be required to register as a sex offender. Sickinger pleaded guilty to the charge on April 8, 2025. “This defendant victimized a child and her mother in committing this horrible crime,” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “I commend the cooperative efforts of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agents who identified him as the perpetrator and held him appropriately accountable.” “Every image and video created and shared perpetuates the abuse of a child who will carry that trauma for the rest of their lives,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI is unwavering and united with our partners in the fight to protect our children from predators who seek to exploit and harm them.” “I want to thank my ICAC investigators, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our local and federal law enforcement partners for their efforts in securing today’s outcome,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Idahoans are safer today because of their hard work and dedication to protecting our state.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Pocatello, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Idaho ICAC Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Eight Defendants Charged In Nationwide Scheme To Defraud Two Mobile Shopping Service Companies

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted eight individuals in California, Michigan, Ohio, and Oregon for their roles in a nationwide scheme to defraud two mobile shopping service companies. According to the indictment filed Aug. 7, 2025, and unsealed today, Abdulkadir Mohamed Ali, 31, of Portland, Oregon; Mazen Mohamed Hassan, 24, of Columbus, Ohio; Ahmed Mohamed Ali, 36, of Troy, Michigan; Abdirahman Abdalla Mahamed, 28, of San Diego, California; Hussein Mohamed Ali, 27, of Troy, Michigan; Abubakar Mohamed Ali, 29, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Omar Mohamed Ali, 23, of Troy, Michigan; and Yusuf Mohamed Ali, 26, of Westerville, Ohio, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and eight counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting. The indictment alleges that defendants conducted a phishing scheme targeting two mobile shopping service companies based in San Francisco, California and Birmingham, Alabama. As part of the scheme to defraud, defendants obtained a stolen list of active and inactive accounts of “shoppers,” individuals who purchase groceries or other merchandise to fulfill customer orders. Upon fraudulently gaining control over the shopper accounts, defendants allegedly placed fictitious customer orders using the mobile applications. Some of the defendants would then impersonate the shoppers and accept the fictitious customer orders. This would then prompt the mobile application to load funds to the shopper’s digital debit card, which the defendants had access to and control over, to fulfill the orders. Defendants, acting as the shopper, would go into a store to purchase gift cards rather than the items that had been ordered while simultaneously canceling the customer order. After obtaining gift cards from the stores, defendants allegedly used the gift cards to purchase cryptocurrency, which they converted into U.S. currency, or completed online orders for their own benefit. In total, defendants are charged with stealing more than $1 million from two mobile shopping service companies. This morning, Yusuf Mohamed Ali and Mazen Hassan Mohamed were arrested in Columbus, Ohio; Abubakar Mohamed Ali was arrested in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Abdulkadir Mohamed Ali was arrested in Portland, Oregon; and Ahmed Mohamed Ali, Abdirahman Abdalla Mahamed, Hussein Mohamed Ali, Abubakar Mohamed Ali, Omar Mohamed Ali were arrested in Detroit, Michigan. Each defendant made an initial appearance in federal district court today. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) San Francisco Field Office made the announcement. Defendants are currently released on bond. They are next scheduled to appear in federal district court in Oakland on Aug. 25, 2025, for an initial appearance before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and wire fraud and aiding and abetting in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Chambers and Evan Mateer are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and USSS.


title: Three Fugitives Transferred to the United States from Mexico Arraigned in San Diego

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Three fugitives transferred from Mexico facing a range of federal charges made their initial appearances today in federal court in the Southern District of California. Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as “Flaquito,” Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum also known as “El Chavo Félix,” and Abdul Karim Conteh, were transferred on August 12th from Mexico to the United States pursuant to Mexico’s National Security law. They were among more than two dozen wanted fugitives facing a wide array of federal and state charges arraigned today all around the country. At today’s hearing, Huerta Nuno, Felix Gastelum, and Conteh were arraigned and entered not guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres. Huerta Nuno’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro. Felix Gastelum’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 12th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Chief Judge Cynthia Bashant. Conteh’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 19th, for a motion hearing/trial setting in front of U.S. District Court Chief Judge Janis L. Sammartino. Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as “Flaquito,” is alleged to be a violent Tijuana Plaza boss who has operated with impunity during the last 15 years. Huerta-Nuno is alleged to have supplied thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to distributors and cells located throughout San Diego and Los Angeles. In return, millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds were delivered to him and his organization via shipments of bulk cash from San Diego into Tijuana. Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum also known as “El Chavo Félix,” is alleged to be a major Sinaloa Cartel cell leader and son-in-law to former Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. He is additionally alleged to be a principal operator of the Sinaloa Cartel’s clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories located in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Sinaloa and Durango, Mexico involved in the manufacturing and distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States. Abdul Karim Conteh allegedly led a human smuggling organization that smuggled thousands of migrants to the United States through Mexico. These smuggled migrants originated from countries around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Egypt, and others. The migrants paid smuggling fees, often tens of thousands of dollars. Conteh allegedly oversaw the migrants’ unlawful entry into the United States by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels. “Those who export dangerous drugs and smuggle aliens to the United States while seeking to evade capture will find no place to hide,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Today is a win, but justice is not satisfied. The work of the Homeland Security Task Forces ensures that the indictment of high-level targets will remain a top priority nationally, but especially, in the Southern District of California.” “The capture of Pablo Edwin Huerta-Nuno, one of the Cartel Arellano Felix’s (CAF) most violent leaders, is a testament to the FBI’s commitment of getting violent criminals off our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “Huerta-Nuno wreaked havoc for years while trafficking drugs, laundering money and engaging in unspeakable violent acts across our border. The FBI will continue to put all our resources into our mission of keeping our citizens safe.” “Drug traffickers prey on our communities spreading violence and fear,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jake Galvan. “Justice is not optional, and justice has a long reach. We will continue to pursue, arrest, and bring to justice those who profit from drug trafficking. These arrests are a step toward a safer future.” “Cartel-driven drug trafficking poses a threat to the safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Field Office. “The capture of Pablo Edwin Huerta-Nuno is one step forward in our united effort to dismantle these criminal networks and bring those responsible to justice.” “Mr. Huerta Nuño is accused of being a member of and a money launderer for a narcotics trafficking organization, who is hellbent on pushing deadly drugs into American households,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS-CI stands steadfast with our law enforcement partners to combat violent narcotics traffickers, and we will leverage our unique skillset to follow the money to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations who bring death into American communities on a daily basis.” “The capture of Abdul Karim Conteh is a clear example of how strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies can make our communities safer,” said Acting Chief Jeffrey Stalnaker of the U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector. “We will continue working together to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable”. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sutton, Joshua Mellor, Robert J. Miller, and Francisco Nagel and the Conteh case is also being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Sausedo contributed significantly to the cases. DEFENDANTS Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno Age: 33 Mexico 25cr1761-RBM Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum Age: 42 Mexico 22cr2262-TWR Abdul Karim Conteh Age: 41 Sierra Leone 24cr1059-JLS SUMMARY OF CHARGES Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine. Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine. Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine. Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. 1956(h). Term of custody up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved. Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances for Purpose of Unlawful Importation, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 959, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine. Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 960 and 963. Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine. Abdul Karim Conteh Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens at a Place Other Than Designated Port of Entry - Title 8, U.S.C., Secs. 1324(a)(1)(A)(i) and (v)(I) - Term of custody including a maximum of 10 years in prison. Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gains - Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). Term of custody includes a mandatory minimum of 3 years in prison and a maximum of 15 years in prison. INVESTIGATING AGENCIES FBI DEA HSI IRS-CI U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol U.S. Marshals Service Office of Enforcement Operations of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs INTERPOL *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). The Conteh case is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 405 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling, more than 355 U.S. convictions, and more than 305 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.


title: Jury Convicts Utah County Man with Child Sex Crimes

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict today against a Utah County man after he sexually abused a 10-year-old girl and recorded the sexual abuse. Brent Richard Johnson, 51, of Cedar Hills, Utah, was charged by indictment on November 20, 2024, with production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between approximately August and November 2013, defendant Johnson used his iPhone to record himself sexually abusing a 10-year-old minor victim while she was sleeping. Following the execution of a search warrant in 2024 on Mr. Johnson’s residence, the videos were discovered by law enforcement on a backup of an iPhone on Mr. Johnson’s computer. During the search, law enforcement also found a USB charging box that was disguised as a camera in a bathroom. Johnson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 9, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the American Fork Police Department, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Carol A. Dain and Joey L. Blanch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Southwest Georgia Man Found Guilty at Trial of Pandemic Wire Fraud Scheme

component: Department of Justice

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia resident was found guilty at trial this week of wire fraud resulting from a larger pandemic fraud scheme involving family members. Tyreek Brown, 28, of Pelham, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of wire fraud on Aug. 12 following a two-day trial that began on Aug. 11. Brown is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. His sentencing hearing will be scheduled by the Court. Brown’s two codefendants previously entered guilty pleas in this case, and will be sentenced on Nov. 12: Sherronica Jackson, 38, of Pelham, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on July 29, and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine; and Alan Brown, 52, of Pelham, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on July 16, and faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system. “Our office will pursue justice for these types of criminal schemes that deliberately defraud taxpayers,” stated U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I thank our law enforcement and prosecutorial team for holding those responsible accountable.” According to court documents and statements referenced in Court, Sheronica Jackson applied for and obtained a United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in March 2021, a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll during the historic COVID-19 outbreak as part of the federal CARES Act, which was signed into law to address the pandemic. Jackson claimed a gross income for 2019 of $97,000, which she did not earn. She also did not identify a business by name or category on the application. She received a $20,207 loan on March 31, 2021. Jackson then assisted her stepfather, Alan Brown, and her stepbrother, Tyreek Brown, in obtaining fraudulent PPP loans. Alan Brown falsely claimed loans for a non-existent contracting business, claiming a gross income in 2019 of $101,005, which he did not earn, nor did he have any professional licenses, business affiliations or employment information. Both loans were approved and awarded on April 19, 2021, and May 16, 2021, totaling $20,833. Tyreek Brown applied for two different loans as a sole proprietor with Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC, using the same Pelham, Georgia, address his father and sister used on their applications as the place of business. No such business existed, and Brown did not earn the gross income in 2019 of $103,400 that he claimed on the application. Tyreek Brown received the fraudulently obtained loans on April 15, 2021, and May 12, 2021, totaling $20,833. After the loan was approved, Tyreek Brown sent Jackson money from a joint account he shared with Alan Brown via Cash App and Zelle, amounting to $3,000. The case was investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG), as part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis is prosecuting this case for the Government.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison

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

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Alan Heaton, 35 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly Brady after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Heaton was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Heaton unlawfully possessed a firearm after having been convicted of multiple felony offenses in Allen County, Wells County, and DeKalb County. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. 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: Okmulgee Resident Pleads Guilty To Robbery In Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Darin Treyvon Miles, a/k/a Elmo, age 21, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Robbery in Indian Country, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. The Indictment alleged that on May 8, 2025, Miles, by force, violence, and intimidation, took items of value from the victim. The crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Miles will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.


title: Honduras Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry into the U.S. and Social Security Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A citizen of Honduras pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal immigration and fraud laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Jose Mejia-Sarmiento, 66, pleaded guilty to Counts One through Nine of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on three separate occasions between 1996 and 2016, Mejia-Sarmiento was found in the United States after having been deported and removed from the United States, including after having been convicted of a felony on the latter occasion. Further, Mejia-Sarmiento made false statements to the Social Security Administration on four different occasions between May 2024 and February 2025 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, by possessing and using the identification of another person. Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2025. The law provides for a sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mejia-Sarmiento.


title: Marion Man Sentenced to Over a Decade in Federal Prison for Distributing Ice Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Marion, Iowa, man who was responsible for the distribution of over 1.5 kilograms of ice methamphetamine was sentenced on August 13, 2025, to over ten years in federal prison. Robert Owen Bell, age 48, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 11, 2025, guilty plea to a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Throughout 2023, Bell and another individual conspired to distribute ice methamphetamine in Cedar Rapids and Marion. During an investigation, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of ice methamphetamine from Bell for a total of over 100 grams of ice methamphetamine. On November 14, 2023, officers observed Bell drive to and from his co-conspirator’s residence and officers subsequently initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle driven by Bell. Officers searched the vehicle and seized approximately 65.64 grams of ice methamphetamine. Bell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Bell was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-60. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Brandon Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Methamphetamine

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Brandon man pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2022, Beu Patrick Hall, 41, sold approximately 83 grams of methamphetamine to an individual for $1,100 at a Motel 6 in Jackson. Hall pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Robert Eikhoff, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Office, made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting the case.


title: Third Defendant Sentenced in Federal Court for Installing Skimmers throughout the Southern District of Mississippi

body_text: JACKSON, MS – Bogdan Gabriel Radu, 23, of Romania, was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in federal prison for possession of device-making equipment, also known as skimmers. His co-defendants, Alexandru Ionut Gheorghe and Marian Aurelian Neacsu, were sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 15 months in federal prison for the same crime. All three defendants are Romanian nationals who entered the United States illegally. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning on June 21, 2024, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crime Division began receiving reports from various agencies regarding the discovery of skimmer devices being located at various stores in central Mississippi. The Cyber Fraud Task Force began investigating leads that would determine the location of installed skimmers throughout the Southern District of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. Gheorghe, Neacsu, and Radu could be seen on surveillance video at various stores throughout the Southern District of Mississippi placing skimming devices on point-of-sale machines in June and July 2024. The skimmers were adhered using double-sided tape and were equipped with electronics that captured or recorded bank card magstripe track data and PIN numbers, stored the skimmed card data, were Bluetooth capable for remote connectivity, and were powered by lithium batteries. Gheorghe and Neacsu would install the skimmers while making a small purchase using a gift card. Radu was primarily responsible for retrieving the stolen data from the skimmers. Included in the information skimmed or stolen by these defendants were SNAP benefits totaling over $85,000, for which the defendants will be required to pay restitution. SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget. These stolen SNAP benefits were used in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and can be traced back to the skimming devices in Mississippi. A criminal complaint was filed against Gheorghe and Neacsu on August 2, 2024. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against them on August 13, 2024. Thereafter, a superseding indictment was filed on November 6, 2024, adding Radu as a codefendant. As the defendants entered the United States illegally, they may be subject to deportation upon their release from prison. 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 investigated the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.


title: McAlester Resident Pleads Guilty To Failure To Register As Sex Offender

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Martin Ray Melton, age 60, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. The Indictment alleged that Melton was convicted of 31 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Child by the State of Oklahoma in Oklahoma County on January 31, 2006, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from September 11, 2023, until April 15, 2025, Melton failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Melton will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced For Unlawful Reentry

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Pedro Eligio-Salinas, age 44, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Oklahoma, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. On April 14, 2025, Eligio-Salinas pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 27, 2025, Eligio-Salinas, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed in 2011, and without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Eligio-Salinas will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Wewoka Resident Pleads Guilty To Assault Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Erin Nicole Hodge, age 30, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment alleged that on February 10, 2024, Hodge assaulted a victim, resulting in serious bodily injury. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hodge was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.


title: Idabel Resident Sentenced For Stealing Firearm From Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that J’Quarius J’Vontay Austin, age 18, of Idabel, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Stealing Firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Broken Bow Police Department, and the Idabel Police Department. On March 24, 2025, Austin pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 23, 2024, Austin and others burglarized a Broken Bow gun and pawn shop and stole 18 firearms and ammunition. Law enforcement recovered four of the stolen firearms while investigating a shootout in Idabel that occurred three days after the Broken Bow theft. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Austin will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Okemah Resident Sentenced For Felony Assault

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gregory Dwayne Guinn, a/k/a Gregory Dewayne Guinn, age 24, of Okemah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence. The Court ordered those terms to be served consecutively. The charges arose from an investigation by the Okfuskee County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On February 5, 2025, Guinn pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on January 15, 2024, Guinn drove by the Okemah residence of an acquaintance, fired multiple rounds at the house from his vehicle, then fled. One resident was struck in the drive-by-shooting. The crimes occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The Honorable John Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Guinn will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Parker, Patrick M. Flanigan, and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Mounds Resident Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse Of A Minor

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ned Elmer Johnson, age 36, of Mounds, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. The Indictment alleged that from April 2021 until April 2023, Johnson knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a person who had attained the age of 12 years but not yet attained the age of 16 years and was at least four years younger than Johnson. The crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Johnson will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.


title: Thirteen Individuals Charged for Operating Transnational Elder Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Thirteen individuals have been charged in connection with a transnational elder fraud scheme that allegedly involved a “call center” operation in the Dominican Republic that tricked hundreds of elderly victims in the United States into believing that their grandchildren or other close family members were in trouble and needed money. In total, the investigation identified over 400 victims with an average age of 84, including at least 50 in Massachusetts, and more than $5 million in losses. According to the charging documents , the defendants, led by defendant Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia, ran a sophisticated “call center” operation in the Dominican Republic that tricked hundreds of elderly victims in the United States into believing that their grandchildren and other close family members were in trouble and needed money. Once the defendants obtained the money, they allegedly laundered their illicit proceeds back to the Dominican Republic. Castanos Garcia allegedly oversaw call centers in the Dominican Republic, where he employed co-conspirators who spoke English and carried out what are commonly known as “grandparent scams.” These scams would begin with an “Opener” employee, who would call victims and pretend to be a grandson or granddaughter who was in an accident. Then, a “Closer” would allegedly follow up with another call, pretending to be their grandchild’s attorney, asking for a sum of money to pay for their grandchild’s fees due to the accident. Castanos Garcia allegedly ran these call center locations with the help of several managers who allegedly supervised, instructed and paid the employees. As alleged in the indictment, callers for Castanos Garcia’s call centers would instruct elderly victims to provide cash to “runners” in the United States. Most often, the callers would instruct victims to give the packages with cash to rideshare drivers who were ordered to the victim’s house by a runner. The runners would then have the unsuspecting rideshare drivers deliver the packages to the runners at nearby locations. In some cases, the callers would direct the victims to ship packages of cash to specified addresses via mail or commercial carriers. Often times, the call center would allegedly call victims again and ask for additional funds for their grandchildren, sometimes two or three additional times. For example, callers allegedly would claim that there had been a “mix up” or that a “pregnant women’s baby was lost in the crash.” At times, co-conspirators would allegedly order unwitting rideshare drivers to drive the elderly victims to the bank to withdraw additional funds. It is further alleged that, at the direction of Castanos Garcia’s and others, the runners would engage in financial transactions with the victims’ money, including depositing cash into bank accounts and delivering it to co-conspirators in New York and elsewhere. Operators of the scheme relied on money launderers in the United States and the Dominican Republic to transmit proceeds from victims in the United States to Castanos Garcia and others in the Dominican Republic. Members of the public who believe they may be victims of this case, or other elder fraud scams, should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Suspected fraud can also be reported on the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center . The charge of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the loss to the victim. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Dominican National Police; División Especial de Investigación del Crimen Organizado Internacional (DEICROI); Central de Investigaciones Criminales (DICRIM); and the Ministerio Publico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### ADDENDUM Defendant Alleged Role Charges Status Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia, 33, of the Dominican Republic Call Center Operator Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Joel Jose Cruz Rodriguez, a/k/a “Paflow,” 33, of the Dominican Republic Call Center Manager Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Edward Jose Puello Garcia, 44, of the Dominican Republic Call Center Manager Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Joan Manuel Mathilda Leon, 27, of the Dominican Republic and the Bronx, N.Y. Recruited and oversaw “runners”; runner Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud Money Laundering Conspiracy. In Custody Luis German Santos Burgos, a/k/a “Mambo Flow,” 32, of the Dominican Republic and Dorchester, Mass. Call Center Affiliate Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Gerardo Heriberto Nuñez Nuñez, 41, of the Dominican Republic Money Launderer Money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Ransel St Arlin Tavarez Jimenez, 26, of the Bronx, N.Y. Recruited and organized “runners”; runner Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. At-Large Joel Francisco Mathilda Leon, 26, of the Bronx, N.Y. Runner Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. At-Large Andry Joel Baez Santana, 31, of the Bronx, N.Y. Runner Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Jose Osvaldo Polanco Batista, a/k/a “Obbi,” 28, of Winter Park, Fla. Runner Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. At-Large Chaman Samael Silverio Balbuena, a/k/a “Chammy,” 31, of Defiance, Mo. Runner Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Manuel Nicolas Rivera Cueto, 25, of Santa Clara, Cal. Runner Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. In Custody Jose Arony Fermin Vasquez, a/k/a “Chiky,” 31, of N.J. Runner Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy. At-Large


title: Human smuggler in custody after flight from police and crash

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 34-year-old man has been taken into federal custody following a crash into a law enforcement vehicle during an alleged smuggling attempt through the Rio Grande Valley, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Previously in custody on related charges, Cesar Rafael Leon, Pharr, is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker at 9:45. According to the charges, Leon picked up five illegal aliens who had just crossed the Rio Grande River by raft in Mercedes. He allegedly failed to yield to law enforcement when they attempted to stop his vehicle, prompting them to successfully deploy a vehicle immobilization device. However, he continued to flee and eventually struck a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) unit and drove the wrong way down the highway, according to the complaint. The complaint further alleges the pursuit lasted approximately 15 minutes and ended in a shopping plaza in Weslaco. Law enforcement allegedly apprehended Leon after a short foot pursuit and also took the five illegal aliens into custody, according to the charges. “As this office has stated on numerous prior occasions, human smugglers do not care about the lives or safety of those they transport. The people being smuggled are nothing more than cargo to these predators,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas urges all those who would consider placing themselves or their loved ones into the hands of these criminals to think twice. Stay home, stay safe.” The smuggling charges include an enhancement for placing the lives of the aliens in jeopardy. If convicted, Leon faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas DPS, Hidalgo County Constables Office and Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Wisconsin Sex Offender Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Violating International Travel Notification Requirements

body_text: Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Kyle James Derus, age 39, of Wisconsin, was sentenced on August 11, 2025 to 37 months imprisonment in the U.S. District Court of Guam for failing to notify the Sex Offender Registry of his intent to travel internationally and traveling in foreign commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(b). The Court also ordered three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory assessment fee. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Derus is required to register as a sex offender in every jurisdiction where he resides, works, and attends school, including after his release from custody. Derus was convicted of Third-Degree Sexual Assault in Wisconsin on March 20, 2017. As part of his sentence, he was required to register as a sex offender with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and comply with strict travel notification requirements. Specifically, he was mandated to notify the Registry at least 21 days prior to any international travel. However, Derus failed to meet this requirement when he traveled abroad in early 2025. On February 17, 2025, Derus arrived in Guam and subsequently traveled to Palau. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware of his travel and his planned flight to the Philippines. Philippine authorities were notified of his intended travel in advance and denied his entry into the country. Upon returning from the Philippines on March 1, 2025, Derus was interviewed by the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency. During the interview, he stated that he had previously visited Guam, traveled to Palau for a fishing trip, and went to the Philippines to meet his Filipina girlfriend. Further investigation confirmed that Derus never notified the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry about his international travel, as required. On March 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of State revoked Derus's passport after it was discovered that he had failed to disclose his status as a convicted sex offender when applying for his passport. This failure violated International Megan’s Law, which mandates convicted sex offenders to self-identify as such when applying for passports. Derus’s passport therefore lacked an identifier for individuals convicted of sex offenses, as required by 22 U.S.C. § 212b. On March 18, 2025, U.S. Marshals arrested Derus at A.B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam while he was attempting to board a flight to Honolulu. During the arrest, his passport was seized. Further examination revealed that the passport contained stamps documenting his travel to Palau, including entry on February 21, 2025, and departure on February 25, 2025. However, there were no stamps indicating his entry into the Philippines, confirming that he had been denied entry to the country. “Guam is not a safe haven for sex offenders seeking to evade SORNA enforcement,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Derus's failure to comply with SORNA’s travel notification requirements and his attempt to conceal his status as a convicted sex offender led to his arrest and conviction, and the revocation of his passport. This case underscores the importance of laws that monitor the location and travel of convicted sex offenders.” “Homeland Security Investigations is steadfast in its commitment to leading the nationwide initiative to combat child exploitation and abuse," said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “We will stop at nothing to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities and pursue justice against those who commit these heinous crimes." Investigation was conducted by the United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Customs and Border Protection, and Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency. This case was prosecuted by Devarup Rastogi, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Justice Department Finds George Washington University Deliberately Indifferent to Antisemitic Discrimination

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice finds George Washington University (GWU) in violation of federal civil rights law by acting deliberately indifferent to the hostile educational environment for Jewish, American-Israeli, and Israeli students and faculty. The Civil Rights Division’s investigation was conducted pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination, harassment, and abuse based on race or national origin, by recipients of federal financial assistance. The Division finds that GWU took no meaningful action and was instead deliberately indifferent to the complaints it received, the misconduct that occurred, and the harms that were suffered by its Jewish and Israeli students and faculty. The Justice Department will seek immediate remediation with GWU for its civil rights violations. “Every student has the right to equal educational opportunities without fear of harassment or abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No one is above the law, and universities that promulgate antisemitic discrimination will face legal consequences.” You may view the Notice of Findings here .


title: Career Offender Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Threatening a Federal Judge and a Federal Prosecutor

body_text: COEUR D’ALENE – Nathanael Michael West, 28, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release on July 31, 2025, for, with the intent to retaliate, threatening to murder, assault, or kidnap a federal judge and a federal prosecutor, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon. The court ordered the sentence to be served consecutively to two prior sentences in 2020 and 2022 for similar convictions in the District of Idaho. According to court records, in October 2022, West was sentenced to federal prison for mailing threatening communications to three state prosecutors. In February 2023, while serving a state sentence for burglary at an Idaho state prison, West sent a threatening letter to Assistant United States Attorney David Robins, who prosecuted the two cases that led to West’s incarceration. The letter contained graphic descriptions of West’s threat to assault, kidnap, torture, mutilate, and murder the prosecutor. Less than two weeks later, in March 2023, West sent another threatening letter to Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye, who sentenced West in October 2022. That letter vividly described West’s threat to assault and murder the judge. On August 14, 2024, a federal grand jury in Idaho returned a four-count indictment, charging West with mailing threatening communications, threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder a federal law enforcement officer with intent to retaliate, and threatening to assault or murder a United States Judge with intent to retaliate. On July 31, 2025, West pleaded guilty to all four counts of the indictment. “The 96-month sentence in this case is appropriate and justified, reflecting the seriousness, brazen, and violent nature of the defendant’s persistent threats,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “The defendant’s deliberate actions were not only incredibly personal to the victims in this case, but they were also an assault on the integrity of the criminal justice system.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho was recused from this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas H. Edmonds from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon was appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to prosecute the case. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in the case. U.S. Attorney Bradford commended the work of the FBI, which conducted the investigation. ###


title: Grand Jury Returns Indictments

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments on August 6, 2025. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Wausau Investment Advisor Charged With Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Stanley Pophal, 63, Wausau, Wisconsin, is charged with seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that between May 2019 and June 2025, Pophal accepted money from investors and promised to invest their funds in one of his various business ventures, including using the money to purchase commercial properties and office buildings and convert them into residential apartments. However, the indictment alleges that Pophal failed to invest the money as promised. Instead, he allegedly used most of the money for his own purposes, including the purchase of hundreds of snowmobiles. If convicted, Pophal faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each money laundering count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the case. Chippewa Falls Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearms, Ammunition, and Unregistered Silencers Michael A. Raskie Jr., 42, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing silencers not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The indictment alleges that Raskie possessed these items on January 14, 2025. If convicted, Raskie faces a maximum penalty of 15 years on the felon in possession charge and 10 years on the unregistered silencers charge. The charges against Raskie are the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, Lake Hallie Police Department, and the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon is handling the case. Milwaukee Felon Charged With Illegally Possessing Machinegun and Ammunition Jevon Smith, 31, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon and possessing a machinegun. The indictment alleges that on June 15, 2025, Smith possessed a loaded Glock 29 10mm handgun, 10mm ammunition, and a machinegun conversion device. A machinegun conversion device is an illegal after-market device that converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully functioning machinegun. A handgun with a machinegun conversion device is extremely dangerous, even for experienced firearms users, because it is difficult to control and is capable of firing 50 rounds in four seconds with a single pull of the trigger. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on the felon in possession charge, and 10 years in prison on the machinegun charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case. Fitchburg Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition Kavant D. Smith, 24, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that Smith possessed the firearm and ammunition on January 27, 2025. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case. Chippewa County Felon Charged With Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Patrick J. Buswell, 50, Holcombe, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possessing the same firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity. The indictment alleges that Buswell possessed the methamphetamine and firearm on June 15, 2025. If convicted of the methamphetamine charge, Buswell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted of the felon in possession charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. If convicted of the charge involving possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, Buswell faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison. The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force and the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon is handling the case. The gun and drug cases in the press release are part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Child Predator Convicted of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Following a trial before District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, a federal jury convicted Randy Joe Fuller, 54, of failure to register as a sex offender, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Sex offender registration laws exist for one reason—to protect our communities and our children from known threats,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “When offenders ignore these requirements, they undermine a system designed to keep our families safe. Our duty is to protect children from those who prey on them, and we will use every power under federal law to do exactly that.” Randy Joe Fuller is a convicted sex offender subject to predatory offender status. According to the public record, in 1990, Fuller was convicted in Fillmore County, Minnesota of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for sexually assaulting a child. Fuller received a sentence of 54 months in prison. In 2006, as a part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, a comprehensive national sex offender registration system was established called the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA aims to close gaps and loopholes that existed under prior laws, and to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registrations to protect the public from known sexual predators. SORNA requires that qualifying sex offenders provide important information about their locations and employment to local and federal authorities. Following his release from prison, Fuller had a duty under SORNA to register as a sex offender and to keep his registration current until 2039. Fuller did not keep his registration current. In fact, Fuller has three prior Minnesota state convictions—2000, 2010, and 2013—for failing to keep his registration current. In December 2024, Fuller moved from Iowa to Houston, Minnesota. However, he chose not notify state and federal authorities that he moved back to Minnesota, as required to do under SORNA. In January 2025, officers from the Houston, Minnesota Police Department were called to Fuller’s home because of a verbal altercation; they learned that Fuller was living in Minnesota and contacted federal authorities. After being arrested and charged for failure to register, Fuller was housed at the Sherburne County jail. On June 30, 2025, while in custody and on a recorded jail call, Fuller discussed the federal charges pending against him. At one point in the conversation, Fuller acknowledged, “I am guilty of failure to register.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), with assistance from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Houston, Minnesota Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and Matthew D. Evans prosecuted the case.