title: Columbia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fatal Quantity of Fentanyl to USC Student

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Vernon Antwan Martin, 37, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the distribution of fentanyl to a 20-year-old University of South Carolina student, resulting in her death. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in May 2023, Columbia Police officers conducted a welfare check on a woman at a Columbia apartment after family and friends reported that they were unable to contact her. Officers found the woman dead in her apartment. An autopsy report confirmed the victim died from a fentanyl overdose. Based on evidence collected during the investigation, law enforcement determined on May 30, 2023, Martin distributed a counterfeit pill to the victim, which she believed to be Percocet but actually contained fentanyl. Following the victim’s death, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a search at Martin’s residence, where they located additional narcotics, a firearm, and approximately $30,000. “There is always danger in taking prescription pills that are not prescribed to you by a legitimate health care provider. This case demonstrates how deadly a small amount of fentanyl can be,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “This case is the result of law enforcement coordination at the local and federal level, and we’ll continue to aggressively prosecute those who bring fentanyl into our community. Our hearts are with this young woman’s family and loved ones as they remember a life cut short.” “This case is a tragic example of the deadly consequences of counterfeit pills,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The victim thought they were purchasing Percocet, but they were handed fentanyl, a synthetic opioid driving overdose deaths across our nation. The defendant knew exactly what he was selling. As the DEA continues its Fentanyl-Free America campaign, today’s sentencing underscores our mission to protect communities and aggressively pursue those who knowingly distribute lethal substances.” "Our officers worked closely with federal partners to investigate this case and ensure the individual responsible was held accountable,” said Columbia Police Chief W. H. “Skip” Holbrook. “We urge the public to understand the serious risk of taking pills that are not prescribed by a legitimate medical provider - just one can kill." United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Martin to 240 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Lewis also ordered that Martin pay approximately $19,000 in restitution to the victim’s family. To learn more about DEA’s Fentanyl Free America campaign, including resources for getting help, visit DEA.gov/FentanylFree. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case. ###


title: Memphis Gang Member and Convicted Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Cordney Campbell, 25 , also known as “Moo Slime", of Memphis, was sentenced to serve 5 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to the indictment returned by a federal grand jury in May 2025, Campbell possessed a firearm and a small amount of narcotics when encountered by police in January of the same year. Campbell pled guilty in October 2025 to a charge of being a prohibited person in unlawful possession of a firearm. In January 2025, officers with the Memphis Police Department responded to a shots-fired call on Crockett Place. There they encountered Campbell and another man and found Campbell in possession of a firearm and a small amount of narcotics. Campbell was convicted in 2022 for selling crack cocaine on Crockett Place in 2021. Crockett Place is a street in the Smokey City neighborhood of Memphis. Campbell is an identified member of the Memphis hybrid street gang, the Eric Bizzle Gang or EBG, and had also been identified by the Memphis Police Department as an Aggravated Assault Prolific Offender under an initiative that allows investigators to focus on the most violent criminals responsible for gun violence. On February 24, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Campbell to 60 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. At the time of his January 2025 arrest, Campbell was serving a Supervised Release term of five years for a 2022 distribution of crack cocaine conviction, also from the Western District of Tennessee. Campbell was also found to have violated the terms of his Supervised Release, which resulted in a six-month sentence that will be served consecutively to his 60-month sentence. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “The citizens of Smokey City deserve to feel safe in their neighborhood, and addressing crime on Crockett Place is a key component to meeting that goal. ‘Moo Slime’ will now do more time, and Memphis is a safer place without him in it.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD). Assistant United States Attorney Neal Oldham prosecuted the case and the violation of supervised release on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Colombian National Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Nationwide Jewelry Theft Ring

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDIXON RINCON PUENTES, 45, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Los Angeles, California, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 42 months of imprisonment for his involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country. According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Rincon Puentes and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls in Connecticut and other states and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines. Before the burglaries, the co-conspirators surveilled the stores and kiosks to formulate game plans and, as part of that reconnaissance, posed as legitimate customers to examine the desired merchandise and assess the establishment’s security measures. Rincon Puentes, who primarily served as a lookout and driver, and his co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; and in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023. Other members of the conspiracy burglarized additional jewelry establishments in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, New York, and Illinois, and Virginia. Rincon Puentes and his associates also cased jewelry stores and kiosks in other states. Losses from the burglaries exceed $4.4 million, and the total loss from the three burglaries Rincon Puentes participated in is $938,148. To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement. The investigation revealed that much of the stolen jewelry was sold to the owner of a jewelry store in Queens, New York , who then sold it to others, including those he knew would melt down the gold. Rincon Puentes has been detained since July 17, 2024. On November 8, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.


body_text: Lieutenant in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Operation Sentenced to Over Four Years in Federal Prison CONCORD – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for his key role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Flemin Soto Baez, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott to 50 months in federal prison. In May, Soto Baez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely cocaine and fentanyl. He was charged along with 20 other defendants in April 2023. To date, 15 defendants involved in the conspiracy have been convicted, including the defendant’s brother and leader of the organization, Juan Ramon Soto Baez, who was sentenced to more than 8 years in federal prison. “This defendant perpetuated a drug trafficking operation that pushes deadly narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “They profited from addiction and suffering. Today’s sentence demonstrates that every member of these organizations will be held accountable for the damage they inflict on New Hampshire families.” “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who choose to flood our communities with fentanyl and cocaine will be held accountable,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Flemin Soto Baez played a significant role in a large-scale trafficking conspiracy that put countless lives at risk. The DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to dismantling these criminal networks and protecting our communities from the devastating impact of dangerous drugs.” “Fentanyl and cocaine have no place in New Hampshire and neither do the drug traffickers who sell it,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Today’s sentence keeps Flemin Soto Baez behind bars for the key role he played in this multi-state drug trafficking operation. Every sale he orchestrated was a potentially deadly transaction, and the FBI and our partners won’t stop until all drug trafficking operations like this one have been disrupted.” According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was a key organizer in a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in New Hampshire, particularly Manchester, between July 2022 and March 2023. The organization was run like a business, operating “dispatch” telephone lines where customers could call in to order narcotics. As a trusted member of the conspiracy, the defendant would take customer orders on the phone, and then he would send a runner to conduct the drug sale at an arranged meeting location. In connection with the defendant’s arrest in June 2023, law enforcement authorities searched an apartment associated with the defendant and seized more than a kilogram of cocaine from the residence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega prosecuted the case. This 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 (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: U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle presents at Wake County Quarterly Law Enforcement Meeting

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern


component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Third Man Pleads Guilty for Role in $10 Million International Fraudulent Market Survey Conspiracy CONCORD – A Texas man pleaded guilty today for participating in an international scheme to sell fabricated market survey data, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Ryan Stoudt, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2026. According to the public record, Op4G and Slice were market research companies based in New Hampshire and Illinois, respectively. Clients would hire the companies to conduct market research surveys. As part of their business model, Op4G and Slice maintained “panels” consisting of individuals potentially eligible to take surveys. Stoudt initially worked for Op4G before moving over to Slice. In 2014, several conspirators, including Frank Hayden and Daniel Harriman, decided to increase company revenues by generating fabricated survey data. Stoudt then joined the conspiracy. To execute the scheme, the conspirators recruited “ants,” who pretended to be legitimate survey takers but instead were paid a nominal fee for completing surveys that produced false market research data. Some of the conspirators even served as “ants” and fraudulently took large quantities of surveys themselves, receiving significant payments. To evade detection, the conspirators exchanged instructions with each other and the “ants.” These instructions included directions on how to answer survey screener questions, provided parameters on how long “ants” should remain on surveys, and encouraged the use of virtual private network (VPN) services to conceal real IP addresses. Between 2014 and the beginning of 2025, Op4G and Slice billed over $10 million to clients for work tainted with fraudulent survey data. In more recent years, false market research data was used to generate approximately 90% of Op4G and Slice’s revenues. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, 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. The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. Co-defendant Frank Hayden pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2026. Co-defendant Daniel Harriman pleaded guilty on February 24, 2026, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15, 2026.


title: Kansas man indicted on meth trafficking and firearms charges

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with offenses related to drug trafficking and illegal firearms. According to court documents, Danny Ray Stano Jr., 44, of Topeka was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Stano allegedly had five firearms that he is not allowed by law to possess, and he is also accused of conspiring to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former Kansas high school coach charged with producing child pornography

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A former Kansas wrestling coach was charged through criminal complaint for allegedly creating child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) by clandestinely filming minors showering during a high school sporting event. According to court documents, Ryan Brungardt, 37, of Salina is charged with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography. Brungardt is a former employee at Lakewood Middle School and former wrestling coach for Salina Central High School in Salina. Brungardt is accused of using a cellphone to record three minors while they showered in a locker room during the Tournament of Champions, a wrestling tournament which was held at Newton High School in Newton, Kansas, in January 2024. The defendant made his initial court appearance for the criminal complaint on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks G. Severson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 9, 2026. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), Salina Police Department, and Newton Police Department are investigating the case. Investigators are in the process of reviewing additional seized cellphone videos in this case that are suspected to have been recorded at wrestling meets and tournaments in Newton, Hays, Garden City and Salina, Kansas during the 2023-2024 wrestling season. Anyone who believes they witnessed crimes or any suspicious activity at these events is asked to contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 600-8790 or report at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar . Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: St. Louis County Woman Who Had Her Fiancé Murdered Sentenced to 225 Months in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a woman who secretly took out insurance on her fiancé before having him killed to 225 months in prison. Victoria Rena Williams, 67, pleaded guilty in September to one count each of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, aiding and abetting murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Michael Grady, 70, was convicted by a jury on Monday of the same three counts. Charles Harris III, who worked for an alarm company, was described in court as a churchgoing man who was about to open his own clothing store when he was killed. According to Williams’ plea and the evidence and testimony at Grady’s trial, the conspiracy began in 2010. It was at that time that Grady suggested obtaining a $250,000 accidental death policy. Williams did so in 2010 without Harris’ knowledge and after confirming that it would pay out if he was killed during a robbery. In October of 2011, she arranged a meeting between Harris, who sold suits out of his home on the side, and two potential customers. She told jurors at Grady’s trial that she backed out twice, but Grady told her it could be “bad for you,” when she tried to back out again. Harris was fatally shot in his home on Langford Drive on Oct. 5, 2011. After a dispute with the insurance company, Williams eventually received $224,444 and then obtained a cashier’s check for $110,000 payable to Grady’s wife. Williams also received $175,762 from another insurance policy. The shooter or shooters, who were hired by Grady, have not been identified, according to trial testimony. Grady is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4 and faces life in prison without parole. He is already serving a 226-month federal prison sentence for aiding a large-scale, violent drug conspiracy by trying to determine who was cooperating with investigators and prosecutors. The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Finlen, Nino Przulj and Donald Boyce are prosecuting the case.


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man received his sentence today for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Rivers Stewart, 55, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD). According to court documents, in June 2021, based on confidential source information and surveillance, law enforcement identified Carlos Scovens, 59, of Baltimore, Maryland, as an upper-level drug distributor operating in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. As a result, DEA investigators began monitoring Scovens’ drug trafficking activities and determined Stewart was an associate. Based on a wiretap investigation and confidential informants, law enforcement also discovered that Stewart engaged in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances with Scovens and others. Investigators intercepted calls between Stewart and Scovens discussing the distribution of controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base. During the investigation, law enforcement observed Stewart, along with Scovens, Keyshawna Ellis, 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, and other co-conspirators using a Northeast Baltimore residence as a stash location. Investigators observed Scovens and Stewart meeting at this location on multiple occasions. On April 18, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the stash location where they recovered approximately 3,645 grams of fentanyl, 1,000 grams of cocaine, 399 grams of cocaine base, and 500 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture. Stewart possessed approximately 3,645 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams of heroin/fentanyl mix with the intent to distribute them prior to the search. Additionally, law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple other locations it observed Scovens meeting Stewart and at Stewart’s house. Through the additional searches, investigators recovered approximately $45,413, and $17,925, at separate locations associated with Stewart, which are believed to be drug proceeds from other locations. On January 16, 2026, Judge Hollander sentenced Scovens to 100 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a detectable amount of fentanyl. In December 2024, Ellis pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a detectable amount of fentanyl. Then in May 2025, Ellis received a two-year federal-prison term. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, which seeks to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a collaborative and comprehensive response to the growing threat to public safety and national security. The HSTF integrates personnel, including law enforcement agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff, from federal agencies to combat crime in our communities. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, FBI, DPSCS, BPD, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jon Tsuei who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Washington man sentenced to over 16 years in prison for drug and gun charges

body_text: MISSOULA – A Washington man who was convicted of possessing drugs and guns was sentenced today to 194 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. Felipe Michael Garza, 32, was found guilty by a jury of one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm in November 2025. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that on August 13, 2024, Garza was seen driving a black Chevrolet Silverado. He failed to stop at a stop sign and did not have a rear license plate on the truck. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop, and Garza pulled off on the lawn of a residence that was not his. The officer was advised Garza had a $1,000,000 warrant out of Washington and requested Garza step out of the truck. Garza seemed intent on giving his belongings to the other occupants of the truck. After being arrested, Garza admitted he had fentanyl in his fanny pack and that he had used methamphetamine approximately two hours prior. Garza also admitted there was marijuana and firearms in the truck. Later that day, the truck and fanny pack were searched. Officers located a bag weighing 144.8 grams containing methamphetamine, a small baggie with 55 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, and $500 cash. The truck contained two firearms in the console, approximately three pounds of marijuana, a blue notebook, a scale, miscellaneous drug paraphernalia, and $1881.00 cash. The notebook contained drug prices related to various drug types and amounts. Garza has prior convictions for several felony offenses that prohibit him from possessing firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and Polson Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Florida man sentenced to over two years in prison for striking a U.S. Marine MP with his truck

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. According to court documents, on May 15, 2024, Roger Pierre Laberge, 69, approached Gate 1 at Marine Corps Base Quantico driving a pickup truck with a tow-trailer. At the checkpoint, Laberge explained to two U.S. Marine Corps Police Officers (MPs) that he did not have a driver’s license or vehicle registration. The MPs determined that Laberge did not have authorization to enter the base and directed him to drive his truck into a nearby turnaround zone, which was enclosed by traffic barriers. One of the MPs moved a barrier, allowing Laberge to drive into the designated turnaround zone, then repositioned it to secure the enclosure. The MP informed Laberge that he would need to run a check of the truck’s license plates before he would be permitted to leave the Quantico base. As the MP indicated that he was about to move the traffic barrier for Laberge and stepped in front of Laberge’s vehicle, Laberge accelerated the truck forward. Laberge slammed on the brake, narrowly avoiding hitting the MP with the vehicle. The MP extended his arm and hand as a signal to stop and loudly called for Laberge to stop. In response, Laberge yelled, “I’m going!” and accelerated his vehicle forward, striking the MP with his truck, and continued through the traffic barrier. As Laberge continued accelerating, he made a sharp turn towards the nearest exit and slammed his vehicle into a curb, which momentarily flipped the trailer onto its side causing objects to fall out onto the street. Laberge then fled the scene of the incident, disregarding the MP’s commands to stop. Among other previous convictions, Laberge was convicted in 1996 of aggravated fleeing to elude and resisting an officer with violence; in 2016 for fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer; and in 2024 for fleeing with disregard of safety to persons or property and driving while suspended for a third time or more. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service Washington D.C. Field Office investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Drucker and Richard Krupczak and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin S. Starr prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-205.


title: Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Wayne Gardner, 42, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 16, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Gardner in the Parkersburg area of Wood County. Officers seized approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine during a search of the vehicle. Gardner is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force and the Wood County Sheriff's Office. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-190. ###


title: Illegal alien sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –A Mexican national illegally living in Dallas has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Francisco Ortuno, 29, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 170 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on March 4, 2026. According to information presented in court, in 2021, federal agents began investigating a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating a narcotics distribution cell in the North Texas area. The investigation led to multiple seizures of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, firearms, and large amounts of U.S. currency. On October 4, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Dallas used to traffic narcotics by the DTO. Upon knocking and announcing, agents were fired upon by a suspect inside the house. That suspect and the defendant, Francisco Ortuno, both fled the residence on foot leading to a chase until they were caught and detained. Inside the residence, agents seized over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, four firearms, multiple drug ledgers, and supplies used to convert methamphetamine. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Wynne.


title: Dallas woman sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –A Dallas woman has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Samantha Mendoza, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on March 4, 2026. According to information presented in court, in 2021, federal agents began investigating a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating a narcotics distribution cell in the North Texas area. The investigation led to multiple seizures of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, firearms, and large amounts of U.S. currency. On December 15, 2022, federal agents observed Mendoza provide a weighted package to another person. A search warrant was executed at Mendoza’s residence resulting in the seizure of 950 grams of methamphetamine, three firearms, multiple drug ledgers, methamphetamine conversion supplies, and over $85,000 in U.S. currency. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Wynne. ###


title: Ellis County woman sentenced for trafficking cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –An Ennis woman has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Isabel Salas, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on March 4, 2026. According to information presented in court, in July 2022, federal agents began investigating a suspect who had been arrested with eight kilograms of heroin in Chicago. Salas was identified during this investigation, and a search warrant was executed at her Ennis residence on November 30, 2022, resulting in the seizure of over 600 grams of cocaine, eight firearms, and over $28,000 in U.S. currency. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Wynne. ###


title: Baltimore County Man Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former Baltimore City Finance Official

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore County man pled guilty in federal court today to bribing a Baltimore City official. James Carroll Erny, Jr., 55, of Glen Arm, Maryland, who is charged with bribery, admitted to paying at least $25,000 in bribes to Joseph Gillespie, a former Baltimore City Department of Finance employee. In exchange, Gillespie extinguished various financial obligations Erny owed to the City of Baltimore. As a result of the criminal conduct, the City of Baltimore suffered financial losses of more than $145,000. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region; and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD). According to the plea agreement, beginning in December 2019, and continuing until August 2023, Erny engaged in a bribery scheme in which Gillespie abused his position of trust as a public official for his own personal gain. During this period, Erny — who owned at least eight properties in Baltimore City — routinely paid bribes in exchange for Gillespie delaying, removing, or extinguishing financial obligations owed to the City. This included unpaid citations, tax obligations, and water obligations, thereby causing losses to the City. Erny primarily paid these bribes by cash, providing Gillespie with envelopes containing as much as $1,000 each while the former City employee worked at the Abel Wolman Municipal Building. Sometimes, Erny met Gillespie in a men's bathroom in the City-owned building to give him envelopes containing cash bribes. Erny also routinely provided Gillespie bribe payments via Cash App and Zelle. Additionally, Erny admitted to engaging in a separate scheme to obtain fraudulent COVID-19 relief loans under both the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Ultimately, Erny fraudulently obtained $996,240 in fraudulent PPP funds as part of the scheme, and he attempted to obtain more than a $100,000 worth of EIDL funds. Erny faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for bribery. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, June 9, at 11 a.m. In February 2025, Judge Bennett sentenced Gillespie to four years in prison in connection with the wire-fraud conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, SBA-OIG, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. U.S. Attorney Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Delaney and Joseph Wenner who are prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Convicted Domestic Abuser Sentenced to Over Four Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Gun

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man with multiple prior domestic violence convictions who unlawfully possessed a gun while committing another domestic assault was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison. Travis Terrell Jordan, age 41, from Memphis, Tennessee, received the prison term after a September 12, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence. Information from the sentencing hearing showed that Jordan had been convicted of a domestic abuse crime four times prior to December 2024. On December 13, 2024, Jordan assaulted a woman in an apartment in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Jordan hit the victim in the face and pointed the gun at her while threatening to shoot her. The victim’s two minor children were also in the apartment at the time. Jordan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Jordan was sentenced to 53 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Jordan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case 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. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Nagin and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-cr-20. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle Partners with Federal Park Rangers to Strengthen Federal Lands Enforcement


title: Placerville Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Theft Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Stephan James Evanovich, 46, of Placerville, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property and to interstate transportation of stolen property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Evanovich worked with co-conspirators Trevor Fountain, 38, of Sacramento; Jonathan Matthew Curl, 36, of Sacramento; and Andrea Carter, 35, formerly of Sacramento, to illegally enter communications towers and steal rectifiers and other communications equipment. Rectifiers are a power source necessary to maintain power at communications towers. Fountain, Carter, and Curl were responsible for stealing equipment and transferring it to Evanovich, who then paid them for the stolen equipment. Evanovich sold the stolen property to legitimate third-party vendors in California, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. The conspirators stole, sold, and shipped more than 485 stolen rectifiers across state lines. As part of the scheme, Evanovich instructed other conspirators to create invoices in the name of false businesses. These false invoices were used to make it appear as though Evanovich had obtained the stolen rectifiers from legitimate businesses. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from Weld County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima are prosecuting the case. Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 5, 2025, to 29 months in prison. Fountain pleaded guilty on Sept. 25, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2026. Curl pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2026, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2026. Evanovich is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on June 11, 2026. Evanovich faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Fountain and Curl face maximum statutory penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: St. Louis County Tax Preparer Admits $1.2 Million in Pandemic Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A tax preparer from St. Louis County on Thursday admitted fraudulently obtaining a total of least $1.2 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans for herself and others from 2020 to 2021. Nacole M. Taylor, 43, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction. Taylor submitted at least 15 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of eight corporations registered with Missouri for which she was the registered agent. Only two, Accurate Tax LLC and 4th Generation Home Care Services LLC, had any income. Taylor created the other businesses and opened bank accounts for them for the sole purpose of applying for PPP loans. She submitted fraudulent applications with inflated payroll and income figures and fraudulent tax forms purporting to have been prepared by Accurate Tax. Taylor obtained approximately $255,114 in PPP loans. Taylor then submitted applications for loan forgiveness for many of the loans, falsely claiming that she’d spent the loan money on payroll. Taylor spent the PPP loan proceeds on personal expenses, including luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Vincent’s Jewelers, Fendi and Nordstrom. Taylor also recruited others, including clients of Accurate Tax, to allow her to submit fraudulent applications for PPP and EIDL loans in their names in exchange for kickbacks. Taylor and her co-conspirators either used a pre-existing business or created a fictitious business to apply for the loans. She fabricated payroll and income information and supplied fraudulent tax forms to bolster the applications. In all, Taylor submitted at least 24 fraudulent applications and obtained at least $986,659 in loans for coconspirators. She was paid at least $152,205 in kickbacks. Taylor, of Breckenridge Hills, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and the unlawful monetary transaction charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. She will be ordered to repay the money. IRS – Criminal Investigation and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.


title: Lewes Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl Charge

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A Lewes man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall accepted the plea. According to court documents, Brandon Barnes, 38, fled from Lewes Police during a car stop in July 2024. Barnes lost control of his car and struck a utility box before fleeing on foot. Once police caught Barnes, they found numerous blue pills marked “M30” scattered across the floor and driver’s seat of the car, as well as blue pills between the car and where police arrested Barnes. Police ultimately recovered over 500 pressed fentanyl pills. Barnes pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2026. U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Lewes Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Thurstlic-O’Neill and Samuel S. Frey are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 24-cr-122.


title: California Attorney Guilty of Federal Contempt Charge for Failing To Ensure Distribution of Settlement Funds to Relatives of Victims of Lion Air Flight 610

body_text: CHICAGO — A California attorney pleaded guilty today in Chicago to a criminal contempt of court charge for disobeying a court order that called for settlement funds to be distributed to relatives of victims killed in the crash of Lion Air Flight 610. KEITH GRIFFIN, 54, of Temple City, Calif., entered the plea before U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt in the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Hunt set sentencing for Aug. 6, 2026. Griffin worked for the California personal injury law firm Girardi Keese, which represented relatives of victims who were killed in the 2018 crash in the Java Sea. Girardi Keese filed civil lawsuits in federal court in Chicago against the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing Co., and settled the suits in 2020. In connection with the settlements, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin ordered that the settlement funds, which included a total of $7.5 million, be sent to each client as soon as practicable. Although Boeing wired the settlement funds into Girardi Keese’s client trust account in March 2020, Griffin admitted in a plea agreement that he knew for the next eight months that the firm failed to distribute the full amount of money to the clients, in contravention of Judge Durkin’s order and despite the clients’ repeated inquiries and demands for the money. Griffin stated in the plea agreement that on multiple occasions he confronted another attorney at the firm, THOMAS GIRARDI, about paying the money to the clients. Griffin knew, however, that Girardi was not distributing those funds as required by Judge Durkin’s order over that eight-month period, the plea agreement states. The Lion Air victims eventually received their settlement funds when another law firm’s insurer paid them. Griffin’s guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Emily Vermylen. Girardi, 86, of Seal Beach, Calif., was convicted in 2024 by a federal jury in Los Angeles of embezzling millions of dollars in settlement funds from other clients. In connection with Girardi’s sentencing in that case, prosecutors in Los Angeles apprised the Court that Girardi had misappropriated the settlement funds in the Lion Air matter. Girardi was sentenced last year to more than seven years in federal prison. Two other Girardi Keese employees were charged in Chicago as part of this investigation. Attorney DAVID LIRA, 65, of Pasadena, Calif., pleaded guilty last year to a criminal contempt charge for his willful failure to abide by Judge Durkin’s settlement payment order. Lira was sentenced to four months in federal prison and four months of home confinement and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. The firm’s former Chief Financial Officer, CHRISTOPHER KAMON, 51, of Palos Verdes, Calif., pleaded guilty last year to a wire fraud charge for helping Girardi embezzle the victims’ settlement funds. Kamon was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison, which will run concurrently to a ten-year sentence that Kamon received in federal court in Los Angeles for a related embezzlement scheme. u.s._v._griffin_-_plea_agreement.pdf


title: Man Pleads Guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute 900 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national who was in the country illegally has pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. According to court documents, Mercado-Chaparro sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. Police followed Mercado-Chaparro after the buy and saw him conduct other drug deals. Several days later, police saw Mercado-Chaparro retrieve two large garbage bags from his pickup truck and place them in a nearby Jeep. Police stopped the Jeep a short time later, and a drug-sniffing dog alerted the odor of drugs in the Jeep. When police searched the Jeep, they found roughly 250 pounds of methamphetamine in the garbage bags and a cooler. Police then obtained a search warrant for Mercado-Chapparo’s truck, searched it, and seized roughly 630 more pounds of methamphetamine from the truck bed. Altogether, Mercado-Chaparro possessed almost 900 pounds of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Minnesota Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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). This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Ramsey County Crime Enforcement Team, the St. Paul Police Department, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.


component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: Ex-Felon Sentenced to Prison for Trying to Bribe ICE Officer CONCORD – A native of the Dominican Republic who pleaded guilty to attempting to bribe a law enforcement officer to secure his release from custody will serve an extra 18 months of incarceration as a result, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. On November 5, 2025, Marlon Aramis Suazo-Santos, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to bribe a public official. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (“ICE”) personnel transported Suazo-Santos from Berlin to Manchester on July 18, 2025. Suazo-Santos was completing a term of incarceration resulting from a 2020 federal conviction and was subject to removal to the Dominican Republic. While he was being transported to ICE’s Manchester facility, Suazo-Santos offered $100,000 to the ICE officer in exchange for his release. The ICE officer promptly reported the bribe offer to other Homeland Security personnel, and the transport vehicle was equipped with an electronic audio recording device. That same day, while the same ICE officer transported Suazo-Santos to a local detention facility, Suazo-Santos made additional inculpatory statements regarding the bribe to secure his release which were recorded. Suazo-Santos remained in ICE custody until he was arrested on a criminal complaint on August 15. A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment on September 3, 2025. “Mr. Suazo-Santos sought to bribe an official to secure his release from federal custody and avoid deportation. At a time when ICE officers are facing unprecedented attacks, threats, and vilification, the ICE officer displayed highest standard of integrity in the discharge of his official duties. Mr. Suazo-Santos will now serve an extra 18 months in prison as a result.” “Suazo-Santos was convicted, served time for fraud, and was due to be deported but instead of facing the consequences of his criminal actions, he attempted to bribe government officials to escape. Thanks to the integrity of the ICE officers involved, Suazo-Santos was caught once again and will now serve additional prison time and face inevitable deportation,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations within the United States Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced for Role in Snap Benefits Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – An illegal alien, who is a citizen of Romania and Ireland, received a federal prison term today for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Fabritio Sardaru, 22, to two years in prison for his role in a Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits fraud conspiracy. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Northeast Region; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Chief Gregory Der, Howard County Police Department (HCPD). According to his plea agreement, Sardaru participated in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and multiple recipients of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits. In 2022, Sardaru and his co-conspirators obtained EBT information from victims throughout the U.S., including in Maryland, California, Kentucky, Tennessee, New York, and other states. They used skimming devices and other means to carry out the conspiracy. The co-conspirators played various roles in skimming operations, including acquiring skimming equipment, shipping equipment to co-conspirators, and installing or removing the equipment at the point of sale (POS) terminals at various commercial establishments. They also monitored the activity at POSs where skimming equipment was installed and duplicated victims’ EBT cards using the information collected from the skimming devices. Co-conspirators then fraudulently purchased large bulk items using cloned EBT cards containing numerous victims’ personal identifying information. On July 21, 2022, in furtherance of the scheme, Sardaru fraudulently obtained $8,770.03 in proceeds. Sardaru and a co-conspirator used cloned EBT cards to purchase 11 cans of baby formula at grocery stores in Howard and Montgomery Counties. Then on the same day, MCPD officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Sardaru was driving. During the traffic stop, law enforcement uncovered approximately 353 cans of baby formula. Due to the loss of their SNAP benefits, at least 15 victims were unable to obtain food items until after the replenishment of their funds the following month. The total loss attributed to the conspiracy in Maryland is approximately $343,756. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USDA-OIG, MCPD, and HCPD for their work in the investigation, along with the Maryland Department of Human Services, Office of Inspector General, for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Higgins who prosecuted the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jazmir Tyheem Young, 24, of Beckley, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of more than 5 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 1, 2024, Young sold more than 5 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in a Harper Road parking lot in Beckley. As part of his guilty plea, Young admitted to the transaction. Young has a criminal history that includes two prior felony convictions. At the time of this offense, Young was on probation for a state-level criminal conviction. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department. Chief United States District JudgeFrank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-119. ###


title: “Operation Pick-Off” expands to Houston with arrests of foreign nationals who committed crimes while unlawfully living in the U.S.

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Several people who unlawfully resided in the greater Houston area are now in custody for illegal reentry into the United States after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Those arrested during recent enforcement actions include Guatemalan nationals Karen Paola Cabeza-Magana aka Karen Hernandez, 29, and Julio Gonzalez-Portillo, 54; Mexican nationals David Rodriguez Solis, 52, and Jose Garcia Zamora, 39; along with Salvadoran national Jose Mario Alvarado aka Julio Mario Alvarado, 57. They remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings. Those charged include foreign nationals from the countries of Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala. All allegedly have convictions for various state crimes, such as assault and aggravated assault of a family member, driving under the influence, and narcotics offenses, among others. They were all allegedly on probation or serving a term of supervision and were at least once already removed from the United States. “Our office created Operation Pick-Off based upon an extremely simple concept—that a state probation sentence should not be a sanctuary from federal immigration laws. Take note, the Southern District of Texas is not a safe harbor for those who enter the United States illegally and commit crimes against our citizens,” said Ganjei. “Now, these offenders, who so brazenly flouted our laws, have earned themselves a jail stay before their one-way flight home. My office promised to bring this targeted operation to every corner of the district. Promise kept.” “FBI Houston is levering its intelligence and investigative resources to locate and apprehend individuals who have allegedly committed various crimes and are residing unlawfully in the greater Houston area. All these individuals were previously convicted, deported, and re-entered the United States illegally,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson. “Through Operation Pick-Off, FBI Houston is partnering with the Department of Homeland Security and federal prosecutors to remove these alleged offenders from our Texas communities.” “Each of the criminal illegal aliens targeted under this operation have allegedly entered the U.S. at least once, if not multiple times unlawfully, and have gone on to commit criminal offenses in our local communities,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez. “By working together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to expand a commonsense operation like this to the Houston area, we can bring an end to this lawlessness and ensure these alleged criminal aliens are held accountable for their actions.” “Houston’s close proximity to the Southern border has made it a magnet for dangerous criminal illegal aliens who have illegally reentered the United States multiple times and endanger public safety,” said ICE - Homeland Security Investigations acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Burke. “By expanding this operation to the area and bringing together the resources and expertise of HSI, FBI, and ERO, we will be better postured to protect the local community from harm and hold these criminal illegal aliens accountable for brazenly flouting our nation’s system of laws.” Operation Pick-Off began in August 2025 in the Rio Grande Valley as a multi-agency immigration and violent crime enforcement effort targeting criminal illegal aliens on state probation or supervision. The initiative has since expanded to additional regions within the Southern District of Texas which now includes Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties. While enforcement efforts in the region remain in their early stages, Operation Pick-Off will operate on a continuous basis, with authorities engaging in rolling arrests and prosecutions. Various assistant U.S. attorneys from the Houston Division are prosecuting the cases. ICE-ERO and FBI-Houston Field Office conducted the Houston area investigations and arrests with ICE-HSI in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The collaborative 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. A criminal complaint or indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Torrington Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Cocaine Trafficking Ring

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN MARTINEZ RIVERA, 29, of Torrington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified Joseph Giovanni Soto as the leader of a cocaine trafficking operation that involved the shipment of parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, as well as addresses in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts. The organization used “runners” to pick up the parcels from the drop addresses and deliver them to Soto’s residence in Bloomfield and the residence of Soto’s uncle, Ramon Soto, in New Britain. Typically, Ramon Soto, at Joseph Soto’s direction, then delivered the cocaine to individuals in the Bronx, New York, and elsewhere, in return for payment. During the investigation, task force members intercepted and seized 10 suspicious parcels, each of which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and identified approximately 280 suspicious parcels likely containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been delivered to the various drop addresses. Joseph Giovanni Soto was arrested on May 1, 2023. In August 2023, investigators saw a reemergence of suspicious parcels coming from Puerto Rico to the New Britain and Meriden areas, and then to a Waterbury address where Jatniel Morales Gonzalez was living. Investigators determined that Morales Gonzalez and Soto had worked together prior to Soto’s arrest, and that Morales Gonzalez had assumed control of the Connecticut side of the cocaine trafficking network after Soto’s arrest. Investigators identified several new drop addresses for suspicious parcels and observed Morales Gonzalez, Martinez Rivera, and others retrieving the parcels and bringing them to Morales Gonzalez’s residence before they were ultimately delivered to the Bronx. During this part of the investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified more than 90 additional suspicious parcels, 11 of which had been shipped to Martinez Rivera’s residence in Torrington. Court-authorized searches of four seized parcels found that they each contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine. Martinez Rivera was arrested on December 19, 2024. On August 21, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He has been detained since October 2, 2025, when his bond was revoked. Joseph Giovanni Soto, Ramon Soto, and Morales Gonzales pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison terms of 14 years, 10 years, and 10 years, respectively. This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut State Police, the Hartford Police Department, and the Plainville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Konstantin Lantsman.


title: Illegal alien transnational drug trafficking leader receives 12 years in federal prison

body_text: HOUSTON – A 26-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Andres Reyes-Morales pleaded guilty Oct. 31, 2024. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Reyes-Morales to serve 144 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. The investigation began in November 2022 when authorities identified Reyes-Morales as a member of a transnational criminal organization. The organization was responsible for smuggling and distributing methamphetamine from Mexico into South Texas and on to Houston. Reyes-Morales was a conversion lab operator, courier and facilitator. As part of an undercover operation, authorities purchased approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine from Reyes-Morales. He then coordinated with Moices Moreno-Marin and Franciso Reyes Solorzano-Duarte to complete the deliveries. On April 14, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at Reyes-Morales’ residence and seized approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine concealed in a shoe box in a bedroom closet. Reyes-Morales admitted the narcotics belonged to him. Moreno-Marin, 38, and Solorzano-Duarte, 27, also Mexican nationals, pleaded guilty for their roles and were sentenced to 36 and 54 months in prison, respectively. Reyes-Morales will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day prosecuted the case.


title: Chief Regulatory Officer for ExThera Medical Charged with Concealing Adverse Events, Including Deaths, from FDA; ExThera Medical Corporation Resolves Investigation

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A California woman was charged today and has agreed to plead guilty in the District of Massachusetts for failing to report adverse events with the intent to defraud or mislead the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in connection with a blood filtration device used on cancer patients who traveled from the United States to Antigua for treatment. Separately, ExThera Medical Corporation (“ExThera”) has entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement in connection with a criminal information filed in the District of Massachusetts charging it with failure to file adverse event reports with the intent to defraud or mislead in connection with the device. Today’s announcement marks the first resolution of a corporate defendant by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s New England Strike Force since announcing its partnership with the District of Massachusetts. According to court documents, Sanja Ilic, 58, of Carlsbad, Calif., is charged with one count of failing to report adverse events with intent to defraud or mislead the FDA. Ilic will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Ilic was the Chief Regulatory Officer of ExThera, a Northern California-based medical technology company. ExThera manufactured a blood filtration device that removed pathogens from patients’ bloodstreams. Despite Ilic’s experience, training and knowledge of FDA adverse event reporting, Ilic intentionally concealed reportable adverse events, including the deaths of two patients treated with the blood filtration device at a clinic in Antigua. Prior to the start of treatments at the Antigua clinic, Ilic circulated an email to ExThera’s leadership and regulatory staff demonstrating that she understood potential adverse events, including “life-threatening” complications, that patients could experience from use of the Device. Ilic understood that disclosure of such information would have triggered regulatory scrutiny from the FDA, caused clinical trial partners to potentially withdraw their participation and jeopardized ExThera’s and Ilic’s future financial prospects. Rather than comply with her legal obligation to report the events, Ilic concealed this critical information from the FDA. Ilic and ExThera potentially stood to lose financially if negative adverse event reports related to the Antigua clinic were filed with the FDA. Following public reporting about the blood filtration device and after ExThera terminated Ilic, ExThera filed several adverse event reports with the FDA relating to use of the Device to treat cancer outside the United States. As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, ExThera admitted that, through Ilic, it acted with intent to defraud and mislead the FDA. ExThera will be required to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department; implement a compliance and ethics program to prevent violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act’s adverse event reporting requirements; and report to the Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures. ExThera also agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $750,000 which has been adjusted based on ExThera’s ability to pay. ExThera will establish an escrow account and deposit $750,000 within 60 days. In the event ExThera is not able to pay amounts owed, if any, in any related civil litigation, the money in escrow shall be used to pay amounts owed. ExThera also agreed to entry of a forfeiture order of $5,694,750. The government reached this resolution with ExThera based on a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct, and that ExThera has only minimal remaining operations. ExThera did not voluntarily and timely self-disclose the conduct to the Justice Department but did receive credit for accepting responsibility, cooperating with the investigation and engaging in timely remedial measures. Ilic faces up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of the greatest of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss. She is also subject to forfeiture and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; Roberto Coviello Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Officer of Inspector General; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Sarah Hoefle of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case, along with Assistant Chiefs Kevin Lowell and William Schurmann and Trial Attorneys John Howard and Sarah Rocha of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-expands-health-care-fraud-unit-target-health-care-fraud-massachusetts .


title: Illegal alien sentenced for repeatedly smuggling bulk amounts of methamphetamine into the United States

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 46-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for a conspiracy involving over 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jose Calleros Avila pleaded guilty Nov. 4, 2025. U.S. District Judge John Kazen has now ordered Avila to serve 87 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Avila crossed the Colombia Solidarity Bridge in Laredo June 1, 2025, driving a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban. He claimed he was coming back from Matehuala, Mexico, with two duffel bags full of candy for his children. However, during a routine inspection, authorities located two bundles inside a bag mixed in with children’s candies. The bundles tested positive for methamphetamine, which prompted further inspection and the discovery of a total of 15 bundles weighing 15.44 kilograms. Avila had planned to transport the drugs to another individual in Dallas for further distribution throughout the United States. After delivering the methamphetamine, Avila would return to the location in Dallas, pick up cash, and wire the money to various individuals throughout Mexico. He admitted he had transported various narcotics at least five times, doing so for cash payments. Avila will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tory R. Sailer is prosecuting the case.


title: Bryant Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Tyler Dane Wooten will spend 360 months in federal prison for production of child pornography. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. On October 9, 2024, Wooten, 36, of Bryant, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a 12-count Superseding Indictment on six counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, two counts of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Wooten to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered him to pay $81,000 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. In April 2024, an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE), using an online platform, began chatting with a user whose display name was “Bad Daddy.” An investigation identified “Bad Daddy” as the defendant, Wooten. The OCE and Wooten belonged to a chat group that that was devoted to the exchange of child pornography and videos. A further investigation revealed that on several occasions in April through June 2024, Wooten and other members of the group exchanged child pornography that contained videos depicting adults performing sex acts on children, including toddlers and infants. On April 24, 2024, Wooten and the OCE were in a private conversation and Wooten stated he previously had “100+ gigs of stuff,” meaning child pornography. Wooten stated to the OCE that he had a “guilty conscience” and a “paranoid episode” and deleted the child pornography but was “just starting back into collecting” and was “…in search of harder and hurtcore baby and toddler stuff” because he “loves good toddler baby stuff.” A review of Wooten’s online account revealed that he was chatting with another user who was sexually abusing a child at Wooten’s direction and the user filmed the abuse. On July 30, 2024, Wooten was arrested and at the time of his arrest, law enforcement officers discovered 3,945 videos of child pornography on his devices. 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Parents are encouraged to always monitor your children’s online activity. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Brookhaven Man Faces Federal Charges for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine in Metro Atlanta

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ATLANTA – Quincy Adam Rogers, who was on pretrial release for federal drug trafficking charges in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, faces new federal charges related to his alleged distribution of fentanyl and cocaine in Atlanta. “Dealing drugs while on bond in another case demonstrates shocking disrespect for the law,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Rogers’s alleged conduct evinces complete disregard for the consequences of his actions, which are severe. Because of the lethal danger posed by fentanyl and cocaine, trafficking the amounts alleged in this case is punishable by life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.” “This case underscores the persistent threat fentanyl traffickers pose,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Even while facing federal charges, this defendant continued to distribute a drug that kills Americans every day. The DEA’s Fentanyl-Free America Initiative is focused on ensuring that those who continue to endanger lives, especially repeat offenders, face swift and serious consequences.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg and the criminal complaint filed in federal court: Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration were conducting surveillance at an apartment complex in Atlanta on February 5, 2026. The agents observed Quincy Adam Rogers with a drawstring bag near a vehicle. Later, agents saw Rogers place a duffle bag in the trunk of a different vehicle that had just arrived. After both vehicles left the complex, DeKalb County Police Department (DCPD) stopped the second vehicle as it was traveling on Interstate 85 in Braselton, Georgia. While searching that vehicle, officers found bags like those that Rogers had been carrying. In the bags, DCPD Officers discovered approximately 825 grams of suspected fentanyl powder and five kilograms of cocaine, along with a kilogram press. A kilogram press is used to form drugs into uniform bricks for transportation and distribution. The wholesale street value of the seized drugs was well over $100,000. DEA agents subsequently arrested Rogers. At the time of the drug seizures, Rogers was on federal pretrial release for drug trafficking charges pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Quincy Adam Rogers, 39 of Brookhaven, Georgia, appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on March 5, 2026, on a criminal complaint that charged him with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Brookhaven Police Department, Clayton County Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John DeGenova is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: St. Louis Tax Preparer Admits Stealing Client Funds

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A tax preparer from St. Louis on Thursday admitted stealing at least $52,000 in clients’ tax refunds and COVID-19 stimulus payments. Mark A. Murphy, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Between 2016 and 2020, Murphy prepared tax returns for clients but did not list himself as the paid return preparer, instead making it appear that the taxpayers themselves had submitted the returns. He also signed the taxpayers’ names and opened bank accounts for clients without their knowledge or authorization. Murphy then used these unauthorized bank accounts to collect his tax preparation fees from clients’ tax refunds. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy stole Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) that were issued by the IRS to his clients. The EIPs were issued directly to taxpayers and deposited into the bank accounts designated on the 2018 or 2019 federal income tax returns. Murphy withdrew the EIP funds in cash from the bank accounts he had secretly set up and used debit cards linked to the accounts to make personal purchases. During this period, Murphy also kept some clients’ entire tax refunds for himself. Murphy stole a total of at least $52,080 in EIPs and refunds from clients from April 2020 to March 2021. Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. The theft charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He will also be ordered to repay the money. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and IRS – Criminal Investigation handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.


title: Auburn Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to filing a false tax return and interfering with the administration of federal tax laws. According to court records, Rakiya Mohamed , 30, filed false federal income tax returns for 2018 and 2019 and provided false records to the IRS when those tax returns were audited. Mohamed owned a language interpretation business called Reliable Language Resources. Mohamed reported the income and expenses for the business on her individual income tax returns. Mohamed reported false and fraudulent expenses for contract labor and office expenses for Reliable Language Resources on those tax returns. The IRS audited Mohamed’s 2018 and 2019 tax returns, and Mohamed provided the auditors with falsified business records to substantiate the false and fraudulent expenses. Mohamed faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of one year. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.


title: Convicted Felon Charged with Unlawful Possession of Ammunition Stemming from 2023 Homicide

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

body_text: NASHVILLE – LaGarrion Lamontez Blacksmith, age 36, of Nashville, was charged yesterday with possession of ammunition by a felon for his role in a 2023 homicide, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek. On February 18, 2023, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) responded to a shooting at Club Trvth on the 2900 block of Dickerson Pike in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooting resulted in the death of victim C.E. When uniformed patrol officers arrived at the scene of the shooting, they located C.E. deceased from what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds. A witness made a statement to the police that he and C.E. were together inside the nightclub, and they had a verbal altercation with other patrons. When they attempted to leave the club, security guards told them it was unsafe to leave. However, they disregarded the guards’ warnings. As they left the club, the altercation continued into the parking lot, ultimately culminating in a shooting. Through the course of the investigation, MNPD homicide detectives determined multiple individuals were shooting during the incident and at least two people were shot. Surveillance video captured Blacksmith in an area by himself firing a weapon near two vehicles. The MNPD Crime Lab conducted analysis on shell casings recovered from the scene and determined 16 fired cartridge casings were fired from the same firearm. This analysis, along with the surveillance video and crime scene photographs, attributed a group of shell casings to an individual shooter, Blacksmith. MNPD homicide detectives also recovered an iPhone that they were able to connect to Blacksmith near these casings. At the time that he possessed the ammunition in this case, Blacksmith was a convicted felon. He has prior convictions in Davidson County Criminal Court for Theft over $1,000; Attempted Possession More Than 0.5 Grams Cocaine for Resale, and Felon in Possession of a Weapon. If convicted, Blacksmith faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Nashville Man on Federal Supervision  Charged with Drug and Firearm Offenses

body_text: NASHVILLE – Jacquise Miller, age 27, of Nashville, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of federal law, announced United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. According to court documents, a federal jury convicted Miller in 2019 of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm to further his drug trafficking. He received over six years in prison for these convictions and was ordered to serve a term of supervised release upon his release from custody. He began his supervision in 2024. In October 2025, officers saw Miller engaging in hand-to-hand transactions and arrested him on an outstanding warrant. When they arrested him, they pried bags of cocaine from his grasp and found a loaded firearm in his pants. If convicted of the drug offense, Miller faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. If convicted of one of the firearms offenses, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. If convicted of the other firearms offenses, he faces a maximum of life imprisonment. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ahmed A. Safeeullah is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Convicted Felon Discharges Gun Inside Apartment Building

body_text: NASHVILLE – Antonio Jones, age 46, of Nashville, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(1), announced United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee. According to court documents, on November 16, 2024, Metro Nashville Police Department officers responded to a shooting inside an apartment building located at 331 Plus Park Boulevard. Following the shooting, officers located Jones in a specific apartment unit and a loaded Taurus, Model 85, .38 Special caliber revolver was recovered from inside that same apartment unit. Jones has felony convictions, including Aggravated Assault and Possession of Cocaine for Resale. If convicted, Jones faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Montminy is prosecuting the cases. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #