title: Jamestown man going to prison for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracy

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jaquez Thomas, 22, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between 2020 to 2022, Thomas distributed quantities of fentanyl and cocaine he received from Joseph Zaso. Thomas utilized Facebook and Cash App to conduct his drug trafficking activities. During the conspiracy, he supplied quantities of fentanyl to Justin Yuchnitz and Joseph Thayer. Thomas also conspired with Jose Maisonet in 2022. In Spring of 2022, Jamestown Police officers conducted three controlled purchases from Jose Maisonet. In July 2022, a search warrant was executed at Thomas’ Allen Street residence. During the search a loaded handgun, and drug paraphernalia were seized. A search warrant was also executed at Maisonet’s Forest Avenue residence, during which quantities of suspected crack cocaine and methamphetamine, digital scales, cell phones, and $2,715.00 in cash was seized. Joseph Zaso, Joseph Thayer, and Justin Yuchnitz were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Jose Maisonet was previously convicted and sentenced in a separate 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. # # # #


title: Fuel Executive Gets Five Year Prison Sentence for Defrauding U.S. Military in Contract Bid Scam

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Jasen Butler, 38, of Jupiter, was sentenced today in West Palm Beach to 60 months in prison and criminal forfeiture by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. In January, a jury convicted Butler of 34 counts of wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering. According to the evidence at trial, Butler, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, corrupted the competitive bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire transfer memos and invoices to multiple U.S. warships between August 2022 and January 2024. These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia to defend strategic American interests around the globe. Butler received over $4.5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred. After Butler came under scrutiny by Navy officials, he continued his scheme by concealing his identity from government officials. Butler adopted a false name and feigned employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. Butler used the millions in the proceeds of his crimes to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple multi-million-dollar properties in Florida and Colorado. Judge Middlebrooks has entered a preliminary order of forfeiture for those properties. “The defendant stole millions of dollars from our military with a fake job, fake identity, and fake invoices,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This administration takes defrauding the American military seriously with a prison sentence reflecting the seriousness of the crime.” “The Defendant made his choice: to rip off the federal government and the Navy to line his own pockets. The Justice Department made its choice: to pursue maximum incarceration for the Defendant. In response, Judge Middlebrooks rightly ordered the Defendant imprisoned for 5 years,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its wonderful staff have zero tolerance for those who seek to corrupt competition.” “This sentence reflects the seriousness of what the evidence at trial showed: a calculated scheme that targeted the U.S. military for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendant submitted false documents, stole millions in taxpayer funds, and then tried to hide behind a fake identity when scrutiny began. When you defraud our armed forces, you are not just committing fraud, you are undermining operations that protect this country. That conduct will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.” “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who defraud the U.S. military will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “CGIS will continue to work with our investigative partners and the Department of Justice to identify, investigate, and hold those accountable who exploit government systems for personal gain.” “This outcome reinforces DCIS’s commitment to safeguarding DoD resources and ensuring taxpayer funds are available for their intended purpose: supporting the readiness and effectiveness of the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This scheme stole millions from the American taxpayer and threatened to undermine a program essential for our global military operations. DCIS, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our military and exploit systems designed to support our nation's warfighters.” “The sentencing of Jasen Butler sends the unequivocal message that the Department of the Navy has zero tolerance for fraud within its procurement systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “The SEA Card program is indispensable to the U.S. Navy's global readiness. NCIS, along with our federal partners, are committed to aggressively dismantling any criminal enterprise that attempts to exploit systems designed to enable U.S. warfighting capabilities around the globe.” The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as a part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force. The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-80093. ###


title: Muscatine Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Muscatine man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 15 years in federal prison for transportation of child pornography. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received CyberTips that an account, later determined to be associated with Clay Dereck Calkins, 45, received and uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized Calkin’s phone during a March 2023 search at his Muscatine residence. A forensic examination of the phone showed that Calkins used the device to receive, view and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. This conduct occurred during the time that Calkins was on probation for a 2022 child pornography conviction in the Iowa District Court for Muscatine County. After completing his term of imprisonment, Calkins will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Calkins was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 .


title: Davenport Man Sent Back to Federal Prison for 10 Years on Meth Charge

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Adam Christopher Smith, 41, was found to be in possession of a distribution quantity of meth in March 2025. Smith went into an ice cream store as officers approached him and attempted to hide the meth under a freezer. At sentencing, the Court also found that Smith violated the terms of his federal supervised release and imposed a 30-month concurrent sentence. In 2020, Smith was sentenced to a 70-month prison term for possession with intent to deliver heroin and possession of a gun in furtherance of that crime in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Smith was released from prison in February 2024. In February 2025, an arrest warrant was issued for violations of his supervised release term. After completing his term of imprisonment, Smith will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.


title: Kalona Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Child

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Kalona man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 25 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in May 2025, the Washington County Sheriff's Office received information that Alexander Warren Dehogues, 35, had secretly recorded two minor children in stages of undress and saved those recordings to his electronic devices. A forensic examination of electronic devices seized from Dehogues’s Kalona residence showed that Dehogues used the devices to record, receive, and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. After completing his term of imprisonment, Dehogues will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 .


title: Former Substitute Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Receipt of Child Pornography Charges

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A former substitute teacher has pleaded guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of minors and receipt of child pornography, announced Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division. Pleading guilty was Timothy Higle, 34, formerly of Clawson, Michigan. According to court records, Higle solicited nude images and sexually explicit videos from minors over Snapchat. In exchange for producing the images and videos, Higle paid the minor victims using Cashapp and Venmo. In one instance Higle provided a minor with a vape pen and cartridge containing marijuana. Higle’s victims ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old at the time of the incidents. Law enforcement became aware of Higle’s conduct after one of the victims contacted the Michigan State Police in August 2024. The evidence in this case has not established that Higle engaged in this conduct while working in his capacity as a teacher. Nevertheless, if someone believes they may have been a victim or knows of someone who may be a victim, they are encouraged to contact the FBI at (313) 965-2323. “This is disgusting behavior for anyone. But we entrust teachers with our children, so it is especially alarming when one of them preys on children,” said Gorgon. “The defendant had a choice, and he chose to exploit children and betray public trust,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “We are grateful for the bravery of the individual who came forward and reported this to our law enforcement partners at the Michigan State Police. Our dedicated team from the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency worked diligently to investigate this case, and this guilty plea represents an important step toward accountability.” Higle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 11, 2026. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Nee and Sean King.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: On April 7, 2026, Ry Tyler, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced to federal prison after a November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in federal court in Sioux City. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in January 2025, law enforcement received a report that Tyler was accessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on Russian websites. Tyler appeared on a podcast for sex addicts where he expressed a sexual interest in children and persistent thoughts of children in sexual situations. Tyler admitted to recently deleting images off his computer and told law enforcement the images would be considered “appalling.” A search of Tyler’s electronics revealed child pornography, child erotica, and child pornography search terms. A forensic examination of Tyler’s electronic devices revealed over 2,100 images and 5 videos of child pornography. The videos and images included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct. United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Tyler to 66 months’ imprisonment along with a 5-year term of supervised release after release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Tyler remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4025. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Love County Resident Sentenced For Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation Material

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dustin Scott Langley, age 33, of Overbrook, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 86 months in prison for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Love County Sheriff’s Office. On September 15, 2025, Langley pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 2, 2025, Langley knowingly possessed visual depictions of a minor who had not attained twelve years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which Langley accessed with the intent to view. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Langley will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and Tribal resources to prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. To report suspected child trafficking or exploitation, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at report.cybertip.org , or call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678.


title: Tulsan Sentenced for Possessing Cocaine with Intent to Distribute

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced Daryl Delando Jackson, 39, to 108 months imprisonment, followed by 8 years of supervised release. In June 2025, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers observed a vehicle driving 100 mph in a 65-mph zone. When troopers attempted to pull Jackson over, he refused to stop and led troopers on a pursuit through a residential neighborhood. Jackson drove through an apartment complex, where he fled on foot from troopers. After being detained, troopers recovered a firearm, a large bag with several small baggies of cocaine, liquid PCP, marijuana, and a scale. Jackson has a lengthy criminal history, including eluding officers, drug possession, burglary, felony possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen vehicle. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey prosecuted the case.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and False Use or Forgery of a Passport

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Michael Scott Hillwig, 59, of Camden, New Jersey, was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false use or forgery of a passport. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “It is of vital importance to raise awareness about the vulnerability of our personal identifying information online, which fraudsters relentlessly pursue as they seek to enrich themselves by exploiting their victims. As this defendant has learned, my office is just as relentless in our pursuit of criminals like him, and we aggressively prosecute such frauds to the fullest extent to achieve justice for the victims of these crimes.” Court documents reflect that in May 2023, the defendant unlawfully obtained personal identification information of other people, including their names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and passport card numbers. He then fraudulently withdrew funds from the bank accounts of multiple victims by presenting U.S. passport cards bearing his photograph, but with the personal identifying information of the victims. During the course of this fraud scheme, Hillwig travelled to financial institutions in South Carolina and throughout Florida, including in Bonifay, Niceville, and Winter Garden, where he would provide bank tellers with a victim’s social security number and the fraudulent U.S. passport card in order to make withdrawals from their bank accounts. “This case demonstrates how criminals exploit U.S. passports to victimize innocent Americans,” said Ryan McSeveney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office. “Working with the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Holmes County Sheriff's Office, and our federal partners, DSS remains committed to protecting the integrity of U.S. travel documents and bringing to justice those who use them for identity theft and financial fraud.” Hillwig’s term of imprisonment will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Hillwig was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims. The case involved a joint investigation by U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and Holmes County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Panama City Beach Man Indicted for Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – David Carlton Lee, 59, of Panama City Beach, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of possession/access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Lee appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 27, 2026 at 8:30 in Tallahassee, Florida before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker. If convicted, Lee faces a minimum 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 20 years imprisonment, on the transportation count; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the possession counts. The case is being jointly investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Panama City Beach Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Four Sentenced to Combined 99 Months in Federal Prison for US Postal Bribery Scheme

body_text: Four defendants involved in a United States Postal Service bribery scheme were sentenced to a combined 99 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. According to court documents, a former Senior Network Analyst for the United States Postal Service, Zechariah Yi, 52, of Aurora, Colorado, and a second USPS employee, Tai Ryoung Rho, 51, also of Aurora, Colorado, pled guilty to a bribery scheme in which they solicited and received approximately $1.5 million in kickbacks from the owners and associates of multiple trucking companies in exchange for agreeing to help the trucking companies obtain USPS service contracts worth approximately $15 million. Wan Jin Yoon, 51, of Plano, Texas, and Hong Jin Yoon, 48, of Denver, Colorado, owned the trucking companies that obtained the USPS contracts under the bribery scheme. Rho, Wan Yoon, and Hong Yoon each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Yi pled guilty to receiving a bribe by a public official. On March 26 and March 27, 2026, U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer imposed the following federal prison sentences: • Yi was sentenced to 42 months • Rho was sentenced to 30 months • Wan Yoon was sentenced to 24 months • Hong Yoon was sentenced to 3 months The defendants also agreed to forfeit two vehicles and more than $300,000 cash. “At the expense of the integrity and fairness of the government contracting process, these defendants resorted to bribery and corruption simply to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The diligent work of our law enforcement partners led to a successful prosecution of these fraudsters by my office. This outcome should serve as a warning to others contemplating such behavior, that we will hold every person accountable for fraud schemes of this nature.” “The public must have confidence that Postal Service employees will conduct their work in an honest manner,” said Kevin Cloninger, Executive Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “When employees commit serious offenses, such as taking bribes, they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by Special Agents with the USPS OIG. We thank our law enforcement partners in this case at the United States Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for assuring that there is no place for public corruption anywhere within the Postal Service.” “The defendants fraudulently secured a government contract in a scheme that involved paying kickbacks to government employees, who misused their positions of trust with the U.S. Postal Service for personal gain,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI remains committed to holding accountable individuals that defraud the United States government.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.


title: Beachwood Nanny Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Children

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – A 26-year-old woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually abusing two children in her care while she was employed as their nanny. Molly Elisabeth Duncan, of Beachwood, Ohio, pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment: Sexual Exploitation of Children (two counts) Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) Federal District Court Judge Pamela A. Barker accepted Duncan’s plea April 6. According to court documents and evidence, the defendant was working as a nanny in Northeast Ohio from about November 2023 to July 2024. Duncan sexually abused one victim in Portage County and another in Geauga County—both under the age of two—and recorded the visual depictions on her cellphone. She then distributed the files through a popular social media platform which she shared with multiple users. During a forensic analysis of Duncan’s electronic devices, investigators found several CSAM files of each victim. Duncan is scheduled to be sentenced July 22. She faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years per count of Sexual Exploitation of Children and a 20-year maximum for each of the distribution and possession charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by the Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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, visit justice.gov/PSC . To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Former Crewmember on Cruise Ship Sentenced to More Than Seven Years for Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material into the United States

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Robert Jonathan De Oliveira Ricci (36, Brazil) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julie Sneed to seven years and three months in federal prison for transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material. Ricci pleaded guilty on May 16, 2025. The court also ordered Ricci to register as a sex offender and forfeit a smartphone, which he used to commit the offenses. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Ricci was a crewmember on board an internationally operated cruise ship that arrived at the U.S. Port of Entry at Port Canaveral on March 10, 2025. A border search of Ricci’s smartphone revealed he had traveled into the United States with at least 83 videos and 184 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including children as young as infants and toddlers. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Civil Rights Division Obtains Settlement with Company that Discouraged U.S. Workers from Applying for Jobs

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has secured a $313,420 settlement agreement with Compunnel Software Group, Inc., a New Jersey based professional services provider. The settlement addresses allegations that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when some of its recruiters posted job advertisements for positions in the United States that included citizenship status restrictions not authorized by law. The explicitly discriminatory language in some of the ads excluded U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents from consideration for desirable employment opportunities while favoring those with H-1B or other temporary visas. Under the settlement agreement, Compunnel has agreed to pay $58,000 in back pay to the Charging Party, a U.S. Citizen who was excluded from consideration for a position as a Python Developer based on his citizenship status. It has also agreed to pay civil penalties to the United States Treasury in the amount of $255,420. Compunnel has agreed to other injunctive relief and has already taken steps to train and monitor its recruiters, as well as enhance compliance systems to prevent future discrimination. “It’s illegal to discourage U.S. workers from applying for American jobs,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers cannot exclude U.S. workers from the labor force by discriminating against them based on their citizenship status. Employers must design recruitment, training, and compliance practices to ensure adherence to federal civil rights laws.” This settlement is the ninth settlement since the Department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative in 2025 to enforce the INA’s prohibition on citizenship status discrimination against companies that illegally discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of those with employment visas. Under these settlements, the Department obtains civil penalties for each violation and will continue to seek the maximum penalty permitted by law. The settlements also involve awards of back pay, when warranted, and require employers to conduct comprehensive training for relevant staff and recruiters and cease restricting consideration for job opportunities based on workers’ citizenship status without a lawful reason. For information about additional settlements under the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, visit IER’s website . For informal assistance, the public can call IER’s free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired between 9am and 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov ; or visit www.justice.gov/ier .


title: Detroit Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Interstate Drug Trafficking Operation Involving Large Quantities of Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Detroit, Michigan, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Christopher Barton, 26, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine between August 2023 and August 2024, and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction. According to information presented to the Court, Barton was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that was based in Detroit and in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Barton participated in the conspiracy by retailing controlled substances to customers in the New Castle area. On February 7, 2024, a search warrant was served at a New Castle location from which members of the conspiracy were dealing drugs. Barton was present when the search warrant was executed, with law enforcement also seizing two pistols. Barton had prior felony convictions that prohibited him from lawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Mercer County Drug Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Barton. This prosecution was 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 that 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.


title: Four Sentenced for Cocaine Operation Hidden Inside Near-Eastside Business

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

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Four individuals have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing at least 55 kilograms of cocaine throughout Central Indiana. Defendant Charge(s) Sentence Kristopher Chavez, 38, Gary, IN Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine 8 years, 11 months in federal prison; 5 years supervised release Eric Kendrick, 45, Fishers, IN Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine 11 years, 8 months in federal prison; 5 years supervised release Delray Bragg, 42, Richmond, IN Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine 5 years, 11 months in federal prison; 3 years supervised release Joaquin A. Ramirez-Molina, 41, of Phoenix, AZ Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Controlled Substances 4 years, 9 months in federal prison; 3 years supervised release According to court documents, law enforcement identified a drug trafficking organization operating out of a near east-side Indianapolis business in 2023. Investigators learned that in 2019, Eric Kendrick leased commercial property at 5641 Massachusetts Avenue. Law enforcement discovered that Kendrick used this location as a stash house for storing and distributing cocaine. On May 31, 2023, courier Joaquin Ramirez‑Molina arrived at the stash house with two suitcases filled with cocaine. Around the same time, Kristopher Chavez arrived with contraband in his vehicle, and the pair retrieved items used to repackage the drugs, including a vacuum sealer, heat‑seal bags, duct tape, and a black duffel bag containing $200,000 in cash for payment. Moments later, Delray Bragg arrived to pick up ten kilograms of cocaine for redistribution. As he left the property, IMPD officers conducted a traffic stop. Before officers searched his vehicle, Bragg alerted other members of the organization via text message, prompting them to flee the stash house. Subsequent searches of the property and the defendants’ residences followed. In total, the investigation recovered the following contraband and proceeds of criminal activity: $582,591 in cash 55 kilograms of cocaine Ruger 57 Pistol Glock 23 Gen 5 Pistol Glock 22 Gen 4 Pistol Glock 19 Pistol Glock 27 Pistol Sig Saurer Pistol Pioneer Arms Co. Handgun 2023 Mercedes Benz 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Assorted ammunition “Shipments containing multiple kilograms of cocaine, delivered in suitcases, underscores the profound danger these drugs pose. The larger the number of drugs, the larger the threat to our community, and accordingly the more aggressive the response of my office and our law enforcement partners,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our federal prosecutors remain steadfast in partnering with the DEA, ATF, and local drug task forces to remove dealers from our streets. These poisons are devastating our neighborhoods and the people we love, and we are committed to confronting that harm with every tool at our disposal.” The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, IMPD, and the Hamilton/Boone Drug Task Force investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and Matt Barloh, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Columbus man pleads guilty to cyberstalking exes, creating AI-generated obscene material of adults & children

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to cybercrimes that included both real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence to numerous victims. Strahler had installed more than 24 AI platforms and more than 100 AI web-based models on his phone. The defendant used telephone calls, voicemails, text messages and web postings to engage in a campaign of harassment against his victims. Specifically, Strahler pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries. His conviction of publication of digital forgeries is part of the Take It Down Act, a law enacted in 2025 that prohibits non-consensual online publication of intimate visual depictions and AI forgeries. “We believe Strahler is the first person in the United States to be convicted under the Take It Down Act,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “We will not tolerate the abhorrent practice of posting and publicizing AI-generated intimate images of real individuals without consent. And we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to hold accountable offenders like Strahler, who seek to intimidate and harass others by creating and circulating this disturbing content.” From December 2024 until June 2025, Strahler sent harassing messages to at least six adult female victims. These messages included nude images of the victims, both real and AI-generated. For example, Strahler used AI to create pornographic videos depicting at least one adult victim engaged in sex acts with her father. He then distributed those videos to the victim’s co-workers. He also messaged the mothers of the adult females and demanded nude photos of them, threatening to circulate explicit or obscene images he created of their daughters if they did not comply. He often called the victims and left voicemails of him masturbating or threatening rape. He referred to the victims’ specific home addresses in his threats. Strahler also posted online AI-generated obscenities he created of children. He generated these files using the faces of minor boys from his community. He then morphed the face of the minor boys onto the bodies of other adults or children and created videos that depicted the boys engaged in sex acts. Strahler specifically created AI-generated obscenity of the minor boys having sex with their mothers and/or grandmothers. Strahler created more than 700 images of both real victims and animated persons and posted them to a website dedicated to child sexual abuse. An additional 2,400 images and videos on his phone were flagged as depicting nudity, morphed child sexual abuse material or violence. Strahler’s criminal conduct was first reported to the Hilliard Police Department and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office before being referred to the FBI. He was arrested on federal charges in June 2025. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and officials with the Maryland AI and Synthetic Media Threats Task Force (MASTTF); announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Mexican Illegal Alien Sentenced to Time Served for Re-Entry of Removed Alien  and Illegal Use of a Social Security Number

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – DANIEL ALDAIR QUEZADA-QUEZADA, a/k/a “Cristobal Flores,” age 29, a native of Mexico, was sentenced on April 1, 2026, for re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), and illegal use of a social security number, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. QUEZADA-QUEZADA was sentenced time to served, and a $200.00 mandatory special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance. QUEZADA-QUEZADA has been detained in federal prison since February 19, 2025. According to court documents, QUEZADA-QUEZADA , reentered the United States after being previously deported on June 9, 2020. QUEZADA-QUEZADA is a native and citizen of Mexico who has no claim of United States citizenship nor lawful immigration status. On December 25, 2024, QUEZADA-QUEZADA was arrested and charged by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, Possession of Alcoholic Beverages in a Motor Vehicle, and a Driver Must Be Licensed Violation in Terrebonne Parish, LA. On December 27, 2024, federal officers visited Gulf South Services, Inc. in Gray, LA, where QUEZADA-QUEZADA claimed employment. QUEZADA-QUEZADA had provided the company with a South Carolina State Identification Card and Social Security Card under the name “Cristobal Flores.” On that same day, QUEZADA-QUEZADA executed pre-employment forms with Gulf South Services, Inc. stating he was a U.S. citizen and authorized to work under the Social Security Number he provided earlier. On January 8, 2025, the federal officer began to investigate the true identity of Cristobal Flores and the Social Security Number used by QUEZADA-QUEZADA . On January 10, 2025, federal officers determined that the Social Security Number was legitimately issued to a U.S. citizen, not QUEZADA-QUEZADA . U.S. David I. Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Louisiana State Police and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Member Sentenced for Armed Assault Against Rival

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club. Bryan S. Fletcher, also known as “Fletch,” 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to eighty-four months in federal prison without parole for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On Sept. 17, 2022, Fletcher and twelve other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, the Los Valerosos, chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and Los Valerosos were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. Fletcher, who was an associate of the Los Valerosos at the time, and others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway. The victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg. Fletcher and several others fled the scene before law enforcement could arrive. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Guatemalan Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Guatemalan National illegally residing in the Springfield, Greene County, Missouri, area, was sentenced yesterday in federal court for Illegal Re-entry by an Alien after subsequently convicted of a prior aggravated felony crime. Miguel Guzman-Guerra, also known as Joel Montoya Ortiz , 38, was sentenced yesterday by District Court Chief Judge Brian Wimes for the offense of illegal re-entry into the United States by an alien after having been previously convicted of an aggravated felony offense. Mr. Guzman-Guerra was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment with the Bureau of Prisons. Upon serving his period of imprisonment, Mr. Guzman-Guerra will be deported to his native country of Guatemala. On Jan. 23, 2025, officers with the Carthage, Missouri, Police Department arrested Mr. Guzman-Guerra during a traffic stop and charged him with driving while revoked, identity theft, and failure to register as a sex offender. Upon determining that Mr. Guzman-Guerra was illegally within the United States, local law enforcement contacted agents with the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE). Agents responded and confirmed that Mr. Guzman-Guerra was illegally in the United States after having been removed previously in 2014. Mr. Guzman-Guerra’s was previously convicted for a prior aggravated felony offense of sexual indecency with a child, prior to his illegal re-entry into the United States. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Carthage, Missouri, Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Justice Department Conducts Court-Authorized Disruption of DNS Hijacking Network Controlled by a Russian Military Intelligence Unit

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf, the Department of Justice, and the FBI today announced a court-authorized technical operation to neutralize the U.S. portion of a network of small office/home office (SOHO) routers compromised by a unit within Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU) Military Unit 26165, also known as APT28, Sofacy Group, Forest Blizzard, Pawn Storm, Fancy Bear, and Sednit. The unit used the routers to facilitate malicious Domain Name System (DNS) hijacking operations against worldwide targets of intelligence interest to the Russian government, including individuals in the military, government, and critical infrastructure sectors. Since at least 2024, GRU actors have exploited known vulnerabilities to steal credentials for thousands of TP-Link routers worldwide. The actors then accessed many of these compromised routers without authorization and manipulated their settings to redirect DNS requests to GRU-controlled servers - i.e., malicious DNS resolvers. GRU actors were indiscriminate in their initial targeting and manipulation of routers. The actors then implemented an automated filtering process to determine which DNS requests were of interest and warranted interception. For select targets, the GRU’s DNS resolvers provided fraudulent DNS records for specific domains that mimicked legitimate services — including Microsoft Outlook Web Access — to facilitate Actor-in-the-Middle attacks against encrypted victim network traffic. In doing so, the GRU actors harvested unencrypted passwords, authentication tokens, emails, and other sensitive information from devices on the same network as the compromised TP-Link routers. “Russian military intelligence once again hijacked Americans’ hardware to commandeer critical data,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “In the face of continued aggression by our nation-state adversaries, the U.S. government will respond just as aggressively. Working with the FBI — and our partners around the world — we are committed to disrupting and exposing such threats to our nation’s cybersecurity.” “The GRU’s predatory use of networks in American homes and businesses for its malicious cyber operations remains a serious and persistent threat,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “NSD will continue to use every tool at our disposal to detect such intrusions and expel hostile foreign actors from our Nation’s networks.” “Operation Masquerade — led by FBI Boston — is the latest example of how we’re defending our homeland from Russia’s GRU, which weaponized routers owned by unsuspecting Americans in more than 23 states to steal sensitive government, military, and critical infrastructure information,” said Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, of the FBI’s Boston Field Office. “The FBI utilized cutting edge technology and leveraged our private sector and international partners to unmask this malicious activity and remediate routers. Now we’re asking everyone who has a router to secure it, update its firmware, and replace it if needed. By working together, we can guard against nefarious nation state actors trying to compromise our national security.” “Operation Masquerade demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying, exposing, and disrupting the Russian government's efforts to compromise American devices, steal sensitive information, and target critical infrastructure,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “GRU actors compromised routers in the US and around the world, hijacking them to conduct espionage. Given the scale of this threat, sounding the alarm wasn't enough. The FBI conducted a court-authorized operation to harden compromised routers across the United States. We urge all router owners to take the remediation steps outlined today, because defending our networks requires all of us. The FBI will continue to use its authorities to identify and impose costs on state-sponsored actors who target the American people.” As described in court documents unsealed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the FBI developed a series of commands to send to compromised routers in the United States, designed to collect evidence regarding the GRU actors’ activity, reset DNS settings (i.e., remove GRU DNS resolvers and force routers to obtain legitimate DNS resolvers from their Internet Service Providers (ISPs)), and to otherwise prevent the GRU actors from exploiting the original means of unauthorized access. As described in court documents, the government extensively tested the operation on firmware and hardware for affected TP-Link routers. Other than stymieing the GRU’s ability to access the routers, the operation did not impact the routers’ normal functionality or collect the legitimate users’ content information. The court-authorized steps to remediate compromised routers can be reversed by legitimate users at any time through factory resets with hardware reset buttons. Legitimate users can also reverse changes by logging into web management pages and restoring desired settings (e.g., factory default settings). To better protect themselves, all users of SOHO devices are encouraged to conduct the following remediation steps: Replace End-of-Life and End-of-Support routers; Upgrade to the latest available firmware; Verify the authenticity of DNS resolvers listed in router settings; and Review and implement firewall rules to prevent the unwanted exposure of remote management services. Users are encouraged to navigate to the official TP-Link website and review documentation for their affected routers in the download center to learn more about proper configurations. Users should also ensure their routers are operating the latest firmware and review the End-of-Life product lists to determine if their routers should be replaced. Additional remediation guidance is provided in a separate PSA . The FBI is working with ISPs to provide notice of the operation to users of SOHO routers covered by the court’s authorization. If you believe you have a compromised router, please contact your local FBI field office or file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center . The FBI Boston and Philadelphia Field Offices and Cyber Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the DOJ National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section led the disruption effort. Black Lotus Labs ® at Lumen and Microsoft Threat Intelligence provided valuable technical contributions to this announcement. MIT Lincoln Laboratory provided valuable assistance with testing and validation.


title: Kansas City Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Involvement in 2021 Homicide

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo. woman was sentenced in federal court for her role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Idella Gardner, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 9, 2024, Gardner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. Between January 2019 and July 2022, Gardner was an armed drug dealer who actively participated in the purchase and distribution of cocaine. The investigation established that Gardner aided members of a street gang and other members of the conspiracy on at last forty occasions where she took part in coordinating drug transactions. When law enforcement officers arrested Gardner on Mar. 9, 2022, she was found in possession of cocaine, cell phones, firearm magazines, and live ammunition. The investigation relied on court-authorized wire intercepts of co-defendant’s telephones, physical surveillance, interviews, and text message evidence documenting the defendant’s involvement in drug trafficking. At the sentencing hearing, the Government also presented evidence regarding Gardner’s involvement in a 2021 homicide. The evidence established that on Apr. 22, 2021, Gardner discharged a firearm into an occupied apartment near the intersection of Lockridge Avenue and Benton Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, intending to target another individual. As a result of the shooting, an innocent female victim, identified as A.O. in court documents, was struck in the head while lying in bed inside of her apartment. When A.O. failed to show up for work, a concerned colleague went to A.O.’s apartment and contacted law enforcement after observing A.O. unresponsive through a bedroom window. At the time she was located, A.O. was barely breathing. She was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries two days later. The Court found, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Gardner was responsible for the fatal shooting. Considering this finding and the defendant’s role in the drug conspiracy, the Court imposed a substantial upward variance from the advisory sentencing guideline range. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Moeder. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.


title: Bourbon County Man Sentenced for   Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Paris, Ky., man, Timothy Ray Dale, 64, was sentenced on Tuesday to 360 months by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for the production of child pornography. According to his plea agreement, on October 30, 2023, a witness reported to law enforcement that there were explicit images of minors located on Dale’s phone. Law enforcement searched the device and found more than 50 sexually explicit visual depictions of two minor victims that were captured between September 30, 2023, and October 29, 2023. Dale admitted, that on two or more occasions, he used minor victims to produce explicit depictions of child pornography. Under federal law, Dale must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for fifteen years. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Chief Mark Burden, Paris Police Department; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Paris Police Department, and Kentucky State Police. The Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for the 14 th Judicial Circuit also provided significant assistance to the investigation and prosecution of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . – END –


title: Former Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang Member Pleaded Guilty for Armed Assault Against Rival

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of rival motorcycle club. Jeffrey S. Hannah, also known as “Got-It,” 43, of Grain Valley, Mo., pleaded guilty today to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On Sept.17, 2022, Hannah and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, the Los Valerosos, chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and Los Valerosos were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. Hannah and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg. Under federal statutes, Hannah is subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Orleans Parish Resident Sentenced to 144 Months for Assault on a Postal Employee and Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JODY HARRIS (“HARRIS”), age 33, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced on March 10, 2026 by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion to 144 months, three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200.00 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to Assault of a Postal Employee, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 2114(a) and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(1), and 924(a)(8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. On or about December 16,2024, HARRIS assaulted a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee with the intent to rob, steal mail, money and other property of the United States. In doing so, HARRIS endangered a USPS letter carrier by using a dangerous weapon, a Beretta Model APX handgun. According to court documents, on the day of robbery, the victim was delivering mail on his route in the 8400 block of Forshey Street. HARRIS approached the victim and brandished the Beretta firearm, after removing it from his black cross body bag. HARRIS then threatened the victim while armed with the handgun, and demanded the victim give him everything he possessed, Fearing for his life, the victim gave HARRIS the USPS vehicle keys, USPS mail scanner, and his USPS mail satchel with mail inside. HARRIS then entered the USPS vehicle and stole the USPS Arrow key, a key used by USPS employees to access blue collection boxes. During the robbery, HARRIS stole a USPS mail scanner with GPS capabilities. The mail scanner tracked to the 8800 block of Forshey Street. As a part of the investigation NOPD discovered that HARRIS frequented a residence in the 8800 block of Forshey Street and confirmed that HARRIS recently left the residence. Later that same day, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) got a search warrant for the Forshey Street residence and recovered postal vehicle keys, a postal Arrow Key, a Debit Card with the name "Jody F Harris,” a firearm, a Beretta Model APX, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol with a loaded magazine as well as stolen mail. After leaving the Forshey Street residence, the investigation then revealed that HARRIS drove his vehicle to a residence in the 6300 block of Baccich Street. As a result, NOPD got a search warrant for the Baccich Street residence and seized a USPS mail satchel with the Postal Carrier's initials, a black cross body bag with red trim, drugs and drug paraphernalia, 139.3 grams of marijuana, 2.1 grams of Xanax, .8 grams of Xanax, l.l grams of crack cocaine and a digital scale. HARRIS was subsequently arrested. HARRIS previously pled guilty to a felony in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, and thus, was prohibited from possessing a firearm. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit, Alexandra Giavotella of the Public Corruption Unit and Gregory M. Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit handled the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: H Block Gang Associate Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An associate of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for drug conspiracy charges. Mark Linnehan, 26, of West Roxbury, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2026 , Linnehan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Linnehan was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H-Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. According to court documents, over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation. The investigation of H Block began in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Since the start of the investigation in 2021, law enforcement attributed 12 incidents of gunfire to growing tensions involving H Block gang associates. Six H Block members and associates were arrested and charged with drug dealing in Boston and the surrounding communities. Four additional H Block members and associates were already in state custody at the time of the arrests. Additional drugs and four firearms were seized during the subsequent arrests. From 2022 through 2023, Linnehan, a long-time H Block gang associate, participated in a conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances, in particular, fentanyl and cocaine. According to court filings, Linnehan was a supplier of fentanyl to his co-conspirators and also engaged in various drug deals with an undercover officer. According to the charging documents, the H Block Street Gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H Block. Current members of H Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation. Linnehan is the 6th defendant to be sentenced in the case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Ted E., Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph, and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Another Illegal Alien from Guatemala Sentenced in Counterfeit Identity Document Ring

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Rigoberto Vasquez-Vasquez, 43, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to 8 months in custody in prison for conspiracy to transfer false identification documents. U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “Rigoberto Vasquez-Vasquez unlawfully entered the United States more than 20 years ago and has been unlawfully present ever since. He doubled down on his criminal behavior by working in a fraudulent identity document business once he got here. This kind of lawless behavior will not be tolerated.” Mr. Vasquez-Vasquez is the third of three defendants charged with and convicted of participating in a scheme by Guatemalans illegally present in the United States to advertise, manufacture, and sell fraudulent Social Security and Permanent Resident cards, as well as other false identification documents, to other persons illegally residing in the Grand Rapids area during 2024 and 2025. The conspirators profited by receiving payments for the counterfeit documents, and the recipients benefitted by using the documents to obtain employment and access to services intended for citizens and immigrants lawfully in the United States. At the time of his arrest on September 30, 2025, case agents executed a search warrant at Vasquez-Vasquez’s Grand Rapids residence. They located and seized multiple computers, laptops, cellular telephones, DVDs, CDs, thumb drives, micro-SD cards, fraudulent identification cards, and Guatemalan passports, as well as an iPad, an external hard drive, and a computer tower. Upon the completion of his sentence, he will be taken into ICE custody for removal proceedings. "This sentencing sends a clear message: Homeland Security Investigations will aggressively pursue and dismantle criminal organizations that traffic in fraudulent identification documents and exploit our immigration system," said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. "We remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities, uphold the integrity of our nation’s laws, and ensure that those who undermine public safety face the full consequences of their actions." The Grand Rapids office of Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Daniels prosecuted it. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Michigan 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.


title: Illinois man pleads guilty to traveling to Zanesville to engage in sex acts with minor after meeting online

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Illinois man who traveled to Muskingum County to engage in sexual activity with a local teenager pleaded guilty in federal court here today. Immanuel D. Nellum, 30, of Peoria Heights, Illinois, faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. He is convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor and traveling interstate with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity with a minor. According to court documents, Nellum met the victim on the online app Friend when she was 12 years old. Between August 2023 and August 2025, Nellum and the victim engaged in an online relationship and exchanged nude images and videos of themselves. Nellum’s phone contained more than 141,000 messages between him and the victim, including approximately 5,500 attachments. Of those, more than 10,000 messages and 2,000 attachments were noted as being exchanged on social media platforms like Snapchat. Nellum admitted that he traveled to Zanesville to engage in sex acts with the minor. In August 2025, law enforcement located Nellum at the Quality Inn in Zanesville with the minor and arrested him. Nellum’s phone showed that he made 75 videos of his encounters with the minor at the hotel. The defendant was charged in Muskingum County and arrested on Aug. 19. He was charged by federal criminal complaint the next month. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Zanesville Police Chief Scott Comstock announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. # # #


title: Oneida County Man Pleads Guilty to Money Order Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Delos Thurston, age 27, of Clinton, New York, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to money order fraud. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), made the announcement. Thurston admitted that between April 2025 and January 2026, while he was employed as the Postmaster of the Morrisville, New York, Post Office, he fraudulently issued 179 money orders for his own benefit without paying for them, and in so doing stole $118,088.19 from the United States. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “This defendant stole from the honest, hard-working American taxpayer. That he did so by abusing the authority entrusted to him as a public servant is abhorrent. We thank the Office of Inspector General for its continued efforts to bring fraudsters to justice.” USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Matthew M. Modafferi stated, “The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is committed to upholding the integrity of the Postal Service and its workforce. Our office will continue to investigate Postal Service employees who violate the public’s trust and engage in fraudulent activity. The USPS-OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat fraud.” Sentencing is scheduled for August 6, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Thurston faces a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The USPS-OIG is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case.


title: Former financial advisor sentenced to 5 years in prison for running $8.6M Ponzi scheme

body_text: CINCINNATI – A former financial advisor who stole $8.6 million from friends and relatives over the course of a 20-year Ponzi scheme was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 60 months in prison. John Jay Kersey, 65, of Maineville, Ohio, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to wire fraud. According to court documents, Kersey was a long-time, trusted financial advisor to friends and relatives. For approximately two decades, from 2003 through 2023, he convinced his clients to move their existing investments from his company to purportedly invest in other funds. Kersey then stole the funds and used the money to pay down credit card bills, pay insurance premiums and to provide a downpayment on real estate. Kersey also used the money to pay other clients, when required, to maintain his investment scheme. To keep his scheme going, the defendant told his clients that their investments were performing well. He provided false documents that included fictitious financial summaries and bank account numbers. Kersey also fabricated charts and graphs to show his victims. Kersey took advantage of and deceived his victims during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. For example, after a victim’s spouse passed away, Kersey assured the victim that he would take care of her finances – when in reality, he had stolen the victim’s funds and used them for his own benefit. Kersey was charged federally in June 2025 by bill of information. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Irish National Sentenced in Multi-State Home Repair Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – An Irish national who was living unlawfully in the United States was sentenced today in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a scheme to defraud homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. John O’Brien, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 56 months in federal prison. He is expected to be deported following the completion of his sentence. O’Brien pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025, to wire fraud. “John O’Brien’s scheme was not just fraudulent, it was predatory. He deliberately targeted homeowners and exploited their trust for personal and financial gain,” said United States Attorney Calenda. “This case reflects a broader pattern of individuals known as ‘Traveling Conmen’ who cross state lines for the purpose of defrauding victims. Individuals who engage in this kind of calculated deception should expect to be aggressively investigated and prosecuted in federal court. This office will continue to prioritize protecting individuals from this type of premeditated scheme. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of O’Brien’s conduct and the harm it causes to victims.” “O’Brien preyed on unsuspecting homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts by posing as a skilled tradesman and contractor—someone they could trust. Instead, this conman fleeced homeowners of upwards of $1 million while inflicting substantial damage to their homes. In one case, O’Brien, an illegal immigrant from Ireland, used his origin to build rapport with an elderly veteran in Warwick, Rhode Island over their shared Irish heritage only to extort him for tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary home repairs,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming. “These scammers actively manipulate homeowners’ emotions, and anyone can be a victim. We urge homeowners to be wary of anyone offering unsolicited services and, most importantly, to come forward if they’ve been victimized. After today’s sentence, O’Brien will serve serious federal prison time and be subsequently deported.” Colonel Michael Lima of the Warwick Police Department stated, “This case is a direct result of the exceptional work of our detectives and the strong partnerships we’ve built with our local, state, and federal law enforcement colleagues. Their persistence, attention to detail, and commitment to protecting our community ensured that a sophisticated and predatory scheme was thoroughly investigated and brought to justice.” As outlined in court documents, O’Brien and his co-conspirators induced homeowners to pay for home repairs that were unnecessary and often not completed. O’Brien falsely claimed structural problems, overstated repair needs, and misrepresented the necessity of services, as well as the qualifications of his purported construction companies, including Traditional Masonry & Construction. In some instances, O’Brien initially performed or recommended minor repairs before falsely claiming that additional, more extensive work was urgently needed, significantly increasing the cost to homeowners. O’Brien’s fraud scheme came to the attention of law enforcement when an 83-year-old Warwick resident, identified in court documents as Victim 1, contacted the Warwick Police Department to report that he had been defrauded by a contractor. Victim 1 reported that O’Brien told him that, while doing work in the neighborhood, he observed cracks in Victim 1’s foundation. O’Brien offered to repair the damage to the foundation and collected $9,500 from Victim 1. As work proceeded, O’Brien claimed that further damage was discovered. O’Brien revised the costs for repairs and sought an additional $80,000 from the victim. A home inspector hired by the United States Attorney’s Office later reviewed the property and found no evidence of a need for these extensive foundation repairs. At the change of plea hearing on December 11, 2025, O’Brien admitted to defrauding property owners of over $1.5 million between July 2021 and March 2025. The scheme O’Brien executed is becoming increasingly common throughout the United States. According to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, the Traveling Conmen Fraud Group has been recognized as a Transnational Organized Crime group. Members are typically groups of Irish or U.K. nationals who entered the United States on pleasure or tourist visas and overstayed their visits or, more commonly, entered the United States illegally. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor A. Dean and Sandra R. Hebert. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Warwick and East Providence Police Departments. 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. HSTF Rhode Island comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Intelligence & Analysis, and Rhode Island Police Departments in Warwick, Newport, Providence, East Providence, and Lincoln, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island.


title: Tax preparer indicted for filing false tax returns causing thousands in fraudulent claims

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A Houston area woman has been taken into custody on charges that she willfully helped clients file false tax returns with the IRS, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Bobbie Zermeno aka Roberta Villarreal is set to make her initial appearance in Houston federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m. A federal grand jury returned the 14-count indictment March 25, which was unsealed upon her arrest. Zermeno ran a tax preparation business in Houston from at least 2017 to 2022, according to the charges. At times during those years, she allegedly added false credits or deductions on tax returns to fraudulently lower her clients’ overall tax liability. The indictment alleges Zermeno utilized false Schedule C losses for businesses that did not even exist and false car mileage expenses to fraudulently inflate her clients’ tax refunds. The false amounts claimed on these returns would, at times, exceed thousands of dollars, according to the charges. Zermeno allegedly earned money from the scheme by charging her clients preparation fees of hundreds of dollars per return. The charges also allege she did not disclose some of these fees to her clients. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison for each count of aiding in the preparation and filing of false tax returns as well as potential fines of up to $250,000. IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Lu and Brad Gray are prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Former Post Office Employee Sentenced for Mail Theft

body_text: BOSTON – A former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for the theft of mail and theft of government funds. Michael Murray, 38, of Lynn, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 30 months’ probation. Murray was also ordered to pay $8,553 in restitution and forfeiture of $5,130. In January 2025 , Murray pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail matter by an employee and one count of theft of government money. In April 2024 , Murray was indicted by a federal grand jury. From approximately September 2022 through July 2023, Murray worked as a USPS postal clerk at the Beach Street Post Office in Revere and the Melrose Post Office. From approximately April 2023 through July 2023, Murray used his official position to steal the contents of hundreds of pieces of mail entrusted to him, including gift cards, cash and checks totaling approximately $3,422. During the same time period, Murray stole and fraudulently negotiated USPS money orders by generating them for postal customers for his own use totaling approximately $5,131. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, prosecuted the case.


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: BOSTON – A Randolph man and a Boston man have pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to cocaine trafficking charges, following a series of arrests targeting gangs in the Brockton and Randolph areas. The charges stemmed from the search of a luxury apartment in Dorchester, where over a kilogram of cocaine and two loaded guns were recovered. Giovany Fouyolle, 31, of Randolph, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Adonis Graham, 34, of Boston, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Brian E. Murphy scheduled sentencings for May 26, 2026 and July 2, 2026, respectively. Fouyolle and Graham were arrested on Dec. 17, 2025, after search warrants were executed at numerous residences and stash houses associated with the Brockton-based Harvard Street Gang and their Randolph-based affiliates. One of the places searched was a unit at the Imprint Apartments in Dorchester, which Fouyolle used as a stash location. Approximately 1,170 grams of cocaine, along with two loaded guns and $2,000 cash in bare kitchen cabinets, were located in the apartment. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Abington, Acushnet, Ashland, Boston, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Chelsea, East Bridgewater, Medford, Quincy, Randolph, Raynham, Stoughton, Taunton and West Bridgewater Police Departments; Plymouth and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments; Massachusetts Department of Correction; Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices; and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Cutshall and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.