title: Former Ellensburg Doctor Indicted on 26 Felony Counts for Falsifying and Issuing Commercial Driver’s Licenses and Prescriptions for Controlled Substances Outside the Scope of Professional Practice and Not for a Legitimate Medical Purpose

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on November 14, 2025, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an Indictment charging Anna Elperin, age 42, with 26 felony counts relating to prescriptions for controlled substances and Department of Transportation commercial driver’s licenses physical examinations Elperin wrote and performed at her former clinic, Awake Health, PLLC, in Ellensburg, Washington, between July 2018 and September 2022. Elperin was arrested by federal law enforcement officers on November 21, 2025, and made her initial appearance in federal magistrate court on November 24, 2025. The Indictment alleges that Elperin was involved in two separate fraudulent schemes. First, Elperin falsified medical examinations for commercial driver’s license applicants. According to court documents, Elperin, who was a trained and certified medical examiner eligible to perform Department of Transportation physicals, improperly performed physical examinations and then certified candidates for commercial driver’s licenses were physically qualified for such licenses when they in fact were not. Moreover, Elperin failed to transmit data about the certifications she signed to the Department of Transportation as required. Second, Elperin issued false and fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose, occasionally prescribing her staff prescriptions which she herself would take from the staff member. According to court documents, Elperin had a pre-signed prescription pad at her clinic, Awake Health, and permitted staff members to write themselves prescriptions for controlled substances. Moreover, Elperin herself signed prescriptions for controlled substances for staff and others which Elperin then requested the individual return to Elperin for her own use. “This investigation has been ongoing for a long time, and I am proud to work with such diligent investigative agencies who are focused on public safety, especially with the current environment of public concerns related to motor carrier qualifications and safety” stated Mr. Serrano. Elperin has been charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the Department of Transportation (Count 1); Making a False Writing or Document (Counts 2-7); Falsification of Federal Records (Counts 8-13); Conspiracy to Dispense Controlled Substances and to Acquire Controlled Substances by Misrepresentation, Fraud, or Deception (Count 14); False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters (Counts 15-17); Dispensing and Distribution of Controlled Substances (Counts 18-22); and Acquiring or Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, or Deception (Counts 23-26). A hearing for Elperin’s detention pending trial was held on November 26, 2025. Prior to the detention hearing, the United States Attorney’s Office filed two detention motions arguing for Elperin’s detention. The United States proffered that Elperin was frequently visibly impaired at work at Awake Health and had threatened and intimidated staff members, including with a firearm. At the detention hearing, Magistrate Judge Alex C. Ekstrom highlighted that there was currently no evidence that any of Elperin’s substance or alcohol abuse, which underlined the charged offenses, had been addressed. Judge Ekstrom further expressed concerns about Elperin’s substance and alcohol use, mental health, and acts of ensconcing herself in her house to further her addiction. Magistrate Judge Ekstrom detained Elperin pending trial. “This indictment highlights our unwavering commitment to exposing and pursuing fraudulent conduct by medical professionals in the motor carrier industry who are willing to jeopardize public safety,” said Cory LeGars, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “Working closely with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue to aggressively prevent, detect, and prosecute actions that undermine the integrity of DOT’s safety programs.” “DEA holds physicians who prescribe controlled substances to a very high standard so they do not become drug dealers with a medical license,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Not only did Dr. Elperin fail to uphold this standard, in some instances she obtained the controlled substances for her personal use. We are proud of the work of DEA and our partners for holding her accountable.” Unrelated to the federal investigation, in December 2021 and September 2022, respectively, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery and the Washington State Department of Health restricted Elperin’s medical license. This case is being investigated jointly by the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney R. Pratten, and contractor Echo D. Fatsis. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 1:25-cr-02120-SAB More information can be found on the Washington State Department of Health Website: https://doh.wa.gov/newsroom/kittitas-county-osteopathic-physicians-license-suspended-based-additional-charges.


title: Multi-Agency Investigation Results in Convictions of 20 Defendants for Decade-Long, Multi-Million Dollar Marijuana Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracy

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

body_text: SHREVEPORT– A case that began as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case in Shreveport has resulted in the conviction and sentencing of 20 defendants to a combined sentence of over 87 years in federal prison for a drug trafficking conspiracy involving thousands of pounds of marijuana that the conspirators sold for millions of dollars over the course of more than a decade. “Organized drug trafficking is a menace to our communities, promoting lawlessness, violence, and addiction,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Dismantling these networks lies at the heart of our mission to make our Louisiana communities safe, and this case shows our Office’s ability to work with state, local, and federal law enforcement partners—here, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department—to do precisely that.” According to documents and testimony presented in court, Hikmat Deeb worked with others, including Brieon O’Neal and Andrew Brown, to obtain and distribute marijuana in the Western District of Louisiana from 2012 until the time of his arrest in September 2023. The defendants originally obtained marijuana on the West Coast, with the men found by law enforcement to possess large sums of cash at airports in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle that Deeb later admitted to be for the purchase of large quantities of marijuana. By 2021, Deeb began obtaining marijuana from sources of supply in Oklahoma that included his brother, Rshad Deeb, and Hui He and Yichen He, both Chinese nationals. Hui He owned two properties in Oklahoma that he used for the illegal cultivation and distribution of marijuana and was also connected to a larger marijuana distribution organization. After purchasing the marijuana, Deeb used a network of couriers and salesmen to transport and sell the drugs to the Western District of Louisiana and elsewhere, with the marijuana stored in places like apartment buildings, homes, and an abandoned car lot in Shreveport. In addition, Deeb’s wife, Jerusalia Bell, laundered many of the proceeds of this conspiracy through a retail clothing line, with Deeb giving her cash from his illegal drug sales to deposit into her business bank account. Bell’s business had nearly $1 million in unreported income between 2020 and 2022 alone, representing the proceeds of this laundering activity from that period. This case led to substantial prison sentences for several co-conspirators, including Deeb, who was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison, as well as Hui He and Bell, both of whom received sentences of more than eight years in prison. The full list of defendants, their conviction and sentences are as follows: Hui He a/k/a “Kevin,” 42 Norman, OK Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 100 months in prison, 4 years supervised release Hikmat Jamal Deeb a/k/a “Hek” and “Hector,” 35 Bossier City, LA Pleaded guilty to laundering of monetary instruments Sentenced to 224 months in prison, 3 years supervised release Brieon O’Neal, 37 Bossier City, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 72 months in prison, 4 years supervised release Andrew O. Brown, 31 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and wire fraud Sentenced to 63 months in prison, 4 years supervised release Restitution of $22,000 Rshad Deeb a/k/a “Ray,” 39 Bossier City, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 108 months in prison, 5 years supervised release Modh Fawzi Tbaileh a/k/a “Moody,” 35 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 60 months in prison, 4 years supervised release Trevor J. Osifo, 30 Aubrey, TX Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 72 months in prison, 5 years supervised release Jimmy Lee Mays, Jr., 32 Longview, TX Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 41 months in prison, 3 years supervised release Dajuan Jackson a/k/a “Bando,” 43 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 46 months in prison, 3 years supervised release Yichen He a/k/a “Brian” and “Lin Lin,” 31 Newcastle, OK Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 60 months in prison, 4 years supervised release Javarria Linnear a/k/a “Bubba,” 33 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 5 years of supervised probation Fine of $5,500 Jerusalia S. Bell, 37 Bossier City, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 97 months in prison, 3 years supervised release James Troy Phillips, 37 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 60 months in prison, 5 years supervised release Damarquez Mitchell a/k/a “Quez,” 33 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime Sentenced to 84 months in prison, 5 years supervised release Clarissa Monet Holmes, 31 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 3 years supervised probation Shakera Stringfellow, 27 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 3 years supervised probation Hadi Deeb, 26 Bossier City, LA Conspiracy to launder monetary instruments Sentenced to 21 months in prison, 3 years supervised release Elesia Denee Johnson, 28 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentenced to 3 years of supervised probation Adham Jamal Deeb a/k/a “Polo,” 40 Bossier City, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentencing set for 2/12/2026 Cory David Beasley, 39 Shreveport, LA Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana Sentencing set for 3/12/2026 U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. is scheduled to sentence the two remaining defendants, Adham Deeb and Cory Beasley, in early 2026 after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and J. Aaron Crawford are prosecuting the case. The investigation and conviction of these defendants originated as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identified, disrupted, and dismantled the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threatened the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leveraged the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer , under Case Number 5:23-cr-00214. ###


title: Former Executive From Marlborough Charged With Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former accounting and real estate executive in Sudbury has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to perpetrating a multi-year scheme to cheat the Internal Revenue Service by getting paid more than $1.6 million in compensation and fringe benefits under the table, all while allegedly lying to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income to avoid paying restitution he owed to victims of an earlier fraud scheme. Stephen L. Hochberg, 77, of Marlborough, was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and with obstruction of justice. The defendant will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Dec. 11, 2025. According to the charging documents, Hochberg and Charles D. Katz agreed as early as 2014 to cheat the IRS. They allegedly agreed that Hochberg, who served as the Director of Corporate Services at Katz’s accounting firm and as Chief Operating Officer at Katz’s real estate firm, would be paid significant compensation off the books so that Hochberg would have tax-free income and so that Katz’s firms – CD Katz LLC and Gebsco Realty Corporation – would have lower employment taxes. Over time, Katz allegedly paid Hochberg’s family, provided rent-free housing to Hochberg’s ex-wife, paid college tuition for his children and paid personal expenses that Hochberg and his ex-wife charged on corporate credit cards. All told, Katz allegedly paid Hochberg at least $1,668,487 in unreported income and avoided taxes of at least $835,105. In 2008, Hochberg was convicted of eight counts of wire fraud and nine counts of securities fraud, for which he was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,791,500 to his victims. It is alleged that, in addition to his and Katz’s scheme, he lied to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income from Katz’s firms and obstructed the collection of restitution he owed to victims. Katz was charged and agreed to plead guilty in October 2025 . The Court accepted his plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 2, 2026. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. 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; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Clint Man Gets Nearly a Decade in Federal Prison for Transporting Aliens

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Clint man was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso today to 115 months in prison for conspiracy to transport aliens. According to court documents, Jesus David Escareno aka El Gerver, 19, acted as the leader of an alien smuggling cell operating in the Western District of Texas and the District of New Mexico. From July 2024 through February 2025, Escareno conspired with dozens of drivers to pick up and transport aliens in furtherance of their illegal entry into the United States. In total, he was directly involved in the transportation of more than 100 aliens. Escareno was arrested April 7 and pleaded guilty on Sept. 9. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower presided over the case. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mathew Engelbaum prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). ###


title: Hilliard man pleads guilty to using AI to create child pornography

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Hilliard man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to two child pornography crimes. Austin Pittman, 35, admitted to distributing images of real child pornography and using AI to morph videos and photos of real children to whom he had access into images of child pornography. According to court documents, in January 2025, the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received multiple cyber tipline reports regarding Pittman’s activity on Kik messenger. On the instant messaging app, Pittman distributed child pornography depicting an adult sexually abusing a child. Further investigation revealed that, in 2024, Pittman was the target of an investigation at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he uploaded 47 files of child pornography to Kik. A search warrant at Pittman’s residence in April of this year led to the seizure of numerous devices. During a review of Pittman’s cell phone, law enforcement officials discovered images and videos of real children to whom Pittman had access. Pittman had secretly recorded and created some of the images and videos himself. Pittman then used AI programs to alter these images and depict the minor females as fully nude. Pittman was charged federally and arrested on April 29. Distributing and receiving child pornography carries a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison. Producing morphed child pornography is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. 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; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Dulce Man Charged with Violent Assault

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been indicted on federal charges as a habitual offender for allegedly strangling and suffocating a woman. According to court documents, on April 3, 2025, Tyler Vigil , 32, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe by strangling and suffocating her. Vigil has at least two prior convictions in Indian tribal court for assault, making him a habitual offender. Vigil is charged with assault by a habitual offender and assault and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Vigil faces up to 10 years in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dulce Man Sentenced for Assault by Strangulation

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to 84 months in prison for assaulting a woman by strangulation. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, between April 7 and April 8, 2024, Kayiliab Haines , 34, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Indian Tribe, assaulted Jane Doe by strangling her. Haines pled guilty to assault by strangulation. Upon his release from prison, Haines will be subject to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today. The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson prosecuted the case.


title: United States Attorney Announces Federal Prison Sentences in Recent Federal Firearms Cases

body_text: BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart Davis announced the results of four separate firearm prosecution cases today. “As these cases demonstrate, my office will work with all of our law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce federal firearms laws and keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. Council Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Unlawfully Possessing an AR-15 Rifle In one case, Andrew James Solver, 42, of Council, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Solver to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. According to court records, on January 28, 2025, a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ranger patrolling north of Emmett discovered an illegal campsite on public lands. When the Ranger attempted to contact a man at the campsite, the man fled. Through an investigation, the Ranger identified the man as Andrew James Solver. The Ranger also learned that Solver had an outstanding felony warrant and was in violation of his state parole. When the Ranger returned to the area with additional law enforcement officers, Solver was arrested, and officers found an AR-15 rifle. Solver admitted that he unlawfully possessed the rifle, which he had stolen during a burglary of a residence in Gem County. Solver was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his six prior felony convictions including burglary and possession of controlled substances. "The Bureau of Land Management is proud to work alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office to uphold the law and protect our public lands,” said Becky Andres, BLM Office of Law Enforcement and Security Special Agent in Charge of Region 2. “This successful prosecution contributes to a safer, more secure community.” U.S. Attorney Davis thanked the Bureau of Land Management Office of Law Enforcement and Security, Bureau of Land Management Rangers, Idaho Fish and Game, and Gem County Sheriff’s Office for their collaboration in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Booker prosecuted the case. Nampa Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Handgun In a separate case, Francisco Javier Burgos, 20, of Nampa, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford ordered Burgos to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. According to court records, on January 2, 2025, a Nampa police officer attempted to contact Burgos who was in a park after hours. Burgos fled into a nearby neighborhood where he was arrested after attempting to hide a loaded handgun. Burgos, a documented gang member, was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Nampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Booker prosecuted this case. Boise Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possession of Short-Barreled Rifles. In another case, Christopher Hayman, 39, of Boise, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for the possession of unregistered short-barreled rifles. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford ordered Hayman to serve three years of supervised release following his conviction. According to court records, in the summer of 2024, Hayman purchased over 30 firearms from a licensed firearm store. At the time of the purchase, he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a civil domestic violence protection order from California. Hayman was also on pretrial diversion in a domestic violence case in Washington. The ATF subsequently searched Hayman’s residence pursuant to a search warrant. In his home, agents found numerous firearms, to include two short-barreled rifles, one of which was a privately made firearm, also known as a ghost gun. Hayman had not registered either firearm with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Agents also located a 20-round drum and an extended magazine. Hayman admitted that he knew the California protection order prohibited him from possessing firearms. “Illegal firearm possession endangers our community and undermines the safety we work hard to protect. ATF is determined to ensure those who choose to break the law face the consequences of their actions, and this sentence shows our commitment to holding those offenders accountable,” said Eric Jackson, ATF’s Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Division. U.S. Attorney Davis commended ATF for their work on the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler prosecuted this case. Mexican National Sentenced to 60 Months for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. Jesus Cuevas, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced on November 13, 2025, to 60 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. According to court records, on January 3, 2024, Cuevas possessed two firearms, one of which was a short-barreled rifle. After being federally indicted for unlawful possession of a firearm, Cuevas was released from custody. While on release, Cuevas was driving a truck that was stopped by law enforcement for traffic violations. Officers searched the truck and found a loaded firearm in the center console. Cuevas was prohibited from possessing the firearms due to his prior felony conviction for burglary. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Cuevas, an alien born in Mexico and without legal authority to be in the United States, will likely be deported back to Mexico. U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Nampa Police Department and the ATF, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Morse and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler prosecuted this case. The Hayman and Cuevas cases were prosecuted by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl CONCORD – Jeison Eulogio Dume-Calderone, 28, formerly of Boston, pleaded guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and 400 grams of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on two occasions in March 2023, Dume-Calderone sold a total of 667 grams of methamphetamine to a United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confidential source in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Later the same month, DEA agents arrested Dume-Calderone after he sold approximately 8.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and 498 grams of fentanyl to the same confidential source at a different Seabrook location. A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment on March 26, 2025. Dume-Calderone remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending his sentencing. The charges carry a maximum term of life. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Court scheduled sentencing in this matter for March 12, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security has determined that Dume-Calderon is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who is present in the United States unlawfully. “Today’s guilty plea underscores our office’s commitment to combatting the flow of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities. This defendant chose to traffic in highly addictive and dangerous drugs and now will be held accountable. We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local partners to protect the public and dismantle drug trafficking networks,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “The state of New Hampshire continues to be faced with a drug crisis unlike ever before and the DEA stands committed to work to keep highly addictive drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine out of the Granite State,” said Jarod Forget, DEA Special Agent in Charge, New England Field Division. “Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs and contributing to the loss of life for those battling addiction need to be held responsible for their actions. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are committed to bringing to justice those that distribute these poisons.” The investigation was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennfer C. Davis is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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: Former Ohkay Owingeh Police Department Officer Back in Court After Absconding While on Pre-Trial Release

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Pre-trial conditions of release for Justin Aguino were revoked after he violated his terms of release, prompting the FBI to publish a wanted poster that led to his arrest. Aguino was originally arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements for using his position as an officer with the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department to impede a federal grand jury investigation by disclosing information about an ongoing investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration to a person outside the investigation. When confronted by FBI special agents in 2022, Aguino falsely stated that he had not shared any information. On July 6, 2023, Aguino was released on conditions pending trial. On August 22, 2024, the Isleta Tribal Court issued a bench warrant for his failure to appear at a child support hearing. When Pretrial Services attempted to contact Aguino regarding the warrant, officers discovered his phone number was no longer in service, violating his release by failing to report changes in contact information and failing to remain in communication with officers. On November 25, 2025, the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office offered a reward for information leading to Aguino ’s capture. He was arrested on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo the following day. On December 1, 2025, Aguino appeared in federal court and was detained pending trial, which was originally scheduled for October 2024, but has not been rescheduled. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Region III Drug Enforcement Task Force. Criminal Chief Niki Tapia-Brito is prosecuting the case. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Luring Minor Girls into Sending Him Sexually Explicit Content

body_text: CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man who pretended to own a modeling agency has been sentenced to prison for grooming children into sending him sexually explicit images through the social media platform, Snapchat. Joshua R. Glover, 36, of Elyria, Ohio, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in July to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child pornography, which is also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Glover was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $2,000 in assessments toward a monetary reserve for victims of CSAM. Judge Polster imposed the sentence Nov. 25, 2025. “Glover’s vile and despicable manipulation of underage girls has come to an end. He will no longer commit these heinous and horrendous crimes against vulnerable children,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are immensely grateful to the FBI Cleveland for the thorough investigation that led to Glover’s three-decades-long sentence to keep him behind bars where he cannot continue this predatory behavior.” According to court documents, from January 2022 to January 2024, Glover used Snapchat to engage with hundreds of minor girls under the guise of owning a modeling agency. His typical victims ranged in age from 12-15 years old and were located throughout the country. Investigators found that Glover repeatedly sent requests for sexually explicit photos and videos to young girls with the lure of joining his modeling agency and receiving payment for their images and videos. Glover initiated over 18,000 chats and conversed with some victims for years—building relationships where he directed the type of sexual activity the minors engaged in and offered to meet with them in person to engage in sex. “Contacting, coercing, and preying on young girls through social media to gain their trust and elicit inappropriate behavior is cold and callous,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This sentence underscores the commitment of not only the FBI, but also our federal, state, and local partners who will ensure a full and thorough investigation that leads to taking predators like Glover offline and out of our neighborhoods. The FBI will continue to work collaboratively to combine resources and share expertise to identify those who commit these appalling crimes and find justice for the victims.” Federal search warrants of Glover’s digital devices and online accounts revealed Glover possessed approximately 100 files of CSAM. By his own admission, Glover estimated he received images and videos of CSAM from over 90 different minors. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division. The prosecution in this case was led by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer King . 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, please 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: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – James Garner, also known as “Jake,” 35, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Garner admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 17, 2025, Garner sold approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $350. As part of his guilty plea, Garner admitted that co-defendant Joshua Willie McCarver directed the confidential informant to a Baer Street residence in Huntington, where Garner sold the methamphetamine to the confidential informant. Garner also admitted to the following criminal conduct: he sold approximately 51 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $350 on January 22, 2025, and approximately 336 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,400 on February 21, 2025. Garner admitted that he conducted both transactions at the Baer Street residence, and that McCarver arranged each transaction beforehand and directed the confidential informant to the residence in each instance. On May 31, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop in Huntington of a vehicle in which Garner was a passenger. Garner admitted that he exited the vehicle during the traffic stop and discarded a bag containing approximately 459 grams of methamphetamine near the front passenger side of the vehicle. Garner further admitted that he returned to the vehicle when instructed to by an officer, but then fled from the traffic stop on foot and was apprehended after a pursuit. Officers recovered the bag discarded by Garner and a bag containing approximately 49.8 grams of fentanyl in the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle. Garner admitted that he possessed the recovered methamphetamine and fentanyl and intended to distribute the controlled substances for money. Garner is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at last four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. Garner is among 10 defendants indicted on charges alleging they participated in the DTO. Garner and co-defendant Jackie Dwayne Lucas, also known as “Dwayne,” 49, of Huntington, pleaded guilty. The charges against McCarver, also known as “TJ,” 27, of Detroit, Michigan, and the other defendants remain pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-154. ###


title: Wilmington Man Charged After Machinegun and Manifesto are Found

body_text: Wilmington, Delaware – On November 26, 2025, a Wilmington resident was charged with illegally possessing a machinegun, announced Julianne E. Murray, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. According to court documents, on Monday, November 24, 2025, at approximately 11:47 p.m., patrol officers of the New Castle County Police Department were conducting a property check in Canby Park West when they observed a white Toyota Tacoma in the parkland, after hours. Officers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and contacted the driver, and sole occupant, 25-year-old Luqmaan Khan of Wilmington. During the stop, officers developed probable cause to order Khan out of the vehicle, and he refused to comply. Subsequently, Khan resisted arrest and was taken into custody by the officers. During their investigation, officers discovered in Khan’s vehicle a .357 caliber Glock handgun loaded with 27 rounds. The handgun had been inserted into a microplastic conversion firearm brace kit. Within the vehicle, officers also found all the following: (i) three more loaded, 27-round magazines (one in the storage slot of the conversion kit); (ii) a loaded Glock 9mm magazine; (iii) an armored ballistic plate; and (iv) a marble composition notebook. In the handwritten notebook, Khan discussed additional weapons and firearms, how they could be used in an attack, and how law enforcement detection could be avoided once an attack was carried out. The notebook referenced a member of the University of Delaware’s Police Department by name, and included a layout of a building with entry and exit points under which the words “UD Police Station” were printed. On November 25, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NCCPD executed a search warrant at Khan’s Wilmington residence. Within, law enforcement recovered a Glock 19 9mm handgun equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device, commonly called a “switch.” Law enforcement also recovered a .556 rifle with a scope and a red dot sight, eleven more extended magazines, hollow point rounds of ammunition, and a two-plate tactical vest equipped with a single ballistic plate. The criminal complaint charges Khan with possessing a machinegun. If convicted of the charge, Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment. If Khan is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Castle County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Frey and Kevin P. Pierce, and Criminal Chief Carly A. Hudson, are prosecuting the case. “This case is a quintessential example of federal and state law enforcement collaborating to neutralize a grave threat to Delaware before the worst could come to pass. I want to thank our dedicated law enforcement partners at the FBI and the NCCPD for their exceptional work. As always, we are proud to work with them to keep Delaware safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Murray. “I commend the devoted officers with the New Castle County Police Department whose exceptional actions led to Khan’s arrest before anyone was harmed. We are grateful for the coordinated and swift collaboration between partners which resulted in this federal charge. The FBI’s Wilmington Resident Agency is dedicated to protecting the people of Delaware and working daily with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and hold accountable those who seek to commit acts of violence,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “Thanks to the proactive work of these patrol officers, a dangerous threat to our community was stopped before it could escalate into violence. Their professionalism, vigilance, and commitment to public safety embody the values we expect and the courage our residents depend on every day. We also extend our sincere thanks to our federal partners, whose collaboration was instrumental in bringing this incident to a safe and successful conclusion,” said Colonel James J. Leonard III of the New Castle County Police Department. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2025, Ludaway sold approximately 28.5 grams of methamphetamine and 6.79 gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Ludaway admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. On May 30, 2025, law enforcement officers arrested Ludaway and executed a search warrant at his 30th Street residence in Huntington. Officers seized approximately 4 pounds of fentanyl and 100 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” a loaded Charter Arms model Undercover .38-caliber revolver, and approximately $20,000 during the search. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. Ludaway’s co-defendant, Scott Burd, 59, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on November 24, 2025, to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026. This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-103. ###


title: Wakefield Woman Convicted of Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Wakefield woman was convicted of money laundering conspiracy on Nov. 24, 2025, following a six-day jury trial. Christiane Fischer, 42, was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for March 5, 2026. Fischer was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2022. Fischer owns PK Motor Cars, a used car dealership in Peabody that also repairs cars and rents used cars. In 2016, law enforcement began an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficker named Phillip Morose who sold hundreds of thousands of counterfeit fentanyl pills. Evidence presented at trial established that Fischer conspired to launder Morose’s drug proceeds through her business, PK Motor Cars. In August 2016, Fischer added Morose as CEO of PK Motor Cars and thereafter Morose deposited nearly $1 million in cash into Fischer’s business bank accounts. At the end of 2016, Fischer used cashier’s checks from those same business bank accounts to buy Morose a house in Lynnfield. The house was purchased in the name of Fischer’s business in order to conceal the true ownership of the house and where the proceeds to buy the house came from. Fischer also allowed Morose to use luxury vehicles owned by her business to promote his drug trafficking. In 2019 , Morose was sentenced to 30 years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering in the Middle District of Florida. In March 2025, Morose was sentenced to 80 months in prison, to be served concurrently to the 2019 sentenced imposed, for money laundering in the District of Massachusetts. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of the laundered funds. 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; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Tampa District Office Task Force 1; Massachusetts State Police; and the Newton, Millis, Waltham, Framingham, Haverhill, Brookline, Natick, Wakefield, Burlington, Lynnfield and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and K. Nathaniel Yeager of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.


title: Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Steven Estrada Ramirez, 23, pleaded guilty on Nov. 24, 2025, to receipt and possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris who scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2026. Estrada was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 . Estrada was identified as a participant in multiple groups on a mobile chat application in which the primary purpose of the groups was for users to share and view CSAM. At the time of his arrest, Estrada was found to be in possession of a USB drive containing over 700 video files depicting CSAM, including files depicting children who appeared to be approximately one to eight years old. Additionally, the home screen of Estrada’s cell phone depicted an image of CSAM and the phone contained thousands of images and videos depicting CSAM. The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .


title: Delano Man Sentenced to 6 Years and 8 Months in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Omar Vayas Duran, 45, of Delano, was sentenced today to six years and eight months in prison by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, between Sept. 23, 2020, and June 29, 2021, Duran conspired with Jesus Manuel Morfin Villa, 31, of Delano, and others to acquire and distribute fentanyl. On one occasion in June 2021, Duran supplied Morfin Villa with approximately 2,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to sell. On Aug. 14, 2023, Morfin Villa was sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine and fentanyl. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.


title: Bay Area Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Stockton Drug Buy

body_text: Robert Godinez, 53, of Hayward, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 13 years in prison for possessing methamphetamine and heroin with the intent to distribute, and for using a cellphone to facilitate drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, on Aug. 30, 2019, law enforcement officers pulled over Godinez on a traffic stop after he purchased methamphetamine and heroin from a drug dealer in Stockton. A search of Godinez’s vehicle resulted in the discovery of 2 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately a half pound of heroin. Additionally, during the prosecution of this case, Godinez submitted false declarations to the district court and lied to the assigned probation officer, resulting in the application of an obstruction of justice sentencing enhancement. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Joaquin County Probation Department, the Stockton Police Department, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lee and Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case. 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 Sacramento comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.


title: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Demonte Jovon Walker, also known as “DJ,” 26, of Pontiac, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 24, 2024, Walker sold approximately 83 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $450. As part of his guilty plea, Walker admitted that he arranged the transaction beforehand and conducted it in the confidential informant’s vehicle in Huntington. Walker also admitted to additional criminal conduct. Walker sold approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $300 on October 2, 2024, and approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $300 on October 17, 2024. Walker admitted that he conducted both transactions, each time to a confidential informant in Huntington, and arranged for another individual to sell approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $300 in Huntington on October 9, 2024. Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-100. ###


title: Idaho Man Admits to Assaulting Federal Officers in Southern Utah

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – Gregory Aaron Farley, 51, of Hazelton, Idaho, pleaded guilty in federal court today to assault of an employee of the United States with a deadly or dangerous weapon after he rammed his pickup truck into two U.S. Park Rangers’ vehicle in May 2025. According to court documents and admissions made at Farley’s change of plea hearing, on May 3, 2025, while in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Southern Utah, Farley used his GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck to assault two on duty United States Park Rangers who conducted a traffic stop on Farley. During the traffic stop, Farley, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, fled the scene while one of the rangers was speaking to him, nearly hitting one of the rangers. A vehicle pursuit ensued, and at one point, Farley turned his vehicle around and rammed his truck into the driver’s side of the rangers’ vehicle, pushing them into the shoulder of the road, causing their vehicle’s air bags to deploy and rendering the driver’s side door inoperable. See prior press release: Idaho Man Indicted after Allegedly Assaulting U.S. Park Rangers in Southern Utah . Farley is scheduled to be sentenced February 11, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge in courtroom 2B of the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470. “My office will have zero tolerance for attacks on law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We are fortunate that these U.S. Park Rangers were not critically injured, but it is a stark reminder of the dangers they face while in the line of duty. My office will prosecute such violent offenders to the fullest extent of the law.” The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph M. Hood and Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: Men Linked to the Disappearance of an 18-Year-Old Nebraska Woman Found Guilty of Drug, Gun, and Obstruction-Related Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Two men with lengthy criminal histories were convicted by a jury on November 25, 2025, after a 11-day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Floyd Clifford Coates, Jr., aka Cliff Coates, age 44, from St. Francis, Kansas, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession of Ammunition by a Felon and Drug User, Conspiracy to Conceal Objects with the Intent to Impair Their Availability for an Official Proceeding, and Concealing Objects with the Intent to Impair their Availability for an Official Proceeding. Coates was acquitted of other charges related to threats, and obstruction of justice. Dennis Lawson, age 65, from Whiting, Iowa, was convicted of Using Threat of Physical Force Against Another with the Intent to Hinder, Delay, or Prevent the Communication to a Law Enforcement Officer and Judge of the United States of Information Relating to the Commission and Possible Commission of a Federal Offense. Lawson was acquitted of other charges relating to drugs, threats and obstruction. The verdict was returned following about 2 hours of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial showed that in Spring 2019, Coates was a member of a drug trafficking organization that funneled pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado to Strubel, Iowa, among other places, for redistribution, and that Coates possessed firearms to protect his illegal drug operation. Evidence also showed that on Easter weekend 2019, Coates had arranged a drug run to Kansas City, Missouri. To execute the Easter weekend drug run, Coates had convinced an Iowa woman to drive from Sioux City, Iowa; meet him in Blair, Nebraska; and drive him to Kansas City, Missouri, and back. Coates decided to travel to Blair from Trenton, Nebraska, with another woman, 18-year-old Sunny Sramek. Coates and Sramek left Trenton in his wife’s white Ford Explorer to go on the trip. There is no evidence Ms. Sramek knew Coates was going to Kansas City; in fact, she told friends and family that she was going to be on a day trip to Omaha. The pair made it to Blair, where Coates went into a home, but Ms. Sramek did not. Coates’s driver arrived from Sioux City and Coates said nothing of Ms. Sramek to the driver. As the driver and Coates left the home, the driver saw Ms. Sramek’s motionless body. The driver testified it looked as if Ms. Sramek had overdosed, and Coates said he had provided her methamphetamine. Coates cancelled his drug run to Kansas City and told his driver to go to the home of his brother-in-law Dennis Lawson near Whiting, Iowa, on the banks of the Missouri River. The driver testified that after they arrived at Lawson’s residence Lawson and Coates disappeared for a time, when they returned, Ms. Sramek’s body was gone. The driver also testified that she and Coates cleaned out the car, and that Lawson threatened her saying if she told anyone, “it would be her funeral.” Later, Coates told confidants that Ms. Sramek had overdosed. He told other friends a more violent story. In both versions, however, he told people he had thrown Ms. Sramek’s body into the Missouri River to conceal evidence of his crimes. Coates was confident his efforts at concealing Ms. Sramek’s body would insulate him from accountability. He told one person “no body, no case” and asked another “you can’t get charged with murder if there is no body, can you?” Coates’s confidence was misplaced. Law enforcement gathered a significant amount of physical evidence tying Coates to Ms. Sramek’s disappearance. Forensic analysis indicated Ms. Sramek’s DNA and a significant amount of blood were found in the white Ford Explorer. The forensic findings combined with other evidence provided the proof the jury used to convict Coates and Lawson. “Sunny Sramek went missing more than six years ago,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “But the investigators’ dedication kept her case from going cold. Thanks to them, these two criminals now face judgment for Sunny’s disappearance. Those who believe they can escape justice through threats, cover-ups, or the passage of time will discover they are mistaken.” “The convictions of Coates and Lawson represent years of tireless, unwavering efforts by a dedicated team of FBI personnel who never stopped looking for Sunny Sramek,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel. “Despite the defendants’ best efforts to conceal involvement in her disappearance, the FBI persisted in our mission to hold these subjects accountable for their actions. We hope these convictions bring some measure of solace to Sunny’s family. The FBI will always use every tool and technique in our arsenal to seek justice for the missing and attempts to hinder those efforts will be aggressively investigated.” Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Coates and Lawson remain in custody of the United States Marshal. Coates faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Lawson faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was investigated by Hitchcock County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office; the Nebraska State Patrol; the Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Criminal Investigation; the Plymouth County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the O’Brien County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa Department of Natural Resources; the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner; the Goodland, Kansas, Police Department; and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case number is 24-4021. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Former Memphis Police Department Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights, Firearms, Kidnapping, and Obstruction Charges Related to Fatal Shooting

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Patric J. Ferguson, 34, a former Memphis Police Department Officer, was sentenced today to 38 years in prison for civil rights, firearms, kidnapping, and obstruction offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of a man identified by the initials R.H. “This defendant committed a premeditated murder while using his position as a police officer, not to protect the Memphis community, but to perpetrate this horrendous crime and shield himself from suspicion and liability,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “While no prison sentence can undo the defendant’s heartless crimes, today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable and sends a clear message that no one is above the law. The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who violate the rights of the people they are sworn to protect.” “This sentence reenforces that violating an individual’s constitutional rights will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “This defendant tarnished his badge and undermined this community’s faith in law enforcement. Our office remains committed to protecting our communities from any and all abuses of power.” Documents filed in connection with the defendant’s plea established that Ferguson, while on duty as a Memphis Police Department officer on Jan. 5, 2021, kidnapped and fatally shot R.H. Ferguson then conspired with his co-defendant, Joshua M. Rogers, to cover up the fatal shooting by disposing of R.H.’s body in the Wolf River in Memphis. Finally, Ferguson and Rogers conspired to dispose of the vehicle they used to transport R.H.’s body by selling it to a scrap metal company. Rogers pleaded guilty on May 8, to obstruction charges related to the cover up of Ferguson’s fatal shooting. Rogers is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Nashville Field Office and the Memphis Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Hartridge for the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Tenette Smith and Sarah Armstrong of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.


title: Former President and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce Pleads Guilty to Fraud

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Jonathan Weinhagen, also known as “James Sullivan,” age 42, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of Mail Fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. From December 2019 through June 2024, defendant Weinhagen abused his position as President and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce to defraud and embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Chamber of Commerce and its business members, in several ways. First, Weinhagen stole reward money for the unsolved murders of children. In May 2021, two minor children were killed, and a third child was injured, in a series of shootings in North Minneapolis. On May 21, 2021, the Chamber of Commerce contributed $30,000 to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to fund three separate $10,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the persons responsible for the shootings. Approximately one year later, Weinhagen emailed the president of Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to inquire about the status of the rewards. When he learned that the rewards were unclaimed, Weinhagen asked that the $30,000 be returned to the Chamber of Commerce because it had “made a commitment to [its] investors to deploy the resources into the North Minneapolis Community.” Weinhagen told Crime Stoppers to send the refund check to Weinhagen’s home, which Weinhagen falsely represented was the Chamber of Commerce’s new address. On June 6, 2022, Crime Stoppers of Minnesota sent the $30,000 check to Weinhagen’s home. Weinhagen stole this money and used it to pay his personal expenses. Second, between December 2019 and April 2021, Weinhagen entered into three sham consulting agreements on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce with Synergy Partners, a fictional company the defendant invented for purposes of defrauding the Chamber of Commerce. Weinhagen signed the sham agreements using the alias “James Sullivan” and caused the Chamber of Commerce to pay a total of $107,500 to Synergy Partners. Weinhagen deposited this money into a bank account he opened in Synergy Partners’ name and used the money for his own personal expenses. Third, in November 2020, Weinhagen surreptitiously opened a $200,000 line of credit in the Chamber of Commerce’s name. Over the course of the next year, Weinhagen drew $125,000 from the line of credit, which he transferred to Synergy Partners’ bank account and used for personal expenses. Fourth, in January 2022, Weinhagen used the Chamber of Commerce’s credit card to pay for a vacation to Hawaii. Weinhagen charged $15,701 to the Chamber of Commerce’s credit card for first-class airfare and a two-bedroom ocean-front room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for him and his family. The defendant later created fake documents to make it appear that the charges were for legitimate Chamber of Commerce business. Finally, in January 2025, after he was fired from the Minnesota Regional Chamber of Commerce, Weinhagen applied for a $54,661 bank loan. In the application, Weinhagen falsely stated that he earned an annual income of $425,000 from a Minnesota-based restaurant holding company. Weinhagen provided a fake paystub in support of this bank loan. In reality, Weinhagen was not a salaried employee of, and did not earn $425,000 per year from, the restaurant holding company. Weinhagen pled guilty before District Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Murphy.


title: Minneapolis Non-Profit Director Charged with Fraud

body_text: ST. PAUL – Tony Robinson, age 41, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, made an initial appearance today on an indictment charging Robinson with five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy offenses for Robinson’s participation in a fraud scheme with Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Robinson was the operations director at Encouraging Leaders, a Minneapolis-based non-profit organization founded and led by Champion. Champion used the organization to submit fraudulent grant applications and progress reports to government and private grant programs, then misused substantial portions of the grant funding. Participants in the scheme, including Champion and Robinson, retained grant funds for themselves. Champion and Robinson defrauded the U.S. Department of Justice, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and others. Robinson participated in the scheme from approximately December 2021 until October 2022. Robinson worked with a freelance worker in Africa to draft and submit false grant progress reports to organizations that had awarded grants to Encouraging Leaders. For example, Robinson prepared false reports for the U.S. Department of Justice, which issues grants focused on juvenile justice and substance-abuse prevention; the Minnesota State Arts Board, which issues grants to Minnesota’s theaters, museums, choirs, and arts organizations; and Non-Profit A, which is a Minnesota non-profit founded by the McKnight Foundation with a focus on youth-learning outside of the classroom. Robinson’s reports claimed Encouraging Leaders used grant funds to organize events and activities that never occurred, and overstated Encouraging Leaders’ involvement in events that had occurred. Robinson’s reports also falsely claimed that Encouraging Leaders had assisted various students, when in fact it had not. During Robinson’s participation in the scheme, the fraud and Encouraging Leaders caused a loss of more than $1 million to victims. Tezzaree El-Amin Champion was charged separately and pled guilty. On November 18, 2025, U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez sentenced Champion to 84 months of imprisonment to be followed by 60 months supervised release, and to pay $3,479,575 in restitution. In sentencing Champion, Judge Menendez noted that Champion’s fraudulent conduct was “relentless” and “reflects a scale and a depth that is disturbing.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson and Matthew D. Forbes are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former President and CEO of the  Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce Pleads Guilty to Fraud


title: Sacramento Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Conspiring to Sex Traffic Woman in San Diego

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Darell Davis of Sacramento was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $9,950 in restitution for conspiring to sex traffic an 18-year-old woman by coercion and physical violence. On September 11, 2025, Davis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion. His guilty plea stemmed from conduct spanning from December 15, 2022, to January 11, 2023, when Davis transported the victim from Sacramento to San Diego to sell her body for his financial gain. Davis created commercial sex advertisements featuring the victim on an adult website and kept a ledger of all the victim’s prostitution earnings, as well as a ledger on earnings of at least two other women under his control. Davis also kept notes of all the “blades,” the geographical locations for street-based prostitution, in various cities. On January 10, 2025, the victim contacted the San Deigo Police Department for help and identified her trafficker by his moniker, “Benzo.” The victim told investigators that she first met Davis when she was 17 years old and was introduced to the pimping and prostitution subculture. The victim also stated that Davis explained the prostitution rules, set a daily quota that she was required to earn, and made her work six days a week and up to 10 to 14 hours a day. The victim’s location was even electronically tracked by Davis through a tracking application and all her earnings went to Davis. The victim reported physical abuse and fear based on Davis possessing a handgun. On January 11, 2023, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force arrested Davis outside a hotel in Chula Vista. Upon the execution of a search warrant of the room Davis was staying in, investigators recovered a loaded non-serialized handgun and ammunition. “The smiles in online ads are a mask,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Behind the misleading photos are coerced victims being controlled, threatened and abused while traffickers cash in. This is exploitation at its ugliest; victims treated as a disposable product, not human beings.” “Sex trafficking through force, fraud or coercion is a terrible crime that has no place in California,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The California Department of Justice-led San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to putting a stop to human trafficking, and to holding accountable those who prey on Californians for their own financial gain. I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners for their collaboration, and to the U.S. Attorney’s office for their work to prosecute this case. When we work together, we get results.” If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter. DEFENDANT Case Number 23-cr-00549-LL Darrell Davis Age: 22 Sacramento, California SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking through Force, Fraud or Coercion – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1594(c) Maximum penalty: Up to life in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force San Diego Police Department San Diego County District Attorney Office Department of Homeland Security Investigations Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Special Victims Unit. Formed in April 2025, the SVU is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and child exploitation, civil rights, and labor trafficking. The SVU oversees the Southern District of California liaisons to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and Project Safe Childhood.


title: Three Sentenced for Smuggling Methamphetamine, Fentanyl into the Lincoln County Jail

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a former Lincoln County, Missouri jail contract employee, Kevin Childers Jr., to 51 months in prison for his role in smuggling fentanyl and methamphetamine into the jail. Childers, 38, was one of three people to have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Steven Williamson Jr., 37, and Brittany Spangler, 35, were sentenced earlier this year. At the time of the offense, Williamson was an inmate and trustee and worked in the kitchen. Spangler was his girlfriend. Childers ran the jail kitchen as a contract employee. All three admitted conspiring to smuggle fentanyl and meth into the jail between the dates of June 27, 2022, and Oct. 6, 2022. Judge Autrey previously sentenced Williamson to 51 months in prison and Spangler to 37 months in prison. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug prosecuted the case.


title: Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Student Visa, Other Documents

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a Nigerian national to 41 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining a student visa and admission to the University of Missouri as well as a Social Security card, a driver license, a bank account and an apartment. Mercy Ojedeji, 26, also participated in the money mule activities of Shirley Waller . Waller is serving a 93-month prison sentence after admitting aiding online scammers and committing pandemic and mortgage fraud. The government alleged that Ojedeji and Waller used a fraudulently opened bank account to funnel the proceeds of Waller’s criminal activities to Nigeria. A total of 193 packages were sent to the home Waller and Ojedeji shared, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued that the total intended loss of the pair’s activities was more than $1 million, based on the $94,150 contained in the 17 packages seized by law enforcement. In a letter to Judge Autrey, one victim who lost $47,000 to the scam described being duped by a tale of a lonely, widowed orthopedic surgeon working in in a refugee hospital in Jordan. “It is a terrible shame there are such people existing to steal money from innocent victims such as myself,” she wrote. Another had their water cut off for a month due to non-payment after sending money to scammers. Ojedeji pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of unlawful use of fraudulent immigration documents and one count of wire fraud. He admitted using counterfeit academic transcripts, recommendations, a resume and a report about his English language proficiency to obtain a student visa from the University of Missouri and admission to the chemistry PhD program in the fall of 2023. Ojedeji also obtained a stipend and a tuition waiver worth more than $49,000. Ojedeji presented his student visa and other documents to the Social Security Administration to obtain a Social Security card and used the fraudulently issued Social Security number and other documents to open a bank account. He also used the Social Security number and documents produced by his paramour, Waller, to rent an apartment. After Ojedeji failed to attend classes, his assistantship or join a research group, the university terminated him from the graduate program in January 2024. This also resulted in the termination of his student visa. On Feb. 26, 2024, Ojedeji used his fraudulently obtained and now invalid visa and other documents to obtain a Missouri driver license. The driver’s license was subsequently used to open the bank account through which he and Waller forwarded the proceeds of Waller’s money mule activities. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate fraudsters who utilize the U.S. Mail to perpetuate financial schemes to defraud others in order to enrich themselves. Postal Inspectors seek justice for victims, including those most vulnerable,” said Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI and the Town and Country Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.


title: Pendleton Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Minors on Umatilla Indian Reservation

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.— A Pendleton, Oregon, man pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing two minors and engaging in sexual contact with a third minor. Aaron William Pizer, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact. According to court documents, on or between July 10, 2016, and July 9, 2017, and on or between August 22, 2019, and August 21, 2020, Pizer sexually abused two minors under the age of sixteen on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. On April 19, 2024, Pizer engaged in sexual contact on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation with a minor under the age of sixteen. On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Pizer with Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact. Pizer faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for counts one and two, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life term of supervised release. He faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison for count three, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life term of supervised release. He will be sentenced on March 12, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge. As part of the plea agreement, Pizer has agreed to pay restitution in full to the victims. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Umatilla Tribal Police Department, and Pendleton Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady Adams is prosecuting the case. This case was brought in collaboration with 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Third Individual Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Steal Funds from COVID-19 Support Program

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – WILLIE LEE MOORE, a Montgomery County man, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property in connection with a scheme to steal money from a COVID-19 support program, announced Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund which provided payments to states and eligible units of local government to be used on certain expenses in response to the COVID-19 emergency. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (“NC DHHS”), using the federal CARES Act funding provided to North Carolina, established the COVID-19 Support Services Program to support individuals in targeted counties who needed care and resources in order to successfully quarantine and isolate. NC DHHS contracted with regional partners to provide and deliver support on the ground in designated counties. Available support services included nutrition services such as home-delivered meals and groceries to individuals in isolation and quarantine, as well as provision of COVID-related over-the-counter supplies, such as face masks, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. According to court documents, MOORE, Jamie Ewings, and Navonne Moore were associated with a not-for-profit community organization called Brutonville Concerned Citizens (“BCC”). BCC was subcontracted to provide support services, including the delivery of healthy food boxes and COVID-related supplies to qualifying individuals. Although BCC provided some food boxes to the community, the three individuals submitted inflated and fraudulent invoices and receipts so that BCC would be reimbursed more money than it was entitled to receive. MOORE, Ewings, and Navonne Moore agreed to divide the reimbursement money among themselves. In total, BCC received about $1,144,649 over five payments between November 2020 and February 2021. Of that money, MOORE received about $369,000, Ewings received about $384,000, and Navonne Moore received about $180,000. The rest of the money was left in BCC’s bank account. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on February 24, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina, before Chief/Senior United States District Judge Catherine C. Eagles. At sentencing, MOORE faces a maximum sentence of up to ten years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, restitution, and other monetary penalties. Jamie Ewings previously pleaded guilty to theft of government property and was sentenced to 13 months of imprisonment. Navonne Moore pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor theft of government property and was sentencing to four years of probation. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Waid. ###


title: Court Sentences Mobile County Man to 14 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – On December 1, 2025, United States District Court Chief Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Charlie Alexander Hall to 168 months’ imprisonment for Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine after Hall agreed to sell undercover agents approximately 8.5 ounces of methamphetamine for $2000 in May 2024. Court documents show that law enforcement surveilled Hall at his home in Semmes, Alabama, where he placed a 5-gallon bucket containing the methamphetamine he was planning to sell in his vehicle. Surveillance continued after Hall left his residence with the methamphetamine. Officers attempted to stop Hall for a traffic infraction, and he accelerated, driving through a residential area at speeds greater than 100 MPH. Hall threw the 5-gallon bucket containing the methamphetamine out of his car and the bucket opened, spreading the methamphetamine across the road. The chase continued at speeds over 100 MPH until Hall stopped and was apprehended with the assistance of a canine. Law enforcement recovered the bucket and approximately 1,275 grams of methamphetamine from the roadway. The same day, law enforcement also executed a search warrant at Hall’s home and recovered approximately 1 more kilogram of methamphetamine in a similar 5-gallon bucket behind the home. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the Mobile County Sherriff’s Office - Narcotics Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.